Amiratih Larasati fell in love with wayang kulit (javanese shadow puppet) soon after seeing them at the first time when she was a little baby. My father collects shadow puppets in his home. He likes to show his collections to Amiratih. Ever since that moment, she's in love with wayang kulit. A love that is growing within her. Kresna, the reincarnation of lord Vishnu, is her number one favorite wayang. Gatotkaca, a Pandavan hero in the mahabharat epic, is her second. Kresna's character is the opposite from Amiratih’s. Kresna's calm behavior, soft-spoken but yet friendly voice and smiling face have somehow amazed Amiratih so much. She would talk to them just like she would to her fluffy dolls. In a way, wayang kulit has a special place in her heart. She also enjoys watching wayang orang (javanese opera) on television. She enjoys the javanese traditional music showed in the opera. She curiously asked me about what the story was all about; who the characters were; what the characters were doing; what they were talking about.
One night in her grandparent’s house, she asked us to turn off the lights but not the television. She took a plain wide wrapping paper, and she dragged two dining chairs in front of the television, she insisted us to help her put some tapes on each edge of the paper to the chairs, and then..Voila! Amazingly, she made a stage to perform a show of wayang kulit with the television light used as the back light. And as the puppeteer, she did her performance together with her wayang kulit as shadows, playing and dancing. At the end of the show, she thanks the wayang by shaking their hands. Especially for Kresna, a peaceful, quiet moment together with a nose to nose kiss, and holding hands. Finally, the dalang ( puppeteer ) took a bow, behind the paper, as a shadow. She did it beautifully as we all watched her shadow show with the puppets. I am so proud of her. All of her life, at her very young age, she has been showing me her strong character and identity as an individual that is different from me, different from her father, and from any other of her family members. although yes, she has pieces of each of us in her, like pieces of undone puzzle that she will finish one day, just like her other hobby, making puzzles. Or should i say a puzzle maniac.
by : Laksmira Ratna Bayuardi
29 December 2009
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