Judul: Kemelut Rondasih dan Dua Anaknya
Penulis: Minanto
Penerbit: GPU
Tahun: 2024
Jumlah: 261 halaman
ISBN: 9786020672502
Editor: Teguh Afandi
I read this novel as part of the Petra Book Club assignment. To be honest, I didn’t have any expectations because this is my first book by Minanto. I know he won the DKJ Novel Competition in 2019, but I haven’t had the chance to read his previous works.
The novel tells the story of Rondasih, a child whom I consider so unlucky to be born as the daughter of such terrible parents – Mak Doharoh and her husband. She dropped out of elementary school when she was only ten years old because her parents (especially her mother) wanted her brother to go to school instead. Later, when she was eleven, her mother left her and married another man. After that, her useless father married another woman who was just a pain in Rondasih’s life.
She suffered from trauma due to abandonment, abuse, and neglect because of her worthless parents. Then, when she was around fifteen or sixteen, she met Manas and got pregnant. Her parents forced her to marry Manas, and unfortunately, her life didn’t get any better after that. She gave birth to twin boys, Roman and Rojaman, and tried so hard to give them love and not become like her own parents. But her spineless husband, obnoxious father-in-law, shameless brothers in-law, annoying neighbours, and her childhood trauma all prevented her from being the mother she wanted to be. But man, she really tried. She had such a big heart and so much love for her sons.
I really enjoyed reading this book and even finished it in just one day – something that only happens when I truly love a book. As a mental health nurse who is very concerned about childhood trauma and wants to become a therapist specialising in trauma healing, Rondasih’s story really hit home. It feels like a textbook example of the impact of trauma that has never been healed.
What caused Ro’s trauma?
Her parents were useless and disgusting. Her mother only wanted a son, while her father… well, he was nowhere to be found. Fatherlessness is still a big problem in Indonesia. A research article said that children who grow up without a father often struggle with confidence, social adjustment, and emotional regulation. These were exactly Ro’s struggles. While she didn’t have major issues with confidence, she couldn’t regulate her emotions and chose to suppress any feelings she had.
When her neighbours gossiped about her, she locked herself inside the house. When her father-in-law said awful things to her directly, she just smiled. But later, when she was alone, she became extremely angry with her sons and husband. Ro was also very awkward around others and preferred to stay away. Her world was so narrow – limited only to her house (which wasn’t even hers) and her family.
This novel also taught me what it really means to be a good mother. It emphasises the issue of poverty too. I still believe that if you don’t have money, please use condoms and don’t bring children into your poor world. You will only create adults with deep trauma, and while their bodies grow big, their souls remain small and wounded. Reading this novel also made me realise how important education is for women. If Ro had been able to continue her education, she might have known how to raise and educate her sons well.
I really hate Doharoh, Ro’s mother. Well, if Minanto also write the story of her mother, I might hate her too, because I believe just like Ro, Doharoh also suffer of trauma caused by her parents. I think Rondasih and all the crises that happened to her and her sons were because of Doharoh. Doharoh never gave Ro any love she deserved. When Ro was a child, Doharoh left her alone, hungry and sad at home, just to go watch some dangdut orchestra. She also favoured Subangi, Ro’s brother. When Ro became an adult, this witch preferred to give her love and care to Subangi’s first wife, her ex-daughter-in-law, instead of her own daughter. Never once did she say sorry to Ro for all the shit she had done and caused her. Damn, I hate irresponsible mothers like her. I hate people who dislike their own children. May she rot in hell.
What really makes me sad is what happened to Roman and Rojaman. Even though they disliked their mother (like all teenagers – you know it’s a phase), they realised that only their mother gave them the safest place, the greatest acceptance, and the most loving home. Overall, I love this novel but also hate this novel for capturing the irony of Indonesia so perfectly. This novel made me realise that the majority of Indonesians are poor, full of childhood trauma, fatherless, and in a moral crisis. But one thing is for sure: most mothers will always give the biggest and unconditional love to their children.
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