FROM ANOTHER WORLD To You (A Mystery Short Story Collection ) - The Second Book
Chapter 7: Breaking through the Aisle of Space and Time (seventh round )
07. Meeting and Farewell
That afternoon, SD Negeri 1 Banyuwangi, where Maribeth and Wiguna attended school was shocked by the appearance of a tall creature, hairy black and wearing a school uniform. The creature was hunted by teachers and school employees, the children were repatriated earlier than usual. Teachers and employees checked all the rooms, checking every inch of land around the school. However, the creature was not seen, the search lasted until the afternoon.
When all the students came home, only Maribeth remained at the school until Mr. Rusli, the Headmaster rebuked him.
“All your friends are home. Why are you still here ? Do you not know that today the school is stirred by the figure of a strange creature and everyone is looking for it ? If anything happens to you, how do we account for it to your parents?”
“My brother, Wiguna, hasn't come home yet. If he doesn't come home, I can get angry with my parents,”
“Maybe he's home. Go home first, if you're not home yet you can go back to school with your parents, son. If you're still here, I'm worried that it's harming you,”
“My sister hasn't come home yet. I'm sure it is. At least it can help,”
“As far as you are, if there is anything to you. The school will not be responsible. Clearly, you are not far from us.”
Maribeth nodded, then walked along with Mr. Rusli who had joined the other teachers. Finally, they arrived at the library. A pair of Maribeth's eyes moved sweeping to every corner of the room. The old books are dusty, arranged carelessly in the black painted bookshelves and are 3 times the height of adults in general. The shelves stood in rows, like a giant army in an open field. Almost the entire dusty shelf was covered by cobwebs of various sizes, some moving slowly as the maker walked on top of them, some moved up and down as afternoon air blew in through the air holes as well as when the doors of the room were opened.
Upon entering the library room, everyone was treated to a musty smell and bristling hair, because, since the school was standing, this room is what people rarely enter. It was said that the senior teachers thought that the room was a room where the refined beings gathered. On Maribeth's side, the boy closed his eyes when he saw the figure of a broken-faced woman, covered in blood and dressed in white, standing at the end of the room which was a podium * (large pulpit, place of speech).
Maribeth peeked out from between her fingers, hoping that Wiguna would be there too despite the fear running all over her body. Wiguna was not there, he then turned his attention to the row of pitch black bookshelves and on the shelf next to the end, he saw a large black and hairy tall figure sitting there. Besides the figure there is another figure, he was wearing the uniform alma mater SD Negeri 1 Banyuwangi. He is Wiguna, his foster brother.
Because the Library Room was spacious, the teachers split up and Maribeth chose to stand in the doorway as suggested by Mr. Rusli. Seeing Maribeth standing alone, Wiguna carefully went down the shelf on which he was sitting and as soon as his foot stepped on the floor, he immediately ran over to Maribeth.
“Kak, why is sister here ? What happened ?” maribeth asked in a soft tone.
“You know, if people knew my true form, they would either be scared or might kill me. I myself do not know why this morning my body is overgrown with black and dense feathers like this,”
“Kak, we'd better go home now. Tell everything to Grandpa Ladoyo and Grandma Karmila,”
“Good. Maybe I won't be able to go to school here after today.”.
“Kak, come out first, lest the teachers know, the creature is you..”.
Wiguna nodded, at that moment his body flashed and disappeared among the thick bushes growing around the school. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Rusli appeared followed by other teachers, “Well, our search stopped first. Tomorrow try to be mediocre,” he said while hinting to get everyone out of the Library room. Shortly before everyone left, Mr. Rusli's ears caught a sound like the floor was being hit by a loud object, as soon as he turned his attention to where it was coming from, he saw nothing. However, Maribeth knew what was happening. A body wrapped in a white shroud, moving towards the entrance by jumping up and down, when the door was closed, the voice could no longer be heard.
***
Maribeth sat in the middle room of the House of Alas Purwo, he sat next to Karmila who was sleeping Lita, while, Wiguna explained what happened to him. In his explanation, Wiguna recounted that, while at school there were some children from the 6th class who were teasing 4th grade girls. Feeling sorry for the boy Wiguna defended him, it was unexpected that the 6th graders invited him to a fight. Wiguna refused, until finally ridiculed all-out, until he had to receive their punches and kicks. When beaten all out, suddenly, the surface of the skin of the face, hands and feet even all over his body grew black and dense hair. Wiguna desperately hid it by running to the restroom. Damn, he collided with Bu Nur, until the body of the female teacher was bent backward.
A commotion immediately ensued, the cries of strange creatures coming out of Bu Nur's mouth were heard by the other teachers. A moment of pursuit occurred, while, the students were sent home early. The chase ended in the library. It was there that he met Maribeth, with the help of Maribeth, that he was able to return home safely. Wiguna ended his story, his face looked cute as if there was no more spirit in him.
Ki Ladoyo let out a long sigh, “Hmm.. In fact, this won't happen if you can hold back,” he said. Stunned Wiguna, “I mean Grandpa, I should just shut up to see someone treated like that ?” tanyakanya.
“You could have reported it to the teachers. No need for you to intervene,” said Ki Ladoyo, “If it is like this, it is difficult for you to go back to school there,”
“I mean grandpa, Wiguna sister has to change schools?” ask Maribeth, “Kakak is already in 6th grade, soon the class exam will begin. If you change schools, do not you have to repeat all the lessons given by the teachers during this time ?” continued.
“It is Wiguna risk. With this he can get a lesson that, should not interfere in such foolish matters again,” Ki Ladoyo said.
Ki Ladoyo's decision was reasonable, although many people opposed, however, it was all for the good and the future of Wiguna. Wiguna often move schools for different reasons. Everything, is for the sake of keeping the identity of Wiguna, and only certain people know it.. Lucky Wiguna is an intelligent child, so there is no need to repeat all the subject matter that has been taught by his teachers. He always went to class with a very special grade.
Similarly with Maribeth; after the incident experienced by his adoptive brother Wiguna, he became the subject of conversation of people in SD Negeri I Banyuwangi. Many children say that ‘ia is a strange child’, ‘have a brother stealth’, also hurtful words. Actually, he was eager to change schools, but, Sulastri and Alas Purwo family tried to raise his heart, even Wiguna was eager to teach the children who hurt and nosy to him.
That afternoon, after school, Maribeth visited Wiguna's house. After searching here and there, Maribeth found Wiguna sitting alone in a banyan tree growing in the backyard. His pair of eyes stared straight ahead, where a vast expanse of green rice fields stretched out before him. Maribeth's cry broke the Viguna's daydream, the young man hurriedly turned his head. The young man's body skipped lightly from one branch to another, occasionally grabbing onto the wildly irregularly hanging roots.
A moment later Wiguna was already standing before Maribeth. “How can sister get up there ? What do you see ?” ask Maribeth. Wiguna smiled, then he carried Maribeth's body and took her to the place where he had been sitting. Maribeth closed his eyes because he did not like heights. “Open your eyes, look, I found a beautiful friend to relieve boredom,” Wiguna said.
Slowly Maribeth opened her eyes, and what she saw really amazed her, for life, he only saw a lot of boring scenery is also terrible because he accidentally met the figures of strange and terrible creatures. However, the scene he was now seeing really made his heart happy. For a moment they both enjoyed the natural scenery presented by the Almighty, everything that had happened in the past seemed to be forgotten just like that.
A few moments later, Wiguna looked at Maribeth who was still admiring the natural beauty that was in front of him, his face looked very tangled, now beaming. Although she was 10 years old, she looked beautiful and sweet, Wiguna really loved her like a sibling herself, whatever her sister felt, she felt it too. Maribeth's arrival must be related to the problems faced in his school, “Maribeth, this time there is a problem what in your school ?” tanyakanya.
Maribeth turned his head and a moment later bowed his head, “After the sister moved school, they (Adi, January, Bobby, Nadya, and Abel) still played Emil. Mr. Rusli seems to have let that happen. It seems, he is very afraid of their family, especially Bobby who is an influential person in this city,” he explained. Wiguna let out a long sigh, “Indeed Bobby is the son of the most influential person here, to the extent that the teachers did not dare to act decisively on them. Um, you still remember the library room, don't you?” tanyakanya.
Maribeth nodded slowly, “What's with that space, brother ? I dare not come there alone let alone there is a broken and horrible-looking woman standing on the podium,”
Wiguna smiled, “Well, I know. It is not just one or two creatures that live there, a lot of them. But, I was friends with some of them, and I told them to look after and protect you. If need be they can be friends with you,”
“Who are they ?” ask Maribeth to be curious.
“The horrible-looking woman was named Rukmini, despite having a badly damaged face she was actually good. Then the shrouded figure that people call the pocong is a garden pack who used to work at that school. Name, Slamet. And, there's so much more. I can't name them one by one. Besides that there are still more, some figures of small children who lived in the Dutch era. They will protect and protect you. Later you can get acquainted and be friends with them,” explained Wiguna.
Maribeth fell silent, saying nothing but to turn his gaze to the vast expanse of green rice fields before him. He closed his eyes, his feeling was very calm. Soon he inhaled the air around and filled his chest cavity. Fresh and cold. He did that many times and everything that happened at school this afternoon was completely forgotten. Since then, Maribeth has spent time there with Wiguna. However, if his foster brother is not there where he sits alone there.
As time went on, little Maribeth grew into a beautiful girl. Whatever was experienced while still SD bitter, sweet, joy and sorrow with his adopted brother Wiguna made herself as an independent girl. Until he was 13, he had to accept the fact that the Alas Purwo family, had to return to where they came from. This event made him devastated, having to part with Wiguna who had been comforting him when sad, helping him wake up when he fell down and give him spirit. Therefore, when alone, he always sang the song TONIGHT’S SO COLD, which was intended for his brother Wiguna. Here are the lyrics of the song :
First time I saw you standing there
I felt a magic in the air
You simply ordered me to stay
"Tonight I need your love"
And now I need you more and more
Take a look in my eyes
You'll see love's been hurt
Tonight's so cold inside my room
I close my eyes and feel blue
I talk with shadows on the wall
They know that I still wait for you
Tonight's so cold inside my room
I close my eyes and feel blue
I talk with shadows on the wall
Tonight's so cold inside my room
And now I sit here by the phone
Why don't you call? I'm here alone
I hear some footsteps on the floor
But it's the neighbor locked his door
"Tonight I need your love"
And now I'm crying in the dark
Oh I wish you were here
To heal the pain in my heart
Tonight's so cold inside my room
I close my eyes and feel blue
I talk with shadows on the wall
They know that I still wait for you
Tonight's so cold inside my room
I close my eyes and feel blue
I talk with shadows on the wall
Tonight's so cold inside my room
Maybe someday you'll be free
Take all your dreams you can share with me
I know together we'll be strong
No more sadness, no more years
Tonight's so cold inside my room
I close my eyes and feel blue
I talk with shadows on the wall
They know that I still wait for you
...__________...
^^^(06 October 2017 )^^^