A UNITY THAT CANNOT BE UNITED

THE BANDA MASSACRE

In the room, there were three young men. They are Yanto Lasympala, Faisal Husein Polontalo and Isaac Rompies. All three were collected in a single room by Ustadz Gau for some reason. Originally in the room before Isaac, the third person was Rusdi Rasidi. The two of them used to bully Faisal. After Rusdi was transferred from the Pondok Pesantren Alkhairaat, the empty place was filled by Isaac.

Yanto, since there was no more Rusdi, lost interest in persecuting Faisal. Moreover, both of them got a great shame defeated by Ichi who incidentally was just a thirteen-year-old girl. The man now visits more of one of the nannies to learn about attraction. Even so, his nature of always underestimating people never changed. Until now, he still often underestimated Faisal because the boy had never shown his martial prowess in front of the man.

Faisal's appearance is among the cupu, although it is undeniable that the Arab man is so handsome. The cup's appearance is similar to that of the squawks, though, it is more and more interesting buwa lo hulondalo who also want to be able to compete with the young man even in the actual courtship capacity legal status in fiqih is counted illegal.

That guy doesn't want to date. He held firm to his parents' word. When he approaches Natasha, the young man makes an attempt called ta'aruf until he learns that Natasha is not convinced by him. The young man was still hoping to continue ta'aruf until finally Natasha herself decided to leave him.

Now the young man felt an interest in Ichi who felt even though fierce, but actually gentle. His style that can be counted is a bit perverse because it does not limit the relationship between the man and woman, although his mother strictly forbids dating. Only to her father, the girl dared to uncover the mind because the contents of their brain and thinking style were actually the same.

The night showed at 02:45 as the three young men drowned in their daily rituals that night. Yanto was busy drowning himself in dreams. The young man just went through his flat activities. At 4 am, he will wake up by himself and immediately go to the mosque cottage.

As for Faisal, as he usually did while studying at Ampeldenta when he was seven years old until finally decided to move to Gorontalo somehow on what basis. His habit is the ritual of Qiyamul lail when he is not overwhelmed by busyness. If Faisal was busy, he chose to rest his physique until he woke up beaten 03.40 to perform the prayer of the witir only, after which together with Yanto would step towards the mosque of the cottage preparing for dawn prayers.

The other bed, the former bed of Rusdi, sat cross-legged with Isaac Rompies. Unlike the meditation style of the tarekat disciples or fighters, Isaac Rompies meditates by applying the ongyo-in mudra in a kuji-in, zen pattern which means enlightenment. Although he had embraced Islam, the young man could never get rid of his old habit as a bushi who had lived in the sixteenth century when the Edo Shogunate came to power in his homeland.

Both of his eyes were clenched peacefully and his lips were silent. The position is like a statue of Jizo sitting with a fingers position to form a cosmic mudra. The young man entered the void. His various pasts flashed back to adorn his mind. His memory goes back to the past, where he was sent to the Banda Islands by the Hirado-based East India Company.

...******...

Banda Neira, Fort Nassau of the East India Company, February 21, 1621.

The journey from Nagasaki Port to Sunda Kelapa was very tiring.100 yojimbo men sent by the Edo bakufu government on behalf of Emperor Go-Mizunoo in the seventh year of Genna (1620), who was the first to be executed, at the request of the Director General of the Hirado branch of the East India Company, Opperhoofd Jaques Speck.

The dispatch of unemployed samurai to Jayakarta, based on a letter written by Jan Pieterzoon Coen to the Central Government in Amsterdam so that Asian trade attaches were asked to send assistance. Because the company's original security force was lacking, Jaques Speck persuaded Shogun Tokugawa Hidetada to provide him with troops.

The Edo shogunate then ordered its representatives to register the number of no-man's samurai living in the western peninsula of the country and presented the list to Jaques Speck until he agreed to contract 100 of the ronin to serve yojimbo strengthens VOC trade attache in Sunda Kelapa.

Fujimoto Toshisada was one of the hundred samurai no man. He is the illegitimate son of Imagawa Norimochi from a former geisha, named Naoko. Hereditary, he is still a direct descendant of the Imagawa family, and is the half-brother of Imagawa Naofusa who served as Koke in the Edo Bakufu bureaucracy.

To boost his name, Toshisada was forced to participate in the yojimbo troupe, leaving his homeland to Jayakarta which was eventually sent back to Banda Neira, fort Nassau of the VOC, now led by Jan Pieterzoon Coen.

Nassau Fortress itself is a building built by the Dutch East India Trade Company in 1609, seven years after the company was officially founded by Johan van Oldenbarnevelt and several state councillors by merging the country's four major companies into the first bona fide public company in the Netherlands, based in Amsterdam.

Nassau Fortress itself was established with the aim of controlling the Pala trade. This development was initiated by Admiral Verhoeven using the former foundation that was built by the Portuguese in 1529.

"Welcome to Nassau." said one of the VOC army officers, Mark van der Bijl extended his hand to Uchida Issin, the leader of the yojimbo.

Some of the company's soldiers noticed the style of clothing of the no-man's samurai who they thought was unique, especially the bun on their heads. Some of them were whispering while giggling.

Fujimoto Toshisada realized that some of the Dutch people sneered at their appearance which according to the custom of western people is very outdated.

Uchida Issin simply smiled and nodded, welcoming back the officer's hand. That guy is not good at Dutch. Toshisada is still better at understanding foreign languages because he hangs out with many rangaku scholars. But his obedience as a bushi chose silence, respecting his leader who is not able to speak Dutch.

Officer Mark van der Bijl. He had his men prepare two large barracks rooms that were previously empty for the Japanese samurai to live in.

The barracks that were prepared were not in the fortress area. From then on, the samurai occupied the chamber.

Two reconnaissance squads, led by Kiba Tsunehiro, were sent by Mark van der Bijl to Lontor Island. The two squads were sent to find a suitable place to serve as a place of defense. After conducting a re-investigation, Tsunehiro Kiba arrived back in Nassau and reported to Uchida Issin accompanied by Colonel Mark van der Bijl.

"The hilly region and the southern side of the island are very suitable as a place of defense" Tsunehiro Kiba concluded his report.

Uchida Issin then spoke in the language of his country which made Colonel Mark van der Bijl confused because he did not understand the language. He looked at a group of samurai.

"Are any of you able to speak Dutch?" exclaim Colonel Mark van der Bijl loudly.

...*****...

Toshisada was cleaning his sword with choji oil when Ojima Kano came to him. "You are looking for Issin-Sama." said Kano.

"Wait a minute, I'll get dressed." said Toshisada.

The man was wearing a hakama and yukata which he covered with a haori embroidered with the kamon kamon-style comb pattern of Imagawa Yoshimoto. After draping his two swords in a dust, the young man accompanied by Kano came to face Uchida Issin in the office.

Toshitada bowed for a moment and looked at Colonel Mark van der Bijl. "Can I help you, sir?" toshisada asked politely.

Colonel Mark van der Bijl then spoke Dutch which was translated well by Toshisada to Uchida Issin. The VOC officer was impressed with the young man's bilingual abilities. After the meeting was over, Colonel Mark van der Bijl asked him to stay for a while.

"You can speak Dutch fluently. Where did you study?" mark van der Bijl asked as he took a bottle of wine from the cupboard and pulled out two glasses and put it on the table.

"I am friends with some rangaku scholars. I learned your language from them." answered Toshisada with courtesy while watching Mark pour wine into a glass. A glass is then pushed Mark to Toshisada.

"Let's work together for a glorious future" Mark said with a smile as he raised his glass to a toast.

Toshisada raised his glass in Mark's style and drank the wine.

Since then the closeness of Toshisada with Mark began to intertwine despite the fact that the closeness between them is only limited to artificial relations because however, the Dutch also keep their distance from these unemployed samurai.

...****...

Lontor, Banda Islands, 27 February 1621.

Dutch Company forces made a large-scale landing on the island of Lontor with the aim of forcing the wealthy influential people who controlled the cross trade in nutmeg. They use the mosque as a place to stay and it is very disliked by residents.

PRANGGGS....

The night was tinged with tension and horror caused only by misunderstandings. The chandelier in the mosque fell and caused an uproar among the company forces. They whisper in Dutch.

The citizens prepare for an ambush, take action ahead!

At that time all the villages on the island were attacked by the company's 2-strength regiment. The entire island was assigned the islands did not escape the Dutch attack. Genocide is inevitable, from that event only 300 people survived.

...******...

Outside Nassau Fort, May 8, 1621.

Toshisada addressed the eight rich and thirty-six influential figures who were considered to be the masterminds of the Banda uprising. They are placed on the field in a bound and rested position.

Toshisada and seven of his fellow yojimbo carried out their duties as executors of the beheading. The eight unemployed samurai were naked and wearing only fundoshi (special loincloth).

In front of him sat a man wearing a white robe and a sacrifice. It seems that he was a religious man, included in the list of those who should be put to death that day. Toshisada drew his katana and wet it with water. No matter how criminal these people are in the eyes of the VOC employer, the death penalty must still be carried out in full compliance with bushido law.

The sacrificial man looked at him with a gaze that made Toshisada surprised.

This man.his aura is so peaceful...

"The rich man.." call Toshisada, "Are you ready?"

The victim was just smiling. "If my life is predestined by God to be floated in your sword, I will be fully willing...."

Toshisada raised his sword, ready to nape the victim's neck. "What's your last request?" ask the samurai.

The man smiled. "Hopefully, Allah points you to the right path, full of guidance" he said.

Toshisada did not understand what the sacrificial man meant. But he still nodded. "Hopefully granted." he cried as he swung the sword at full speed.

CRASSSS....

Katana slid down and the victimized man's neck was cut off. His head fell on the ground with a few seconds of his body falling down and finally lying down spitting blood from his stumped neck. That day, the field in front of Fort Nassau was filled with red. The forty-four beheaded bodies, by order of Jan Pieterzoon Coen, mutilated into four pieces, were shown to the Banda citizens who could only weep for those who were martyred at the time.

...*****...

Allah Akbar... Allaaaahu Akbar's...

The sound of the Adhan flowing through the mouthpiece of the loudspeaker in the cottage mosque disturbed Isaac, making him dragged from the nature of subsconsius to reality. The young man slowly opened his eyes and looked at the room.

His eyes glanced at the clock which showed at 04:35, indicating the time of dawn prayer will be lived. The young man inhaled for a moment gathering air into his lungs, then exhaled slowly.

Two of his roommates are no longer in otu's place. Chances are they have been in the mosque first. Isaac came down from the bed and stood looking at the door.

Ahhh... why did the memories of that jerk appear again???

Isaac set his foot towards the door and the man left his room, towards the ablution. He must clear his mummified mind by the memories of the past that always haunts him. []