CARA
Prologues
"nduk, you unload the warehouse in the back. Yangti wants to clean the front page" pinta Yangtinya who has aged, but still fresh fit like the teenager.
Kana rolled up her long hair then nodded obediently to her Yangtinya. Every time a college vacation, Kana will definitely always visit the Yangtinya house located in central Java. The house is very thick of Javanese culture.they are indeed descendants of noble from their great-grandfather. The estate itself is a relic of their great-grandfather who passed down from generation to Cana.
In the past, Yangkung had sold some of their great relics such as horse carriages, jars and even gamelan, because of the 98th crisis. Be, in the house that is left only a few relics such as paintings, wooden furniture, lights and home architecture are preserved.
(Yangti is an abbreviation for princess which means grandmother. Yangkung is an abbreviation of eyang Kakung which means grandfather)
"Mbok, help Kana clean up the warehouse, huh? He said that he had never been cleansed since Yangkung died" muttered Kana to her housemaid who was guarding the house and Yangti.
The maid immediately nodded then said, The warehouse was never cleaned at all, Non, even before Yangkung died. Only a little dismantled at crisis time 98."
"little bit?" kana asked not to understand.
"Yes Non, just to look for valuables that can be sold," replied the maid who had been working for a long time in the house.
The two walked through the spacious backyard, before arriving at a dusty wooden pendopo. Cana opened the door and he was immediately greeted by a net of profit and dust scattered, making him cough himself in his place. Cockroaches, rats start to wander out of their hiding place, making Kana scream then cursing.
Yangti who heard Kana's curse immediately exclaimed from the direction of the living room. "Typically, Nduk!" yangti warned.
Kana just grinned then said, "Yes, reflexes, Yangti."
Kana also directly unpacked the goods in the warehouse. Many times he held back the curse, because the cockroach had crawled on his leg, making him panic half to death. The barn was like an insect-only zoo. Want anything there is. Cockroaches exist. Mosquitoes exist. There are also scorpions. Complete. Kana who never gave up, dragged all the items in the warehouse to the yard with the help of her maid. It took a long time when the barn was empty and unceremonious. Kana had found a carved wooden box stored away in the corner of the warehouse.
When the box was already in the courtyard, Kana blew the dust on the box to clean it. The box was gorgeous, with an ancient little padlock sealing it.
"Nduk, Mbok, drink first. Yangti has made tea," said Yangti while putting the tray on the garden table used to relax.
Kana nodded, then approached Yangti who was sitting while sipping her tea. "Bok, drink first," call Kana again, make mbok Sari directly out of the warehouse with her face pompokannya.he received a glass of tea while saying thanks.
"This is what, Ti?" kana said as she placed the carved box on the garden table.
"where did you meet, Nduk?" ask Yangtinya.
"A corner of the warehouse, Ti," Kana replied then moving the heavily rusted padlock. Kana ran small, towards the working studio Yangkung used to make home furniture, then took the bat. He returned to the place to relax, then hit the padlock several times. Although it has rusted, but Kana admitted this padlock is strong.
"Don't it be a jenglot, Nduk, or it's a prank" muttered Yangti.
"What was our family doing, Ti?" kana asked in shock.
"Yes, Ndak knows too" Yangti said with a plain laugh.
Kana ventured to open the box slowly and found it open a jenglot or friend, but a pile of fertilized paper, ink bottles, yellowed fluffy pens, and ink containers. when Kana sorted out the yellowed paper, she found many drawings made of bastrak graffiti from pens. There are Mbak Rara, Kangmas Arya, Kangmas Reksanegara, Yu Marsinah and many more.
"It looks like it's your great-grandfather Yangti answered, then took out the ink device and the engraved pen, then observed it slowly. The level in the bottle was still even plastered with a sparka, only it was indeed very old. The writing is clearly read and uses Dutch.
Kana pulled out the yellow paper that had been broken and looked at it. It was a very old letter. Handwritten. The writing is so elegant, continuous and even there are still stamps attached. Kana does not understand the meaning of the writing. It seems that this is not Javanese or Indonesian, but rather Dutch?
"Well, can you read this?" kana asked as she handed the letter to her grandmother.
His grandmother squinted, then said, "Ndn't speak English..."
Kana laughed broadly at the innocence of her Grandmother. Kana then grabbed her phone and photographed all the letters on the paper, before sending them to her friend who was taking a study scholarship in the Netherlands.
"Who knows his great-grandfather Yangkung?" ask Kana for confusion.
"Yes Ndak, Nduk. It's different dimensions" said Yangtinya with a laugh that never faded.
They are notoriously silly and like to joke. It is also what makes Kana always comfortable on vacation at her grandmother's house.
"Maybe Yangkung ever tell a story?" muttered Kana again.
"Yangkung only ever told that his great-grandfather was the regent of Sleman. The painting was the one in the front house" replied the Yangtinya.
"Definitely a dream great-grandfather, Ti? If the great-grandfather is still alive today, it must have become an artist tuh. The handsome is very Indonesian," muttered Kana while recalling the painting on the front of the house.
"What aja demen," Yangti joked with a laugh.
After finishing chatting casually, Kana continued the task of cleaning the warehouse until the afternoon arrived. After finishing dinner, Kana immediately went to her room, because she was very tired, because she cleaned the warehouse all day. The old box was in his room. His trip to the room had passed through the front of the house, where the painting was displayed. Kana paused for a moment to observe the painting.
both grandfather and great-grandmother used wedding clothes ala ningrat. his great-grandfather wore a neat ageman, with a rake and blangkon. The man stood up holding the shoulder of his great-grandmother who was sitting politely. His great-grandmother herself wore a white Kartini-style kebaya, and pulled like her great-grandfather. Her hair was simple bun and decorated with a cantile that extended to the chest. His great-grandfather had a typical Indonesian face in general with shady eyes and a calm face. His body was quite tall and well-built, indicating the man seemed to like a physical-related hobby. Seen from his stature and gaze, this man was already an adult, both physically and soulfully. On the other hand, his great-grandmother was like a teenager who had just puberty. Still embarrassed, probably because of her marriage at that early age. Under the photo is the name of his great-grandfather.
Raden Mas Adipati Reksanegara Wiryadiningrat & Raden Ayu Anjani Wiryadiningrat.
"honey crazy, Lo!" said Via, his friend who got a scholarship in the Netherlands in an outspoken tone.
"Huh, anjir," Kana replied in shock.
"Where did the letter come from? Crazy, it's not an ordinary letter" murmured Via again.
"can you?" kana asked in shock.
"Gue can only translate a few words. There are some words that seem foreign to me. The letter uses Dutch, - some words are not modern Dutch - but my lecturer said it was a word that comes from the 1800s. and there was the Dutch East Indies court letter of the time, complete with the stamp. Most of the letters are articles. I haven't done everything, just a few. I sent you the photo," murmured Via again with his open tone.
"Crazy, you just got an artifact, do you realize? try Deh Lo auction in the museum of Indonesia, Lo will dapet exorbitant price," murmured Via again who is interested in the field of artifacts and history, wong studies only in that field.
Kana was shocked at her place while looking up at the painting again. "really Lo?"
"Yes, anjir. Buyut Lo is like an activist. Many of his articles have struggled. Try Lo see," murmured Via again. "I've sent her a picture."
With the call still connected, Kana opened the translated photo that Via sent her. The translation was quite long, but Via kindly highlighted the thing that the lady said was very touching.
...A warrior is still a warrior, no matter that he fails in his struggle...
^^17 July 1910.^^^
...How can we be slaves in our own homeland?...
...How can we feed the invaders to their fullness, yet let our children die of hunger?...
...We harvest in our own homeland, to feed a foreign nation....
...If this is a mere fate, then God is no longer called Most Merciful....
^^19 April 1899.^^^
"That's all I've translated, the rest haven't," murmured Via again, "you know not between the articles, there are many letters written in Javanese?"
"written my great-grandfather too?"
"said my professor, who wrote this letter to different people," replied Via slowly.
"Different people?" kana asked a little surprised.
"Gue was also skeptical at first, because the form of writing was very similar, like the previous letter. But a professor's eyes may not be wrong. Looks like this is the letter from Lo's great-granddaughter. You look like a love letter," reply via again. "this letter I have translated as much as possible with help, my sir. Try reading. in the third photo."
we look at the same sky, but we cannot look at each other.
*we breathe the same air, but cannot smell each other's bodies.
if this is open to the feeling of rindi, then I no longer know what to call this feeling what*.
"People used to be romantic yes, nowadays if the pdkt mah nanyainnya 'has not eaten', and other questions that are not important." muttered Kana felt her heart dugun dugun just for reading the romantic letter in her great-grandfather's box.
"Different times mah stories, yakali times like this are still writing this. Which there spelled cringe," reply Via again.
Kana let out a long sigh, then nodded, "Thank you yes, bay the way, help."
"just relax" Via muttered from the other end, before they said goodbye to each other and cut off the phone.
Kana grabbed the letter in the old box, then looked at him Lamat lamat. if this box was placed far at the end of the warehouse, meaning this object was deliberately wanted to be forgotten by the owner.
happy reading guys 😼
