Book Review: Mimpi Padma, by: Ayu Dipta Kirana (2020)

MIMPI PADMA (THE DREAM OF PADMA)

Author: Ayu Dipta Kirana

Editor: Anindya Larasati

Publisher:Elex Media Komputindo

Year of Publishing: 2020

ISBN No: 978 623 00 2150 3

Blurb:

Rania Padmadewi is a student university who should take a lecture “An Ancient of Hindu-Budha” for the third time. She had D-score twice. Mrs.Ajeng, the lecturer of the course is like has something t Padma. However, in the next semester, the course isn’t lectured by Mrs.Ajeng and will be lectured by her assistant, Haga. Of course, this state makes Padma is happy: she won’t be lectured by Mrs.Ajeng, and being lectured by the handsome man, Haga. Rapidly, Haga becomes the favorite man in his department.

A gold chance comes true for Padma when Mr. Jarwo, the other lecturer, asks her to help him to do the documentation for his team’s proceed excavation. In fact, Haga becomes her partner for her duty. Padma has a reason to meet Haga more often. Besides that, Padma also has something to distract her mind from her bad dream recently.

However, the figure of Haga keep a mystery, and it relates to her bad dream.

Plot:

Padma has a dream—an odd dream. She meets her dad who still in a coma after got a work accident. Her dad gives her some words as the last message from him—or, a will to ask her to become stronger and make her mom and her sister are always safe. After her dad already said his last words, then he leaves the Padma and his family forever. This kind of dream appears often whenever Padma feels down. His dad’s encouragement to her keep replay in her mind and make her misses her dad so much.

Padma gets a similar dream when she got faint on the campus field trip in Prambanan Temple. She got Haga, her lecturer assistant who works together with Padma in a project of excavation documentation, as a knight, but in ancient Javanese custom with his two guards. She saw Haga and his guards on the horses tried to escape from some people who caught them.

She got another insight, just like her previous dream when she got unconscious on the campus field trip. Padma sees the other soul of Haga against with The Black Spirit and he had won it. The Black Spirit is gone away. Padma woke up again. Later, she is sure that it can’t be just a dream. She is pretty sure that Haga against The Black Spirit is real. However, Haga denies it. He keeps worried about Padma’s health since she has just got well at the day. Padma insists provokes him to claim it. Haga denies. But, after all the debate conversation, Haga says it honestly. He remembered that Padma may have “that” strength: to see another soul come out from the body. It is like what Padma told him when she met her dad before passing away. So, Haga believes that the girl will understand his circumstance.

"Mimpi belum tentu tidak masuk akal. Ada kalanya mimpi bisa jadi pesan tersembunyi dari alam untuk kita. (A dream cannot say it doesn't make sense. Some times a dream can be a hidden message from the nature for us.) - Haga 

Listen to Haga’s old story of his life and what she had experienced a few times ago. Padma understands it. Haga Bandawasa’s life story is related to the Javanese ancient story about the build of the Prambanan Temple and the girl who had been cursed become a stone. Now, we know it as the Roro Jonggrang statue. But, Haga has another story about Princess Roro Jonggrang. Also, now Padma knows it. Padma aids Haga to get avenged for his past mistake.

"Cerita rakyat diturunkan berdasarkan tradisi lisan dari generasi ke generasi. Cerita yang diwariskan dengan cara ini bisa jadi benar adanya. Namun, karena dongeng merupakan warisan budaya lisan, maka seiring dengan perjalanan waktu cerita itu diberi bumbu tambahan berupa drama. (A folkfore is to be continued by verbal through the older generation to the another generation. The story which inherited with this method could be real. However, as the time go on, because of a fairytale is a verbal legacy it made the story was added by some dramas.)"

 

Again, when Padma in the process to help Haga, Pada got unconscious because she is frightening. She meets her dad. He gives advice to Padma not to give up in the way. Padma should remember for getting stronger for her mother and her sister. Padma understands it. She wakes up and continues her journey to help Haga get his apology revenge.

Something that never Padma expect comes up. When she helps Haga back to the ancient period, it means she would change Haga’s fate in the future. 

For someone who likes historical things, just like me, it is highly recommended to be read. Mimpi Padma isn’t only about romance stuff, but also the author describes us another fact about Prambanan and Boko Temple in Yogyakarta. She is smart to mix the legend story, the actual explanation, and the romantic things. You can get all of them when you read it.

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