For a year after finishing High School, I was looking for a job because I could not afford to go to College. Finally, in 1986 I received a letter from the Labor Department approving my application to work for a cocoa plantation in Irian Jaya. The company will pay for all expenses to travel to Irian Jaya. I felt happy to have a job, even though my family was un happy about my leaving because I am the first son in the family. But I think that I must go to earn a living for myself because finding a job in my village of Panji is very difficult and my parents are poor farmers and can't afford to support me.So, in January I leave with other people from Denpasar to Surabaya Tanjung Perak Harbor in Java and then to Irian Jaya by Cargo Ship. Traveling for one week we finally arrive at Adi island, a small island where we will work. We're surprised to see only a big jungle with big trees where we will be planting cocoa trees. The company provided a camp with Bungalows for living during our 1- year contract. The Bungalows were built of woods, and each room was small, 4 by 5 meters with 4 double decker bunk beds for 8 people, with only a palm leaf mattress and no fillow. There was no toilet and bathing was from a pump well.
The company had deceived us. The company had promised us that we would each have a separate room with TV, good food for us to cook, and health care. There were no individual rooms, no TV, no medical care, and often no food available to cook. Sometimes we could only eat rice with salt and sambal. Woking from 7.00 AM in the morning until 2.00 PM in the afternoon they paid us Rp. 75.000 ( 8 dollars) a month and payment for our food was deducted from our salary. For four months we would just work, eat, sleep without any activities or entertainment. All we see is the jungle in front of us and all we hear the sound of jungle birds and animals.
I became sick with malaria and could not eat or work. I had a high fever and there was no medication for the malaria. I just lie down on the bed waiting fro a friend to come to massage my head with Tiger Balm. I keep praying to get better so I can return to Bali and be back with my family.Days pass, and I got better. After 7 months of working,,,,the company only paid us one month salary. We know the money for the workers was there, but the manager was keeping the money for him self. We made a protest, but it didn't work. I decided to leave and had Rp. 35.000 (4 dollars) left from my sallery and got Rp.35.000 from selling my clothes to some Irian Jaya people. I went to the company office to quit the job and was lucky that Police Officer come to check on the company, and I asked if they could take me with them since I could only leave the Island by boat, Thank God, I could now leave my suffering behind..!
Well,... I'm out from Adi Island but I really can't feel happy yet because I didn't know where to go next. It's about a 4 hour trip from Adi Island to Kaimana District of the village, Fak-Fak regency, Irian Jaya. I finally, arived in Kaimana, I say thank you very, very much to the Police Officer who helps me and brings me untill here. The day is almost gone, the sunset is almost down and I'm still sitting on the Harbor and thinking where I can go next. I decided to go to the Market because I know the Market is always crowded with people. In the market I only see people selling or buying somethings.
The time was 8 pm and I didn't have a place to stay. Finally a couple (husband and wife) come by and ask me...hello young man, where do you come from? And I answered, I came from Adi Island running a way because I can not stay there anymore. Again they ask me..."what's your name and where do you come from" I said my name is Ketut, I came from Bali, and they said my name is Mr and Mrs. Amin.
We continued talking about Adi Company, which they know very bad and Mr Amin asked me again...where do you stay tonight? I said, sorry Mr. Amin I don't have a place to go. Maybe I just stay in the market untill the sun come up...when I look at them, they look very sad and simpathetic to me. And finally Mr. Amin asked me, Mr. Ketut can you stay with my brother in-low first then the next morning I'll bring you to my house. And I said, thank you very, very much Mr & Mrs Amin.
 Mr and Mrs Amin were muslims, and even though I'm Hindu they were very, very nice to me and very kind to me. The next day they came to pick me up and bring to their house. They already prepared my room with a bamboo wall...though I know Mr & Ms Amin were very, very poor but they have a big heart. They were married for a long time but they don't have children yet. Mr. Amin woks everyday as a fisherman and his wife works selling boiled rice and cooked fish in the market.
Sometimes we just eating cassava and friend fish because they can not afford to buy a kilo of rice.
Day after dayis passes and I din't realize it was 3 months that i stay with them and I still don't find job. I only have High School degree and it's difficult to find job. Finally at the end of November I received a letter from my family and Rp. 150.000 ( 15 dollars ), for me to pay for the Ship to go back to Bali.
My family is very, very, poor and I understand they have to try very hard to borrow money for me to come back to Bali. But I know that amount of money will not be enough to pay for the passenger ship. So, I was thinking....and thinking....how I can go back to Bali.
Then after two weeks I have good news from Mrs. Amin who told me...Ketut in another week a Cargo Ship will come here and then goes to Surabaya. You can talk with them. When the ship arrives I directly go and talk to the captain. I tell him Idon't have enough money to pay for passenger ship and the captain said...it's ok...Ketut, you can go with us... and, I'm very very happy because I know be leaving soon to go back to Bali.
Finally, on the middle of December I say good bye and thank you very, very much to Mr &Mrs Amin. They were very nice to me and they feel like I'm their own son and I feel the same I feel as if they are my own parents. Hugs and kisses, and I don't know my tears come out. To say good bye to them is very hard and I was wondering what I can give back to them? But I'll never forget their kindness.
Then 15 years later, I got letter from them with family photos including 3 children now and I was very, very happy.
In the year of 2003 I invite them to come to Bali with all the family but it's only Mr Amin who can come because the children have to go to school. Mr. Amin stay with me and my family in Bali for about 3 weeks then back to Irian Jaya. But until now I still have contact with them.
Cheers, Ketutski
 | This is a very touching story Ketut..........Angels come in all shapes and sizes........Just like Mr & Mrs Amin..... Thank you for sharing this story, it must have been a very difficult time for you.
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| My pleasure Ketut......keep smiling......and I love that song, reminds me of my teenage years.....was one of my favorite songs growing up.
:-) xoxoxox |
 | Ketut terharu baca ceritamu dan kagum atas kebaikan Bapak dan Ibu Amin menolong Ketut. Bagaimana Kabar Ketut beserta keluarga? |
 | a very nice experience Ketut. more power to Mr. Amin and his family! |
 | Thank God, for special people, like the Amin. Great story and glad you made it home safely. |
 | cleo11 wrote on Apr 22, edited on Apr 22 It was a story of a lot of luck , Ketut! I am convinced, as it happens to me a lot, that good and kind hearted ppl always have some nice and kind hearted ppl to help them when they most need it! God won't let them suffer so much, there is always someone at the right time there should be someone, as if they were angels sent from Heaven , to help kind and good ppl, and that is your case, that is what happened to you! Yes , you should keep contact with them and offer them some presents, maybe you could paint them a special painting, what do you think? Coz anything and everything would not be enough to thank them , for, in a world like the one we are living, full of selfishness and evil, having lent you their helping hand! You should really be, like you ARE, forever thankful, first , to the police officer who took you away from that place, and second to the kind hearted couple, Mr. and Mrs. Amin!
You were lucky and blessed, and God knew why, because you are one of the few good , polite, hard working, honest and kind hearted ppl that there are in the world. God values that! Keep it up, Ketut! It was a miracle too that you got healed from malaria, with no medicin and no conditions! All was going your way, though you did suffer a lot... And now, what are you doing, there in NY? I saw a photo where you are wearing a shirt and a tie... Do you work for a company , besides painting so so well?
Kisses, I liked to read your story, very much, dear!
Cleo ; ))
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 | Very interesting story but now you live in America...how do you like it here? |
 |  It was a story of a lot of luck , Ketut! I am convinced, as it happens to me a lot, that good and kind hearted ppl always have some nice and kind hearted ppl to help them when they most need it! God won't let them suffer so much, there is always someone at the right time there should be someone, as if they were angels sent from Heaven , to help kind and good ppl, and that is your case, that is what happened to you! Yes , you should keep contact with them and offer them some presents, maybe you could paint them a special painting, what do you think? Coz anything and everything would not be enough to thank them , for, in a world like the one we are living, full of selfishness and evil, having lent you their helping hand! You should really be, like you ARE, forever thankful, first , to the police officer who took you away from that place, and second to the kind hearted couple, Mr. and Mrs. Amin!
You were lucky and blessed, and God knew why, because you are one of the few good , polite, hard working, honest and kind hearted ppl that there are in the world. God values that! Keep it up, Ketut! It was a miracle too that you got healed from malaria, with no medicin and no conditions! All was going your way, though you did suffer a lot... And now, what are you doing, there in NY? I saw a photo where you are wearing a shirt and a tie... Do you work for a company , besides painting so so well?
Kisses, I liked to read your story, very much, dear!
Cleo ; ))
 My dear Cleo,
Thank you very, very much for your long comment and you were always very nice to me and one day I really want to meet you in person,
God bless you...!
Kisses, Ketut |
| What an amazing journey, you are safe and happy now. |
 | Intersting story mas ketut..Irian Jaya is also beautiful nature ..well ur safe now living in a big country ..:) |
| It's amazing that the company got away with it. Thank God Mr and Mrs Amin came along. It sounds like you've really landed on you feet in America. Hope you get your Green Card soon. |
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