Kabayan was a lazy man. He married Iteung, the daughter of Abah Ontohod and Ambu Ijoh. His father-in-law didn’t like him because of his laziness.
One night, Kabayan was asked to go with Abah to harvest the beans in the garden.
Actually he didn’t want to go. He said to Iteung, “The garden is far. I will be tired and sweaty.”
Iteung soothed him, “Never mind atuh Kang, Abah will be angry if you refuse to go.”
Kabayan complained, “Owh Okay…”
The following morning, the two men went early because the garden was far from their house. Nobody talked along the way, even Kabayan walked sleepily. He usually woke up after the sun was high but today, he was awoken early.
“I don’t understand Abah,” he thought, “He is so old but he keeps wanting to collect richness. What are those riches for if not for making us happy? What happens is the riches become punishment. Just watch…”
When they arrived at the garden, they immediately gather the harvest. Abah worked very seriously while Kabayan often stopped, stood looking around. He hardly got any harvest because he was always daydreaming and complaining because he didn’t want to work. He apparently didn’t want to continue working.
He looked around. When he saw an empty bag, he came up with a trick. He smiled.
“Abah, abah”
“Heuy.”
“I need to go to take a pee. My stomach hurts. If I am away too long, wait for me! Don’t leave me behind.”
“Okay! Just don’t be too long.”
“It depends because sickness comes like a flash and leaves slowly.”
Abah talked while keep harvesting the beans. He didn’t look around.
Kabayan went into the bean bag. He curled himself and covered himself with beans to hide him.
When Abah came, he put the beans into the bag. He saw that the bag was already full. He tied the bag to a stick and pulled it. “What a heavy bag,” he said. Then he sat and waited for Kabayan.
Kabayan didn’t show up for a long time and the evening came closer. “Why is he taking a long time? Said Abah to himself. “I bet he went home because he was sick. What a brat, how can he do it? He should have told me if he wanted to go home, but he just went. What a brat.”
Then he put the bag onto his shoulder. “Wow, it is so heavy,” he said while touching the bag, “the beans were pressed so hard into the bag.”
When he arrived home, he put the bag in the kitchen on a couch. Ambu untied the bag and said, “Wow, the harvest was really good. There are so many beans.”
“Hih, we didn’t harvest all the beans because it was soon full. The bag is too small, “ said Abah. “They are only one half I guess. By the way Ambu, I didn’t hear Kabayan. How is his stomachache?”
“He has a stomachache? I didn’t know that. I thought he went with you to the garden.”
“Indeed, we went together this morning, but he went home early. He had a stomachache.”
“Really!? Please Abah, help me empty this bag. It is so heavy.”
When they emptied the bag, some beans fell out but it was stuck. When they pulled and shook, Kabayan came out and fell curling. Ambu yelled because she was surprised. Abah jumped backward because he was surprised too.
Kabayan said sheepishly, “Hehe, it is because I was too tired!”
“It’s you Kabayan?” said Ambu.
“I was so tired Ambu! And also, I like it so much when Abah had me on his shoulder.”
“How could you do that? It was not polite to do that to your father in-law.” Ambu said. Abah didn’t say anything and just walked into the house. His heart was burning because he wanted to take a revenge.
Nyi Iteung was very angry at Kabayan. She asked Kabayan to work seriously when harvesting the beans.
“Tomorrow, finish harvesting the beans with Abah, Kabayan! Do it well. Behave yourself. It is not a good thing you did today, “ said Ambu.
“Heug, I won’t do it again, Ambu.”
The next day, Kabayan and Abah went to the garden again. They worked diligently once they got there. Abah glanced at Kabayan occasionally. Kabayan worked diligently harvesting the beans. It seemed that he remembered what his mother-in-law said. He really worked hard this time.
Knowing that Kabayan worked busily, Abah sneaked in. Kabayan went on harvesting the beans until the bag was fully stuffed. Then he tied it tightly.
“Where is Abah? He must leave ahead of me. Perhaps, he is still angry at me for what happened yesterday. It’s okay. I will go home. I will drag the bag because it is too heavy for me to carry on my shoulder, “ he said while rolling the bag. Then he quickly dragged the bag.
“Kabayan! Kabayan!” said a voice inside the bag. “It’s me, your father-in-law. Don’t drag me!”
Kabayan stopped, “Aah, you are beans..beans..!” Saying that, he hit the bag hard. He dragged the bag again quickly.
“Kabayan! It’s me, your father-in-law! Not beans!”
“Beans… You are beans!” he said smirking devilishly while dragging the bag.
Abah kept shouting until he lost his voice.
When Kabayan came to the house and entered the kitchen, he dropped the bag on the floor. “Ek!” came a man’s voice.
“There you are, Ambu, a bag of beans!” Kabayan said and went to wash himself.
When Ambu unloaded the content of the bag, Abah fell from the bag groaning. His body was black and blue as the result of being dragged along the way in the bag. Ambu was horribly shocked. She then took care of him. For two days, Abah couldn’t even wake up.
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