Love Story "Together in life and death" between Lebonna and Paerengan

       Hari ini, saya  ada tugas  Story Telling di sekolah. Saya mengangkat  cerita cinta  tragis  Lebonna  dan  Massudilalong, dari Toraja. My beloved place. Well...Untuk yang pertama, saya bakal kasih  dalam  bahasa Inggris. Maklum yah, kalau ada bahasa yang kacau-kacau... hehe. Namanya juga  anak SMA , masih belajar ciiin...>.<

Hm. ok. again : Sorry if my english is not very well, u know.. i'm just a high school girl, :) tryin' to learn as much as I can. Watch out!

♥ Love Story  "Together in life and death" between Lebonna  and Paerengan ♥

         Lebonna  known as the most beautiful girl in her  village. In fact,  perhaps in the area of Lepongan Bulan a.k.a  Toraja. She has a white skin. Also,  beautiful ,long, black hair and  a  prominent nose. Her  face was like a doll and her body is lanky. Almost perfect as a woman physically.  Well,  on the way of her life, she  became  a seizure of the men. However, Lebonna finally fell in love with  Paerengan  Massudilalong  ,  a man who is also known  as a handsome, brave and powerful  man.  In their  love relationship, they  engaged to have a promise, that they have together in life and death. Not only that, when they were died later, they should be buried in a same grave.
             Over time, their  relationship is more intimate. Many men jealous of Paerengan because He has Lebonna. On the other side, many  women are jealous of the Lebonna, because she has Paerengan, the youth, handsome and brave one.
             However, fate would. Suddenly the news came and said  that  their village would like to do the invasion with the other  village. Paerengan (Massudilalong’s nickname) which is known as a warrior, was asked to lead the troops. They went to war , and in Toraja that’s called "mangrari".  While Lebonna  lived in her house to wait, she wove cloth to eliminate boredom waiting for her lover.

             During  the  battle, one of the men of Paerengan secretly fled from the battlefield. He returned to the village. His purpose to win Lebonna’s heart . He made up a story that Paerengan lying dead on the battlefield. He shared  the lie news to Lebonna by pretending to be sad.  Lebonna surprised and didn’t  accepted  her lover's death. She even shut herself a few days and didn’t want to eat. She was crying all the day.
             The news from  men of Paerengan  who escaped from the battlefield, was  also not work out. The reason is  Lebonna  didn’t  affected even  a little bit. Her love was just for Paerengan.  Day and night, she remembering the promise  about  her  agreement with  Paerengan. In short,  Lebonna select a shortcut. She didn’t want to betray the love of  Paerengan. Finally,  she done her promise to her sweetheart, together in life and death. The way is, she hung herself  using a rope. Lebonna think there is no point in living. That's because she thinks  Paerengan  have been killed on the battlefield. While they have been engaged for forever.
             After died of hanging herself  and  prove her faithful of love, Lebonna’s corpse was buried  in a stone cave, precisely in Salu Barana Village, Bua village of Wood.
             After  Lebonna’s funeral  ceremony, appears  a miracle. Communities in Tana Toraja believe, when the body is inserted into the Lebonna stone cave, suddenly  the cave  was closed. However, the long hair of  Lebonna  was  still hung outside the cave mouth.  At that time, Lebonna  was  not fully want to enter the grave  without Paerengan, the lover who had tied her  to promise together in life and dead.  Lebonna’s  black and shiny hair disappeared after  the lake under her grave  was dry.
             Then, how about Paerengan?  That brave man come  home from battle with the good news, victory. When he was arrived, he went to the house of Lebonna, her lover who craved.  That made Paerengan was upset. Lebonna, the girl whom he loved was gone forever.  After heard the story  about  Lebonna  hanged  herself  and  killed, Paerengan’s life  getting  uncertain. He was  known as a true warrior and very well respected, but now living in a closed condition.
             Every day he looked sad. He also chose to live alone. Power of love can change everything. Love also can make  everything  is possible to everyone. On the other side, his responsibilities as commander of the war, not easy simply be abandoned. He must be the leader of the army.
             Dilemma. Maybe that's the most appropriate phrase to describe the condition of Paerengan after his girlfriend left, Lebonna. He had to choose, keep his promise  together in life and death with  Lebonna  or still alive to defend his territory from enemies attacks. Paerengan  was dilemma .
             The days passed. Incidentally, Paerengan have a maid who is very close to him. Maid who also became his right hand. He named Dodeng.  Some people of Tana Toraja liked  ballo or wine  (juice from palm trees). Meanwhile, Dodeng also has palm trees  around the Lebonna’s grave.
             One day, Dodeng  was too late to take the wine. Traditionally, wine is taken in the morning or late afternoon. But then, Dodeng came after sunset.  When taking a toddy, Dodeng suddenly heard a voice that was familiar. The voice was familiar before, when Lebonna still alive.  Dodeng could hear the screams. Imploring voice  the message purpose to Paerengan Massudilalong, the man who had promised  wth Lebonna together in life and death. In fact,  Lebonna’s grave also in a same  place with  Dodeng’s land.

The message is now  known as  a song  title’s Batingna Lebonna, the message (lyric)  is:

Dodeng  ma'rambi ma'dedek  , Dodeng  ma'patuang tuak

rampanampi  pededekmu , anna pi pepamaru’mu

ammu perangina'mati , ammu tanding  talinga'na

parampoanpa’  kadangku,  pepasan  masemaseku

Lako to Massudilalong  , muane Sangkalamma'ku ...
Mukua duka  lasangmateki  , e..so’ e…

 Paerengan, oh rendengku ..

Angku  dolo angku mate .. angku ma’pa riu rokko

Tae’ siala mate na, la sisarakna  sunga’na,  kandean bo’bona Lebon

Rimbakanpo te bolo’na

Ulli Ulli’ sola  duka,  borro sito'doan duka , to’ riu  ponno lalanna,

tarru’  lendu’ pasuleanna

It means:  Dodeng who want to take a wine,

                    stop your activity,please

                   If you listen me there, listen carefully

                   Send my message, my bad feeling

                   to my  beloved  Massudilalong

                   You said together  in life and death

                   Paerengan, oh my loved

                   If I had died before you,

                   We’re not died at the same time, why you still alive

                   But, it’s all just a lie, our relationship’s trip is so long

                   It’s took a far step...

                Dodeng  unable to do anything. He was  glued. When  he realized that, he suddenly ran away. He didn’t have time to take wine again.After  he arrived at Paerengan’s  home, he had a cold sweat. In fact, he got sick. How about Paerengan after hearing the Lebonna’s  message from  Dodeng?
                Lebonna’s  message to Paerengan Massudilalong  was not immediately delivered. Dodeng was  still not believe what he was hearing before. He was concerned, the sound is only a imagine. Indeed, due to the incident, Dodeng had fallen ill. When healthy, Dodeng trying again to take ballo' or wine (soft drink that comes from palm trees). At that time, he did one activity before sunset. This means that Dodeng come early.
                Not like the first time he listened to the message from Lebonna. At that time, he came after sunset. However, Dodeng  was  surprise because he listened again  to the voice.  Although, at the time, it’s not too late.  Hearing the sad voice again, Dodeng  suddenly ran away. He returned to his home without a wine. Dodeng’s attitude  was  change after the incident, and it was made Paerengan curious. He then asked  Dodeng to talk about what happened.
                Because every day, that voice is always heard by Dodeng, until finally he couldn’t  stand and Dodeng  give  the message  to Paerengan.  Not sure about the message, Paerengan wanted  to prove it. The next day, exactly at sunset, Paerengan joined Dodeng to the palm tree, not far from the grave of Lebonna.  When Dodeng up to the palm tree, the sound was  heard  again. Paerengan hiding quietly, listening to the  sound. After hearing the message directly, Paerengan went home. Arrived at his house, he shut the bedroom’s  door. He was trauma because the faithful promise that he had agreed with Lebonna, the  girl he loved so much.
                No waiting, Paerengan  have requested that all the soldiers assembled. The soldiers were ordered to carry a spear.  Paerengan’s  reason was used at the time, and quite telling the public to avoid suspicion. Especially with the cover  of the party : "merok", which is a party to kill a buffalo with a spear. One of Torajanese’s tradition. The next day, all the soldiers  gathered in the open field. All Paerengan’s families were also present. At that time,  buffaloes already prepared. The soldiers also took their spears.  Also  by the reason "merok" , Paerengan then requested that all troops drove the spear with a spear eye position facing the sky. Paerengan also do the same thing.
                When all the soldiers and citizens gathered, secretly Paerengan up to the roof of the pavilion that was already there before. Public  was thought  he would like to make a speech. But, it turns out, he just jumped right on top of hundreds spears  that have been spearheading  stuck.
                Paerengan killed in a tragic spearheads. He did his promise. Parties 'merok' is turned into a funeral feast.  After Paerengan suicide to prove his promise, the magic still happens. As Paerengan corpse buried elsewhere, his corpse suddenly appeared at his home. It happened three times.

Finally, Dodeng told  public  what  actually  happened. After the corpse of Paerengan was inserted in Lebonna’s grave , the spirit both of them  finally  getting  calm down.

                                                                           -THE END-

written  by : Aurora  Wibrianne