DRAGON CARVED JADE BRACELET
Chapter 43: THE MYSTERY

    That night, the Grandmother invited Jamil and of course also Juminem. While holding Melian who felt like she did not want to be released.

    "I want to ask .... This baby is your son isn't it?" ask the grandmother who sounded scary.

    "No, Grandma .... We are just momong ..." replied Juminem directly as is, honest without cover-up.

    "Lantas, who are the parents of this child?" ask the grandmother again.

    "This child has no parents. He said his father was shot dead by police during a protest. His mother also died. We went to the grave at his mother's funeral. People call her mother Melian with the call of Ms. Lan, so Nek ..." replied Juminem again.

    "If his grandparents were still alive. People call him Babah Ho. They're the firemen at the Lasem Market." Jamil explains who his grandparents were.

    Grandma was silent. His gaze upward, sometimes his forehead wrinkled, as if he was remembering. Yeah, that mysterious woman must have something to keep secret.

    But of course Jamil is also confused, if you hear the story of Mr. Lurah, or the story of Mas Eko, everyone who came to buy this house, never suitable, never given. But why suddenly this house was given to Jamil just like that, even though it was as if in the eyes of Jamil and Juminem, the grandmother took a large package of money. Jamil actually had nothing. Is this an oddity that must always be experienced by him? Jamil can't think things that are beyond common sense.

    "Where is your house right now?" ask the grandmother to Jamil.

    "We don't have a home anymore. Last night, our house burned down .... I don't know why, all of a sudden the fire was on the roof of the house. I only had time to wake my wife and lift Melian, and bring the clothes we had taken. We ran away from home. Our entire property may have been burned. Importantly I, my wife and this child survived the raging fire that burned down the house" Jamil told his story.

    "Hemmm ..." Grandma Amah noticed Jamil's story.

    "Lucky we were helped by the cart driver. We were told to take the cart until we fell asleep. We knew we were on the porch of this house. I really didn't think at all, Nek ..." said Jamil who was certainly a bit scared.

    Again, Grandma Amah nodded, a sign of being able to accept Jamil's story. Juminem listened to her husband's story. Meanwhile, Melian had already closed her eyes on Grandma Oma's lap.

    "You know this jade bracelet?" suddenly the grandmother raised the hand of Melian who had fallen asleep, then showed the green bracelet to Jamil and Juminem.

    Jamil shook his head. The sign does not know. Indeed, all this time Jamil never noticed anything worn by Melian. His obligation is only to work to find money in order to buy rice and other kitchen needs. About the child, of course he resigned to Juminem.

    "Yes .... It's been worn since I met this baby ..." said Juminem who remembered the green bracelet.

    "It's not just a bracelet" said the grandmother.

    Indeed, after being noticed by Jamil and Juminem, the bracelet worn by Melian is not like the bracelets that are generally worn by village children. If the village children wear such bracelets, it is generally a plastic bracelet that is bought on the edge of the market at a cheap price. But the bracelet worn by Melian was not a plastic bracelet like the one worn by the village children. Initially, Juminem also considered that the bracelet was just a cheap plastic bracelet.

    Jamil and Juminem could only nod their heads, a sign that he was amazed by the bracelet that was coiled around his son's wrist.

    "This is called a liong bracelet. It was a jade bracelet carved by a dragon. Not everyone could wear a jade bracelet engraved with a dragon like this. Only a droplet can and does wear it. This bracelet has only one. And the one who was able to wear that dragon carved jade bracelet was only my father. But that morning, when I saw this baby wearing a lion's bracelet, it must have something to do with my father" said the Grandmother Amah.

    The grandmother was silent for a moment. Views soar. He recalled an old event, which was certainly when he was a child, when he saw the dragon-carved jade bracelet worn by his father.

    "The jade bracelet was actually one with a necklace bandol pendant. Both were worn by my mother. At first there were no dragon carvings. Only a smooth and shiny jade. At that time, during the celebration of Sin Cia, everything was lively, crowded and fun. The bracelet and pendant should have worn by my mother. But by the mother, the bracelet was removed from her arm, then worn to my father's arm. The necklace around my mother's neck was also removed and worn around my neck. It's the necklace, I still wear it and I can't get out of my neck. Yes, it was all actually a gift from our ancestors, as a symbol of the prosperity of the village led by my father. At the celebration of Sin Cia at that time the father staged liong barongsai, a barongsai dance that was enlivened by a dragon dance. Yes, the dragon or lion is believed by Chinese society to symbolize the strength, dignity, fertility, and wisdom it possesses. The appearance of a dragon did look terrifying and valiant. However, he still had a benevolent disposition. Dragons can bring good luck and well-being to society.  That is why, my father developed a lion barongsai here. Because of the famous liong-liong dance, then this area is also known as Kampung Naga, even until now" recalled the grandmother, remembering her childhood.

    "Sin Cia that time brought a sad story. The barongsai celebration that was originally crowded, turned into a power struggle. And unexpectedly, it turned out that there was a fire that immediately burned the Dragon Village. Everyone was running around to save themselves. But not a few residents of Kampung Naga who became victims. Liong-Liong creations of my father kept circling around this house, protecting us. At that time I was a kid. I was taken by my father to save myself. The fire continues to burn. The lion continued to protect us, until the fire was extinguished. And when the fire was extinguished, the liong-liong apparently had run out of energy. They're collapsing around this house. But something strange, when the father raised his hand, suddenly the liong-liong perished without a trace, becoming a puff of smoke. And the puff of smoke from the conch immediately flew up and fused with the jade bracelet that my father wore and the pendant that was on my necklace. And just then, the jade bracelet on my father's wrist changed into a dragon-like shape. Similarly lionting that is on my neck is also a kind of dragon carving. That's the story of the formation of jade bracelets and lionting carved with dragons." Grandma Amah's story is certainly very stressful for Jamil and Juminem.

    "Then, how's Grandma's mother?" ask Juminem who would like to know.

    "Yes .... All may be destined to be the same Almighty. My mother burned in the celebration of Sin Cia at that time" said the grandmother who would immediately mourn the old event.

    "Sorry, Mother .... We are saddened by the incident .." said Jamil who was certainly very sad, because he remembered his house burned by bad people.

    "Certain ..., where is Grandma's father now?" ask Juminem again.

    "I don't know .... Ever since then, I may have been frustrated. I was entrusted to someone else, my father went somewhere no one knew. That is why, when I saw this child wearing a dragon-carved jade bracelet, it must have been a close relationship with my father. But it's okay, at least I've found my brother. This child must be my brother." said the grandmother who assumed that Melian must have had a blood relationship with him.

    "Does Grandma want to find out where Grandma's dad is?" ask Jamil.

    "Tomorrow sometime, please take me to the grave of the child's mother .... Or else, I would like to meet Babah Ho in Lasem" said the grandmother, who asked Jamil for help.

    "Yes, Grandma .... Tomorrow Sunday I have no work holiday" said Jamil offering a day.

    "Don't tomorrow .... Your village is in a stir .... Another time if the atmosphere in your village is safe. In the meantime, do not travel outside the area first. You are safe here" said the grandmother who advised Jamil.

    Of course Jamil was confused by the words of the grandmother, how he knew the situation in his village.

    "Grandmother wants to go home .... There your son is put to a good sleep. Please take good care .." said the grandmother who immediately gave Melian to Juminem.

    "Grandma didn't sleep here ...? Where did Grandma go?" ask Jamil who certainly felt sorry for the grandmother.

    "Not necessary .... Grandma already has her own house .." replied the grandmother who immediately went out of the house.

    After putting his son to bed, Juminem rushed out, definitely want to go back to see the grandmother.

    "grandmother .... Grandma ...!" JUminem looked around for the old lady who had been chatting with him all night. But I did not find the grandmother.

    "Kang ..., where's Grandma going?" ask Juminem to her husband.

    "Would go home .... It just came out ..." replied her husband.

    Juminem went out of the house. He looked for his grandmother. But the grandmother no longer existed. The grandmother disappeared.

    "Nrank ...! Grandma is no more .... iki piye leh ...." Juminem is confused looking for the grandmother.