Rahmat The Little Fisherman

Rahmat started his day with taking an ablution and doing Shubuh prayer. His house was a little bit secluded and very close to the beach. Living on the beach has made him a little fisherman. He might have seen what his father had been doing as a fisherman.

His hands, arms and fingers had been skilled in doing anything that fishermen in his village usually do, e.g. weaving fishing nets, cleaning boats, taking care of the fish, or cultivating them into different products. They did it all traditionally, but it could help them make a living. Naturally, he had been grown into a fisherman.

***

Fishermen in Sadeng beach, Gunung Kidul, where Rahmat lived, only finished their education at the secondary level. So, after finishing secondary school, they were not eager to attend universities. They thought that going to universities is a waste of time, money and energy.

In case of Rahmat, he even quit school at the age of 9. So, he did not even get to grade 4. Too you to skip school. He was the first child of the family. He has 1 younger brother and sister. His father did not have a boat, then he only worked for another fisherman. No wonder the money he made every month was not able to cover education fees.

"Rahmat, it's our destiny. I apologize for this condition. I never meant to stop you from schooling, but my monthly salary does not cover that up," his father told him one day. "Your mother cannot work to help me make money. She needs to take care of your baby sister," he added.

Hearing that, Rahmat stayed silent and nodded only. However, inside, his heart thumped up fast. When his father went to bed, his tears started to come out of his eyes. But nothing he could do but promised himself to help raise up his family's condition by practicing to be a great fisherman.

***

Every morning after Subuh prayer, he helped his father took the fish that he and his peers caught. Then his father let him help sorting out those which for sale and those which was not. The ones for sale would be sent to the morning fresh market not far from his house. That was where all the caught fish were auctioned by wholesalers before distributed to markets in larger towns, or even Yogyakarta city. He could have the rejected fish and brought them home for his meals. 

If lucky enough, he would go home with the  'good quality' fish as well. For him, any of the fish he brought home, did not matter. As long as he and his family had something good to eat, it was more than anything he wanted. Furthermore, his mother was really good at cooking. Therefore, whatever the ingredients were, she would cook good food.

***

Whenever he finished helping his father, quite frequently he remembered the time when he still went to school everyday. He walked for a few kilometers to get tp school in his old shoes. Then he would play hide and seek till the firsy lesson started. Although he did not perform really well at school, he loved it anyway. He loved to be with friends and played together. But after his baby sister was born, then his mother should stop working to take care of her, he should quit school.

***

Time flew until one semester had passed. His fishing skills have been well-crafted. Not only helping his father bring down the fish they caught from the boat, he had started to go catching fish with his father and his team. It had been two weeks that he did that. 

He had forgotten his sadness and enjoyed 'his new job' as 'an apprentice' fisherman. Of course he was the only young fisherman in the team. But he had been as good as his 'seniors' in doing the job. 

***

One day, on a sunny Sunday morning, after catching fish, he followed his father to sell the fish in the fresh market. When he was packing the fish that someone was buying, someone called him. "Rahmat! How are you?" It was Rohim, one of his best friends at school. He ran closer and hugged Rahmat tightly. "I've been good, Rohim. How are you?" "I'm good as well," he replied. 

His father then gave him and Rohim some time to have a chit-chat for a little while. Rahmat had changed. He no longer felt ashamed about quiting school and helping his father. But instead, everytime someone asked him about what he did, he would answed proudly that he was a young fisherman.

***

After  that short meeting with Rohim, Rahmat felt even more grateful about his life and family. Rohim also said that there would always be ways if he could go back to school someday and still honing his fishing skills at the same time. 'When there is a will, there is away,' Rohim concluded before he said goodbye. That conversation even burned up his spirit to go back to school but at the same time to keep honing his fishing skills. "I want to be a grat fisherman," he told himself. "I want to raise up the economic condition of my neighbors."