FROM a distance, I saw the shop was operating as usual, after being attacked by an unknown person, some time ago. I can guess that there must be a mother in the shop taking care of it. While Jenny is probably in college. Or is that so.
"Hey Mom," I was surprised then hugged my mother.
"Langley!" cried my mother not expecting her son to come home. "You didn't tell me you were coming home. I can cook something for you."
"You don't have to do that," I replied, "here I brought you some gifts from Brazil."
"Come in!" take my mother.
Mother is a wonderful person. Great woman. The presence of his soul is like a light in the darkness of the world. Nine months and 10 days he struggled between life and death, defending his son.
His love is like the sun that always illuminates the world tirelessly and unceasingly. The tenderness of his soul is like the most beautiful thing he has. The patient figure always makes anyone comfortable beside him.
Th
THE rain had just stopped, and the day had come to an end. It's late at night. The hands of the clock show 11:45 WIB. I was still awake in my room, thinking about everything that had happened to me. From an ordinary college student to a rockstar.Not only that, a series of mysterious events added to my headache. Moreover, I have not been able to determine who I should date. Amelia, Julia, Kacey, Aisha, or Zoey? All of them are amazing women, and I haven't texted them yet, except for Kacey who told me this afternoon that she had arrived in Jakarta and met her parents.In the midst of my turmoil, I miss partying with my village friends. Even though I'm now a celebrity who will be highlighted by the media, but I don't care. I'm a rockstar. I can do whatever I want.I then messaged Big K, asking where they were. Big K replied that they were at their usual place. I immediately rushed to the location that Big K was referring to – a middle eastern restaurant that
“WHAT do you think about the Youth Pledge?” I asked Santos.According to Santos, youth are the next generation who will be responsible for the progress of the nation. Youth as revolutionaries must have a high fighting spirit to act for the progress of the nation.Almost a century ago, on October 28, the Youth Oath was made as a form of resistance to Dutch colonialism as well as the spirit of the struggle to achieve Indonesian independence."Give me 10 youths, then I will shake the world" Bung Karno's familiar words have ignited the enthusiasm of the youths to fight for independence.In the millennial era, said Santos, our enemies are no longer colonizers from the Dutch colonial era, our struggle is no longer to seize Indonesian independence. Our current enemy comes from the internal Indonesian nation whose incarnation is now invisible.Along with the rapid development of technology, the greater the challenge for youth to maintain the sp
I decided to head home early, while Big K, Cole, Santos were still at the bankrupt middle eastern restaurant.As I was walking towards the house, I texted Julia. I'm grateful that I'm home. I asked if I could see him at this time of night.For a long time, Julia did not reply to my messages. Well, that's that then. I'll see you tomorrow on campus. But just as I was about to open the door of the house, Julia replied to my message."I knew you were home," the first message read."We meet at the usual place, under the cherry tree," read the second message."Okay," I replied.I sat under the cherry tree while looking at the moon shining after the rain. It's so peaceful to see it. While looking at the full moon, I watched Julia's round face. Oh, my God, I've seen Julia.Suddenly someone slaps my shoulder. I turned around."You still like looking at the moon?" asked Julia in her sign language."Makes me remember yo
"LANG!" there was P's voice called out to me while waving.Apparently, Mr. P is fine."Yo man," I replied, Jamaican style. "Still being alive, huh?""Damn you," replied Mr. P.Mr. P then gave me a cigarette, while Matt seemed happy to live the action creating circles of cigarette smoke exhaled through his mouth. Mr. P, Rooney, Muck, and Flatty then asked how my concert in Brazil.In the classroom, the atmosphere looks noisy. Friends are talking about something that seems fun. You see, some of them look happy and some of them look gloomy. At first, I didn't care what the discussion was about. But gradually, I want to know too.I was just about to ask, my eyes twitched. However, these pheromones are plural and random. I can't be sure.As before, coming out of nowhere, smiling, sexy Leah put her index finger on my lips, burly Gary gave me a deep kiss, Brittany with her sensual lips sighed, and graceful Tiffany slapped my ass. They passed
ON my first day of college after the Rock in Rio concert in Brazil, I didn't meet Amelia, Julia, and Aisha. Where are they? Kacey herself was in Jakarta with her parents to attend a family business event.The absence of the three of them made me unenthusiastic about college, so I decided to go home.Certajava is still silent even though several types of animals have been awakened by the sign of the coming of the morning. The goats began to fidget in their cages. The crowing of the roosters was heard one by one, more and more often.The brush bird scurried from its hiding place. He was ready to take off when he saw the first insect passing in his line of sight. From its nest in the palm tree came out a squirrel because it smelled the opposite sex. They chase. The branches swayed.Drops of dew fell in unison. A caterpillar passed over a banana tree. Just above the leaf that was still budding, the crawling beast suddenly stopped its speed. The light body jus
In the past, my mother said, Mary Sue or my grandmother had told wide-eyed stories of what she had seen happen to Certajava one night in 1965."They came in carts pulled by cows," my mother imitated her mother."Their hands were tied with rope. They were then shot in the back by the soldiers and kicked them into the hole."He pointed to the ground that was now covered with leaves. Every now and then my mother looked around, looking unsettled.This is a story my mother remembers as well as if it happened yesterday, but she's never had the courage to reveal it to me before.“I am so proud that I can finally tell the truth. I'm not afraid now," my mother said.The President had indeed ordered an investigation into what happened following the 1965-1966 Incident. A number of senior ministers in his cabinet also openly met with victims and former political prisoners. There was talk about efforts to find and excavate mass graves for victims o
THE holder of the War Authority/KMKB Surabaya has signaled and asked for public vigilance. Surabaya against the existence of groups who intentionally mess up and twist the situation, against the craftiness of groups that deliberately cover the purposes of their office, was reported by the newspaper that day.Sneak action on November 8 against foreign representatives (meaning here the United States Consulate building, which was stormed by demonstrators to express their feelings related to the Cuban crisis), cutting of 28 telephone lines behind the governor's house on November 12, demonstration of price reductions clothing and food on November 15, which was called to the Governor of East Java, all of which proves who stirred up the chaos.The holder of the War Authority/KMKB Surabaya calls for:"TO BE AWARE OF PEOPLE WHO SEEK REVOLUTIONARY BUT ACTUALLY ANTI-REVOLUTIONARY, BEWARE OF PEOPLE WHO CREATE THE LOUDEST MANIPOL BUT ACTUALLY ANTI MANIPOL".Although i
And the child was walking in long straight steps towards the shade of the bamboo grove where he was born a citizen of life. The closer to Certajva's clump, my steps get faster. Then suddenly he was caught in a strange silence. I stopped and looked ahead. Where is Sakum's house which is usually seen from the edge of the embankment? Also, where is the gloss of the tin roof of Kartareja's house?I stepped again. But the silence is even more terrifying. There were no children running around in the yard and their voices were not heard. Oh! And I stood frozen, his forehead furrowed. He struggled to read and believe in the reality that lay before him. His clan's houses have been turned into small huts, like a rice field croak. Oh, Certajva, why do you appear? What misfortune has befallen you while I was overseas?The moment my shoulders dropped, a definite answer could explain everything. His intuition works so quickly in connecting the contemporary factors with all their cha
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
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
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
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.
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
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
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
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
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