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66 | The Boy 2
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2024-10-29 19:42:56AISHA gave me a sharp look when she said that. As if she was about to convey a message, imitate the boy, Lang. Even if he did a bad thing, he had a noble reason behind it. That way, she could understand why something must happen and support it.
After all, why was Aisha the one who talks? But I would follow her intended.
"That boy seems special to you?" I asked.
"Yes," replied Aisha, "he is."
"Sorry," added Aisha, still wiping her cheek.
It was just like before.
Aisha admitted that she likes other men. And it makes me uncomfortable. But for the sake of apologizing, I would follow her will.
"Then, where is that boy now?" I asked.
"Lost," replied Aisha, still looking at me.
"I don't understand," I confused.
After taking a deep breath, Aisha continued. After graduating from elementary school, the Al Rasheed family moved her to school in an Islamic boarding school in Jacobsburg, a small town south of Surabaya. Since th
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In the Name of the Sacred Tree 67 | The Boy 3
I promised Aisha to help her find someone with a coastal accent in Saltyville. The people on the north coast of East Java Province did have a distinctive intonation. They were confident people and often said harsh words. Yeah, I just came from Saltyville. And I had some suspects.If it was true, they were the ones. It could be that the people who kidnapped and held Zidan were from other coastal districts such as Grisee. But indeed, the investigation had to start from Saltyville because of his relationship with the Mayor of Jamaal, Zidan's older brother. Jamaal was the one who determined to evict the village where prostitutes lived."What are you thinking, Lang?" asked Aisha, suddenly breaking my thoughts."Oh, nothing," I answered, "I was just wondering where to start looking.""I entrust you," said Aisha."Okay," I replied. "Let us go home, first."Aisha agreed.We both walked back to the car. Like escorting Amelia in the Emerald Bui
In the Name of the Sacred Tree 68 | Behind the Scenes
I stepped on the gas lever deeper so that the car I was driving would go faster on the streets of Surabaya. I was afraid something happened in Saltyville. The thing was, before this, Zoey had predicted that there would be a mass movement attacking the prostitution complex.She said it was not without reason. According to her, when she became a prostitute in Newton, there was an attack by community organizations. I thought it was the same human tragedy that was debated in In-Depth with Aaliyah some time ago. Three people died in the attack.Therefore, I did not think the congregation rally from the Great Certajava Street was just a rally.My car sped up to overtake every vehicle in front of me. I just stopped at the traffic light. The glittering city lights seemed like flashes in my eyes.Arriving at the Saltycoast Sub-district, the street atmosphere was quieter than in the center of the city. The road also narrowed, except on the north coastline. Yes, the
In the Name of the Sacred Tree 69 | Behind the Scenes 2
AS she said that, Zoey's head dropped as if recalling something. And I became suspicious. You see, IMD people could often be seen at the Al Rasheed Mosque. Imam Shahryr, their leader, was a preacher at Haji Abdul Rasheed's house."Is there any connection of the Al Rasheed family with IMD?" I asked, seriously, looking at Zoey.Zoey seemed to hear me mentioning Rasheed's name. She just widened her eyes, not in pleasure, but more out of fear of something. Zoey then looked nervous."What are you asking all that for? Zoey asked back."I felt something wrong with Saltyville," I replied.I stopped talking, catching my breath.It was as if all the current series of events were connected. There was the Guysville incident, the corruption of Madura district head Floyd Austin, the Donnie hate speech case and the Saltyville eviction. All of that involves IMD," I said.Zoey's gaze then shot up to the sky. It was as if she was asking the stars if sh
In the Name of the Sacred Tree 70 | Under the Tree
I was furious that the Rasheed's were the masterminds of the attack by the Indonesian Muslim Defender (IMD) jihadist army in Guysville, Newton. I did not think that this prominent family would have the heart to play the people against each other for their ends.It was the same case with Madura Regent Floyd Austin. People trusted him. But what happened was the opposite - the people were used to launder the money they had corrupted.While I was thinking about it, at the same time, I still felt doubtful. Was this true? Wasn't everything Zoey said about the Rasheed's just a rumor? I have no idea.Talking about Guysville, Newton, I thought of Julia and Gerald. Guysville was home to Bachelor's Falls, where Julia and Gerald hand in hand affectionately. In that place, Gerald used to work as a police officer before transferred to Surabaya."Hey," I called out to Zoey."Yes," she replied."What about the person who asked you to go earlier?" I asked.
In the Name of the Sacred Tree 71 | The Candidate
I was shocked when I heard my cell phone ringing a call tone. I took and saw the clock. It was eight in the morning, and Amelia's been calling this early. What was wrong? I didn't immediately answer Amelia's call. I stretched my body first, remembering that last night I came home late from Arynn House."Hello," I replied."Hey, are you okay?" asked Amelia."Yes," I replied, "I just woke up.""Immediately take a shower and pick me up," asked Amelia."Where are we going?" I asked."I sent you a message last night," said Amelia, "did you read it?"I hurriedly swiped the home screen and headed for the chat message. Apparently, Amelia invited me to participate in the candidacy declaration of Vincentius Limantoro as a candidate for mayor of Surabaya at the Brother Thompson Stadium in Nouvo Bay District."Oh, yes, I forgot?" I answered."So, you want to come?" asked Amelia.I felt like I couldn't get away anymore. Beside
In the Name of the Sacred Tree 72 | The Candidate 2
"Vincent for Mayor!" the crowd shouted over and over.The closer to the gates of Brother Thompson Stadium, the shouts grew louder and louder. The stadium streets were full of people walking in one direction. Luckily, there were several police officers and several civilians who helped control the traffic. I could hear music coming from inside the stadium. There must be a concert in it."I didn't expect it to be this busy?" said Amelia."Your eldest brother is popular among the people, Mel?" I answered.Amelia then directed me to enter a particular route for guests. After showing the guest card, we were invited by the officers to a specific area behind the stadium. Here, the atmosphere was no less crowded.As Amelia and I got out of the car, the sound of the music changed to human voices. The Master of Ceremony began to give speeches. As we walked towards the back of the stage, there was the roar of a louder crowd.It seems that the main agend
In the Name of the Sacred Tree 73 | The Candidate 3
"Hi, everyone," I said, "this is Amelia, Vincent's sister.""Oh, nice to meet you, miss," said Malique, Darmann, and Jack."Hi!" greeted Amelia.While meeting Malique, I suddenly remembered my promise to Aisha to find information about who had kidnapped and held Zidan, her brother. But, I had to postpone that intention first because I was still with Amelia."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 s
In the Name of the Sacred Tree 74 | Golden Riverbank
ALL the way back to Wigan, Amelia said nothing. From the side, I could see her eyes were teary. It seemed like she's enduring a tight feeling in her chest. Usually, I would play music to comfort a woman who was sad or angry. But not this time. Looked like this is serious."Tell me, what's wrong?" I asked."After that night, I thought we had a special relationship," Amelia cried. "Apparently, it's just my dream.""We do have a special relationship, Mel," I said, comforting her.I thought I really want to tell the truth to Amelia. But I couldn't tell her because I was in a difficult situation too. And Amelia was one of the reasons why. Listening to the speech about the role of youth and Vincent's insinuation earlier made me feel excited."I'm working on my goals, Mel," I added. "And that's important to me. I hope you can understand.""And what is it?" asked Amelia."Do you still remember when we were in elementary or junior high school?
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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
