The Thousand Mask Warrior

Kronjong

Lau Siufan kept his promise. Upon Sasangka's return from Semarang, Sasangka did not wait for more time to propose, directly to the girl's father. Lau Siufan accepted the man's proposal without hesitation, as did his father, Babah Lau.

Obviously the wedding party of the daughter of one of the best quality wine sellers and distillers in Betawi became the center of attention. Babah Lau has many associates inside the fort. He sent arak every wulan to the Company's office as a supply of drinks for soldiers or officials.

Not to mention the customers who go back and forth, come away as often as possible or after the money in their plate bag to the Babah Lau shop, buy wine, drunk, sane and buy again.

However, Lau Siufan insisted that this marriage would not and should not be held on a large scale, simply by inviting the rulers, witnesses and those closest to them, and that meant little.

That's what Babah Lau did, obeying his daughter's will.

The reason was obvious, Lau Siufan was his favorite child. While Sasangka, a young Javanese who he did not know much about the origin and nature of it has also proven that he worked harder than anyone at his wine distillery, even working also at the shipyard, and also at the shipyard, in jung belonged to another Chinese who was an acquaintance of Babah Lau.

All the stories around Sasangka explained that the man loved Lau Siufan in earnest, and vice versa.

So, Babah Lau had no reason not to accept him as his son-in-law. One more thing that makes him steady accept Sasangka, is that, it turns out he has martial skills as well. I don't know where it came from, but this kind of ability deserves the prospective husband of his daughter. Lau Siufan himself was also a girl with an interest in martial arts, so, with a husband who was also a swordsman, Babah Lau would be calmer. The husband can take care of his wife.

The day after the wedding of Sasangka and Lau Siufan, at night, Babah Lau told the new husband and wife to go home or travel for a while and did not need to help him in the tavern. It's a celebration of that wedding.

But actually, Babah Lau made a kind of little party that was unknown to Lau Siufan and Sasangka, as well as others as a wedding party. Babah Lau gives free urns of wine and invites a group of rhythm performers and songs to entertain people who drink the wine for free.

The players of the rhythm of the sound are people from Goa in the country of Hindustan who live in a village in Betawi named Toegoe village.

Historically, at the arrival of the Christians of Pranggi Catholic lineage came to Maluku to trade spices in the 16th century, the, they they set up a lodge on the island of Banda which is guarded by soldiers or soldiers from Goa.

Then, in the 17th century when the VOC Walanda Company occupied the island of Banda by defeating Pranggi, a ship boarded by Goa lascars and Banda's family sank off the Betawi coast on their way to Malacca after losing to Walanda.

There they were captured by the VOC and then banished to a village which later became known as Toegoe village. The Goans certainly inherited the Pranggi culture, which included moresco and cafrinho, as well as the craft of making stringed tools such as lutes named guitars.

Because of the location of the village of Toegoe far from other villages, because it became a place of exile and punishment for this group, they entertain themselves by singing accompanied by a guitar. They named the guitar krontjong, because when played it produces a cong, cong, cong ...

Through the guitar they play was born the rhythm of sound and songs that would later be centuries later called krontjong. At that time they often brought Pranggi fado art culture in the form of morescos and cafrinho. The Morsco dance is a legacy of the Moorish Muslims from the continent which in Latin is known as Afri, in the north While the cafrinho dance was brought by black slaves from western Afri.

On the voyage to the East, the Pranggis introduced morescos and cafrinho to Goans who were accepted as Pranggi lascars after they converted to Catholic Christianity and accepted and absorbed Pranggi culture.

The ten dark-skinned Hindustani Goa played the rhythm of the krontjong melodiously and beautifully. The sound of their picking tool banged on the straw.

Babah Lau was finally satisfied to let her daughter and husband stay together, while she could still have the wedding, although people only know that Babah Lau gives free wine and invites the rhythm player and the song as a kind of celebration event because of his fairly smooth and profitable regional efforts for several years current year.

***

Three Jawara men downed their wine quickly. They agree on two things. First, Babah Lau wine is indeed high quality. Second, they sniffed that Babah Lau's daughter, Lau Siufan, was involved in a conspiracy of treason against Betawi and the Walanda Company conducted by Pratiwi assisted by Lau Siufan's own Chinese brother, Yu.

Both were suspected of killing mercenaries and mercenary officers and Walanda bulls. Now both disappeared somewhere.

***

The three champions were initially indifferent. They faintly saw a shadowy figure standing on the hills to the left of this path they were going through.

But when they almost passed him, the figure did not go away or disappear.

Early in the morning, they came home from a drunken feast in Babah Lau's shop. All three are sane enough and aware, even though they spent a lot of wine last night. So, their views in the early hours of today can still be said to be clear.

"Don't, bang*sat! Who are you standing there motionless? Wanna rob us? You're wrong target, waji*ngan rancid!" said one of the champions.

These three champions were armed with machetes and keris tucked in their waists. All three also adorn their faces with thick mustaches to support their work which requires them to look rogue and agitated.

"Yes. I aim to rob you, but not the kepeng money I want, but your lives!" reply that figure.

Suddenly hearing such words coming out of the mouth of the unknown figure made the three champions laugh out loud.

"In the morning there is entertainment. The madman who challenged the three champions of the Company," said one other, followed by the laughter of his two colleagues.

The figure descended from the hills quickly but the movements were nimble. It was clearly seen before them. The figure of a man covered in cloth, wielding two daggers shaped wedhung. There was one more wedhung tucked behind the cloth ties on his waist.

"Good, three shall die in three ways, Siam Kun-thau," said Sasangka behind the covering of the mouth of the cloth which covered his true identity.

Seeing this, the three champions stopped laughing and passed their cleaver and keris. However, as warriors, they still understood when danger was present in front, like birds feeling the mountain disaster erupting and flying away.

The three champions immediately surrounded the unknown figure.

"Bedeba*ah! Whoever you are and whatever your purpose may be to challenge us, that's called seeking death. I'll make sure you die slowly!" said one of those champions.

Sasangka had long intended to kill the three champions when he found they were targeting Lau Siufan. His wife had told him what had happened during his trip to Semarang. Pratiwi, the man who killed his friends, is now a fugitive of his own master, the Walanda Company, along with Yu, his cousin.

The complexity of coincidences incident after event and his own feelings must be resolved first. The safety of his beloved wife and her marriage which is only a few days old is the most important. Thus, taking his third life without Lau Siufan's knowledge and the Company's government was the only way. He did not want them to bring bigger problems and disasters.

"Campus you!" one winner decided to attack Sasangka first with his cleaver. Sasangka shifted the legs slightly to the side. The strike hit empty air.

Before the champion keris was used to stab for further attacks, wedhung Sasangka had first stuck and tore the enemy's stomach. The champion collapsed drenched in blood with a stifled cry with wedhung still stuck in his stomach.

Sasangka pulled out another wedhung on her waist. Now he again holds two wedhung blades.

Sasangka smiled behind the cover of her mouth watching her enemies bewildered, frightened, doubtful and shrinking her guts. He now understands the feelings Jayaseta has behind his mask that hides identity and the image of feelings.