Triangle (Driehoek)
Tragedy in the Silent Period Part I
This stage house has a buffer made of one meter high concrete, the floor is also made of casted concrete. While the walls are entirely made of wood painted yellow.
Aris followed Mang Asep up the steps of the stage house, passing the porch containing long chairs until they arrived at the living room measuring about five times five.
This living room looks well organized, the floor is only cement but clean. A carved wooden cabinet is seen leaning against the wall facing the entrance and a television measuring 24" flat screen in a state that is not lit is located on a table that is also docked to the wall, on the left side of the room. In the middle of the room there is a small wooden table as high as twenty inches, based on a blue carpet that is larger than the table, intended for those who sit in the living room. There was only one person in this room, a grandmother sitting on a carpet, behind a desk.
On the table were three cups of tea that still reflected the steam. The number of glasses of hot tea confirmed the grandmother's previous remark, that she was indeed waiting for them.
The woman allowed Aris and Mang Asep to sit down. The two of them sat down next to Grandma across the table.
Mang Asep introduced the woman to Aris as Nyi Sari, one of Aris' grandfather's friends.
Aris nodded and smiled. According to his estimates, Nyi Sari was around 60 years old, fair-skinned. Although many wrinkles on the old face but still looks traces of beauty on him. Currently Nyi Sari was wearing a long-sleeved yellow flower negligee, her head adorned with a black veil whose bottom end was wrapped around her neck.
"I'm 85 years old, "the grandmother opened the conversation.
Aris was shocked and astonished as well, as if Nyi Sari knew what she was thinking. But she covered her shock by nodding and trying to smile.
Nyi Sari invited them to drink. After each of them took a glass at the table and drank a little of its contents, they fell silent for a moment looking at each other.
Aris looked at Nyi Sari about to convey the meaning of his arrival, but Nyi Sari first opened up.
"I can tell you what's on your mind, how I know and recognize you. Maybe you don't remember anymore, but I met you once when you were 2 or 3. In addition, I also know both your parents, as well as your grandfather, "said Nyi Sari.
Aris got grinned, and scratched his head, because Nyi Sari's guess this time was wrong. Though what he wants to ask is about his best friend Rudi.
Seeing Aris's behavior and expression, Nyi Sari chuckled with her teeth still intact and neat.
"I'm kidding, 'cause I see you're so tense. Well, you really want to know what happened to your best friend, right? "His connection.
Aris became startled again, one time the right guess was probably a coincidence, but this was already twice in a row. And again where did Nyi Sari know about Rudi. Aris hurriedly nodded, while Mang Asep just sat quietly watching. This man looks so disinclined to Nyi Sari.
"Before I start my story, you need to know I am not a magician, nor a fortune teller. It's just that I know what's going on, "he said laughing.
"One more time, before we get to the happiness of what happened to your friend and how to react to it, it helps me tell a story about the beginning of this curse, he said, so that the two of you also understand what is going on, "he said as he now turned to Mang Asep.
"Kok curse, what curse? "Inner Aris was confused, he turned his head to the side, but the man Mang Asep who was in the face did not look back at him.
Likewise, because of curiosity and the desire for his friend to be cured immediately, Aris tried not to cut off the talk of Nyi Sari.
And the story was rolling, told by Nyi Sari in front of Aris and Mang Asep. The friendly and carefree expression that Nyi Sari had displayed earlier changed with a serious expression on her old face.
Over a century ago, in 1861..
Edward Jaager arrived in West Java as a container of produce to be sold to various parts of the world.
His handsome face and good attitude, charismatic, made him popular and liked by the locals, so his business was growing rapidly.
At the age of 30, after ten years of doing business on Sundanese soil he fell in love and married an 18-year-old Sundanese girl named Wulan, then Edward changed his name to Sobri.
"Let Nyi Sari continue her story, and I've heard this story, but only pieces, "said Mang Asep.
Nyi Sari looked at the two guests alternately, "alright, please continue Nyi, "said Aris lirih. A myriad of questions suddenly arose in his mind hearing the names of his two great-grandchildren mentioned. But it seems better he listened first, easily2an all the questions later can be answered with the story of Nyi Sari.
Nyi Sari continued her story.
Sobri and Wulan's life was well established and happy at first. It's just that happiness has a little flaw, which is because the baby they are waiting for as a successor is not present. For years they have been trying to get treatment everywhere, but still without success. Until it was not felt marriage stepped on the 25th year.
Sobri himself never minded the absence of a baby among them, because he really loved his wife. And again they have nurtured two nephews Wulan, Wira and Ratna since the age of their marriage stepped on year 5.
But Wulan still felt dissatisfied, because she felt she had not given the best to her husband who loved her so much. Several times Wulan asked Sobri to marry again, so that her husband was happy, especially considering that Wulan was over forty years old, of course, it was difficult for her to have children.
At that time, polygamy was not extraordinary. But Sobri was determined not to add a wife. He always said that taking care of Wulan's two nieces and nephews until they were adults, was enough for him to feel like a father.
At the age of 26, on one occasion Sobri met a Dutch woman named Anna in a port. At that time Sobri was checking the goods to be sent to Delhi. While Anna just arrived from the Netherlands to serve as a new staff in Onderneming (plantation airline) Netherlands.
At the beginning of the introduction, they also became familiar. Until finally Sobri often invited Anna to visit his home.
At that time Sobri was 66 years old, while Anna was still 30 years old. Sobri considered Anna a nephew. It's just that unbeknownst to Sobri it turns out that after meeting often, Anna harbors feelings for him. Because after all Sobri is a well-established, charismatic, charismatic figure, his appearance is always dapper and his face also still looks handsome at that age.
Waktu pun bergulir dan gayung pun bersambut, beberapa bulan kemudian setelah berunding berdua dengan Anna, Wulan mendesak agar suaminya menikahi Anna. Toh Wulan dan Anna dapat mengakrabkan diri, dan lagi Anna adalah teman seperantauan Sobri, juga tidak memiliki siapa-siapa disini, itu alasan Wulan untuk meyakinkannya. Dan begitulah setelah melalui beberapa perdebatan Sobri pun menurut untuk menikahi Anna.
At first everything looks good, but after a few months of marriage Anna changes. His good attitude is lost, changed with jealousy, and wants to master. The worst was Anna's treatment of the indigenous race, she always looked down on them, not least on Wulan and her family. He did not even hesitate to treat the natives who worked on Sobri with cruelty and treatment.
But other than that unpleasant thing, there was something encouraging for Sobri and Wulan. A few months after marrying Anna, Wulan became pregnant.
Anna just became depressed with Wulan's pregnancy. He was afraid that it would shift his position in Sobri's eyes. The madness becomes so, there is no day without the quarrel that Sobri experienced. Though Sobri and Wulan have tried many times to convince that they will still be kind to Anna as they have been doing.
But Anna doesn't care about Sobri's and her honeymoon's explanation. Anna asks to build a house for herself.
There was no other option for Sobri than to grant Anna's wish, so Anna was awakened to the house in the village about 5 kilometers from the village where they lived, in the interior. In a more peaceful and quiet place reason Sobri.
Before long Wulan gave birth, for Sobri and Wulan, the presence of their children is an immeasurable gift. They named their son Sastro Waluyo.
"My grandfather, "inner Aris heard the name called. He had only first heard the full story from the beginning of his great-grandfather arriving here, from Nyi Sari's mouth. Previously he had only heard pieces of this story directly from his grandfather when he was in Elementary School, when his grandfather was still alive.
Another with what was felt by Wulan and Sobri, another was felt by Anna. He felt banished in the middle of the native village. Though it was the policy of Sobri to build a house for Anna in the middle of the native village, so that his young wife can blend in, good at carrying herself, and also have empathy for the local population.
At first as Sobri's husband still often visited Anna, but every time he came there that he found always quarreling. So that the frequency of his visit to Anna's house became increasingly rare, until finally months Sobri no longer visit. Likewise, Sobri still bears Anna's living expenses including the salaries of her servants.
But a little while later we heard the news that Anna was close to a native. Sobri is not jealous, even if Anna wants to ask him for a divorce in order to remarry, of course he will approve of her, because he realizes Anna is not happy to be his second wife, moreover, he felt that he was also too old to face constant arguments.
It's just that the unfortunate one who became Anna's lover was the leader of a vicious begal group that often terrorized the villages around Ciremai mountain.
Unlike the fighters who fought the Onderneming, these begals were a group of people who took advantage of the situation going on around, they sided with anyone who could afford their services. And most often they are only found doing the dirty work of the Dutch rulers at that time.
