A CUP OF COFFEE FROM ACEH

A Cup of Coffee at the top of Mount Geuruete (West Coast of Aceh)

A CUP OF COFFEE FROM ACEH

That night, February 11, 1899, on the outskirts of Meulaboh City, before attacking the Dutch camp, he said to his loyal followers. “Tomorrow morning we will drink coffee in Meulaboh city or I will be martyred!” The person’s tongue turned out to be bitter, like coffee without sugar. From the thicket, his movement was awaited by the marsose troops. He was hit by a bullet at Ujong Kalak beach.

“Tomorrow morning we will drink coffee in Meulaboh city or I will be martyred!”

Teuku Umar and the story of the struggle did not become a story that reaches everywhere. As the wind blows we don’t have to question why stories are stolen from history, some add up. Praise be to him who was born in the West, who has a sweet mouth, who is treacherous but can’t resist the bubbling call of his heart. Teuku Umar is history that does not repeat itself, he is considered a traitor as well as a hero, reviled and reviled. His life story is a legend filled with tension, between anger and ideals, possibility as well as deception, displacement, nostalgia, and finally death.

A cup of coffee from Aceh reminds us of him, as the last will he said. Coffee is mysterious as well as captivating, it is slowly becoming something that reaches the masses. In cities that are growing, trade is booming, and people’s lives are becoming more open. Coffee made relationships more egalitarian, and spending free time together grew to be popular.

Today the world is very fond of coffee. The rhythm of coffee proves its power in a fun atmosphere, free, without having to aim, and with coffee without having to get drunk, it makes the soul free from worrying things, economics, or politics that are messy. Coffee is a symphony of freedom, with coffee, something happens.

A cup of Acehnese coffee is worth enjoying, with time passing by, a coffee shop is not just a place where people can be engrossed in debating, discussing, drinking, playing chess, losing with resentment, or winning cheerfully, as long as they pay.

Illustration of Teuku Uma in 1896.

A cup of Aceh coffee should remind us of the story of someone who never gets tired of getting back up, until the end. Yes, life is never easy, with too many conditions, and too many interests.

The strong taste and aroma of Aceh coffee awaken our consciousness that history does not tell much about victories, there have been many departures and losses, and the most important thing is not victory or defeat, but struggle.

In contemplating a cup of coffee from Aceh, that’s how forgetting and memory can be dismantled to be shouted back, by the shy, low-pitched voice. Truly in our imagination, we have the power of time.

Translate From: SECANGKIR KOPI DARI ACEH

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