At 9:10 in the morning of June 24, a boat from Singapore carrying Baringin Jaya Siahaan and his son, Noventhree, slowly approached a harbor on Batam Island, Indonesia. Reporters had already set up their TV cameras to capture the event. The crowd craned their necks so they wouldn’t miss anything. When the star appeared at the gate, thunderous cheers immediately exploded.

Among the crowd, there stood a woman in a red dress, standing attentively, tears filling her longing eyes. When Baringin brought Noventhree to her, she immediately hugged the child in a tight embrace. Tears burst from her eyes. This was Noventhree’s mother, Mindo Melati.

Three years ago, she was there at the same harbor to take Noventhree home, but what she felt at that time was completely different.

A change of fate

As reported in the last issue of the Tzu Chi Quarterly, Noventhree suffered from a rarely seen disease called gigantiform cementoma. Large tumors overwhelmed his face, his eyes were forced into single lines, he had problems breathing and swallowing, he weighed only 13 kilograms (28 pounds), and his legs were too weak to walk. He couldn’t talk; he could only make deep sounds from his throat.

Hualien Tzu Chi Medical Center performed five operations over three and a half months to remove all the tumors and to reshape his face. Noventhree was discharged on June 22. He could see with his eyes, his tongue had returned to its place, he could eat liquid and soft food, he could say simple words like “daddy” and “mommy,” and he could walk and dance!

When Baringin and Noventhree appeared at Taiwan’s Chiang Kai Shek International Airport, ready to fly home, many people recognized them from Tzu Chi Great Love TV reports and wished them the best.

When their plane touched down in Singapore, they also caused a stir. Noventhree didn’t shy away from all the Tzu Chi volunteers and international reporters who had been waiting to see him. He even shook hands with them. He put his fingers to his cheeks to pretend he was cute and said “Hello” to people. He was as popular as a movie star.

“Bulang”--“Home”

Having traveled by plane from Taiwan to Singapore and then by boat to Batam Island, Noventhree finally saw his mother and his younger brother, Saut Martua.

Whether it was the exhaustion from the long trip or the warmth of his mother’s embrace, Noventhree fell asleep during a bustling news conference and didn’t wake up until it was over.

In the car on the way home, Noventhree and his brother played with each other’s cheeks. When the car approached the village of Bida Ayu, Saut suddenly jumped up and down, pointed at the village, and shouted, “Bulang! Bulang!”

“Bulang” means “home.” We heard it many times because the homesick young Noventhree repeated it over and over while he was in Taiwan--when he just arrived at the hospital, when he just had surgery, when he was in the intensive care unit…. Even when he couldn’t talk clearly because the swab was still there on his wound, he repeated it countless times.

“Horas! Horas!” The cheering sound resounded throughout the village. There were 36 families or over 100 people in the village, who formed into lines and sang welcoming songs; some also clustered around Noventhree’s family. Some were weeping and some were overjoyed, as though they were welcoming a little prince home.

There was also a banner that read, “Welcome home to our child Noventhree after successful operations at Hualien Tzu Chi Medical Center!” The banner waved festively in the wind. To welcome the boy home, the village chief had called on residents to paint Noventhree’s home, to decorate the village, and to prepare light snacks. Some people even asked for leave from work so they could be at the harbor to welcome the boy.

God’s grace

Noventhree’s grandmother, Tiomsi Br. Rajaguk, left her town of Rantauprapat, North Sumatra Province, and spent a day and a night on boats to reach Batam Island to see her grandson.

“I hadn’t seen Ah-Mon in a long time, and I really missed him! I’m so glad to see that he’s become so adorable!” “Ah-mon” is Noventhree’s pet name. Rajaguk, 63, said that when she was taking care of Noventhree when he was still a baby, she was frightened to see his face changing and growing tumors. She took him to see doctors, but it was all in vain. She was glad that Tzu Chi had helped change Noventhree’s face.

A shaman wearing a crown threw rice and put colorful clothing on the boy. These rituals symbolized blessing, the driving out of evil spirits, and the beginning of his new life. The elder also placed ulos cloths on the Tzu Chi volunteers. An ulos is a scarf made of coarse cloth, and it is usually given to newlyweds during the marriage ceremony to symbolize the highest honor.

The residents of Bida Ayu are not rich. They moved here from other parts of Indonesia after the government opened up Batam Island to foreign investment in 1993. At first, people did odd jobs and lived in various parts of the island. They built their homes with boards, plywood, and corrugated metal sheets. When they got steady jobs, they applied to the government to build their current homes.

Baringin said that when he arrived in Batam Island, he built himself a home at the foot of a mountain. Whenever there was rain or big wind, he would worry if his home would leak or the wind would blow away the roof. His meals were also simple: his diet consisted of boiled cassava leaves mixed with some chili peppers.

Mindo said that at that time they had no electricity, so in the evening they had to light an oil lamp. When they woke up in the morning, they would find that their nostrils had become black with the smoke. In comparison to the past, their current life is much better.

Ah-mon’s new life

In the past, there would always be children laughing and gesticulating at Noventhree and saying that he was wearing a mask. That really upset Mindo. But now seeing Noventhree’s new face, Mindo said that she is grateful and proud that her son can face other people with pride.

Noventhree finally reached home safely. To welcome him home, Rina Wati, the woman living next door, put on a bright green traditional Indonesian dress, and her husband asked for leave from his company.

Rina said that they had watched Noventhree growing up since he was a baby, and they regarded him as their own child. He now has a new face, and no one will despise him again. Rina was very happy for Mindo, because she would never have to worry anymore.

Rina mentioned that Noventhree’s illness once became very serious, and Mindo had to wipe pus and blood from his face with a piece of cloth. She was panic-stricken and screamed in tears, “What should I do? What should I do?” Rina was there helping her, and she also wept. Baringin was at work, so both women had to run back and forth to wash the cloths until the bleeding stopped.

While Noventhree was in Taiwan, Rina often stayed with Mindo. Rina remarked that during that three-and-a-half month period, Mindo would cry whenever she thought about her son. Rina would comfort her by telling her to be patient: Noventhree would return when he had been successfully treated.

Tzu Chi volunteers would bring Noventhree’s latest photo to Mindo after every surgery. As the boy’s face looked better each time, Mindo started feeling better and would be able to smile.

Volunteer Chiu Chiu-fang, who often showed Noventhree’s photos to Mindo, said, “I believe that any mother who saw Mindo’s anxiety for Noventhree would be able to understand that worry and would sympathize with her.”

After picking up Noventhree at the harbor, Mindo’s tears never stopped. It seemed as if she wanted to transform three months of longing into tears and pour them all out. Even after they had arrived home, Mindo still held Noventhree so attentively that her other son, Saut, became jealous and demanded a hug. For traditional, gentle Mindo, nothing but a real embrace could make her feel fortunate.

Mindo said gently that she was grateful and proud to see Noventhree again. She felt that God had brought her son home. She was grateful to Tzu Chi for making a new face for him so that he could face other people with pride. Her gentle words reflected her personality. She didn’t say much, but her words were sincere and touching.

In the past, the villagers knew about Noventhree’s illness and felt sorry for him. Sometimes when Mindo took Noventhree outside, children would gesticulate at him or even laugh and say that he was wearing a mask. That kind of rudeness broke her heart. Now her son has finally gotten rid of that ugly appearance and will be able to face his life bravely. No wonder she was so moved.

On this day, the Tzu Chi volunteers are again visiting Baringin and his family. They are eating a lunch of rice and a dish made with coconut sauce, chili pepper, and fermented yellow-bean cake. They are all enjoying themselves very much, not because of the food, but because now the whole family is able to eat lunch together.

Only a few days after coming home, Noventhree has already picked up more words from his mother. Mindo has taught him how to walk, how to pronounce words, and how to write. She will also teach him to sing hymns. Baringin said that they would give Noventhree a good education to make up for what he has lost.

Noventhree’s greatest loss is time. Four years have gone by since he became sick at the age of one. His growth has been delayed, so he has to catch up on many things that he has lost.