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Tangis Elsya dan Nestapa Pak Ojek Tua

Cries of Elsya and the Misery of Old Ojek Driver

Elsya met an old motorcycle taxi driver with a run-down motorbike, a truly sad life story.

Forehead wrinkled. The girl in hijab is cautious. Fingers stop swiping the screen of her phone, cancels ordering an online motorcycle taxi. Eyes stare suspiciously. Observing the approaching old man. Heart pounding. Continuously guessing the old man's behavior. Elsya Sandria. She is the girl who is currently gripped by anxiety. Understandably, it's already late at night. Almost dawn. It's raining too. Cars and motorcycles usually pass by. But that night was quiet. And, the old man greeted her. "Miss, have you ordered? If not, may I take you?" the stranger politely asked. His voice is gentle. Like a father talking to his child.

The Tears of Elsya and the Misery of the Old Ojek Driver

Relieved. Elsya relaxed her nerves. Diminishing suspicions. The old man claimed to be an online motorcycle taxi driver. It turned out he was just looking for passengers. Elsya became the only hope.

But Elsya hesitated. Politely refused. Her house is indeed far away. In the Puncak area. Not just one or two kilometers. About 16 kilometers from Bogor Station. However, the motorcycle taxi driver continued to convince her. Persistent. "I will take you, Miss. Since nine o'clock I haven't had any passengers here, maybe because people are unsure about me," said the motorcycle taxi driver. That's also what Elsya noticed. The old man was not convincing. The jacket may be the uniform of an online motorcycle taxi. But the working method is conventional. Looking for passengers without an application. Offline. But the driver is determined. He has an explanation.

The Tears of Elsya and the Misery of the Old Ojek Driver

"Handphone saya mati," said the ojek driver. The black cellphone in his hand is indeed an old model. The screen is cracked on the upper right side. Sometimes it turns on. But more often it dies. The fortune of online ojek can end if the cellphone shuts down.

Elsya is not sure if the motorcycle can make it up to Puncak. Especially since the road keeps going uphill. But what can she do? She can't bear to cancel. Under the pouring rain, they ride on the wet asphalt. True enough. No matter how hard she pulls the gas, the motorcycle keeps crawling. It can't be forced to go faster. From the back seat, Elsya hears a lot of stories from the old driver.

The Tears of Elsya and the Misery of the Old Ojek Driver

His name is Sri Raharjo. 68 years old. Sri has many stories. About everything. From cell phones to family. About the struggles of life. All the stories that make Elsya touched.

Belum ada setengah jalan, hujan semakin deras. Karena kasihan, Elsya meminta Pak Sri menepi. Mampir di warung padang, daerah Tajur. Malam makin larut. Menuju pukul satu. Mereka memesan menu. “Dan ternyata saat itu Pak Sri habis dua piring. Terlihat lapar,” ujar Elsya. Di warung itu, Elsya kembali bertanya. Pak Sri terus bercerita. Hati dara berhijab itu benar-benar tersentuh. “Dia tidak pernah mengeluh pada takdirnya. Luar biasa, saya selalu merinding kalau ingat itu,” ujar Elsya.

Not only about a broken cellphone. Elsya knows that Mr. Sri is living a difficult life. Uncertain income. He has to provide for his child who lives with his ex-wife. Sometimes he only eats once a day. "It's just the broth," Elsya said. This story led Elsya to a conclusion. She has to help. Even if it's just fixing cellphones and servicing motorcycles. She hopes to make Mr. Sri's work easier. To have a smoother way of making a living. "He doesn't complain, he doesn't show that he needs help," she said.

The Tears of Elsya and the Misery of the Old Ojek Driver

Elsya forced Mr. Sri to go home. He couldn't bear to continue the journey. He returned to Puncak by ordering another vehicle. One that is more comfortable. But, Mr. Sri's shadow still followed him until he reached home. "It's really painful. Seeing his figure is like being slapped," said Elsya.

Elsya sobbed. But she wasn't mourning. She was touched by Mr. Sri's story. Amidst the tears, her fingers danced on the phone screen. Typing letter by letter. Arranging words. Crafting sentences. Narrating Mr. Sri's story on Instagram. Not to sell despair. The story was uploaded for motivation. She wanted her 27 thousand Instagram followers to take away a lesson. To be more grateful for God's blessings. "That's all," Elsya declared firmly.

I didn't expect it, the story went viral. Many people sent messages. Through direct messages. They flocked to contribute. To help Mr. Sri buy a new cellphone. In just fifteen minutes, millions of money were collected. "I received a donation of Rp2.5 million from my friend to buy a cellphone," said Elsya.

The Tears of Elsya and the Misery of the Old Ojek Driver

This is the power of social media. Pak Sri's story doesn't stop rolling. Touching the hearts of donors. Elsya stayed up until dawn. Reading and replying to messages that came like a flood. Donations can no longer be stopped. Only within three hours, aid money of Rp7.5 million collected. All from her friends. "It gives me goosebumps. Why are there so many compassionate people," said Elsya. But Elsya is patient. She doesn't immediately open a massive donation. She wants to make sure that Pak Sri truly deserves help. The next day, she went to Perum Bukit Asri, Bogor. Pak Sri's residence.

Difficulties. The ojek driver cannot be contacted. His phone must be dead. But Elsya doesn't give up. Accompanied by a friend, she asks around. Information comes from the meatball seller. Finally, Mr. Sri's residence is found. But, the house adds to Elsya's heartache. No less miserable than the owner's life story. Elsya starts crying again. The house is very small. Type 21. Already old. Green iron fence. Almost entirely eaten by rust. The yard is not maintained. From the outside, it looks more like an empty house. Like a building used for shooting a midnight horror show.

If the heart is strong, you can raise your head. This house is like a piece of a song: 'with a roof that touches the sky and a floor that rests on the earth'. There is no protection above. The ceiling is broken. The tiles are falling. The wooden frame is rotten. The bathroom is the worst. If it rains, it automatically fills up like a water reservoir. Full.

The Tears of Elsya and the Misery of the Old Ojek Driver

"“For years, Mr. Sri slept at the security guard post, the nearest mosque, or shop-houses,” said Elsya. Elsya's heart grew heavier. She became more convinced that Mr. Sri truly deserved to be helped. Elsya went back to writing Mr. Sri's story. Without hesitation, she started raising donations and posted her bank account on social media. The new story went viral again. It spread wider, even reaching Twitter. Waves of donations came rolling in. More and more. In an instant, Elsya's bank account swelled. It reached a hundred million. All for Mr. Sri."

Donation made Elsya wide-eyed. She was surprised. She didn't expect that much money to be collected. With that much money, she could certainly buy dozens of new phones and motorcycles. Not just repairing phones or fixing Mr. Sri's old motorcycle. After feeling satisfied, Elsya closed the fundraising. She didn't want to take advantage of netizens' generosity. "I'm afraid of being exploited by irresponsible people." But the job is not finished yet. The elderly online motorcycle driver refused the assistance. He felt capable of working. "Maybe Mr. Sri is afraid of burdening others," said Elsya.

The Tears of Elsya and the Misery of the Old Ojek Driver

"Already soaking wet. Donations have been collected. Not losing hope, Elsya asked for help from the Stasiun Bogor online motorcycle taxi community. \r\n\r\nThey assured Mr. Sri. This assistance is permissible. "This is a blessing from Allah," said Elsya."

"Sempat Jaya, Pak Sri Then Fell into Poverty"

Pantang menyerah. Pekerja keras. Itulah sosok Pak Sri. Wajar saja semula menolak bantuan itu. Dia merasa masih bisa hidup dari keringat sendiri. Tak ingin jadi beban. Tak mau bikin susah orang. Ekonomi Pak Sri sempat jaya di era 1980an. Dia tukang reparasi mesin ketik. Tapi usahanya gulung tikar. Tak lagi ada mesin ketik yang diperbarui. Alat itu memang sudah jarang dipakai. Sekarang bahkan digantikan komputer, laptop, juga gawai. Dompetnya sekarat sejak krisis 1998.

Mr. Sri sees a new opportunity. Becoming an online motorcycle taxi driver. Initially, he joined Uber. After it disbanded, he jumped to Gojek. Until now, he works hard, making a living as a driver. "Leaving in the afternoon, taking children to school in the morning, coming home in the morning. After that, sleep," said Mr. Sri.

The Tears of Elsya and the Misery of the Old Ojek Driver

Heavy indeed. Mr. Sri is no longer young. More than half a century. Street life is tiring. But he is sincere. "Setel kendo (loose fitting), the important thing is to pray and don't forget to pray," said Mr. Sri. And, Mr. Sri's fate met Elsya. A girl who still believes that there are many good people in every corner of this Earth. A girl who has successfully touched the hearts of philanthropists through social media.

"Elsya visited Mr. Sri's house"

               

Now, not only the cellphone is new. Thanks to Elsya and the generous netizens, Pak Sri has a new motorcycle. The ojek orders are going smoothly. The house is also being completely renovated. When it's finished, the dilapidated building will be ensured to be habitable. "I was shocked, wondering if my prayers were answered by Allah? I never expected it. Maybe my fate has already been determined," said Pak Sri, who finally accepted the assistance.

Setali tiga uang. Elsya also feels happy. Her efforts are not in vain. She believes that there are still good people. She is grateful to be able to touch the hearts of benefactors on social media. She is well aware. This is the function of social media. For goodness. Not a place for insults. Insulting each other over unimportant matters. "Finally, I realize that social media is like this, for socialization," said Elsya. She does not expect a reply. Elsya only feels relieved to be able to be a bridge for doing good. "I believe that with the help of friends who have changed people's lives for the better, it will become a continuous charity," said Elsya.

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