Sketching Cut Nyak: Trying to Acquire Long Lost Skill

This was how kids in 3rd grade, BPI Elementary School, Bandung, circa 1979, imagined how all Acehnese woman looks.

Beginilah anak-anak kelas 3 SD BPI di Bandung tahun 1979 membayangkan perempuan Aceh.

When I was nine, I sat on my school desk, holding my breath as my late teacher Mr. Edi told the class a fascinating story about how Cut Nyak Dhien fought General Kohler. The lank, thin-haired Mr. Edi successfully rose my imagination about that brave lady. In my mind, she must've been eagle-eyed lady. Petite yet strong, highly skilled in reloading her pistol. And the sword she held in her right hand, it must've been sharpened by the lady herself.

Umur sembilantahun, aku dan teman-teman menahan nafas. Mendengarkan almarhum guru kami Pak Edi bercerita tentang Cut Nyak Dhien, berduel dengan Jendral Kohler. Pak Edi yang kurus, berambut tipis sebeng samping, berhasil menghidupkan imajinasiku tentang Cut Nyak. Dalam kepalaku, tentulah dia perempuan bermata tajam. Kecil namun kuat, dia pandai mengisi mesiu. Dan pedang di tangan kanannya, tentu ia sendiri yang mengasah.

My mouth fell opened, my soul soared far to Koetaradja, where I arrived in time to fend bayonet blow to Cut Nyak's back. The very thankful lady appointed me as her personal adjutant. I was in ninth cloud.

Mulutku tak sadar ternganga. Rohku terbang ke Koetaradja, dan berhasil menangkis sabetan sangkur ke punggung Cut Nyak. Cut Nyak sangat berterima kasih, aku ditunjuk jadi ajudannya. Hatiku terbang ke langit ke sembilan.

And then my friend nudged me. Mr. Edi had told us to pull out our drawing book.

Lalu kawanku menyodokku dengan sikutnya. Pak Edi menyuruh kami mengeluarkan buku gambar.

We drew Cut Nyak that day. All thirty five kids in that classroom in an elementary school in Bandung, try to do their best in drawing the brave Aceh lady. All of us, without fail, drew her with a bun on top of her head, and a scarf covering half of it.

Hari itu kami menggambar Cut Nyak. Kami semua, tiga puluh lima anak dalam kelas di sebuah SD di Bandung, mencoba menggambar sebaik mungkin. Kami semua menggambarkan Cut Nyak dengan sanggul tinggi di puncak kepala, dan sehelai selendang menutupinya.

Cut Nyak Dhien was a great leader. What fascinated me and my friends further was the fact that this noble Aceh lady has had her final resting place in Sumedang. A city about 50 km east of Bandung. In our land of Pasundan! It was simply mesmerising.

Cut Nyak Dhien adalah seorang pemimpin besar. Yang semakin membuatku dan kawan-kawan terpesona, adalah kenyataan bahwa tempat peristirahatan terakhir perempuan Aceh yang perwira ini ternyata terletak di Sumedang. Sebuah kota sekitar 50 km ke arah Timur Bandung. Di Tanah Pasundan! Bagi kami, itu sangat mengagumkan.

And now, more than thirty nine years after, I try to grasp back what we felt that day. Cut Nyak, we kiddos in BPI Elementary School, Bandung, really looked up to you.

Sekarang, lebih dari tiga puluh sembilan tahun kemudian, aku berusaha menangkap kembali apa yang kami kerjakan saat itu. Cut Nyak, kami anak-anak SD BPI di Bandung, sangat mengagumimu.