A half-drunk man approached the stall. He borrowed a lighter to light his cigarette. The night had turned to dawn. A drop of dew fell from the stall rooftop straight into the cup. I drank the beer mixed with dew, feeling disturbed. I was definitely not drunk, and wanted to hear more of Edi’s stories.
“Edi, who started the karaoke sessions in this village?”
“I don’t know when, but it was since We’ Bunga. Now it has become a norm at each festival. As far as I can remember, it happened since the road to our village opened,” said Edi.
We’ Bunga is the name given for the Citra Dancer karaoke boss in Pontianak. This group existed along the Ambawang river and its surrounding, including at Loncek village.
***
This was how Loncek was known to the outside world. Even a pastor stationed at Loncek Canisius Saint church expressed his sadness and grief at the sad reality of the Loncek community.