MOUSE OF LIFE

My heart was stirred by a memory of the past about a mouse. Yeah, a mouse. I therefore made the title of this article "Mouse of Life", following the title of "Gecko of Life" in the previous article. It was because of "the mouse" or "the gecko" had taught me about the value of life. It was also to answer a question from Vukas Jelena, Holland, to me on Facebook.

Mouse is a clever rodent. That was shown in the series of "Micky Mouse" created by Walt Disney, which became one of the most stunning films. The producer has been successfull in creating its image as one of the famous animals.

However, its cleverness was also often interpreted negatively. In my country, mice were always featured as " the most responsible animals " for corruption that occurred in various places. In the media, a corruptor was portrayed as a human with mouse’ head-and tail.

A mouse for me was a beast that often sneaks into the kitchen to steal food. However, the mouse in the following story was a poor mouse who taught me the meaning of life.

One Friday night, around eleven o'clock pm, I was reading alone in the living room, while my wife and kids were asleep. I tried to read in order to overcome anxiety of my heart about the problem I faced. As an activist of a board of social-religious organization, I was called to participate in directing the programme better. I could not ignore and let the leader to be selfish and authoritarian. But in reality, the various efforts that I have tried to do finally were considered disturbing the comfort of the leader. Other friends had run out of words long ago and chose to be silent. Actually, I persisted because what I did was right.

By midnight, my heart could not stand, too and I must make a decision. I also prayed and expressed the entire contents of my heart to the Lord for giving me the confidence to carry out the task. I closed my prayer with,

"Oh God, let me also for not questioning the attitude and actions of my leader who has acted without restraint. Forgive me of my weaknesses. Amen. "

After praying I felt relieved because I had decided not to say anything anymore about my leader. I also continued reading. But not so long then, I heard "KETOMBRENG" and "BYURRR !"

I turned toward the sound. "Oooff !" A mouse has dropped the empty bucket then fell into the well through a small hole on the lid of the well. I just smiled because it was not usuall a smart mouse fell into the well.

I did not react to do anything. I thought it could save itself because it was its own mistake. But then I realized that the mouse fell into the water of " daily life" of my family. Water for drinking, washing and bathing water, etc.. was all from there. This could cause health problems and I had no choice.

I immediately took a flash and opened the lid of the well. I saw a big mouse swimming back and forth five yards down there, in the well of one meter in diameter and contained approximately two cubic meters of water. I waited to see if it could be able to climb up the wall. Apparently, it could not.

I was soon getting a piece of rope, held it out so it could climb up. It attempted to climb up the rope, but when it was almost close to my hand, it was startled and jumped but fell again. I was hopeless because it did not want to be helped. Then, I pulled the rope while watching it sank slowly. Never mind ! It would float anyway.

Apparently, my assumption was wrong. It drowned and did not reappear. I was annoyed and blaming myself for why I did not help it seriously. Why I did not lower the bucket. I could not sleep well because waiting for the morning.

Early morning I woke up and forbade all to use the water from the well. Then I also asked my neighbors to help emptying the well manually, beside using the electric water pump, so that the water that gushed from the springs could be overcome. Dead mouse was found and the well could be emptied and cleaned in about two hours. Then the new fresh well water was given chlorine immediately. After one day the water could be used again. It's complicated !

In the evening, I continued my prayer to God to beg forgiveness. I remembered saying,

"Thank you Lord because you have reminded me of the risks I faced. The fall of a mouse into the well have caused its death and misery for me, for family and neighbors. God, I'm not going to stop giving advice to my leader as long as I can and please give me strength. I realize that if I let my leader fall, many people will be in trouble,too. "

I also remembered the verse below. I was soon asleep from exhaustion.

James 4: 17
" If you don't do what you know is right, you have sinned.”