PART I
LET’S PREPARE
“Bani,
you want join us this afternoon?” said a wavy-haired boy to a little boy that
was sitting on the chair when he passed his house.
“Where”
asked the sitting boy
“Selimut
River, after ngaji (Ngaji is an informal religious school followed by children
at which there children learn to recite Al-Quran and Islamic rule and law.
The
sitting boy whose name is Bani didn’t answer the invitataion. He was still able
to manage it after Ngaji. Also if he was agree to join the wavy-haired boy to
go to Neki river, he can directly follow him as the wavy-haired boy’s house was
situated in the front of his house.
Bani,
then, entered his house. As he was inside the house he just remembered one
thing that he forget to ask to the wavy-haired boy. That was the purpose of
going to Neki River.
He
then grabbed a towel hanging in the rope in the kitchen. Then, he went to the
bathroom and took a bath because as he looked a clock hanging in the wall
showed that the time was already two o’clock afternoon.
He
then walked to the bath room located outside his house. The bathroom with no
door. Sometime he wanted to talk to his father to renovate the bathroom because
it looked so unsafe, but he cannot do anything but remained silent. He then put
the rope on the wall of the bathroom that was made from bamboo laths. He then
started to put off all what he wears and poured the water stored in the big
place to his body.
As
the first water pured into his body, he started to remember a thing again. Now,
he remember that Neki River is a big river and it will be, at least, considered
to be dangerous by his parents. If they know, they would not let him to go with
his friend to Neki River. The fourth poured water had wetted his body. He then
took a soap and began to lather his body. He poured water to flush his lathered
body. Suddenly, his eye-lines furrowed. He , again, just remembered that today
his parents were at the rice-field and they, as always, will be back home at
05.30 PM and that will be enough for him to went to Neki river and came back
home before his parents did.
He
had done taking bath and the next thing he was to do was preparing for Ngaji.
Located in a mosque in the village, Ngaji was an informal school that was
almost taken by all Muslim children in that village. Learning activities in
this place lasted for about one hour.
“Riyad,
what are we gonna do in Neki River, anyway? Asked Bani to the wavy-haired boy
when he was at the way home from Ngaji.
“What
do you think” replied Riyad by asking a question. What a really cliché way to
answer a question
“Can’t
think though” Said Bani
“We
gonna fishing” said a boy that came from the back and he directly huddled up
Bani and Riyad with his hands. His breath was almost running out. It seemed
that he just ran to chase Bani and Riyadh
“Sure,
Muhru” said Bani unbelievably
“What
else do you think, we are gonna do there, then?” Asked Muhru, and a cliché way happened again
“Dunno”
said Bani as he raised his shoulder up
“Okay
prepare your fishhook and meet me at my home” said Muhru and he ran away
‘Right,
you have known now, now it is your call whether you are gonna join us or not”
said Riyadh and he turn left to the way of his home.
Bani
has thought the consequence if his parent knew what he had done and he decided
to join them. Then he went to backyard, and looking for a fishhook in the stack
of firewood his parents collected. He dismantled the stack and he found what he
was looking for.
Bani,
afterwards, went to Riyadh. As he did a little run from his backyard, he saw
that Riyadh had been in the road side of his front house waiting for him
PART II
THOSE STORIES
“Ready?”
“Yeah”
Then
Bani and Riyadh walked to Muhru’s House and as they reached the house, Muhus
had also been in the front house waiting them.
‘Which
way should we take’ Asked Riyadh
‘Better
through my backyard” Answered Muhru
Then
those three boys went to the back side of Muhru’s house, there were fish hook
and bait in each of their hand. Muhru took the path way they always took every
time he went to Neki River. The way is a bit dark because in the side of the
path way, live many trees like bamboo, coconut-tree, and there also lived many
bushes.
‘My
neighborre, once, ever saw a ghost’ Said Muhru at a sudden
‘No
kidding” Said Bani a bit frightened
“I am sure, he told me” Said Muhru in a firm
voice trying to convince Bani “He said that he ever saw Gendruwo Here (Gendruwo
is a myth ghost of Javanese People at which this creature is described as a
tall and giant man whose body is full of hair. His eyes is red and his skin is
dark and green. Also Gendruwo has fang on his mouth.)
“When
did it happen?” Ask Bani curiously
“Once,
in Maghrib Time. (Maghrib Time is a time refers to a time from (6.00 Pm-7.00Pm)
Indonesian people used to using Maghrib time to refer that time). My neighbor
said that he was going to take a cassava at that time. This land in his
parents’. It is already magrib Time and he was going alone” Said Muhru in a
serious tone
‘And
then? What happened?” asked Bani
“Well,
the cassava plant is over there’ Said Muhru while his finger pointed to an
areas at which cassava trees were planted. “You see that bamboo there in front
of us? Asked Muhru to Bani
“Yes,
why?’
“Wait!!!
Where is Riyadh?’ Screamed Muhru in A Panic tone
Bani
then turn his body and he also didn’t see Riyadh. His mimic is even more panic
than what Muhru’s Voice did.
“Riyadh,
oiiii Riyadh’ Screamed Muhru, there was no joke in Muhru’s voice.
“Where
is he’ Asked Bani
“I
don’t know?”
“Oi,
what happened?” There is a voice at a sudden from behind a oconut-tree
Riyad
then popped up from the tree and he ran towards them.
“What’s
up? Why are you calling me?’ Said Riyadh
“What
are you doing there/’ Said Bani furiously
“I
took a pee, come on, nothing wrong, right? Said Riyadh
“I
thought you are kidnapped by Gendruwo” Said Muhru
“Ah
come on, your fantasy is too over Muhru, forget it, lets go’ Said Riyadh and he
walked in from of his two friends.
Muhru,
then, asked Bani if he wanted to hear about his Gendruwo story. Bani just
answered his question by shaking his head from side to side. Then they walked
to Neki River. The Neki was not too far from where they stand.
The
tree boys were at a rice field. The rice field had been harvested about a month
ago so the condition of the rice field was dried. The form of the rice field in
their village was like a stair. And they were now at the top-of the stair-case.
“The
river is down there. Let’s go’ Said Muhru
Then
they were walking down. The sun was shining at that time. The light was orange
and it wasn’t felt hot to the three boys’ skin. Also, the wind was blowing
slowly. Bany saw there were grasshopper were jumping form a plant to another
plant. On the side of the small way of the rice field he walked through, Bani
can see a cimplukan tree. (Cimplukan is kind of wild plant living in a
rice-field that had been harvested. The form of the fruit was like a small
house lizard’ egg and the color is yellow. The taste is sweet.)
Bani
then pick one of the cimplukan fruit. He ate it and it felt sweet in his mouth.
Then he picked again.
‘Alright,
this is the river, lets sail” Said Riyadh
“Why
is so small” Asked Bani
“It’s
the branch” said Riyadh, “The main River is ten times than it”
They,
then looked for a comfortable spot to fish. They chose their own favorite spot.
Muhru chose a near a tree, Bani choose a
spot in a big stone near the river side, while Riyadh chose a spot in the tree.
They, then began to fish.
Ten
minutes later, Riyadh got a fish. So did Bani, a little one. Then, suddenly
Muhru screamed while his finger pointed on something.
‘Look
at there, there!” screamed Muhru
“What
is it?” replied Riyadh and he jumped off the tree he climbed
“Look
there is Biawak (Monitor Lizard)” Said Muhru
“O
yeah, right. Look over there. It walked there, that’s big” Said Bani
“Let’s
go, move to another place” commanded Riyadh
“Alright,
come on, bounce out!”
Then,
they moved. And they went along the edge of the river. Alas, they cannot find a
nice place to fish. They walked farther and farther. Then they met a farmer
that worked on her land. They got nothing to say. Muhru, then, said something.
PART III
HOME AND THE
STORY IS CONTINUED
“He
lets look for sapi-sapian” Said Munru. (Sapi-sapian is a kind of wild fruit
usually living on a river. The color of the fruit is Red or purple and its
tastes is sweet.
“Well,
the day is getting darker, we had better go home now “said Riyadh.
Well,
there was no argument. They then decided to take a path way home. They passed
the branch River of Neki River. In the river suddenly they met with a friend.
“Supri,
what are you doing here, what a coincidence’ Said Muhru
‘Same
as you all I think, I am looking for fish, look I got a lot of them” Said Supri
and he raised his hand, and there were fish tied on a rope.
“Wow,
what a very many fish’ Said Bani
“Hey,
Bani, didn’t your parents get angry if you go in Neki River” Asked Supri
“They
do not know” Said Bani
“Okay,
hey anyway, the sky is getting darker, why don’t we go home, anyone want to in
me to home? Asked Supri
‘We
are all going to go home now, frankly. “Said Muhru
“Well,
good. Let’s follow me. I got a path way that leads us to a way near your home”
Said Supri and he pointed Bani
‘Nope,
I think I am gonna follow Muhru and Riyad’ Said Bani
“Okay
then, good bye everyone!” Said Supri and he waved his hand to them.
Then
they walked home. In the way home, Muhru, again, told about a scary story.
“Hey
you know what, there is a legend about this river” Said Muhru opened the
conversation
“What?”
Asked Bani
“It
is believed that Once, there is a man that went fishing in this river. As he
walked along the side of the river, he found an egg, a bunch of eggs actually.”
Told Muhru
“And
then?” Asked Riyadh curiously
‘Then,
he took the eggs home and he boiled it and he served the eggs to his wife that
was pregnant?’ Continued Muhru
“You
know what?”
‘What?”
Said Bani
“The
egg is actually a snake’s eggs. As the wife was giving a birth, she didn’t give
birth of a human, but snake! Said Muhru
‘Are
you sure/ Then, what happened after that” Asked Bani
“Well
I do not know” Said Muhru
“How
come you do not know?”
“Why
do I have to now? Hey, it is raining. Come on Hurry.
Then,
they walked fast. Fifteen minutes later they had reached their own house. So
did Bani. Bani then opened the kitchen door slowly. He was afraid if his father
had been home. As he opened it, he found no one. Bani then go to the family
room and looked the clock. The clock showed that the time was five o’clock PM.
Bani then took a bath and put his father’s fishhook. He then read book in the
living room as a disguise.
Note:
Muhru
now has married and live with one beautiful wife and daughter
Riyadh
also just married on 2013. He married with, of course, a beautiful woman too.
Supri
now is still looking for his mate.
Bani
itself is now posting this writing on BlogSpot.
