My Funny Story

Jimmy knew Mak Lampir from the radio drama entitled The Mystery of Mount Merapi. Mak Lampir was one of the main characters in the drama. The old terrifying lady was an evil character, a half demon and a half human being.

Though Mak Lampir was terrifying and often used by many people to bluster the naughty children, but not for Jimmy. He liked her, not what she did, but her laughter. Yes, the way she laughed. Jimmy liked it very much. Even he was crazy about it. Mak Lampir's laughter was very professional as a demon. He he he he he he he he………..!


Then Jimmy was inspired to make a voice record, imitating the way Mak Lampir laughed. He recorded his own laughter such Mak Lampir did by using his cell phone. He would use the record as his ring tone.

But his older bro, Joe, didn't agree with what Jim did. He forbade Jim to do it.

"Listen Jim, don't be playful with something which relates to a demon. It's dangerous. If you do, it means that you invite it to come. Do you have any brave to face it if it really appears to meet you?" Joe advised Jim.

"But bro, it's funny. I like it. Please, don't forbid me! Mak Lampir or the other demons won't come to see me. Trust me, bro!" Jim begged his bro to allow him.

Jim still kept doing it when his bro was not home. He laughed as Mak Lampir did and played the record. He was really happy. Unluckily without his knowing, his bro came. Joe was furious.

"Jimmmmyyy….! He screamed, and Jim was surprised." You neglected my advice. Please stop doing it, or …?"

"No, bro … please don't do it! Don't throw my cell phone! Yes, I'll try to stop it."

But it's really difficult for Jim to stop doing it. He still did it but certainly more carefully in order not to be known by his bro.

One afternoon after school, Jim's friend, Julie came to him. She knew that Jim liked Mak Lampir very much. She understood if he was the fan of Mak Lampir. She told him that she had just got the original laughter voice record of Mak Lampir. Jim was very happy to know it. Then he directly asked her to transfer it to his cell phone. Jim soon made it as the ring tone of his cell phone.

Then in the night at 10 pm Joe got stomachache. Jim was asked to buy the medicine for him. Jim lived only with his bro. So no one accompanied him to go to the stall. Their house was far enough from the neighbors' houses. The alley to go to the small shop was dark. And he had no flashlight to light the way.

Actually Jim was not really a brave boy. He was rather frightened to go alone in the darkness but he had to do it for Joe. More over if he imagined the terrifying faces of Mak Lampir and the other demons such he usually saw on TV. Jim passed the dark and lonely street, only the voice of insects' songs which accompanied him. But suddenly he heard a very familiar voice breaking the lonely night.

He he he he he he he he………..!
He he he he he he he he………..!
He he he he he he he he………..!

He was very startled to hear it. He run and run as fast as he could while screaming.

"Help…..help…help me. Please help me! Mak Lampir came to see me…..."

To hear Jim's scream, the villagers came out from their house to find the source of the voice. Soon after many people had gathered around Jim and asked him what happened.

"I heard Mak Lampir laughed. She came to me. I swear I could hear her voice clearly."

"Are you sure? May be it's just your illusion, Jim," one of the villagers said.

"What if is it true?" The other said.

Some of the villagers trusted Jim's story but the others did not. The ones who believed then discussed how to anticipate and face if Mak Lampir appeared again. Then they were silent for a moment to think of the solution. But suddenly they heard the terrifying but funny laughter.

He he he he he he he he………..!
He he he he he he he he………..!
He he he he he he he he………..!

They were all frightened and run to the closest house, and it's Julie's house. Julie who was still serious doing her math work in her room went out to meet them. Their crowded voices had disturbed her concentration. She wouldn't care if it did not really disturb her. She was not out when she heard Jim's scream to get a help, she kept doing her work. Julie was a very serious person and indifferent. Then she asked.

"Your crowded voices have disturbed me very much. What's up? Hi Jim, what are you doing here?"

Then Jim told Julie what happened. The villagers were silent listening to Jim's story. When he had finished telling his story, the voice of Mak Lampir was heard again.

He he he he he he he he………..!
He he he he he he he he………..!
He he he he he he he he………..!

Again, they were all frightened and believed that Mak Lampir had really come to visit their village, except Julie. She said angrily.

"Oh my God, how stupid you are all, especially you, Jim!"

"What do you mean, Julie?" Jim didn't like she said so in front of many people.

"Do you bring your cell phone, Jim?"

"Certainly...!"

"Don't you remember that this afternoon you just got the record of Mak Lampir's voice from me? Let me see your cell phone."

Then Jim gave it to Julie. Julie checked it and said.

"Look Jim, your brother sent you 3 sms. First sms asked you to buy anti mosquito coil. The second one asked you to buy some candles. And the last sms asked why you took very long time. You are asked to go home quickly, he needs the medicine soon."

Then an sms came again to Jim's cell phone. Mak Lampir's voice was heard again.

He he he he he he he he………..!
He he he he he he he he………..!
He he he he he he he he………..!

They all laughed too,
Ha ha ha ha ha………………………
But Julie didn't.

One sunny morning, a young lady named Marry came to our boarding room. She was the friend of my sister, Lily. Marry wanted to meet Lily, but she was not home. I asked her what her purpose was looking for my sister. She said that she was going to borrow some money from Lily. She told me that her little son was sick and she needed the money to see the doctor. She had no money at all because her husband was jobless. Actually I took pity on the young white complexion lady. But I didn't have what she needed.

I suggested her to wait for my sister's coming. While waiting for Lily, we chatted about many things. Suddenly we heard someone knocked on the door and greeted. To hear the recognized voice from outside, Marry changed her expression. She got panic and frightened, then said.

"Please help me, Gia. Please…! She begged me.

"What's up? What can I do for you?" I didn't know what had happened to her.

The lady outside kept knocking on the door. Marry looked more panic. It made me confuse.

"If the lady outside asks you about me, please tell her that you know nothing. Tell her that I never come here. Now please help me to hide. Where do you think I should hide?"

I got more confuse. It's really a dilemma. She asked me to lie. I didn't like it very much. It's not my habit at all. I hate lying. I'm afraid of God's punishment. Lying is a sin.

She was very busy and panic to search for the safe place to hide. The door was still being knocked. Its voice was really a terror for us.

"Lily, open the door! I know that you're inside with someone." The lady outside screamed. She called the name of my sister, Lily. It meant that she knew Lily. But I didn't know her. I had never heard her voice before.

Finally Marry got a place to hide. It was under my bed. But it's not easy to go there because there were so many goods under it. Seeing me just stood like a statue, Marry snapped at me.

"Come on; help me to move these boxes, Gia…...!"

I helped Marry to move the very heavy boxes to give her way to hide. It took us very much energy. Marry was successful hiding under the bed. Then I covered her body with a pouch. The empty pouch was usually used to keep rice.

After helping Marry, I then opened the door for the woman outside.

"What are you doing, girl? Where is Lily? Are you Lily's sister? Why did you take very long time to open the door? "

"Sorr … sorry for making you waiting, madam. Yes, I'm Lily's sister. She's out now." I said nervously.

"Is Marry here?" The question from the middle aged lady was just like a thunderstorm for me though I had known before that she would ask me such question. The question made me stood in a very difficult situation. Oh my merciful God, please show me the way what to tell her. It's impossible for me to say 'yes'. Please, forgive my sin, God!

"I … I don't know, madam. She's not here," finally I said doubtfully.

"Are you sure?"

"Y y y yes, sure..."

"Really?" The curly-haired woman forced me. "I've just come to Marry's boarding room. I met her husband. He said that Marry is here to meet your sister.

"But she isn't here." I tried to deny it.

The lady stopped talking for a while. Then she seemed to look for a place to sit on while seeing around. She paid fully attention to every detail in my room. I got panic because she went to the door and bended her back. It seemed that she's going to sit on the floor near the door. If she sat there I was afraid that she would see Marry's body. And what I was afraid of finally came true. She sat there. And ……..

"Hey girl … what's that? Hey … what’s that?

I knew nothing to say. The woman saw Marry's feet. They were not covered with the pouch. She pulled the feet and screamed.

"Marry… Marry… come on get out! What are you doing here? I have been suspicious that you hid somewhere here. And you girl, you've lain. You are a liar!!!! The lady in red T-shirt snapped at me. I was very ashamed.

"Please, forgive me madam! Actually I didn't want to do it. I didn't mean to lie. I know lying is a sin but Marry forced me. She kept forcing me."

"Listen carefully young girl! If I were you, I wouldn't do it. She has very much debt and always run whenever I asked her to pay."

Then they were included in a bitter quarrel. And I was a referee with no power for them.

Budi is usually a name of a boy, but in this story it's a girl's name. She was very plain and, of course funny. The girl has curly hair with slanted eyes. Her face was cute and innocent. She has a close friend, named Tommy. They were at the same grade but in different classes. Tommy was the smartest student in their school. His English was very good and certainly the best among others. Tommy was Budi's idol. She was willing to give Tommy everything he needed. She also trusted Tommy very much. She trusted every word Tommy said. And Budi always consulted every problem she faced in her subjects to him.

One day, her English teacher, Mr. Andy, taught her about the expression of gratitude. Budi learned how to express thanking and the respond, such as:
X: Thank you.
Y: You're welcome.
And
A: I really thank you
B: Don't mention it! Etc.

The handsome young teacher never taught her the following,
X: Thank you.
Y: Come back.
Never and will never.

But Tommy always said come back whenever Budi said thanks to him. Actually Tommy never meant to teach Budi a wrong lesson, it's just a kidding. He just imitated what he watched from an Indonesian comedy film. There was a scene in that film, it was between a man and a western lady. It's about a misunderstanding which was caused by the wrong diction. Indonesian people usually said kembali (meaning thanks in return) to respond a thanking utterance. The word kembali actually has another meaning i.e. come back, back to the previous position.

When the lady said thank you while leaving the man, he always answered come back, and surely the lady always returned back whenever the man said come back. It happened repeatedly. Tommy, whose favorite film was comedy, of course, was double up with laughter. Hi hi hi …..

Then the day for the even semester came. They had an English test on Monday. For Budi, almost all the questions were very difficult to answer except one. It was Complete the following dialogue by using the respond to thanking!
Tio : Thank you so much for treating me, my best friend. I wait for the next treat, hi hi hi ..........
Bejo : ………………………..

Budi was very happy to have such question, and she directly answered it fully confident.

After finishing the test, she looked for Tommy to confirm her surely correct answer. She found him chatting with Didi under a ficus binyamina tree.

"Hi Budi, you look so happy. Have you just got a lottery?" Tommy greeted her. To hear Tommy's greeting, Budi was much happier than ever.

"Hi hi hi … You're right, my bro. Just now, I could answer one of the questions in the test 100% correctly." Budi answered very happily and confidently.

"Did you? What number do you mean?"

"The last number, 25."

"May I know your answer, my cute friend?"

"Of course you may, Tom. Come back. Yes, the answer is come back, as you always told me."

"Oh my God …. How come, Budi? That's exactly a wrong answer." Tommy really regretted what his plain friend had done. And Tommy's reaction was really unbelievable for Budi.

"What do you mean, guy?" Budi didn't understand it at all.

"Oh dear, how plain you are! You know, it's just a kidding. I just imitated what was said by an actor in a comedy film. You've never realized that it's just a joke?

"Oh my God ... probably I'll get 0 again for my English test now, cause only one number I was sure about the answer, and now I know it's wrong. How poor I am."

One day I would go to the downtown to get some needs. I stood on the left side of the street to wait for the public transportation. I usually want a driver who is old, cool and calm so that he drives carefully and slowly. I don't like the mischievous driver because it can endanger the passengers' life. I am always selective in choosing the driver and the car for my comfort and safety on the trip. More over if the trip is far enough.



There had been so many public transportations passed in front of me but no one suited my need. I paid very careful attention but still I couldn't get it. I had been very tired standing there when suddenly a car which suited my hope came. There were two passengers in it, a woman of the middle age and an old man. And I think the old man had had about seven grandchildren. I also thought that the old man had experienced very much hydrochloric and acetic acid (vagaries of life). (Wow, his body certainly smelled and tasted very sour).


It suits me". I said to myself and got into the grey car with the spirit of 17 August 1945 (the independence day of my country). The car run smoothly on the black road to the downtown.


I heard a slow rock music coming from the sound system in that car, and Friend; believe it or not, I saw a very strange and terrible view in front of me. The very old grand pa seemed to pay his totally concentration to the music. He sang the lyric of the song and shook his head and body following the rhythm of the music. He really enjoyed his life as though the world and its contents had belonged to him all. His style was just like a young man who was dancing in a dangdut concert in a wedding party in village. He looked like a drunken man. I got frightened of him, even very frightened . "Oh mom, please help me……!" I was afraid if this old man was really drunk. Oh my God, it's dangerous!


What would I do? I started to worry because I had a bad and traumatic experience with a drunken man in a public transportation some years ago.


But I still held out in that car, waiting if there's a passenger got off from the car and I'd move to the front, sitting beside the driver. Actually I could ask the driver to stop the car and gave me a chance to move to the front seat, but I didn't know why that my heart was doubtful; it felt as if I had a lump in my throat.


After sending many prayers up to God in the heart, finally God allowed my prayer to come true. A passenger got off from the car; and without wasting the time, I directly moved to the front seat.


"Yesss… I'm safe now!" I yelled in happiness and could enjoy the trip again. But you know what happened next, friend? I just sat there for about five minutes; then I experienced even a more dramatic incident. The car stopped and the old man got off from the car with a cheerful face followed by the driver getting down from the car too. The old man got off from the car then walked to the front of the car, open the door and sat behind the steering wheel, besides me with an innocent face, without caring my frightening and feeling.


Oh my God, what is going on here??? Apparently friend, the old man was the real driver of the car. I really wanted to move out again to the back seat. What do you think friend? Come on tell me, what's your opinion if I moved again to the back seat? I'm sure you'll certainly say "It's really a crazy driver with a crazy passenger, isn't it?" no doubtful about it!!!!!


For not having the predicate of a crazy passenger I kept staying in the car till I got the destination. And thanks God that there's nothing happened between me and the old bro. He didn't do anything endanger me. I was shy caused the bro was not as bad as my thought. It's true to say that 'don't ju
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