ADILAGES
REOG 2'S
Centuries passed.
The sun still remains on the top of the sky, washing the jungle skyscraper named Jakarta with its bright lights.
Hot, stuffy and polluted air squeezes the spirits and sweat of pedestrians. No exception skinny young man, thick-haired dreadlocks and skinned too mature sapodilla. With a lethargic face, he wiped the sweat on his forehead. A new smile rang on the young man's thick lips as he stepped into the gate of a large, majestic white building.
Seen on the front page of the building is an elephant statue and inscription that reads “MUSEUM NASIONAL”. The young man was just glaring when he saw a very luxurious sports car with a gold bull parked near the entrance. While clucking, he stepped into the shade of the white building.
“Wah, Son Bondan. Want to observe Reog Mask again huh?” ask a parobaya man museum attendant while putting the gimbal boy's bag in the locker.
“Iya nih sir,” replied the young man named Bondan casually, full of jokes. “Either why, as if there was something in that mask that constantly called me here.”
“Waduh, don't-don't the mask is haunted, huh?” the officer said, shivering.
“Ah, no really. I was just wondering. Oh yes, may I ask, sir, who the hell is using a Lambo car parked in front of it?”
“Entah.” The officer shrugged his shoulders. “I only got a glimpse of her figure. He is a tall man, his hair tied in a ponytail and his appearance is very neat, wear a suit and tie all.”
“Hmm, so yes..” respond Bondan with a face full of question marks. “Thank you yes, sir.”
“Sama-sama”.
Without wasting any more time, Bondan rushed down the corridors of the museum to where he was headed. There was no look of confusion on his face, a sign he had been here a lot.
Shortly thereafter, Bondan's eyes captured the image of his “incaran” object. That's the Reog Mask, a very strangely patterned heirloom that has only two weeks inhabited the glass box of the show at the National Museum.
However, the sighting of someone near the mask made Bondan choked. The characteristics of the man are exactly as described by the museum officer earlier. Even stranger, the two men's eyes stared at the Reog Mask with interest, observing every detail of it to search for the mystery behind its existence. It seems he was unaware of Bondan's presence in this white-walled room.
Bondan quietly approaches, hoping to observe the mask without disturbing the man.
Suddenly, without turning his head, the thirty-year-old man spoke in a heavy and soft voice, “Please if you want to observe. Don't worry.”
Bondan went ahead and asked timidly, “Ngg... Sorry before, mas this archaeologist?”
Asked so, the pigtailed man turned his head and smiled kindly. “Oh, I am just an observer and observer of ancient art only.”
“Sort of collectors?”
“Can be. But remember, objects of historical value should be placed in museums, in order to enrich public knowledge.”
Hearing him, Bondan quietly breathed a sigh of relief. At least this person had no intention of buying this unfinished mask.
The turn of the man straightly asked, “Nah, it seems that you are also an archaeological observer yes, dik..?”
“Oh yes, sorry. I'm Bondan Prasetyo, archaeology student. I have tried to study some of the ancient relics in this National Museum, but I have not found any speciality of it all, which is outside the textbook.”
“Lantas, how about the Reog Mask?”
“This Reog Mask is truly unique, there are no facts about it in any textbook. However, after almost two weeks of observing it, I have not been able to find its connection with the origin of the Art of Reog Ponorogo and the origin of this mask name itself.”
“Ah, so apparently,” said the man in the suit while removing a card from the wallet behind his suit. “This is my business card. Whenever you need a clue or want to share knowledge about Reog Mask or other mysterious artifacts, contact me.”
Bondan nodded while reading the business card. “Wardhana Enterprises. I Made Johnny Wardhana – President Director! Address... D-Denpasar, Bali!?”
Johnny laughed a little. “Haha, of course we can meet during my time in Jakarta, well, approximately until the end of this month.”
“T-but, what makes you want to help me, this eternal student?”
“Well, other than my own close family, almost no one dared to talk freely and bluntly with me, especially after seeing my appearance and knowing my status. You are always so forthright and not so respectful to me, and I love that.”
Bondan was just dumbfounded and glued. Only he realized that the man in front of him is the most important person in his company, which is a rising conglomerate in Indonesia in recent years. He should be respectful and talk systematically, but that's not his style. Bondan felt he had enough respect for anyone who spoke to him, in his own way.
Johnny quickly broke the silence. He turned around and said, “Well, I have to talk to the Head of the Museum first, then hurry to meet at the office. See you later, Bondan. Remember, make an appointment before you see me.”
“Good, thank you, Mr. Johnny,” Bondan said.
Without saying another word, Johnny stepped out of this room.
Bondan simply observed the burly figure until it disappeared from view, then turned his attention to the details on the surface of the Ponorogo heritage mask.
However, moments later Bondan gasped. Whether it was a dream in broad daylight or a mere hallucination, for a second, Bondan's eyes saw the black carvings on the Reog Mask forming a series of creepy large fangs.
The mask smirked at him.
\==oOo==
Maybe more precisely he was “sitting galau”, looking at the netbook screen without being able to type a single letter with a keyboard. Occasionally Bondan tugging his dreadlocks, his lips twitch as if muttering, “Come thesis, thesis, form one sentence only.”
On the screen appears the title of the paper “Analysis about the Reog Mask and its Relation to the Origins of Art Reog Ponorogo”, and there are no other words in the document.
At the height of his confusion, Bondan takes out Johnny's business card from his wallet and looks at him for a moment. So, when Bondan was about to type one of the numbers on the card on his phone, suddenly one voice made him aghast.
“Oi, Bon! There is food! Reog!”
Bondan turned around, his dreadlocks waving. “Mana, where?” he rushed to the main room.
Bondan's eyes were fixed in the direction the attacker pointed at, his own boarding friend. On the television screen was plastered a green mask full of patterns of veins and a creepy black sun.
Accompanied by the voice of the news announcer, “.Topeng Reog, the historic heirloom of Ponorogo stolen from the National Museum. The museum says.”.
Bondan did not listen to the next words. His gaze was now fixed on a glasses-wearing woman who was observing the shards of the glass cabinet where the mask had originally been stored.
A reporter interviewed the woman. “Detective Rania, are there any clues about the culprit?”
“I don't know for sure,” replied Rania while wagging her black short hair. “Seeing from this broken glass, the culprit must be very strong.”
“Aduh!” Suddenly someone clinched Bondan's head. The gimbal turned his head and protested, “What the hell lo, Ton?”
Tono, the slum-looking young man who called Bondan earlier exclaimed, “Muke lo tuh, look beautiful immediately kesambet.”
“Kayak lo not aja!” Bondan turned to Tono.
While rubbing his aching head, Tono chattered again, “Lagian what's the big deal anyway? That's ‘kan only one ancient heirloom only. When four golden heirlooms are lost, the news immediately disappears swallowed by the earth without any perpetrators being arrested.”
“But it ‘kan my thesis material, Ton! Just mask it my ticket out of status ‘student abadi’!”
“Oh yes. The mask ‘kan means a lot to you. Don't-don't you gush..”
Tono's head hit the snitch again. “Awardly! Original, meningan to be an eternal student rather than an inmate!”
“Douh... After all, the mask in Reog Dance is not that ‘ right? There are human face masks plus Barongan that are as big as people, ‘kan?”
“Lo. That's why I want to try to solve this mystery. Isn't this the original mask? Or is this fake mask the result of making thrill-seeking pranksters?”
Tono was yawning. “Yes already, don't need to be discussed again. I'm an accounting kid, I don't understand that. I sleepy ah, want to dream first.” While scratching he left the main room of the boarding house.
Bondan stared at the wall clock. At nine in the evening, it was too early to leave for dreamland. Basic Tono. He turned his attention to his netbook again. No word on Reog Mask theft on the internet. Maybe like Tono anyway, people do not care about the case of cultural heritage objects.
Suddenly Bondan's phone rings, from a number he doesn't know. He answered the phone, “Halo?”
The voice of the woman on the phone was so sweet. “Salam. I'm Rania Giselda, and I'd like to meet you to talk about Reog.” Mask
Well, that's the detective on television, Bondan thought. Why did he find out my phone number and call me? Well, it's not police business.
“Bondan, did you hear my voice?”
“Oh yes, yes, Ms. Rania,” Bondan said. “Please set the time, mbak.”
“Okay, then we meet tomorrow at twelve noon, yes, the address will be I SMS to you. This is very important, so do not be late.”
Without waiting for Bondan's response, the conversation ended in a busy tone.
Bondan. If he fails, he will be accused of not cooperating with law enforcement, suspected of being a suspected thief and arrested. Bondan pretends not to know the status of Rania, but if he meets the detective, he might be in a trap.
How's this supposed to be?
\==oOo==
The next day, nearing the time of the meeting, Bondan stood up daydreaming, hanging in a crowded bus. It was in his mind that his grandfather's message in Ponorogo, which he could not reveal to anyone, including Johnny, Tono and Rania.
The words of the skinny and frail-looking grandfather were very firm. “Just grandpa won't hand this Reog Mask over to the museum. This thing is too strange and mysterious to be a historical relic. After all, the museum will definitely call this mask a fake.”
“That's not possible, cake,” Bondan replied. “If we leave it in front of the head of the museum and my lecturer, a fairly well-known archaeologist from Italy, I'm sure things will be smooth.”
“Not just that,” interrupted the grandfather. “This mask is a hereditary secret heirloom of our family. Your great-grandfather found it on the outskirts of Ponorogo. He swore that even his descendants would never wear and would always keep this Reog Mask a secret. Grandfather also swore the same, so sorry, this mask must remain grandfather guard, and someday you must continue my duties.”
Actually Bondan really needs Reog Mask for the script material. Even the only reason he chose the Archaeology Department was to research this mysterious heirloom. So the grandfather's speech made him forced to return to Jakarta with his bare hands.
Then, for some reason, less than a month ago the grandfather decided to hand the Reog Mask over to the museum. So Bondan helped the process until the mask was officially put on display two weeks ago.
Suddenly a blaring voice in the bus made Bondan gasp. Apparently the stop he was heading to had been missed. Hurriedly the dreadlocked young man got out of the bus to ride the bus in the opposite direction.
Pimply. Bondan must be late, and great difficulty awaits him.