My Father's Biography

I want to write a biography about my father. He is my hero, my inspiration, and special person in my life. Her life story is interesting for me. He built up hie bussines from zero and now he’s one of businessman with the biggest revenue in my town, in Flores.

My father’s name is Paulus Adi Cundawan, people call him Ake. He was born in Ruteng, 3th February 1964 as the youngest child of 6 siblings. His parents were a bussines man. They traded crops like coffee, chocolate, vanila, cashew, candlenut, etc and sold food, clothes, and cooking tools. And baceause of that, he was training to be a businessman since he was a child. But because of their business, his parent didn’t have enought time to take care their children.

Ake had a difficult childhood. His parents were not not rich. He and his sibling were growing without affection from their parents. And it made him become a naughty kid. His elementary school was SDN 1 Ruteng. He often escaped from school and played around. He often played badminton with his friends. Because he’s naughty and not a smart studet, he didn’t pass the grade in elementary school. And for the junior high school, his parents sent him to Malang to continue his study in Malang. Because nobody took care of him in Malang, he felt free and again he didn’t pass the grade. So he moved to Surabaya and continued his study in Surabaya. Because he wasn’t a smart student and very naughty, he moved to 6 different school in Malang and Surabaya during his Junior High School and Senior High School. But because of the cost, he didin’t continue his study to university and went back to Flores to help his parents business.

His love story is unique too. He married with a girl which is his own cousin, Meliana Wibisono, or people often call her Lie Ling. At first, as a cousins they didn’t feel anything. They even sleep in one room when they were in Senior High School in Surabaya. Meliana often accompanied Ake to meet his girlfriends. Nothing happened until they went back to Ruteng. Ling often made him a cake or food as a cousin so they met frequently. It made they closed to each other and finally felt in love. Ling’s dad which was Ake’s uncle and the big family againts their relationship and Ling’s parents even sent her to Makasar. They said that they sent her to Makasar so she could take courses, like hairdo course, sewing course, piano and guitar course. But the only reason was to made her separate from Ake. But they didn’t give up, they keep fight for their love in long distance relationship for 1 year. Because in that era there was no handphone, they communicated each other with letters. After that, because of Ling’s father was very sick she went back to Ruteng. In 1987, they got married after got permission from the family especially from Meliana’s father who was very sick that time. It was a very touchfull moment in their wedding ceremony, they had to ask permission and give a honor to Ling’s father who couldn’t get up from his bed because of his cancer. And 3 month after that, Ling’s father dead.

Their marriage life was difficult too. They have to help Ake’s brother who worked as a contractor. Ake had to go to the project location in week day and went back home in weekend. It made him separate from his family for around 8 year. Until one time he thougt that he had to bulid up his business to get a better life for his family. With the money that he gathered from his hard work for 8 years he finally bulit up his business. His mother passed away in 1995 because of stomach cancer and it made his parents business bangrupt because they spent almost all of their money to treat his mother in hospital. But he continue his parent’s bussines with his own capital. With his persistence, several years later his business grow rapidly. He could buy 5 trucks to carry the crops from Ruteng to Flores. And built a huge storehouse near his house.

Everything was fine until there was an accident that made him almost lose his business. The accident that made him down was when the ship which was carried his 2 trucks sink in the sea. That made him very deppressed and dissapointed. His crops were dissapeared just like that. And he loss almost one bollion rupiahs and it made him almost bangrupt. He didn’t work for one week because of that accident. All of the family member, his wife and his children felt so down too. And for the first time his child look their father cry but they keep support their father and try to make him happy. He saw his family still need him as a father and husband, he didn’t give up. He lend money from his brother in law and continued to build up his business once again. He worked harder than before. He spent less time with his family. He even didn’t go on vacation because he couln’t leave his business. But it was worthwhile, because of that he finally can be more succeed than before.

Many thing have happened to him and make him as a succesful person for me. He always told his child to be a modest, humble, and honest person.  And one thing that he always tells to his child is no matter happen we can’t give up. Keep fight for what we want because God will guide our way. For the example, he said we can’t give up just because we are not as smart as other people. We just have to try and try again until we get what we want. He always says, he didn’t pass the grade in school but now I can succeed because I work hard. And it very inspirated me to work hard in everything I have to do.