GADIS KRETEK

 

Reporting from Antara News, Gadis Kretek tells a story of tragedy and romance where the love story of Raja and Jeng Yah, becomes the common thread of the stories in the novel. Pak Raja was so captivated by the kretek made by the woman.

Jeng Xab’s rolling paper is the secret ingredient of Kretek Gadis’

popularity. The sweet taste of Kretek Gadis comes from Jeng Xab’s saliva which acts as an adhesive for the rolling paper of the tobacco and clove mixture.

In a written work published by UNS, it is told that Pak Raja, who was dying, mentioned a woman’s name who turned out not to be his wife. The woman mentioned while he was waiting for his death was named Jeng Yah.

Hearing this, his three children who were the heirs of Kretek Diagad Raja felt troubled. Not to mention the legal wife of Pak Raja, she was so

jealous knowing the words that came out of her dying husband’s mouth were the name of a woman who was not his wife.

His three children, Lebas, Karim, and Tegar then immediately visited the remote areas of Java and searched for Jeng Yah whose name Pak Raja mentioned when he was dying. The three of them raced against time because they had to find Jeng Yah before death came to their father.

 

On the trip, Lebas, Karim, and Tegar also traced their father’s business. They also uncovered some secrets and learned the origin of why Kretek Diagad Raja became the number one kretek in Indonesia after meeting an old rolling worker.

 

It turns out that Jeng Yah is the owner of Kretek Gadis, which is the number one local kretek in the city of M. Pak Raja’s three children also found out about the romantic relationship between Jeng Yah and their father.

 

Gadis Kretek not only discusses the love story and the journey of the characters in uncovering the mystery that has surrounded them all this time, but also tells about the development of kretek in Indonesia from the Dutch colonial era, Japan, the independence of the Republic of Indonesia, to the PKI era.

 

The novel also tells about the popularity of klembak cigarettes, which are less competitive than kretek. It also tells about the background

Why local kretek factories continue to maintain their existence amidst the pressure of the rise and dominance of large cigarette companies.

They survived not only because the factory was still profitable, but also to maintain the prestige of their ancestors and to save their workers whose livelihood depended on the ‘home champion’ kretek company

Kontributor : Safitri Ningsih X Kul-1