Murder in the City of Marylane

14. 2010

One day, around 2010.

I was doing schoolwork on my study desk which was only illuminated by a study lamp located near me. It's bedtime, but I'm not done with my job. Jane's? Ah, she must have slept.

Mom and Dad are still working. They are really workaholic. Even though I know they work to support us. At home there were only aunts and uncles guarding us. They must have slept too.

I rubbed my increasingly heavy eyes.

One number left and I'll be asleep soon.

“Kak,” said someone standing on the door leaf. I'm turning.

“Jane? You haven't slept?”

He shook. “Can't.”

“You want me what?” my many.

“Sleeping story.”

I'm actually already sleepy, but for Jane, I will.

“Shortly,” I said. I did one more thing in the notebook.

Moments later, all my work was done and I closed the book. We went to Jane's room. He jumped onto his bed and wrapped his body with a blanket up to his neck, ready to listen to me tell a story.

“What do you want to tell me?”

“What's.”

I saw his fairy tale collection. There were many titles, until I finally found a simple story title. My favorite stories.

A fairy tale titled ‘Hansel and Gretel’.

“You want to tell me ‘Hansel and Gretel’?”

He nodded.

“Alright, I start,” I said. Start reading each of those sheets.

“One day, there was a pair of sisters named Hansel and Gretel. They live with their father and stepmother. Their father's job was as a lumberjack. The life that a family lives is hard.

One night, the two children wake up and listen to a conversation between their father and stepmother in the next room. They heard that their stepmother was about to abandon them in the forest because her mother was afraid of starving to death. The woman was so adamant that their father finally agreed to it.

The sleepless Hansel and Gretel overheard a conversation between their stepmother and father. Then, Hansel went outside to pick up the white pebble silently.

The next morning, the family went into the forest to cut down a tree. On the way, Hansel dropped the stones without anyone's knowledge so they could return home. They stopped, and their father lit a fire for his two children, while his father and stepmother went to cut down a tree.

The brothers waited for their parents, but they did not return. Gretel crying. Hansel calms Gretel down and says that everything will be fine. When the night came, they could see white pebbles lined up along the road because of the moonlight reflected from the white pebbles. The two followed the white pebble until they finally got home. Her father was so happy to see them back.”

I saw my sister who was still opening her eyes, listening to my story. Oh, my God, when is he going to sleep?

I'm proceeding.

“Time has passed. When night came, the two children heard their stepmother's voice again from the next room. Their stepmother again forced her husband to throw them into the forest. Her husband refused again, but in the end he remained persuaded by his wife.

Unfortunately, just as they were about to return, they found that the bread crumbs Hansel dropped yesterday were eaten by the birds so they could not go home as before.

They continued walking to find their way home until they finally found a house that was quite unique. The house was made of various sweets such as cakes, and sugar. Hansel and Gretel ate part of the house because they were so hungry.

While eating, suddenly an old grandmother opened the door and when she found out that two children were eating her house, she was very friendly and invited the children to come in.

After the children entered, the old grandmother presented them with food. Some time later, the old grandmother turned out to be an evil old witch. He then forces the two of them to do homework and continues to force Hansel and Gretel to continue eating to gain weight and will eat them one day.

Days passed, and the witch ate the two brothers. The witch had Gretel prepare a burning oven and boiling water. Then the witch told Gretel to go into the oven. However, Gretel deceived him by saying he did not know how to get into the oven. The witch was upset and thought Gretel was a foolish child. Then the witch showed Gretel how to get into the oven by bringing her body closer to the oven. Gretel directly pushed the witch into it. He then closed the oven and the evil witch died—“

I stopped when I saw Jane close her eyes, not since when. Ah, my favorite story makes me a little obscure. I shut my mouth, put the book down and was about to stand up and go to my room.

Not only did I lift my butt from the chair, a sound entered my sense of hearing.

“So, he killed her?”

“You haven't slept?!” I'm appalled. He just looked at me, his eyes as if demanding an answer from me.

I'm throats. “She saved herself and her brother,” I replied later.

“But he killed him.”

“They saved themselves.”

“By killing?”

“No other way—yah, that's in my opinion.”

Silent. After a second thought, the fact that Hansel and Gretel killed a witch was a bit strange. I'm a little sorry to tell you this.

“If you were Hansel, what would you do?” ask Jane. I don't know if he's asking random questions like this.

I thought for a second. “The story changed. I won't eat the cake from that house because it's too sweet. I chose to catch fish in the river.”

“What if you meet that granny while catching fish in the river?”

“Cannot.”

He's clucking. “Jawab only.”

I stared at the ceiling, turning my brain to answer her question. “Entah, maybe I just resignedly eaten by the Grandma.”

“You have no spirit of life, yes?”

I chuckle. “Home. I don't know the answer. Well, however, if that happens, I have to save myself and my sister at any cost, right?” I said, “How about you? What would you do if Gretel were you?”

“Entah.” He looked at the ceiling. “Maybe ... I will do the same,” he said. Voice shrinks.

 “So, yes. All right, Jane, now sleep.”

“I can't sleep yet. One more story?”

“Jane!”