The House 1937's
20. Night Behind the House

Herman is now being disturbed in his store, observing the front of the store that tends to be quiet, and, then he stepped out of his shop and looked to the right and left as long as his eyes looked was a market complex that is usually very crowded buyers when the weekend comes. My father from inside his shop saw his friend who was roaring like that, finally woke up from his seat and took the initiative to approach Herman who immediately looked at the papa who approached him.

"Remain you wailing so?, if you want to rame wait two more days.", Papaku half-joking but not with Herman who instead looked at him flat.

"Why do you?, even diem aja.??", My father scratched his head that does not itch.

"Jun, Alin belom yes sama lu.", Herman began to put on a little serious face and papa just furrowed his eyebrows, not understanding what the meaning of his best friend is.

"Oh...gua tau, yesterday you Dateng came home to meet the Alin right?, how?, smoothly ga?, it doesn't feel believe ade I want to be with you...", My father half teased Herman who even put on a pouty face.

"Oh Alin belom the story yes.", Herman immediately concluded seeing the reaction papa who even joked teasing him.

"What's the story about?, how do you look so serious..", Papa just remembered he had not met and interacted with my aunt yesterday because he was tired after his activities all day in this market and he had opened this shop early this morning to tidying up the stock of his merchandise that just arrived at his shop yesterday.

Herman exhaled slowly, and finally he began to tell in detail the events he experienced when he came to his house to meet my aunt yesterday. Papa could only shut up and sigh at what his best friend had said.

"In fact, about the house the cave has already told Enah to sell it just keep looking for a new house.., but Enah cave does not want.", Papa responded to Herman's story while folding his elbow, papa, he really wants to sell the house that he thinks is not conducive to human habitation.

"Why?", Herman was a little curious, wanting to hear more about the house.

"The house was already there from the time of Kong Co (Sembutan for my great-grandfather among Chinese peranakan) from Babah. You don't want to sell because it's a legacy and a memento of Babah.", Papaku explained briefly to Herman because that's all he knew.

"Why yourself?, have you ever done anything there?", asked Herman whose mind was speculating what terrible events should papa have experienced during his stay in the terrible house.

"Some of the heck.., just what makes me keinget really fit still small.", Papa again sighed because he had to remember the terrible thing he had forgotten long ago.

********

In the afternoon, little Jun was enjoying his activity that was hunting worms in the land behind the house. With a besek made of woven bamboo and a stick twig long enough he ran merrily to the vast back land after he had previously whined at Enah to ask his permission to enter the this land. Previously, Enah had forbidden him to go to the empty land behind because in the empty land there are many snakes that nest there, Enah was afraid if Jun was not careful and even pecked at the snake. Babah who saw his wife finally approached them both, then allowed his son to hunt worms in the land as long as he was careful and had to arrive home before the Maghreb arrived.

"Why do you take the worm behind Jun?", asked Babah and then glanced at the besek and twig that was already in his hand.

"Make Bah fishing", replied Jun and then showed the two objects he held in his hand. While Enah just shook her head with a worried look.

"Mo fishing where are you?", asked Babah a little riled, if it was in Empang which is in the empty land, obviously Babah did not allow him to remember how big and deep the Empang was. He remembered three days ago there was a goat that fared ill-fated to die in the Empang with conditions that had turned blue and half rotted.

" Tomorrow Bah at Empang Deket the house of Togar Bah, later fishing with Chian Lan....", Jun's memories immediately turned to his two friends and he promised to bring a lot of worms for their fishing event later. Babah had already seen the friend of his son and did not mind him as long as they did not fish in the rear Empang.

"Yes Bah.", Jun replied cheerfully but not with Enah who still looked worried.

"Love gapapa, he rarely goes back" Babah said briefly to his wife not to worry too much.

Finally Jun passed through the side door of the kitchen and half ran towards the empty land while watching his steps carefully, afraid there was a snake that accidentally passed nearby considering how dense the wild plants that grew in this land, not to mention the trees that were quite large in size there. Jun stepped slowly past the rice warehouse and he decided to look for worms near the warehouse. He began to scrape the soil with his wooden stick and found several worms of various sizes and he put his hunting worms into a besek with a little soil into it. So busy looking for worms, Jun forgot the time and has been seen in the sky reddish with the sun that has been in the western horizon. Jun who had already finished taking the worm and realized that it was already afternoon soon rose from his crouching position. He held onto his besek which he had previously tied with a hemp rope, as soon as he prepared to leave the place, his gaze suddenly turned towards the coconut tree lined not far from where he was standing. Somehow Jun felt something strange about the coconut trees and was shocked to see one of them moving. Strange moves like trying to step slowly and it is not a coconut tree, looks a strange figure creepy with a tall and tall body that matches a coconut tree and grinning sharply towards it. His thin hands and fingers were horrifying like tree branches with long nails and pointed looks. His gaze was extremely sharp seeing Jun who was fixated with a cold sweaty face resisting fear. Jun took a short breath and tried to recall the sacred spells Babah had taught him. Jun started to back his legs to square off to take a thousand steps. And the figure accelerated and Jun immediately ran off the ridge with besek in his arms. He was so frightened that he recited the holy spells hard enough with his running footsteps getting faster. With his stride still running he finally arrived at the part with the house with trembling legs and half holding back the cries. It turns out there is already Babah and Enah with Babah who put on an annoyed expression and Enah who put on an expression of fear as well as worry, seeing her son has approached this front porch, which is very close to the front porch, Babah immediately pulled Jun before him and rebuked Jun who was already trembling in fear and crying.

"What time is Jun?, say not until the Maghrib is behind.??!!", Babah held tightly onto Jun's shoulders who just lowered his head and shook his head slowly with a still-sounding sob.

"Lu why is Jun?, why is it so crying??", Enah immediately stroked Babah's shoulders, because she was afraid that her husband would hit Jun who still looked scared and trembling. He held the besek in Jun's hand in a long bale on the porch, then stroked Jun's shoulder to calm him down so as not to cry anymore.

"Jun was afraid Nah..,", Jun wiped his tears that made his face even dirty exposed to the ground due to his worm-seeking activities earlier.

"Lu see what it is.?", You're increasingly worried about seeing his son's stuffing.

"There are women serem harem high rich coconut trees Well, really serem. He richly wants to catch Jun Nah.", Slowly he will Jun swallow and disappear, only his voice a little hoarse because of crying.

Enah was stunned by his son's explanation, and Babah whispered something to Enah.

"it's Wewe Gombel, Ong...."

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Hi..hai..para Readers.

I say thank you for stopping by my novel, do not forget the favorites, likes and comments yes let me be more excited for the up-dates.

For updates to the next chapter please be patient yes readers, because I am busy with one and other things so yesterday I updated 🙏🙏

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Mazukashina