SUKMA: The Deal With the Devil

Mom is Restless

Sukma looked up and asked, "What do you want, Mom?"

"Mom's been wondering about Dedek lately. How can Dedek make them see what Dedek saw? Where did Dedek learn about science?" ask Bu Inah while folding his hands and frowning.

Sukma looked at his mother, then flickered. His eyes turned upwards like he was thinking about something. However, apparently the answer sought for his mother's question, could not be found at all.

"Dedek does not know, Mom," replied Sukma flatly.

"Ah, which is true? I like to see it on TV, if that science is only possessed by psychics or shamans."

"But Dedek never learned such a science, ma'am."

"Daddy, be honest with Mom. Did Dedek ever learn the same grandfathers who overthrew Bu Farah?"

"Didih, Dedek never learned the same grandfather, Mom. Never mind studying with him, just meet at his house Aunty Farah."

"Really?"

"Yes, Mom. Look at Dedek's eyes. Does Dedek look like he's lying?" sukma said as she opened her eyes wide, looking at Bu Inah. Every now and then both eyebrows go up and down to make Bu Inah chuckle.

"Yes, deh. I believe," said Ms. Inah while hiding an amused smile behind her hand.

"Why smile, Mom? You still don't believe in Dedek?"

"No, it's not that."

"Mom, while at Om Hilman's house, Dedek never went anywhere. Just playing with Teteh, sometimes with A Albi, continue to naji. Dedek only saw the grandparents once at his house Om Hilman."

"Yes, yeah, yeah. I understand, really. Now the road. I was waiting for us at home. I think he was busy cleaning catfish," said Bu Inah.

Sukma ran towards his contract which was only a few steps away, while Bu Inah sped up his steps following the youngest. When he was about to approach the gate, Sukma suddenly fell silent, looking at Mr. Beni who was walking while keeping both hands behind his back. Bu Inah who noticed Sukma since earlier, frowned to see his daughter's behavior.

"Sir, why did you suddenly get?" ask Ms. Inah.

"Mom, that's Mr. Beni, the shop owner who once gave me money. Who has a big cluster as big as the building rented by Pak Haji is loh," explained Sukma enthusiastically, while widening his eyes.

"Oh, so Dedek got some money from him? How's the story so Dedek who got money from him?"

"Dedek just play the same cuckoo, eh .. he even gives money."

"Ah, which is true? Wait a minute, I want to samperin him."

"Do you want what Mother nyamperin her? Later creatures in his trunk will pawin mother loh."

Hearing Sukma's words, again Bu Inah was stunned. His eyes only saw Mr. Beni who was struggling strangely, no one was carried at all. Madam Inah was convinced that her son was different.

"Dedek knows where he's from if he's holding someone?" tanya Bu Inah frowned.

"Mom didn't see, did you? I like that."

"That's it, don't mind Mr. Beni. We better get home soon. Poor Father no one helped" said Bu Inah.

Sukma was then led by his mother into the rented gate of Haji Gufron. Instead of ignoring Mr. Beni, he actually noticed the fat man's body in front of the gate. The ugly-faced creature with pointed ears, slowly descended from Mr. Beni's sling. The sukma did not like the creature. He called Wanara who was hanging on the top floor of the contract.

Ms. Inah who had entered the contract, looked back. Sukma was still outside, waving towards the rented building in front of him. He calls Sukma to enter immediately, but the little girl just agrees without carrying out her orders.

Meanwhile, Wanara, who was called by Sukma, immediately went down to his friend. Scratching his head, he crouched down in front of Sukma.

"What are you calling me?" ask Wanara.

Sukma looked back and said, "Wanara, do you see that creature? He was brought here with Mr. Beni."

"Oh, it's a supernatural creature that likes to make people live somewhere. Her body stinks. No one would live somewhere if there were such a creature. In addition to spreading unpleasant odors, he also likes to crush people who are sleeping."

"Oh, yeah. You can get him out of here, right? I don't like his face, it's ugly."

"Why should I be expelled? He won't bother you."

"I don't like it ah. Get him out of here!"

Wanara obeyed Sukma's orders, by approaching the ugly creature. He growled, as if scaring the figure of Mr. Beni's delivery. The creature trembled at the sight of the sharp-finged great ape, being challenged by it. Sukma who saw Wanara in action, clapped his hands when the creature he did not like looked frightened.

"Rek naon maneh kadieu?" asked Wanara with a sharp look while shaking his waist. (Do you want to come here?)

"U-urang .. urang told me dukun sina cicing didieu sang euweuh nu nyicingan ieu place," replied the creature with a face of pity. (I was told by the shaman to stay here so that no one would occupy this place)

"Come maneh ti dieu! Babaturan aing teu recipe ningali mane!" bentak Wanara glared at him. (Go from here! My friend doesn't like to see you!)

"Naha? Da urang mah moal ngaganggu babaturan manuh," said the creature with a slight bow. (Why? I won't bother your friend)

"Aing embung nanaon ti maneh! Geura you're pourable! Lamun maneh embung indit, aing would maehan maneh didieu oge. Ayeuna patissan!" threaten Wanara while growling. (I don't want to hear anything from you! Quick go there! If you don't want to leave, I'll kill you here too. Now too!")

"Pardon ..pardon. Laina embung nyadak ti dieu. Urang sieun was given me dukun nu nitah urang," pinta the potbellied creature while putting his palms together. (Ampun .. geez. I don't want to leave here. I was afraid of being scolded by the shaman who told me to.)

"Where's dukuna? Kadieu! Mun aya kawani, fight babaturan aing! Babaturan aing mah teu heseun shaman. Kamari ge aing soak ningali shaman aing dipahan in hareupeun panon sakar!" wanara challenged the creature. (Where is the shaman? Get it over here! If there's courage, fight my friend! My friend won't have any trouble killing shamans. Yesterday I was shocked to see my shaman murdered before my own eyes.)

Sukma smiled when he saw the creature leaving. While jumping for joy, the little girl greeted Wanara who was approaching her. He hugged his pet tightly, feeling happy because his wish had been fulfilled.

Meanwhile, Bu Inah who noticed Sukma from within the contract, increasingly felt strange with the attitude of his daughter who lingered outside. The movement of his body like hugging something made him think, that the youngest was playing with invisible creatures. After a long time looking at her daughter, Bu Inah finally asked herself.

Is Dek Sukma playing with his pet?

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

The night is getting older. After Mr. Risman returned to trading, Ms. Inah locked the door, then tried to fall asleep. Despite asking her husband's permission not to trade, Bu Inah still difficult to fall asleep. His restlessness with Sukma became more and more when night came.

Finished turning off the lights, Mr. Risman lay down next to Atikah. Ms. Inah still closed her eyes, hoping that the darkness of the main rented room could lead her to dreamland. That way, he no longer needs to feel anxious about Sukma's strange behavior lately.

Gradually, Ms. Inah began to sink into her conscious universe. A strange dream appeared when he fell asleep. He saw the sky seem gripping, with dark clouds covering it. A red tinge crossed the horizon, just as the Maghrib had arrived. Bu Inah found himself on a mountain slope with stilt houses around it. He walked out of the quiet settlement. Instead of finding a highway to go home, Bu Inah entered a very dense forest. He had to grope the trees around him, until finally stopped in front of the cliff.

From the top of the cliff, a large tall creature was faintly seen standing straight while folding both hands. His bright red eyes made Bu Inah think that it was a lamp carried by someone. However, Bu Inah's conjecture was immediately refuted when a growling sound echoed in the sky.

"Him! Have you forgotten me?" asked a heavy and deep voice of a man echoing from the sky.

"W-who are you?" asked Bu Inah in a soft and trembling voice.

"I'm .. I'm the father of the child you took care of."

Bu Inah was stunned. His mind was immediately carried back to the dream when Sukma was a baby. A large tall figure with horns on its head that stood on top of the mountain of trash, was again present in his memory.

"You ...."

"Yes. I am the father of your adopted son. Sukma."

Ms. Inah was flabbergasted, then took one step back. However, his steps instantly came to a halt when he saw a bunch of snakes coming from behind.

"Where are you going? Didn't you wonder to my son, where did he get the science of seeing creatures like us and killing people without weapons?"

The middle-aged woman was fixated on hearing the question of a man whose voice echoed from the sky.

"You have to remember this well, Inah! I am his father after all! How hard you educate him to be human, I will be your hindrance in shaping Sukma's behavior."

Madam Inah was furious at the man's words, then denied, "No! She's my daughter! My youngest daughter! I took care of him from childhood. So, you have no right to hinder me from educating her."

"Oh, so you feel most meritorious in taking care of my son? All right, I'll tell you the truth," said the man in a high tone. "Every night, I come into Sukma's dream. I want Sukma to know himself, that he is not a son of man like the others. Therefore, I taught him all magic so that he would remain my son."

"No way! If you taught my son magic, why doesn't he know who taught him, huh?"

"Because his memory of me was always erased when he woke up. Even though he won't remember me, at least all the knowledge I've taught will remain inherent in his heart and mind."

"Hm, fine then. You don't need to be remembered by my daughter. At least, I can lead him down a straight path and become a civilized man like his family."

"It's not that easy, Inah. I will keep trying as hard as I can for her to carry out her duties as a demon princess in the human realm. He must keep misleading mankind in order to be in line with me. If he won't do his job, then I'll bring him back to my realm."

"No! You won't be able to do that!" bentak Bu Inah's.

"I will do it, no matter how! If you and your husband try to prevent me from taking his life, then I will not hesitate to take the lives of all of you, including your only child. It's attikah!"

Bu Inah's eyes widened to hear the man's words. To ease his fear, he gulped and clenched his hands. Although his body trembled, Bu Inah still tried to stand upright in order to maintain his firmness in managing Sukma.

"Why? Are you scared?"

"No! I'm not scared at all. Let my life drift for Sukma's sake, rather than letting her morals just break."

"If the lives of all your families were lost, who would educate them again? Inevitably, she will still walk my path due to her grief of losing a loved family."

Bu Inah was pensive to think about the bad things that would happen to Sukma if his family lost their lives.

"Here you go, you better not bother educating Sukma to be like you. Let him live as I will. That way, your family will get richer and Sukma acts according to his will. If not, then I will bring him back to my realm and you will fall poor, even poorer than before."

Bu Inah's chest felt tight to hear it. Various bad thoughts continued to rage in his brain, so he fell in front of a cliff. His tears melted, imagining the bad luck that would befall him if he obeyed the words of the invisible creature.

"And, look carefully! If you stop me from taking Sukma's life, then your life is at stake!"

Instantly the creature on the cliff disappeared. The dark sky turned bright along with the disappearance of the creature. Even with the snakes behind him, they went out of nowhere. Ms. Inah immediately ran out of the forest and returned to the quiet residential area.

Accidentally, he collided with a woman his age. The woman looked shabby with careless eyes. He held onto both hands of Ms. Inah, as he pleased.

"Mom, I beg you. Make my daughter a full human being. I'm so sorry, I couldn't educate her out of fear. I beg you, Ma. I beg you very much" asked the woman in her soft voice.

"But ... Who's Mom's daughter? I don't know," asked Bu Inah with a frowning forehead.

"He is with you until now. Please take good care of him. Love him like your own son. I was completely helpless" he said, then walked towards the village behind Bu Inah.

Bu Inah tried to suspect the child was meant by the woman, until finally an astounding answer jolted his mind. Sukma, the youngest found by her husband in a landfill. Ms. Inah immediately turned her head, but the woman was no longer there. He did not know, that the woman was Mrs Ratmi, Hilman's sister-in-law and Sukma's birth mother.

Ms. Inah tried to find Ms. Ratmi to every stilt house there. However, the result is still nil. He does not give up, but time does not allow it. Ms. Inah immediately woke up from her sleep in an agitated state.