The Underwater Palace
Drowned

Downstream of the boat and then tares, the sound of the engine can be heard from a distance, too, when passing by he seemed to split the river to create a small wave that hit the poles of wooden houses on the river bank.

The cheers of small children began to be modest, the sound of splash and the joyful screams were clearly heard, I who live on the edge of the river would really like moments like this especially in the afternoon.

All the children around my house gathered to play or swim in the river, including me.

“Yes? Aya?” I heard the sound of my best friend from the door.

“Log in Ras,” I shouted from home.

“You're alone? Abah (Dad) where?” ask Laras.

“Again in the pond, feed me fish,”.

“Ras we swim yuk, others are already on the swim tuh behind,” invite me.

“I don't bring clothes Yes, later I'll be sent to Bang Iyan if I go home all my clothes wet” said Laras.

“Udah later you come home with my clothes how?” persuade me to let Laras swim in the river with me.

“OK! Come on,” Laras running towards the kitchen.

Coincidentally the river was behind my house, we headed to the river by walking on a long board that was deliberately made to go to the river, in the river also Abahku fish, fish, not only Abahku, some of my neighbors also eat some types of freshwater fish.

“Yes the river is again deep, we play on the edge,” said Laras while setting his feet slowly on a board made specifically to resemble a ladder.

“You scared? Then you just sit there, I want to swim first,” I said with confidence.

“You swim it don't get to the middle of danger!” exclamation Baras.

I started to climb up to the tree on the riverbank and then jumped and swam to the river bank, I did it over and over again while screaming in excitement

Byyuri! 

“Woooo! Come Ras, we jump from here!” I shouted at Laras.

The day was getting late, the blue sky was slowly turning orange, the other children had also returned to their respective homes but not with me. Apparently at that time the river was getting deeper the current was also getting faster, because of fatigue I could not swim to the side and slowly carried away by the current, Laras who saw it also shouted.

“Aya! Aya! Abah Aya drifting!” shout Laras.

Slowly I was carried away by the river, but I was still trying to swim against the current I also still heard the screams of Laras, because of panic Laras jumped and swam while holding on to the roots of mangrove trees on the edge of the river to save me.

“Aya! swim to the side! ” shouted Laras while extending his hand.

My body, which was still small, was unable to fight the current, I tried to reach Laras' hand until I was dragged into the middle of the river.

“Aya! Help u! Please!” yelled Laras while crying.

I drowned, I could only move my hands, I drank so much water that it filled all the space in my stomach, the water coming in through my nose made my eyes and head hurt until something was holding me back, I thought it was a log.

Strange thing happened, my body suddenly pushed even I could lift my head up until I could breathe.

My body continued to be pushed up to the river bank, I immediately grabbed the mangrove tree roots that were on the riverbank.

I looked back but there was no one, only a strange movement as well as some small vortexes in the water. I was confused as to who pushed me to the edge of the river.

With a trembling and pale body I tried to go up, Laras who saw me on the river bank immediately rose through the rows of tree roots and approached me.

“Yes you are okay?” he said while continuing to criticize.

“We go home! Already want magrib!” ask Laras while wiping his tears.

“Ya already, but you promise me that Laras does not tell Abah?” kataku.

“Iya I promise.”

Laras and I returned home, not forgetting I gave a change of clothes to Laras.

“Ras, you go home later just wait for your brother to pick up,” I said.

“Ya already so,” sahut Laras.

“Ras, there was something strange when I drowned someone survived me,” I said.

“Who? I didn't see anyone.”

“I don't know either, he pushed me to the edge of the tree,” I said.

“Iya I see you were not swimming but you can get to the edge of the strange,” said Laras.

“Well have you seen, right? Did I save the mermaid?” my thinking.

“Mermaids are at sea,” says Laras.

Just that thing that stumbled in my little mind at that time, I even thought that under that vast river there was a mermaid kingdom with fish as its guard.

Laras was picked up by his brother named Iyan using a motorbike, coincidentally my home and Laras were far apart. Laras is not like me who lives on the edge of the river, Laras lives in an elite housing. 

Laras and I are classmates, he is very happy if I invite to my house because he thinks the environment where I live is very calm and comfortable.

Since that incident, I was a little afraid if I wanted to swim in the river especially if I saw a fairly swift river current, actually it was also my fault for ignoring the ban. In my city there is a ban on swimming when going magrib especially if the sky is reddish orange, usually if there are children who swim at that time will definitely drown and the body is difficult to find. But at that time I was just a kid who thought swimming in the river was so fun without yelling at such things. 

At night when we were busy watching TV, our attention was distracted by chatter from Abah and my grandmother, Abah called Grandma with the name Uma which means Mother.

“Uma, last night I had a dream that someone brought an egg with three colors of black, white, and yellow and then the person gave the egg yellow,” Abah said. 

“Then in the dream did you receive his gift Grace?” ask Grandma.

“Iya Ma I received it at the time,” Abah said. 

“You have been chosen by them, and you have to take care of him,” Grandma said.

“But I don't want it, it should be in the dream that I ask for a white one,” Abah said with a frown.

“If you've been given don't choose!” chirping Grandma.

“What does Nek mean?” ask me who is curious.

“You are still a child not yet supposed to know and understand,” said Grandma.

“Remember Grace, you should know when it's time to anchor!” grandma warned Abah.

Melabuh itself is the process of feeding for pets that are magical like white crocodiles and the like.

Abah just fell silent and sighed when he heard the reply from Grandma, whereas I myself was very curious what the intention was uttered by Grandma.