Bengkong Termination

MARISHKA SOEKARNA

-

Wak Jeple is the only bengkong atawa traditional circumciser in our village. There are no children or grandchildren who can continue their career as bengkong. Wak Jeple is now around eighty years old. According to my father's story, Wak Jeple was a kind of magical person. He once circumcised thirty children in one day! But, that was before. Recently, in our village we have never heard of a child being circumcised using bengkong services. Residents prefer to have their children circumcised by village orderlies or doctors.

I myself forgot exactly when I was circumcised. Dad said when I was two years old. In fact, in our village the average age at which a boy is circumcised is seven years or older. Why was I circumcised at that age, according to my father, because my "bird" had an abnormality. This is what required me to be circumcised earlier than other children of the same age. And I don't remember when a doctor came to my house and circumcised me.

In contrast to all my older brothers, they claim to have been circumcised by Wak Jeple. Even my maternal uncles and brothers were almost all circumcised by Wak Jeple. Their age when circumcised was an average of more than seven years. Of course at that age, a child already has enough memory. They will never forget the moments when they faced Wak Jeple, the bengkong who executed their "bird".

According to the story told by one of my older brothers, he had to take a shower early in the morning before being circumcised, precisely after the dawn prayer call. The purpose of a morning shower, according to Wak Jeple, was to avoid getting sick during the circumcision procedure. It is believed that a cold, shivering body can increase resilience to the pain of circumcision. After taking a shower, he put on a koko shirt and a sarong. Waiting for Wak Jeple to arrive was a truly tense experience, like waiting for an executioner to take hold of a very vital piece of skin!

Before the execution is carried out, Wak Jeple usually chats for a while with the family and child who will be circumcised, and the words that come out of his mouth are always funny things. He did this because he wanted to relieve tension for the child and family. “Just throw away the ends, really. It's really annoying . No it's going to hurt. It hurts more than being bitten by an ant!” that's what Wak Jeple said every time he was about to act.

Also read: Homecoming to the Grave

Before the circumcision is carried out, there is a kind of ritual and prayers that Wak Jeple recites. There are no anesthetic injections or painkillers given to the child who will be circumcised. Wak Jeple uses special tongs made of iron. The cutting tool uses olat, made from bamboo skin which is made flat and thin at the edges, so that its sharpness resembles a freshly sharpened knife.

My sister said that when the circumcision was finished, she cried loudly. That's where Wak Jeple immediately comforted him while giving him red medicine, saying it was all okay. Later he will also be sane (meaning, recovered). ”No no need to cry. Pan deep into the stomach!”

After that, Wak Jeple cleaned his circumcision tools and was ready to participate in the circumcision charity. This circumcision charity is a kind of feast led by an ustaz, followed by the surrounding neighbors. A rooster is given to the circumcised child, while the rest is distributed to others. After that, donations started to come in, either given directly or in envelopes.

The real temptation for a child to agree to circumcision is the prospect of receiving money. Relatives and neighbors will give the child money for the occasion. To entertain the child, some people will parade the circumcised child around the village with ondel-ondel (traditional Betawi giant puppets). And many families who have their child circumcised will throw a celebration with outdoor movie screenings or a roaming lenong (traditional Betawi theater).

According to my older sibling's story, there are several restrictions for children who have undergone circumcision. Wak Jeple mentioned these before leaving. The first restriction is to not move too much, avoid eating foods that are too salty or spicy, and not take a shower right away. They can walk, but not too far. While walking, they must not step on dry leaves.

So that the sarong does not touch the "bird" that has been circumcised, usually using tepes or pieces of dried coconut fiber tied around the front of the child's waist. Thus, when walking, the tepes provides protection to avoid friction. But, nowadays, there are special protective cloths and equipment that can be used by circumcised brides, so there's no need to worry about looking for coconut fiber.

***

And soon our family will hold a circumcision ceremony for our younger brother. He is already seventeen years and two months old. But Syahroni, our youngest brother, has not been circumcised yet. The reason is that he is afraid of the doctor. Not even being approached, from a distance, he already runs away in a hurry.

Syahroni's fear of doctors is not without reason. When he was eight years old and about to be circumcised, he suddenly fell ill. It's unclear whether it was due to the stress of the procedure or for some other reason. Syahroni was taken to a doctor and given an injection. He felt cramping in his buttocks for two days and nights. Since then, he has refused to go to the doctor when he is sick, even if promised that he will not be given injections. Syahroni has become traumatized by doctors.

That night after Isha, we consulted in the family room, discussing plans for our brother's circumcision.

”If the doctor bae is afraid, how do I get the circumcision done?” asked Bang Sukron, my oldest brother.

He is the most worried that Syahroni may never be circumcised throughout his life. Considering that everyone knows, male Muslim is obligated to be circumcised when they have reached puberty. And as far as we know, Syahroni has already passed puberty.

”We drug bae!” joked Bang Sukma, my second older brother after Bang Sukron.

”Don't be fucking! This is serious!" my mother said finally. Then everyone looked at me. I fell silent. Then I snapped my fingers, everyone was happy. They believed I already had an opinion. But then I looked down weakly, because I was hesitant to speak.

”Sigh, I thought youalready had an idea!” Bang Sukron glanced at me with a really big face.

***

My younger brother cannot be circumcised by a doctor. The next day, I immediately went to see Wak Jeple. I asked around and got lost on the way because I had not been to his house for more than ten years. After finishing my studies and working, I had settled out of town and was provided with an official house. I only went back to my parents' house at least every six months because we communicated through the phone. When I came back, I just stayed at home and didn't go anywhere else.

This time, I came home specifically for my younger sibling's circumcision ceremony. It turns out that the road to Wak Jeple's house has undergone many changes here and there, both in the buildings and the alleyways around it. No longer is there any sign of muddy land as it has been paved. Empty lands have turned into clusters, simple housing complexes consisting of just dozens of units. Wak Jeple's house is squeezed at the end of the wall of one of the clusters.

Also read: When Tired

Wak Jeple lives with his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He smiled when I came to visit and asked me to greet my sister the day after tomorrow. I notice his aging face, but he still looks fresh. His hair, mustache, and beard have turned white. His hands are wrinkled, and his fingers are holding a cigarette. Despite his old age, his grandchild said it is still difficult to stop him from smoking nicotine.

After chatting for a while and explaining the purpose of my visit, I went home and told my family. The day after tomorrow Wak Jeple will come to circumcise my little brother. Various things were prepared. My father is happy because finally his youngest child will be circumcised after waiting more than seventeen years, and of course it will end the gossip of some residents because my little brother is that old and has not been circumcised.

The long awaited day arrived. Syahroni was forced to take a shower early in the morning. After that he wore a koko shirt and sarong. Because he is a teenager, the circumcision will be carried out in a room, closed to the public and the woman's family. Only my uncle and I were allowed to accompany him.

My older siblings gave up and chose to flee when our father assigned them to help Wak Jeple. They opted to prepare everything for the charity event and feast for relatives and neighbors.

Until midday, the eagerly awaited Wak Jeple had not arrived yet. I forgot to ask for a contact number so I had to go to his house instead. Using a motorcycle, I set off to pick up Wak Jeple.

Upon arriving at the alley in front of his house, after passing through paved roads and residential clusters, I was surprised by residents who were putting up yellow flags, a sign that someone had passed away. When I asked, it turned out that Wak Jeple had just passed away.

I went directly to see Wak Jeple's grieving grandchild. Before I could say anything, the grandchild immediately expressed apologies for not being able to inform me and my family earlier. Wak Jeple passed away after performing the Subuh prayer in his room. Wak Jeple's grandchild thought that he was getting ready to attend his final patient who was scheduled for circumcision, but it turned out that his body had already become stiff.

I immediately went home to inform my family. After parking my motorbike next to the house, I could already hear the commotion from outside. My eldest sibling was angry, saying that my younger brother, Syahroni, was screaming and rebelling because he claimed that he was not ready to be circumcised.

My siblings and other family members greeted my arrival with disappointed expressions. They did not ask why I was not with Wak Jeple, who was going to celebrate my sibling's birthday. After a commotion broke out in the house, everyone ended up chasing after my younger sibling who ran out through the backdoor before I could say anything.

South Tangerang, 2023

Zaenal Radar T was born in Tangerang, December 7 1973. His short story collection, The Price of Death (2003), Men's Tears (2004), and Si Markum (2017). In addition to writing short stories, he writes screenplays for films and television series. Settled in South Tangerang.

Marishka Soekarna is a mother and visual artist whose hobbies are drawing and collecting vinyl records. Marishka's work can be visited on the site www.marishkasoekarna.com.