Light in the Land of Ice

In an old notebook, weathered by snow, a name was written: Nanang Lecir. Beneath it, one sentence scrawled in trembling hands chilled by the cold:

"I came to Alaska not only to seek livelihood, but to seek rahayu in my life."

1. Footsteps in the City of Gold

Nome, a small town at the southern tip of the Seward Peninsula, was once a place where people flocked in pursuit of gold. But when Nanang arrived, those golden years had already faded. The town that once bustled with ambition now seemed trapped in silence.

Nanang took odd jobs: sometimes as a dock worker, sometimes helping with small ice research expeditions. With each step, he realized how harsh life was in a foreign land—the biting wind, the long nights without sunlight, and the gnawing ache of longing whenever he gazed out over the Arctic Sea.

Yet in his heart he always remembered his mother’s words:
"My son, do not only seek gold in the earth. Seek the gold within your heart. That is what you will bring home."

2. A Prayer in Silent Land

One night, as snow fell heavily, Nanang sat in an old church open to anyone. He did not join their ritual worship, but bowed his head and prayed in the language of his homeland.

"O Great Mother Dewi Sakti… I am far from my country, but draw my heart closer to You. Make me a child of the nation who remains faithful to faith and to my motherland."

In that silence, he felt warmth descend—not from the hearth, but from within his soul. From then on, he made every night a space for dialogue between himself and the Great Mother Dewi Sakti.

3. A Meeting at the Dock

In Nome, Nanang met an old man named Thomas, a descendant of gold seekers. Thomas told stories of how his ancestors came with ambition, only to return empty-handed.

"What are you seeking here, Nanang?" Thomas asked.

Nanang gave a faint smile.
"Not gold, not riches. I seek the meaning of life. I want to return home carrying something far more precious—a strong faith, a peaceful heart, and a story for my people."

Thomas fell silent. “You are different from most. You do not see this land only as a field of gold, but as a field for the soul.”

4. Light in the Snow

Year after year passed. Nanang grew more mature, more profound in his reflections. He filled many pages with notes—on solitude, on patience, on the struggle of a son of the nation in a foreign land.

Each time he wrote the word RAHAYU, it felt as though Alaska itself, cold and unforgiving, answered with warmth. That word became his mantra, his prayer each time longing for home weighed heavily.

He always kept a small Red-and-White flag in his pocket. On Indonesia’s Independence Day, he would raise it on the shores of Nome. No ceremony, no cries of merdeka, only himself and the Arctic sky. Yet his tears fell freely, his heart swelling with pride.

5. Returning with Light

At last, after years in Alaska, Nanang decided to return home. He carried no gold, no wealth. What he brought was a notebook full of prayers, lessons in patience, and the conviction that faith and love for his homeland were the truest treasures of all.

On the ship that carried him home, he gazed at the sky. The last snowflakes drifted gently down. Nanang whispered:
"Thank you, Alaska. You have taught me the meaning of struggle. Now I return, carrying light for my nation."

The story of Nanang Lecir in Alaska is not one of glittering gold, but of a heart that found its path to the Great Mother Dewi Sakti.
It is the story of a son of the nation who, though far from his homeland, remained steadfast in his faith, his love, and his patriotism.

And whenever he remembered that journey, he uttered one word with gratitude: Rahayu!

Oleh : Ngurah Sigit
Penulis Adalah : Sosilog, Budayawan dan Pemerhati Media.