The story follows Bambang, a poor fisherman who works hard in order to take care of his little brother.
Every morning, he heads to the beach to earn a living. He sails to the sea every day in his small boat, which he named Desi, in hopes of catching fish.
That day, the weather was clear, there was no cloud visible in the sky, yet the sun was burning like a bee sting. Bambang did not care whether his skin got darker in this heat or not. He had no other choice. At home, his eight year old brother was waiting for him to return with food.
As soon as he reached the open sea, the winds and waves were calm. Bambang dropped his anchor and cast his fishing net. Then he waited quietly as time passed. He never knew how fast the day had gone by until the sun began to set; not a single fish had been caught.
What am I supposed to do, he whispered to himself. My brother needs to eat, but I did not catch anything.
He leaned back in his boat and tried to think of a solution. A long moment later, an idea came to him. It was an idea that he knew he should not follow.
If I steal fish from another fisherman, at least my brother can eat, he thought.
With the wrong kind of determination, Bambang rowed his boat, looking for someone he could steal from.
Soon enough, he saw a small blue boat. On its side, it said Sumber Harapan. An old woman was rowing it, looking quite tired.
Without thinking, Bambang rowed towards her and bumped his boat into hers.
Give me your catch now, he shouted.
The old woman looked terrified. Her voice shook as she pointed towards a wooden box. My catch is in there.
Bambang snatched the box and ran away as fast as his legs could carry him. He rowed with all his might, leaving the old woman behind, back to the beach, and straight home with the fish stolen from her.
When he arrived, his little brother greeted him with a cheerful smile.
What are we eating today, he asked innocently.
We are having dory fish, Bambang replied. His brother's face lit up with joy. He had no idea his brother had stolen it.
They feasted until they were full that night, then retired to their little cottage and slept together, warm and content.
The officers from the government's Child Protection Organization came to their house the following morning. They said that his brother was living in an unsuitable environment, and they were going to take him away.
Bambang burst into anger.
How dare you, he shouted as he slammed the door. You have no right to take my brother.
The loud noise awoke his brother.
What happened? he asked.
Nothing, do not worry, said Bambang, concealing his fear and anger.
They went away, but the officers' words remained within him. Bambang felt the world was trying to take away the only thing that mattered to him.
As his fishing boat could no longer support them, Bambang wanted to try another job. He applied to a company and after a short interview was hired as a truck driver.
Can you start now, the interviewer asked.
Now Bambang said in astonishment.
Yes. Take the hat and the truck keys on top of the cabinet and get started right away.
The keys and hat were taken by Bambang, who then went to his truck, opened the door, turned on the engine, and worked full-on.
By the time it reached seven in the evening, he finished his work and began walking home, hoping that this new job would secure a better future for his brother.
But as he was on his way home, a police officer stopped him. You are under arrest for stealing fish, said the officer. Bambang panicked and tried to run, but he failed. He was handcuffed and taken to the police station. Then, his brother was picked up by the Child Protection Organization. They told the boy that his brother had been arrested for a crime he committed yesterday. His little brother was taken into the car, crying silently. He could only watch, powerless to help, as Bambang was swept away.