Sepeda Merah

Title: Red Bicycle Vol. 1 & Red Bicycle Vol. 2

Author & Illustrator: Kim Dong Hwa

Translator: Meilia Kusumadewi

Publisher: PT Gramedia Pustaka Utama

Publication Date: October 2012

Pages: 144 (Vol.1) & 176 (Vol.2)

After falling in love with Dong Hwa's works in Trilogi Warna, I definitely will not miss his recent books, Sepeda Merah (Yahwari #1) and Sepeda Merah (Bunga-bunga Hollyhock #2). And my prediction is quite right, I once again fall in love even deeper with his works.

Sepeda Merah is a story about a postman. A romantic postman on his red bicycle who will take us  riding along Yahwari village. He will tell us the beautiful things about the village,  the  wild flowers, its blowing wind, the heart-warming people there and many more.

Yahwari is an imaginary village where older generation live after their children have left to town to make their own living.The postman goes to each household in the village to find out about the lives of the older generations while carrying news from their beloved children. In this town through the postman's eyes, there are many emotional encounters and opportunities to learn about values and life philosophies from the older generations.

The book is divided into several parts. Every part consists of five-six stories. You will find short story here since every story is made mostly only in four pages. What so special about this book is every page is filled with a masterpiece artwork in which the author narrates nostalgic memories of life and it's closed with a deep message that will warm our hearts. 

Just read the first story in Sepeda Merah vol. 2 Bunga-bunga Hollyhock. It's about an old man who wants to plant Hollyhock flowers along his yard to welcome his daughter visit. According to the old man's friends it's just a waste of time since there are already a lot of flowers in Yahwari. While the old man responses, "Pemandangan bunga-bunga Hollyhock akan mengingatkannya pada almarhum ibunya. Aku menabur benih-benih bunga ini dari gerbang masuk desa sampai pintu rumahku, saat melewati jalan berbunga ini, dia akan mendapat kesan sedang berjalan sambil menggenggam tangan ibunya..."