DRAGON CARVED JADE BRACELET
Chapter 17: MAISONG

    Cik Lan's death was very sad for Babah Ho's family. Especially Babah Ho's wife, Ms. Lan's mother. He was devastated. There has not been a month her daughter-in-law, her husband Cik Lan died, then her grandson, Melian was kidnapped, now her son also died tragically. It is unbelievable why the suffering came so hard.

    That night, according to the belief of the ancestor Babah Ho, to perfect the prayers accompanying the preparation of the burial of Cik Lan, Babah Ho family held a maisong ceremony. Maisong is a belief of people of Chinese descent who still follow the customs of their ancestors, the night of the death.

    The term Mai Song is taken from the Hokkian Chinese dialect, the literal meaning of each syllable consists of the word "mai'' meaning "door", and "song" meaning "song". Thus maisong can be interpreted as "the door of sorrow". The real meaning is the ceremony of opening the door for the deceased to go to nirvana or heaven. But according to the apostasy of the descendants who live in Lasem, the word maisong is termed as "the evening ceremony of the departure of the body". Yes, it is interpreted as the ceremony of the evening of the departure of the corpse, because that night is the last night to give prayers, before the next morning the body will be buried or cremated.

    Maisong ceremony starts after sunset or night change. Broadly speaking, it starts with the burning of incense which has eight sticks of hio, aiming to connect the smoke to space. It is said that according to the belief that the smell of smoke that billows into space will pave the way for dead spirits to go to nirvana.

    Furthermore, after burning the incense, family members and mourning guests performed prayers and mutual respect in front of the corpse by bowing to the body three times.

    Just as Juminem and her husband were about to return the baby to her family, so that night Jamil and Juminem, holding the beautiful baby girl, came to Babah Ho's house, not far from the Lasem Market. Of course with fear, Jamil and his wife stepped into a large house that was crowded with mourners who were praying for the spirit that would be buried tomorrow. Most of the mourners were people of Chinese descent. They must be Babah Ho's brother.

    "Excuse me .." said Jamil and Juminem, who were walking on their bow, passing between the people sitting in the mourning chair.

    Niatan Jamil and Juminem meet Babah Ho and his wife. But of course when they were there they were confused, where was the person whose name was Babah Ho?

    "Whose person, Kang?" ask Juminem to her husband, who of course while hiding the face of the baby he was carrying.

    "I don't know either .... Anyway we just go forward, continue to enter the inside of the house." said her husband.

    "Yes, Kang ..." said Juminem who continued to walk and still bowing among the guests he passed.

    But suddenly, Jamil stopped for a moment, then he asked one of the male guests nearby, "Sorry, Sir .... If the name is Babah Ho, which one is ...?" ask Jamil.

    "Sampean enter only .... The guy's inside, near the coffin. They are praying for Ms. Lan." replied the person whom Jamil questioned.

    "O, yes .... Thank you." Thank you." Jamil thanked me and immediately stepped into the house.

    "Which one, Kang ...?" Juminem asked, wanting to know the hint of the person earlier.

    "Inside the house .... Near the coffin." replied Jamil, leading his wife's hand, to the inner chamber.

    In the inner room, the place where the coffin was placed. There was a small table with a picture of the dead man, a picture of Cik Lan. To the left of the photo is a large four-piece candle. Everything's on. On the table there are eight hio sticks that continue to reflect the smoke. A very pungent fragrant odor, typical of burning incense.

    In addition to the coffin there is also a paper burning place. Later, throughout the night Babah Ho's family, the brothers Cik Lan who died, continued to guard while burning paper. That said, burning paper in this maisong ceremony is to keep the body of Cik Lan who will be buried tomorrow. In addition, it is believed that the fire that continues to burn from the burning of paper means that the spirit of the deceased person remains alive forever in the realm of the spirits to reach nirvana.

    The praise of prayers continues. A song that slashes the heart. As if his family still objected to being abandoned. But actually it is a prayer song to accompany the dead spirit, to get to nirvana calmly.

    Juminem looks confused. Surely the fear in his heart grew bigger when he had to enter Babah Ho's house. There, the Babah Ho family, his brothers, who prayed near the coffin, were all dressed in white. All his faces looked sad. Moreover, hearing the praise of prayers that he does not know the meaning and meaning. That place looks haunted.

    "Kang ..., I'm afraid ..." Juminem told her husband.

    "Of course, ndak papa .... Hold my hand ..." said Jamil who kept stepping inside, approaching the coffin.

    "Yes, Kang ..." said Juminem according to her husband.

    Jamil and Juminem went inside, behind the people standing in front of the coffin. But suddenly ....

    "Ma .., Ma .... Ma ..., Ma ..." The baby Juminem was holding raised his head, his hand pointing to his mother who had been lying in the coffin. He called his mother.

    Juminem was terrified. Likewise Jamil who knows that the baby carried by his wife can be seen by people. It's not hidden anymore.

    Luckily the people who were there did not know exactly who the baby Juminem was carrying. So that they do not touch the little boy who calls the mamah. They continued to sing praising prayers.

    But for Babah Ho and his wife, must know the baby, namely Melian.Then he saw there was a village woman holding a baby towards him, the grandparent immediately stared and confirmed the boy that Juminem was carrying. His hand immediately stopped pointing at the baby, looking up.

    "May May ...?!" Babah Ho had already stepped out to hold the baby in the sling.

    "Sampeyan what Babah Ho ...?" asked Jamil who had faced the old man.

    "Haiya .., yes ..., yes ..., yes .... Owe the papa Lan Lan .... Her grandfather May May .... Hiya ..., is this your granddaughter .... May May ..." Babah Ho told Jamil.

    Babah Ho's wife is already holding a baby held by Juminem. Although silent, not talking, the woman's grandmother from the baby immediately asked from Juminem's sling.

    Juminem did not refuse. He immediately untied the carrying cloth and gave the baby that his grandmother asked for.

    Babah Ho's wife was very wise. He did not want to fuss in front of the mourners. Don't want to be crowded in front of the body of his son. While carrying his grandson, the woman dragged Juminem into her room. Sure Juminem's a little freaked out. Will be accused of being a baby kidnapper. So Juminem dragged her husband's hand.

    "Kang, I'm afraid ..." whispered Juminem to her husband.

    Jamil immediately obeyed his wife. He accompanied Juminem who was invited into the room by the woman who owned the house. So did Babah Ho, who entered the room.

    Once in the room, Babah Ho's wife immediately asked Juminem and Jamil, "You have kidnapped my granddaughter, yes ...?!!" the woman's voice was snuffed.

    "Sorry, Nyah .... I didn't kidnap ..." Juminem said.

    "Sorry, Babah Ho .... Sorry, Nyah ..., we didn't kidnap this kid ...." Jamil confirmed his wife's words.

    "Haiya, Mamah .., you do not sulk so.... ask first baek-baek .... Hiya .., ask this olang meet our grandchildren and where do they do this ..." said Babah Ho pacify his wife.

    "Sorry, Babah Ho .... Sorry, Nyah .... We didn't kidnap. There was a big tall dashing boy who was carrying this baby. As soon as we met, this baby was given to my wife, she immediately ran away on the bus .... We can't go after him. We don't know whose child this is .... Confused, so I brought it first. Twerus we find out, this baby whose son .... Said the neighbors and friends, whose son was kidnapped it was Cik Lan, his grandson Babah Ho .... That's why I brought you here, who knows. I'm also not sure ..., lha wong my home is far he.." explains Jamil who certainly does not want to be considered a kidnapper.

    "Haiyah .... You've already met granddaughter owe ..." said Babah Ho again.

    "If I kidnap, this child is not possible for me to take you here, Nyah ..." said Juminem who began to dare to answer.

    "Yes right .... If we kidnap, I can't bring it back here. We were confused whose child this baby was. Until we don't work because we find out the parents of this baby ..." added Jamil explained.

    "That's so ...?!" ask the woman owner of the house again, of course want to emphasize.

    "Rubber, Nyah .... Oath ...!" jamil.

    "Yes, already .... We want to pray for Me Me's mother first. There, you are sitting in the guest seats of the mourners." said the woman, who will certainly return to the maisong place.

    Juminem and Jamil came out, and immediately looked for an empty iron chair, in the courtyard of Babah Ho's house. Sit on the back side close to the road. Babah Ho and his wife, who had been carrying his grandson, returned to the shrine.

    However, when he returned near the coffin, Melian, the granddaughter he carried, slumped. Get down from the sling. His grandmother had no power to hold his granddaughter. Melian had already slipped out of her grip. Melian crawled on the sidelines of the people who prayed, the people who surrounded Cik Lan's coffin. Melian crawled towards her mother's coffin.

    "Ma .., Ma .... Ma .., Ma ..." The little baby was already holding his mother's coffin, calling.

    Of course the incident shocked the people who surrounded the coffin. Yes, because Melian Cik Lan's son who was reportedly missing was kidnapped by people, is now on the edge of his mother's coffin, while calling his mother who was lying lifeless.

    Spontaneously one of the women who was asked to pray, brother Cik Lan, he knew and immediately raised Melian while shouting, "Me Me ...!! Melian ...!!!"

    The people around him were shocked. They were wide-eyed, looking at the baby that the woman was holding up.

    "Melian ...?!"

    "Sir Ms Lan ...?!"

    "Huh ...?!"

    "The boy came home ...?!"

    The prayer request was somewhat disturbed, due to the appearance of Melian who was reportedly kidnapped. So also the mourners in the court, who sat in the iron chair. As soon as they found out that Cik Lan's son was in the coffin, they immediately stood up wanting to witness. They are also confused and confused.

    Cik Lan's sister's carrying Melian. He then led the baby to the coffin, to show it to his mother.

    "Ma .., Ma .... Ma ..., Ma ..." Again, Melian called her mother.

    "Yes .., that's Mamah Me Me .... Pray that Mamah is calm in nature, yes ..." said the woman carrying Melian.

    "Ma .., Ma .... Ma ..., Ma ...." Melian called her mother, showing her hands towards her mother.

    "Yes ... we pray, yes ..." said the woman carrying Melian.

    The people who witnessed it, were certainly astonished and confused. Of course, pity too. The baby returned after his mother died, when there was a maisong ceremony, a sign that his mother would return to the afterlife. And now, Melian's an orphan. I have no father and no mother.

    The maisong ceremony was resumed, after being stopped for a moment due to the appearance of Melian. Till night. Even Cik Lan's family and brothers, continued to burn papers to guard the corpse to go to the door of nirvana.

*******

    For Jamil and Juminem, who did not know the manner of the maisong, then after the intention of returning the baby was completed, after he sat for a moment in the chair between the mourners, he said, the two of them rushed home immediately. Understandably his house is quite far in the countryside if the night is dark and quiet. Jamil was shaking Juminem, his wife, on a slow motorbike. Of course with his own mind. But actually, the mind of the husband and wife is the same, if he had a beautiful child like Melian.

    Without feeling, Jamil has turned his blind motorbike into the yard. And stopped at his doorstep.

    "It has ..., come down ..." Jamil said to his wife.

    "Yes, Kang ..." - Juminem.

    "This is the key .... Please open the door" Jamil said again, giving the house keys.

    Juminem opened the door.

    "Kang ....??!!!" Juminem screams in shock.

    "What's up ...?!" Jamil shouted to know what happened.

    "Look, Kang ...!!!" Juminem is still standing in the middle of the door he just opened.

    "Hah ...???!!!" Jamil who immediately approached his wife, was also shocked when he arrived at the door.