29 who gives Bhisma magic power. When Amba, Samuel, and Zulfikar come to
Rukmanda’s house, Rukmanda tells his unforgettable experience with Bhisma as a political prisoner tapol. Rukmanda remembers the situation when there is a
snake on his feet. He feels that he is going to die. Suddenly, he is surprised by Bhisma’s action who chopped the snake’s head pp. 410-411.
Since then, Rukmanda realizes that Bhisma is different from someone else. Therefore,
Rukmanda says to Amba, “I first realized that Bhisma’s essence was that kind of wisdom, at once impulsive and matured”. Rukmanda adds, “Everyone
came to understand this quiet and strange empathy of Bhisma” p. 412.
Rukmanda tells the situation when Bhisma sees many political prisoners being tortured. Rukmanda looks at Bhisma who standing, finding such a strange on him.
4. Responsible
In their first encounter, Bhisma and Amba spend their beautiful night by walking around the hospital. Beneath the Banyan tree, Bhisma states that he is a
responsible person. He says to Amba, “I know something about responsibility, just don’t ask me about politics” p. 184. He says the same utterance not only
once but also when Bhisma talking to another friend, Isa in Bumi Tarung. It is a statement that Amba always remembers. In addition, Bhisma really shows his
responsibility as a doctor. Some nurses tell Amba that Bhisma likes to suddenly leaves without permission
, “One or two days you don’t see him, suddenly he appears the next morning”. “Well, he brings in those new patients, from those
violent clashes”. “He really cares. I have seen him attend to them” p. 195.
30 Bhisma definitely knows his job. In Indonesian political chaos, he does not wait
for his patients to come, but he visits the patients in camp. As a political prisoner, Bhisma is responsible with his duty. In Buru, he
must work together. He does many task s, “Most of the time my tasks range from
the mundane to the thankless, and there is nothing new to this” p. 488. However, he has a special position due to his proffesion. He tells it in his letter on
7 December 1973, a letter to Amba. He tells, “Because I’m a doctor, and by extension
a responsible person though I’m not sure this is the only reason, I’m treated somewhat differently in Tefaat Buru Tempat Pemanfaatan, literally place
of exploitation ” p. 457. Bhisma is always responsible to everything, especially
with his duty which is closely related to public service.
5. Friendly
Bhisma is a friendly person. He is easy to interact with other people, for instance, when he moves to Netherlands and lives with
Lipalasy’s family, he says, “they were always friendly and gracious to me” p. 245. He considers Lipalasy’s
family as his own family similarly. Another evidence is while he studies in Leipzig, German, he has many
friends. For example, when he tries to look for Liz, a woman whom he loves in Germany, he meets Gera
rd Mannuhutu, Liz’s cousin. In the short time, Gerard becomes Bhisma’s best friend, “More months passed and Gerard hadn’t only his
friend, he was also his window to a new world” p. 252. They almost spend their days together discussing revolution, socialism, communism, and Rosa
