TUMBAL SEVENTH

There's Shrimp Behind The Rock

I blinked as my pair of ears faintly heard my name being shouted by some people.

“Rania! Hey, wake up!” I responded with a sigh as I felt this cheek being patted by .. I don't know who it was. My eyes are still blurry. Ah, apparently it was Mela. My eyes are back to normal.

I try to sit and hold my head that hurts. Then observe around. Apparently I was in the room. Mela sat on the edge of the cot, next to me. Mang Ule was on the edge of the bottom, on the side of my foot. Sekar and Tirta were standing some distance away from the bed.

I spread my eyes again. Mbah Barjo and his wife have not been seen. I don't think they're home from the fields yet.

Sekar approached to the side of the cot, and crossed. “Why did you pass out in front of my Father's room?” his pedicab.

I turned my gaze to Mela a moment later looking towards Mang Ule. “Before, I'm from the kitchen grab a drink. Right up in front of your Father's room, suddenly my head is dizzy and after that I don't know what happened,” my excuse.

“Rania has a disease. Likes sudden dizziness, nosebleeds and even fainting,” bela Mela.

“Iya. Poor, it has been sick for a long time like this, but until now have not found a suitable medicine.” Mang Ule joined the tour. Tumben can be compact, even without a briefing first. Sekar seemed still hesitant with our explanation, but finally chose to go with Tirta to leave the room.

After Sekar moved away, Mela closed the room door and .... “Eh, how does the story say you could pass out like that?” ask her in a whispering voice.

“Everything just happened, Mel,” I replied in a whispering tone as well.

“Terus, how? You have succeeded in eliminating the books and amulets belonging to Mbah Barjo?” lirih Mela's.

I'm shaking. “Still negative,”I replied lethargic.

“How do dong go? What's the next plan?” tanya Mela, “honestly, I'm not at home here,” he added.

“Sabar, yes, hopefully most tomorrow our problem here is clear,” said I am not sure. Mela took a deep breath and then nodded. With Mang Ule.

***

In the evening, I went to the kitchen to help cook for dinner. When Mbok Patmi is off guard, I pour moringa leaf powder into ready-to-eat food. This is the third time I have successfully incorporated moringa powder into my diet. It is said that after a minimum of three times or a maximum of seven times it will melt the knowledge that is in a person. Hopefully after this one plan will work. Later or tomorrow just melt the book and talisman belonging to Mbah Barjo.

Thankfully, the dishes I sprinkled with moringa powder had been successfully eaten by the shaman family. But, why not react at all, huh?

It is said that if moringa powder reacts then the target will shiver like a fever person, but Mbah Barjo and his family so far look fine. Must have reacted seven times. If so, it will be bad. Because the moringa powder is gone. Duh, how is this?

***

By midnight, I was still agitated at the thought of my next plan. While hearing maybe Mbah Barjo reacted after eating the food I sprinkled with moringa powder earlier. But, it's still quiet. No noise or anything like that.

“Mel,” my whisper. Mela simply responded with a sigh. Then sleep again. Basic kebo!

Suddenly kebelt wants to urinate. I got off the bed slowly so as not to cause a squeak. Then slowly step out of the room. Even when closing the door I do as slow as possible so as not to cause noise.

Then I walked towards the kitchen. The plan is to go out through the kitchen door to go to the joints that are behind the house. However, my steps stopped when I heard like people talking softly.

I walked forward slowly. Then stand eavesdropping at the corner of the wall. Peering a little, I saw Mbah Barjo and Mbok Patmi were chatting quietly in front of the ritual room.

“Are you sure?” mbah Barjo asked his wife.

“Yes, I'm very sure, sir. That the virgin named Mela is what Kanjeng Prince wants,” replied Mbok Patmi.

My forehead frowned, I do not know who is meant by ‘kanjeng prince’?

“Night Kanjeng the Prince met me in the dreamland, and he said that we should overthrow Mela right at night one suro. That is tomorrow night,” continued Mbok Patmi. I shut my mouth in disbelief. Lothawat! Mela is to be made into a tumbal. It is fitting that the attitude of a pair of shamans changed well on us. There was a shrimp behind the rock.

Okay, so tomorrow afternoon all these plans should be clear in order to get out of here. And to keep Mela safe.

I chose to go back to the room slowly while holding back my pee. Rather than arouse suspicion in the hearts of Mbah Barjo and his wife.

I chose to lie down next to Mela after agitatedly thinking about the next plan, and my brain was dead-end. And suddenly drowsiness attacked my eyes that were originally difficult to close.

***

I woke up, groped to Mela's place. Blank. I immediately sat down and looked at the place where Mela should be sleeping.

“Mel, Mela!” call me, but there's no word from my best friend. Where the hell is he? It's not usually Mela wakes up this morning.

I went outside the room, checked all over the room. It even reached the kitchen, but Mela was nowhere to be seen. Anxiety began to stir the heart. I walked half-run to the living room.

“Mang Ule, wake up!” I woke Mang Ule who was still curled up in the blanket.

“Hemh, what's up, Non?” saith. Wake up lazy.

“Mamang see Mela, no?” tanyaku.

“I, right, just woke up, Non. Unseeable. Instead of sleeping together Non, even nanya to mamang. How to?” Mang Ule continued to yawn.

“If Mela is in the room, I will not search and search for Mamang,” my mouth is full of emphasis.

“Tried to search to sendang back home, not yet, Non?” Without answering, I immediately stood up and rushed to the back of the house. But there is no there either. I'm getting anxious about Mela's condition. Especially when you remember the talk of Mbok Patmi and Mbah Barjo last night.

I returned home in a state of confusion and panic.

“Where Non? Non Melanya is?”

I shook my head in a doldrums. “Nihil, Mang.”

“Duh, Non Mela to where, yes, approx. Morning has made me worry,” muttered Mang Ule. “Oh, or maybe Non Mela roving in pine plantation kali,” he continued later.

“Ya already, Mamang try to look around. I'm trying to check in this house one more time.” As per my orders, Mang Ule immediately rushed out of the house looking for Mela around. While I, slowly entered into Mbah Barjo's room. The husband and wife were no longer in their room.

Damnit damnit! It looks like Mbah Barjo and Mbok Patmi are moving faster than I thought.

This leg felt limp imagining how the fate of Mela. Nah! I don't want to lose another friend to save another. I want everyone to get out of this hellhouse.

I wiped the tears running down my cheeks and walked into the ritual room. Maybe Mela's all over there, but again empty. There were only a few kinds of offerings as usual, and incense was always burning inside the room.

Just as I came out of the ritual room, Mang Ule came and shook her head in lethargy. Signs of his search did not bear fruit.

“Secar Room already checked yet, Non?”

I didn't answer the question Mang Ule asked. I ran to see the room. Damnit damnit! Empty too. There is no Tirta either.

Fiks, the loss of Mela is related to the departure of Mbah Barjo and Mbok Patmi also Sekar.

Where were Mela and Tirta taken?