Biohazard's Catastrophe: Death's Hallway

The Second Home From the Past

The meeting was somewhat moving—at least it was in the viewpoint of Ardana Putra— a few moments ago made Paramitha's determination to return to her mother's family home became more and more round. The spirit in his heart grew bigger. The mother of the angkringan rice stand was one of her mother's friends when she was two years old. The physical and visual resemblance between her and her birth mother makes her little known even though she was not so sure.

If asked why Ardana would accompany Paramitha back to the village where her mother came from, even pushing her, only one answer she had. The story of the Catranata family having to undergo a massacre that almost wiped out most of its members in the past made his heart stir. Moreover, the dirty intrigues of the government of Facturia were clearly smelled by him. The events that have passed for many years have left rumors that are also unpleasant. And it still had to do with the main task he was on.

“Sadly, the mother refused to come along. Especially when it is morning. Ah, he certainly has to find sustenance,” said Ardana while looking straight ahead and driving.

“It's okay, Dan. I still remember my mother's house,” Paramitha replied.

Since leaving the angkringan rice stand, Paramitha has always directed Ardana to keep walking straight or turn when meeting crossroads. Again, he reminded the young man not to go too fast. Ardana really followed all his directions very closely while occasionally his gaze swept through everything reflected in the central and left and right rearview mirror.

“By the way, you knew the mother earlier?” ask Ardana.

“Know. She was Yati Suharti's mother, her house was only a few dozen meters away from grandmother's house. I honestly don't remember his face. Because last met him when I was just five,” Paramitha replied.

“It's been a long time. One more surprise if your mother's family knows that you're coming home to them,” Ardana said.

Paramitha gave a small sigh. Making Ardana glance for a moment while frowning. To him, the sighing sound was like something was being harbored and difficult to remove.

“Kok sighs so?”

The girl looked over lazily and then turned her body to the right.

“I often lost close friends for openly telling me that I was one of the remaining Catranata heirs. So far, only you, Mr. Ilham and the Sumita family have accepted and supported me. If the reaction of the people of Cikembang Village, I understand. They will definitely chase me away again for fear of mystical things. It's just that I'm afraid that the residents in this village are also the same,” he explained.

Ardana grinned cynically, not because of hearing Paramitha's confession. But the behavior of residents of Cikembang Village who often associate the incident of missing people in the Sirnasurya Forest with the revenge of Catranata or other awesomeness.

“You scared?”

Paramitha looked doubtful and finally did not reply. He fell silent again while looking at Ardana who was focusing on driving. The young man knew he was being watched but chose not to stare back.

“Only because there are citizens of this village who are missing in Sirnasurya Forest? If so, they are ridiculous!” later sergeant. Then shake with astonishment.

Paramitha frowned curiously. What his girlfriend said was a new thing. “Do you know where any of these villagers are missing?”

“Disclosure of missing persons cases in his office Mr. Odang,” replied Ardana, “from this village there are six people missing because desperate to enter the forest.”

The name Ardana is also known by Paramitha. The figure of the village head is rather lush with a shady face. Sumita once told me a few weeks ago that Odang is a nurturing and patient figure. He was the first village chief to take the time to find the facts behind the missing persons case in Sirnasurya with a logical and unassailable solution. That certainly makes it easier for Ardana and Ilham to investigate what is actually stored in the artificial forest.

Even so Paramitha still kept his identity a secret. The situation of the village that was not the same as his childhood had made him much more cautious. Still, if one mistake happens then he is threatened.

Their trip was halted when Paramitha asked Ardana to pull over at the edge of the residential area in the southern part of the village. In front of them lined houses of residents who are part of the relics of the white-walled colonial period. Looks old but well-groomed. Some of the men appear to do their respective activities as workers and village farmers in general. While there are women who are crowding vegetable makers, cleaning the yard and others. What gives an unusual impression is the clothes they wear so contrast with the existing occupancy. T-shirts, shabby negligee and pants pangsi in the eyes of Ardana is not very representative of the nuances and taste of colonial existing in the houses.

“Good and antique house. But the appearance of the citizens even in this way,” comments the confused young man.

“The one in front of us is the houses of the Dutch colonial heritage service. It used to be used for the residence of those who worked on the plantation. The villagers then took over everything after independence until now,” explains Paramitha.

“Hmmm, why do we stop here?” ask Ardana curiously.

“We have arrived. Just go inside, later if you meet a house that stands alone in the middle of the most extensive yard we stop. It's my mother's family home, ” Paramitha replied.

Without reply, Ardana re-started the car engine and then entered the settlement. A moment later he felt like he was walking through the passage of time back to the colonial era, where the old white houses seemed to be in harmony with the still green nature. Anyone who inhabits it must feel calm because according to some information he has read, colonial architecture house designed with excellent air circulation and sufficient lighting. If sold or renovated, the nominal money spent is certainly very large considering the age of the building is old and sometimes requires thoroughness through blueprints that have been made architecture.

While walking down the street, Ardana does not stop admiring the architecture of every old house she sees. Sayup-sayup sounds Sundanese gamelan music, which turns out to come from an antique radio owned by a grandfather on the veranda of his home.

“Sociable grandfather,” praise.

“In front there is a T-junction, take the right one and don't keep it straight. You heard no, Dan?!”

Paramitha's slightly raised voice made Ardana a crime. Instantly his concentration immediately returned to the girl who was trying to direct him.

“You heard no, anyway?” Paramitha frowned in astonishment at Ardana's behavior.

Ardana nodded quickly, “Listen to it, listen. To the front of the fork then take the right, right?”

“Yes, but slow down. You were a little too fast,” replied Paramitha who back leaned.

After passing through the T-junction and taking the right direction, Ardana chose silence as when first directed across the main highway of Karanghawur Village. Paramitha was the one who was fussy about mentioning which direction to take, including making the young man step on the brake pedal suddenly because of the shock due to his voice that suddenly rose.

“Sabar... patience,” hiss Ardana.

The Ford Ranger they were riding in continued to cross the highway by taking a detour here and there. After taking up to twenty minutes, the place searched for was finally found. The one-story colonial-style house is quite large, standing in the middle of the most extensive yard land. Both from the size and taste of the architecture, everything is not the same as other houses around it. The shape reminds Ardana of the Museum of Fine Arts and Ceramics building located in the Kotatua area of Jakarta, only this one is the mini version. He even saw a slight influence of the Rococo style on his large porches. When compared to the rest of the Catranata family house debris, the house in front of them was smaller.

“Mitha, is this the house you mean?” ask Ardana. This guy tried to make sure they got to the right location.

Paramitha nodded slowly.

“Then, let's get down!”

“Wait a minute, Dan.”

Ardana undoes her intention to open the car door. He saw doubt on Paramitha's face. The girl seemed to think of something while looking at her mother's family home which was only eight meters away from where they had stopped.

Paramitha then took something hanging from her neck, precisely from behind the collar of the shirt. A silver necklace with a rectangular pendulum containing white diamond stones now dangled to the chest. His pendulum part was slanted for a while in his left hand. The look in his eyes turned into a glare and suddenly closed.

Ardana reacted to nothing but waiting. During his time with Paramitha, he found out that his lover had kept an antique-looking silver necklace. Most likely it was also part of the family legacy, he thought second-guessing.

“Hopefully they still remember,” Paramitha muttered as she opened her eyes.

“That's what, Neng?” tanya Ardana ventured.

Paramitha took off her necklace. The antique then changed hands with Ardana who was watching him curiously.

“This necklace is the wedding sign of father and mother,” replied Paramitha, “and this is the identification sign given only to me.”

Ardana squinted her eyes. The white diamond in the square pendulum cage of the four necklaces had pieces in similar shapes and was very neat. Rarely does he see gemstones polished in such a way that they display a veil of certain colors in a beam of light. With a diameter of no more than one centimeter, the valuable object certainly has its own value.

“Hmmm, it turns out to be rather complicated as well. Catranata heirs like you have to wear identification like this,” said Ardana.

“Grandfather once said, every man from outside the Catranata family who seriously approached me later must understand everything,” Paramitha replied with a smile.

Ardana returned the girl's sweet smile by helping her put back on the antique diamond-eyed necklace. After which, he rushed down then spun to where Paramitha was sitting.

At the same time, Paramitha had not yet moved. The expression on the face of this beautiful girl was flat with a straight look towards the second house from her past.

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