ADILAGES
DAHLIAS 1
Amidst the hustle and bustle of Jakarta residents one morning, a girl in a backpack slipped and darted out of the Trans Jakarta Bus door.
Running fast with a very agile movement like a gazelle, the long-haired girl tied two styles of horsetails along the bus stop and the pedestrian bridge. He contorted his small, slender and athletic body, passing through several pedestrians and peddlers along the bridge. The performance of extraordinary body flexibility like an acrobat makes the people there not so angry. They just let the girl through like it was just the wind.
Suddenly, the girl's smartphone rang. He was forced to pull over at a shop not far from the bridge. Plastered message on the chat screen.
Th3 Br4iN: Lia, where are you? Hurry, we'll be on our way!
Julia Pranata Lin, the girl named Lia's call quickly typed in a reply.
JuLz-fU: Wait! In front of the campus!
Julia run. He did not lie, the campus was just a stone throw from the stop.
After sneaking into the crowd of people passing by with a bending movement, a snake, Julia finally set foot in front of her campus. It appeared that some people were getting ready in front of a tour bus.
One of them, a handsome young man with blonde hair and athletic body approached Julia while reprimanding, “How are you, Lia? Masa’ treasurer Club Lovers Legend, Jagadnatha arrived late?”
“Yes, yes, Dear Brian Chairman,” responds Julia half insinuating. “That's the name is also Jakarta, even travel by busway-pun can eat a very long time.”
The reason is classic, but Brian Suryawinata, the opposite campus student does not want to argue anymore. “Ya already, let's hurry! Our journey will be very far, do not let the costs so swell later!”
“Quietly, boss!” Julia patted Brian on the shoulder. “Urusan budget no problem. Even if there is an additional cost, you are responsible anyway, ‘kan?”
“Uenak aja!” Brian clinched Julia's head, then ran straight to the bus. Julia chased the young man to avenge his snubbing. But his pace slowed down instantly seeing the other members of forty-two staring at them from inside the bus as they shook their heads and clucked in annoyance.
Julia's face was red, ashamed of herself by her childish behavior. He quickly got on the bus, and the Jagadnatha Club left.
\==oOo==
As Brian said, traveling across two provinces by bus is exhausting. But it could be fun. Not every day there is a chance to escape the fatigue of the capital, enjoy the fresh air and natural scenery while joking around and discussing with friends.
The joy of Julia who likes to joke often invigorates the atmosphere, driving away boredom and fatigue in this tour bus. As an impromptu “ tour” guide, there is just the idea of making a joint singing event, guessing, even quizzes about the legends and cultural arts of the archipelago.
Julia spoke through the loudspeaker, “Nah, because the value of the team of men and women is balanced, this is the last question related to the place we are headed. What is the name of the genie who helped Bandung Bondowoso build a thousand temples overnight?”
The other members immediately pricked themselves. Almost everything, both men and women shook their heads or muttered the mark of ignorance. One of them, a beautiful girl with a grey hair named Leony Ambarwati even protested, “This is a trick question huh? In all versions of Legend Roro Jonggrang never mentioned the name of the genie. Even purportedly helping Bandung is an army of supernatural beings such as jinn, dedemit and so on.”
“Agree! Just change the question, Lia!” Brian was defending Leony.
Julia did not respond to him. Her beautiful round eyes kept on a young man sitting beside Leony. The young man always wore an orange jacket and a thick hat that should be more suitable for cold weather.
The young man seemed indifferent, with his face constantly directed out the window and his eyes always sleepy. But that's what adds to her good looks, making her especially attractive to Julia, making the girl curious.
Julia said, Come on, Gilang! Only you know the answer! Answer that! Surprise them all with your knowledge!
But the young man named Gilang Kandaka Putra Perdana was unmoved. Not to mention the more protesting, let alone Leony who immediately rebuked fiercely, “Ngapain you glance at my guy continues, Lia? Watch out, don't even try..!”
Sighing, Julia interjected, “Yes already, because no one can answer her, the question I changed..”.
Unknowingly, Julia continued to look at Gilang. The attitude of the young man is almost always as cold as“ding” since he became the newest member of the Jagadnatha Club three months ago. However, Gilang seemed to be very attentive and only wanted to smile at his girlfriend, Leony. So, every time she saw the two of them, Julia's heart was beating hard.
Still, Julia was powerless to say, Are the things you only know for yourself highly secretive, Gilang? If so, why did you tell me only, not Leony?
\==oOo==
Fortunately, while it was still day, the Jagadnatha Club group arrived at the location of the visit, namely Candi Sewu or Manjusrighra near Klaten, Central Java. It is located only 800 meters north of Prambanan Temple.
Although the original consists of 249 temples, the local community believes that the original number of temples in the complex was 999, based on the legend of Roro Jonggrang and Bandung Bondowoso. Name “Sewu” means “sibu” in Javanese.
Again Julia acted as the host. “Nah friends, please explore this Sewu Temple complex. Oya, because it's full moon night, it's five o'clock in the afternoon we'll gather again on the bus. We went to Prambanan Temple to watch Sendratari Ramayana.”
There were happy calls when they heard the word “Sendratari Ramayana” earlier. Obviously, it was a very exciting entertainment for the trip this time, visiting the famous temples in Central Java.
Now, the important thing is that this visit at Sewu Temple should be put to the best use. The club chairman, Brian was busy photographing relief images on the temple wall. Most club member “science”, Leony continued to talk, explaining the meaning of each relief in front of a group of students who listened with interest.
Most strangely, Gilang's eyes seemed to look left-right and around, as if he was looking and observing something. Her face was expressionless, Julia could not guess what she was doing.
Suddenly Julia jerked, just realized a lot of information Leony that he had not recorded. While grumbling to herself, Julia quickly wrote her makeshift notebook. After all, he will certainly make a summary of the records of friends club and compare it with information from internet sites before making an article. But Leony's long explanation made Julia start to sleepy, her head nodding.
Suddenly, a pat on the shoulder made Julia flinch. Reflexes, he turned his head and was surprised to see Gilang. The young man in the thick hat then whispered, “Psst, come with me.”
“But Leony ‘kan not finished..”.
Gilang instead walked on, away from the back of the crowd. Julia turned to Leony and Brian at a glance, then followed the quiet young man. “Wait!” yells.
Although burdened with his small backpack since earlier, with quick steps Julia finally managed to catch up with Gilang. He then protested, “Can't you wait for Leony and Brian first? They know more than I know about..”.
“I only believe in you,” sela Gilang. “But I warn you, you almost leaked the Legend of Roro Jonggrang which should be very secret. If you repeat that mistake again, I'll get out of Jagadnatha, break up with Leony and never talk to you again, Lia.”
Gilang's sharp words hit very deep in Julia's heart. The young man apparently knew Julia was giving him more attention for a long time. The young man also proposed that the peak of Jagadnatha activities this year be held at Sewu and Prambanan temples. Gilang must have hidden intentions, and to uncover them, Julia has no choice but to follow the mysterious man alone.
“Thousand temples... thousandth temple..” muttered Gilang while stepping on a stretch of rock and grass slightly outside the temple complex.
“Lho, aren't there only 249 temples in this complex? How can there be thousandth temple?” ask Julia.
“249 candi is the remaining amount after being restored. The rest were destroyed in the fight shortly after it was established.”
Julia was surprised not to get stuck. “What? So actually Sewu Temple does amount to a thousand?” Obviously this part Gilang had never told him.
“Actually, according to legend there are 999 temples that were successfully established by Bandung Bondowoso with the help of Jin Himawari.” Gilang then told a story of a complicated fight between Bandung, Himawari, and the other side of the city, Roro Jonggrang and Patih Gupala – are not in any version of the legend of Roro Jonggrang. The story is short, dense and just sets the cause-and-effect. However, this new knowledge keeps Julia agape.
“Wow, I really have never heard of this part,” Julia said. “Anyone will not believe it when you hear this.”
“That's why I ask you once again to keep everything a secret,” Gilang said. “Someone told me this when I met him on the slopes of Mount Semeru, while climbing Mahameru Peak with Nature Lovers Group on campus.”
“Someone? Who is he?”
“He forced me to swear an oath to tell anyone who he is, unless he himself appears.”
“Alright,” said Julia, changing the subject. “Now, how do we determine the location of the thousandth temple?”
Gilang then went a step further and stopped in front of a large, box-shaped piece of stone. “Well, here it is!” On the upper side of the stone was carved a flower-shaped emblem. Then he spoke like a rhyme.
“In the afternoon before dusk, from the top of Kirana Puspa Stone, lift Himawari high before the night greets. Let the prabu show its direction, that's where the queen is.”
Julia asked, “So this stone... Kirana Puspa Stone?”
Gilang's face looked even more excited now. “Yap! No doubt, it's a dahlia sculpture, Roro Jonggrang's favorite flower. Now, it's time to start the second step.”
Gilang then reached into the neck hole of his t-shirt, removing a necklace with a sparkling blue pendant. The shape of the pendant was extremely strange, like a piece of ice crystal the size of a medal.
Gilang said, “This is Himawari's Ice Necklace, a disguise from the form of an ice sword I got from ‘beliau’. Well, about the third clue, who is ‘sang prabu’?”
Julia shrugged her shoulders at the sign of not knowing. He decided to look around. His mind was glazed, remembering the Legend of Candi Sewu Gilang version…
Moments later Julia flicked her finger. “Aha! What if ‘sang prabu’ it is not ‘aoh’, but ‘apa’?”
“What do you mean, Lia?”
“In the legend of your version, Roro Jonggrang is the daughter of Prabu Baka who is big like a giant. To express his respect for Sang Prabu, Bandung deliberately built the highest-great main temple in this complex.”
“So ‘Sang Prabu’ is the main temple,” Gilang concluded. “How good Julia is, it's not wrong I took you.”
For the first time Gilang praised Julia, making the girl's heart flowery. Formed another conclusion in the mind of Julia, the thousandth temple that was never built by Bandung overnight must symbolize Roro Jonggrang, a proof of love Bandung to the beautiful queen. Its location should be in the inner complex, either next to the main temple or on the border between the inner and outer complexes, becoming a link between the ruler and the people.
Julia's daydreams were instantly spoiled by Gilang's next words. “Well, how do ‘Sang Prabu’ show directions? Oh yeah, it must have something to do with the one thing I haven't done.”
Following the main lead, Gilang stood on top of Kirana Puspa Stone while lifting Himawari Necklace high up in the air. Given the earliest clues, the location of the Kirana Puspa Stone is a few steps from the crossing point between the main temple and the corner temple in the north, south and east, all of which face east.
Sunlight “siang before dusk” is indeed blocked by the giant figure “sang prabu”, the main temple. But the beam from the top of the temple that radiates, refracting through the ice crystal pendant held by Gilang and forming a kind of fire point on a large stone located not far to the east.
Even more surprising, suddenly the large, flat rock shifted itself, driven by a supernatural force. There was a large hole shaped almost square on the ground, also steps up the stairs to the bottom.
Suddenly Gilang Kandaka shouted, “Quick, Julia! Get off those stairs!”
“Lho, are you not coming?” Julia nodded inexplicably.
“I'm coming! But hurry up first! I don't know what happens if I put my hand down!”
Julia nodded as she descended the stairs into the hole. But one feeling seemed to squeeze his heart. Whatever I'm gonna find down there, I don't think I can handle it alone. Gilang, quickly catch up.