CHAPTER 1 LITTLE AND YOUNG PERRY

 Perry Alus Siboro was born in Lae Mbara, Parbuluan District, Dairi Regency, North Sumatra on October 29, 1936. Perry was the first child of eight siblings of the farmers Barita Laut Siboro and Paderia Boru Naibaho. In contrast to the present time where farming is a job to get a crop which is then to be sold to buy food, farming at that time was to meet their own food needs. Everything is still very limited and very simple.

Perry got his basic education at the Sekolah Rakyat (SR) in Sitohang, Parbuluan sub-district, Dairi regency. As was the case with SR at the time, the facilities were not enough as they are today. In addition, there was also a disparity between SR on the island of Java with other islands, including on the island of Sumatra. However, that did not make Perry reluctant to seek knowledge. His considerable curiosity overcame all the limitations that existed until finally Perry could complete his basic education well.

Born and raised in Dairi Regency, made him feel his childhood was far from the hustle and bustle of the city, far from the modern world. As a child who had a great curiosity, made him ask a lot about how the world outside the village where he was born and grew up. Little Perry could only hear stories about the world outside of Sidikalang from a younger brother of his father (uncle) Rev. B.G. Siboro, who had traveled the world by working as a door-to-door bookseller, requiring him to walk here and there to peddle his books.

Perry's early life with the world outside of Sidikalang was when one day his uncle told him about his experiences in the outside world, and suggested Perry to continue his education in Pematangsiantar City. His heart was beating with enthusiasm when he heard his uncle's story at that time, as he was told that in Pematangsiantar a new school had been opened by the Adventist mission with foreigners as teachers at the school. Hearing the uncle's story, the blood of enthusiasm grew even harder in his veins.

Soon after completing his primary education, Perry convinced his parents to give the blessing to continue his studies in the City of Pematangsiantar. At a fairly young age, Perry left his village of birth, and opened the way to a new world for himself. One thought that stuck with him at the time was his curiosity about the outside world and his hope for growth.

Perry's first year at Junior High School at North Sumatra Training School (NSTS), which later became to Adventist High School (SLA), Martoba, Pematangsiantar. For Perry, this school had a uniqueness that was quite interesting. NSTS had a different curriculum system from other schools at that time. At that time, the students at different levels could take the same classes, described according to him like the semester credit system (SKS) applied by universities in Indonesia today. The system allowed him to get to know many people and make friends with not only those who were in his batch. The language of instruction in English also maked it more fun for this school, in contrast to his friends in other junior high schools, here Perry got lessons in the language of English and some of her teachers were also foreigners.

This period was a very pleasant time for Perry. Fun, because for him this was the first time he was outside the environment that had been raising him. Getting acquainted with people, the community environment, new experiences and nuances provide positive energy for him to continue to be eager to face day after day. Unfortunately, all happiness did not last long.

Continuing school in another city was not something easy. The limitations of his parents in meeting the costs of school and boarding because he had to be away from home made Perry have to face the bitter reality to leave this pleasant school. This condition maked Perry trapped in a feeling of being awry. His happiness which had been felt at NSTS had to end so early and he could not do anything to cancel it. So finally, NSTS must be abandoned.

To continue his education, his uncle (his father's younger brother) gave another suggestion for Perry to transfer to Berastagi. According to the uncle, in Berastagi it would be much less expensive because he would live in his house in Berastagi. Perry later would not have to pay boarding fees like in Pematangsiantar because there he would have to give one can of rice and pay school fees only. At that time the cost of junior high school was Rp. 2,500 per month.

Unfortunately, the curriculum system implemented in the junior high school in Berastagi was different from in NSTS, Pematangsiantar, which made Perry have to repeat again from the first year. Having to leave the school he liked, move cities and repeat one year did not make his enthusiasm subside to gain knowledge, even though he could only get one year of education in Pematangsiantar.

Perry's teenage years finally continued in Berastagi. His days were filled with struggles to complete his junior secondary education at a private junior high school, Taman Pendidikan Rakyat, in Berastagi, Karo District, North Sumatra. The difference in curriculum not only made him repeat a year at the first level, but many subjects he had to learn from the beginning because they were not taught before while in Pematangsiantar. One by one all the new lessons he learned attentively. Although, it cannot be denied, there are times when feeling tired or annoyed with the existing situation, especially because he had to leave Pematangsiantar, made annoyance mixed with sadness appear one after another.

While studying at Berastagi, Perry had to divide his time between seeking knowledge and finding additional money to pay for his school. Every weekend when school was off, Perry earns extra money by working from cutting cabbage and picking oranges. In fact, not infrequently he worked as a porter transporting goods to the truck and helped deliver it to the city. By working like that twice on Sundays, Perry could finance her school for a month. He realized he could not expect much from parents in meeting their needs. For him, limitations were not obstacles and all of this was devotion to Him. After three years of his education at Berastagi, Perry finally completed his first secondary education for three years in the City of Berastagi.