TIKZ [Moving To The Golden Age]
010 - BLACK AND WHITE TRADE

Idaline's breath was hunting, her legs were trembling violently to the point of bending down, and her heart beat was racing hard. He held his chest timidly soaring out. "It's so weak!" lashing his feet.

The moonlight that was shining brightly suddenly became pitch-black. He banged his head wide to see a lump of earth drifting past him then falling exactly one meter in front of him. The girl bounced away from the village.

The soft and warm focus stopped his body and a pair of large hands covered his ears, not a single sound was heard.

"I'm so sorry I'm late."

Under the faint torrential rain Idaline saw a sturdy back standing blocking her view. He kept silent to digest what happened.

"There is no life. The good and the bad all die. Animals and humans have blood mixed. God's anger cannot be evaded if there is no intention of repenting to a sinful self."

"Miss, are you okay?"

"Candra..?" idaline murmurs frown to keep rainwater from falling into the eyes.

"Candra was in the hut we built at the foot of the mountain. Let's miss, the air is getting colder" he said, gently holding a tiny hand that was dirty because of the ground.

"Who are you?" Idaline kept her back away from her helper's chest. He thought the man was Candra, the faces of both were fleetingly similar and the array used was the same pattern. "Maybe sold freely?" he thought observing the candle line forming a moringa flower complete with its leaves.

"I'm Ekata Ekadanta."

Continuously blocking Idaline's view, Ekata led her all the way to the hut. He cleaned the hands and feet of Idaline. The tiny nails contained the ground he rubbed slowly.

"Sister can't do that anymore!"

Idaline jumped in shock at Candra's ambush, thinking Ekadanta's youngest son was sleeping on the bed.

"sorry. Sorry," Idaline received Candra's handout. "Who is he?" tanyanya rubbed her hair. A person lay with a cloth covering the body.

"Miss Winarti. We found her lying weakly in the cave." obviously Ekata holding Idaline's head dried her body and clothes. His smile expanded when a pair of bright eyes stared at him innocently. "Already," he took off his hand and Idaline ran into the hut.

"Vienna, how are you?" Idaline sat by the side of the bed wiping Winarti's sweat.

"Sorry miss made you go on a wasted trip."

"No. No. gabe. I should be the one apologizing. Leaving you in the woods like this."

"It's not the fault, miss. Ever since I became a burden to flowers, the hostess Fragrant gave me some medicine that made me unable to escape. I ran out two days ago so I became weak. Sorry to bother you ladies and gentlemen." Winarti said of her whitened lips.

Idaline clenched her hands angrily at the greedy woman who knew how many girls had run out in her hands. Idaline's eyes widened in thought of the event that had just happened. "Ah.iya.desamu," he said.

"I feel a terrible earthquake here. Did they get hit by a landslide?"

"Unfortunately," Idaline rubbed Winarti's rough hands trying to channel her body heat.

"Then we finally got together in peace." Winarti smiled a little. "I haven't slept well in a long time. Every night hear the sobs of peers. I regret only thinking of myself to survive. There was some time we could escape. Now I'll apologize to them."

Resisting the pain that appeared all over the body, Winarti glanced at Candra. He smiled in exchange for words he could not speak. His soul was happy, the first and last person he liked accompanied him at the end of his life. Maybe the guy could have left.

"Yes..Ja..Sleep well. Tomorrow it will be better," Idaline kissed Winarti's forehead. The sound of a long breath made Idaline's tears unstoppable, rushing to flood Winarti's face. "sorry. Excuse me. Sorry."

The rain stopped as the light of dawn peeked out from the eastern horizon. The little girl stopped her cries checking every pulse and sign of life.

"While not bound by blood, Winarti and his friends are family. We can't separate their places" he said, closing his eyes that were no longer able to blink and tying his chin to close his jaw.

"Just me." Ekata took out a white cloth from his hand then wrapped Winarti. Top and bottom of excess fabric tied white rope also in the abdomen, legs, and hands.

Idaline and Candra carry Winarti's belongings while her body is carried by Ekata.

Hundreds of people from 8 quite far-flung neighboring villages who heard and felt the terrible detumans flocked to see. Whispers of disbelief flew, the largest village there was lost in one night.

"What exactly did they do until God was this angry?" one of them spoke quite loudly.

"Who are they? What's the survivor?" ask one of the people to see the arrival of Idaline, Candra, and Ekata. The shabby fabrics they wore made people think they were servants.

"Miss Winarti is a very brave person. Passing through forests and mountains for days to save his village people from abominations. But punishment from God is inevitable because man keeps turning against God's will."

Idaline held foliage assisted by women who watched. Ekata put Winarti's body on it.

"Against God's will?" ask a young man. His head tie shows the position in the village.

"They fornicate. Using one woman for many people, using children to satisfy, even the guards and servants who are a man do not escape from depravity." explained Idaline still firmly staring at Winarti's heart, imagine the struggle alone.

"I'm sorry we didn't hear your screams even though we were this close. Until you go to a far country." One of the grandmothers kissed Winarti's old forehead.

"Ah, we're too busy fighting with each other." a middle-aged man regretted.

"We are fighting over the land.'

"How is it possible? Once every few months we come check on Lege's shaman and don't see any irregularities."

"That's how it happened," Ekata looked at an unbelieving father and turned his face to the part of the Tang mountain that moved overnight for almost 500 meters without damage at the foot of the mountain.

The young men were overwhelmed with guilt. In silence they helped, dug up the grave and put the body in and filled it with soil.

"It's your fault! I told you that my little brother was kidnapped and forcibly taken to Lege, but you're proud to be a mercenary. See results. Look at the result!!" angry a woman hit the chest of a middle-aged man until staggered backwards. "He was very small" he murmured, fell down, and wept with a very painful voice.

Idaline took out her gift scarf that Winarti had not worn, she stepped onto the fresh mound of land. "Say you want to show this latest cloth to Kembang's feet" he murmured wrapped around the scarf on the headstone.

Taking a breath and throwing it away, Idaline got up to face the people. "What happened cannot be changed. Accept it freely, don't blame each other. But always remember not to repeat."

His footsteps sent towards the men with decorations all over their bodies, guessing they were the village chief. "If your three villages are so proud of strength, why not create a battle hall so that there is no need to show strength by damaging the village or killing people? The weak also have a chance to be strong if they have found something that suits their identity."

"What is this little boy talking about? Was he not afraid of being hit?"

"And the village is busy with business in the cities, can not once just pay attention to the village itself and around? The village is the place to return. Why make a partition that actually carries suspicion?"

"Hm? Don't we need a bulkhead?"

"For two villages fighting over land, let me give you an input." Idaline showed me her badge. Winarti always hoped there would be no more children like him, kidnapped from childhood to not recognize himself. Idaline wants to get rid of rotten seedlings by uniting the village.

The more people care, the less evil will happen.

"I'm sorry, we didn't know we had an important person coming."

"No need to talk. Let's see your tool shed."

"Gentlemen, let's go to Kulak village. We have many goods from several cities and kingdoms." take the wife of the village chief Kulak, a village whose people all trade in big cities. They buy goods from one city to sell to another city that does not have them, then buy in that city anything that has not been owned by residents in the next city. Their black and white trade did, but the abomination at the Lege shaman they never imagined.

"How are you? They must be tired and hungry. Better to our Bentala village." chimpal another mistress. They wear bracelets that meet the arms and rings with large gems attached all over the fingers.

"We will be with Raden Ajeng." refused Candra approached Idaline who was discussing.

"Come, miss." take the village chief of Bentala with confidence. Residents of his village are always on time to serve food in any circumstances, he believes now vegetables are being sorted to be cooked.

"How about going to Butala first?"

"We go to the nearest one so as not to go back and forth." lerai Idaline.

He and the village chief and several people went around looking at the harvest equipment and village structure and then to the land at the end of the two villages. Butala and Bentala villages stretch between small lakes that slant to the north, more agricultural land leaning towards the Butala village.

"I am not the ruler of the region here so there is no right to govern you. But if you want to use my decision, you must keep the one agreement I have written." Idaline wrote a letter of agreement when drawing a map. They sit under a large tree at the northern end of the lake, between the villages of Butala and Bentala.

"We agree." said the village chief of Bentala.

"What's the deal?" ask the village chief Butala.

Idaline smiled. "You only need to sell directly to the Maja kingdom your land without a second hand so that our society is met with its needs."

"But there is a Janapada village in the Maja kingdom that has more crops than us."

"You really know a lot."

"We can't accept it. In fact we are scrambling for those three plants because there are only a few plants growing. Carica we tried to plant it but it always failed." said the young man from Butala who joined the gathering.

"I know how to cultivate, um, multiply them. You don't have to fear lack."

"That means you have to wait,"

"It doesn't matter, because you have to sell it instead of giving. Sell at the price of the harvest."

"If so we accept. What about the decision?"

"The land in the north of the lake will be managed by the village of Butala looking from geographical-ehm, see from its position." point Idaline to the map he drew.

"We don't accept!" reject the village chief Bentala standing full of anger.

"Listen to the end, Mr. Tala."

"You can calm down like that because he's on your side" Tala pointed to his rival's face.

"Sit down, Mr. Tala. We must hear the offer until it is finished" said the village chief Kulak.

"Mr Ulul, you didn't go on business?" cynical Tala.

"It's a mess like this where there's a heart going to trade."

"Lurah Bentala, your village does not have adequate equipment" Idaline said. All eyes were on him.

"Because we use our muscles,"

"really. So I have an interesting solution." Idaline pulled the corner of her lips.

Candra smiled faintly, the only person who was not affected by her curse was also unaffected by the bullying of others, Idaline getting more and more shining in her eyes. His sisters are intelligent, but he has not seen a confident woman express her opinion in the midst of a gathering of foreign men.

"alright. I'm giving you one chance to explain properly,"

"You wrestle bloody but not to death because the heart still holds a sense of brotherhood,"

Idaline's speech made a sudden atmosphere of silence, two villages that fought yesterday afternoon, now cooking together on the edge of the lake accompanied by air that cools the soul and body, seasoned with jokes and laughter.

"The idea that I gave did not necessarily make the land belong to the village of Butala, because in the future Bentala may be more capable. But now I see there is another ability that the citizens of Bentala have," Idaline's eyes observed the burly bodies. "In the Tang mountain that has become the hill, there is a source of chalk that is now in existence to be used as a building material for the nobles and the people of the city" he explained. He looked at the structure of the soil when carried by Candra.

"really. When we came to the city, the building had changed a lot. No more use of wood. Indeed, the shape is similar to betel chalk," interrupted the village head Kulak imagine houses in various regions.

"The chalk I'm talking about is like the soil we're stepping on. On the hill the center of Tang was in the belly of the mountain, now it was easy to pick it up. This doesn't necessarily make Bentala's Tang hill, you just manage."

"Behind the calamity there must be wisdom," muttered Ulul paying attention to the image of Idaline. He almost spurted his saliva looking at the picture of the girl was just a floor plan, a picture of lines with names on it. He thought it was an incredible painting. Candra pierced him with a sharp glare making him goosebumps.

Idaline ignored Ulul who laughed at her. He looked at the village chief who was discussing with his people. "Everyone has the right to work on the land or on the hill and to receive wages accordingly. Butala doesn't need to give your workers any crops."

"How is it possible? They've been working hard."

"You sell half the price to the citizens of Butala and Bentala evenly, so there is no dispute, and the money goes in for land use. For the village, do not collect money from the people, take advantage of the sale. This will not burden the population."

"How will Bentala handle mining? We can work hard, but need equipment, whereas no one has."

"This can be your village bought in the same city as Butala who has to buy a big wagon for the upcoming harvest. You must not include the other party in the agreement no matter what the circumstances. If you feel like exchanging roles, exchange well. But now live first for a year or two,"

"This.can be accepted. How about you Lathe?" agreed Tala, the village chief of Bentala.

"If our citizens all accept." Lathe broke up, Butala village chief.

"We feel this is good for both sides" agreed youth Bentala.

"Right," the young man Butala nodded.

"Okay, we take it."

"The boss also accepted it."

"You stamped this letter with the blood of your five fingers."

Tala and Lathe unhesitatingly scratched her five fingers stamped the covenant paper.

"Then whoever transgresses will be cursed by God. Put this deal here. Make a board so as not to damage this paper." Idaline handed me the paper.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. Please rest."

"Yet. Some people may still doubt about the chalk on the Tang hill. Let's see,"

They all flocked towards the Tang mountain that had been cut off there were no shoots. In the north and middle of the mountain there are abundant limestone landslides.

"Because the chalk is not hard, you can take it with a hoe and vegetable cart. First, give as an example for the stage of the impact of the village of Wrestling, Gelut, and Gulet." proposed Idaline holding a white stone.

"This material is quite expensive if it is given for free" commented Ulul, the head of Kulak village.

"Who's word is free? They must choose the best fighter to accompany the chalk sellers to the Maja kingdom and to other places without being paid for two delivery times."

"Maybe they are not as strong as the identity mercenaries, but it will still be safe to bring some people" Tala added.

"Although the workers are strong, the fight still needs technique. Come see our formidable warriors after the stage so." throw youth representative Wrestling.

"We'll make it tonight so tomorrow afternoon can be used,"

"Our two have already approved the construction of the stage. His position is at the intersection of villages that are commonly used for war," said young Gulet who was involved in the negotiations of three villages and then joined to see the mountain.

"Don't forget we pray for innocent people in the Lege shaman who are victims." message Idaline down the hill.

"Our village, Jati village, has prepared it" said the head of Jati village, a nearby village of Lege.

"The Rattan Village has been trying to move the mountain peaks little by little, but there is no end."

"You don't have to move it. We bury and wash the blood that splashes out." Idaline believes her senior in the SAR team will do the same. The land of the 'longsor' is too vast and deep, the overhanging village is now flat with the rice fields across which it was originally higher, as if it were a new farmland.

"No blood came out. All the bodies seem to be in the middle of the village."

"Then let this land be their graves." Idaline patted the ground wall plan higher than her.

"alright. Tell the young men to return," Rotan's village chief ordered in his right hand.

"I've been thinking you stole your father's badge. Please forgive my sassiness,"

"no need. I'm too young to accept this, too,"

"You deserve it,"

"Thank you." closed Idaline. Deep down he wanted to water with the sand of every person who praised him. He doesn't like compliments.

When the sky was orange they began to sprinkle flowers on the ruins and prayed that their charity be accepted and their sins be forgiven.

It was getting dark and people started to disperse. Idaline stood next to the man who had been staring at the ruins all day. Meanwhile Candra pulled Ekata away from the people.

"I haven't met a few of my friends since graduating from Elementary School, but still recognize them from their backs despite being in the crowd." open Idaline made the man look at her.

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© Al-Fa4 | 25 June 2021