Malin Kundang (The Legend from West Sumatera, Indonesia)
Malin Kundang (The Legend from West Sumatera, Indonesia) The Indonesian legend, Malin Kundang. Malin Kundang (The Legend from West Sumatera, Indonesia)
Have you ever heard about the young man cursed into a rock? Have you ever seen the 
Kundang rock in Padang, Sumatera Island? It located in Indonesia. There is a famous legend related to the rock. Here is the legend.
Illustrator : Letizia Celine Isjawara, July, 2019
Malin Kundang was a young man, came from a very poor family. He lived with his mother in a dilapidated house near the beach. The father has passed away when Malin was a little boy. As the only child, Malin took care of his mother in their small house as a fisherman. Almost nothing left in the house. They were forced to sell everything they have for money since the father has gone. Malin is the only treasure the poor lady had. That’s why she loved him a lot and indulged him. She sacrificed her self for her little son’s happiness until Malin grew up as a young man.
One day Malin thought to change his life and fortune. He got boring to be a poor man and had no pride in his life. He intended to change his fate by working in shipping company owned by his rich neighbor as a labor.
“Mother, if I join our neighbor and his crews in the ship, I hope I can learn enough money for us. I will renovate our house, buy some delicious food and good clothes for us. Our life will be better. Being a fisherman cannot give us anything. I have to change our lives,” said Malin Kundang.
The mother looked very sad. Working in shipping company would make his only son go overseas to sell things for such a long time. She couldn’t let her son leave her, but the sparkle in Malin’s eyes full of hope and courage made her mother couldn’t say no to him.
“I always wait for you to come back, Malin.” The mother hugged him tightly. “I will miss you everyday. I don’t know how I can undertake my life without seeing your smile, your eyes, and hearing your chuckles. Make your dream comes true.”
“I promise, I will come back soon and bring you a lot of money and presents,” Malin smiled to his mother and wiped her tears.
When the sunrise glowed its golden shines in the morning sky, the vulnerable lady release her beloved son at the dock with heart full of sorrow. The young Malin Kundang waved his hand to his mother. His heart was full of hope and courage to be a rich man.
After several days sailing in the ocean Malin Kundang showed that he was a hard worker. He was helpful and everybody worked in the ship liked him. When the sun went down left the darkness, Malin sang a song with his amazing voice, brought everybody fell asleep and enjoyed dreaming. However the peaceful night was turned into a real nightmare when suddenly a group of pirates came and attacked their ship. The pirates robbed everything fiercely. Malin that was still awake had time to jumped into an empty drum while all his friends were killed. No one left except Malin Kundang.
The ship was drifting in the middle of the ocean, swaying Malin Kundang in his loneliness during the scary night. He felt his body trembled in frightened looking at the dead bodies around him. He fell down fainted in frustration.
Malin heard people’s voices. He opened his eyes slowly and saw the morning light. He didn’t know what has happened. The ship has stranded at the beach and the villagers came to help.
“We found the ship with nobody alive, only one man saved. He is fainted,” reported one villagers.
“Let’s help him,” shouted another villager.
Malin felt his body was so exhausted and weak. He didn’t know how long he has been drifting on the ocean and where he was now. The villagers carried his body left the ship.
When he woke up, he saw a beautiful bed room with amazing furniture he had never seen before. He was in the big house owned by a very rich man in the town. Looking at the glamorous things Malin dreamed, if he could own all these things for himself. The greed has arisen from his soul, tempted him to begin his life in deception.
Malin thanked the rich man for helping and taking care of him until he became healthy again. He told a lie that the shipped found by the villagers was belong to his family that has been murdered by the pirates on the way to this town, grabbing all the merchants they want to sell.
“Let me be your servant, Sir!” Malin kneel down in front of the rich man begging.
“ Stand up, young man! You don’t need to be my servant. You are a merchant with a big ship. You can help me selling my merchant using your ship,” surprised the rich man who has already impressed with Malin Kundang appearance. The rich man had no son. He only had one beautiful daughter.
“My pleasure if I can work for you, Sir!” said Malin.
As the time goes by, the rich man trusted Malin to run his business and treated him as his own son. Malin enjoyed his glamorous life now. Wore good quality clothes, lived in a big house, and married the rich man’s beautiful and kindhearted daughter. He didn’t want to remember his past life anymore. He tried to deny himself that his mother had passed away. He travelled with his charming wife from town to town running the business happily.
Far away in the pier, the old lady sat down waiting for his son from the sunrise until sunset. She was never absent visiting the pier every day. Some people looked pity at her and gave her some food. Some others thought that the old lady became insane after lost his son. People believed that Malin Kundang has passed away in the ocean. But the mother’s heart could feel that his beloved son was still alive and believed that Malin would come back again.
Sometimes what we expected to be happened didn’t bring something beautiful as what we have imagined. When the sun was creeping behind the horizon and people turned back to leave the pier, the magnificent ship sailed closer to the pier. People were murmuring wanted to know who the wealthy man was and why the ship visited this island. After the ship docked perfectly, the crews in cool uniforms went down followed by an elegant gentle man and his fashionable wife.
The mother’s eyes recognized the figure of his son, his sturdy shoulder, the way he walked, his thick eye brow, and every parts ensured the mother that the man was her only son even though he was in totally different style now.
“Malin… Malin…,”shouted the old lady. Tears washed her face. “Finally you go home, son. I miss you so much. I am happy to see you again.”
Malin’s heart was pounding elicited the dilemma in his mind. Of course he recognized this old lady who has given her life to him. Should he admit the truth or still stood for his deception? His conscience was fighting. He couldn’t deny his heart broke looking at his mother in her vulnerable look, full of suffering along these years. He could feel the pain looking at the old face.
“Who is the old lady? She is a beggar. Why did she know your name? You said it is the first time we visit this place,” asked Malin’s wife. She looked confused, suspicious, and stared Malin’s eyes. Malin couldn’t defeat his arrogance. His greedy of wealthy stabbed his conscience. He didn’t want to live in poverty anymore. He didn’t want to lose his beautiful wife and the wealthy.
“I am sorry, old lady! I am not your son. I perhaps look like your son, but my parents had passed away,” said Malin firmly. But the old lady held his legs and started to cry realizing that she was too dirty and not compatible to be a mother of his own son. She has spent many years in vain waiting for somebody who was not belonged to her anymore. Her heart was really broken into pieces.
Malin lost his patience and asked his crew to get rid the old lady.
“My son.. my son,” cried the mother when two body guards pulled her away from Malin.
Malin ensured his wife that the lady was insane as people said. The mother heard Malin’s words. She stared at him shock, unbelievable that he was really her beloved son who said that words. The reality was too bitter for her to swell. She couldn’t accept this condition and she really lost her sanity now. Her compassionate she kept for years turned into anger. Her love that has betrayed turned into hatred. She couldn’t control her emotion again. She raised her arms to the sky and shouted loudly, “God, cursed this wicked man who has hurt his mother’s heart !!!!”
Suddenly lightning and thunder appeared from the dusk. The twilight turned into dark cloud. The storm and hurricane came. People were running away. Malin tried to run but his feet couldn’t move. Malin’s body slowly turned to rock, as hard as his greedy heart. He fell down and bowed to his mom before all his body turned into rock.
“Forgive me, mother!” cried Malin. He was so afraid and regret, but it was too late. The cursed has done and he lost everything included his life.
(Retold by Pujiati Naomi, S.Psi.,MM)