Mbak Rita

Her name is Eneng Wati, thirteen years old. I met her in the posh Riau Boulevard, Bandung, West Java, where the famous local boutiques like Cascade or Heritage and giant bookstore  Gramedia’re located.

She came from a village named Gantungan, Padalarang.  “We went to Bandung by train, all of us, about 15 kids to sell these cobek,” Eneng pointed the stoned plate for traditional cooking she tried to sell. “Would you buy,” she asked me, politely.” It is only 20,000 Rupiah, Bu?”

Eneng with other kids, the youngest is only 5 years old; go to Bandung’s busiest street every weekend. They always spend the night in Local Park,”Sleeping here is cheaper because, right now, it is getting harder to sell such cobek. Sometimes I can’t even sell a piece,” explained Eneng who had four heavy cobek stone to sell. I can see her friends selling the same plate near us.

What a heavy burden, and, oh, no,  I am not speaking about those cobek….!