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255 | Reunion 1
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2024-10-29 19:42:56"You still remember our songs, apparently," said Big K.
"Of course I still remember it," I said. "How could I forget after all the years we've been together."
"Shall we continue this meeting with a drink," Cole suggested.
“I agree,” said Big K and Santos.
"How about you Lang?" asked Cole.
Considering I've smoked pot and drank with Donnie before, I think I'd like to quit. But because it was my friends who invited me, I couldn't refuse.
"Okay, I'm coming," I agreed.
Night began to envelop Certajava. After buying some liquor, we gathered at our usual place – a middle eastern restaurant that had closed due to bankruptcy.
Before I put down my ass, I saw the same black Toyota Avanza that I had met in Dharma Hoover Street this noon, parked in front of us across the street. I threw away my negative thoughts and started to enter the arena.
Big K then gave me a shot. Its volume contains mixed liquor—vodka a
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In the Name of the Sacred Tree 256 | Reunion 2
Malay songs and dangdut reverberated through the night.Suddenly, Santos started talking again about the nostalgia of being a student. When the left palm is clenched in the air. When a human child is not afraid to die. When the campus really becomes a localization for young intellectuals. But now, said Santos, the campus has been downgraded to a factory that produces capitalist men.I was offended because I was the only one who was still a student among the members of the assembly.“Back in the 70s and 80s,” said Santos, “Shu Benjamin was a student when he was one of the loudest critics of the New Order.”Wait! Shk Benjamin who is Juwingan Chinese? Amelia's father? The quiet one? So a political activist?"Until the end, the New Order government became angry and injected political movements on campus," continued Santos.Big K then cleared his throat. I know that's a sign he's about to come along. Julia's brother said t
In the Name of the Sacred Tree 257 | Rebroadcast
The next day, I woke up in my room. After cleaning up, I met my mother who was watching television as usual. This time, my mother's eyes looked serious, not as empty as before. I was curious, wanting to know what mother was watching.Apparently, there was a rebroadcast of the 'In-Depth with Aaliyah' interview program in the Indonesia News Channel or INC, Indonesia's biggest news media.In-Depth with Aaliyah was the most well-known interview program because it presented intersecting parties in a single case. The program itself was managed by the beautiful and intelligent host Aaliyah Situmorang.Due to the broad reach of the INC, the parties involved were often attended to share their views. In my opinion, they just wanted to be close to Aaliyah.Oh yeah, by the way, Aaliyah was an Arab or Indian or Pakistani. I had no idea. To be sure, Aaliyah's nose was sharp, and she was not wearing a hijab.That live interview program broadcast itself was
In the Name of the Sacred Tree 258 | Visiting Old Friend
"WE only act firmly against immorality," replied Shahryr."The same!" exclaimed My mother."What about the Guysville incident?" asked Aaliyah.Aaliyah said, four years ago, in 2016, there was a raid on the Guysville prostitution complex in Newton Regency. The perpetrators were all wearing thawb and turban attire.The perpetrators claimed that their actions as a jihad against immorality. Three local residents died in that brutal raid. The Guysville incident had attracted national attention."Should that firmness cause casualties?" asked Aaliyah."It's a shame," replied Imam Shahryr."You were there then?" asked Aaliyah sarcastically."No," replied Imam Shahryr.“There is video evidence that clearly shows people wearing turbans and the leader wearing guthrah," Solomon interrupted. "The question is, what group that when destroying other people's property, its members wear turbans and guthrah.""It's not me," sa
In the Name of the Sacred Tree 259 | Visiting Old Friend 2
PAPADOPOULOS continued, since the chaos in Slatyville, the plan to evict Key Phu Thich was never realized. It's just that life was getting more difficult because the status of residents who live on the outskirts of the Golden River was not recognized as residents of Surabaya.To work in offices, they were rejected because they didn't have identity cards. Even being a beggar, they were arrested by City Guard personnel. Even if they intended to do business, they didn't have the capital. Most of the residents worked as scavengers, including Papadopoulos and Aretha."We really felt the discrimination. We only eat one meal a day,” said Papadopoulos."Then there's this little boy," said Papadopoulos. "Periodically, he came to visit this slum area with a basket full of groceries.""The little boy handed out the groceries he brought to the residents here," said Papadopoulos. "It was not enough, but it was helpful for residents.""Residents asked who
In the Name of the Sacred Tree 260 | Campaign
\On the way, I saw a lot of people walking towards a field. When I found out, apparently they were on their way to Vincent Limantoro's campaign as a candidate for mayor of Surabaya.I was also interested in listening to Vincent's speech. Therefore, I parked my vehicle and joined the commoners.Interestingly, most of the people who came were wearing red T-shirts. I think it was natural. Vincent's party, the Indonesian Democratic People's Party (IDPP), was dominated by red. Apart from that, people also held high the pop art photo of Vincent. As if I wanted to feel the atmosphere, I opened the car window."Vincent for Major!" they shouted over and over.Yes, at least today I didn't hear Allahuakbar.Amelia's eldest brother was indeed a critical figure of the Surabaya City Government policy. Because of that, he was popular among the educated townspeople. Unlike the incumbent Mayor of Jamaal, who relies on devout Muslims. But therein lies the po
In the Name of the Sacred Tree 261 | Campaign 2
"Hi, everyone," I said."We Saltyville residents support Vincent as a candidate for mayor of Surabaya," said Malique to Amelia, "isn't that so, Mr. Darmann, Jack?""Yes," said Mr. Darmann, “of course.""Moreover, Vincent supports youth movements," said Jack.Then I realized that most of the people who attended Vincent Limantoro's Mayor of Surabaya declaration came from Saltyville."Oh, yes," said Malique as if he remembered something. “Where are Ryg's other members? Big K, Cole and Santos?""I don't know," I replied, "maybe they're working."Then, we heard Vincent make a speech on the stage, mentioning that the role of young people was often identified with their strong idealism. Even so, these cadets were often seen as inexperienced, cognitively incomplete, and emotionally unsustainable.What was even sadder, said Vincent, is that the older generation seemed to have neglected the role of the youth. The problem was,
In the Name of the Sacred Tree 262 | Stereotype
Not long after, my cell phone rang a dial tone. Apparently from Kacey."Hey where are you, handsome?" Kacey asked."I was around Goobank," I replied."I wanted to meet you," Kacey said."Okay, where are you?" I asked."On campus," Kacey replied."I'm on my way," I said.Here, at the Clofus campus, almost all majors were available, even the rarest in Indonesia, such as Nuclear Engineering and Javanese Literature. A row of notable people listed as Clofus graduates, such as World Bank’s Managing Director Mrs. Shri Lakhsmi. She also ranked as the 38th most powerful woman in the world by Forbes last year. Then, Mr. Ali Purwacaraka was an Indonesian ambassador in the United Nations. And also, Hendryx, The Boumerank rock superstar.I studied at the Department of English Literature, Faculty of Letters, alongside Aisha, Julia, Mr. P, and Matt. The last three names received scholarships for the indigents students around the campus
In the Name of the Sacred Tree 263 | Youth Ideology
"Of course I'd be willing to be your sidekick," Kacey said."I believe so," I said."Tell me something else," Kacey asked."About what?" I asked."Your ideology?" Kacey said.I exhaled and started talking about youngsters.Indeed, young people are often identified with their strong ideals. Even so, these cadets are often seen as lacking in salt, not cognitively complete, and emotionally unstable.What is sadder is that the older generation seems to have put aside the role of the youth. You see, they see this young group as a collection of idealistic people who make unrealistic decisions.However, the seniors' justification is not entirely wrong and not entirely correct. As we all know, the first President of the Republic of Indonesia Soekarno once revealed a popular quote, "Give me a thousand parents, I will surely uproot (Mount) Semeru from its roots. Give me ten youths, I will surely shake the world."If ten youths cou
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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
