Kabayan, the simple genius.
Kabayan was just a simple minded person who lived in a small village in West Java. He was not an idiot although his thinking and behavior often made him looked like one. But upon a closer look, we could say that Kabayan was a sort of a genius person, his actions had a deeper meaning than meets the eye.
Recently, Abah, Kabayan's father in law, often went with Bedugul to various gambling places. He often returned home late at night, and if he lost all his money in gambling, or beause of whatever other reasons that escaped Kabayan and his wife, Iteung, Abah would target his anger to his wife, Ambu. She would cry on top of her voice and made neighbors came over in a hurry, thinking that there was a fire or burglary.
Meanwhile, Kabayan had just learned from the preacher at the mosque the meaning of the word "ripe" if applied to a person. The preacher said that a ripe person was someone who was wise in making decisions that would bring goodness and not leading to a problem.
That morning, Abah ordered Kabayan to pick a jackfruit from tree, which technically belonged his tightfisted rich neighbor, Ki Silah. Principally this was the same as stealing, but Kabayan was more afraid of his father in law's anger than to Ki Silah.
So, Kabayan took his machette and climbed up the tree. He chose the ripe one carefully which also the one which would fall straight into the river below. He chopped the branch which contaned the fruit and just before the fruit fell down he said to the jackfruit, "Jackfruit, you've got to get home to my father in law by yourself because you are already ripe." He did the last chop and the jackfruit fell down and went straight to the river. It went down river and gone, lost. Then Kabayan climbed down the tree and went home.
When he arrived at home, Abah asked him about the jackfruit. Kabayan looked surprised.
"It hasn't arrived yet?" asked Kabayan.
"What hasn't arrived?" asked Abah.
"The jackfruit, it has left the tree and went home before me," said Kabayan.
"The jackfruit?" ask Abah puzzled. "It went home before you? What are you talking about, Kabayan?"
"Yes, the jackfruit, I asked it to go home first and should not wait for me," said Kabayan.
"Kabayan, are you stupid or something? How can a jackfruit go home by itself?" said Abah.
"I am sure it can, Abah, I am sure it can, because it is already ripe. The preacher at the mosque said that the ripe one knows how to make a wise decision, so since the jackfruit is already ripe, it should know the way home by itself and would not stray away to gambling places," said Kabayan lightly while strolling to the sofa to get a nap.
Abah was left alone puzzled because his son in law had just made an association on himself to a jackfruit!
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