The Musafir
Rise from the Despair
Note:
And, yes, repeated. That night, I was too sleepy, so just carelessly I copy paste without checking again. I misplaced the script.
Then in the morning, I would have panicked after reading comments from very dear readers, so I immediately deleted the episode. It was there that I patted my own forehead, for the episode could never be removed from public circulation, and was simply erased on the author's page. I have no control over the episode.
Please forgive the mistakes of this young man who is still very innocent. Please continue reading, do not forget likes, comments (and this is the most important), and votes. Thank you very much.
____
TWO weeks after that, in the depths of a very dark cave, with thousands of bats hanging from the stone ceiling, with the pessimistic scent of the animals of the night, the, also with a silence that has nothing in common. A person who was actually young but now looked no longer young sat cross-legged on a piece of stone while closing his eyelids that had been crusty.
When he heard and saw the sound of buffalo feet coming closer, he opened his eyes immediately, although it was very clear that in such darkness there was nothing that could be seen by the eyes.
“Munding, you're back.” The young man smiled as he stroked the buffalo's head.
“Ongng!” Excitedly, the buffalo placed a sprig of vegetables in front of the young man.
“It looks like I have to end this, Munding. I have been languishing in this damp cave for so long with clothes I never changed and a body I never washed. Now is the time for me to come out to welcome the sun and new hope. Let the wound of Chitra Anggini's death be made a decoration if it cannot be healed in any way. We have to get out of here, Munding, my lover is waiting for me, the end of the journey is waiting for me. We can't linger anymore.”
It was true that the young man was Mantingan, the youngest Sky Stake, Hero Man, who had just risen from his slump after more than a full moon languished in the cave.
Mantingan was wrong when he thought that by leaving Suvarnadvipa, the death of Chitra Anggini could soon be forgotten. But the reality is not such.
No matter how far he took away from Chitra Anggini, the pain would still be there. Even worse than before he left, because he felt he had left his fellow travelers far behind.
To overcome the pain so as not to change all his reasoning and attitude, Mantingan chose to meet in a cave he met in the Salaka region.
In the first days, Mantingan could not get the calm he wanted. Precisely silence, darkness, solitude, has made the shadow of Chitra Anggini again fill his mind with a much more severe impact.
His memory returned the sight of how Chitra Anggini expressed feelings of love as well as jealousy towards him.
Still vividly remembered the vision as the blade of the Savrinadeya Sword pierced through the woman's heart so that the blood poured out so profusely, like as hard as the tears that Manten had shed over those few days.
But after a day or two after reaching the peak of the pain, Mantingan began to feel calm in his disguise.
Although the memories of the woman did not disappear at all, but the bad memories have been replaced by good memories. He recalled how adorable the stubborn Chitra Anggini was, how scathing the swearing that came out when he was angry, and how great it is that she restrains and guards herself in the most crucial moments.
The good memories keep spinning, so that on several occasions can be seen a smile that rises on his lips.
However, that good state of affairs could not last too long. In those happy moments, he just crossed his memories when he saw the severed head of Kiai Guru Kedai, also the rolling head of Tapa Balian was slashed by a slumber because he was not quick to act. Then exacerbated again by the memory of the death of Chitra Anggini at the tip of his own sword.
The mantan went through those difficult times for more than seven days by entering a state of Spaceless and Timeless. His eyes were not open for that long. His stomach does not feed. His skin doesn't touch the sun.
Now, it is time to rise again from the slump, because Mantingan realized that the wounds caused by Chitra Anggini's death will never be completely healed. Let it be a mark of manhood that adorns his soul.
Mantingan and Mundingan walked out of the cave. The sunlight immediately greeted them warmly, as if it was good to see the young man back from his slump.
The young man will find the North River Angel by tracing his journey while still in Javadvipa, because he does not really know the whereabouts of the girl at this time.
Actually, it would be much easier if he flew riding Munding Caraka, but for a while he wanted to enjoy the trip on foot. It will be felt again how soft and tickling the grass, sticky and dirty mud, wet and irritating the water in the puddle of the road. I haven't felt those things for so long.
If you are satisfied later, Mantingan will continue to ride Mundingan and fly to shorten the journey.
Right now, he was moving towards a tavern located not so far in front of him.
All ‘Batu’ he has left in kotaraja, precisely at the Thousand Cup Store for the mother of the store owner. However, he still had several tens of gold pieces to be able to pay for food as well as various other small necessities.
***
“What to eat?”
The store OWNER approached Mantingan with a face look not good. The look in his eyes did not cease to ponder the young man's appearance from top to bottom. Immediately he is considered not to give him too much profit, even goods may be a loss, because not a few other shop visitors feel uncomfortable with his presence.
“Yang cheapest? Daku has bananas for free, but the people here only eat them as dessert, I'm sure it won't satiate your stomach.”
“Not why, Uncle, I do not have much money.” Mantingan answered honestly because he only had a few pieces of gold after all his Stone was given to the mother of the owner of the Thousand Cup Store in Koying Kotaraja.
“If you don't have money, why don't you expect the free food that the Buddhist temple gives you every day? There, you will not only get some bananas, but you must be patient because many people are not capable like you.” The owner of the shop spoke in an elevated voice, as if intentionally making his words heard by all visitors.
Such an action actually makes Mantingan happy. It is not necessary to bother anymore to convince the people in the shop how much he is really a poor traveler and not a warrior above all warriors.
“Let me eat at your shop first, Father. It is possible that this will be a service for you, so svarga has guaranteed a place for you.”
Hearing that, the shopkeeper's lips curved into a smile. “Hahaha. You really know what makes my heart melt in the poor like you. It's okay, I'll give you a plate of tubers, hope it can fill your stomach.”
“Duhai! Uncle, how kind of you. As long as I travel, I don't see a single shop owner who's as good as you. Usually they would throw me out very rudely even before I could sit on the bench. But you have not only allowed me that despicable me to soothe your beautiful regional bench, but you have given me a plate of food. Really, your services will not be forgotten so easily.”
“HAHAHAHA! It's also good that you string words together, boy, though you certainly don't understand writing. Out of nowhere did you gain that knowledge, but I must admit how flattered I am by your blessings. Isn't the air outside very cold? Let me also give you a cup of warm tea.”
“Aih, Uncle, how lucky I am today. It's not wrong to follow my footsteps when he says to visit your store just try my luck. Now I've been dealing with someone who is very generous, very light-handed, so it's very easy that he gave me a plate of food and a cup of tea that I should have paid for with the little money I had, you gave it to me for free. Lucky daku!”
“Bocah .. so easily you make me feel very noble.” The owner of the shop stroked his chest with an arrogant smile. “Cube advice to you, so it's possible that your life will change completely thanks to the advice I gave to me. Would you listen to me, boy?”
“One more of my luck. Of course I won't refuse to hear it, Uncle.” Mantingan replied with a slithering tone.
“Be thou literary man, boy. Make poems that flatter the officials, so that they will not hesitate to give you a little money. You know, a little to them means a lot to you. Learn to read and write in the temple. Usually, there are some monks who are kind enough to teach the poor to read and write, you may also get a lesson about virtue.”
“Ah, very good advice, Uncle. I will consider it seriously, but this time my stomach is already feeling very hungry.” The mantle pretends to stroke his stomach. “Collect, haven't eaten for a month.
“One month?! Oh, my God, you really are. You should be dead, but it seems the sky pity you even now your feet are still able to walk. Let me undo that plate of tubers, I will replace them with the best food I have right now. May I also have the blessing of helping a child who is pitied by the heavens!”
“Uncle! Isn't that too much? I don't deserve it.” The mantan shook his head many times while standing up, luckily the Shadow Magic Throw that was paired on the bottom of the caping was still quite capable of covering the appearance of his face even though the sun was blazing. “Do not make me owe you too much, Uncle.”
“No. You must not regard this as debt, just think of it as part of my time. You can pay it by prayer.” The owner smiled broadly before moving into his kitchen.
Mantingan sat back down while exhaling a long breath. If the kindness of the shopkeeper should not be considered a debt, why would he still ask for a fee in the form of a prayer to him?
Kiai Guru Kedai once said to him:
“If you do not expect anything in return for the good you have contributed to others, then do not ask him for prayer. Let the Giver avenge all that you do.”
However, Mantingan was not too surprised at the attitude of the shop owner. Such people are usually lazy to worship, but still expect svarga, so they will not hesitate to ask for prayers to people who are more religious in order to get a place in svarga.
For them that is the assumption of associating the Creator is only limited to mere belief and not to action. So as long as they still believe in the existence of the Creator, no matter how bad his actions are in the world, then they will still feel they will get a little place in svargaloka.
Isn't that hypocrisy?
Shortly after, the dishes came. The owner brought him a bowl of boiled goat meat with a plate of warm rice, not to be left behind a cup of sweet tea that seemed to continue to steam against the cold air.
“Thank you very much, Uncle.” Mantingan conveys his gratitude sincerely.
For a long time he did not touch any kind of food due to the impact on the death of Chitra Anggini, now faced with a bowl of boiled goat with warm rice. At once this shop was built on the hills, so that during the day even though the air still feels cold. Such dishes and atmosphere are very suitable, like difficult to separate.
Mantingan began to eat the food very greedily. This time, he deliberately did not show the custom of eating, so the people around him would still think that he was a poor traveler who lacked education.
At that time, they again chatted with each other without a hint of suspicion on the presence of Mantingan. All sorts of news they exchanged with other news. And if there is no news to reply, may use a piece of wine.
“You heard the word of the store owner? He says it's like being a writer can make us rich. In fact, many writers are left behind by their wives and children due to such a poor life,” said one of them.
“Sastra is indeed useful for the survival of civilization, but its presence has been too much found so often underestimated. Almost everywhere we find people who can read and write. As a result, many do not appreciate the writers for thinking that anyone can write as a writer.”
“That's the narrowness of public thinking at large. They do not think how the writers whose names are often heard have spent decades just to explore the literary arts. Surely anyone can write and string words, but not to be able to match the literati.”
