Minds in Mines

Chapter 8: Grasberg

While waiting for the truck, they all had coffee, instant coffee that tasted more like syrup because of the amount of sugar since that was the only one the small museum provided. At least, the coffee was hot to warm them a little.

There was documentation of the mining activities on the walls of the museum along with the history. Mr Yemimi as the head of the Grasberg history preservation patiently explained and answered all their curious questions.

"The truck we'll ride is here, Mr AB. Let me talk to the operator first." Mr Nahuway excused himself.

Less than five minutes later, AB and Ray found themselves climbing the ladder of the giant vehicle to reach the cab where they would be sitting with the operator. The truck was not as big as the one parked at the museum but it was still monstrous.

"Mr AB, Ms Ray, this is Ms Viktoria Wonda." Mr Nahuway introduced them to the truck operator, a surprisingly small-built woman with a ready smile. The long black hair under the safety helmet was made into beautiful thick braids that flowed loosely to frame her attractive face down to her chest. The dangling earrings, the matching knitted baby blue sweater with skinny blue jeans, and the goggles made her look more like a performing artist instead of a truck driver. She even wore a fragrance.

"Ms Wonda. What a pleasure to meet you. I didn't expect a female to be in charge of a giant vehicle like this." AB shook the woman's hand excitedly.

"Nice to meet you, Mr AB. I'm sorry if my English is not good." Ms Wonda's voice was gentle and nice with a slight singsong quality to it. The woman would have probably been a singer had she lived in a city with more job opportunities.

"No problem at all, Ms Wonda. I'm sure Mr Nahuway can help us communicate well. Oh, and this is my secretary, Ms Ray."

It was Ray's turn to shake hands with Ms Wonda. The woman's grip was firm and assured without being overpowering, indicating confidence.

"How long have you been an operator of a haul truck, Ms Wonda?" AB, who got to sit on the extra seat next to Ms Wonda, asked when they began their slow journey down the pit.

"Ten years, Mr AB."

"Did you specifically apply to be a haul truck operator?"

"I didn't, Mr AB."

Ms Wonda spoke further in Indonesian to Mr Nahuway who then translated it for AB and Ray.

"When she applied for a job here, she didn't think she would work in the field. She just wanted to earn money for her family after graduating high school so they could overcome poverty. She couldn't imagine then that she would be able to operate such a huge vehicle when she was offered the training for the job since she didn't even know how to drive a car."

"What do you think are the difficulties of driving a truck this big, Ms Wonda?"

"Ms Wonda said the most difficult thing was to conquer the hesitation and fear. She hesitated at first to take the job and in her first trip down the mine, she almost wetted herself because of the fear."

Ray, who sat behind Ms Wonda, unconsciously reached out and touched her shoulder. When the woman turned her head to look at her, both of them smiled as if they instantly knew that it was a shared experience. Ray felt the same thing when she first flew a plane as a flight school student even if that had been her dream all along. Indeed, fear and hesitation were what usually kept people from going forward.

When she lifted her eyes from Ms Wonda, she could see AB observing her, but he was quick to ask another question to Ms Wonda.

"I've never tried operating a truck like this but I've heard that the steering wheel is more responsive than the average car. Is that true, Ms Wonda?"