The Ghost Writers
Fort Vredeburg Museum*

The father who seemed enthusiastic about my story, made this heart become moved by it. Rarely does anyone want to hear someone's life story.

I'm so grateful that you and Robby's family members have been so kind to me. I won't waste their attention and I'll return as best I can as long as I live.

"Mm, after that, huh? So ...."

Theatre Training in School Hall. 10 years ago.

We speak Indonesian mixed Javanese. Translation.

"Our vocals! The loud!" the decree was written when asking all theater players who would race to run around the hall while shouting 'A-I-U-E-O' continuously.

I see the purpose and purpose of Mas Write from this exercise. So that the ability of the lungs can synergize with stomach and throat breathing when forced to move while talking.

Yep. Given the script that will be staged about an ancient royal war in the land of Java, all players will certainly do dialogue with a lot of shouting while doing movements like acrobatic.

I really want to be a part of that player. I tried it once, but failed because it turns out my physique is not capable of doing all that.

Most theater performers take part in other extracurriculars such as swimming, dancing, choir, taekwondo, and basketball. So, physical and breathing techniques are things that can be said to be easy to process for them.

It's just, theater. Role art in expressing a sentence and dialogue to be conveyed so that the audience is carried away with the feeling and atmosphere as if they were there. For me, it's a hard thing. I was so impressed with the stage players.

Finally, a thrilling moment arrived. The players who had been chosen by Mas Tulis as characters in my script began to memorize the dialogue following his expression.

I can see their lips move where this time, memory becomes the main point so as not to be mistaken in speaking and conveying information from the story itself.

"Fifteen more minutes and we'll do the first try. Gather all your flip-flops!" shouted Mas Write which made the faces of all the players pale including me.

Yes, the flip-flops is a powerful weapon deadly Mas Tulis which he used to provide hard education for his students.

The slippers will float when the player concerned makes a mistake. Of course, who wants to be thrown in sandals?

I helped collect those slippers for being an assistant to Mas Tulis.

He has shown a fierce face even though in terms of physical, Mas Tulis is short. In fact, I am taller than him.

However, do not ask about his achievements until he can become a theater teacher. Who is an art person in Indonesia who does not know his name?

"Well, your teacher whose name is written must be a great person," said the father looks amazed.

"Yes, Sir. Erratic, but he can be said to be like a scholar in the field of art. Especially the theater. Although Alia never took the stage, but ... when you read the work of Alia, do you feel like being the character?" I just stared at him. Father nodded quickly. "That's what Alia learned, sir. Alia observed the expressions of the theater performers, then described them. Such as, chin-backed, forehead crinkled, eyes sharpened, jaw hardened, and others. It may seem trivial, but when we read and express it, it will make the taste of greget more real" I explained.

Suddenly, my smile grew. He nodded looking like he was happy about something, but it was not said.

"Okay, what was it after. You're curious," pinta he who makes me so excited to continue the story.

Mas Tulis held one of the flip-flops in his right hand grip as he observed the theater performers practicing my script.

Honestly, I panicked for fear that they were wrong. I could see my friends' faces were tense and so serious. Yes, it is reasonable due to role demands.

But usually, it happens at the beginning only because of the adjustment. But when they had mastered it, it was as if those complicated sentences were already out of their heads. That's the moment I'm waiting for when I'm performing.

Suddenly, DUAK!

"Aghhh!" moaning one of the female players when getting a throw of sandals from Mas Tulis.

Honestly, I don't know what's wrong because to me, he didn't do anything wrong. Practically, the exercise stopped instantly.

"Don't dumbass! When your friends are having a dialogue, you have to keep your expression. Don't even richly listen to the audience. You're one of the players, not a statue, not a display! Show expression!" shouted Mas Tulis blaring that made the atmosphere even more gripping amid the debate dialogue.

"Yes, Mas. Sorry," replied the player while taking the flip-flops and returning them to Mas Tulis.

It felt like my breath was tight, and I was sure my face must have been pale. All the players started to catch their breath again. They seem to have gotten used to being depressed during training.

But make no mistake. After the performance ended, all the heartache, upset, angry, it will disappear when we gather in one of the angkringan subscriptions as a form of thanksgiving for successfully performing.

Although usually, Mas Tulis still gives a lot of advice to his students so as not to fall asleep with victory, or popularity. Hem, that teaching is very good and deserves to be imitated.

Finally, that thrilling moment arrived. Every school that will participate in the national championship has been packed the territory of Fort Vredeburg in Yogyakarta.

ILLUSTRATIONS. SOURCE: kemdikbud.go.id

We were given a special room to change costumes, dress up, and store all the equipment in the fort including the other performers.

Honestly, I have never seen such a dense atmosphere today in the historic fortress of Yogyakarta.

Although indeed, this place is often used for an event, but never this crowded.

"All ready. It's our turn soon!" say Mas Tulis that makes the theater players either music or roles immediately prepare themselves.

All the artificial properties of wood, bamboo, plywood, cork, and nicely decorated paper make the players in my story look so totality to show their respective abilities.

"Everything's gathered!" call the theater chairman of one of the senior students to join hands together, and I join the circle.

We look tense. I saw the head of the theater seem to be focused on the content of his speech.

"Don't use pleasantries. We came to prove ourselves. We struggled so hard to get here. Let's show you that we're a solid, tough group. Winning is a gift, if we lose we have to train even harder to become champions. Everyone, the spirit wins!" he shouted by raising his two hands above the ones that were already holding hands with other players.

"Passion wins!" yelled everyone including me who was on fire to show themselves.

We came out together heading backstage where we were given a 10-minute break for the next group to prepare.

I saw the previous group already giving a sign of respect by bowing towards the audience and the judges.

Next, the stage curtain closed. In fact, it was not me who went up there, but my heart seemed to explode.

I saw the friends of the property section swiftly go up on stage and arrange the set of decorations to strengthen the atmosphere of the staging.

I see the players discussing each other like wanting to solidify something before performing.

The music players swiftly sit on the right side where they will accompany the players while playing the drama using gamelan model music.

ILLUSTRATIONS. SOURCE: republika.com

Before long, the spotlight was on three dancers who entered the stage to show their abilities in traditional dance.

After that, there was a sound of laughter behind the dancers, the players who became the higher-ups of a kingdom in Java.

Really, I never thought if their acting was so good even more than when training. They are totality as if they were kings.

Vanity, an aura that shows power, is evident from the way they speak and express themselves like ruthless leaders.

I saw the audience and the judges fixated on my comrades' acting as they began to dialogue like the script.

Until suddenly, the party turned into a disaster when rebel groups came with keris, spears, and arrows to destroy the party to bring down the king known as the oppressor of the people.

"Capture the King and be fair!" shouted one of the rebel leaders loudly.

Honestly, my legs feel stiff like they're in cement. I see war in a theatrical style not like an action movie.

However, it does not reduce the sense of greget to watch even like, my eyes do not blink.

"Woah, so they fought on stage? That war?" suddenly asked me for a comment.

"Yes, Sir. That Alia had participated in helping when pretending to be a spectator during practice. Alia was forced to lie to friends by saying, 'The fight is not so. Here is written the chief of the rebels smoothing keris towards the King's bodyguard, but it can be deflected'. Alia then gave an example to them even though the style of Alia is also arguably less good. But thank God, the cement on understand because Mas Tulis already give a message first to those who say, 'Whatever corrected by Alia, wrote, that I have agreed because this script has been written by Mas Write talked seriously by Alia. Do not argue and do not mgeyel or Mas Write throw in sandals!'. Yes, more or less so, sir. So the performance this time was really like Alia wanted," I replied with a smile.

Again, my face shone. Before long, the snacks came according to the order of the Father. With sprightly, Mr. sipping tubruk tea and then plucking klepon that looks like Bibi bought in front because usually, the front stall of the house provides klepon.

"Lanjutin, continuedin," pinta Pak enthusiast while chewing klepon.

Kulrik Pelangi is still exciting to play and occasionally drink milk in a bottle using a straw nearby.

Bibi is very sensitive to provide rainbow favorite drinks so that my son is not thirsty when engrossed in his world.

"Then ...," I connected.

Scene after scene is played nicely by the players. The blaring music and supporting decorations, practically hypnotized me when I had memorized the plot, but I was like watching a new show.

Scroll the audience and the jury again were so focused on watching the show. Until finally, at the end I deliberately made sad with the regret of the King when I knew the reason the empress died because she was disappointed with him.

The king, who had darkened his eyes and blamed the death of his wife on the outcast prince, made him realize that it was all his fault to think only of power.

"Open the King" said the Prince when he met his father where he had been living outside the kingdom as a commoner and participated in the rebellion.

The king fell to his knees before the child. He used his two knees while staring at the child with eyes glued.

"You're alive .. You're a big one ... Father ... I have abandoned you and forgotten you, son," said the King with trembling hands as he reached for his son's hand.

The Prince lowered his body and now knelt down in front of the King.

"Stop this, sire, if you're really sorry and still love me. Vijaya will return to the palace of Paduka origin back to be a wise King as when the Queen Mother was still alive. Vijaya knew that his Majesty was sad and blamed the people because they were venting anger at Mother. He also blamed the servant for being considered the unlucky child of the disaster bearer. However, Mother deliberately sacrificed herself at that time so that the people would no longer fight against Her Majesty. The Queen's mother gave all her property to the people and Vijaya helped as an apology because the Majesty spent the people's money to fight" said the prince who said softly to his father who was known to be cruel.

The King cried with his eyes closed. The prince hugged his father with a smile.

The rebels and the royal guards began to show a face where true happiness began to emerge as the conflict ended towards closure.

Eventually, the Prince gained the throne to replace the Father as King.

People who already know Vijaya, make them believe and rejoice because they believe that the new King will provide change and prosperity for his people.

After that, a loud applause was heard in unison following a whistle that showed that the audience was satisfied with the story.

The players who were originally fierce-faced due to the demands of the role began to show charming smiles during the closing. The players on the stage waved hands then bowed respectfully.

The curtain closed again and I saw my friends coming off the stage carrying the following decoration equipment and musical instruments.

"Congratulations. You guys are so cool" I said, shaking their hands one by one.

"The story is cool. I'm sure we'll win!" answer the male player who became the Prince.

"Amen! Amen!" the other theater members replied as they queued to get off the stage.

Honestly, even though they do not know if the script is my work, but it has been able to make my heart happy.

Until finally, the reading of the staging champion is done at night as well as the delivery of prizes.

We who took the time to go back to school to store all the equipment, eat together, shower and change clothes, that night we were impatient to know who the champion was.

"certainly win! What champion?" ask me, impatient.

I chuckled at the expression of him who until unconscious if the grated coconut pulp until stuck in the beard of the Father.

"Sound one, sir," I replied with a smile.

"Haha! I am sure that champion one. There's no picture?" ask the father who made me sad. I nodded with a pouting face. "It's a pity" he said, looking sad.

"Em, but as Alia remembers there is still a charter of appreciation, and a certificate stored in the school. Maybe if you go to school to see evidence of the victory," I replied while remembering the events of the past.

"Must go to Jogja, right? Sometimes if it's a picnic together, we take to go to your school and meet with the Mas Tulis. You can be like this thanks to him. Maybe, Mas Tulis already know that you finally become a writer," said the father who made me immediately jolted because it was just thought of it.

"It is, sir. Later Alia find out the existence of Mas Tulis. Hopefully still healthy wal afiat," answered me who was impatient to know the condition of my theater teacher.

"Amen. Healthy, healthy!" answer my father with a smile.

***

ILLUSTRATIONS. SOURCE: GOOGLE

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