They're Here

Chapter 9: Not One Country

The morning coloring debate. Robi claimed not to wake up in the early hours of this day. Many times I have explained about him taking me to the bridge. Many times he denied this. So, is there an intruder that resembles him?

Still don't know how to do it, I feel the more days here the more piled up mystery. There is a desire to close your eyes and let go of curiosity. However, at a glance it occurred to me that my move to open the veil might be one footrest away.

“Yan, we're home today too. Do not force yourself to challenge something beyond our power,” invite Robi. His face seemed troubled after hearing my story. A story that is hard to prove, but real experienced.

I shook my head. “No, Rob. I can't go home now,” I look.

“Why?” Robi snapped a little. “Because of your curiosity about this village that continues to increase every day? Yan, be rational a little. Want to see when you torture your own mind. While in Jakarta, there are your family who are anxious to think about you,” he said.

I looked up at Robi. Sorry, I was a little offended by the phrase torturing my own mind.

“Lu has strengthened my resolve here with your bokap story. Now, you seem to accuse me of looking for disease. I don't understand the same way of your mind,” my reply is satirical. “If you want to go home, please go home. I still have a responsibility to citizens here to share knowledge.”

Robi tidied all her clothes into a backpack. He seemed to be stirred with emotion by my words.

Let it! At the very least, I can be calmer when not involving others in my mystical realm. Enough to take care of myself, no need to invite others to feel the horror here.

As Robi exited the room, Aisah appeared with an agitated look. His eyes were fixed on Robi. Meanwhile, I was trying to parse the words of Mang Sata.

Mang Sata asked me to meet him immediately, while there was no information on where he lived. In fact, there was not the slightest hint he gave in order to continue the conversation last night.

“A Yana, why did A Yana let friend A Yana go?” ask Aisah. An emergency accompanied her question.

“He himself wants to go home to Jakarta,” I replied firmly.

Aisah pulled my hand. “Let's go after him, A. Danger!”

“Danger why?” I was panicked.

“I once said that this place is not good for outsiders. A Robi could have gone out of this village, but would never have arrived in Jakarta. There are other creatures that try to stay in the body of A Robi as payment for having brought A Robi here yesterday,” explained Aisah.

I want to ask you a question to get a more detailed explanation from Aisah. However, Robi's step was too far from sight. There was no time to ask for a lot of explanation. I better believe Aisah's statement.

Aisah and I ran after Robi. As she was about to shout out Robi's name, Aisah closed my mouth. He said slowly not to scream.

Suddenly dark space rolled up black clouds like it was about to rain. In an instant, the atmosphere was suddenly silent. Residents who were originally still seen passing by, lost like afraid of being swallowed completely.

Aisah told me to exert all my strength in order to block Robi. Meanwhile, I feel I have maxed out my legs.

“Ulah nyokot nu other rights anjeun (do not take something that is not yours)!” shouts Aisah.

I looked at it for a moment. To whom did Aisah pass the ban? Was the sentence he said a lesson?

I don't know! It is not time to ask for clarification from him.

After Aisah's scream stopped echoing, Robi fell to the ground. We checked Robi's condition.

I pat Robi's cheeks to make her open her eyes. But Aisah asked me to quickly bring Robi home.

“Aa strong will carry it?” make sure Aisah.

“Iya,” my response while positioning Robi on my back. “Aisah, why Robi can..”.

“Sorry, A. Mending we quickly go home because the drizzle points have gone down.” Aisah seems not to want to answer questions related to the cause of Robi can be unconscious.

Once in the room, I lay Robi's body on the bed. Aisah then took a glass of water, and splashed it onto Robi's face. Before long, Robi opened her eyes. But Aisah was crying.

I'm confused, where should attention go first? Heavy rain that falls adds to the dilemma.

Robi raised her body a little. His eyes were glaring to the right and left. After that, he closed his eyes again.

“Aisah, what's wrong with Robi? And why are you crying to see it? Don't tell me something bad happened to him?” my insistence. I shed all my curiosity and anxiety. "Why can Robi experience something like this? Please Aisah, don't make me more confused by all the peculiarities in this village."

“It's tea because of, Aa.” Aisah. “Why did Aa bring Aa's friends here all? Now he is experiencing the mistiness or interference of the subtle creatures. He must have seen something that his mind could not master. If he can't be resuscitated before Friday touches the Maghreb, then his behavior will seem like a lost or sane person.”.

“Let him lie down like he was sleeping. If Mang Dendi comes here, don't tell me anything about the incident. I'll go home first to ask Mamah.” for help Aisah came out of my room wiping away the tears.

In my incomprehension about all this, tucked in guilt. My presence seemed to give Aisah a lot of trouble and make Robi wretched.

I look at Robi expectantly. Unrelenting prayers, may he be well.

***

The sun is shining bright again. Day is enough. Aisah has not yet arrived. I was forced to leave Robi for a while to carry out my promise to the citizens here.

There were 20 people sitting waiting for me. All of them are mothers with an estimated age of 20 to 40 years. They say men - both teenagers and adults - are busy at work.

There is no problem in delivering the material. They were solemnly listening, and did not interrupt at all. Yeah, no interaction even if I try to lure them into active talking.

After the storytelling of modern era life for 60 minutes, I tried to approach one of the residents with the intention of inviting him to talk. However, he dodged like fear.

Is there something wrong with me?

“They are not afraid of you, but they do not want you to know something,” said someone without a look.

I'm spinning around looking for the speaker.

“Out! Whoever you are, please come out!” my door was a bit challenging.

I'm the princess of the hall. Then, it is seen someone standing under a cherry tree (series).

"Mang Sata?" stiffened.

He raised his head while opening the caping. My guess is 100 percent accurate.

“Yan, this place is no longer like it used to be,” Mata Sata said with a sad look. His words were the same as those of Aisah and her mother.

I approached Mang Sata. “Mang, sorry, Yana wants to know if there is any news about Rusman's discovery? Yana came here because she was called by Rusman, Hamid, and Moses.”

Mang Sata shed tears. “We tried to dismantle the foundation of the bridge, but the village brought dozens of police to block us. He said workers saw Rusman, Hamid, and Moses bathing in the river after playing. They were also declared - perhaps - to be drifting downstream. However, there is not a trace of the validity of this. Mamang has been desperately looking for the existence of Rusman for a dozen years.”

I suspect that three of my friends were swept away by the river. As I recall, the condition of the river was not overflowing at the time of the incident. Plus, we (the Citiis children) are often said to be river conquerors, due to the honed swimming abilities of the children.

One more, right said Mang Sata, could they be swimming in the river with full uniforms, shoes, and bags? Why did all the attributes they used disappear without a trace?

As I processed thoughts with memories, Mang Sata walked back a few steps. The mimic is so scared.

“Yan, the girl you are with is not our countryman. You have to be careful of him yes,” Mang Sata's message. "Sorry, Mamang should leave immediately" he continued.

"Mang, tell me where Mamang lives now?"

I haven't had a chance to get information, Mang Sata immediately moved away. He lowered a little caping on his head like he wanted to hide a face.

“Why A Yana is still here?” ask Aisah who appeared without a sign. He came with his mother.

I smile while arranging a shocked heartbeat.

“Whose should you talk to?” ask the mother to watch me.

“Ti. I don't talk to anyone. Sa.... I am just enjoying the atmosphere here,” kilahku.

They also guide the steps home. I put myself behind them.

I examined Aisah and her mother from toe to head. There is nothing different about them. Their feet are on the ground. Their shadows were also stretched out to accompany the steps.

So, what does Mang Sata mean that Aisah is not a country with us? No country means he is not from the human class, right?! Is there any other implied meaning of the word “sebangsa”?