The House in the Middle of Sawah

A tie of wood and a misty village

I stumbled to follow a figure that resembled Erni. The figure did not look at all, as if it knew for sure that I would follow it. I noticed him several times, the figure was really similar, even exactly the same as Erni. His height, his voice, his walking manner, was exactly the same as Erni's. I memorized it very well, because I always paid attention to Erni, because I was the number one secret fan.

A few moments walking, I finally reached the field at the foot of the hill. The place where Pak Manto's motorbike and entourage are parked. The figure that resembles Erni was still walking but then turned left to the west. I'm still following him. A different path than the one I walked. The downhill road is quite steep, with thorny bushes. Fortunately, I was wearing thick clothes and pants, so some sharp thorns were unable to penetrate the skin. But the bad side is that I feel very sultry, sweat a lot, and maybe I could be dehydrated.

For almost an hour and a half I followed that figure, I don't know which way I'm going anymore. I saw HP, and there was no signal. Maybe Lik Diran and his entourage are currently not only busy looking for Mbah Kung Kadir, but also confused looking for me who suddenly disappeared without saying goodbye. I finally got to a place that was not foreign. I looked to my right and left, astonished at what I saw.

I was behind an empty shophouse in the area of njeruk. Increasingly shocked, in the empty shopper's role there is a grandmother with a bundle of firewood. The grandmother I had met when Thor and I were sheltering from the rain. If not wrong Mbah Ginah his name.

Glug. I swallowed spit. Mbah Ginah from a distance seemed more sinister than I remembered. Her hair which was predominantly white was left to be tangled. A figure resembling Erni ran then kissed Mbah Ginah's hand. Mbah Ginah whispered something, then the figure of Erni walked back without looking back. Leaving me still silent without knowing what really happened.

Mbah Ginah looks back at me, a smile showing rows of blackened teeth. His wrinkled hands were seen waving waved at me. Asking me to come closer. There is an upheaval in my heart. Some part of me asked me to turn around and run, but others asked me to keep going. I remembered what the figure that resembled Erni said earlier.

If you want to know everything, come with me

That sentence is in my mind. A little hesitant, I set foot near Mbah Ginah. A horse-like snuggling laughter rang out when I was in the presence of Mbah Ginah.

"Sek eling karo I (remember me)?," asked Mbah Ginah looking at me. I nodded quickly.

"Gelem nang mahku (You go to my house)?" asked Mbah Ginah again. This time I was silent.

Again, Mbah Ginah laughed softly like a horse.

"Yen kowe golek answers, no dudohi (if you seek answers, do not tell)," Mbah Ginah said flatly without looking at me. I was confused about what to comment, I just kept quiet.

"Nanging ono terms e (But there are conditions)," Mbah Ginah continued, this time he looked at me sharply.

"Cangkingno ku iki muleh nang omah (Bring my firewood home)," Mbah Ginah replied, followed by a laugh that seemed to mock me who continued in fear.

"Yes Mbah" I answered briefly. Then carry the wood next to Mbah Ginah's seat.

Mbah Ginah walked in front of me, I followed her while carrying a dry wood that somehow felt very heavy. I grimaced, my shoulders ached.

"Nom nom an sak iki pancen ecek, gowo sakmono wae wes klejotan (young people today are weak, bring a lot of hassles)," Mbah Ginah said himself, but it was clearly a sentence to mock me.

From the empty shophouse, Mbah Ginah entered the path. Left right surrounded by thick bamboo groves. The same kind of bamboo that was behind my house. While walking, in front of me was a small river with coconut trees that was used as a bridge to cross. Mbah Ginah looks deft when crossing it. The old, wrinkled legs were so swiftly walking on the glugu (coconut tree). While I had enough trouble climbing this glugu bridge while carrying Mbah Ginah firewood.

To the other side, the mist instantly covered my vision. A cold mist pierced through my thick clothes. I had a little trouble walking because of the limited visibility. I forget a little bit that it is daytime. No ray of sunlight could enter through the fog. Dark and cold.

There was the sound of an owl unpretentious. I looked to my right and left, the sound of birds sounding very close as if they were beside my ears. However, there was nothing but ash-colored fog. It was as if the stretched cotton sheets were blocking my sense of sight.

When this leg began to tire, it was seen that the flame was several meters in front of me. Two torches, stuck in a gate. Maybe some kind of village boundary. In the gate full of moss there are carvings in Javanese script. It is unclear what is written there. Mbah Ginah continued to step forward, I continued to follow behind him.

Now the house looks lined up along the road I went through. The house building of roofed wood tile that has blackened because of moss. It was as if some people were in front of the house, watching me, looking at me with a gaze I could not describe. A look that seemed disgusting and demeaning.

Mbah Ginah, keep moving forward. Leaving the strange man's gaze. Until finally arrived at an old house right at the end of the road. The house building stands alone, as if the road from the entrance gate was deliberately made to go and end in this house.

Straw-roofed small house with bamboo woven wall. A petromax lamp hanging in the emperan. I was still very confused, although it was not foggy but there was no sunlight in this area. I looked up at the sky, covered in thick clouds of old ash-coloured ash.

"Wood ne gletakno kono wae. Come mlebu (Burning wood just put it there, let's go in)," Mbah Ginah invited me into the house. I put firewood in the emperan. Before entering the house I had a chance to look back because I felt supervised earlier. Sure enough everyone was staring at me from their homes. And my eyes were wide open, seeing that among the people were Mr. Ndori and Lik Jo. They looked at me, blankly.