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115 | Prejudice
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2024-10-29 19:42:56Kacey and I finally returned backstage. There, friends are still enjoying music and art and cultural performances by the villagers of Saltyville.
I just parked the car, and Kacey immediately jumped out of the car and rushed to near the stage. Apparently, there was a puppet show by Mr. Wayan.
When Kacey and her friends saw the puppet show, I didn't see Mr. P and Matt. Where were they? Did they find something that interests them?
Just let them have fun.
I then joined Big K, Santos, Cole, and Vincent, who turned out to be talking again. When I approached, I found they were talking about money laundering.
According to Vincent, the Rasheed family received bribes from various groups ranging from officials to businessmen to smooth political careers as well as giant government projects.
It was just that, Vincent continued, this was just a guess and could not be proven. However, the indications of corruption are very clear. Then he wondered why the I
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In the Name of the Sacred Tree 116 | Prejudice 2
We then continued to enjoy the arts and cultural performances performed by the residents of Saltyville Village. Shortly after, Mr. P and Matt appeared to reveal themselves."Where have you been?" I asked."We were just playing around a bit," said Mr. P."He went back to the brothel to go to 'school', he said," said Matt, who was immediately slapped by Mr. P."I told you not to say anything," said Mr. P, furious.My friends laughed at that."No wonder you look cleaner. Just took a shower, huh?" quipped Tiffany."Damn!" grumbled Mr. P.But wait, who was Mr. P 'school' with. Did not let Zoey be the teacher. Oh no! I did not want Zoey with Mr. P playing teacher-student."Wait, who did you go to school with?" I whispered to Mr. P."I was going to spend all my money on that girl who sings well," said Mr. P.I started biting my own teeth."But she's been with by a fat man with curly hair," complained Mr. P.
In the Name of the Sacred Tree 117 | Greed
I thought I was thinking hard about everything that's happened to me lately that I fell asleep in Gary's car.It felt like the closer I got to Saltyville, I felt as if I was being dragged into a maelstrom of power I couldn't find a connection with."Come on, I'll take you home," said Kacey."Thanks," I replied, "but I still don't want to go home.""Do you want to go somewhere?" Kacey asked."I don't know, let's just go home," I changed my mind. "Besides, we have to pack up to get ready to leave for Brazil tomorrow morning.""I think you're right," Kacey replied.We then moved to Kacey's red Mazda. She handed me the car keys, and I drove the car off-campus.Along the way, Kacey never stopped talking about how amazed she was at the unique culture of the Saltyville coast. I could understand that because Kacey has been abroad for a long time and did not know the native culture."I didn't think Saltyville would be evicted by
In the Name of the Sacred Tree 118 | A Superhero
"HEY, wanna talk to something else?" Kacey asked."Yeah, just light stuff. My head is already full of confusion," I said."Shall we chat about a movie?" asked Kacey again."Sure. What movie?" I answered.“What do you think about superhero movies?” Kacey asked."About what?" I asked back."About gender stereotypes," Kacey said.Ouch!According to Kacey, in 2017, the cinema universe was packed with mainstream superhero genre films based on giant comic publishers DC Comics and Marvel.There were recorded six feature films with superhero themes. However, of that number, there is only one film that features female-led superheroes (superheroines), namely Wonder Woman.Even more ironic, said Kacy, in the last two decades or so, there had only been three solo superheroines comic versions made on the big screen. They include Catwoman (2004), Elektra (2005), and Wonder Woman (2017).In the same period, tr
In the Name of the Sacred Tree 119 | Aisha's Blessing
“Hollywood thinks that now is the right time to give women space with their superheroines to match the male-led superhero's superiority. That means we will see more powerful women fighting crime in the future. I hope so," I said."Do you want to be my superhero?" Kacey asked.“Depends if you are willing to be my sidekick?” I joked.Kacey and I burst out laughing as the car pulled into the Certajava alley and pulled up in front of the house. Kacey also said goodbye to me and immediately rushed home because she could not wait to pack up to go to Brazil the next day.Meanwhile, I greeted several neighbors who were on guard at the security post in front of my house. They were, as usual, playing cards with some of the policemen on duty.I then went into the house and found mom and Jenny watching television. It seems they are no longer shocked by what happened last night. I then joined them because I would be leaving them for a few days
In the Name of the Sacred Tree 120 | The Last Night
In the car on the way, I was touched by Aisha's words saying I had released one. I knew who that one is. At least, each of us already knew who the elementary school boy was.Aisha already knew that I know. Yes, I was the elementary school boy who often asks other students for money. But I did not use the money myself but to buy groceries for the people on the banks of the Golden River.I felt sorry for them because the place where the scavengers live would be evicted by the Surabaya City Government. Even so, I did not know why until now Key Pu Thich had not been getting rid of. But thankfully, I hope it stayed that way.Now, I was heading to Amelia's house in Wigan to say goodbye. Amelia was a person who does always there when I fall down. And she was always patient with me.I did not have any feelings for her until recently she transformed into a Chinese woman. She was like an emperor's daughter. Moreover, I just found out that Amelia was also good at pl
In the Name of the Sacred Tree 121 | Weird Dream
I was startled from a morning nap when the neighbor's dog barked. Just as I was about to leave, something stuck in my mind. Why did I sleep at night wearing all black?Should not I be sleeping at Amelia's house? Damn. Why did I forget?I suspected. I immediately looked at my desk. There was a pile of money.“Oh! Not anymore," I thought.Then I put the money in an old shoebox. Inside, there was a lot of money that I also did not know where it came from.Indeed, waking up in a state of oblivion, at the same time, there was a pile of money like this was not the first time. In fact, I often experienced it. I was afraid when I forget I had done something worse. Or vice versa, maybe the money was the result of writing or foreign language translations that I was working on.Even so, I did not know where my ability to be fluent in foreign languages came from.In a desperate position, I immediately took the money back in the shoebox ea
In the Name of the Sacred Tree 122 | The Great Trestle
Coming home from Amelia's house, I immediately cleaned myself up. Actually, I intended to meet Julia after Amelia. However, Amelia offered me something I couldn't refuse, so I forgot about Julia.I also remembered that Julia told me to call her back. Previously, I called her, but she didn't answer. She then texted me that she had a guest. If she didn't answer my phone – of course, a video call – it meant that the guest was really important for her to accept.But now, I had to meet her. Brother Quinn said that the Boumeranks gathered at noon. I still had time to spend with Julia.When I got to my room, I rushed to text Julia, asking if I could come over to her house. Luckily, Julia immediately replied to my message."Do you have time?" I asked."I'm going to college," replied Julia, "is there anything I can help you with?"“No, but I would love to meet you,” I wrote. "Could you skip class for just one day?""Wha
In the Name of the Sacred Tree 123 | The Great Hall
WHILE walking towards the ancient hall, I told Julia about this place. Lamphor village, the location of The Great Trestle, was a coastal area that is thick with Islamic nuances. Grisee Regency itself was famous for its religious tourism destinations.The regency, which now had a population of around 1.5 million, was once the center of the spread of Islam in the past, with the Giri Kedaton Kingdom at its heart.In addition, the coastal area of the Grisee Regency actually had a deep meaning for its citizens. In the past, Grisee was one of the largest cities in the archipelago. The port in Grisee was first established and reached its heyday in the mid-14th century.Chinese sailors called Grisee with Tse Tsun or dirty village while Arab traders called it Qarra Shaik or plug something."It was on the
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In the Name of the Sacred Tree 283 | The End
News of my arrest spread rapidly and wildly - from surrender, twisted by the Indonesian Herald by forced arrest. The wave of mass demonstrations was getting bigger in Surabaya.Until one day, a man was demonstrating alone carrying the body of a woman in the Surabaya House of Representative building yard which was recorded by television broadcasts. A moment later, he poured gasoline over his body and the old woman's body. Then, he started a fire which quickly burned himself and the body he was carrying.Everyone knew that he was Mr. Wayan who intended to show his protest by presenting himself and his wife in front of the people's representatives. He had a desperate on the government.When that happened, I was in the detention room.All the prisoners present stood up to learn of Wayan's self-immolation on television. I thought the prisoners would kill him for being the instigator of this distressing incident. Apparently, they even cursed the authorities. Th
In the Name of the Sacred Tree 282 | The Black Mask Movement
Julia then revealed that her pregnancy was actually from my seed. Therefore, Julia asked in return whether it meant that the child she was carrying was a bastard child too. That was why Julia was forced to accept Gerald's marriage proposal to cover my disgrace.I asked Julia why she hadn't said that earlier. Julia admitted that she had tried but was afraid to ruin my happiness. At that time, I received a phone call from Quinn if I was appointed as Hendryx's replacement at The Boumerank. Besides, I was already a famous person. Julia was afraid of damaging my image and defaming Bradley.I also asked how could this happen? Julia reminded me of when I lay in the courtyard of a closed Middle Eastern restaurant. That night, I forced Julia to make love to vent my frustration.I asked why Julia didn't refuse or fight me. Julia admitted that if she fough
In the Name of the Sacred Tree 281 | The Bastard
When my mother found out that I wrote a book, she could only cry. I softly asked Lidia again. Lidia admitted that she did not want one of her loved ones to be lost in front of her again.Lidia finally told how Bradley disappeared. At that time, Brad and George were advocating for Saltyville residents not to be evicted by the government. The reason at that time was the same, namely the eviction of the brothels. The goal was to control coastal land to build an industrial complex.Bradley struggled on the pitch staging protests, while George, a journalist, struggled through writing. Because George's writings were considered threatening, he was hunted down by a group of unknown people. George during the New Order era was more famous than Bradley because of his profession as a critical journalist.One day in February 1998, a group of people dressed i
In the Name of the Sacred Tree 280 | Saltyroth Rhapsody
I visited Aisha at her palace at Royal Certajava. There, I asked Aisha if it was true that the Rasheed's were eyeing a new source of oil in Saltyville. Aisha said she knew, but was not involved.I asked, why didn't Aisha try to block her family's intentions? There were thousands of people living on the land of Saltyville. Aisha replied that she was only a Muslim woman. She had no power to decide. I accused Aisha of enjoying the result.Aisha started crying, telling me this was not what I accused her family of. I asked, then how exactly. Aisha replied she couldn't expose it.Then, I clashed with Aisha by accusing her of being hypocritical because she pretended not to know what was going on. We both mourned each other and move away from each other.So it was with Kacey.
In the Name of the Sacred Tree 279 | Investigation
Knowing that I again urged my mother to talk. However, Lidia did not budge. Then, I said goodbye and would find out for myself and continue Bradley's struggle. Lidia strictly forbade my intention. But I was determined.Based on clues from Brad's book and Zoey's notes, I and Amelia, with Vincent's help, discover the mode of money laundering by the Rasheed and Schielhort families. Bribes to and from Jamaal, Syahnaz, Fatima, and Malloch, were deposited through the CLIF Foundation and Islamic boarding schools and houses of worship as a form of charity.Besides, some were used to establish Islamic boarding schools in Jombang and Madura. This was done by asking one of the pesantren students to be used on his behalf. That way, the Rasheed and Torstein families were not legally touched. An example was Bowie.While tracing this dirty practice, I continued to experience terror.Exploring further to Jakarta, I also discovered a flow of money to state officials. The
In the Name of the Sacred Tree 278 | Bradley's Diary
The next day, I asked my mother, Lidia, about Saltyville in more detail. The village elders refused to talk about it unless Lidia had already told me. And how did Bradley relate to all of this? But Lidia refused to talk about Bradley and Saltyville.I insisted that I read old documents at the Dr. Sue Thompson Regional Hospital. The document stated that there was the name of Lidia Tanoto, who gave birth to twins without a father. Lidia didn't budge.I was not broken. Then, I rushed to the warehouse of my house. I unpacked old chests and suitcases that were there. Every old document I read to find what I looking for. But, actually, I didn't know what I was looking for. I only knew Bradley and Saltyville.Then there was a clean pocketbook, tied with ropes from torn cloth. I opened it slowly because the book had rotted with age. In the book, apparently, Bradley wrote his daily life up to three days before mysteriously disappearing.In the book, Brad wrote abo
In the Name of the Sacred Tree 277 | Burning Revenge
After Brody investigated, it was Troy who was about to collect Zidan's debt from Jamaal. Troy told Jamaal that Zoey was somewhere in Newton and would kidnap her as bail. Shortly after, there was an IMD raid into the Guysville prostitution complex that left three people dead.We said Brody - referring to himself and Troy - concluded that the mastermind behind the brothel attacks was the Rasheed's. Brody also revealed that the most responsible behind Calliope's past to bring down Jamaal was Vincent. I was surprised.Brody added that Vincent found out from Zidan. And the Zidan was pretending to be angry and running away from the house so as not to stand out, that he was the one who leaked it.I also asked, how did Zidan know if Calliope was Zoey aka Melody? Well, therein laid the mystery. Who told Zidan? Said Brody.I further asked why Brody was willing to let Zoey go to me. Brody answered because I was his nephew.Then, I was reminded of Troy. Actual
In the Name of the Sacred Tree 276 | Climax
Then, suddenly the rumor spread that Vincent Limantoro was a descendant of communists. Vincent's family said the issue once defended Saltyville because they wanted immorality to continue in Saltyroth. George Limantoro was touted as a dissident against the regime.Shortly, Mayor Jamaal announced three villages, not two, whose citizens were asked to leave immediately. The problem was, the three villages would be evicted by the authority in a couple of days. The three villages were Saltyville, Wigan, and Certajava. For Saltyville in particular, the eviction would be the next day.Those facts made me even angrier. I ignored Brody's advice to remain silent. At a concert that refused the eviction in Saltyville, I participated in openly voicing my rejection of Jamaal.At that concert, I was no longer wearing Che's robes. I wanted the world to recognize me and the voices I represented.Then hundreds of IMD masses suddenly attacked Saltyville. There were clashes b
In the Name of the Sacred Tree 275 | Dangerous Teror
It was Santos. To me, Santos confessed that he and other service officials travel to Singapore for a comparative study on the construction of city parks also the cleanliness rules. He gambled in his spare time. At first, I understood Santos's reasons.We then talked about music and other things. We didn't have much time together because Santos had to leave, while Quinn and I went back to the hotel.The next day, I had a concert with Boumerank. As usual, the atmosphere is always lively. After that, we all returned to Indonesia.Day by day, Zoey's life began to improve. I had also kept his promise to fulfill Zoey's dream of becoming a singer.However, when everything seemed fine, I and Zoey were suddenly hunted down by strangers. They demanded me and Zoey shut our mouths or be killed. Zoey and I at first thought it was someone from Zoey's past.In the midst of her popularity, news spread that Calliope was a former drug addict and prostitute with the
