..the jukir [juru parkir] guy..

he doesn’t notice that i’m watching him from the crowd of denpasar, he look so calm in this very hot weather of bali, and doing his job with patience, sometime he stand up and help the car to park, and also sometime he sat down to rest, when another car leave he will have to stand up again, and guide the driver to get out from the parking lot. i think he is some 50 and plus year old man, not so that tall, if i am taller than him, so he become not so that tall for me, hehe..

his eyes looks empty, he hardly have a smile on his face, really looks like a guy who is tired and exhausted, but yet he do his job,  patiently. for several minute i saw him helping several people with their car and motorbike, he doesn’t seem strong too. then when the parking lot is full, he went inside to this small warung, i can see he has no replacement while he want to have his break, he came out from the warung with a big glass of tea and a boiled ketela (sweet potato).

thats when it hit  me!

he work so hard and full day with no one helping him, picking up small money such as 500 rupiah for motorbike parking space, and 1000 rupiah for car parking space, and what he get is not even his. he has to give it to the goverment, or so i believe. yet his face shows patience, and with his lunch only with tea and a piece of ketela, he already looks so occupied and happy. ohh.. it is so not fair! he sat under the tree enjoying his “lunch” and while he sees a car or a motorbike coming nor leaving, he get up and still do his job, leaving the piece of ketela and his tea under the tree, once he is done, he come back and start enjoying it again, ohh i feel so sorry for him..

he got me realize how lucky i am with where i stood up now, and yet most of the time i still whining, complaining, and wants more. i know that the human basis, but when i look at him, it kills me! i wish i could do something for this old guy. perhaps he has a family to feed, perhaps he live in the small rented room with all his family, ahh it kills me when i start imagining things. i know it could be just my brain, but seeing him doing what he did, ahh.. i really wish i could have the power to help these peoples. when i look around, i see so many people with niceties, they don’t even notice this unlucky guy. or is it only me?

as i finish my order and drink my es cendol, i set my mind up to give him something, maybe not much, but i hope when he go home, he can give it to his wife or for him self to eat for the day. i pay my drink and want to head to office.

on the parking lot, he still not finish his tea, he stand up and come after me, i smile at him, he look at me with no expression at all. i hand him one paper amount of money.

he look and say “..its ok pak, you can pay it tomorrow..”

ohh he tought i want to neglect him with paying the big amount to get out from the parkir space rent.

“..no pak, this is for you..” as i replied, he then look at me, unsure what he heard. he look confuse..

“..pak you come here many time i notice, and the other day you hand me for parking 4 time, so this is free is ok..” ahh.. he still remember that, i’m not playing as big shot here, when i look at someone and i feel he is doing his jobs good, i dont mind to give him some more. but this time is different when i see him with his occupied “lunch”.

“..pak i gave this for you, its for you, not for the parking spot..” he then take the money from my hand with greatfull face, as i reach my pocket to pay the parking spot, he give me sign not to.

“..thank you pak, thank you..” he thanks me for several time. when i leave ont he motorbike, i can see from the mirror at him, he kept looking at me untill he can’t see me anymore, dissapear with denpasar traffict. but from those very short moment, i can see that he seems happy, greatfull, and i can see his eyes also teary. not as teary as my heart when i imagine how his life could be. it hurts me!

and yesterday when i went there at lunch, he wasn’t there, someone else replace him, ahh i’m gonna miss to see him, because of him i feel greatfull with who i am, i feel luck with me. but when i see him next time, i should talk to him more and knowing him a little better. let see..

“..hope everything is ok with that parkir guy, and may God bless him and his family..”