Patok Tumbal Village
CHAPTER 20 MARIA
Every year the village of Turi continues to produce good and abundant crops. All residents live with a large and fresh food supply.
But one day, the village experienced a food and water crisis. Harvesting always fails, it makes one village very worried and worried about prolonged drought.
Desperation makes them finally choose the path that they think is the best path. They think that they get a disaster like this, because it does not follow the custom of the village that continues to their successors.
As a result, the village officials held a meeting to carry out the ceremony. Initially, some residents did not approve of the decision taken by the village officials, because the ceremony was very inhumane.
However, the day after the decision, all the citizens suddenly followed the decision of the higher-ups. It's just that Ningsih's son and husband were completely unaware of the decision.
The reason why only the three of them were unaware of the decision was because, Bu Ningsih had secretly agreed to the citizens to make his first child a sacrifice for the village.
The twins Bu Ningsih is a jolly child and also very beautiful, but the beauty of the first child exceeds the beauty of the second child. Bu Ningsih proposed his first child as a tumbangal, because he was promised the treasure that betlipah, as well as feeling that if he gave the tumbala to the protective spirit, then he would be closer and loved by the protective spirit.
On the day of his celebration of the customary ceremony, Bu Ningsih's father and first child only thought that the events taking place in the village were just ordinary events. But unlike his second child, he felt that there was something strange about his celebration that was taking place in the village.
He felt that there was something strange about the event, he thought why the residents gave up or spent all their food only for such an event, when the village was experiencing a food crisis.
Moreover, for many years he lived in the village of Turi, but there is absolutely no celebration or traditional events that ever citizens title.
Until one night, residents who usually never go out at night, suddenly gathered at the village hall to celebrate the traditional ceremony. The Goddess and Mary were of course very excited and happy, because that night was the night they both had been waiting for.
As they joined hands out of the house, Ms. Ningsih called Maria, and told her to stay home. Hearing Bu Ningsih's words, Maria instantly became very upset. She asked her mother why only she was not allowed to go out, while her sister was able to come out.
Ms. Ningsih made an excuse by saying that someone should take care of the house. Of course that reason even made Maria even more upset, and immediately called her father who was in the house to come out.
Her father with a confused look asked her why she called him. Mary whines to her father that she is not allowed to go out by her mother, and only her brother is allowed.
Mr. Hartono also responded to his son's question by asking his wife, Bu Ningsih. She asked about the reason that Ms. Ningsih had forbidden Mary to come out, Ms. Ningsih only answered her husband's question as she had said to Maria earlier.
Mr. Hartono frowned, and said in a slightly high tone to Ms. Ningsih, that Maria should not be alone at home, either, and requested that Bu Ningsih let Maria to go with her twin sister.
Mr. Hartono is also a little suspicious of the bamboo woven made by the residents, because the shape resembles a place to put the offering head as used by residents in the past for the surrender event to the protective spirit.
Ms. Maria again replied to Mr. Hartono firmly, she used the excuse about the sickly condition of Mary. She also counteracted her husband's remarks about the woven bamboo, saying it was for cake and incense.
Mr. Hartono was silent for a moment, and looked towards Maria. He sighed and finally accepted his wife's excuse, as he was also a little worried about Maria's condition. Hearing her father's decision, Maria cried and headed straight to her room.
The goddess wanted to catch up with Maria into the room, but Ms. Ningsih pulled her hand and told her to let her calm down. The goddess denied her mother's words, saying it would not hurt to let Mary out for a while. In the condition of Maria like this, she must be in desperate need of a comfortable atmosphere, and often to be happy.
From there Mary finally felt very guilty to her twin. He said that when the Goddess went to persuade him, and invited him out together, he actually made Dewi upset with him.
He began to speak harshly to the Goddess, as well as comparing himself to the Goddess. He said that Dewi was his mother's favorite child, as well as the surrounding residents. The Goddess was also more beautiful than her, and also not as sickly as Mary.
Because of Mary's words, the Goddess became very upset, and told Mary to stop saying no. Maria is also the favorite child of her mother, as well as the people around her. He also said that Mary was not ugly, because they were twins, so of course their faces were the same.
Mary did not care at all about the words of the Goddess, she even more harshly said, and told the Goddess to leave her alone. The goddess put on an annoyed face, and immediately left Maria who was looking down while crying.
* * * *
"I never thought it would be the last day I met my twin brother and my father was alive." Alia read the book in a small tone. "Tu-wait a minute!. In a state of life?, it means they're both dead?, but because of what?." Said Alia wondering with a restless facial expression.
Alia was silent for a few minutes, then read the book again. When Alia opens the next page of the book, Ulan awakens, and calls Alia, who is sitting near the suitcase, holding a book she has never seen before.
Alia who was shocked, immediately hid the book she was holding, and turned to look at Ulan.
"Alia?, what are you doing there?" Ulan asked half-consciously.
"A, gapapa. I just want that, I'm gonna go get a doang ko jacket." Reply Alia stammering.
"Hem..., picket" Reply Ulan pitched. "What book are you hiding behind you?" Tanya Ulan was suspicious.
"Bu-not anything ko, just an ordinary book" replied Alia.
"Owh yaudah" Saut Ulan.
Ulan got up from his bed, and stepped towards the door of the room. Alia calls him, and asks Ulan where he wants to go. Ulan replies that he wants to go get a drink, because his throat feels a little dry.
"You coming with ga?" Ask Ulan.
"That's right, I want to go straight to bed" replied Alia standing up, and stepped into the bed.
"Jaudah" replied Ulan, and left the room.
As Alia lay on the bed, she accidentally woke Fitri up. The semi-conscious Fitri asks Alia if she needs help, saying she does not need help, and apologizes for waking Fitri up.
