Hidden In The Mist
Chapter 7 The Testament of Rome

That day the village where Herly lived became gloomy, crowded car parked in the yard of the big house of Ronggo Joyo Disastro Wardoyo.

The mourners soon arrived from neighboring villages, sub-districts, and district towns. Angga and friends, not one bit thought, that old old man they met last night, will die during the day.

Everyone was in mourning, the workers looked very lost. They cried as if they were the figure of a father, the immediate family of all the workers.

"Who exactly is this figure of the father, why do so many people come to worship, is he a person of honor, so that officials from the city continue to arrive?"

Angga kept a thousand questions in his heart. The young man immediately joined Herly to greet the bustling mourners coming from the city.

By the time of Magrib, no more guests from afar came to serve. They alternately looked at the bodies and sat in the middle room until full to the tent in the yard.

Those who had reached the large house of the Herly family, also did not go home immediately. After coming to visit some of the guests present, directly ushered to the empty rooms on the first and second floors. While some others choose to rest in the car, while waiting for the study event at the degree later tonight.

"Well, why don't these people go straight home, after they come to see you?"

"Was the father, the figure of an important person until, some officials from the district had to stay and stay over to pay their last respects?"

Ryo was quite astonished by the customs in the village. In Jakarta, people will go straight home after the service. No guests will stay, except close family.

Because of the astonishment of the village's customs, Ryo became impatient. The young man, immediately threw a question to Angga.

"Not so Yo, they didn't go back to the city, more because of the long distance, and the condition of the forest that we passed at that time."

"The forest is very haunted, especially there are no street lights. If anyone passes at night, it will certainly be very dangerous. Who knows what's in the woods?"

"That's the reason why they chose to stay, rather than go back to the city in the afternoon."

Angga answered Ryo's question, according to his experience. Based on the story he heard from the villagers when he refused to take him to the city, Angga knew there was something in the forest that the residents feared.

Ryo fell silent and sat docked at the wall. He felt that they were currently trapped in a haunted village.

"So this is the reason Yono drove his car so fast yesterday, it turns out that the forest we passed was haunted?"

Ryo was talking to himself. Out there, the villagers build additional tents to hold tahlilan events.

Right after the magrib prayer, live study in the degree. Everyone prayed for the late Father. After that the villagers immediately dispersed with food as a hand.

Angga and some guests from far away chose to chat until late at night. Cold air makes people sleepy. Yono was still outside to check on the state of the house.

One by one everyone began to fall asleep, leaving Angga alone. The young man could not close his eyes, even though he was tired. Angga was still worried about deciding, going or staying.

"What now, I can't bear to leave this house when the owner of the house is grieving."

"Or I should stay here last night again, until Herly's condition is better, and then I'm gone. He must be really hit right now."

Angga laid his body on the floor, and slowly he fell asleep on the floor with a thick carpet, along with other mourners who did not go to the bedroom.

The morning came, as usual the atmosphere of the village was still shrouded in mist, Herly descended from the third floor, towards the living room. He immediately woke up Angga to prepare.

"Wake up Ngga, it's six o'clock. Said you were going home today, right?"

Herly smiled, seeing Angga who was still lazy open her eyes. Angga immediately rubbed his face, and saw Herly who was touching his shoulder.

"I'm not going home today Her, we're going to finish the funeral procession, and then I'm going home."

Herly then sat down cross-legged, frowning her forehead. He stared strangely at Angga. Just yesterday, the handsome young man was very insistent on wanting to leave his house, but suddenly his plans changed now.

"If you change your mind again, just tell Yono. I told him to drive you home whenever you're ready, which is important not in the afternoon."

"Today I will fulfill the will of the father. Maybe we'll be very busy with the funeral, so I need you all to relax here. Make this house as comfortable as you guys."

After saying everything he needed to say. Herly immediately got up from her seat, then left Angga alone among the guests who were still asleep.

"You're right, don't go home?"

Meanwhile Herly was standing in the doorway. Together with Yasmin, she looks busy releasing the guests who are going home this morning.

A lawyer just arrived in a hearse. With him, there were two black cars filled with twelve burly men. They went straight inside, without greeting Angga and his friends.

"Good morning Herly, sorry to interrupt your activities. I came here to carry out my father's will, Herly."

"All of them, are the ones who will deliver the bodies of the romos, according to his message. Oh yes, Herly and his family are also not allowed to take the body of the father. It's enough that they go on to represent the family."

"Oh yes, this is a will from Romo, please learn first. Here is a list of property ownership, here is a certificate, and a bank account book that he prepared for you."

"But according to his will, before you receive all the treasures of the father, you must make a last rite."

"It was only then to bequeath the right to all assets, whether houses, land, or farms to villagers who could accept the burden of the ritual."

"After everything is done, you will inherit all the treasures that were left behind by the father."

"This is the order of procedure that Herly must do. If you understand, please sign the transfer of rights letter, and my work is done here.

Herly was silent staring at a lump of wills that the father left him. In Herly's mind, none of this made sense. He had a hard time digesting, why do we have to do the strange requirements, which to him was just nonsense.

"I need to study the contents of this will, Mr. lawyer, if I may leave everything here first. Later after I finish understanding it, you just take the file."

The lawyer nodded with a meaningful smile. Then twelve burly men who came with the lawyer were called into the house. Together with them two hearse officers participated in taking care of the bodies of the romos.

They were all then asked to sign a covenant letter, on stamp duty. After that, the lawyer explained their duties, while telling them that the payment had been completed was sent to their respective family accounts.

"Please contact your family, whatever is in the agreement, may you ask first, before agreeing to sign the letter."

"Darmo, you're the oldest, so I'll appoint you as the chairman of this funeral procession."

"Don't make a mistake, because I'll know everything you've done."

"If you want to cancel the agreement, now is the last time to back down. Think mature first, just sign the file."

"I wouldn't force, if one, or all of them wanted to back down."

After getting a directive from the Herly family lawyer, everyone contacted their families. Each directly inquire about the contents of the contract, and the payment money that has been promised.

They had exchanged views, before finally signing a letter of agreement offered by a lawyer. While Herly was only paying attention to the incident, with question marks on her mind.

"Is it true that Romo asked that all this be done?"

"But why would my romance have to get a lawyer to do all these ridiculous ideas?"

"I was the only child left, and now, Romo forbids his only son to perform the duties of a child, to a deceased parent. It's really weird, out of reason, totally absurd."

"When my mother and my mother died, she did not attend the funeral either. And now that I can't go to her funeral, what's going on?"

Herly approached the lawyer who was stuffing fourteen contract letters into his suitcase. The young man wanted to ask, why did all this have to be done?

"Sir lawyer, I'm sorry if I was a bit presumptuous to suspect you. But to be honest, I was wondering, is it true that my father asked you to do all this?"

The lawyer did not answer, knowing that Herly would ask this strange question. The lawyer then handed him a chocolate map, which contained his contract of employment with the father.

There is a clear point that must be done by the family lawyer, with a certain face value, and he must do according to the agreement in the contract.

"Father you know very well, if you will not be able to arrange all this. So he used my services, to represent Herly's mas doing all this."

Herly was stunned to see the contents of the working contest in her hands. Meanwhile, lawyers are asking the people they hire to work today.

Villagers along with a kyai, perform corpse prayers in the mosque, then deliver the bodies of the romos only until the hearse. Twelve men, who had been hired by lawyers, would take the coffin of the father to his final resting place in his native village.