“Trail the Legend Land Above the Clouds”

Chapter 1: When Promises Call, Funds Block

Not long ago, Simon was left by Widya—his girlfriend who had returned to her husband—leaving him in a state of deep confusion. At the same time, Simon received word from his family: in two months, his grandmother in Toraja would be buried. Already heartbroken, Simon now found himself overwhelmed with sorrow and financial stress, his savings and mental state depleted.

Truthfully, it wasn’t his grandmother’s passing that saddened him most. What weighed on Simon’s heart was the promise he had made: to buy three large striped buffaloes for the ceremony—something he now couldn’t afford.

Everything might have gone smoothly if Simon hadn’t boasted about that promise. Though the preparations in the village had been underway for months and the funeral could proceed without his buffaloes—as the extended family had already secured several, including striped ones—Simon’s pride and words now trapped him.

Simon is a young man who is actually no longer young. He is currently 32 years old, and what is even sadder is that at his current age, Simon is not yet married.

Simon comes from the Toraja tribe in South Sulawesi, Indonesia. The Toraja tribe has a unique tradition in death ceremonies. Actually, this is not a party because it is a mourning ceremony, but the Toraja people call it a "burial party", a term that is almost the same as a wedding party or birthday party. In short, a party.

Today, as usual after work, Simon came to the place his gang often visited. Tatang (original Sundanese), Wawan (original Betawi), and Jems (original Chinese mixed with Batak) were already there.

"Mon, are you serious? Need that much money?" asked Tatang while frowning, not believing what he heard.

"Tang, did you come here first? I didn't see you go home first at the office earlier?" asked Simon to Tatang.

"I saw you were really busy, Mon. I didn't say goodbye to you. So I went home first," answered Tatang while continuing to play the game.

"So, what do you think, Mon? Do you really need that much money?" asked Jems seriously. "That's not a small amount, you know. Two billion," continued Jems, who had been there all along.

"Yeah, I know too, you guys definitely don't have that much money," complained Simon desperately.

"Me too, if I sold my kidneys and heart, they wouldn't sell for that much, Mon," Jems tried to cheer him up, although his tone sounded sarcastic.

"But I don't think anyone would want to buy your used heart and kidneys, Jems," answered Simon jokingly, but there was a serious tone behind his words.

"Huh, why, Mon?" asked Jems curiously.

"I'm not sure your organs are still sterile, Jems. Last night you stayed up late, and before that you came home drunk, and before that... there were so many," explained Simon seriously with a smile. His three friends laughed, even though there was a little sadness in their hearts. They knew Simon was struggling with a big problem, and even though they were joking, they wanted to help their friend. "So, Mon, when exactly do you need the two billion?" asked Tatang curiously.

"Oh, Tatang, when people tell stories, don't play around," Simon replied a little annoyed.

"Who's playing around?" answered Tatang pretending not to understand.

"That's your hand pressing the gadget, what are you playing if not a game?" Simon pointed at Tatang's hand.

"Yeah, I play slots, who knows I might get two billion, not bad, it can help you," continued Tatang casually.

"Wow, Tatang, you want to play online gambling until my grandmother comes back to life, you won't get two billion!" Simon replied jokingly.

"Would you like it, Mon, do you have two billion?" asked Tatang still jokingly.

"Of course, I want it," Simon replied seriously.

"Then, be quiet for a moment, so I can focus," Tatang replied while focusing on his game.

"Come on, say hello to your sea god," Simon said teasingly.

"Ready," Tatang replied briefly without paying too much attention.The next day, after work, Wawan felt the need to meet Simon immediately. On his way home, Wawan sent Simon a WhatsApp message. "Mon, when you get home from work, let me know. It's important," Wawan wrote. This message made Simon curious. Why did Wawan suddenly need an urgent meeting?

Simon, who was curious, immediately replied, "What's up, Wan?" Wawan answered briefly, "Anyway, it's important." This reply made Simon even more curious. He planned to wait for Wawan at Mang Udin's coffee shop. Mang Udin's coffee shop was not too far from Simon's workplace, so he could arrive earlier. While waiting, Simon hoped that Wawan would bring good news, at least about the two billion rupiah. Simon ordered two glasses of iced sweet tea.

After the two glasses of iced sweet tea were finished, the sound of Wawan's motorbike was heard from the parking lot. Wawan arrived, and Simon recognized his posture. With a big smile, Simon greeted his friend. "Come on, sit down, friend! Order anything, eat and drink, you'll pay for everything later," Simon said, jokingly while waving.

"Yes, I'll treat you, Mon," replied Wawan, sitting in front of Simon.

Not long after sitting down, a friendly atmosphere was created. They shared stories about the past day, their busyness at work, and future plans. However, Wawan could not hold back his feelings. He had to reveal the reason for inviting Simon in a hurry.

"So, what is your main problem, Mon?" asked Wawan, probing.

"Well, you know, Wan, I need a lot of money for my grandmother's funeral," answered Simon seriously.

"Well, this is what I want to ask, Mon," Wawan adjusted his sitting position, interested.

"Ask what, Wan?" Simon's face was full of hope.

"Is your grandmother actually about to die or what, Mon? Why is she buried in two months? When did your grandmother actually die?" asked Wawan, curious.

"Emm... almost two years ago, Wan," answered Simon, hesitant.

"Huh, why did she die almost two years ago, but she was buried in two months? I don't understand, Mon," Wawan became even more curious.

"Okay, so you understand. Order first, what do you want to eat or drink? Mang Udin is waiting," Simon changed the subject.

"Just coffee with milk, Mang, and plain fried noodles, without eggs," Wawan said to Mang Udin.

"Okay, ready!" Mang Udin replied briefly.

"Now, continue, Mon," Wawan's gaze returned to Simon.

"Continue what? Mang Udin is standing behind you," Simon replied, glancing at Mang Udin.

"Huh, is Mang Udin still here? I already ordered," Wawan turned to Mang Udin, confused. "Yes, I know. I'm just curious to hear the rest of Kang Simon's story," Mang Udin replied, still standing behind Wawan.

"Then, how about my coffee and fried noodles, Mang?" Wawan said, worried.

"Okay, but tell me later," Mang Udin hurried away, leaving Wawan and Simon behind.

"Okay, ready," Simon replied, giving a thumbs up while smiling.

"Continue, Mon, where were we?" Wawan was curious, impatient.

"Yes, that, Wan, my grandmother died almost two years ago," Simon began to explain.

"Huh, what's the story? Your grandmother has been dead for almost two years, but she was buried two months later?" Wawan looked interested and confused.

"That's why you came to Toraja, so you can understand a little," Simon replied with a laugh. "There, there's a tradition that doesn't seem to exist in other areas. Where we don't immediately bury our parents who die. There's a process first, and it usually takes months to years," Simon explained.

"So, your grandmother was waited for before being buried?" Wawan asked, increasingly interested.

"Yes, of course! We Torajan people believe that the spirits of the deceased are still around us. So, before the burial, there are traditional rituals that we have to do. My grandmother did the same. We had to wait until all the preparations were complete," Simon explained.

"Wow, that's so complicated, Mon. So, what did your family do during that time, Mon?" Wawan asked again.

"Living as usual. So, the body was injected with preservatives, then stored at home. Then, all the family wherever they were prepared everything for the funeral ceremony later," Simon answered, remembering those moments.

"It seems really exciting, Mon, when the big day comes!" Wawan was excited, but still curious.

"Well, that's why, Wan, you're going to Toraja, so you can see and know for yourself," Simon said smiling.

"Oh my, Mon, I've never even been to Toraja, let alone Taman Safari and Puncak," complained Wawan with a smile.

"Oh, you're so pitiful," Simon replied with concern.

"Go on, Mon," Wawan said as if being told a story.

Before Simon could continue his story, Mang Udin came from behind carrying a glass of hot coffee and a bowl of fried noodles.

"Hey, why are you making the fried noodles so fast, Mang? Suddenly it's ready," Wawan asked in surprise, turning to Mang Udin.

"Yeah, someone ordered it earlier, but didn't eat it," Mang Udin said while pointing to the empty table.

"Hey, why didn't he eat it, Mang? Why?" Simon asked.

"He received a call earlier, saying his family was in the emergency room, then he paid, then left," Mang Udin replied flatly.

"Oh, okay then, Mang, the important thing is that he's paid," Wawan said with a cheerful face.

"Yes, that's it," Mang Udin answered briefly, impatiently waiting for Simon's next story. "Eh, so what was the story earlier, about the grandmother, Kang?" Mang Udin continued to Simon.

"Mang Udin sit here first, don't go anywhere," Simon answered, directing Mang Udin to the chair next to Wawan.

"If necessary, Mang Udin close the coffee shop first, we'll accompany Simon together," joked Wawan.

"Ready, Kang," Mang Udin answered without expression.

Finally Simon began to continue his story, which according to other people would definitely be horror, but according to Simon it was just ordinary. "So it's like this, my grandmother's body has been kept in the house for more than a year," he said calmly. Wawan and Mang Udin were immediately shocked. "What is stored?" asked Wawan, clearly confused.

"What do you mean stored, Mon?" Mang Udin was curious.

"Yes stored, put in a coffin, then the top of the coffin was opened as far as the corpse's neck," Simon explained calmly.

"And then, Mon?" Wawan was curious.

"Okay, then the coffin and the body were placed in her room," Simon answered as if it was a common thing.

"What do you mean placed, Mon?" asked Wawan.

"Yes, how, Mon, because earlier you said placed, kept being placed, I'm confused about how it was placed," said Mang Udin confusedly, with a Sundanese accent.

"So it's like this, pay attention," Simon picked up Mang Udin's cigarette pack that had just been placed on the table.

"Now, think of this cigarette box as a coffin, then open it halfway like this." Simon tore open Mang Udin's cigarette pack.

"Well, after it was opened like this, the coffin was placed in the deceased's room," Simon continued explaining, while demonstrating using a cigarette pack.

"Wow, it's so scary, Mon," Mang Udin shrugged his shoulders with a frightened expression, with a Sundanese accent.

"No, it's normal," Simon answered casually.

"Oh, it smells, Mon, then?" Wawan asked, wanting to know the rest of the story.

"Well, no, Wan, it was injected with five liters of formalin first," Simon continued.

"Five liters?" Mang Udin asked in surprise.

"Yes, about five liters," Simon answered seriously.

"Then, after being injected with five liters of formalin, what else was done, Mon?" Wawan looked even more enthusiastic.

"Okay, put it in the coffin, then the coffin was placed in his room," Simon answered lightly.

"Wow, it's really scary and horrifying, Mon," Wawan interrupted.

"No, it's not, it's been our tradition since the time of our ancestors," answered Simon.

"What if there are small children, Mon?" asked Mang Udin.

"Yes, it's normal, Mang, we're used to it, so that's why small children in Toraja can't be scared by horror things. Yes, because everyday life has been horror since birth, Mang," said Simon jokingly.

Mang Udin and Wawan could only laugh softly hearing Simon's explanation who didn't seem to find it strange.

"So, how do they scare small children there, Mon?" asked Mang Udin curiously.

"Yes, they just scare them, tell them, if they're naughty they'll be struck by lightning," joked Simon, laughing.

"For that, let alone the children there, Mon, I'm also afraid of being struck by lightning," continued Mang Udin.

"Well, that's why Mang Udin, don't be naughty if you don't want to be struck by lightning," joked Wawan.

"I'm tired of being naughty," replied Mang Udin.

"How long has Mang Udin been naughty?" asked Wawan casually.

"Emm.... about two weeks," replied Mang Udin reminiscing.

In the midst of the conversation, James suddenly appeared beside Wawan and Mang Udin.

"Huh, where have you been, Jems, why are you suddenly there?" asked Simon in surprise.

"Ah, you're the one who doesn't pay attention, even though I was already at the table over there," replied Jems.

"Yes, James has been at the table over there, I made the coffee with Wawan," while pointing to Wawan's coffee which was already half gone. "What were you doing there, Jems, didn't you come over here?" asked Wawan.

"I was busy on the phone with my boss earlier," answered Jems wearily.

"So it's safe, huh? There's nothing else you want to ask?" continued Simon to Wawan and Mang Udin.

"Safe what, Mon? What were you guys chatting about earlier?" asked James in a curious tone.

"Gosh, it's too long if I want to explain it again, Jems," answered Simon while glancing at Wawan and Mang Udin.

"Then, what about the burial, Mon?" asked Wawan, wanting to know what happened next.

"Yes, as usual, put in a stone grave," answered Simon lightly. His statement immediately invited a reaction from Mang Udin who looked surprised and full of curiosity.

"Just put there? In a stone grave?" asked Mang Udin in surprise mixed with confusion. Simon, with a relaxed expression, immediately gave an explanation.

"No, Mang, it was said to be put in a coffin first," Simon answered, making the atmosphere even more lively. Wawan, who was listening, didn't want to miss out on adding his questions.

"Is that how it has to be, Mon?" Wawan asked seriously.

"Yes, Wan. So we Torajan people, who live in Toraja, are buried either in a stone cave, or in a permanent house, then the body is stored in that house," Simon explained.

Mang Udin became even more curious and asked the next question, "Isn't there any land there, Mon? Why not just bury it in the ground?" "Yes, Mon, why not bury it in the ground," Wawan continued. Both of them looked very interested in continuing to listen to Simon's story, about his traditions and culture. Simon answered, "As for land, there's a lot of land there, to bury all of you, there's still a lot more land there." He pointed at Mang Ujang, Wawan, James, and everyone else in Mang Udin's coffee shop, with an expression of chuckling. "So, then where's the problem, Mon?" asked Mang Udin. "Maybe our ancestors didn't want to see the cliffs lying idle. So, rather than leaving the cliffs idle, it's better to make them graves, because if they were made into houses, state land affairs office would be confused about how to issue the certificates," Simon replied jokingly. "Ah, you Mon, I've been listening seriously but you've diverted it," Wawan said disappointedly. "Honestly, I don't know about that either, maybe it existed thousands of years ago, and we haven't found any historical records yet,"Simon replied diplomatically. "Well, then when the cliffs run out, houses are made, what was that, Mon?" Wawan asked, trying to remember something. "Oh, Patane," Simon replied briefly. "Well, yes, Patane is made," Wawan continued. "If it wasn't because the cliffs that were idle had run out, Wan," Simon continued. "Then what?" Wawan was curious. "Yes, maybe, the people who used to carve the cliffs, their guts were gone, so people were diverted to Patane in their graves," Simon explained. "Oh, is that so, Mon," Mang Udin was surprised. "No, it depends on what the family wants to do," Simon answered, correcting him. "Oh, yes Mon, I've been listening to your story, how come I've never heard of people visiting graves like that," James interrupted curiously. "There are almost no grave visits there, but when they do, the bodies are immediately taken out of the grave and their clothes are changed," Simon answered with an intonation of voice that was deliberately intimidating. "Yes, yes, I've seen it on YouTube and IG, it's really scary to see, dried corpses lined up as if the people were still alive," Wawan answered very enthusiastically, because he knew about the procession. "Wow, that's scary too, Mon," said Mang Udin. "It's normal, Mang, it's just a matter of habit," Simon answered lightly. "So, is it true, Mon, that people don't visit graves in your village every Eid?" Jems asked again, wanting to make sure. "How do you want to visit graves, James, people are just buried on top of a cliff," Wawan answered pessimistically. "Yes, no matter how, for example

"Spread the flowers using a drone," continued James, not wanting to lose. "But it's not just one person in the grave, right, Mon?" asked Wawan as if he was starting to understand. "Yes, there could be many people there, tens or even hundreds of people," answered Simon. "Well, it could be up to hundreds, James, do you want to scatter sacks of flowers, while mentioning the names of the people one by one?" continued Wawan, insistently. "Then, what about the rose water then?" asked Mang Udin seriously. "Spray it using a fire engine, Mang," said Wawan, smiling. "That's not a grave visit, Wan, but washing the grave," Mang Udin was a little annoyed. "Well, Mang Udin knows that, why are you still asking questions," Wawan continued laughing. "Come on, you guys calm down, I'm going home first," he said as he walked away. "Hey, Mon, where are you going? "What's this about the graves?" he exclaimed, trying to call Simon who was getting further away. Curiosity and confusion were evident on his friends' faces, especially Wawan who felt that the discussion was not yet finished. "Hey, why did he leave, the discussion is not yet finished, this matter," complained Wawan with a serious look, watching Simon's steps towards the parking lot. James who was sitting next to him, continued with a skeptical tone, "You guys, what's this, his grandmother hasn't even been buried, and you're already asking about visiting graves, scattering flowers, rose water." said Jems in a serious tone, "Forget about visiting, he hasn't even been buried yet," added James again with a sarcastic tone. "Not me, Jems, this is Mang Udin, asking Simon, like asking a chicken thief caught stealing wet laundry," while pointing at Mang Udin who was still beside him. Finally, Mang Udin spoke up, "Yes, even though I say I'm a coffee seller, I also need to increase my knowledge. In the words of today's youth, they need information." This sentence felt strange to Wawan and Jems, because he was trying to follow the current language trend even though he didn't fully understand it. Hearing that, Wawan didn't want to lose. "Pretending to be Mang Udin, you need information, go drink some promag so you don't get the flu," he said while standing up to leave Mang Udin and James. The two of them were actually confused. "Enough, Mang, I also want to go back. "Eh, Wawan was wrong earlier, if you have influenza, don't drink promag, but drink three bottles of betadine at once," said Jems with a serious face, then walked away from Mang Udin. That afternoon, the atmosphere seemed different. Simon, who usually went home relaxed, decided to go home early. When in the parking lot, his gaze fell on Tatang, his friend who seemed busy fixing his motorbike seat which seemed to be problematic. Tatang's motorbike seat wouldn't close, making him look annoyed. "Tang, what's wrong with your motorbike, I told you to sell it, then buy a new one," Simon approached Tatang. "Eh, Mon, yes, the seat won't close for a week, I'm afraid someone will steal the petrol in my motorbike tank," Tatang answered while continuing to check his motorbike seat. "You just sell it, Tang," he said firmly again. "Then buy a new one like that?" asked Tatang half jokingly. "Well, no, you give me the proceeds from the sale," Simon answered jokingly. "Gosh, Mon, how much can a beat-up motorbike like this sell for, if people want to buy it, they buy it by the kilo first," Tatang answered casually, trying to cheer himself up with the situation he was facing. Simon just smiled and walked away while patting Tatang's shoulder who was still fiddling with his motorbike seat. "Tang, I'll go first," Simon said as he walked away. "Eh, Mon, Mon, wait a minute," Tatang interrupted. "Come here for a minute, I want to ask something," Tatang looked more serious. "What, Tang, do you also want to ask about why my grandmother was buried so long, and when will my grandmother's grave be visited?" Simon asked as he approached Tatang. "No, no, Mon, who would ask something like that?" Tatang was surprised by Simon's question. "That was yesterday, Wawan and Mang Udin, and James too. My grandmother hasn't been buried yet, and they're already asking when will she be visited," Simon explained, a little annoyed. "Wow, it's chaotic, they're chaotic," Tatang shook his head, looking in disbelief. "Then, what do you want to ask, Tang?" Simon asked, still curious. "Like this, Mon, so when will your grandmother be buried?" Tatang asked in a serious tone. "Eh, your question is the same as theirs!" Simon protested. "No-no, Mon, I mean, when do you think you'll need the money," Tatang explained. As if giving Simon a breath of fresh air. "Well, that's right Tang. Your question is both pleasant to hear and pleasant to answer," Simon smiled broadly. "Why?" "Is that so, Mon?" Tatang was serious. "Yes, because it goes straight to the point," Simon answered while raising his eyebrows. "So it's like this, Mon, actually James wanted to talk to you yesterday," Tatang said in a calm tone. Simon, who looked a little confused, looked at Tatang. "About what, Tang? Yesterday he only asked about when my grandmother's grave would be visited," answered Simon. "Actually he came to Mang Udin's coffee shop to talk to you, Mon," said Tatang in a calm tone. Simon, who looked a little confused, looked at Tatang. "What did he say?" asked Simon, increasingly curious. "So, James said, his uncle had just sold land in Medan," Tatang explained in a serious tone. "James is Chinese, how can he have an uncle?" asked Simon, with a facial expression still full of curiosity. "Never mind Chinese people, Mon, all living things have uncles, except leeches and leeches," Tatang chuckled. "Jellyfish, octopuses and snails too, they don't have bones," argued Simon enthusiastically. "Who says snails don't have bones?" Tatang started the debate with enthusiasm. "Snails have shells, not bones," answered Simon firmly. "But if the shell is taken, the snail will definitely die," Tatang tried to defend his argument. "You too, Tatang, if your bones are taken, you will definitely die," Simon did not want to lose. "Mon, are you connecting with what I'm saying, we're talking about James," the discussion turned to James. "So, what's the connection between James and leeches and leeches?" Simon asked, pretending not to know. "Enough, so let's go back to James, James is half Chinese and half Batak, and has an uncle," Tatang explained excitedly. "Is James Batak, not Chinese?" Simon asked in surprise. "How is that... we've been friends for years, how come you don't know that James is half Chinese and half Batak?" Tatang explained. "Really? Who's the Batak James?" Simon asked even more in surprise. "James' biological mother is Batak, well his father is Chinese, so it's fifty-fifty, Mon, and he was born and grew up in Medan, his accent is very Medan... Do you understand?" Tatang said explaining a little about James' family tree. "Oh, I see, I thought he was Chinese who was only born and raised in Medan," Simon replied, nodding, trying to understand the situation. "Then, what's so exciting for me, Tang?" Simon asked, his voice starting to sound excited. "James, has already told his uncle to lend you two billion, because his uncle just sold land that cost fifty billion," Tatang answered optimistically. "Wow, what land is he selling? Uncle James's land is worth fifty billion?" Simon asked in surprise. "I don't know, Mon, but what's clear is that it's definitely not selling landslides, let alone my homeland," Tatang tried to joke, making the atmosphere a little lighter. "Yeah, never mind, it doesn't matter. What's important is that I get the loan," Simon replied resignedly. "Then, there's a but, Mon," Tatang's tone slowed down a bit. "Wow, how come Tang, why do you have a but?" Simon started to feel worried. "Yes, Mon. Two billion is not a small amount of money. It's that big," Tatang explained. "Now, what's the but, Tang?" Simon became even more curious. "That's it, Mon. The but is a bit heavy," Tatang answered jokingly. "How heavy is it, Tang?" Simon asked a little hesitantly. "Five and a quarter kilos, Mon," answered Tatang with a serious face. "Ah, if it's light, Tang," Simon said lightly. "Yes, it's light, but if you carry it from Jakarta to Garut, then to Tasik, while walking, it'll be heavy too, Mon," Tatang explained while laughing. "Gosh, Tatang, you've been talking in circles all this time. Try to be serious first, Tang," Simon said as if he was tired of Tatang's jokes. "Ah, you're always tense, Mon. It's like you're about to propose," Tatang teased. "Tang, neither of us have ever proposed to someone's child, so neither of us knows what a proposal feels like," Simon replied, trying to explain. "Okay, Mon. So, James' uncle asked for some kind of collateral, Mon. But this loan has no interest, basically it's a flat interest," Tatang explained more seriously. "So, the interest is flat until what year, Tang?" Simon asked, curious. "Ah, you, Mon, are already like you're about to get a mortgage for a house. Do you already have a candidate?" Tatang teased. "Tang, let's just focus on the loan to James' uncle, okay, don't go anywhere," Simon said in a serious tone. "Ready, Mon!" Tatang said firmly. "Well, that's it," Simon gave a thumbs up, feeling satisfied. "So, how is it, Mon? Do you agree with Uncle James's conditions?" Tatang asked curiously. Simon was silent for a moment. Tatang observed the confused expression on Simon's face. "Mmmm... how is it?" Simon answered, frowning, as if searching for an answer in his mind. "So, how is it, Mon? I'm about to go home, I'm hungry," Tatang insisted, looking impatient. "Okay, Tang. Let me think about it first. I also want to call the village first," Simon answered, who seemed to still be trapped in his own thoughts. Tatang enthusiastically responded immediately, "Can your grandmother still receive calls, Mon?" "Who said I wanted to call my grandmother carelessly?" Simon answered firmly, although there was a slight joking tone in his voice. "Hey, don't be angry, Mon. I'm just kidding," Tatang laughed, trying to lighten the mood. "Yes, yes, I know. But seriously, I need some time to think about this. Because this isn't an easy decision, Tang," Simon explained. "Okay, it's okay, Mon. The important thing is that we discuss this well. We're all here to help each other," Tatang added, giving his support. "Okay, Tang. I'll go first then," Simon said goodbye. "Okay, ready, Mr. Simon Adrianus Allo Rerung!" Tatang answered jokingly. "Yes, Tatang Aep Sudrajad," Simon replied, joining in the joke. "Oh my, I got an answer!" Tatang laughed. They both hurried out of the parking lot on their respective motorbikes. The sound of the exhaust was not friendly to the ears, especially the sound of Tatang's motorbike exhaust which could be heard shaking the windows of the neighbors' houses. He once told a story about when he went to his crush's house, he was almost beaten up by local youths because the sound of his motorbike exhaust was so loud, it disturbed the peace of the people in the alley. "Tang, do you want to come to Simon's village later, see Simon's grandmother's traditional ceremony?" Wawan approached Tatang who was sipping coffee at Mang Udin's coffee shop. "I'm willing, Wan, but will Simon let us come?" asked Tatang. "Yes, of course he'll allow it, even though he's still trying to collect two billion," Wawan explained. "That's right, why does it have to be so necessary to collect two billion?" Tatang was curious. "Actually, he said, even without him having two billion, Simon's grandmother's funeral would still be held, Tang," Wawan answered. "Okay, why should Simon be confused about two billion?" Tatang asked again. "Well, that's it, Tang. Because Simon had already made a promise to his late grandmother when she was still alive, that he would slaughter a large striped buffalo, if his grandmother died, as a tribute to his late grandmother," Wawan explained. "Why did Simon make promises to his grandmother like that?" Tatang asked, confused. "Well, that's it. Simon said, he didn't know that after he talked to his grandmother about it, three days later her grandmother would die," Wawan explained. "Gosh, if Simon didn't make promises to his grandmother, maybe her grandmother would still be alive," Tatang commented. "Oh my, Tang, you're going too far. Nobody knows about his age," Wawan replied. "When did his grandmother die?" Tatang asked. "Yes, that was about two years ago," Wawan replied. "It's impossible for an honest civil servant like Simon to collect two billion rupiah in a year," Tatang argued. "Well, yes. You work with Simon, you know how much he earns," Wawan continued. "Yes, I know very well. In the office, he sits next to me," Tatang replied. "If he doesn't sit next to me, don't you know Simon's salary?" Wawan asked. "Yes, I know. He's in the same class as me, so all his income is exactly the same as mine," Tatang explained. "But how come your car is over five hundred million, and if I look at your house, it's over three billion?" Wawan inquired. "But never mind, that's between you and the Almighty," Wawan continued. "So what, Wan?" Tatang asked. "So what? You want to sell your house and donate the money to Simon?" Wawan asked back. "Two billion in alms?" Tatang asked in surprise. "There's a tiger in the river," Wawan replied. "What, Wan?" Tatang asked again. "Well... maybe you want to," Wawan replied. "Gosh, I'm not that rich yet, Wan. Besides, the house and the car are still on credit," Tatang explained. "Well, do you dare to pay such a large installment, aren't you afraid of the monthly payments?" Wawan asked. "Yeah, that's it how about the future. It must be easy to pay, as long as you have the intention," Tatang replied. "Wow, wow, your words are so soft. I'm already dizzy," Wawan despaired. "Ah, you can do it, Wan. You're a consultant, that amount of installments shouldn't be a problem for you," Tatang responded. "It doesn't matter if your breath smells of incense. I am a consultant, but a consultant's consultant, a consultant's consultant, a consultant, a consultant, a consultant, a consultant again. Can you count?" Wawan explained. Tatang just shook his head while still watching Wawan speak. "Like the stairs, I'm a consultant at the very bottom, already one with the doormat," Wawan continued. "So, what?" asked Tatang. "If it's like that, you know for yourself how much income there is. "I only get dregs from big contractors, not to mention being extorted here and there by people in uniform like you," Wawan complained. "Eh, why are you pouring your heart out to me, Wan?" asked Tatang, a little confused. "Is that right, I'm pouring my heart out?" Wawan replied, trying to divert attention. "Pouring my heart out, Wan. You've complained at length about your job, to the point that you brought the doormat and the stairs with you," Tatang confirmed. "That wasn't pouring my heart out, Tang. I was just responding to what you said," Wawan tried to defend himself. "Is that so?" Tatang answered briefly. "Of course," Wawan was also brief. "Okay…" Tatang was even briefer. "Never mind, I'll go back first. Chatting with you is never ending," Wawan said as he headed to his motorbike. "Eh, how about next Saturday? So not having coffee at my house?" asked Tatang. "Okay, so be it. "You can announce it in the group later," Wawan replied. "Okay, be careful on the road, Wan," Tatang reminded him. "You too, don't fly when you walk," Wawan replied while waving his hand. Wawan moved further away from Tatang who was still sitting in his original place, contemplating their conversation and the plans to come. Early in the morning, when the quiet atmosphere in James' boarding house was suddenly broken, but only in James' room. WhatsApp calls rang repeatedly. At first James tried to ignore it, but James' patience finally peaked and he answered the WhatsApp call, which turned out to be a WhatsApp group call. "Hey, you're rude!! What time is it, hey!!" James half-shouted answering the WhatsApp group call. "Six o'clock, Jems," answered Tatang on the other end. "What day is it?" asked James again. "Saturday, Jems," answered Tatang on the other end. "You know, Tang, for me, Saturday at six in the morning is the same as three in the morning on a weekday," James explained in an annoyed tone. "What do you mean, James?" asked Tatang curiously. "James means that you've disturbed his off time, maybe, Tang," answered Simon who was also connected. "Yes, that's right, Jems," Tatang answered carelessly. "Yes, Tang, you've disturbed my sacred time on Saturday morning," James was still in an emotional state. "What's wrong, Tang, why are you calling in the group at this hour?" asked Simon casually. "It's like this, actually I just wanted to let you know, if you're having coffee at my house this afternoon, we'll just move to my father's house," Tatang explained in a serious tone. "Geez, Tang, you could just type it in the group, or convey it later a bit later "A little later if you want to call in the group," James answered with his anger having subsided somewhat. "Yes, Tang, you could have just informed us in the group, and the others would have read it," Simon continued, trying to support James. "Yes, I thought so too last night, Mon. But this morning I remembered, so I just called in the group," Tatang explained again, seemingly not wanting to be blamed. "Okay, you continue, Tang. How about it?" James said, trying to be more patient. "Yes, it's like this, Jems. It turns out that there's still some renovations to my house that haven't been completed, so we'll move our coffee to my father's house," Tatang explained further. "Where is your father's house? Is it far from your house?" James asked, starting to feel curious. "It's close, it's straight from my house, about a hundred meters or so," Tatang answered. "Okay, is that all I want to talk about?" James asked, his drowsiness starting to disappear. "Yes, that's all. Is there anything else you want to add? Simon maybe?" Tatang asked, hoping for input. "Ah, I'm not here, Tang. You just type it in the group, so those who didn't have time to join can know too," Simon continued. "Okay, then I'll just type it in the group now, okay?"

Tatang answered, looking relieved. "Then if you can type in a group, why do you have to call in a group, Tatang?" James added, a little skeptical. Tatang didn't answer James, he immediately hung up the group phone call. "This guy really has nothing better to do, waking people up early in the morning just to say something trivial like that," James grumbled as he walked to the bathroom, feeling annoyed with the situation that had just happened. In front of the bathroom, it turned out that there was still one person waiting in line. "Huh, Bro, why are you using a public bathroom? The bathroom is broken, huh?" asked Ardi, who had been standing in front of the bathroom door. Ardi was the most senior boarder in the boarding house. "Eh, yeah, my room has a bathroom, right?" James was confused, feeling uncomfortable. "I think James was really drunk last night," joked Ardi, smiling broadly. "Even though I only drank coffee last night, Bro. My friend paid for it," James explained, trying to defend himself. "Is that so?" Ardi answered briefly, looking a little unsure. "Well, how come Bro Ardi is here? Bro Ardi moved to the next boarding house last month," asked James curiously. "Well, that's him, Jems. This morning I woke up and he was already in front of the bathroom here," Ardi answered while scratching his head. "That means Bro Ardi was really drunk last night," James teased. "Even though I only drank a little last night, and I paid for it," Ardi defended himself. "So actually Bro Ardi is no longer queuing for the bathroom?" asked James, confused by the situation. "No, no," answered Ardi briefly. "Then who's in the bathroom?" asked James again, increasingly curious. "No one," answered Ardi with a serious face. "Yes, then why am I standing here with Bro Ardi?" James started to get annoyed, feeling that the situation was getting weirder. "Well, yeah, what's James doing here? There's a bathroom in James' room?" Ardi asked back. "Ardi already asked me that. Come on, bro, excuse me, I really need to wash my face," James said as he passed Ardi and entered the bathroom. "Okay, then James, I also really need breakfast," Ardi said before leaving the bathroom. Suddenly, from inside, James' head appeared at the door, watching Ardi staggering through the boarding house corridor. "I think there are many sick people on this earth. Earlier, Tatang, ehm here's another new crazy person but old stock," James grumbled while shaking his head, feeling surprised by his friends' behavior. He went back into the bathroom, trying to calm himself down and prepare himself to start the day. Although the atmosphere sometimes felt ridiculous. Finally, the time promised by Tatang arrived, although it was still two to three hours away. Among the four people, Simon was perhaps the one who was rather disciplined about time, although he often came late between twenty minutes to forty minutes from the appointed time. That meant, the others could be late up to an hour or more, except for Tatang. That was because Tatang was the host of the coffee party this time. If it weren't for Tatang's house, he could have been more than two hours late. Tatang was even very late once when he had agreed to meet at Simon's boarding house; the agreement was on Friday night, but Tatang arrived on Sunday morning. Simon arrived at Tatang's father's house first. He didn't need to look for Tatang's house anymore, because Simon had often visited Tatang's father's house. At Tatang's father's house, there was no one there, just Tatang and his father, and his mother along with Tatang's younger, older, and cousins. When Simon was about to go into the house, suddenly his cell phone rang. It turned out that it was James who called. "Hey Simon, what are you doing?" James asked on the other end of the phone in a slightly hushed tone. "We're playing chess with Tatang's father," Simon answered, trying to sound casual. "Have you been here long?" James asked again. "Yes, a long time ago, about two hours ago," Simon lied, trying to hide the fact that he had just arrived. "You're great, Simon. Try looking behind you then," James teased. Simon looked back and was surprised to see James standing not far behind him, raising half his hand and waving at Simon. "Gosh, I look like you're a jerk when you wave like that," Simon said as he hung up James' phone. He felt a little embarrassed and went straight inside house, sitting on the terrace chair. From inside, Tatang could see Simon who had just arrived and immediately sat on the chair. "Ehm Mon, have you been here for a while?" asked Tatang casually. "Don't be silly, Tang. I know you saw me enter the fence and sit here," answered Simon while taking off his jacket. "Yes, that's right. I saw you enter and sit here. Hey, where are the others? It's already five o'clock, even though we made an appointment at four," Tatang asked, a little worried. Then Simon took the flower vase on the table and gave it to Tatang. "Tang, try rubbing this flower vase slowly, then a bit faster," Simon practiced what he had said. "Like this, Mon?" Tatang rubbed the flower vase, following Simon's instructions. "Yes, harder, Tang! The genie will be here soon," Simon encouraged, and Tatang followed what Simon said, rubbing the flower vase more enthusiastically. Not long after, James appeared in front of the gate. "Stop, stop, Tang! The genie has arrived!" Simon patted Tatang's hand excitedly. "Now, you just have to make three wishes," Simon continued with a serious expression. James approached Tatang and Simon, who were still involved in their game. "Hey, what are you guys doing? You seem really serious?" James asked as he approached them. "Here, James, someone is practicing summoning a genie," Simon replied. "Is the genie here?" James asked enthusiastically. "Yes, come," Tatang replied, trying to continue the joke. "Yes, come, make three wishes, when there are three of us," James continued, getting more excited. "No, it definitely won't be granted," Tatang replied, half joking. "Are you sure... that it won't be granted?" James challenged. "Yes, I'm sure. Because this genie is a Chinese genie who is known to be very frugal," Simon replied in a serious tone, even though he was joking. "Now, that's right!" Tatang continued, joining in. "It depends, Tang. If the genie is having a lot of luck, your requests will definitely be granted, although maybe not all of your requests will be granted," James explained, not realizing that the genie in question was himself. "Ah, still, James. Because we already know this Chinese genie," Tatang replied, laughing. "And this Chinese genie never seems to have a profit, because every day only the word loss comes out of his mouth," Simon continued, making the atmosphere even more ridiculous. "Oh my, so what you mean by the frugal Chinese genie is me?" James realized, his face turning confused. Before Tatang and Simon had a chance to answer James, suddenly Wawan's voice was heard calling from the gate. "Hey bro, does anyone have five thousand two bills or twenty thousand one bill?" Wawan asked from in front of the gate. "Twenty thousand?" Tatang asked, clarifying. "Well, that's right," Wawan replied, still standing in front. Suddenly, James approached Wawan and gave him several hundred thousand bills. "Here, Wan, just use my money," he said while handing over the money. "Wow, this is too much, James! Just twenty thousand," Tatang was surprised to see James' actions. "Come on, it's okay," James insisted while shoving a hundred thousand bill into Wawan's grasp. "Wow, what was my dream last night? Your father's shop sold, James? You're so nice!" Wawan joked. "No, but my uncle. Selling tens of hectares of land, then I only get a splash of hundreds of millions," James explained proudly. "Your life is really great, James! But seriously, I only need twenty thousand to pay for an online motorcycle taxi," Wawan continued, still feeling confused by this situation. Simon approached Wawan and handed him a twenty thousand bill. "Here, Wan, you just use this for now," Simon said while handing Wawan the twenty thousand bill. "You guys are really good friends! I just arrived, James gave me hundreds of thousands of rupiah, and Simon paid for my motorcycle taxi. Now, you, Tang, are just daydreaming, what do you want to do with me?" Wawan walked towards Tatang, laughing. "I just wanted to say welcome, Wan," Tatang replied with a smile. "Can I give you a drink?" Wawan asked, hoping to be able to enjoy some coffee soon. "Ready!" Tatang replied and hurried into the house. "James, what did you take to get here?" Wawan asked James who was still standing nearby. "Same here, I took an online motorcycle taxi too. I just got off a little bit later, because I didn't know where Tatang's father's house was," James replied. "It's unusual for you to take an online motorcycle taxi, James. Usually you go everywhere with your girlfriend driving your own car," Wawan asked curiously. "Well, that's the problem, Wan. That's actually my girlfriend's car," James explained. "So where is your girlfriend now, James?" Simon asked casually. "They broke up," James answered briefly. "So what about the car? Is it with your ex, James?" Wawan asked. "That's for sure, Wan. Because there's no history of that person breaking up and then getting marital property from an ex-girlfriend," Simon explained jokingly. "That's it, Mon, James' ex wants to move on and doesn't want to remember James anymore, so she just left the car to James," Wawan added. "My ex wasn't that good and stupid either, Wan," James defended himself. "Well, that's right, James. Your girlfriend can't be stupid," Simon replied. "Why is that, Mon?" James asked Simon, confused. "Clearly, the proof is that now she's dumped you. That means her intelligence mode is working again, that's why she dumped you," Simon explained seriously. "

"You, Jems?" Wawan asked. "Lanny," Jems answered briefly. "Well, Lanny is the one who's in her stupid mode, that's why you're being fooled too, Lanny just follows suit," Wawan continued explaining. "Ah, you guys act like you know everything! That's not the real problem," Jems argued, feeling uncomfortable with the conversation. Meanwhile, Tatang came carrying a glass and a pot of coffee. "Missions! Take down the ashtray and flower vase, Mon," Tatang asked Simon who was sitting on the chair right next to the table. "Come on, have a whole pot of coffee!" Simon continued while lowering the flower vase and ashtray under the table. "Yes, Jems. Even though your girlfriend is beautiful, she's already beautiful, she's lending you the car again. Ehm but you're the one who filled up the gas tank, right?" Tatang continued, teasing. “Well, maybe Tang, a car as good as that is filled with regular gasoline. At least Pertamax,” Wawan replied, joining in. “Yeah, that’s what I meant, Wan,” Tatang replied, agreeing. “So where’s your motorbike, Jems? Maybe your girlfriend pulled it too?” Simon asked playfully. “It’s in my boarding house, I’m too lazy to ride a motorbike,” Jems replied, looking a little lazy. “Yeah, yeah, that’s absolutely right. When people are used to riding nice cars, then suddenly want to ride an old motorbike, they become really lazy, man,” Wawan explained. “My motorbike is a Ninja, hey, it’s not old!” Jems defended himself. “Yes, it’s a Ninja, but a 2000 Ninja, Jems. It’s already 2023,” Wawan replied, laughing. “Well, your motorbike is about twenty-three years old, Jems. Soon it will be categorized—” Simon hadn’t finished speaking. “What? The antique motorbike category?” Jems replied, intending to brag. “No! If a motorbike is that old, it’s already categorized as scrap, Jems!” Simon explained while laughing. Tatang and Wawan burst out laughing, unable to hold themselves back. “Well, whatever you guys want to say. What’s clear is, I didn’t bring a motorbike because I was actually still sleepy this time,” Jems explained again. “Huh, how come?” Simon asked, curious. “Well, it’s possible. Tatang, you’ve been calling the group over and over again in the early morning,” Jems replied in a lazy tone. “It was already afternoon, Jems! I called the group at six in the morning,” Tatang defended himself. “You know, Tang. On Saturdays, I wake up at ten in the morning. So if it’s 6 in the morning, it’s still like 3 in the morning on a weekday,” Jems explained at length. “You can go back to sleep, Jems. You came here in the afternoon,” Tatang continued. “Ah, how could I sleep then,” Jems replied, looking desperate. “Well, just drink your coffee. I’ve made a pot of this, it’s good for keeping you awake again, Jems,” Tatang invited Jems to drink. “Hey, is this coffee or kolak, Wan?” Simon asked, after tasting the coffee Tatang made. “Why is that, Mon?” Wawan asked, confused. “It’s very sweet, like kolak water! Try this, drink it,” Simon replied, handing over a glass of coffee. Tatang took the coffee Simon offered and drank it. “This isn’t really sweet, Mon. It’s just a little sweet,” Tatang explained. “Well, it’s the same, Tang. When I’m in the village, I’m not allowed to drink coffee that’s too sweet or a little sweet,” Simon added. “Why is that, Mon? Afraid of getting diabetes, huh?” Tatang asked curiously. “Not that, but I’m afraid the sugar will run out quickly,” Simon answered seriously. “Is it really that hard to buy sugar in your village, Mon?” Tatang asked again. “It’s not hard, Tang. It’s just that people in my house in the village are lazy to go to the shop if they only want to buy one item,” Simon explained briefly. “Why are they lazy? They can just walk.”

Tatang was confused. “The road is the problem, Tang. We have to pass several hills before we reach the shop. And when we go there, the shop is open, because the shops there are often closed,” Simon explained. “Gosh, I heard it was complicated, Mon,” Wawan interrupted, laughing. “Oh yeah, Mon, what about your 2M? Have you gotten it yet?” Tatang asked, curious. “Well, that’s it again, Tang. The target has not been achieved yet,” Simon replied in a less enthusiastic tone. “Still really far away, huh, Mon?” Wawan asked again. “Oh, really really far away, Wan,” Simon replied. “As far as the difference between an elephant and bread or cake, Mon?” Wawan asked jokingly. “What do you mean, Wan?” Simon asked confusedly. “You can see an elephant from a distance,” Wawan continued. “What about bread and cake?” Simon asked curiously. “As for the bread and cakes, there’s been none in sight, just a few pieces of acan, Mon,” Wawan explained while glancing at Tatang. “Don’t worry, someone else will deliver them, otewe, Wan,” Tatang replied while looking at the fence, hoping someone would come. “Oh yeah, Mon, so what happened? I told my bones,” Jems suddenly spoke up. “What do you want, Jems? I don’t have any land that I can use as collateral for that amount,” Simon complained. “Then what should I do, Mon? Your grandmother won’t be buried then?” Wawan asked curiously. “As for being buried, that’s for sure, Wan, because all the preparations are ready. It’s just that at that time I promised my grandmother that I would slaughter a striped buffalo if she died,” Simon explained further. “So, what happened?” Jems asked briefly. “Then, how many days later did my grandmother die?” Simon continued his explanation. “It’s sad, Mon,” Jems asked, feeling sympathetic. “I’ve told you before,” Simon replied. Jems, Tatang, and Wawan just nodded at Simon’s words. “Hey, Mon, can we come to your village later?” Jems asked. Then Wawan chimed in enthusiastically, “Yes, Mon! I’ve never seen a Torajan burial procession before,” Wawan enthusiastically. “We watched it together on YouTube, Wan,” Tatang said to Wawan. “It’s on YouTube, Tang. I want to see it live,” Wawan replied. “Come on, I want to see it live too,” Tatang replied. “So what, Mon? Can we come?” Jems asked Simon again. “Yeah, sure. But each of us has to pay for the tickets,” Simon replied. “Yeah, of course, Mon. Tickets are ordinary, we want to buy them too,” Wawan offered. “Yeah, sure,” Simon replied, looking happy. “Okay, Jems will buy them later,” Tatang said to Jems. “Why me, Tang?” Jems was confused. “You have the most money, Jems,” Tatang replied. “Don’t you, Tang, have the most money?” Jems continued. “Yes, that’s right, Tang. Your house is like a sultan’s house,” Wawan continued. “The house is like a sultan’s, but the person is just ordinary,” Tatang replied, smiling. “Simon should also have a house and a car like you, Tang,” Wawan continued. Meanwhile, Simon and Jems were busy with their respective cellphones, not listening to Tatang and Wawan’s conversation. They seemed engrossed in their own world, while Tatang and Wawan continued to joke and tease each other. “Simon has a lot of money, but he saves it with him,” Tatang continued. “Where does he save it from? Two weeks ago, when he just got his salary, Simon asked me to take him to the ATM. After leaving the ATM, his face was frowning, because he wanted to withdraw money, but he only took out four hundred thousand,” Wawan laughed while glancing at Simon again. “That’s because I just paid off my debt to my friend, so my money is gone,” Simon answered Wawan who was still focused on his cellphone. “So what, Mon? So you want to use my bones as collateral, so your loan can be paid out?” Jems asked, still equally focused on their respective cellphone screens. “I told you, I don’t even know what to use as collateral with your bones, Jems. Because that’s a lot of money,” Simon answered while putting his cellphone on the table. “So, what should I do, Mon?” Wawan asked seriously. “Aii, I’m also confused, Mi, if it’s like this. And there are only a few weeks left,” Simon complained. “Can anyone help me, Simon? I feel sorry for his face, so disheveled,” Wawan said to Jems and Tatang. “If it’s a million or two million, maybe I can help,” Jems answered. “Yeah, me too, if it’s two million, we can try,” Tatang continued. “But whether there is or not, I still have to go home,” Simon responded. “Oh, you’re the only one coming back, Mon? We all wanted to go with you,” Wawan responded to Simon. “Yeah, that’s what I meant, Wan. By the way, who said one million or two million?” Simon asked Wawan. “Well, Jems and Tatang,” Wawan answered. “So four million, so my round trip ticket money is safe,” Simon said with a serious face. “Now then, Jems, Tatang, you two have already said two million each, go transfer it to Simon.” Wawan said to Tatang and Jems. “Then why didn’t you, Wan?” Tatang asked Simon, curious about his friend’s reaction. “Well, I didn’t say that I could get a million or two million,” Wawan replied, trying to defend himself with a smile. “Okay, Mon, WA your account number here, I’ll transfer it now,” Jems said seriously, seeming to want to help. However, Simon just stayed silent, not giving any response. He was busy fiddling with his cellphone, seeming not to care much about the conversation around him. A few seconds later, a WA notification appeared on Jems and Tatang’s cellphone screens. “Hey, I just WAed you the number,” Simon said, still looking at his cellphone screen. “Wow, you’re fast, Mon!” Tatang chimed in, impressed by Simon’s speed. “Who wouldn’t be fast, Wan, when it comes to money, especially if it’s free money. Why don’t you do it too?” Simon replied teasingly. “It’s easy for me, Mon. You won’t expect it later, I’ll transfer it,” Wawan evaded, trying to look relaxed. “Okay, I’ll wait, now Wan,” Simon replied, waiting for good news. “Ready, Mon Simon!” Wawan replied enthusiastically. “But I didn’t accept the voucher, now Wan,” Simon added, remembering his bad experience. “You’re really traumatized by vouchers,” Wawan laughed. “How could you not be traumatized, Wan? You gave me a voucher once, but it had expired!” Simon explained, his face showing lingering annoyance. “Is that really the story about the voucher, Mon?” Jems asked suddenly, interested in Simon’s story. “Yeah, really! When I wanted to use the voucher, it turned out to have expired. Oh, how embarrassing!” Simon explained, remembering the embarrassing moment. “Besides, you, Mon. Didn’t you read the voucher first when you accepted it?” Wawan defended himself. “You too, Wan. Look at it first before giving something to someone,” Jems said, interceding. “But that’s it, Mi. So I got to know the cashier at that time,” Simon smiled, remembering the moment. “You really dare, Mon,” asked Tatang in surprise, not believing Simon’s courage. “Do you think I’m not normal? I still like women too!” Simon defended himself, feeling the need to explain. “But the problem is, Mon, there haven’t been any women who have dared to like you,” Wawan answered briefly, making everyone laugh. “But there will definitely be, later!” Simon answered with full hope, although a little hesitant. “Is that Windya, Mon?” Jems asked teasingly. “Oh, enough already, Mi,” Simon didn’t want to continue. Jems understood very well because he was the one who knew the most about Simon’s relationship with Windya from the beginning to the end. “So what, Mon? It’s still a long time, right? Your grandmother’s been buried?” Wawan asked suddenly, diverting attention. “Actually, my grandmother’s been buried, less than 2 months left, right?” Simon answered in a listless tone, looking unenthusiastic. “So, no, Mon? About collateral, so I can get a loan from my bones?” Jems asked, curious. “Well, that again, Jems. I don’t think I have any. Just combine the four of us with our kidneys, it won’t be up to 2 billion,” Simon answered while observing Jems, Wawan, and Tatang. “I really don’t want to, Mon, combine the four of us with our kidneys. Yes, if not exchanged with Jems’ kidney,” Wawan explained, laughing. “Who would want to exchange a kidney with you, Wan? Your motorbike often breaks down, let alone your kidneys and lungs,” Jems replied, not wanting to lose. “What’s clear is that my kidneys have never been used for clubbing or going to massage parlors, Jems,” Wawan added, trying to defend himself. “Ah, that means your kidneys are tacky, you don’t socialize enough and you don’t have enough experience,” Jems replied lightly, making everyone laugh. “Leave it alone, my kidneys,” Wawan replied briefly, not wanting to bother. “Eh, you, Mon. Where have your kidneys been used and for what?” Tatang asked Simon seriously. “Ummm... wait, let me think about it, okay. But what’s clear is that my kidneys are definitely virgins, Tang,” Simon answered, trying to be serious even though there was a smile on his face. “And you, Tang? What have you been doing with your kidneys and lungs?” Simon asked again, curious. “What’s clear is that my kidneys and lungs have never

been made into coto or soto,” Tatang replied, laughing. “Awasko, someone asked again, what’s the difference between coto and soto?” Simon said with emphasis. “What’s the difference, Mon?” Wawan asked, also curious. “Ededede, I said, don’t ask,” Simon replied again, feeling a little annoyed. Not long after, the atmosphere suddenly became quiet. They were all focused on their respective cellphones. It turned out that Simon sent a WA to Jems to go home together because he didn’t bring enough money, afraid that the motorbike taxi fare would be more. Meanwhile, Wawan also sent a WA to Simon to say goodbye to Tatang. “Jems, we’ll go home together, okay,” Simon’s WA to Jems.

Chapter 2: Travel Ritual

“It’s rare to want to go home together, I didn’t bring a vehicle,” Jems replied, a little surprised. “Yes, I know. “You took an online taxi here,” Simon replied again. “So?” Jems replied briefly, still curious. Before Simon could reply to Jems’ WA, suddenly Wawan’s WA came in. “Mon, let’s go back,” Wawan’s WA to Simon. “Come on, I’m about to go back too,” Simon’s WA to Wawan replied. “I’m hungry, Tatang only served me coffee and fried food,” Wawan replied, complaining. “But it’s enough to fill my stomach,” Simon replied, trying to defend himself. “What kind of stomach filling, no, I’m full, yes I have stomach acid,” Wawan replied, still dissatisfied. “Tatang, he has a lot of money, but he’s stingy. Serve McDonald's or pecel rice," Wawan continued, feeling annoyed. "I already ate before coming here, so I'm not too hungry," Simon replied, trying to explain. "I was hoping we would eat here," Wawan replied, disappointed. Suddenly, Jems' WA came in. "So before leaving the house, eat first, and bring extra money," Jems' WA, giving advice. Wawan and Simon were shocked and confused as they stared at each other. Suddenly, Tatang typed. Wawan and Simon were still staring at each other, waiting. "Ooh, is there anyone hungry?" Tatang WA, realizing the situation. It turned out, Wawan WA'd to the group, and even more stupidly, Simon didn't realize that they had been WA'ing in the group. "Yee, why are you the idiot who's been chatting in the group, Mon?" Wawan to Simon, laughing. “You were the one who WA’d me first, so I replied anyway,” Simon replied, feeling innocent. “Actually, from the first time Wawan WA’d me to the group, I already knew, but I just kept quiet,” Jems intervened, trying to explain. “Why didn’t you tell me, Jems?” Wawan asked, feeling a little annoyed. “I was also WA’ing Simon,” he replied. Jems, defending himself. “So, what are you doing, Tang?” Wawan asked Tatang, curious. “Reading your WA in the group,” Tatang replied while pointing at Simon and Wawan. “So what we were secretly arguing about earlier was actually…” Simon hadn’t finished speaking. “Yes, it turns out the conversation moved to the group, huh,” Jems interrupted, realizing the situation. “Wan, how’s your stomach acid? Still?” Tatang asked Wawan, pretending to be worried. “Well, still. They offered coffee and fried snacks, like offerings from people on patrol,” Wawan replied, complaining. “I was waiting for you guys, they were already served inside,” Tatang replied, feeling innocent. Simon, who already knew and was close to Tatang’s family, without a word went straight into the house towards the dining room. “Well, the kid said he wasn’t hungry, he just barged in,” Wawan watched Simon as he stepped into the house. “Do you believe it, Simon has already eaten since he came here?” Jems asked Wawan, skeptical. “Whatever he says, he trusts people,” Wawan replied, shaking his head. “Come on, come in and eat, your stomach acid will flare up,” Tatang teased Wawan. “Hey, you already have stomach acid, Tang,” Wawan replied, not wanting to lose. When Simon was in front of the dining table, he immediately took a spoon and tasted each dish on the table, while demonstrating the way one of the judges on a cooking competition on TV spoke. “What kind of food is this? It doesn’t look good?” Simon said when he had tasted one of the dishes on the table. “Hmm, this again, fried chicken but it’s like fried flip-flops, tough and tasteless,” Simon continued, as if complaining. The last menu in the corner, Simon saw various vegetables. “Why are there so many leaves on the dining table? The host must be lazy, serving people raw vegetables, telling them to cook it themselves,” Simon said again, laughing. “That’s vegetables,” answered Mrs. Tatang who suddenly appeared behind Simon. It turned out that Mr. and Mrs. Tatang had been near the dining table, perhaps because they were so hungry, that Simon didn’t realize that Tatang’s parents were already there. “Eh, Mom… Dad, let’s eat, Sir, Ma’am,” Simon made small talk to hold back his embarrassment. “Yeah, you’re acting ahead, Mon,” replied Tatang’s father, smiling. Meanwhile, on the terrace, Wawan, Jems, and Tatang were still chatting. “You’re not going home, Wan? You said you wanted to go home earlier,” Jems asked Wawan. “Simon really wanted to take me back, he said he was craving for Padang rice near your boarding house,” Wawan answered. “Besides, Tatang, it took a long time to offer it,” Wawan continued, complaining. “Yeah, I know, Tatang. We’re all really hungry,” Jems added. “On purpose so you guys would eat a lot,” Tatang answered carelessly. Jems, Wawan, and Tatang rushed inside and found Simon who was already sitting at the dining table eating. Without waiting to be invited, Wawan and Jems immediately stepped on the gas. Jems, Wawan, and Simon immediately became silent and ignored each other when all the menus were on their respective plates. The first to stand up to get more was Simon. “Yeillah, just because you’re a boarding student, you’re so enthusiastic, Mon, get more,” joked Wawan to Simon. “I’ll get more now, when I get home I’ll ask Tatang to wrap it up again,” Simon answered lightly. “I’m also a boarding student, but I didn’t add more. But it’s okay, Tang, you wrap it up too, okay?” joked Jems. “Well, you too, Jems, join in wrapping it up. You’re the richest boarding student,” Wawan chimed in. “I’m too lazy to go out again, Wan, to look for food when I’m already in the boarding school,” Jems evaded. “I’m not too lazy to go out, but I’m too lazy to give money,” Simon replied. “Are you of Chinese descent too, Mon?” Tatang asked Simon, curious. “Nothing, Tang. I am a Torajan from the time of our ancestors,” Simon answered while chewing his food. “Yeah, I don’t think you have any Chinese ancestry, right?” Tatang was really confused. “Why is that, Tang?” Wawan asked, curious. “Don’t you understand what Tatang means?” Jems asked, also confused. “No,” Wawan and Simon answered in unison, making the atmosphere even funnier. “Simon is bad at spending money, even though he’s not Chinese. I’m Chinese, but not like that,” Jems explained, teasing Simon. “Not bad, Jems. What can I give out, if what comes in is minimal, and it’s hard to get out,” Simon answered, trying to explain. “Mon, don’t you see what people are eating?” Wawan asked Simon, a little confused. “I know we’re eating, but there’s nothing that dirty I said,” Simon replied, trying to keep the atmosphere relaxed. “Well, he gives it out, it’s hard to get it out, what’s that?” Wawan asked, still curious. “Ah, Wawan is paranoid, his mind is always all over the place,” Tatang replied, laughing. “Yes, but what I meant was minimal money, which is hard to give out, but he has all sorts of thoughts,” Simon explained, feeling the need to straighten things out. “Ooh, I see. "Well, map, let's continue then," Wawan replied, nodding in understanding. "Eh, Tang, I want to wrap up the chicken later," Wawan continued, pointing to the remaining chicken on the plate. Finally, Wawan, Jems, Tatang, and Simon were leaving for Toraja in less than a week to attend Simon's grandmother's funeral. Tatang, Jems, and Wawan were confused, whether to go on vacation or to pay their respects. Because for the three of them, going to pay their respects was for someone who had just died, while Simon's grandmother had been dead for two years. Wawan was very afraid of horror things. Actually, he didn't want to join, but he was curious to know what the funeral ritual for Simon's grandmother was like, which he had only seen on YouTube. On the other hand, Tatang himself couldn't understand the condition of Simon's grandmother's body that had been kept at home for two years. Was it already a skeleton? Did it smell like a corpse in general? Or what? On the other hand, Jems had no idea what was going on in his mind. He only hoped to meet foreign tourists, then exchange Instagram, and continue on like what was on Jems' mind. Meanwhile, Simon had given up on the 2 billion, because it was no longer possible. So, he and his friends left with the money he had. That afternoon, Wawan deliberately came to Simon's boarding house. Wawan knew for sure that Simon would not go anywhere after work, so that afternoon Wawan confidently went straight to Simon's boarding house without telling Simon first. And sure enough, when he arrived at Simon's boarding house, the boarding house door was open. That meant he was not going anywhere. However, Simon's boarding house door was not wide open or half open, but from a distance it was certain that there was someone inside. Wawan got closer, and from his current position, which was only a few steps from Simon's room door, he heard Simon's voice talking to a man. From the accent or dialect of the language, Wawan hesitated to go inside immediately. Wawan was very sure that the person talking to Simon inside was most likely Simon's relative or family from the village. He decided to wait outside for a moment, listening to their conversation. "Who is that person?" Wawan thought to himself, trying to catch every word that came out of Simon and the man's mouths. After a while, Wawan heard laughter from inside. The voice sounded familiar, and Wawan felt a little relieved. “Maybe there’s nothing to worry about,” he thought. “Should I come in?” Wawan said while scratching his forehead, even though it wasn’t itchy, standing not far from Simon’s boarding house door. Meanwhile, from inside the room, a very serious conversation could be heard. Even though Wawan didn’t really understand the language Simon was using with his conversation partner, Wawan pretended to know that it was a very important conversation. What was clear was that Simon’s conversation inside wasn’t about the price of basic necessities that kept going up, or talking about the salaries of officials that were also going up even though their jobs were unclear. The longer it went on, the higher the tone of the conversation from inside. Wawan was worried that a fight would break out that would end in murder and someone would be the victim. “Gosh, why is this conversation inside getting more and more exciting, and it’s even turning into a fight again. What if someone becomes a victim? We’re not going to leave,” Wawan thought for a moment, thinking about going in immediately to break it up. Wawan was just about to break it up, but suddenly Tatang was standing behind him. “Jiaah, wow, Tang! You’re already playing around here,” Wawan’s voice was half a whisper. “Eh, what are you doing here, Wan? Shouldn’t you just go inside?” Tatang said in a whisper. “Shhh, don’t make any noise, Tang! Simon is fighting with his brother inside,” Wawan guessed as a know-it-all. “Eh, is that so? Have you gone inside?” Tatang asked, doubting Wawan’s statement. “Not yet, I’ve just been eavesdropping here,” Wawan replied. “Why haven’t you gone inside?” Tatang asked. “So, what are you doing here?” Wawan asked back. “Delivering this,” while patting the backpack he had slung over his left arm. “What’s in it?” Wawan asked, somewhat curious. “Gosh, nosy! Just curious,” Tatang replied, slightly annoyed. “Well, maybe you can share it with me,” Wawan said hopefully. “Of course, if Simon wants it,” Tatang replied. “Of course he will, Simon is very close to me,” Wawan replied confidently. “Is it with me?” Tatang confirmed. “Yes, with us,” Wawan replied, smiling. “So what’s in it, Tang? The novel is very valuable,” Wawan asked again, curious. “Not valuable anymore, but valuable,” Tatang replied to make sure. “Can I know how much it’s worth?” Wawan became even more curious. “I don’t even know how much it’s worth,” Tatang replied casually. “So, what’s wrong? You brought it here, how can you not know what’s in it?” Wawan was confused. “This is a deposit, so we have to protect the trust of the person who entrusted it,” Tatang explained. “Who entrusted it?” Wawan asked. “Does it really need to be told to you? Even if I mention it, they won’t recognize it,” Tatang explained. “If I do, come see it, Tang,” Wawan insisted. “Later, with Simon if you want to see it,” Tatang replied. “So, can’t you open it here first?” Wawan asked again. “Well, you can’t, Wan. It’s not ethical, this is Simon’s,” Tatang explained. “It’ll just end up like this, Tang. I’m a curious person, Tang,” Wawan whined. “So you can’t die here, Wan,” Tatang replied with a smile. “Why are you talking about dying? Why is that? I’ve become a curious ghost,” Wawan was surprised. “It’s not a problem that you’ve become a ghost,” Tatang explained. “Then what?” Wawan was curious. “I’m too lazy to be a witness, then evacuate you, then tell your parents. Because you’re just making a fuss about life, what if you die,” Tatang explained in a serious tone. Meanwhile, a few minutes ago, Simon and his brother were already in front of the boarding house door, watching them. Simon was squatting, while his brother was standing, both of them listening to Wawan and Tatang’s conversation with rapt attention. Not to mention the person in front of Simon’s room had also been watching the two of them, curious about what was going on.

“Hey, what are you two doing there, just making a fuss?” Simon called out to Wawan and Tatang who were seen engaged in a conversation that was going nowhere.

“Hey, you’re already there, Mon?” Wawan replied, with a surprised expression when he saw Simon who suddenly appeared in front of the door. “Hey, when did you two get there, why so suddenly?” Tatang looked at him in confusion.

“We’ve been here for a while, look at you two making a fuss for no reason,” Simon replied.

“Yeah, Wawan is really nosy,” Tatang said, mocking his friend and best friend.

“Hey, Mon, how come your fight is over already? I was just about to separate them, ehm they separated themselves,” Wawan continued, jokingly.

“You guys are the ones who want to be separated, making a fuss in the same boarding house. Come on, come in,” Simon invited, inviting Wawan and Tatang into his room.

Tatang and Wawan entered Simon’s boarding room, which was relatively spacious compared to his usual boarding house. Maybe because Simon had been boarding there for a long time from his college days until now, so he was allowed to occupy a fairly spacious room at a fairly cheap price.

“So what do you think, Wan? It’s rare for you to come here with Tatang?” Simon asked Wawan.

“I came alone, Mon, but suddenly he appeared behind me,” Wawan replied, pointing at Tatang. “I had promised Simon that I would come here this afternoon,” Tatang explained, chiming in.

“Oh, I forgot, this is Bernad, my brother from the village,” Simon said, introducing Bernad who had just arrived. Bernad warmly shook hands with Wawan and Tatang, adding to the intimacy in the room.

“Wawan, the most handsome Betawi person on the island…” Simon suddenly interrupted Wawan’s unfinished speech.

“Yes, this is Wawan, the most handsome Betawi person on Samalona Island,” Simon interrupted, trying to respond to Wawan’s compliment with enthusiasm. “Mon, where is Samalona Island?” Wawan asked, confused. “Are there many Betawi people on Samalona Island?” Wawan continued his question.

“Well, that’s exactly it, Wan. You’re the most handsome because you’re the only Betawi person there, that is if you go there,” Simon explained, continuing the joke that didn’t seem funny.

“Ah, you’re kidding, Mon,” Wawan answered Simon.

“Well, this is Tatang,” Simon said to Bernad.

“Well, this is the coolest Sundanese person, he’s the only one in the house,” Wawan joked.

“At home, I only live by myself,” Tatang answered Wawan, confused.

“Well, that’s exactly it, Tang. You’re the coolest when you’re the only one, no one else,” Wawan mocked Tatang.

“Ah, Wan,” Tatang said, not wanting to bother.

“Just get straight to the point, Mon, I want to ask you something,” Wawan said, not wanting to waste time. “We’ll go to your house later,” Wawan continued, showing his curiosity.

“Yes, so what?” Simon asked, wanting to know what happened next.

“Well, we’ll sleep in the same house as your deceased grandmother, right, Mon?” Wawan asked to confirm.

“Well, no. There’s a special place for that,” Bernad replied, responding to Wawan’s concerns.

“Right, Mon?” Wawan asked Simon, wanting to confirm what Bernad said.

“Yes, that’s right. It’s kept on top of the traditional house,” Simon replied, dismissing Wawan’s concerns.

“So, is the traditional house far from the house where we’ll be staying, Mon?” Wawan asked again.

“Yes, quite far,” Wawan replied casually.

“How far, Mon?” Wawan asked curiously.

“About this far,” Bernad replied, aligning his two cellphones.

“Well, that’s not far, Mon. This is next to it,” Wawan responded to Simon in a frightened tone.

“So, Wan, you came here just to ask that?” Tatang asked Wawan, a little surprised.

“Yeah, why?” Wawan asked back, confused by his friends’ reactions.

“Why are you asking such unimportant things?” Tatang joked to Wawan.

But Wawan, with unfading enthusiasm, replied, “Well, that’s important, Tang! It concerns my physical and mental safety. If I have a heart attack and I die, what then?”

Tatang frowned. “If you die there, well, like I said earlier, Wan, I don’t want to be a witness, and I’ll definitely be confused about what to say to your parents.” This sentence was greeted with laughter by Simon who felt that Wawan’s worries were a bit excessive.

Simon interrupted, “Well, that’s right, Wan!”

Wawan, not wanting to lose, firmly said, “Oh is that so, you guys want me?”

Simon explained, “So it’s like this, Wan. There are no horror or mystical things there. Everything is normal, like other areas. In Toraja, the only difference is the tradition and culture compared to other areas.” Simon’s lengthy explanation made the atmosphere more calming, although Wawan’s desire to feel scared remained.

Bernad added, “Well, that’s right. Later, when you’re there, you’ll understand the situation,” as if he wanted to reduce Wawan’s burden of fear. However, Wawan was still not completely convinced.

“You know I’m afraid of horror things, especially traditional horror, or traditional ghosts?” he complained in a tone full of anxiety.

“Hello, Wan. Your life is already so scary, being chased by loan shark debt collectors every day,” Tatang responded, trying to make a joke.

“What do you mean?” Wawan asked, confused about what his friend meant.

“Being chased by loan sharks every day, isn’t that even more scary?” Tatang explained.

“My motorbike is safe,” Wawan answered lightly.

Simon mixed up the conversation with a challenging question, “But when did you say that your motorbike had been taken by the leasing company?” Wawan tried to defend himself, “Well, that’s it, Mon. I mean it’s safe.”

“Then what about the online loans?” Tatang mentioned a problem that was no less serious.

“It’s safe too, because I’m here, and I turned off my phone, so I’m safe,” said Wawan trying to avoid Simon’s concerns.

“Yes, you’re safe here. When it’s your turn to go home, you’ll be chased again,” Simon did not remain silent and responded.

“That’s easy, because I’ve had experience being chased by online loans,” Wawan answered lightly, feeling experienced. Meanwhile, Tatang was seen reaching into his Civil Servant card. He took out an envelope from his Civil Servant card and handed it to Simon. “This, Mon, is from the kids in the office. All divisions have contributed,” Tatang felt relieved to have delivered the mandate from his co-workers.

“Thank you very much, Tang,” Simon replied, appreciating the effort. Then Tatang continued with another envelope, “Now, this is from me and from Bapak and Ibu.” Tatang handed over the second envelope.

“Gosh, I feel bad for Bapak and Mamak. Say thank you very much, now, Tang,” Simon accepted the envelope offered by Tatang with a smile.

“It’s okay, Mon. Don’t look at the amount, okay. Hopefully it can help,” Tatang replied, giving Simon some relief.

“Wow… you won a lot, Mon… the first envelope was as thick as a brick,” joked Wawan.

“Well, you said earlier you wanted to know what was in it and how much, ask Simon,” said Tatang to Wawan, who only answered jokingly that it was all a joke.

“Yeah, no! I was just joking, Tang,” Wawan defended himself.

“Why did you force me to joke?” Tatang responded.

“Who forced me?” Wawan asked in surprise.

“You were the one who made a lot of noise earlier,” Tatang explained.

“So this is what was causing the commotion in front?” Simon asked Tatang and Wawan.

“No, Mon. It’s just Tatang who’s being over the top,” Wawan replied with a laugh.

“Eh, so when are you guys going?” Bernad asked Tatang and Wawan.

“Going?” Tatang was confused.

“I mean going to Toraja together,” Bernad continued.

“Oh, that’s it,” Tatang understood.

“Let’s just go along with what Simon says. He’s the one having the event,” Wawan replied.

“Hajatan... a mourning party is called a hajatan,” Tatang glanced at Wawan.

“So, what should I call it?” asked Wawan.

“Tahlilan or something, Wan,” explained Tatang.

“Well, it’s okay. Maybe the name is just different,” Bernad intervened.

“Tang, all the tickets are safe, right?” asked Simon to Tatang.

“Ready, safe, Mon,” Tatang answered briefly.

“Just the four of us, right? No one else?” asked Simon again.

“You know, Wawan. Is there anyone you want to invite?” asked Tatang to Wawan.

“Invite who, Tang?” asked Wawan in surprise.

“You know... maybe you want to invite your wife?” asked Tatang teasingly.

“Where’s your wife from? Never mind a wife, Tang. I’m already scared to raise two birds,” Wawan said while eating peanuts.

Hearing Wawan’s words, Bernad, Tatang, and Simon spontaneously laughed.

“Hey, what are you using to feed your two birds, Wan?” Simon asked.

“Wow, you’re all thinking about it, you’re all going on picnics everywhere. I mean my two canaries,” Wawan explained.

“Well, you should say your two canaries, not your two birds,” while pointing at Wawan’s pants.

“This is the only bird, Mon. Its two eggs, do you understand?” Wawan replied.

“Enough already, this is getting more and more all over the place when it comes to birds,” Tatang intervened.

“So it’s fixed, no one else is coming, right? Because the only ones who bought tickets were for the four of us,” Tatang continued.

“If there’s no more, that’s it, Tang,” Simon continued.

“Eh, how about it, Mon? So you’re saving up money to buy those two striped buffaloes?” asked Wawan.

Simon just smiled while looking at Bernad.

“Edede, that’s a lot. If he were alone, he could buy two striped buffaloes,” joked Bernad.

“Is the meat from striped buffaloes different from regular buffaloes, bro?” Wawan asked Bernad.

“In terms of taste, the meat is the same as regular buffaloes,” answered Bernad.

“So how do you make it expensive, hundreds of millions to billions, bro?” asked Wawan enthusiastically. “That’s just a customary value, because it’s possible that such buffaloes are rare and have high value, to the point that their prices are also high,” explained Bernad.

“Well, that’s it, Wan. If something is rare, its price is also high,” interrupted Tatang jokingly.

“I’ll go first, Mon, Bro Bernad,” Tatang suddenly stood up and said goodbye.

Wawan was surprised and stood up too, saying goodbye too. “Tang, you’re in such a hurry, just leaving, no intros, just stepping on the gas,” asked Wawan while following Tatang from behind.

“I just remembered that Marko and Mulan haven’t been fed yet, euy,” answered Tatang, remembering his two pet birds.

“Eh, yeah, same! It’s already evening for my birds too, they haven’t been fed yet,” Wawan joined in.

“Wan… wan, why are you just staying with the birds?” Simon replied to Wawan, smiling.

The night before leaving, Wawan made sure what equipment he would bring. That afternoon, Wawan gathered Jems, Tatang, and Simon at Mang Udin's coffee shop. This time, Wawan was the first to arrive, even an hour earlier than the time he had promised Jems, Tatang, and Simon.

While chatting in the WA group, Wawan kept looking at his notebook. Understandably, this was the first time Wawan was going out of town by plane. So far, the furthest Wawan had gone was to Tasik, and that was because he got on the wrong bus, which was actually going to Garut, but ended up going to Tasik.

"Hey, where are you guys, bro?" Wawan asked in the group.

But no one responded to Wawan's chat in the group. After ten minutes, there was no response from the WA group, Wawan decided to call Jems, Tatang, and Simon one by one. But no one wanted to answer Wawan's call.

"Dude, I'm already at the coffee shop," Wawan sent another message to the group.

And again, no one replied to Wawan's chat.

Not long after, Jems, Tatang, and Simon arrived together.

“Wow! I called them one by one but no one answered, I chatted in the group but they only read it, you guys are so annoying, ah!” Wawan complained to Tatang, Jems, and Simon.

“Why again, Wan? Why did you tell me to meet here, Tatang has already forwarded the tickets to you?” Simon asked Wawan while moving his chair to sit down.

“I don’t know, this kid, even though he’s busy, beats the one who has the event, you, Wan,” said Jems feeling a little annoyed.

“It’s not like that, bro. You all know this is my first time out of town,” Wawan answered explaining.

“So, so what, Wan?” asked Tatang.

“Well, I just wanted to make sure what you brought?” the civil servant asked again.

“Just bring money and clothes,” Simon answered lightly.

“Seriously, you only brought clothes and money?” asked Wawan, really wanting to make sure.

“Also your phone and charger,” Jems continued.

“Seriously? How many medicines did you bring, Mon?” Wawan asked again.

“What illness do you have, Wan? Why do you have to bring medicines?” Tatang asked.

“I’m not sick, Tang. Well, maybe it’ll be for medicine for stomach cramps,” Wawan continued.

“If you have stomach cramps, you can just go to the bathroom, why would you take medicine again?” Simon explained.

“You know Wawan is weird, like the place we’re going to is a very remote place in Indonesia,” Jems explained.

“Yes, Wan. It’s as if my village is far from human civilization, to the point where you want to bring medicine for stomach cramps,” Simon said jokingly.

Wawan, who was still confused, answered, “So, what should I bring?” He looked a little frustrated.

Tatang explained patiently, “Simon said earlier, just bring lots of money and clothes, but don’t bring lots of clothes.” This advice was simple yet effective.

Meanwhile, Simon just nodded in agreement, “Yes, that’s right,” he said briefly.

Wawan then confirmed, “So that’s all?” He wanted to make sure that his friends’ opinions were correct. “You guys will see tomorrow, okay? The one who will take Wawan to the airport is from the same sub-district,” Jems said to make sure.

“Eh, that’s right, Wan,” Tatang seemed to doubt Jems’ statement.

“Well, that’s right. Because my mother and father said that they would come with me to the airport tomorrow,” Wawan answered, trying to make sure.

“Well, that’s it, right? Don’t you invite your older brother and younger siblings too, Wan?” Jems asked again.

“I don’t have any younger siblings or older siblings, I’m an only child,” Wawan answered to confirm.

“Who knows, your father might open another branch somewhere else,” Jems joked.

“Before, when the rented house hadn’t been sold yet, he said he wanted to find a new wife,” Wawan explained.

“So, what about now?” Tatang asked curiously.

“Now, let alone a new wife, I don’t even allow it if I want to change to a new motorbike,” Wawan complained.

“What does your father getting a new wife have to do with your plan to buy a new motorbike? What’s the connection?” asked Simon curiously.

“We both want a new one, right?” replied Wawan jokingly.

“Ah, this is getting more and more crazy. It’s over. I’m going to the laundry first,” replied Wawan.

“Why are you going to the laundry, Tang?” asked Wawan.

“Buying a new motorbike with a new wife,” replied Tatang expressionlessly.

“Hey, remember, now! We’ll be at terminal three at ten in the morning, okay!” Simon reminded him.

“Do you know terminal three, Wan? You only know the Cililitan terminal,” asked Tatang.

“I only know terminal three,” replied Wawan.

“Okay, okay. I’ll go first,” continued Simon.

Finally, the four of them left Warkop Mang Udin without a single person shopping.

“Hey, Mon, I’ll call you tonight, okay!!” shouted Wawan to Simon who had already walked away.

“Okay!!” Simon answered briefly, while continuing his steps.

The next morning, the atmosphere at terminal three was very crowded. At just before eight, Wawan had arrived there with his family; Mother, Father, Uncle, Aunt, Grandfather, Grandmother, and several small children who were probably his cousins. They gathered to see Wawan off.

After an hour of waiting, Simon and Tatang finally arrived. They got out of the online taxi carrying a medium-sized backpack. After paying, they rushed into the arrivals section of terminal three. From a distance, Tatang saw Wawan surrounded by his family who looked very excited.

“It really happened, Mon, what Jems talked about yesterday,” said Tatang while directing his gaze at Wawan.

Simon, who was still focused on his cellphone, didn’t really understand. “What happened, Tang?” he asked, without taking his eyes off the screen.

“Look, Mon,” replied Tatang, pointing at Wawan who was having fun in the middle of his family.

“Really, bring all the family,” Simon said, surprised to see such a large group.

“Well, let’s go there,” Simon said, finally walking towards Wawan and his group.

The arrival of Jems, Tatang, and Simon was greeted enthusiastically by Wawan. “Hey, Mak, Wawan’s friends have arrived!” Wawan shouted to his mother.

“Hey.. hurry up, hey.. why are you taking so long!” Wawan called out to Jems, Tatang, and Simon again, trying to get their attention.

However, his three friends seemed to pretend not to hear. Tatang was wearing a handsfree and sunglasses, while Simon and Jems suddenly used headphones that had previously been hanging around their necks.

“Hey!!.. hey, hurry up!!.. eeh, you’re all walking like snails!” Wawan shouted, a little annoyed, but still joking.

After shouting a few times, Wawan approached them with a slightly annoyed face. “Wow.. I’ve been calling you all this time but no one heard!” he complained, feeling frustrated.

"I can't hear it, Wan. My people are listening to music, so they're wearing sunglasses again," said Tatang, trying to give an excuse.

"I was also listening to music, I didn't hear the calls," continued Simon.

"Well, what are you doing, Jems isn't responding? Hear the music too?" he asked in a casual tone.

Jems, who seemed to prefer to enjoy the atmosphere, answered lightly, "I've been hearing you and looking at you for a while now, I'm just too lazy to listen." Wawan was surprised, "Why is that so?"

"You think about it, Wan. This is an airport. Look at the people passing by. This is a public place that is always busy, when I want to reply to your shout, it's like people haven't seen us for decades." Jems explained, looking around them. In a joking manner, Tatang added, “Yes, we just met last night.”

“That’s not what I meant… I meant to let you know that I’ve arrived.” Wawan tried to clarify his intentions.

Jems answered him in a comforting tone, “We know, Wan, you’ve been there for a while. We saw you from afar with your group.” Wawan frowned, “Then why didn’t you guys come?”

Jems explained, “We were already walking towards you.”

In an instant, they were in the middle of Wawan’s family group. “Mak, Be, let me introduce you to Wawan’s friends,” Wawan said proudly, introducing his three friends to his parents.

Wawan’s mother greeted them warmly. “You’ve known them for a long time, they often come over to our house. This is Jems, a Batak but narrow-eyed guy, this is Tatang, this is Simon,” she said with a smile. Wawan’s father added, “Are these the only friends you have, Wan, who often come over to our house?”

Jems and Tatang warmly greeted Mrs. and Mr. Wawan, as well as all the other family members, including four cheerful little children who were also in the group.

In the midst of the friendly atmosphere, Mrs. Wawan conveyed a message to Simon, “Son Simon, Mak asks you to take care of Wawan, okay. If he’s naughty, just pull his ears.”

In a joking tone, Simon answered, “Yes.. yes, Mak.. later if Wawan is naughty I’ll pull his ears, even my head if he’s naughty.” Jems also chimed in, “Yes, me too, Mak. Later I’ll pull Wawan’s ears and eyes if he’s naughty, Mak.”

Tatang didn’t want to be left behind, “Then if Wawan meets a woman there, I’ll just marry her off, okay, Mak?” his joke made the atmosphere even more lively. “If there’s anyone who wants to, Mak, that’s already great,” replied Mrs. Wawan with a laugh.

Before parting, Mr. Wawan reminded, “Thank you, okay, son. Be good on the road, okay. Tell the plane driver not to speed.” Simon answered enthusiastically, “Okay, ready, Sir.”

Tatang then asked for his farewell, “Excuse me, Sir, Mother, Uncle, Auntie. I want to check in first.”

When the moment to say goodbye arrived, Mrs. Wawan immediately hugged Wawan tightly, sobbing to hold back tears. “Wan, remember Mak’s message, son. Don’t be naughty in other people’s villages, pray diligently, and don’t let your eyes wander, okay,” Mrs. Wawan’s message was full of concern.

“Mak, get ready..ready. Wawan isn’t naughty, okay. But Wawan is going to go in first, later Wawan will be left behind,” she said, trying to ease the sadness that enveloped the atmosphere. Slowly his mother released her hug and let Wawan continue his journey, while Wawan’s tears began to well up as he turned to his father.

“Father, Wawan is on his way, okay. Pray that Wawan arrives safely in Simon’s village, okay, Sir,” she said while hugging her father with great emotion.

His father encouraged him, “Yes.. yes, go ahead. Your friends are waiting, noh,” while pointing his finger at Jems, Tatang, and Simon who were already waiting in the check-in line.

On the other hand, Jems, Simon, and Tatang could not help but laugh while observing the emotion that enveloped Wawan and his family. “It must be scary, ah, Wawan’s family. That Cemara family is inferior,” said Jems while trying to hold back laughter.

Tatang added, “Yes, euy. I also saw him moved, but I wanted to laugh because I was afraid of getting cursed.” Everyone laughed when Simon commented, “Imagine if Wawan went to Somalia for five years, the airport would definitely be full to see him.”

Not long after, Wawan waved his hand, asking his friends to wait. “You see the things Wawan brought, it really looks like someone who is going to go to Somalia for years,” said Simon while laughing at Wawan who was walking carrying many suitcases. Wawan was seen coming with a large suitcase, a medium suitcase, a backpack, and a handbag that made his friends surprised.

"Not over baggage, ji, is that Wawan's stuff?" Simon asked again, which was immediately answered by Tatang, "It's okay, later just use our luggage. We don't have any items in the luggage, right?"

"As long as Wawan doesn't bring prohibited items. If he does, we're finished," Jems added in a worried tone.

When Wawan approached, he heard his friends' jokes. "Wow, you guys are so cruel to me," Wawan complained while breaking through the line. "What's cruel, Wan?" Simon asked without guilt.

"Didn't you see what I was carrying? Didn't you help me, instead you're staring at me." Wawan answered in a slightly annoyed tone. “Hey, it’s you, Wan. We’re just going to Toraja, but the suitcases you’re carrying look like you’re moving house,” Simon explained in response to Wawan’s concerns.

“So, where are your suitcases?” Wawan looked at Simon, Tatang, and Jems.

“Why would we bring suitcases if we’re going to be there for a week, Wan,” Jems replied.

“What are you bringing, Wan?” Tatang asked Wawan.

“These are my clothes, pants, jacket, and sarong,” he said, pointing to the suitcases piled up. These items raised questions from his friends.

“So, after Toraja, where are you going, Wan? To Africa or Argentina?” Simon joked with a smile, looking at Wawan’s pile of belongings.

“Well, after Toraja, go back to Jakarta,” Wawan replied casually.

However, his friends didn’t stop making jokes. “So why did you bring so many clothes, Wan? Are you going to change clothes there every hour?” asked Jems, as if he couldn’t believe the amount of clothes Wawan brought.

“No, I’m going to sell clothes there, to pay for my fare home,” Tatang chimed in, and everyone laughed out loud.

“So what do I do?” Wawan seemed resigned to the never-ending jokes.

Simon then diverted attention. “Let’s see, Wan. What’s in your backpack?” he asked.

“Four t-shirts, two shorts, the rest are panties,” answered Wawan, remembering the contents of his backpack.

“Well, just bring that. Call your father and ask your uncle to come here to get all your suitcases,” Simon explained, providing a solution.

But Wawan looked confused, “Are you serious, Mon? Then what will I do after taking a shower, if I’m sweating?” he asked worriedly.

“Don’t think about that. Quickly call your uncle, we’ll wait inside,” answered Simon with a tone full of certainty.

The two friends then showed their ID cards and cellphone screens to the airport officer. However, Wawan looked anxious, "How can this be my business, I was left behind," he said while pulling Simon's shirt.

Finally, Wawan called his father and uncle. Not long after, the two came over to Wawan.

"Sir, I only brought this. Take the others home, okay?" Wawan said to his father.

"Did I say, just bring enough clothes, not like a runaway like you," replied Wawan's father, half sarcastically.

"Okay, sir. Wawan asked me to. Wawan wants to go in first," said Wawan who was impatient. He waved, "I love you, my dear Daddy," before rushing towards the ticket checker.

"Well, bye-bye, okay!!" shouted Wawan's father while watching Wawan enter the check-in room.

After going through all the processes, Wawan and his three friends, Jems, Tatang, and Simon, were finally in the waiting room at gate 5. They were like carrying small children who were about to board a plane, almost everything had to be explained. Fortunately, there were still many empty seats at the gate, so they sat down while playing with their cellphones.

In that calm atmosphere, Wawan suddenly took out Antimo (Sleeping pills for air travel ) from his pants pocket and drank it straight away. “

“What are you drinking, Wan?” asked Jems curiously.

“That, I just drank Antimo (Sleeping pills for air travel),” replied Wawan while opening the cap of a mineral water bottle.

“Share one,” requested Jems.

“Here, I happen to have one left,” replied Wawan while handing him Antimo (Sleeping pills for air travel).

“How many did you drink just now, Wan?” asked Jems again.

“Three,” answered Wawan briefly.

Instantly Tatang and Wawan were shocked and turned to Wawan. “Wan, why did you drink three Antimo (Sleeping pills for air travel).

 at once?” asked Tatang in surprise.

“Yes, I’m afraid of heights, so I just drank three of them, so that when I arrive I’ll just wake up,” Wawan explained casually.

“Wan, you know, our trip is only two hours. Now, you drink three Antimo (Sleeping pills for air travel).

 pills, one Antimo  (Sleeping pills for air travel).

 pill can make you fall asleep for two to four hours,” Simon explained, reminding him seriously.

“Well, he drank three,” Tatang said while shaking his head, looking worried.

“Then what should I do?” Wawan looked panicked. “Shall we look for coconut water?” Wawan asked then, hoping for a solution.

“Where can we find coconut water here?” Simon answered while looking around. “Unless we get out of the airport first,” Simon continued. When the loudspeaker announced that their plane was delayed for an hour, the atmosphere became more relaxed even though Wawan looked increasingly anxious. “Well, our plane is delayed. Go to sleep here first, Wan. We’ll lift you up to the plane,” Jems joked, trying to ease the tension between them. Wawan finally fell asleep next to Tatang, unaware of all the plans his friends were going to make.

The discussion between Jems, Simon, and Tatang continued.

“How are we going to wake him up?” asked Jems, who was a little worried about how to wake Wawan up. Tatang, jokingly, replied, “That’s easy, Jems. We’ll just take turns slapping his face.” The three friends laughed.

“Before he wakes up, we’ll have someone else’s kid’s face all battered up,” Jems replied while laughing.

However, Tatang quickly emphasized, “It’s okay, Jems. Rather than us lifting him up to the plane later, which is more troublesome?” Tatang replied jokingly giving a choice.

“No need to slap him, Tang. Let’s just splash his face with water,” Simon replied, feeling like he had provided a solution.

“So what?” Tatang asked again.

“So what... then. Then we’ll slap him together,” Simon laughed.

“If that’s not enough, let’s just ask people in the entire room for help,” Jems suggested.

“What for? To slap Wawan too?” Tatang asked, unsure.

“Well, no... to lift him onto the plane. Didn’t you see his face, he hasn’t even been slapped yet but he already looks battered,” Jems explained.

While waiting for the flight, Jems, Simon, and Tatang tried to entertain themselves by taking turns taking pictures with Wawan, their friend who was still fast asleep on one of the benches. Wawan, who had already downed three Antimo pills, didn’t seem like he would wake up anytime soon.

After almost two hours of waiting, the announcement to board the plane was finally heard. However, Wawan was still asleep, and Jems, Tatang, and Simon's efforts to wake him up were fruitless. Jems had even splashed water on Wawan's face, but Wawan was still reluctant to open his eyes. Reluctantly, they decided to carry Wawan to the plane.

When they had only walked a few meters carrying Wawan, they were suddenly approached by an airport security officer.

"Eeh, Mas... mas, what's wrong with his friend?" asked the security officer, worried about Wawan's condition.

"Here, Mas, he drank three Antimo pills," answered Tatang in a relaxed tone.

"Huh, how come?" asked the officer who looked confused.

"He's afraid to fly, Mas. So he wants to wake up when he reaches his destination," answered Jems, trying to explain the situation.

The security officer nodded in understanding, "Okay, take it slow."

"Okay, okay, Mas. Thank you," answered Jems again, relieved to be able to continue the journey.

They were the last passengers to board the plane, and Wawan’s seat was at the very back, number 23F, while Tatang, Simon, and Jems sat in 14, 15, and 16. Carefully, they carried Wawan to his seat, but again they were reprimanded by the flight attendant who looked worried.

“What’s wrong with his friend, Sir?” asked the flight attendant in a worried tone.

“He just drank three Antimo pills, Miss, two hours ago. Understandably, he has a fear of heights,” explained Tatang.

“But he’s okay, right? Not because of alcohol or some other illness?” asked the flight attendant again, still doubting Wawan’s condition.

“Oh, no, Miss. He’s safe. He’s a good kid, just look at his face, he’s cute, isn’t he?” Tatang lifted Wawan’s chin slightly to show Wawan’s face.

“Okay, fine, Sir. Go straight to your seat, we’re leaving soon,” explained the flight attendant, finally allowing them.

“Okay, ready, Mbak,” Wawan answered briefly, as if he had woken up even though he was still half asleep.

After successfully sitting down and fastening Wawan’s seat belt, the three friends returned to their seats with a sense of relief. The atmosphere inside the plane began to quieten down, the other passengers were already in their seats, and the voice of the flight attendant announcing the safety procedures could be heard.

When the plane started to take off, Jems, Tatang, and Simon were still laughing a little remembering the funny incident with Wawan. Even though Wawan was fast asleep, they knew that this would be one of the most memorable experiences of their trip.

During the trip there was almost no conversation between them. Tatang and Jems put on their headphones and tried to sleep, while Simon stared blankly out the window, next to him Tatang who was trying to sleep had difficulty closing his eyes.

Suddenly, Tatang broke the silence. “Eh, Mon, was that your sibling yesterday?” he asked, distracting Simon from his reverie.

“Oh, Bernard? Yes, that’s my cousin,” Simon answered while turning his face away from the window, Simon was slightly jolted from his reverie.

“Wawan said there was a fight yesterday with Bernad?” Tatang probed.

“But Wawan said there was a fight yesterday with Bernad?” Tatang asked, in a curious tone. “Actually, it wasn’t a fight. There was something seriously discussed, so if heard from outside it seemed like we were arguing,” Simon explained.

“So, where is Bernard now?” Tatang continued.

“He went home two days ago,” Simon answered in a flat tone.

Tatang, who felt that something was left unfinished, asked again, “So what happened to the two billion, Mon?”

Before answering, Simon took a deep breath, as if there was a burden hanging over his heart. “According to the family, it’s actually no longer a problem,” he said quietly.

“So what do you think?” Tatang asked, curious.

“Well, it’s still my promise to my grandmother that I couldn’t keep,” Simon answered in a tone full of regret.

“But, you could make it in another form someday,” Tatang tried to comfort him.

“But at that time, I promised to slaughter my grandmother’s two biggest striped buffaloes,” Simon said, expressing his guilt.

“Okay, Mon. After all, your family didn’t burden you with that promise, right?” Tatang tried to calm his friend down.

“Yes, it’s not. I’m the only one who feels guilty towards my grandmother,” Simon replied, his eyes starting to fill with tears.

“And I’m also sure that your grandmother knows what your situation is like right now. There’s no way your grandmother would force you to fulfill something that you can’t do right now,” said Jems who had been listening intently.

“Yes, my grandmother was the most understanding, and among her grandchildren, I was the closest to her,” Simon said in a nostalgic tone.

“Okay, Mon. What’s clear is that you come to her funeral and pray for her,” Tatang said attentively.

“Okay, ready. Thank you, Tang,” Simon replied, trying to smile.

“You’re welcome, Mon. Eeh, I’m going to try to sleep first,” Tatang put his headphones back on, while Simon directed his gaze back to the window.

However, the calm was suddenly disturbed by Wawan’s shout from the back seat. "Help, help!! Where am I?" His panicked voice broke through the noise of the plane, causing other passengers to turn their heads towards him. Tatang and Simon immediately rushed to the back to calm Wawan down.

"Wan.. Wan, calm down Wan, don't scream, come on Wan, you're embarrassed," Tatang said in a whisper trying to calm Wawan down. The flight attendant who realized something was unusual, heard the screams in the back seat immediately approached with a bottle of drinking water, trying to check on Wawan's condition.

"How's his friend, Sir?" asked the flight attendant, worried. "It's okay, Miss. He's just shocked," answered Tatang, trying to calm him down.

"Yes, because when we got on the plane he was still sleeping. Then suddenly he woke up and was already on the plane. He's never been on a plane before," Simon added.

After making sure Wawan was calm and asleep again, Tatang and Simon returned to their seats. There, Jems, who had just woken up, was confused and asked what happened. "You two went to the toilet together," he asked.

“Who’s from the toilet? That was Wawan screaming,” Tatang replied, explaining the situation that had just happened.

“Screaming? How did he scream?” Jems asked in surprise.

“Well, screaming, like a little girl about to be defiled,” Simon replied with a serious face.

“Are there really humans on this earth who are so cruel and willing to defile Wawan?” Jems asked again as if he had just heard a miracle.

“Who knows, maybe there’s a gay devil who mistakenly sees him sleeping, then gets horny with Wawan,” Simon replied with a laugh.

“Is the fate of that gay devil pitiful?” Jems continued while putting his headphones back on.

“Yeah, that’s right. He’s already a devil, gay, and wants to defile Wawan again, triple the bad luck,” Tatang added.

“Is that gay devil really there, Tang?” Simon asked in a curious tone.

“I’ve never met him either,” Wawan replied in Sundanese, getting up from his sleep and interrupting the conversation.

“Well, how about that?” asked Simon, also using Sundanese.

“Ah, Mon,” Tatang answered briefly, while putting on his headphones.

After approximately two hours and ten minutes of flying from Soekarno Hatta Airport, they finally landed at Sultan Hasanuddin Airport in Makassar. Jems, Tatang, and Simon deliberately got off last after all the passengers had disembarked. After there were no more passengers, except for the cabin crew, Tatang, Jems, and Simon approached Wawan in the back seat, but it turned out that Wawan was still fast asleep.

"So, what do you think, do we lift Wawan down to the baggage claim area again or what?" asked Jems, in a tone full of desire to help.

Simon, who looked exhausted, answered, "Edede, do we want to lift him up again like before? Because I'm also hungry, so I don't have enough energy." Simon's complaint was continued by Tatang, "Yeah, it's embarrassing to lift him up to the arrivals area."

Suddenly, two flight attendants approached them. "His friend is still unconscious, right, Sir?" asked one of the flight attendants in a caring tone. "Do you need a wheelchair, let our staff prepare one?" added another.

At that moment, Wawan, who had previously looked helpless, suddenly woke up. "No need, Miss. I'm already awake," he answered, surprising his three friends.

"Why did you suddenly wake up, Wan?" asked Tatang curiously. Wawan explained, “I smelled the perfume of this lady, and heard her voice was really delicious.” Everyone laughed at Wawan’s ridiculous explanation.

The flight attendant looked relieved and asked again, “So you don’t need a wheelchair anymore?”

“This person is awake,” Jems answered enthusiastically. Without further ado, Jems, Tatang, and Simon continued their journey, leaving Wawan who was still sitting in the chair with the seat belt around his waist.

“Hey, kid, no more small talk, just stay there, hey wait!” Wawan shouted while trying to unfasten his seat belt which seemed difficult to unfasten. In confusion, he asked for help, “No one wants to help me, what is this? Ma’am, how do you unfasten it?”

One of the flight attendants patiently gave instructions, “Just lift the iron part of the Civil Servant’s belt, then pull the belt.” Wawan nodded, “Okay..okay, thank you, Ma’am,” and followed the instructions.

“Now, can you do it?” asked the flight attendant. “Yes.. yes, ma’am. Thank you,” replied Wawan, before standing up and running after his friends who had already gone ahead. But before Wawan exited the plane door, he went back to the two flight attendants from earlier. “Can I help you with anything else, sir?” he asked politely. “No.. I just want to get my bag upstairs,” Wawan pointed to the top of the cabin, the flight attendant helped him get his bag and handed it to him. “Thank you, ma’am,” said Wawan as he hurried towards the plane door.

On the other hand, Tatang, Simon, and Jems walked leisurely towards the arrival hall while waiting for Wawan to catch up.

“Mon.. wait for me, Oii!” shouted Wawan from behind, making the atmosphere even more lively.

Wawan, Simon, and Jems stopped together for a moment, after which they continued walking again. Wawan tried to quicken his pace, but before he could take a few steps he fell. It seemed like the three Antimo pills that Wawan had drunk at Soekarno Hatta Airport had not yet worn off. Simon, Tatang, and Jems approached Wawan who was still lying on the floor.

“Wawan.. Wawan, once you migrate, how come your fate is like this,” said Jems while lifting Wawan who was still lying on the floor.

“It seems like your ancestors are not pleased, Wan, you left your village.” Tatang added.

Even though Wawan was in poor condition, he still tried to joke. “Hey, did anyone see someone steal my phone?” he asked while checking every pocket in his pants. Jems quickly answered, “I secured it with me, Wan. Someone tried to steal your phone earlier, so I secured it.” Wawan thanked him, although his spirit seemed to be fading because his drowsiness had not yet gone.

Tatang then offered to help, “Wan, do you want me to hold you while walking?” Wawan who was still feeling sleepy refused lightly, “No need, I’m just really sleepy, not really drunk.”

Jems added, “So now you know what Antimo feels like?” Wawan could only laugh while nodding, “I know, like people who have been up all night without sleeping for a week.”

The four friends then continued their journey to the baggage claim area. When they arrived there, they scattered around the conveyor belt where the baggage was collected. Other passengers seemed busy taking their belongings, while they waited with great anticipation. Twenty minutes passed, and the atmosphere began to quiet down, only the four of them were still standing there.

Confused, Wawan asked Simon who was standing in front of him, “Eeh, Mon, what are we actually standing here for? From being crowded, until there were only the four of us left.” Simon answered, “I don’t know either, maybe Jems or Tatang are waiting for their luggage.” In an increasingly confusing situation, Wawan turned to ask Jems. “Jems, what are we standing here for, looking around like idiots?” Jems was unable to give a satisfactory answer. “I don’t know, I don’t know either, try asking Tatang or Simon.” Wawan felt frustrated and approached Tatang again. “Eeh, Tang, whose luggage are we actually waiting for?” Wawan asked Jems, Simon, and Tatang seriously.

“Tatang and Simon,” Jems answered almost at the same time as Simon.

“I don’t have any luggage, just this backpack,” Tatang said while pointing at the bag on his back. Hearing this statement, Simon commented, “That’s great, that means none of us have any luggage to wait for.”

“Eh, how would I know, this is the first time I’ve taken a plane, how could I sleep again, before I know it, we’re already here,” he replied in a confused tone.

After a while of arguing and joking, they finally decided not to wait for the missing luggage and went straight to the nearest fast food restaurant to fill their stomachs. Wawan said that he was already feeling hungry after sleeping on the plane.

“I’m just waiting for lunch, sleeping on the plane makes me hungry,” he said.

Finally, they left the baggage claim area and walked to the fast food restaurant. There, they found a calm and not too crowded atmosphere.

"Well, let's just stay here, near the sink, so it's easy to wash our hands back and forth," said Jems, who seemed to really care about cleanliness.

While Jems, Wawan, and Simon sat waiting while engrossed in their respective cellphones, Tatang headed to the cashier to order food. In the noise and crowd of the restaurant, Jems couldn't help but feel suspicious of the two teenage girls behind him who were also engrossed in their gadgets.

"Hey, did you guys hear that? Like the sound of a cat caught in a door?" asked Jems, which confused his friends.

Simon, who had been focused on his cellphone screen, looked curious. "What does a cat caught in a door sound like, Jems?" he asked with a little bit of incomprehension. Jems was no less enthusiastic in explaining. "You know, the one about poor Japanese people, haven't you ever watched it?"

The confusion continued. Simon asked, "Which other Japanese poor people movie? Osin, huh?" Jems shook his head. "Omma... you watch that for a long time, Mon!" he exclaimed, as if he felt very familiar with what Simon meant.

Their discussion continued to Japanese films that Simon and the others might not be familiar with.

"Ish, you know, Mon, Wan, Anri Okita, Sora Aoi, Ai Uehara, and Yua Mikami, you must know them?" Jems asked again, trying to dig into his friends' knowledge.

Simon, who was sitting next to him, looked serious and answered, "Edede, it's you, Jems. We're at AWE, why do you want to order Japanese food?" Not wanting to be left behind, Wawan added, "Yes, Jems. I've never known the Japanese food you mentioned either, but I think I've heard of it, but where?" Wawan tried to remember something.

The conversation continued, Jems trying to convince the two of them about the film characters he mentioned. "Gosh, how come you don't know?" Jems said a little frustrated. "Does Grandpa Sugiono know you?" he asked enthusiastically.

Simon's response made the atmosphere even more interesting. "I think I know about that," he answered with a smile, followed by Wawan who chimed in, "Well, yeah, I know about that."

Meanwhile, Jems tried to steer the discussion in another direction. "Then, about Maria Osawa, you guys must know, right?" he asked with a challenging look, as if he wanted to test his friends' memories.

"I know," Wawan answered briefly. "Yes, I know, so what?" Simon added, looking a little confused about the direction of the conversation. Jems concluded, "Aah, it turns out you guys are fans too."

Simon's confusion reappeared. "Yeah, so what's the connection between Maria Osawa and Grandpa Sugiono and the Japanese food from earlier?" he asked. Jems responded enthusiastically.

"Ee.. ee, you guys must be stupid and your brains are slow!"

Simon could only answer, "It makes sense, when my stomach is empty, my brain is also empty."

Wawan added, "Exactly, I'm like that too, Jems."

Not long after, the atmosphere was lively again when Tatang came carrying a tray of orders, listening to their conversation. "Hey, Jems, your voices can be heard all the way to the cashier, you know, using the event of mentioning Grandpa Sugiono and Maria Osawa and all that," Tatang explained as a warning.

"Aah, are you serious, Tang? Does Miss know who Grandpa Sugiono is?" asked Jems, looking surprised by the information Tatang had just shared.

"Well, you know. She was smiling when you mentioned that," answered Tatang with a mischievous smile on his face, as if he knew the commotion it caused.

"Omma... she's a fan too, apparently," exclaimed Jems, surprised and a little bit wanting to laugh.

 

Chapter 3: Adventure of Taste and Secret

“Jems, you know all the JAV actors, how many gigs do you have, Jems?” asked Tatang, teasingly.

“At least, Tang. The videos are only 1 terabyte,” Jems replied in a casual tone, as if considering it a normal thing, even though it was a joke.

“wooow!!, what in the world, Jems? A whole terabyte of adult videos?“ Wawan exclaimed, his voice rising in disbelief.

“You too—surely you don’t actually enjoy that many Japanese adult videos,” Jems retorted with a triumphant grin.

“That’s great, you’re a talkative person! I don’t like JAV, but I like the blonde ones,” Wawan replied seriously, confirming his preference.

“That’s the one behind me playing that kid’s porn, I heard it clearly,” Jems pointed behind him, as if to make sure.

“They’re just watching anime,” Simon laughed, amused at Jems’s confusion.

“Cartoons? That’s Japanese porn, you idiot! Cartoons don’t have sounds like cats stuck in a door,” Jems replied, confident in her argument.

“Well, this one, if you watch Japanese cartoons, only Doraemon and Ninja Hattori, and even then they’re dubbed in Indonesian,” Wawan explained, always trying to change the topic of their chatter.

“I watch Seinseiya, and Sailor Moon,” Jems evaded humorously, trying to defend her argument.

“Well, that’s what they watch, Sailor Moon, but in the original language,” Simon continued, making the atmosphere noisy again.

“Aah, you know-it-all. That’s not the story!” She tried to evade, trying to defend her argument even though she herself looked a little confused.

“Look at you, I’ll ask you,” Jems said again, then rushed towards the table of two teenagers not far from their table.

Seeing Jems’ enthusiasm, Tatang asked, “Why is that Jems so excited? She’s talking about JAV.” Wawan replied with a smile, “That’s just his game, it’s like he doesn’t know Jems.” Meanwhile, Jems seemed to be enjoying the conversation with the two teenagers, occasionally pointing at his friends and nodding, as if agreeing with what was being said.

After a while, Jems returned to his seat with a blank expression. “Jems, are you going to eat? You’re so busy,” Wawan asked, lightening the mood. “Yeah, Jems is really busy because of Japanese porn,” Simon continued, inviting laughter from everyone.

Jems quickly responded, “Aah, you guys, why didn’t you say that those were the sounds of anime cartoons?” Jems said in a disappointed tone, feeling defeated in defending her argument.

“Well, you’re the stupid one, I told you earlier,” Wawan asserted.

“Sailor Moon is better than Grandpa Sugiono and Maria Osawa!” and Simon chimed in.

Although their conversation was mixed with jokes about adult films, Jems finally ran out of words and chose to focus on her lunch. His friends enjoyed their meals while playing with their phones, while others, like Jems, were busy eating the food in front of them.

After finishing their meal, Tatang broke the silence.

"Mon, where are we going to go first after eating?" asked Tatang.

"It's up to you, do you want to walk around Makassar first, or go straight to Toraja?" answered Simon.

Tatang asked Wawan, "What do you think, Wan? This is your first time out of the cage!"

Wawan just nodded, "I'll go with you, Tang. You decide, what about you, Jems?"

"Me too, Wan. I'll go with you wherever you guys go," answered Jems while chewing, showing that he didn't want to get involved in the debate about the choice of place. Finally, Simon decided, "Okay, then, let's just stay one night in Makassar, then tomorrow afternoon we'll continue our journey to Toraja."

Wawan enthusiastically welcomed Simon's suggestion. "Well, yes, Mon. I'm still sleepy, I really want to lie down!"

Shortly after, Simon’s phone vibrated, and he answered the phone excitedly, “Yes, hello, where are you?” A familiar voice came from the other end, “We’ve arrived at the airport.” Simon responded quickly, “Yes, let’s just wait in front of the arrival hall. My friend and I are about to go to the front.” After hanging up, Tatang was curious, “Who is it, Mon?”

“That’s the one who picked us up, we’re almost there,” Simon answered. “So, shall we go?” Wawan asked as he stood up, impatient to explore the city known for its delicious cuisine.

“Where am I going? This is almost done,” Jems replied while showing the rest of his fried chicken. An impatient Wawan commented, “Oh my, Jems, you can just take off a piece of chicken and then put Coca-Cola on it.” His joke was greeted with Jems’ grumbling, “If it gets stuck in my neck, you’ll be in trouble.”

“Hurry up, I can’t wait to see this city of Makassar, Jems,” Wawan enthusiastically.

“Even people who want to eat don’t like you,” Jems grumbled.

“We’ll continue in the car, Jems,” continued Wawan who was impatient.

“It’s up to you,” Jems stood up, still chewing, pouring the rest of his unfinished drink into his glass. “It’s still pretty good,” Jems said, then hurried to catch up with his friends.

“Jems, hurry up!” Wawan stood waiting. Jems walked quickly towards Wawan, Tatang, and Simon.

Their pick-up car finally arrived. Without waiting long, they immediately got in and left Sultan Hasanuddin Airport Makassar.

When they finally left Sultan Hasanuddin Airport Makassar, the car departed for the destination hotel. Inside the car, the atmosphere became quiet, except for the sound of music playing from Jems' headphones.

Simon, who was sitting in the front, was remembering his last trip to Makassar two years ago. This time he returned to attend his grandmother's funeral. His grandmother had left many beautiful memories in his life.

However, the silence in the car was immediately broken when Jems, excitedly, said, "Eeh, I just remembered, I once had a boyfriend from Makassar, you know!"

Jems said, informing. However, no one responded, the atmosphere returned to calm for a moment, until Wawan who was almost asleep heard and immediately replied, "You have your boyfriend everywhere, Jems. It's like a minimarket, breaking into everything."

“Maybe when we arrive in Toraja, he will remember that he has an ex who is Toraja,” said Tatang jokingly.

During the trip, only the sound of car engines and the occasional horns of other vehicles could be heard, indicating that they were not the only ones stuck in traffic on their way to the hotel. Meanwhile, at the hotel, the atmosphere was very different. The hotel workers were busy preparing for a big event held by the local officials. Employees were coming and going, carrying decoration equipment and music equipment, while from inside the hotel the sound of the performers was heard.

“How about it, have all the performers gathered backstage yet?” asked Erwin, the hotel manager, to one of his crew, Deni. Knowing that the band from Jakarta had not arrived, Erwin immediately gave instructions to contact the event organizer. The delay of the performers was certainly a concern, considering that the event was very important and their hotel was honored to host it.

Outside, Simon and the gang were getting closer to the hotel. From a distance, they could see the excitement of the banners and billboards that decorated the road to the hotel. However, the excitement also caused traffic jams, due to several large box cars stuck at the hotel gate, blocking other vehicles.

"Why is this traffic jam, bro?" Simon asked the driver. "That, Sir, there seems to be an event at the hotel where we are staying," the driver replied while still focusing on driving.

Wawan responded, "It seems like it will be crowded tonight?" while looking out the window.

"Yes, because there are many artists. Understandably, the event is held by a regional official," explained the driver.

Their conversation became more exciting when Wawan complained about the traffic jam. Simon responded, "Deeh, never mind Jakarta and Makassar, my village in Toraja also often gets traffic jams like this." Suddenly, Simon's statement made his friends laugh. "Your village is advanced, Mon, there are lots of vehicles," praised Wawan. Simon only answered lightly, "No, there are lots of vehicles." The debate continued when Simon explained that traffic jams were often caused by funeral processions, not just by the number of vehicles. “Oh my, I thought it was because there were so many vehicles,” Wawan complained.

“In my village, if a herd of dozens of cows passes by, the road gets congested,” Tatang added, inviting laughter that echoed even more in the car.

The grand and luxurious atmosphere of the hotel greeted Jems and his friends. The car they were riding in stopped smoothly in front of the hotel lobby, and immediately they were greeted by a hotel employee in a neat uniform. Jems, although a little surprised, was happy to receive such a warm welcome, especially after learning that the hotel was owned by his friend Simon’s family, and they were getting a very tempting discount.

“This group is from Jakarta, right?” the hotel employee asked in a friendly tone to Jems, who had gotten out of the car first.

“How did you know we were from Jakarta?” Jems replied, pretending to be confused.

“This person asked, we’re from Jakarta,” Jems glanced at Tatang who had just gotten out.

“Great, Simon’s friend. Apparently they’ve been waiting for us!” Tatang exclaimed proudly.

Before they knew it, the hotel employee took them straight to the stage, before heading to their room. Meanwhile, Simon was still chatting with the driver who had taken them, making a promise to come back to pick them up the next day.

However, behind the warm welcome and pleasant atmosphere, there was something suspicious. As they were being escorted to the stage, Jems, Tatang, and Wawan began to feel something was wrong. The hotel employee spoke through a communication device, as if telling someone else something.

“Reporting, the package from Jakarta has arrived, it’s on its way to the stage, being copied,” said the hotel employee.

“Okay, ready. Continue, make sure everything is safe,” replied someone on the HT. Those words clearly increased the suspicion in the hearts of Jems and his friends.

As they walked, the hotel employee asked Wawan, “Sir, didn’t you bring your guitar? I saw it wasn’t in the luggage earlier.”

“What guitar? We didn’t bring a guitar, we were going to pay our respects, not a guitar,” Wawan replied, as if feeling something was odd.

However, as the discussion about the band’s equipment continued, Jems felt something was wrong. “Tang, Wan, I think there’s something wrong here,” Jems said, slowing down his pace.

“Yeah, euy, it looks like they got the wrong person,” Tatang replied, adding to his growing suspicions.

Suddenly, Jems’ phone rang. It was a group video call from Simon. “Hey, where are you guys? I looked all over the lobby and all the way to the front desk, but you weren’t there,” Simon asked anxiously.

“Mon, we’re being taken into the ballroom,” Tatang replied.

“With who?” Simon asked, looking even more surprised.

“You see, with a hotel employee,” Jems showed the hotel employee walking in front of him through his phone’s camera.

“Why is that?” Simon asked, looking confused.

“How would we know, we were picked up and taken here as soon as we arrived,” Jems replied again, starting to feel the tension between them.

“Okay, you guys wait there!” Simon hung up the phone and rushed to the hotel ballroom whose door could be seen from the front of the reception.

This is where the tension peaked. Jems, Tatang, and Wawan were trapped in a situation they didn’t understand.

Simon had only taken a few steps into the hotel ballroom when his friends, Jems, Tatang, and Wawan, were already walking towards him while laughing. The atmosphere in the hotel lobby was quite lively, with many guests walking back and forth. However, the three friends didn’t seem to care about the crowd, they were more focused on the funny incident that had just happened.

“What’s wrong with you guys?” Simon asked curiously, seeing the cheerful expressions on their faces.

“Well, the hotel employees just came and went, thinking we were a guest band from Jakarta,” Wawan replied while holding back his laughter. This story made Simon even more curious.

“So, what happened?” Simon asked, wanting to know more about the incident.

"Then we were taken inside," Wawan pointed to the ballroom. It turned out that they were mistaken for artists by the hotel employees.  “Yes, they saw me earlier, they saw that I was handsome, right, that’s why they thought we were the guest stars,” Jems answered arrogantly, proud of his appearance.

“Well, do you think that Tatang and I aren’t handsome?” Wawan replied, as if he wanted to emphasize that everyone in the group had their own charms.

“You’re all handsome, but I’m still the most handsome,” Jems insisted on his own opinion, even though his friends could only shake their heads.

“Never mind, I really want to lie down,” Wawan said before walking alone towards the receptionist, followed by Simon and Tatang who were walking behind.

While Simon and Tatang were queuing at the receptionist to complete the payment and administration, Wawan and Jems stood behind. Not long after, Wawan suddenly saw a beautiful woman sitting on a chair in the hotel lobby not far from where he was standing.

“Jems.. Jems, look,” Wawan patted Jems’ shoulder who seemed busy with her cellphone.

“What’s wrong with you, Wan?” asked Jems without shifting his focus from the phone screen.

“Yee.. look here first,” said Wawan, his gaze still fixed on the woman.

“What?” Jems turned his head for a moment.

“Well, she’s pretty, huh..” Wawan pointed at the woman enthusiastically.

“Ah, she’s just ordinary,” Jems only glanced at her for a moment before returning to his phone, as if not interested.

“Stupid, I want to come over first,” Wawan rushed to the woman he had been watching, trying to take advantage of the moment.

“Miss, excuse me, is this empty?” Wawan asked while pointing at the empty sofa in front of the woman.

“Yes, it’s empty,” the woman answered flatly, without looking away from the tablet in her hand.

Wawan thought hard to find something to talk about so he could open the conversation further. “Miss, are you also queuing at the reception?” he asked, hoping to get a response.

However, the woman remained focused on her tablet, ignoring Wawan’s question in the slightest. Even so, Wawan didn’t seem to want to give up yet.

“Isn’t it unusual for the hotel to be so crowded? I usually stay here, it’s not this crowded,” Wawan continued, trying to show off his experience staying at the hotel.

“Who said it’s quiet? This hotel is indeed the most crowded here,” the woman replied, but she still didn’t take her eyes off the tablet.

“Hey, do you often stay here too?” Wawan asked, trying to maintain the conversation.

“Not often, at least once a month if I have work in Makassar,” the woman replied, still in the same position.

The two of them engaged in a conversation that felt a little awkward. Although the woman seemed less than enthusiastic, Wawan felt a little hope of continuing the interaction.

“If I want to go to Toraja, to my friend Simon’s village, he’s queuing at the reception,” Wawan started to get excited.

But again the woman didn’t respond to Wawan’s chat, and Wawan was left speechless again.

When Wawan was determined to continue his seduction efforts, suddenly a man with an athletic body appeared and approached the woman. “Come on, Nda, finally got the key,” said the man while showing the card-shaped room key. Seeing the key, the woman’s face immediately brightened and her smile spread.

“Come on, I’m so tired of waiting,” she said while holding the man’s hand. Wawan could only stare, feeling deep disappointment. Just as his intention to approach the woman had begun to burn, now all his hopes were gone. “Ehh, it turns out she already has a ‘security guard’,” he grumbled in his heart.

Disappointed and feeling weak, Wawan intended to lean back on the sofa, but suddenly a shout was heard from the receptionist.

“Hey handsome guy, do you want to sleep there?!” shouted Jems while waving his hand. With his enthusiasm starting to fade, Wawan stood up and approached his friends, Jems, Tatang, and Simon.

“Why are you so weak, Wan, like a chicken with vegetables run over by a woman’s automatic motorbike,” joked Jems, making Wawan only smile wryly.

Simon asked, “Where were you, Wan?” While Jems added, “He wanted to tease the woman, but it turned out she already had a monkey with her.” He pointed to the woman and man who had just passed by. Tatang also noticed and asked, “That man with the body like a debt collector, right, Jems?”

“Yeah, that! It looks like he’s going to get on the elevator too. Come on, hurry up, I want to see how beautiful she is up close,” Jems exclaimed enthusiastically, rushing towards the elevator. However, Wawan deliberately slowed down his pace, trying not to look closely at the couple who had just passed by. Tatang and Simon, who were curious, couldn’t help themselves and followed Jems who was already in front of the elevator.

In front of the elevator, they waited with great anticipation, but the elevator had not yet arrived from the top floor. Jems stood next to the male “security guard”, with a curious glance at the woman who ignored Wawan. However, Jems’ glance did not escape the “security guard”’s attention and Jems’ glance was caught by the female security guard’s friend. There were a few seconds when Jems and the security guard were staring at each other.

There was one more floor left before the elevator opened, the atmosphere inside felt tense. Tatang and Simon stood side by side, waiting for Wawan who had not yet appeared.

"Tang, have you seen Wawan?" Simon asked curiously.

"Uh, yeah, he was still behind," Tatang answered while pointing behind him. "Jems, have you seen Wawan?" Tatang asked Jems who was standing beside him.

"Uh, yeah, where's that kid? I saw him behind earlier," Jems answered while looking back.

But it didn't take long to wait for Wawan. It turned out that he was already right next to the elevator door, anxiously pressing the up arrow. "Eh, that's Wawan. Why is he suddenly there?" Simon pointed at Wawan in confusion. "Yeah, man, why is Wawan already there?" Tatang looked surprised to see Wawan's sudden appearance.

“You guys don’t know Wawan, he’s everywhere,” Jems explained while turning to Tatang. It was clear that Wawan often appeared in unexpected places. Not long after, the elevator opened. Wawan immediately rushed into the elevator, followed by the other guests. Simon was the last to enter the elevator, without hesitation pressing the number eight button—their destination today. Once the elevator reached the eighth floor, Simon exited followed by Jems and another pair of guests. Lastly, Tatang followed Wawan who exited last. This mysterious couple turned out to be staying on the same floor as Jems, Tatang, Wawan, and Simon. Jems and Tatang occupied room 835, while Wawan and Simon occupied room 836. However, the couple was in room 834, which meant they were next to Jems and Tatang’s room. This fact triggered Jems’ irresistible curiosity. When he found out that next to their room was a married couple or a pair of lovers, mischievous thoughts began to gnaw at Jems’ mind. In his mind, he planned a strategy to eavesdrop. Unlike Jems, Tatang seemed indifferent to the couple's presence. As soon as he arrived in his room, Tatang immediately lay down in a free style, but his eyes had difficulty closing. In Simon and Wawan's room, Simon, who didn't want to waste time, went straight to the bathroom. When he came out, he found Wawan already asleep, with a snoring sound that indicated a very deep sleep.

Meanwhile, in Jems and Tatang's room, the atmosphere was a little different. As soon as he entered, Jems immediately took a glass from the table. With the glass in hand, he tried to eavesdrop on the activities in the next room, hoping to get interesting information. However, all his efforts seemed in vain, because no suspicious sounds were heard.

"Jems, what are you doing?" asked Tatang, seeing Jems pressing the glass against the wall seriously.

"Calm down, Tang. I'm being a detective," replied Jems half-whispering, trying to maintain his mysterious aura.

"You want to eavesdrop, huh? In case there's a war over there?" Tatang interrupted while pointing the remote at the TV.

"Yes, you know that," replied Jems with a fairly serious face.

“Hey, but you’re wrong. That’s the wall to Wawan and Simon’s room,” Wawan held back his laughter as he pointed in the right direction.

Oddly enough, while their conversation was going on, Simon suddenly appeared in front of Jems and Tatang’s room door.

“Hey, aren’t you guys hungry?” he asked as he barged in.

“Still tired, man. Later, Mon,” Tatang replied, lying back down relaxedly.

This light conversation became the spice in the story of an unexpected night. Although Jems had the intention to eavesdrop, instead of finding a moving love story, he was trapped in the casual chatter and jokes of his friends. This is where the uniqueness of that night lay; not only about finding out what the couple next door was doing, but also finding togetherness and laughter among friends.

“So, what did you do that, Jems?” Simon asked, frowning.

Jems, with a secretive expression, only raised his index finger and said, “Ssssssssttt.”

Simon began to get suspicious. “Wow, I think I know what you’re doing, Jems,” he said in a cryptic tone. However, Jems only answered, “Yes, we’ll take turns,” without explaining further.

Jems’s previous sentence made Simon even more curious. “Hey, wait a minute, Jems. I think that’s the wall between my room and Wawan,” he reminded her.

“Oh, come on. Tatang said that over there is your room with Wawan,” Jems tried to distract Simon. This conversation also woke Tatang up who was lying in front of the TV.

“This way, Jems, Simon. Let’s just go outside to make sure, which is your room with Wawan, and which is the room of the security guard with his girlfriend,” Tatang suggested, who immediately got up from his lying position.

With enthusiasm, Simon invited them to see the room number from the outside. “Come on, let’s see the number from the outside,” Simon invited. “Yeah, come on!” Jems stepped out of the room, followed by Simon and Tatang.

After going out, Simon began to explain in detail. “Now, take a look at this, Jems. This is your room, right, in the middle,” Simon pointed at Jems and Tatang’s room. “Now, that’s my room and Wawan’s. Now, over there, the hansip room that you mentioned is over there. So you should put the Civil Servant gel on the wall over there, not over here, because that’s my room and Wawan’s.” Simon explained at length while pointing at the location of each room.

Jems seemed to think for a moment. “But if I look at it, it’s correct, Mon, the position of your rooms,” he said, observing the position of Simon and Wawan’s rooms carefully.

“Now, it’s correct. How can the rooms move?” Simon answered firmly.

This incident also resulted in a small argument between them. “So, Tang, you’re the one who pointed this out wrong,” Jems said.

“Yes, that’s right. Tatang made the direction wrong,” Simon added in a sarcastic tone.

However, Tatang insisted. “No, I showed it correctly. My position was lying down facing the TV,” the civil servant explained, defending his opinion.

Jems then demonstrated how Tatang lay down while holding the TV remote, “Well, you lie down like this, Tang!” he said while imitating Tatang’s lying down style.

Tatang explained the position and contents of the room clearly. “Eeh, wrong! My bed is in this corner near the bathroom, and the TV is over there. Well, Simon’s bedroom wall is behind the TV,” the civil servant explained confidently. “Now, you there, Jems, while holding the glass, then you put it to your ear on the glass,” said Simon seriously, showing that they were doing a reconstruction.

Jems, enthusiastically, demonstrated the method. "Now, that means it's true, the person's wall is on this side, not that side, Tang," he said while demonstrating the glass that was put to his ear. No one expected that this seemingly trivial action would attract other people's attention.

Simon, curious, asked, "So who's wrong?" Before anyone had time to answer Simon's question, Jems reflexively turned towards the room of the security guard and his girlfriend. It turned out that the security guard had been standing in front of his room door, watching them suspiciously because he thought they were fighting.

Jems was a little nervous when he met the security guard's eyes. He was embarrassed and put on his most beautiful smile, hoping that his lewd intentions would not be found out. However, it seemed that the security guard was getting more and more suspicious of their increasingly noisy chatter. Moreover, it turned out that the noise they created was also disturbing the other residents on the eighth floor. “Hey, Tang, did you see that, it turns out that someone has been watching us,” whispered Simon to Tatang. “Ommaaaeee… it turns out that we’ve been the subject of people’s spectacles on this floor,” said Jems while whispering to Simon and Tatang. Not long after, three hotel security officers came with the intention of breaking them up.

“Sir, please don’t cause a commotion in this hotel. Who was fighting earlier?” said one of the security officers. “Huh, who was fighting? No one was fighting, sir,” Jems casually denied. “Yes, sir. We were just joking around here, no one was fighting,” Simon added in his defense. “Earlier someone reported that there was a commotion in the corridor on the eighth floor. Then we checked the CCTV, someone was hit until they fell to the floor,” explained another security officer. “Well, it looks like this one fell to the floor,” continued one officer who pointed at Jems. “The one who hit this one, huh?” asked the officer at the back, named Kamal, while pointing at Tatang. “Eh, that’s not it! This is all a misunderstanding, Sir!” Jems and Simon said almost simultaneously, panicking trying to explain. “That’s right, there’s no fight between us here, Sir. Let’s look at the face of my friend who we said was beaten until he fell, there are no marks of being hit at all,” Simon said in a convincing tone, while pointing at Jems, whose face showed no signs of violence. The three security guards, led by Nurdin, looked closely at Jems’ face. Indeed, Jems’ right and left cheeks showed no marks of being hit at all.

“There aren’t any, right, Sir?” Jems asked, trying to convince them.

Nasrullah, the oldest security guard among them, continued the question. “So what are you guys actually doing here?” his voice was firm.

“Oh, that, Sir. These are my friends who just arrived in Makassar. We were having a discussion, Sir, about the direction of the beach. They were curious about Losari Beach,” Simon explained, starting to enter a stage play.

“Yes, that’s right, sir. Then he said, this is the direction to the beach over there, but that’s the direction to the airport, right?” Jems added, pointing at Tatang who seemed confused.

“Wrong, sir. The correct direction is the beach over there,” answered one of the security guards in a serious tone.

Simon, who felt that the situation had calmed down enough, immediately apologized. “We apologize if we have made the other hotel guests uncomfortable.” He hurriedly invited Jems and Tatang into the room.

“Okay. If anything happens, go straight to security, sir,” said Nasrullah, who seemed to be the hotel’s security chief.

The three people entered the room and laughed out loud, not expecting that Jems’ eavesdropping could be that big, causing a commotion on the entire floor, to the point that hotel security came to break it up, and even more unexpected that they would become the spectacle of the other hotel guests.

A few moments after they entered the room, someone knocked on their door. However, they assumed it must be Wawan, so they just let it be and didn’t open it. But after they waited, it turned out that Wawan hadn’t come in yet. Finally, Jems, who was only a few steps from the door, approached and opened it. And it turned out to be the security guard.

“Excuse me, sir. This is the Civil Servant’s gel, I left it in the corridor earlier,” Rendi handed over the glass that Jems had left when he left the room. “Oh, yes, Sir. Thank you very much,” Jems realized that the glass was a prop he used in their absurd discussion.

“Let me introduce myself, my name is Rendi,” the man introduced himself by extending his hand.

“I’m Jems,” Jems replied while shaking Rendi’s hand.

“Rendi is the one in the next room with his girlfriend, right?” Jems asked with full intent.

“No, Sir. That’s my sister, her name is Kak Winda,” Rendi replied, while showing a friendly face.

“Oh, is that so. Hey, come on in, let’s have some coffee first,” Jems invited in a casual tone.

“Get ready, no need, Jems. Thank you. Kak Winda is waiting for me in front of the elevator, I’m afraid Kak Winda will nag me if I take too long,” Rendi replied with a smile.

“Okay, ready. Thank you very much, Rendi,” Jems waved as Rendi left.

Rendi hurried to leave Jems who was still standing in front of his room door, while Jems watched Rendi until Rendi turned towards the elevator. Jems felt something was odd about the man, but Jems didn't know what it was.

Jems stood frozen in front of the door, looking like she was thinking about something. Simon who had just come out of the bathroom reprimanded her while fixing the position of his pants.

"Hey, Jems, what are you doing there?" Simon asked while fixing the position of his pants.

"Look at that, the security guard. His name is Rendi. Earlier he returned the glass that was accidentally left in the corridor," Jems answered, while continuing to look towards the corridor.

"Then where did he go?" Simon asked while also looking towards the corridor, as if hoping to find what Jems was looking at.

"He's on his way, he said he was going to buy food," Jems answered, then went inside and put the glass on the table.

"Well, why don't you ask me to leave it with you, Jems? I'm really hungry, man," said Tatang, who had overheard their conversation.

“Eh, you’re so funny, Tang. He just introduced himself, and he’s already asking for help,” Jems replied in a protesting tone.

“Well, maybe that’s it, Jems. He’s kind enough to deliver the glass you left in front,” Wawan replied, still insisting.

“Yeah, but I still don’t feel good asking for help right away,” Jems replied while shaking her head. “Then let’s just go downstairs and find something to eat, I’m already hungry,” Simon suggested to Jems and Tatang.

“Come on, ehm but what about Wawan? He’ll wake up and find out we’re not there, and he’ll grumble,” Jems said worriedly.

“Come on, just pretend to wake him up first,” Tatang suggested.

“You, Mon, wake him up. You’re his older brother,” Jems requested with a smile. “Wait here, I’ll wake you up first,” Simon said and hurried to his room. While waiting, Jems continued the conversation in her gossipy style. “Hey, did you know? It turns out that the woman with Rendi isn’t his girlfriend, you know. But his sister!” said Jems in her gossipy style.

Hearing this, Simon who had rushed out of the room finally came back. “Are you serious, Jems?” he asked curiously.

“Be serious, the person who spoke earlier was Rendi,” answered Jems, confirming.

“Wait, I’ll wake up Wawan first,” said Simon as he returned to the next room. Finally after waiting for about ten minutes, Wawan came without a sound or saying a word and immediately lay down on Jems’ bed. “Wan, where’s Simon? Why did you come first, he was the one who woke you up earlier?” asked Jems in confusion, but Wawan was still silent. “Eh, Wan, do you want to go out to eat together?” asked Tatang, but Wawan still didn’t answer, it seemed like he was still very sleepy.

“So they’re not a couple who’s checking in, Jems?” Tatang continued. “Well, no. Winda doesn’t have a boyfriend yet, aka her friend is still single,” said Jems while glancing at Wawan who was still lying down. Suddenly, Wawan got up and headed to the door. “Okay, let’s go!” he invited, looking enthusiastic. Tatang and Jems were silent and confused seeing Wawan who suddenly got up and asked them to go out. “Eh, bye, the kid is all quiet. Come on, hurry up, I’m really hungry,” Wawan added again. “You called Simon, he was told to wake you up, but he didn’t come back,” Jems said. “Simon woke me up? I woke up myself, I didn’t see Simon go over to the other side,” Wawan was surprised. “Now, where is that kid?” Jems said, walking towards the door, approaching Wawan.

“Are you serious, Wan? Simon isn’t in the next room?” Jems asked again, feeling something was strange. After searching for Simon’s contact and trying to contact him several times, Jems was unsuccessful. “What, Jems?” Tatang asked.

“It doesn’t connect either. It seems like he’s having an incoming call,” Jems replied.

“Okay, let’s just go first. Later, we’ll share our location with him,” Wawan suggested. “Wait, let me call Simon for a moment,” Jems said while searching for Simon’s contact. But it seemed like Simon was connected to another call. Jems called several times but the result was still the same. “How is it, Jems?” asked Tatang. “It didn’t connect, it seems like he had an incoming call,” replied Jems.

“Well, let’s just walk first, later we’ll share our location with him,” said Wawan. “Ah, you seem impatient, Wan?” said Jems.

“I’m hungry, Jems. I’ve actually been really hungry since I arrived,” replied Wawan. “Really hungry, but I can still flirt with women,” said Tatang sarcastically. “That’s another matter, Tang. Men’s instincts,” replied Wawan.

“Okay, let’s go downstairs first,” said Jems as he walked out.

“Tang, don’t forget to lock the door, okay,” said Wawan to Tatang.

Jems, Tatang, and Wawan walked down the corridor towards the elevator. However, they faintly heard Simon’s voice, which seemed to be having a serious conversation with someone else. They quickened their steps towards the elevator.

After arriving at the elevator area, Simon was gone and his voice suddenly disappeared.

“That was Simon’s voice, right?” asked Tatang to reassure everyone.

Wawan, Jems, and Tatang exchanged confused glances. Something strange had happened that night.

“Oh yeah, who else would have a voice and accent like that?” Wawan replied, guessing the source of the familiar voice.

“We’re in Makassar, it could be anyone else,” Tatang explained, looking in the direction where Simon’s voice came from.

As they approached the source of the voice, they pushed open the iron door where the stairs exited. Inside, it turned out that Simon was busy talking on the phone, sitting on the stairs. Meanwhile, Simon paid little attention to the presence of Jems, Wawan, and Tatang. He was still seriously answering the person he was talking to on the phone, occasionally only raising five fingers as a signal to wait.

“Well, let’s just go back to the room,” Tatang invited, trying to divert attention from Simon who was still busy with his conversation.

“We’d better go down to the lobby first, while looking at something clear and soft,” Wawan replied with a joke like a civil servant.

With great anticipation, Jems added, “Come on then, Mon, let’s wait in the lobby, okay?” Simon nodded in agreement, and they moved from the stairs to the elevator area.

“Simon is really serious on the phone, like he’s chatting with a debt collector,” Wawan guessed.

“Wow, the debt collector’s subscriber,” Tatang teased Wawan.

“I’m safe, Wan, from the debt collector,” Wawan answered confidently.

In front of the elevator, Jems pressed the elevator button while looking at the display above the elevator door. It turned out that the elevator was heading up from the lobby.

Not waiting long, the elevator door opened, and they rushed into the elevator. When they arrived at the lobby, Jems, Tatang, and Wawan were confused about where to sit. The hotel lobby was currently crowded because there would be a regional official event this afternoon.

Jems, Wawan, and Tatang looked at every sofa and chair in the hotel lobby, but it seemed like none were empty. Suddenly, Rendi came from Jems’ left side and patted Jems’ arm gently.

“Where are you going, Jems?” Rendi greeted.

“Hey, Rendi, we’re looking for something to eat. Oh yeah, let me introduce you to my friends,” Jems introduced.

Tatang and Wawan shook hands briefly with Rendi while stating their respective names.

“Rendi,” Rendi replied, introducing himself to Tatang and Wawan.

“Who do you want to eat with, Rendi?” Jems asked casually. “There, with Kak Winda. We’re waiting for a pick-up and we want to get something to eat outside too,” Rendi pointed to Winda who was sitting on the sofa right next to the lobby entrance.

“What a coincidence then, Mas. Maybe we can hitch a ride with Rendi,” Wawan said hopefully.

“Oh, that’s fine, there’s only the two of us,” Rendi answered kindly and with his typical civil servant smile.

“But don’t ask for payment later, Wan. You’ve hitched a ride, ask for payment too,” Jems poked Wawan’s arm.

“Well, no way, Jems. You’ll pay for it later, you’re our boss,” Wawan exclaimed while praising Jems. Without much chatter and small talk, they finally moved to where Winda had been waiting for a pick-up and it seemed like Makassar was in a really bad traffic jam today.

“Nda, let me introduce you, Jems, Wawan, and Tatang,” Rendi introduced them one by one.

“Winda,” Winda smiled wryly introducing herself without extending her hand to Jems, Wawan, and Tatang.

“Oh yeah, the three of them will be with us later, okay?” Rendi continued.

“Not three, Mas, but four,” Tatang protested.

“Where’s the other one?” Rendi asked while observing Tatang, Jems, and Wawan.

“Still up there, Mas. They’ll be down soon,” Tatang replied again.

“Okay, so there will be six of us in total, right?” Rendi confirmed.

“Yes, Mas,” Tatang replied briefly.

Rendi was about to answer Tatang but was stopped by the sound of Winda’s WhatsApp.

“Come with me for a minute,” Winda’s message read.

Winda immediately stood up and walked away from Tatang, Jems, and Wawan, followed by Rendi from behind.

“Wait a minute, Mas,” Rendi said to Wawan, Jems, and Tatang.

“Okay, ready, Mas,” Jems said with a smile followed by Wawan and Tatang. Wawan and Tatang felt something was wrong, it seemed like Winda didn’t welcome the three people well. It could be seen from Winda’s gesture when Jems, Tatang, and Wawan were introduced by Rendi, plus the three or four people would join them for lunch.

“What are you doing, Ren? Inviting people you just met. What if they’re drug dealers? Or criminals?” Winda said holding back her anger.

“Oh, calm down. I’m sure they’re not bad people. And it seems like one of them knows the owner of this hotel well,” Rendi explained.

“How do you know?” Winda inquired.

“Earlier at the reception I heard when they took the room key, it turned out that the person who booked the room was Mr. Heskiel, the owner of this hotel. They didn’t even leave their ID cards at the reception,” Rendi explained at length.

“So what do I care?”

“Well, how could anyone check in without leaving their ID cards at the reception, except for close family or close friends of the hotel owner.” “But I still don’t like strangers who suddenly come and ride in the same car as us,” said Winda, sticking to her stance.

Knowing that Rendi and Winda were discussing the four of them, Jems and Wawan decided to approach Rendi and Winda who from a distance seemed to be having a tense moment.

Realizing that Jems and Wawan were heading towards them, Rendi and Winda remained silent, not discussing anything.

“Rendi, thank you very much for your offer earlier. We won’t be going with Rendi and Mbak Winda,” said Jems calmly.

But before Jems could finish explaining what he meant, Wawan interrupted the conversation. “Yes, Sir. We’ll just use the car from the hotel,” continued Wawan.

“Okay, ready then, Sir. Sorry in advance if you had to wait,” said Rendi, trying to sound relaxed even though there was clearly a little tension between them. Rendi also couldn’t hide the discomfort that Winda felt.

“Miss, thank you very much in advance,” Wawan replied to Winda with a friendly smile, although he could feel that Winda seemed less than pleased with their presence.

After that, Jems and Wawan returned to Tatang who was already waiting on the sofa where Winda had been sitting earlier. “Rendi’s older brother is so arrogant, seeing us is like seeing criminals, not the slightest bit friendly,” Jems complained, clearly expressing his annoyance towards Winda.

“Yeah, seeing us is like seeing something,” Wawan responded to Jems’ complaint while shaking his head.

“Maybe he doesn’t like it because you came to him earlier,” Jems guessed, trying to analyze the situation. Wawan defended himself, trying to show that he had done nothing wrong.

“So what did I do to him, Jems? We didn’t even know each other, he ran away in a hurry,” he said while protecting himself. “Yeah, if he hadn’t run away quickly, you would have eaten him,” Jems joked to lighten the mood a little. “Rude people are tough meat,” Wawan replied, trying to keep joking. “Have you ever eaten rude people?” Jems asked, pretending to be curious. “I have rude goats, but rude people never! I’m lazy,” Wawan replied. “So, what does that rude goat taste like, Wan?” Jems asked, apparently not expecting such a detailed question.

“Well, it’s tough, I told you earlier!” Wawan replied, looking annoyed.

“Yeah, too,” Jems replied, only making the situation worse.

“What are you guys talking about?” Tatang asked, somewhat confused by their conversation.

“Talking about female goat satay, Tang,” Jems replied with a broad smile.

“Yeah, the female goat is really rude!” Wawan continued in a flat tone.

“Aah, you’re stupid,” Tatang became even more confused, seemingly losing track of the conversation.

“Eh, Tang, where’s Simon?” Jems asked, glancing around the lobby.

“Still taking care of the car,” Tatang replied. “Apparently the car thing hasn’t been finished yet?” Jems asked suspiciously. “Well, you know, Jems. The hotel is busy like this, maybe all the employees are still busy,” Tatang explained, looking around him. “Well, let’s just wait here for now,” said Jems while sitting next to Tatang which was actually only big enough for one person, making them crowded. Suddenly Tatang’s cellphone rang. It turned out to be a call from Simon. Tatang held his cellphone which was still ringing while standing looking left and right looking for Simon’s position.

“Hello, Mon, where are you?” said Tatang. “You guys go to the front of the lobby now, here I am going to the lobby,” answered Simon from across. “Okay-okay, Mon,” replied Tatang while immediately inviting Wawan and Jems to the front of the lobby.

“Hey, let’s go to the front of the lobby, Simon is on the way to the front of the lobby,” said Tatang to Jems and Wawan. Wawan and Jems just nodded and followed Tatang from behind. In front of the lobby, Rendi and Winda were also waiting for their pick-up.

“Hey, bro, hasn’t your pick-up arrived yet?” Jems patted Rendi’s shoulder.

Rendi who had already realized the presence of Jems and his friends was not that surprised when Jems patted his shoulder. “Yeah, he said he was stuck in a traffic jam somewhere,” Rendi answered in a complaining tone. “Well, let’s go first. Our pick-up has arrived,” Jems said goodbye when he saw the car driven by Simon had stopped right in front of the lobby. Tatang and Jems immediately got in at the left and right doors, followed by Wawan who also got in at the right door.

The car was still parked in front of the lobby, Wawan stared at each other, waiting for who would take the initiative to move to the front. Finally Wawan gave in, got out and moved to sit in the front.

“Well, is that so, why are you all sitting in the back, am I a taxi driver?” Simon said, looking relieved to see the change in position.

“I don’t know who this is Wawan, you’re just having fun looking at Winda,” Jems mocked with a grin. “I’m surprised, I’ve never met a woman as rude as her in my entire life, even though she looks ordinary, not that pretty,” Wawan explained in a relaxed tone. “Aah, that’s your taste, you keep checking her out,” Jems replied, intending to tease Wawan further.

“Yeah, her skin is clean and her bumps are quite good, Jems,” Wawan maintained his opinion. “Actually, which one are you guys talking about?” Simon asked curiously while still focusing on driving. “You’re late, Mon! We’ve been being rude to Winda,” Jems’ voice rose, it seemed like Winda was really annoying to him.

“I caught a glimpse of her this morning, when we just arrived,” Simon continued in response. “Well, that’s the rude Winda. Just so you know, I’ve had countless exes, but none of them are like her. Wawan too, he’s willing to approach women like that,” Jems expressed his annoyance even more.

“I don’t know either, Jems. That woman is fiercer than a Brimob herder, I was just messing around, ehm suddenly like that,” said Wawan who seemed to regret his actions this morning. “So, what are we going to eat?” Simon tried to interrupt from the front. “Something typical of Makassar, Mon! You’ve come all the way from here and you’re looking for Padang rice and catfish pecel too,” Tatang replied, his gaze still focused out the car window. “What’s it like, Tang?” Simon asked again. “There are many, Makassar coto (Typical regional food of the Makassar people in Indonesia), grilled fish, konro (Typical regional food of the Makassar people in Indonesia),” Tatang replied while pointing to several restaurants they passed.

“Yeah, yeah, we’re in Makassar. The cuisine is Makassar cuisine, I’ve never tried Makassar cuisine,” Wawan exclaimed curiously, looking excited when he heard Simon mention various Makassar culinary specialties.

“There are some in Kelapa Gading and Tebet,” Jems responded to Wawan’s chatter while looking out the car window, observing the streets filled with vehicles. “But here it’s more authentic, bro, right in the place of origin,” Wawan said proudly, even though his stomach was already rumbling.

“You like it, Wan. The important thing is we eat,” Jems replied resignedly, having been holding back his hunger for a while.

“So it’s fixed that we’re going to eat coto, right?” Simon confirmed to his friends.

“Tang, how is it? Do you like coto, right?” Simon asked again while glancing at Tatang.

“Pretend, Mon. I’ll just follow the majority,” replied Tatang, who was still busy looking at the road they were on.

Simon instead increased the speed of his car, surprising everyone in the car.

“Mon, we’re going to get something to eat, aren’t we? Why are we speeding?” asked Wawan in a confused tone.

“Calm down, I have a good place to eat coto, just relax,” said Simon while focusing on the road.

“Mon, do you have a driver’s license?” asked Tatang, doubting that Simon had one.

“Calm down, Tang. I have a driver’s license.”

“Thank goodness, then pretend and speed up!” Tatang boasted.

“But a motorcycle driver’s license, Tang,” with a chuckle.

“Wow, that’s a mess!” exclaimed Jems while trying to hold back his stomach that was starting to rebel.

“Hurry up, Mon. I’m probably hungry, I feel like eating this person!” said Jems, meaning to joke, but with a serious expression.

“Jems, you can snack on Tatang’s ears and fingers first,” Wawan said while looking back.

Tatang just snorted, apparently not paying much attention to Wawan’s words. Meanwhile, Jems just smiled without commenting.

A few minutes of silence until finally Simon slowed down his car while looking to the left, it seemed like he almost forgot where he was going.

“Mon, do you still remember the place?” it turned out that Wawan could guess that Simon had forgotten.

“I remember this was where they sold coto before, why is it now a goat pen?” Simon guessed while frowning.

“When was the last time you ate coto here, Mon?” Jems asked while also paying attention to the goat pen that Simon was referring to.

“Not too long ago, about seven years ago,” Simon answered while remembering.

“How could it not be too long, that’s been one change of president, Mon!” Jems said annoyed, getting more impatient. Well, maybe at that time, the presidential candidate he supported lost, so he ended up selling goats?” Wawan tried to be funny, but it wasn’t funny at all.

“Enough, Mon, just find another place. The hungrier Wawan gets, the more crazy he gets, euy,” said Tatang, mediating Jems and Simon’s conversation.

 

Finally, Simon continued his journey, this time he just randomly found a Makassar coto stall, because it seemed like he and his friends were already in the final stages of hunger.

It turned out that not far from where they had stopped earlier, there was a Makassar coto stall that looked quite busy.

“Let’s just eat here, okay?” said Simon.

Without another word, all of Simon’s friends got off and went into the stall.

“So what do you want to eat?” asked Simon after they all sat around the table.

“Pecel lele and bubur ayam, Mon,” answered Wawan in a teasing tone.

“This is Warung Coto, Wan. There’s no pecel lele or bubur ayam!” Simon replied in a low voice, already able to guess that Wawan must be joking.

“Again, sigh, Mon. Knowing this is a coto stall, using the event of asking what you want to eat, you just eat coto, Mon. Is it possible to eat chicken porridge?” Wawan said, looking annoyed.

Simon, in his typical civil servant style, explained, “What do you guys eat coto with? I usually prefer to use my liver.” In a serious tone, he wanted to make sure. Wawan was no less quick to give his opinion, “I prefer to use my brain, Mon, rather than my liver.” Meanwhile, Jems chimed in, “Yes, same, Mon. It’s better to just use my brain.”

“So everyone uses their brain, huh? No other mixtures?” Simon asked, wanting to make sure that they all agreed.

Jems immediately replied, “But not really, Wan. I eat with my mouth and tongue.” The conversation that was initially serious turned into a joke.

“I mean what do you guys order your coto with?” There are beef coto, lung coto, liver, tripe, offal, and so on. Now, which one do you want?” Simon explained, slightly annoyed.

“Ooh, let’s chat, Mon, so we don’t get confused,” Tatang replied, nodding. “Isn’t there a menu list, Mon?” Wawan asked Simon while looking at the table looking for a menu book. “In Makassar coto stalls, they rarely use menu books, there’s a menu list,” Simon replied, pointing to the wall where a banner with a menu list and prices was pasted, complete with the price of ketupat, and the price of extra spring onions and extra fried onions.

“Eh, yeah, it’s already displayed that big and you still don’t get it,” Wawan replied, surprised.

“Well, never mind, just mix the coto,” Tatang said.

“Yeah, I mix it too, Mon,” Jems chimed in.

“Well, never mind, Mon. I mix it too,” Wawan said resignedly.

“So you mix it all, right?” Simon asked again to make sure.

 

“Yes”.. Tatang answered followed by Jems and Wawan.

After the Warung Coto Makassar, they then went around for a while and Wawan

They planned to buy souvenirs, even though they were still going to Toraja and had not returned to Jakarta. Suddenly Wawan blurted out, “Mon, later stop by the souvenir shop, okay?”

“You’re so stylish, Wan. You’ve only been in Makassar for a few hours, and you’re already going to buy souvenirs,” Jems said to Wawan.

“Yeah, man. We just got here this morning,” Tatang continued.

“Sorry, I forgot. It feels like we’ve been here for a long time,” Wawan defended himself.

“How long, Wan? You had breakfast at Sultan Hasanuddin Airport this morning,” Simon blurted out as he turned his car into the hotel yard.

“Well, never mind. When I get to my room, I’m going to sleep again,” Wawan Pasarah said with a big yawn.

“It’s up to you, Wan. “What’s clear is that you have to wake up two hours before we leave,” Jems warned jokingly.

The car Simon was driving stopped right in front of the hotel lobby. Jems, Wawan, and Tatang hurriedly got out, while Simon continued his journey to the parking lot.

After entering the main lobby of the hotel, Wawan looked like he was looking for something. He deliberately walked at the back, paying attention to every sofa around him.

“Wan, hurry up! Who are you looking for?” asked Tatang while glancing at Wawan.

“Aah, no, Tang. I’m just amazed by the architecture of this hotel, it’s really cool,” Wawan avoided, trying to divert attention.

“Hellleh, just say you’re looking for Rendi’s relative, right? What’s his name?” Jems chimed in with a meaningful smile.

“Winda,” Wawan answered briefly. “So you’re already in love with that Winda-Winda?” Jems said teasingly.

“Wow, Jems! It hasn’t even been a day, and you’re already making love,” Wawan defended himself.

“Well, that’s it, Wan. It hasn’t even been a day, how could you already fall in love with her?” Tatang also glared.

“I already told you, there’s no love! Am I a cheap guy, can I fall in love that easily?”

“Aah, your trick, Wan,” Tatang snapped shortly.

“This kid, try to look, he’ll be listening to mellow songs soon,” Jems said, still not satisfied.

“No way, Jems! I like listening to Pantera, Metallica, basically anything heavy,” Wawan explained enthusiastically.

“On ​​your music playlist, there’s Nia Daniati and Meriam Belina,” Tatang said.

“How did you know, Tang?” asked Jems in surprise.

“Well, I know. When people sleep, they play that, so much so that I can hear it,” said Tatang.

“Ah, no, Tang! That’s my dad’s playlist. His cellphone SIM card got mixed up with mine,” said Wawan, trying to avoid it.

“Aah, it’s up to you. Uh, so are we taking this elevator?” asked Jems, trying to change the topic.

“Well, that’s it,” answered Wawan flatly.

“So, what are we doing, stopping here, not walking around?” asked Tatang, looking at Jems and Wawan. “This is it, Wawan is looking for that random Winda,” said Jems, pointing at Wawan. “Come on, let’s go up,” invited Wawan, and finally they all rushed to the elevator. Luckily, the elevator came right away. When they got to the top, Simon was already waiting in front of the bedroom door, staring at his cellphone screen.

“Mon, you’ve arrived,” Wawan greeted, approaching Simon.

“Hey.. What took you guys so long? Did you meet that girl next door again?” Simon pointed to the room next to his.

“No, Mon,” Wawan answered, shaking his head.

“Yeah, we didn’t meet, we were just talking about them downstairs. That’s why we took so long,” Jems explained later, laughing.

“Okay, just open the door. It’s not bad, you can take a short nap, then we’ll go,” Simon said, hoping to get some rest. After that, they all went into their respective rooms.

Jems, Simon, Tatang, and Wawan were already in the car that would take them to Toraja. They had just left the hotel.

“Wan, so how many antimo pills did you drink earlier?” Jems asked jokingly, sitting next to Wawan.

“Well, no, Jems. I’m not afraid of land routes like this,” Wawan answered while looking ahead, focusing on the road.

“Well, who knows, who knows, this time you’ll drink a whole carton of anti-mo,” Jems replied with a smile.

“Hehehe, that’s COD right away,” Tatang joked.

“OD, Tang. Why COD?” Simon tried to straighten things out.

“Yes, Mon. I mean, he COD right away with the angel of death,” Tatang replied with a smile.

“Wow, you’re terrible, Tang! You’re so hopeful, I’ll die!” Wawan joked.

“Well, no way, Wan! If you die, the world will be deserted,” Tatang joked again.

“Yes, Wan. It’s not certain that another person like you will be born in five thousand years,” Jems replied, making Wawan smile.

“Ah, really. Am I that unique, Jems?” Wawan asked curiously.

“You’re not unique, Tang?” Jems replied hanging.

“Then what is it?” Wawan was really curious this time. “You’re a bit different, out of the box,” said Jems.

“Well, it can’t be exchanged anymore,” replied Wawan casually.

“What do you mean?” asked Jems curiously.

“Well, items that are out of the box can’t be returned,” replied Wawan while yawning.

“I don’t know what’s up with you, Wan,” Jems replied while shaking his head.

“Ugh, I’d rather go to bed,” complained Wawan, feeling tired.

“Hey, later if anyone is hungry, just let me know, so we can stop at a food stall,” said Simon, still focused on driving.

“Isn’t there a rest area, Mon?” asked Tatang, curious.

“Well, there’s no rest area here, Tang, because we don’t go via the toll road,” explained Simon.

“How many hours is the trip?” asked Tatang again.

“Well, around six hours,” answered Simon.

“A six-hour trip without going via the toll road?” looked at Tatang, surprised.

“Yes, there is no toll road to Toraja yet,” Simon explained.

“Oh, I see,” Wawan answered briefly.

“Maybe it’s not too urgent, so it hasn’t been fulfilled yet,” Simon continued.

“The road to Toraja is indeed mountainous, right, Mon?” Jems interrupted.

“Yes, later when you’ve passed it, there’s an area called Enrekang. There you start passing through cliffs and mountains,” Simon explained while still focusing on driving.

“Well, they say there’s a mountain called Nona that looks like a vagina. Where else is that area, Mon?” Jems asked curiously.

“Gosh, Jems! That’s so silly, you’re mentioning people’s furniture,” said Wawan, who was actually almost asleep.

“Eh, it really exists! If you don’t believe me, just google it,” replied Jems, his voice slightly raised.

“Is that true, Mon. Is there really a mountain that looks like women’s furniture?” Wawan asked Simon.

“Yes, it really exists. Later we’ll stop by a restaurant that has a view facing that mountain miss,” answered Simon, his gaze focused on the road.

“I said it too, is there really a mountain like that,” replied Jems, confirming his previous statement. “Why is it strange?” asked Tatang, feeling like something was wrong.

“How is it strange, Tang?” said Jems.

“Usually, the upper part of women’s furniture is what looks like a mountain,” said Tatang, thinking and raising both palms upwards parallel to his chest.

“So, what are your hands doing?” asked Jems again, looking at Tatang's hands.

"Why is this a mountain but the furniture is the bottom?" Tatang still had the same expression.

"If it's about that, Tang, you're not wrong to ask the right person. Jems is the expert when it comes to women's furniture," joked Wawan.

"How would I know about that, Wan. I only know how to use it," replied Jems.

 

 

 

 

Chapter 4: Grief, Respect, at the Festive "Party"

 

"Just use it like that? Didn't you observe it first, pay attention to how it looks?" asked Wawan again jokingly.

"Well, no. Why did you ask about that anyway?" replied Jems, feeling amused by her conversation with Wawan.

"You were the one who started asking?" said Tatang as a reminder.

"Well, never mind, we'll stop by there later," said Simon, mediating between Wawan and Jems.

“You mean stopping by at that place, Mon? Oh, I don’t want to. This time I want to give my virginity to an open BO woman,” protested Wawan, feeling that he was the most correct.

“No!.. Random!” Simon exclaimed, “You’re so random in your thoughts. I mean, later we’ll stop near that mountain lady,” Simon continued to Wawan again.

“Ooh, let’s chat, Mon,” Wawan replied with a smile.

“You too, Wan, your thoughts are getting more and more crazy. Are you hungry?” asked Tatang.

“A little,” replied Wawan.

“Well, let’s go to sleep first,” said Tatang again.

Their journey had lasted about two hours from Makassar City. The scenery along the way was pleasing to the eye, starting from the rows of karst mountains in Maros, the fish ponds in Pangkep, to the view of the sea from the top of the hill in Pare-Pare.

Arriving in Pare-Pare, they had time to take a photo under the monument to true love of the former President of Indonesia who was born there. They then continued their journey to Sidrap or Rappang Regency, which is famous for producing rice and generating wind power.

Simon and his friends stopped for a while to capture the view from the rows of giant wind turbine blades. After that, they headed to Enrekang Regency, which has beautiful natural scenery and is one of the best coffee producers in South Sulawesi.

After several hours of traveling and stopping at various places, they arrived at the restaurant that Simon was referring to, which had a view directly facing Mount Nona in Enrekang.

"Come on, wake up, hey," said Simon, waking up Wawan and Jems who had slept throughout the journey.

"Mon, is this it? The place you meant earlier?" asked Tatang while opening the car door.

"Well, yes, this is it, Tang. But the view of Mount Nona," answered Simon while taking some of his belongings.

"Jems, Wawan, wake up, we've arrived," said Tatang, waking up his two friends who were still sleeping. Wawan and Jems woke up, but said nothing. They looked around before getting out of the car.

“Tang, where are we?” asked Wawan while looking around.

“We’ve arrived at Mount Nona, aka Mount Vagina,” answered Tatang innocently.

“So where’s the mountain?” asked Jems, who was still sitting in the car.

“Well, let’s get out first, you’ll see it later,” answered Tatang enthusiastically.

Tatang, Wawan, and Jems hurried inside. From the car park, they could already see the mountain in question. Inside, Simon was already sitting waiting for his coffee order.

“Mon, where’s Mount Vagina?” asked Jems.

“Over there, take a good look at it,” said Simon, pointing down.

“Wow, if the furniture is this big, what about the people, Mon?” asked Wawan, dumbfounded.

“What do you mean, Wan? This is just a mountain that happens to have a similar shape,” said Simon to Wawan. “Oh, yeah, I’m right, right? Just imagine how big the person is if the furniture is that big,” said Wawan, pointing to the mountain in question.

“Aah, I’m tired of thinking about it, Wan. I’d rather just eat first. You’re the one thinking about it,” said Jems, walking towards the owner of the restaurant.

“I don’t want to think about it either, Wan. I’m hungry,” said Tatang, following Jems from behind.

“Well, do you think I’m not hungry?” asked Wawan after Jems and Tatang.

“I thought you were full, Wan, if you look at that Mount Nona over there,” joked Simon.

“Well, this time, Mon. The real one doesn’t make you full. Makes you weak, yes,” answered Wawan carelessly.

Simon and his friends spent more than an hour at the restaurant, enjoying various dishes while joking and laughing. After finishing, they continued their journey to Toraja, which was estimated to take around three hours. Wawan couldn’t hold back his curiosity. “Mon, excuse me, I want to ask you something,” he asked in a serious tone. Simon, who was sitting next to him, answered while continuing to focus on driving. “What do you want to ask, Wan? Just ask, don’t hesitate,” Simon answered flatly, as if there was nothing strange.

“We’re on our way to your village, right?” Wawan continued.

“So what?” Simon asked briefly, waiting for Wawan’s answer.

“I see you don’t seem sad, even though you’re coming home because of grief, not a picnic or going home?” Wawan tried to explain his question.

“Well, why apologize, Wan. Besides, my grandmother is also pitiful. She’s old and sick for years. If you say she’s sad, she’s definitely sad,” Simon answered in a flat tone.

But Wawan felt something was strange. “It’s just that I feel a bit strange, from when we left at Soekarno Hatta until now, I feel like I’m going on a picnic.”

Simon tried to ease the tension. “Yeah, yeah it’s okay ji. Just pretend you’re going on a trip or a picnic.” Although “You can’t do that, Mon. This is a funeral for your grandmother,” Wawan insisted.

“That’s exactly it, Wan. When else would you have a picnic at a funeral, it’s rare like that, right?” Those words felt strange, but also invited laughter among them.

“Mon, what you just said was actually funny. I wanted to laugh but I was afraid of getting cursed,” Wawan replied while holding back his laughter, followed by Tatang from behind who said the same thing.

“Yeah, I wanted to laugh too, I was just afraid of getting cursed, euy,” Tatang joked from behind. “Yeah, it’s okay ji. How can people not laugh?” Simon shrugged. “But seriously, it’s safe, right, Mon?” Wawan asked. “Ready… ready, safe, under control,” Simon replied with a smile. “You guys might be noisy, wei,” Jems said, still half-sleeved, while changing his sleeping position, facing Tatang. “Jems, turn around and face the mirror! Your face is right in front of mine,” he said as he turned his body around. “Oh, you, Tang. You’re always so funny, my face has to move!” Jems complained as he turned his body around.

“This is to avoid unwanted things, Jems,” Tatang added. “Yeah, I’m also afraid of making a mistake, Tang. Your snout looks like burnt martabak,” Jems joked in a deep, sleepy voice. “Have you ever sold martabak, Jems? How come it got burnt?” Tatang asked sarcastically. “Just talk about it, Tang. I’m probably sleepy, wei,” Jems replied, groaning. “Pretend to be, Jems. Go to sleep first,” Tatang said. “Do you want me to ask you to do something for you?” Jems asked in a half-joking tone.

“Go to sleep first, Jems,” Tatang replied, smiling at his friends’ behavior.

“Guys, there’s a gas station up ahead. I want to fill up with gas first, well, who knows maybe someone wants to go to the toilet,” said Simon, interrupting his friends’ conversation. Jems quickly responded, “Yeah, Mon. I think I want to go to this toilet.” Meanwhile, Tatang and Wawan chose to sleep.

“Not me, Mon. I’ve already done that, I just want to sleep,” replied Tatang. “Yeah, me too, Mon. I just want to sleep,” said Wawan following Tatang. The queue of vehicles at the gas station was not too crowded. There were only three vehicles: two cars and one motorbike, so they didn’t have to waste much time. After Simon finished filling up his gas tank, they continued their journey. Simon returned to focus behind the wheel. The distance to Toraja is not too far anymore, only passing through one more district. Chances are, they will arrive in less than three hours. The closer he got to home, the more intense Simon's feelings became. His return this time did not meet his expectations. The promise to present two large striped buffalo to his late grandmother will definitely not come true due to Simon's limited budget. Even though his family had advised him not to think about the striped buffalo, Simon still felt haunted by guilt because he had not been able to keep his promise. Simon took a deep breath, as if releasing all the fatigue in his heart. However, promises that have been made cannot be broken. In the middle of his thoughts, suddenly his cell phone rang, but Simon was reluctant to see who was calling. He already knew, it must be his family who asked where he was, what time he arrived, and whether his souvenirs had been bought. The telephone ringing stopped. Not long after, Wawan's cell phone rang, but because Wawan was very sleepy, he left the cell phone ringing. After that, Simon's cell phone rang again. Out of curiosity, he picked it up and was shocked to see his cellphone screen. It was Jems who was calling! Simon looked back through the rearview mirror and saw only Tatang sleeping soundly in the middle seat. He panicked and answered the call from Jems. “Oii, mom! You guys are cruel, bah. You guys are left at the gas station by yourself!” said Jems annoyedly on the other end of the phone. “Hey, are you still at the gas station, Jems?” Simon said in a shocked tone. “Why didn’t you look in the back seat?”

“Okay… okay, you wait there, I’ll go there now,” said Simon hurriedly and turned around.

“Yeah, yeah… hurry up!” Jems hung up the call.

Simon turned around and immediately stepped on the gas. He really didn’t realize that Jems hadn’t gotten in when they left the gas station. Luckily, the distance between the gas station and Simon’s position wasn’t too far.

Upon arriving at the gas station, from a distance Jems was seen chatting with two women. Simon got out of the car and shouted for Jems, “Jeeeeeems!!!!.. come on!”

However, Jems only raised her hand while continuing to chat with the two women in front of her. Simon shouted again, “Hey, Jems! Come here!”

“Jeeeeems, let’s go!!!!” Simon shouted again, his voice full of enthusiasm. However, Jems only raised her hand casually.

With annoyance, Simon approached Jems. “Jems, let’s go now!” Simon invited in a slightly pushy tone.

“Why did you guys get here so fast? Why didn’t you take your time?” Jems replied casually, as if they had no destination today.

“Eh, edededee! Earlier you told us to hurry up, now you’re saying it’s too fast. Let’s go!” Simon said, starting to look frustrated.

“Hey, this is Yana and Serli, they said they were going to Toraja too,” Jems introduced the two women.

Simon just waved and said, “Hi, I’m Simon.”

Yana and Serli then introduced themselves. “Come on, Jems, let’s go, so we won’t arrive too late,” Simon suggested again, trying to force it.

“Later, Mon, in five minutes,” said Jems while holding up five fingers.

“Okay, pae, don’t let it be more than five minutes. Now, I’ll wait in the car,” said Simon before heading to the car parked on the side of the road near the gas station.

“Hey, why are we here, Mon?” asked Wawan who had just woken up hearing the sound of the car door opening.

“Over there Jems,” Simon pointed at Jems who was still busy chatting with Serli and Yana.

“Wow… what’s the story, how come you’ve already caught a kid,” Wawan looked at Jems with a slightly surprised expression.

“It’s a long story, only he can tell it,” answered Simon slightly annoyed.

Less than five minutes later, Jems was seen saying goodbye to Yana and Serli before walking towards the car. “Wow, you’ve already found your prey,” said Wawan when Jems had just gotten into the car.

“Oh, that, they said they were going to Toraja for a vacation too,” Jems answered casually.

“How come Jems, you spread your net at the gas station?” Wawan asked suspiciously.

“There Simon, I came out of the bathroom, he was gone,” Jems pointed at Simon.

Simon just smiled when he heard Jems’ complaint. “Sorry bro, I thought you were sleeping too, so I didn’t have time to look behind me, then I just left,” Simon explained casually.

“Didn’t you feel it, Mon? The car was so light when it was moving?” Wawan asked.

“No,” Simon answered shortly.

“Do you think I weigh hundreds of kilos?” Jems protested.

“Your weight is already proportional, Jems,” Simon replied with a laugh.

“What? My heavy sin?” Jems asked, already knowing where Wawan was going. “You’ve woken up, Jems, finally,” said Wawan who suddenly woke up after hearing their conversation.

“Enough, enough, so we’re on our way, haven’t we forgotten anything?” asked Jems, making sure to Wawan and Tatang.

“We’re on our way, Mon, it’s complete. Tatang is still sleeping,” Jems said while watching Tatang who had resumed his sleep.

Simon stepped on the gas leaving the gas station and continued his journey to Toraja, which would probably take less than three hours.

“Hey Jems, earlier I saw that those two girls looked really cool, what about me?” asked Wawan suddenly.

“How am I supposed to talk, Wan?” Jems offered.

“Just talk, Jems, don’t be shy, it’s with me,” Wawan replied.

“It’s not like that, Wan. The problem is…” Jems thought for a moment.

“What’s the problem, Jems? Don’t you want to share it with me?” asked Wawan curiously.

“It’s not like that, Wan! If there’s something good, I wouldn’t share it with you?” Jems defended herself.

“So what’s the problem now?” asked Wawan, who was getting more and more curious.

Smiling, Jems looked at Wawan and said, “Okay, let’s enjoy our trip, it’ll be fun!”

“The problem is that Yani is a sissy, do you want to be with a sissy, do you want to play fishing rod together?” said Jems in a serious tone.

“Huh? A sissy?” Wawan was shocked.

“You mean real sissies, them?” asked Simon, feeling deceived by the appearance of the people who were with Jems at the gas station earlier.

“That’s why, it’s not that I don’t want to share,” answered Jems casually.

“Well, I won’t. Well, maybe I’ll play swordfighting,” Wawan said in a disappointed tone.

“Really sissies, Jems? I wasn’t really focused on them earlier, because I thought they were real women,” explained Simon while driving.

“One is a transvestite, now this other one, looks like a fake woman,” Jems said while laughing.

“But why is it so smooth? That’s why I didn’t suspect anything,” Simon said.

“That’s the difference between transvestites nowadays and transvestites in the past. Transvestites in the past know, right? They worked as construction workers from morning to evening, then at night they became transvestites,” Jems said with a serious face.

“So what about transvestites nowadays?” Wawan asked, impatiently waiting for Jems’ answer.

“Transvestites nowadays are sophisticated, Wan. Their sex can be put together and taken apart like a night market tent,” Jems joked.

“Can they be moved too?” Wawan asked.

“Of course, where do you want to move them?”

“Um… where? But don’t move them.”

“Huh, what’s wrong?”

“It’s complicated these days, Jems. If you want to move, you have to go back and forth to the vehicle registration office, take care of the transfer letter, have to polish the engine frame, pay taxes, it’s complicated.”

“Mon, try playing some songs first. Even old songs are fine, rather than giving me a headache hearing that people who want to change gender have to go to the vehicle registration office,” explained Jems, responding to Wawan’s previous statement.

“Well, that’s it, Jems. This car’s tape recorder is broken. You’d better play the music on your phone,” answered Simon while pointing at the car’s tape recorder.

“The playlist on my phone is only Batak and Chinese songs, do you want to listen to them?” asked Jems to everyone.

“Do you have Toraja and Sundanese songs?” asked Simon again.

“I’ll make a playlist for you later.” Jems could only smile while shrugging.

“Never mind, you sing it then,” said Simon while looking at Jems from the rearview mirror.

“I’d better go back to sleep.” Jems snorted, feeling that Simon’s request was very uninteresting.

“Then you, Wan, sing. So it won’t be lonely,” Simon asked Wawan again.

“Well, what about Mon. I don’t know any Torajan or Sundanese songs by heart,” Wawan answered evasively.

“Any song, Wan. National songs will do too,” Simon asked again.

“Oh hell, Mon… you know yourself if I sing, it could irritate your ENT,” Wawan said evasively.

“Okay, then, let’s just sing in our own hearts,” Simon said resignedly.

“Well, that’s better,” Wawan said in response.

The atmosphere was quiet again. Wawan and Jems went back to sleep, while Simon focused on driving and daydreaming again. But it seemed like Simon wasn’t too focused on daydreaming, he was afraid of forgetting something again, because they would soon be entering the Tana Toraja region. He didn’t want to be forced to go back to the gas station or the restaurant where they had stopped earlier. Shortly after entering the Tana Toraja area, Simon pulled over for a moment to wake up his friends.

“Hello everyone, wake up, we’ve arrived in Toraja,” Simon patted the shoulders of Wawan, Tatang, and Jems in turn. “Where are we, Mon?” asked Tatang in the voice of someone who had just woken up. “We’ve arrived in Toraja, Tang. Don’t you want to see the view?”

“Wait, Mon. I want a drink first,” replied Tatang while groping under his feet for a water bottle. “Ehm Wan, wake up! Wake up, Wan. The view is nice, Wan, up ahead,” Simon patted Wawan’s shoulder again. “Where, Mon, is the view?” Wawan opened the window and looked out.

“It’s in front of you, all the views,” Simon explained.

“Aah, I thought it was the view of those bathing in the river,” Wawan answered spontaneously. Hearing Wawan’s sentence just now, Tatang who was drinking was shocked and spat his drinking water onto Jems’ head who was sleeping with her back to Wawan, and at that moment Jems woke up.

“You military uncles woke me up, I got water poured on my head,” Jems woke up while holding her wet head.

“Sorry, sorry, Jems. It wasn’t intentional, I was drinking, ehm Wawan was thinking dirty,” Tatang said guiltily.

“Well… where did I say dirty, Tang? My people were just asking, those bathing in the river,” Wawan evaded.

“Including dirty, Wan. How can you call people bathing in the river a view,” Simon said, interrupting the conversation.

“Yes, people bathing are a view?” Tatang continued. “Where are the people bathing in the river?” Jems asked excitedly while shaking the water from Tatang’s spray on his head. “No one bathes in the river either. Only these two people misunderstand my question,” Wawan continued defensively.

“Maybe you’re still thinking about that transvestite, Wan,” Jems said.

“Jiaah, why think about a transvestite, let’s just have some coffee first, Mon,” Wawan tried to change the subject. “Okay, let’s continue walking first. Later if there’s a coffee shop, we’ll stop by. But if there isn’t, let’s just have some coffee at my house,” Simon suggested as he slowly stepped on the gas and continued the journey. “Let’s just continue on, later if you want coffee, let’s go to Simon’s house,” Tatang suggested. “Yeah, let’s just go straight to your house, Mon. I want to wash my hair,” Jems continued. “Okay, then let’s just go straight to your house, Mon. Poor Jems, her hair smells of Tatang’s saliva,” Wawan joked.

Simon began to reduce the speed of the car, and not long after Simon turned his car into an uphill village road. Wild trees that were tens to hundreds of years old grew randomly on the left and right of the road, interspersed with small trees around them. When entering the first turn, there was a very large rock cliff; on the surface of the large rock there were several boards that resembled doors or windows of a house, neatly arranged from left to right and from top to bottom. "Mon, why is that such a big rock installed with a window like that?" Wawan pointed to the stone grave above the road. "That's not a window, Wan. That's a door," Simon answered casually.

"Why did you make a door up there?" asked Wawan curiously. "To put the bodies in," Simon answered. "Bodies??" Wawan was surprised, "So, is that a grave?" Wawan continued confused. "Yes, that's a grave. How could it be a cruise ship," Simon answered jokingly. Hearing Simon's statement, Jems and Tatang immediately looked out at the object Wawan asked about. "Is it really spacious inside?" asked Wawan again, who was increasingly curious.

“Yes, the room is big. It can store up to dozens of coffins,” Simon answered. “Well, how long does it take to sleep, and is it not allowed to just bury them in the ground?” Wawan asked repeatedly.

Hearing Wawan’s seemingly endless questions, Jems and Tatang interrupted in the middle of the conversation. “Wan, aren’t you tired of asking questions?” Tatang asked. “Yes, Wan. You’ve been asking questions like you’re interrogating someone,” Jems continued. But Wawan didn’t seem to care about what Jems and Tatang said, he continued to interrogate Simon. “So there aren’t any graves in the ground here, Mon?” Wawan looked outside. “Yes, there aren’t any, the land here is for planting vegetables, sweet potatoes,” Simon answered casually, “well, for gardening, not for burying people,” Simon continued.

“Hey, those small houses with photos in front of them are graves too, right?” Wawan asked excitedly.

“Yes, that’s a grave too, but the coffin isn’t buried, it’s just placed inside, then the door is closed,” Simon explained casually.

“Isn’t it scary, Mon?” Tatang asked anxiously.

“Maybe because we’re used to it, so it’s not scary,” Simon replied.

“So, aren’t the kids here afraid, Mon? Is there a grave that looks like that?” Wawan asked enthusiastically. “I’ve told you before, since we were little in Toraja, we’re not afraid of anything that has a horror feel,” Simon replied. “Because our daily lives are pretty scary,” Simon continued. “Then who are you afraid of, Mon?” Wawan interrupted. “God,” Simon answered shortly. “Oh my God, everyone is afraid of that, Mon,” Wawan was a little annoyed. “I mean, what if the kids here are scared?” “That’s easy, just tell them, if they’re naughty they won’t be allowed to go to the market,” Simon answered lightly. “Is there a market here?” Tatang asked curiously while looking out the window. “Yeah, there is, but only once a week.” “Oh is that so… no wonder,” Wawan answered again. “Hey Mon, is your house still far away?” Jems suddenly interrupted the conversation. “Not too far away, why, Jems?”

“It’s okay, I just want to wash my hair,” Jems answered while rubbing her hair. “Tatang’s saliva is really sticky, Jems,” Wawan laughed. “Ah, you too. You already know to ask again,” Jems said, starting to feel a little uncomfortable, due to the water spray from Tatang’s mouth.

“I’ve never been hit before, Jems, like you.” Wawan said mockingly.

“Okay, come here, I’ll spray your head, Wan,” said Tatang.

“Thank you, Tang. Hey, Jems, there’s a fountain there,” Wawan pointed at the water flowing on the cliff to the right of the road. “Oh yeah, Jems. The water is clear, Jems, and it’s flowing fast,” Tatang exclaimed. “How about it, Jems, do you want it? Let me pull the car over first,” Simon asked Jems to make sure. “Is it okay, Mon?” Jems asked a little hesitantly. As if he was worried about something, “Well, it’s okay,” Simon said in agreement, “But, don’t leave me alone again, okay?” Jems said a little worried. “What’s wrong, Jems? Afraid you’ll meet a transvestite again?” joked Wawan. “Ah, you’re Wan, you like transvestites,” Jems replied sarcastically.

Before getting out of the car, Jems took shampoo and a towel from his Civil Servant's office, then got out. Jems walked a little hesitantly towards the fountain. He was afraid that unwanted animals would suddenly appear. "Okay, just go ahead, Jems. Don't be afraid. It's safe here, there are no tigers or leopards," Simon shouted, dispelling Jems' doubts. "Let alone dinosaurs and anacondas," Wawan interrupted jokingly. Although still not sure, Jems approached the fountain, took off his clothes and put them on a rock near the fountain. He hung a towel around his neck and lowered his head under the fountain.

"Wow, so refreshing, hey. Does anyone want to come?" said Jems while wiping his face under the fountain. From behind, Simon, Tatang, and Wawan did not give any response. Jems became suspicious and looked back, but thankfully the car was still parked in its original place, even though Simon, Tatang, and Wawan were who knows where, the important thing was that the car was still there.

Because the road was quiet and no one had passed by, Jems finally dared to take off his jeans, leaving only his shorts inside. “Ah, this is too much. I might as well take a shower,” said Jems talking to himself.

Meanwhile, Tatang, Wawan, and Simon were picking langsat fruit about a hundred meters from where they parked the car. While they were enjoying eating langsat fruit, Wawan suddenly asked Simon, “Mon, is this your family’s langsat tree?”

“Duku? This is langsat, Wan, not duku,” protested Tatang.

“Yes, it is langsat, is this your family’s langsat tree, Mon?” asked Wawan for the second time.

“No,” answered Simon lightly.

“Well, what’s wrong? Why were you just climbing?” Wawan stopped chewing.

“Come on, just eat. Later, if the owner sees you, just apologize and promise not to do it again. It’s easy,” answered Simon lightly.

“Come on, Wan, just eat it. If it wasn’t Simon’s family’s, there’s no way he’d know there’s a langsat tree here,” Tatang said while picking up the remaining langsat that were still scattered in the bushes.

“Yeah, just eat it,” Simon said again.

“Is this really okay?” Wawan asked while showing the langsat fruit that he had peeled.

“Um, de de de, Wan, you’ve eaten a lot, and now you’re saying it’s okay again,” Simon replied while standing up, joining in looking for the remaining langsat scattered on the grass.

“Hey, do you have some for Jems?” Tatang asked.

“No need, she’ll get typhoid if she eats fruit like this,” Wawan replied while staring at the langsat fruit in their hands. “Yeah, I don’t think Jems has ever eaten fruit like this,” Tatang continued, rubbing his stomach as if he had imagined the taste.

“You guys are so funny, you think my village is so barren, that there’s no fruit like that there,” Jems suddenly appeared while hanging his shirt on his shoulder, interrupting their conversation.

“Hey Jems, you look so fresh after the shower,” Wawan greeted casually, trying to divert attention.

“Yeah, Jems’ soap already smells good,” Tatang praised, his tone still relaxed.

“Wow, I see, your soap already smells good Jems,” Simon praised again, laughing softly.

“So what were you guys doing there? Whose fruit are you stealing?” Jems looked at the langsat fruit in Wawan and Tatang’s hands.

“It’s funny to steal, this is just taking, aka picking,” Tatang said defensively, trying to smile.

“Do you guys know who it is?” Jems asked again.

“Do you know whose water you just bathed in?” Wawan immediately asked back.

“Well, it belongs to the state, because it flows on state land,” Jems evaded, but her smile couldn’t be hidden.

“Well, that means this also belongs to the state, because it grows on state land,” Wawan replied teasingly.

“Enough already, don’t make a fuss, this is all mine, it’s over,” Simon interrupted while pointing in all directions, wanting to end the argument.

“Wow, you’re rich Mon, you own all the hills, forests, you’re cool Mon!” Wawan praised, impressed.

“Apparently you’re the landlord Mon in your village, you can build a thousand-door boarding house, Mon,” Jems added exaggeratedly while looking around.

“Yes, you build a thousand-door boarding house, but you’re the one living there,” Jems honestly said.

“Yes Jems, you live here. Then if you need a friend, you just burn incense and joss sticks, I’m sure many of you will come to see you,” Wawan said seriously, making Jems gape.

“Yes Jems, especially since you’ve taken a bath here, it’s the same as you’ve already been fooled by the spirits here,” Tatang added to scare Jems.

“Ah, enough already, let’s go Mon, the longer we stay here the more possessed these two kids are,” Jems pointed at Wawan and Tatang, who were still sitting on the grass with funny expressions.

“Come on, it’s almost evening,” Simon said standing up and walking towards the car, followed by Wawan and Tatang from behind. Jems had already walked ahead of Simon.

When he arrived at the car, Jems was shocked to see the open car window and the car keys still hanging in place. “Wow Mon, you must be dangerous Mon, the car window is wide open, the car keys are still hanging there,” Jems looked at the contents of the car from outside with great anxiety.

"Don't worry, Jems, it's safe here. Who would want to come steal a car here? There's fruit to steal," said Simon, glancing at Wawan, they all laughed.

"Yes, yes, you are the landlord here, you know who comes and who goes home," said Jems, feeling calmer.

"That's why you just calm down Jems," Simon teased.

"Okay, let's go," said Jems in relief, finally able to breathe a sigh of relief.

For the umpteenth time they continued their journey towards Simon's house. From where they are now, Simon's house is approximately one and a half kilometers away. Wawan and Jems were busy pointing their cameras out the window, the view towards Simon's house was truly amazing, it would be too much of a shame not to immortalize it.

Meanwhile Jems was busy munching on the snacks he took from inside the Civil Service. Before long, they had arrived at Simon's house. The car slowly entered the yard of Simon's house which had been decorated with decorations typical of traditional funeral ceremonies.

"Mon, is this really an event for dead people who want to be buried?" asked Wawan curiously, while continuing to observe all the knick-knacks around him.

“Yes, that’s right,” Simon answered briefly, his face serious.

“Why does the decoration look like a Chinese wedding, right Jems?” asked Wawan while glancing at the red decorative cloth.

“Yes, there are red cloths too,” Jems answered while glancing in the direction Wawan meant. “Like people getting married, this isn’t scary at all.”

“This is like a wedding Mon, just hang firecrackers, the coconut leaves are already there!” Wawan added cheerfully.

“Eh, that’s not janur either, the people here call it the mother leaf. The fruit is made into palm fruit, to block the sun’s rays so it’s not hot,” Simon explained, looking serious.

“Well, I thought it was like janur,” Wawan replied with a laugh.

“It’s not like that, let’s go in,” Simon invited, starting to continue his steps. The four of them moved towards the main house, surrounded by the sounds of laughter and chatter from relatives who were busy preparing for the arrival of the guests. Outside, the atmosphere was bustling with several people still busy finishing temporary buildings. Several livestock were being herded, and everyone who passed by greeted Simon as if they had known him for a long time.

"What did you ride here? Are you all well?" said Simon's mother when they arrived at the terrace. Simon immediately hugged his mother warmly. "Yes, Ma, all well," replied Simon.

One by one, his friends also shook hands and greeted Simon's mother. "So these are your only friends, Simon? Why haven't you had more, since before I've only seen them?" asked Simon's mother, observing Wawan, Jems, and Tatang.

"Yes, Ma, because we're the only ones who wanted to be close friends with Simon since before," answered Jems with a forced smile.

"That's not what I mean, son," answered Simon's mother with a frown.

"So, what other friends do I mean?" asked Simon confusedly.

"Haven't you had any female friends since before? You're over thirty," reminded Simon's mother.

“Oh, that one, Ma’am, in Jakarta Simon has a close female friend, Ma’am,” Wawan tried to defend Simon.

“So you, Wawan, do you have a wife?” asked Mrs. Simon curiously.

“Not yet, Ma’am, but I have a candidate, I’m still focusing on my career first,” Wawan answered evasively.

“So, you, Jems and Tatang, are you married? Why wasn’t Mamak invited?” asked Mrs. Simon with raised eyebrows.

“Not yet, Ma’am, we’re still focusing on our jobs, but we all have our candidates,” Jems explained evasively.

“I plan to get married next year at the latest,” Tatang said firmly.

“The last time I met you guys in Jakarta, you also said you were getting married next year, even though that was probably three or four years ago,” recalled Mrs. Simon.

The warmth subsided for a moment, gazes exchanged between the four friends. Simon looked at Jems, while Tatang stared at Simon, hoping for a savior sentence to lighten the atmosphere.

“Oh yes Ma’am, we are sorry for the passing of Simon’s grandmother,” Tatang finally broke the silence.

“Yes, thank you… it’s just age, no one knows,” said Ma’am Simon, her eyes looking blank.

“How old was Simon’s grandmother when she died, Ma’am?” Wawan asked, seemingly wanting to continue the small talk.

“Around eighty-nine years old, almost ninety years old. It’s not certain that we all can reach that age,” said Ma’am Simon, looking far away.

“Yes, Ma’am,” Jems continued, trying to calm the atmosphere.

“That’s why you guys get married quickly, so that later your children will take care of you when you can’t take it anymore,” Ma’am Simon continued the conversation.

“Oh yes Ma’am, where did Dad go? I haven’t seen him around?” Simon asked, glancing around.

“He was downstairs,” Ma’am Simon replied, pointing towards the undercarriage of the house.

“Earlier he said he was going next door, to check on the rooms for your friends, whether they were ready or not,” said one of Simon’s family members who was also standing there.

“Oh is that so, so we’re going straight to the house next door, right Ma?” Simon asked his mother.

“Yes, you guys go next door first, rest, you’re tired from being on the road all day,” Simon’s mother invited them.

“Well, let’s go next door first,” Simon invited his three friends, excited to relax after the long journey.

“Hey, don’t forget to feed your friends later, okay kids,” Simon’s mother continued to remind them. Jems, Tatang, and Wawan said goodbye and rushed to the house next door. The four of them looked tired after a day on the road.

The four of them went down the stairs excitedly, then without warning immediately turned into the house right next door, but it seemed they were going the wrong way. When they were about to go up the stairs, Simon was nowhere to be seen. They looked for the host, but he wasn’t there.

From a distance of about ten meters, Simon shouted calling his three friends, “Wawan, Jems, Tatang, come here!!” The shout made them jump, then they looked for the direction of the voice calling.

“Woooi, over here, you guys come here!!” Simon shouted again while waving his hand. Jems, Tatang, and Wawan walked toward Simon who was starting to approach.

“Lah Mon, he said the house is next door,” asked Tatang in surprise. “Yes, it’s the house next door, but it’s over there,” Simon replied while pointing to the stilt house that was slightly uphill on the hill, not far from the main house they had visited earlier.

“Eh, but after we get to that house, we’re not going anywhere else, right Mon?” Jems asked while glancing towards their destination house.

“No, where else are we going? You guys can take a shower first if you want to,” Simon said as he continued walking, followed by Jems, Tatang, and Wawan from behind.

“I took a shower earlier, you guys haven’t showered since morning,” Jems replied, a little proud of himself.

“Mon, this is a tamarillo, right?” Wawan asked while picking a tamarillo that was dangling not far from his reach.

“Yes, there are a lot of tamarillos here. Just eat them, they grow on their own,” Simon replied.

“Wow, awesome Mon, sweet! Where did this grow from, why is the tree so long?” Wawan looked at the vine from top to bottom while chewing on the tamarillo fruit.

“It’s from very low, next to the pigsty,” Simon answered lightly.

Hearing that sentence, Jems and Tatang immediately laughed, while Wawan was flabbergasted and stopped chewing.

“Oh, it’s sweet! The fertilizer is from the pigsty,” Tatang joked while laughing.

“Aah, come on Wan, just eat it until it’s finished. It’s not necessarily the pigsty’s manure that makes it sweet,” said Jems trying to comfort Wawan who was still holding the almost finished tamarillo.

“Never mind Wan, just finish it,” said Simon who had entered the yard of their destination house.

“Oh well, my people don’t know this, so it’s safe,” Wawan tried to comfort him.

“Mon, is the house still far away? I’m really tired,” asked Jems with rising and falling breaths.

“It’s close, Jems. Pass that pine tree, then turn right a little, that’s the house,” answered Simon while pointing at a large pine tree that was about ten meters from where they were now.

“Seriously, Mon? It’s close?” asked Tatang to make sure.

“Seriously, just a little more,” said Simon to convince Tatang and Jems.

Finally, the four of them entered a large yard, but not as large as the yard of the previous house. The stilt house was also not too big, it only had four bedrooms, a bathroom, and a kitchen. It seemed like this house was newly built, maybe about two or three years ago, and it seemed rarely inhabited.

“Well, this is where you will stay,” said Simon while turning his face toward the wooden house.

From upstairs, there was the sound of people talking. It turned out to be Ela and Ika, Simon’s younger cousins, who were asked by Simon’s father to tidy up the rooms that Simon’s friends would occupy.

Simon rushed upstairs to find out who was upstairs. When they heard footsteps on the stairs, Ela and Ika rushed out and found Simon who had just set foot on the terrace.

“Hey, brother Simon, when did we arrive?” asked Ika friendly while shaking and kissing Simon’s hand, followed by Ela.

“Brother Simon, how are you?” said Ela while greeting Simon.

“Okay… Yes, it just arrived, maybe about twenty minutes ago,” Simon replied.

“Eh, my father was here, huh?” Simon asked again.

“Yes, he was downstairs just now,” Ika replied.

“Yes, Sis, we’ll excuse ourselves, the rooms are all ready,” Ela said as she excused herself.

“Yes, Ela, Ika, thank you. What grade are you guys in?” Simon asked.

“Second grade of vocational school, Sis!” Ika and Ela answered simultaneously.

“Are you guys in second grade of vocational school?” Simon asked in surprise.

“Yes, Sis,” Ela replied.

“Yes, it feels like you’ve only been wearing elementary school uniforms for a few days, but now you’re in vocational school,” Simon said.

“That’s why, Mon, don’t stay away from home for too long. Go home to your hometown at least once every six months,” Jems joked, who was already behind Simon.

“Wow, you’re already here. When did you get on?” Simon was surprised.

“Well, you went up without asking. You have a pretty cousin, but you didn’t introduce her to us,” Wawan continued.

“This is Ika, this is Ela. Okay, you guys go in, go find your own rooms. You’re tired, right?” Simon introduced his two younger cousins ​​and then pushed Wawan into the house.

“Mon, don’t you want your cousins ​​with me?” Wawan joked from the front door.

Simon ignored Wawan’s words and escorted Ela and Ika down to the house.

“Ela, Ika, thank you,” Simon said from the terrace.

“Yes, you’re welcome, Brother Simon,” Ika answered without looking at Simon. “Mon, why do they call their brothers or male cousins ​​Kakak here, not Abro?” asked Jems.

“Yes Jems, here, older brothers are still called Kakak, just like older sisters,” explained Simon.

“Eh, Jems, it just sounds strange to my ears. In Medan, kakak is the term for sisters,” explained Jems again.

“I think from Makassar to Papua or in the eastern part of Indonesia, they call them that. It’s different in Java or Sumatra,” said Tatang while putting his Civil Servant certificate on the table.

“Eh, where’s Wawan? Why didn’t he show up?” asked Jems looking at his friends.

“Maybe in his room,” answered Simon while pointing to one of the rooms.

The three friends checked the rooms, but couldn’t find Wawan.

“Not in his room?” asked Simon.

“Yeah, that kid isn’t here either,” Jems came out of the room, looking confused.

“Wow, where’s Barudak?” Tatang was anxious.

"Maybe he's behind," said Simon trying to speculate.

The three of them immediately moved to the back and found Wawan standing frozen in front of the window, not moving at all.

Seeing Wawan's position like that, Tatang panicked. "Wow, this is a mess! Wawan is possessed! He's going to go berserk soon!" Tatang began to worry.

"Ah, you're just kidding, Tang. He didn't pee anywhere, so there's no way he'd be possessed," Jems tried to calm the situation.

"Maybe he was hungry, his mind went blank and then he was possessed," Tatang answered again.

"Although Toraja has many horror areas, there's no story of people being possessed in Toraja," said Simon casually.

Wawan actually knew his friends were talking about him, but he deliberately stayed silent. Without looking away, Wawan waved his hand towards his friends, as if he wanted to show something.

"Go ahead, Jems!" Tatang pushed Jems.

"Oh, that. Wawan must have seen the view from the window. The view from there is quite good," Simon said lightly.

With feelings of doubt and fear, Tatang followed by Jems slowly walked towards Wawan who was still standing still like a statue.

"Waaaah! You call this quite good, Mon?" asked Jems in amazement.

"This is really beautiful, Mon, the view!" praised Tatang enthusiastically.

"Yes, Mon. In my entire life I have only seen a view as beautiful as this, seeing it from inside the house again. Not on a mountain or in a villa or on a trip," praised Wawan.

"Ah, there are also many views like this in other places, not just here," said Simon without a proud expression.

"It's really nice, huh, if the view is like this in the room, Mon," said Tatang, feeling satisfied.

"This is parallel to the room. Just try going into the room and opening the window, the view is the same as this too," explained Simon.

The three people hurriedly entered the room and opened the window. It turned out that the view was the same, because the position of the kitchen and the three rooms in the house were aligned.

"Later, I'll just go here for my honeymoon, Mon," Wawan said jokingly.

"You don't even have a girlfriend, how are you going to honeymoon?" Simon teased Wawan.

"Well, later, Mon! If I have a girlfriend, then I propose, then I get engaged, then I get married, that's it," Wawan explained somewhat excitedly.

"Wow, that's going to take a long time if that's the story, Wan. From now until the next three years, there's no guarantee that you'll have a girlfriend," Jems said pessimistically.

"Jems, when you talk, you like to put boundaries. Isn't it good to pray for something good like that," Wawan complained to Jems.

"It's useless, Wan, to pray for it, if you don't make an effort to find a girlfriend," Tatang replied.

"That's why you should look for a girlfriend who you can marry, not a girlfriend who'll buy you off," Jems teased again while laughing.

Meanwhile, a knock was heard from the front door, even though the door wasn't closed.

"Hello, good afternoon," someone greeted at the door.

Simon was curious about the voice and immediately went out. "Hey, Dad! Where were we?" Simon hugged his father tightly.

"Yes, I came here to take Ela and Ika to clean their room," said Simon's father while rubbing Simon's back.

Simon released the hug and introduced his friends. "These, sir, are my friends. Do you still remember them?" Simon pointed to his friends.

"Yes, I remember their faces, but I've forgotten their names," said Simon's father kindly.

One by one, Wawan, Tatang, and Jems greeted Simon's father.

"I'm Wawan, Uncle," while shaking hands.

"Oh yeah, this is Wawan who is handsome and funny," praised Simon's father.

"I'm Tatang, Uncle," continued Tatang. "Well, yeah, this is the Sundanese one, right? I like hearing his accent when he speaks," praised Simon's father again.

"Jems, Uncle, the most handsome among them," joked Jems confidently.

"Oh, of course it's Jems, the whitest among you all," praised Father Simon again.

"That's right, Uncle. Besides being the whitest, I'm also the most handsome among them all," Jems proudly.

"You share your handsomeness with your friends, so they'll sell it quickly," joked Father Simon. "Yes, Uncle. They just don't have the courage yet. Hehehe," Jems added again.

"Eeh, have you guys eaten? Simon, later invite your friends to eat downstairs, or you can also get it downstairs, then eat here," Simon's father offered.

"I think we'll just get it downstairs, Sir, then eat here," Simon said.

"Yes, then, you'll go downstairs first. You have a lot of things to do," Simon's father patted Simon's shoulder.

"Yes, Sir. We'll go downstairs later. My friends want to rest for a while," Simon added again.

"Okay, then, you'll go downstairs first."

Simon's father went down the stairs and disappeared from sight.

"You're still the same as before, Mon, a cheerful and enthusiastic person," Tatang said.

"Yes, it's always been like that, always cheerful in all situations. Oh yeah, you guys rest first, I want to meet the family first," Simon got out of the room, and at the same time Tatang, Jems, and Simon went into their respective rooms. In their rooms they just lay down and didn't do anything. Not long after, Wawan left the room to the living room, followed by Jems and Tatang.

"Huh, why did you guys come out of the room too?" Wawan asked Jems and Tatang.

"Confused, I don't know what to do. I want to eat, but I don't feel hungry yet," Jems answered while holding his stomach.

"Well, you Wan, why aren't you sleeping?" Wawan glanced at Tatang.

"I'm confused, man," Tatang said.

"Same here," Jems and Wawan said at the same time.

"Why are you confused, Wan?" Jems asked.

"How can you not be confused? This is a funeral, right? Simon's grandmother passed away," Wawan explained.

"Well, yes... then?" Jems said briefly.

"Why since we entered, this looks like a wedding, huh? Lots of decorations," Wawan said in a confused tone.

"Well, yes, I thought so too, euy. This doesn't seem like a mourning event," Tatang continued.

"Yes, I was confused too. I didn't see where the deceased was?" Jems asked again.

"Inside the traditional house, maybe?" Tatang answered, guessing.

"Eh, yes, I heard someone mention a funeral party. That's very contradictory language, huh? A party and death? Is it okay to call it that?"

"That's local wisdom I think. If people here call it that, it's normal, we're not used to hearing things like that, between death and a party," Jems explained.

For a moment, the atmosphere was silent, no one spoke to each other, but they all whispered the same sentence, "A party and death??". "Yeah, man, the contrast between the words death and party is so great," Tatang said, breaking the atmosphere.

"Yeah, that's because we're not used to combining the two sentences at the same time," Jems replied.

"So that's the gist of it," Wawan said.

"What?" Jems and Tatang asked at the same time.

"Yeah, so... the gist of it is... just a matter of habit. If you're not used to hearing it, it'll feel strange," Wawan replied, pretending to mediate.

"Are you used to it, Wan?" Tatang asked, glancing.

"Used to what, Tang?" Wawan asked back.

"Well, that's what you said earlier," Jems joked.

"Oh, about being used to calling dead people a party?"

"Yeah, are you used to it yet?" Tatang's voice was urgent.

"Well, maybe, Tang. We just got here," Wawan answered in confirmation.

"Well, that's why."

"Eeh, btw, from the way here, how come I didn't see any pigs?" Wawan asked while also looking out the window.

"They probably knew you were coming, so they hid the pigs," Tatang said seriously but he meant it as a joke.

"Well, what do I want to do with those pigs? I won't eat either," Wawan said evasively.

"I'm sleepy, I'll go to sleep first, okay. Later if you guys want to eat, wake me up, okay," Jems yawned and walked towards the room.

"Hey, does anyone know, what will we have for dinner?" Wawan asked a little worriedly.

"Just trust Simon. It's like I just met Simon, he already knows at home," Tatang replied, dismissing Wawan's worries.

"You must be busy, Wan, thinking about what to eat. Anyway, don't worry, you're riding pillion," Jems turned to Wawan.

"Well, never mind, I'll go to sleep too, ah."

"Go to sleep, sleeping is such a big deal," Jems said as he went into the room. Outside, the wind was blowing quite hard, shaking the bamboo poles that were only five to eight meters behind the house, until the sound of friction could be heard inside the house. Wawan, who had been inside the house,

"Go to sleep, sleeping is such a big deal," Jems said as he went into the room. Outside, the wind was blowing quite hard, shaking the bamboo poles that were only five to eight meters behind the house, until the sound of friction could be heard inside the house. Wawan, who had been inside the house, stepped out onto the terrace. The left and right sides of the house were so quiet, not a single person passed by. The position of the house was on a flat and shady hill, with many bamboo and pine trees growing on the south and west. Right to the left of the house grew sweet potatoes that looked very fertile with wide leaves.

It was getting late, the cold air was increasingly felt on the skin until it was felt all the way to the bones. The wind accompanied by light rain added to the coldness of the afternoon air approaching night. Wawan and Jems had not yet woken up, while Tatang had returned to the living room after just performing the Maghrib prayer. Tatang approached Wawan's room and broed on his door.

"Wan... Wan... wake up Wan, it's almost night... where's the drizzle again," Tatang knocked on Wawan's door, but there was no sound from inside. Actually, Tatang could have just entered the room because there was no lock on the room, only a doorknob that was installed to make it easier to open and close the door. After there was no reaction from inside Wawan's room, Tatang moved to the next room in Jems' room, but before Tatang knocked on Jems' room door, Jems called Tatang first.

"Tang, come in, Tang," Jems said from inside.

Tatang opened the door and found Jems sitting on the bed playing with her cellphone.

"Huh, how did you know I wanted to knock on your room, Jems?" asked Tatang pretending to be surprised.

"Well, you know, Tang. Wawan didn't respond earlier, you must have come to my room to knock," Jems was still looking at her cellphone screen.

"Yeah, man, it turns out it's really cold here at night," Tatang said as he approached Jems' bed.

"Don't you see, I'm like a rice cake like this. I'm wearing all my clothes, even the only two socks I've doubled," Jems pointed to her feet. Meanwhile, Tatang also watched Jems from head to toe.

"Yes... it looks like your real lontong, Jems. Just need to pour peanut sauce on it."

"You seem hungry, Tang."

"Yes, man, I'm really hungry. Do you have any snacks, Jems?"

"I have cup noodles, do you want some?" Jems offered.

"I want some too, Jems." Wawan suddenly stood in front of Jems' door.

"Oh, you're awake, Wan," Tatang said, turning to Wawan.

"How could I not be awake, you're so noisy. Where's the Civil Servant noodles, I'll give you one," Wawan said as he stepped closer to Jems and Tatang.

Jems approached his backpack and took out two packs of cup noodles.

"Here, divide them equally, don't fight," Jems handed the cup noodles to Wawan and Tatang.

"Now, that's great. It's cold like this, eating cup noodles," Tatang said.

"So how do you guys brew it?" Jems asked Wawan and Tatang.

"I'll see in the kitchen first," Wawan stood up and headed back.

Wawan went out of the room and headed to the kitchen. In the kitchen, Wawan looked at every corner of the room, whether there was one thing he expected, namely a stove or something similar. But it turned out that there was no stove in the house, there were only cutlery such as glasses, plates, spoons, and other eating utensils. Looking at what he was looking for, there was nothing.

But there was something that caught Wawan's attention a little, there was a pile of boards that looked like a former cupboard or a former wooden box arranged near the kitchen. Tatang only looked at it for a moment then returned to Jems' room.

"There's no stove," Wawan stood in front of Jems' room door.

"There's firewood, right?" Jems asked.

"There is, there are boards from a former cupboard. But is it true that you have to use firewood just to brew cup noodles?" Wawan raised the cup noodles in his hand.

"Rather than getting hungry," Jems said.

"Then what should I do?" Tatang asked resignedly.

"Okay, just mix it up," Wawan replied, feeling like he had no other choice.

In the middle of their conversation, Jems and Wawan heard someone coming up the stairs, and they could already guess who it was.

"Jems... Tatang... Wawan... what are you guys doing?" Simon's voice was heard from outside. Simon came with his cousin Bernad.

Hearing Simon's voice outside, Tatang's smile widened as a sign that life had come, and sure enough, Simon and Bernad came bringing dinner for the three of them.

"Wow, what a coincidence, Mon. We were about to make cup noodles, but the stove wasn't there. Hey, Bernad's here too, huh?" asked Tatang while looking at Simon and Bernad's belongings.

"Why make cup noodles? I brought dinner," said Simon while showing the belongings in his hands that had not been placed on the floor.

"Tatang, how are you? Where are all his friends?" asked Bernad while putting his belongings on the board. Jems came out of the room while hanging headphones around her neck. "Hey, you guys apparently didn't hear me," Jems made small talk.

"Bro Jems, how are you?" greeted Bernad.

"Eh, bro Bernad, you're getting more handsome, like the one next to you," Jems glanced at Simon.

"Let's eat, too much small talk will make you hungrier," said Simon while pushing his package to Tatang.

"Pretend, I'm hungry too," while holding the package from Simon.

"Hey, Mon, why isn't there a stove here? Earlier, Tatang went around looking for a stove but couldn't find one," asked Jems while pointing to the back.

"Yeah, bro, this house is actually not intended for a residence, so it's not set up to have a kitchen," Simon argued.

Wawan came out of Jems' room, joining the others.

"No wonder I went around looking for a stove but couldn't find one, but I found firewood," still holding a pack of cup noodles.

"That's not firewood, that's used... eh, yes, that's old firewood," Simon answered, but for some reason he corrected his statement.

"Yes, that's firewood but it's been stored in the back for a long time, because there's no kitchen either," said Bernad emphasizing Simon's words.

"Well, never mind, let's just eat. I'm hungry," Jems took a cross-legged sitting position next to Tatang.

"Mon, is there pork in this?" asked Wawan jokingly.

"Gosh, Wan... the pork hasn't been slaughtered yet. Do you really want it?" asked Simon jokingly.

"You know this Wawan, I've been talking about pork all this time," said Tatang.

"Don't worry, Tang. This is one hundred percent halal," said Simon to calm Wawan down.

"Just eat it, I'm hungry too," Tatang opened the package from Simon.

"Hey, how's the girl I met in Makassar? Are you dating yet?" teased Bernad with a smile.

"Jiaah... never mind dating, Nad. That girl is so fierce. I'm disgusted," Wawan replied while pouring rice onto his plate.

"So what then? They say she's pretty, and she has a great body," Bernad asked teasingly at Wawan.

"Well, that's it, Nad. Actually, that girl is okay, but her behavior is not okay."

"She's the one who can't be tamed," Jems interrupted.

"Eh, I'd rather tame a bomb and a dinosaur than tame a girl like that."

After dinner, Simon and Bernad immediately went back down to the main house below where the death "party" was being held.

Meanwhile, Wawan did not go straight into the room, unlike Jems and Tatang who went straight into the room and immediately wrapped their bodies in jackets and blankets. Wawan, besides wearing a jacket, also wore two layers of socks and a beanie. Indeed, the weather in Simon's village was very cold in the afternoon approaching evening, especially at night when the air became even colder with the addition of light rain that poured all night long.

Wawan went to the kitchen, curious about the pile of wooden planks near the kitchen that had caught his attention earlier. If he looked closely, it seemed like the wooden planks were not firewood, but piles of wood that had rotted with age. Wawan looked closely at the wooden planks sheet by sheet. There were carvings on one side of the planks. Wawan was curious and turned on the flashlight on his cellphone to see the carvings on the planks clearly. Wawan was so serious, he didn't even notice Tatang passing by him when he was about to go to the bathroom.

"Wan, why are you sneaking around there? I thought you were asleep," Tatang reprimanded and stopped in his tracks when he saw Wawan looking at something.

"Ah, no, Tang. I'm just curious about the carvings on this wood. I thought it was firewood, but it looks like wood from a cupboard that has rotted," Wawan explained while continuing to look at the carvings and pictures on the pile of rotten wood.

"That's just your guess, Wan. That's probably a coffin," Tatang answered carelessly. "Enough, I'm going to the bathroom first, I have a pee, man," Tatang continued, leaving Wawan alone.

"Yes, yes, hurry up!" Wawan hurried back to the living room and was busy fiddling with his cellphone seriously.

A few minutes later, Tatang returned from the bathroom and still found Wawan not sleeping.

"Wan, go to sleep! Tomorrow we want to have a recreation, watch a show we've never seen before," Tatang reprimanded.

"Yes, just a moment. I'm not sleepy yet," Wawan replied while continuing to focus on his cellphone screen.

"Aren't you cold or not? Are you really comfortable playing with your cellphone at this time of night?" asked Tatang, trying to tease Wawan. Wawan remained silent, and did not respond to Tatang's words at all. Seeing Wawan who did not react, Tatang went back into the room to continue his sleep.

Meanwhile, in the next room, Jems' voice was not heard. It seemed like she was already fast asleep, even though Jems normally sleeps after twelve at night.

The night was getting late and colder. Outside, the sound of night insects was heard accompanied by the sound of branches swaying in the wind and bamboo stems rubbing against each other following the direction of the wind that was blowing erratically. The aroma of pine trees and the aroma of bamboo leaves wet with dew and the remains of drizzle created a blend of aromatherapy directly from nature that might not be found everywhere.

Who knows what made Wawan not sleep yet. Sometimes he was busy fiddling with his cellphone, not long after he stood up and paced back and forth in the living room.

"Eeh, Wan, what are you doing?" said Jems who suddenly came out of the room. His face looked cheerful even though it was already night.

"Hey, you haven't slept yet, Jems?" Wawan replied, a little surprised to see his friend appear.

"Who said I was sleeping? I was enjoying this rare atmosphere," Jems replied, pointing out into the pitch-black room, where the sounds of nature were softly flowing.

"What do you mean?" Wawan asked, curious about what Jems was thinking.

"Well, here... try closing your eyes, then listen to the sounds outside, then feel the scent of the leaves that were wet from the rain," Jems said, inviting Wawan to feel what Jems said.

Wawan followed Jems' instructions and did exactly as she said. He closed his eyes, letting all the sounds from outside flow into his mind. For a few seconds the atmosphere was silent without conversation, only the sounds of nature filling the space around them.

"Well, how is it? Very comfortable, right? And it seems like not everywhere can get a night atmosphere like this," Jems said, smiling broadly when he saw Wawan feeling the beauty.

"Yeah, euy... stress is slowly disappearing," Wawan replied in a low voice, feeling calm enveloping every corner of his body.

"Ah, what are you stressed about? Why don't you look like you're stressed?" asked Jems, in disbelief.

"Well, that's human nature. You can definitely get stressed," replied Wawan, grumbling a little.

"Yeah, the problem is whether you're stressed or not, it's the same, it doesn't show! Just look at Tatang or Simon when they're stressed... wow, they're like the most miserable person in the world," stared Jems, comparing the effects of stress between Simon and Tatang.

Wawan just smiled. "Everyone is different, Jems, in terms of how they deal with stress. Some pretend to be happy, some are more..."

 

Chapter 5: When Tradition, Among the Surprises of the Past

"Close to it, some look like the most miserable person in the world," replied Wawan, sounding wise.

"Well, that's it then. I'm going to continue my meditation first," said Jems, stepping into his room.

"Pretend, I'm going to meditate too," replied Wawan, not wanting to lose.

"Don't stay up late, someone will kidnap you, and I'll be the one stressed," said Jems.

"Huh, why are you the one who's stressed?"

"Well, of course. I'll be the last one with you? And usually the last person with the victim is the main witness."

"Aah, you're being silly. You'd better go back to sleep."

"Eh, that's right. I have a lot of lawyers, so I often hear them talking."

"But you're Chinese, Jems. Do you have bones?"

"Ee... eh, this kid's river stone. Never mind, I'll just meditate." Feeling a little annoyed, Jems went back into his room.

"Wow... you're the one who's making it long. Go ahead, continue your meditation," replied Wawan no less annoyed.

The next morning, very early around half past five, Wawan ran from the direction next to the house. The air was fresh and cold, making his spirits peak even more.

"Wooi... Jems! Tatang! Come here, wooiii!" shouted Wawan as he ran through the still wet grass. The dew made his feet feel cool.

"Jems... Tatang, wake up, wooooiii!!!" Wawan was already right under the house. He hurriedly climbed the stairs, so that the sound of his footsteps could be felt from inside the house. When he was in front of the door, Wawan found Tatang and Jems sitting still with their blankets without talking.

"Wooi, why didn't you guys answer? They were shouting from below!" Wawan was still standing in front of the door, looking annoyed but also funny.

Meanwhile, Tatang and Jems just looked at each other, after that they glanced at Wawan again.

"Eet, wow! I'm being bullied! Come here, hurry up, the view behind there is really beautiful, a sea of ​​clouds, it feels like we're above the clouds!" Wawan was very enthusiastic to invite Tatang and Jems.

Again, Tatang and Jems looked at each other and shook their heads.

"Well, never mind, I'll do it. Eeh, if you don't move, you'll stay cold until the afternoon," Wawan got up and left Jems and Tatang.

But unexpectedly, Tatang and Jems suddenly woke up and ran out. "Wow... wow, what's gotten into these kids? They were all secretly invited out earlier," Wawan complained, seeing Jems and Tatang who were already excited.

"Hurry up, Wan! The clouds will be blown away by the wind!" Jems passed Wawan who was just about to leave the front door.

"I'm the one who's waiting, but I'm the one who's being told to hurry up," Wawan grumbled as he followed Jems and Tatang from behind.

The three of them ran through the knee-high wet grass, which felt cold when blown by the wind. The cold morning atmosphere seemed to mean nothing to them, because the excitement of seeing the amazing view overpowered the stinging cold.

Seeing that Jems and Tatang had gone too far ahead, Wawan stopped and shouted for them.

"Tang... Jems... stop... wait a minute!!!!!" Wawan shouted, his voice full of enthusiasm.

Jems and Tatang didn't seem to hear Wawan's shout. Again, Wawan shouted as loud as he could.

"Jeeeeeeeeeeeeeemss... Taaaaaaaaaaaaaang!!!!!!" Wawan used all his strength, even though they hadn't had breakfast this morning.

Jems and Tatang stopped when they heard Wawan's scream. Actually, they weren't that far apart, maybe only ten to fifteen meters.

"What's wrong, Wan? What's wrong with you?" Jems asked, looking worried.

"Wait a minute, wait," Wawan walked breathlessly toward Jems and Tatang.

"What's wrong with you, Wan? Why are you screaming so much?" Tatang asked, approaching Wawan.

"Don't go there yet," Wawan said urgently.

"Huh, what's wrong?" Jems and Tatang asked at the same time, confused by Wawan's attitude.

"Anyway, don't go yet, I'll go there first, then you guys follow behind," Wawan explained in a serious tone.

"Huh, why is that?" Jems was surprised, not understanding Wawan's plan.

"Yeah, why is that, Wan?" Tatang also asked.

"Just follow my instructions, okay? I'll show you a surprise later," Wawan tried to reduce the questions from Jems and Tatang. "You two just follow what I say, okay?" Wawan continued.

Jems and Tatang stared at each other for a moment, gauging the situation.

"But what first, who knows, maybe you want to drag us into a ravine, right?" Jems doubted Wawan's words.

"Yeah, that's right, Wan. If anything happens to us, you'll do it," Tatang continued in a serious tone, although there was a little laughter at the end of his sentence.

"Yeiilaah, you've known me for a long time, how could I hurt you? What's in it for me?" Wawan argued, trying to defend himself.

"Well, who knows, last night you were possessed by something," Jems assumed, still half joking.

"Well, yeah, that's right," Tatang chimed in, joining in teasing Wawan.

"No, Jems, Tang! Anyway, I'll give you two a surprise that you've never seen before," Wawan assured Jems and Tatang to the max.

"Okay, let's just believe it, Tang. Even though his appearance is not very convincing, his words are a little convincing," Jems replied while glancing at Wawan.

"Okay..." Tatang agreed, although there was still doubt on his face.

"Okay, you guys wait here for a moment, okay... just a moment," Wawan said then walked away from Jems and Tatang.

Meanwhile, Jems and Tatang were guessing what surprise Wawan would show.

"What do you think? Maybe he brought something strange again?" asked Jems.

"I don't know, confused. Hopefully he doesn't bring an anaconda," answered Tatang. Not long after, Wawan came back running while calling out to Tatang and Jems.

"Jeeems... Tang, you're still there, right??!!!" shouted Wawan excitedly.

"Still!!!" replied Jems, shouting.

Wawan approached Jems and Tatang, but when the distance between Tatang and Jems was about three meters, Tatang stopped and asked Jems and Tatang to come closer to him.

"You two come over here towards me," Wawan invited enthusiastically.

"What's wrong with you, Wan? What other silly games do you want to play?" asked Jems, increasingly confused by Wawan's behavior.

"Yeah, man... you're being told to come forward at an event," said Tatang annoyed, feeling uncomfortable.

"You guys just calm down, okay? Don't complain," Wawan tried to calm them down. "This is all for a great surprise!"

"Now, what else is this, Tang?" said Jems, who seemed to already know that there would be more instructions from Wawan. "Now both of you close your eyes, okay? I'll guide you later," Wawan explained in a serious tone.

"Bah, we're being told to close our eyes again, Tang, by this kid," Jems commented to Tatang, feeling skeptical.

"What do you actually want to do, Tang?" asked Tatang, still curious.

"Just both of you close your eyes, okay. No need to protest," Wawan answered firmly.

Jems and Tatang exchanged glances, then sighed. They both just followed Wawan's instructions, and really closed their eyes.

"Isn't it still long, Wan, are you closing your eyes?" asked Tatang, feeling impatient.

"It's close, be patient, why?" answered Wawan, trying to calm him down.

"You're not leading us to the buffalo dung, are you, Wan?" asked Jems, still skeptical.

"Just close your eyes, okay. Now, Jems, hold this tight branch, okay? You too, Tang, hold this tight branch, okay?" Wawan directed Jems and Tatang's hands to hold the guava tree branch.

"Why is the wind so strong, Wan?" asked Tatang, feeling the strong gusts of wind.

"Don't worry, this is all part of the surprise," Wawan answered in a mysterious tone. "Now, open your eyes!"

Jems and Tatang opened their eyes slowly, and looked at each other for a moment. Then, unable to hold back their laughter, they both laughed as loud as they could.

"Jiaaahahahahahahahhaha!!!!" Jems and Tatang laughed out loud.

"Why are you two laughing? This view is so beautiful, why are you laughing?" Wawan was confused by Jems and Tatang's behavior.

"Eh, the soy sauce bottle, did you know? We were already here earlier," said Jems while holding back laughter.

"Yeah, we were both here earlier," Tatang added, laughing along.

"Earlier after the morning prayer, Tatang woke me up, asked me to look around here, then we came here," Jems explained, still with a big smile on his face.

"Then why when I came back, were you guys still on top of the house?" Wawan was increasingly confused, trying to understand the situation.

"Yeah, we turned that way and went to the house," Tatang answered, pointing in the direction in question.

"Well, when we got home, you weren't there," Tatang continued.

"Yeah, not long after we got home, you came screaming from behind," Jems added, still laughing.

"Then why didn't you guys wake me up?" Wawan asked, feeling a little annoyed.

"How could I wake you up, just your bedroom door, you blocked it with something," Jems answered, shrugging.

"Well, you could have knocked as hard as you wanted," Wawan argued, trying to defend himself.

"Yes, Wan, but can you wake up that fast? Okay, we'll wake you up tomorrow," Tatang said, still joking.

"But wake me up right away, okay, Wan, if we wake you up," Jems added, emphasizing.

"Wake me up, if necessary, pour water on me, that's fine," Wawan answered in a relaxed tone.

"Hold your tongue, okay, Wan. We'll pour water on you, then you sulk," Jems emphasized Wawan's words.

"Well, no way, Jems. I'm not a sensitive person," Wawan answered, trying to look strong even though his smile couldn't be hidden.

"Yeah-yeah, trust me Wan, you're not sensitive," Tatang said, agreeing with Wawan's words.

"Okay, let's go back. I think I'm hungry," Jems said while holding his stomach, indicating that his stomach was indeed starting to rumble.

"Are you hungry, Wan?" Tatang asked jokingly, wanting to tease Wawan.

"What's wrong, Tang, if I'm not hungry?" Wawan was curious, a little suspicious of Tatang's joke.

"If you're not hungry, then just wait here for the clouds to disappear," Tatang pointed his finger at the clouds below them.

"The clouds are made into delicious cotton candy, huh?" Wawan joked, trying to brighten the atmosphere.

"That would be nice, Wan, but you have to apply for permission from the local government first," Jems replied, joining in the joke.

"Why is that, rather than just clouds, why do you have to get permission from the local government?" Wawan was annoyed, feeling that his joke was not accepted.

"Now, where are you?" Jems asked, wanting to make sure.

"In Toraja," Wawan replied casually.

"Then where are the clouds?" Jems asked.

"Well, Toraja," Wawan replied, a little confused by Jems' question.

"Well, that means you have to ask permission from the Toraja local government if you want to make cotton candy from the clouds in Toraja," Jems explained in a serious tone, even though he knew it was just a joke.

"Ouch, aah, Jems! My stomach hurts from talking to you for too long!" Wawan walked away from Jems and Tatang, feeling tired of the silly conversation.

"Hey, Wan! Where are you going?" Tatang shouted a little, trying to call Wawan back.

"Want to get some Kinton clouds!!!" Wawan shouted without looking at Jems and Tatang.

Jems and Tatang did not respond to Wawan's words anymore, feeling tired of the jokes that continued.

"Let's go back, Tang," Jems invited.

"Come on, pretend!" Tatang replied, following Jems' steps.

Jems walked in front, followed by Tatang from behind. Suddenly, Tatang's cellphone rang. Simon's name appeared on the screen, calling. "Hey, Simon called," Tatang said while showing his cellphone screen to Jems.

Meanwhile, Jems just nodded, feeling a little worried. "Just answer it, Tang. Maybe there's something important," he suggested.

"Yeah, Mon," Tatang started the conversation.

"Where are you guys?" Simon asked on the phone, his voice sounding anxious.

"Up here, looking at the clouds, but we're already on our way back down," Tatang replied, trying to calm Simon down.

"Oh yeah, okay. I'll wait here," Simon replied, his voice a little calmer.

"Hey, Mon... Mon... is Wawan not there yet? He already went there earlier," Tatang asked, feeling worried.

"Not yet. I arrived home empty," Simon replied, his tone sounding anxious again.

"Ooh, maybe he's in the bathroom, or he's just going to the toilet," Tatang said jokingly.

"Oh, maybe because I haven't checked the bathroom. Yeah, okay then."

"Ok... ok, sip, Mon. It'll be here soon."

"Ok, ready," Simon hung up the phone.

"Huh, Wawan hasn't arrived home yet, huh?" Jems asked, a little surprised.

"Yeah, Simon said there was no one at home," Tatang replied, feeling increasingly worried.

"Bah, where's the kid?" Jems asked, anxious.

"Did he get lost or get lost," Tatang speculated.

"Bah, don't let the kid get lost! Because I promised his family that I would bring him home intact," Jems explained, feeling responsible.

"Where's Wawan, huh?" Tatang repeated his question, increasingly anxious.

"Okay, let's hurry, who knows we'll meet him in the bushes," Tatang suggested, trying to stay optimistic.

"What's Wawan doing in the bushes?" Jems asked, a little confused.

"That kid is special, who knows he's imagining looking for fairies in the bushes," Tatang replied jokingly.

"Yeah, yeah, let's hurry!" Jems agreed, and the two of them quickened their pace. However, then they ran.

From a distance, they had seen Simon standing alone on the porch, but strangely Wawan was not there. Jems and Tatang stopped for a moment and looked around, who knew Wawan was in one of their corners of view. However, the result was nil; there were only pine trees and bamboo and a stretch of weeds. In the distance, there were one or two small children herding their buffalo.

"Jems, we have to look for Wawan, don't let him get further away," said Tatang, feeling anxious.

Jems wanted to approach the small child to ask, but was stopped by Tatang. "Don't, Jems! I'm worried there's a language difference. We could misunderstand," said Tatang, worried.

Tatang and Jems walked back to Simon on the porch.

"Mon... isn't Wawan in there?" asked Tatang who was about to go up the stairs.

"No," answered Simon while looking away.

"Bah, where is that kid? If he's missing, we're in trouble," Jems was still standing below, not following Tatang up the house, but his position was right in front of the tall house, the ground was almost the same height as the terrace.

"We're in trouble if he's missing, because it's not certain that there will be someone like him in five thousand years," Simon seemed to be joking, but his facial expression looked serious.

"So, did you call him?" asked Jems in the same position as before.

"So, but he didn't pick up," answered Simon feeling desperate.

"I don't think he's in the bathroom either," said Tatang who came to stand near Simon.

"Yeah, I went to the bathroom earlier too, but he wasn't there," answered Simon, looking increasingly anxious.

"Where is that kid?" said Jems while staring blankly into the distance, worried about Wawan's whereabouts.

When Tatang, Simon, and Jems were busy looking for Wawan's whereabouts who knew where he was, suddenly Wawan came from behind the house while focusing on his cellphone screen.

"Gosh, where have you been, Wan?" asked Tatang annoyedly, taking a deep breath.

"What, Tang, did you miss me?" Wawan answered lightly, without the slightest guilt.

"I missed you! If you were gone, it would be hard for me to make an accountability report to your family," Jems annoyedly stepped up the stairs.

"Never mind, the important thing is that he's here," Simon intervened. "Hey, aren't you guys going downstairs? The event starts tomorrow," Simon invited.

"Where are you going downstairs, Mon?" asked Tatang.

"To the main house where the event is taking place," Simon replied.

"Come on, come on! I've never seen an event like that, Mon," Tatang enthusiastically.

"Should I take a shower first?" said Wawan. "Even without taking a shower, you're still like that, Wan," Jems teased.

"Okay, if you want to clean up first, I'll wait for you guys. We'll go downstairs together," Simon said to everyone.

"Wait a minute, Mon!" Wawan hurriedly went inside the house.

"But don't take too long, okay? You guys?" Simon asked Tatang and Jems, wanting to make sure they were going inside too.

"No, I'll just do this, Mon," Jems replied while smelling his body odor left and right, feeling confident.

"I'm not changing clothes either, because I brought a few clothes," Tatang added while pulling the zipper of his jacket down to his chest, showing that he also had no intention of changing clothes.

"But wait a minute, Mon!" Jems hurriedly went inside the house to get perfume from his Civil Servant's office. She went straight to her room and opened her unzipped padlock bag, then sprayed several times on her neck and other parts. After that, she threw her perfume bottle on the bed and rushed out.

However, her steps were stopped when she saw Wawan's cellphone which was still on because there was an incoming WhatsApp message. Jems felt curious and approached Wawan's cellphone screen. Instantly, Jems' expression changed after reading the message, and she rushed out before Wawan found out.

"Hey, where's Wawan?" asked Simon when he saw Jems come out of the house alone.

"I thought you guys were here?" Jems pretended to be surprised.

"Waaaan!!!.. hurry up, Wan!" shouted Tatang into the house, but there was no answer from inside the house from Wawan.

"Hey, Wan! Do you want to come?" It was Simon's turn to call Wawan.

"Yeah-yeah, wait. It's done," Wawan came out and immediately grabbed his cellphone on the table.

"Are you taking so long, Wan?" asked Jems.

"She used to wear a tube top and bra," joked Tatang while looking Wawan up and down.

"Come on, let's have breakfast downstairs," Simon invited while walking down the stairs.

"Don't ask again, Wan, about the pigs like last night. The main thing is that it's safe, you trust Simon," said Jems following Simon from behind.

"No, Jems! I was just joking last night," Wawan answered with a smile.

"Hey, is this door locked, Mon?" said Tatang closing the door, noticing that the door to the house only had a doorknob, but no keyhole or padlock.

"It's safe, Tang. I didn't know you were the chief's house," Jems looked back, feeling a little worried.

"Yeah, it's safe, Tang," Simon just raised his hand without looking at Tatang, trying to convince him.

"Okay..." Tatang briefly and followed behind Wawan.

"Eh, btw, Mon, are we going through the same road from yesterday again?" Wawan approached Simon.

"Yeah, the same road from yesterday. There's another road, but we'll go around that mountain over there, then go around down, then go up again... Do you want to?" Simon pointed towards the mountain that might be more appropriately called a hill.

"It's okay, Mon. Just go this way, the air here is cool and cold," said Wawan who seemed to be making excuses.

"Beeeh, it's cooler, colder over there!" Simon replied, a little annoyed with Wawan's attitude.

"But it's more tiring, Mon," Wawan interrupted Simon.

Tatang and Jems chose not to talk much, they preferred to enjoy the scenery while pointing their cellphone cameras at the views they found interesting several times.

When they arrived at the main house, the atmosphere was very lively, many people were walking around, some were wearing traditional clothes, both adult women, children, and many were also wearing formal clothes. In addition, many people were walking back and forth carrying buffaloes.

"Mon... Mon, what kind of buffalo is that? It's black and white like an albino?" asked Wawan while pointing at several buffaloes being herded by several adult men.

"That's called tedong saleko," Simon answered briefly.

"How much is that, Mon? Expensive, huh?" asked Wawan curiously.

"Well, around four hundred million for that size."

"Ooh, so that's the buffalo you said you wanted to buy three for your grandmother?" Wawan with an enthusiastic expression, but Simon responded casually. "Yes, that," Simon answered briefly while continuing to observe the striped buffalo that was about ten to twelve meters away from where he was standing with Wawan.

"Mon... Mon, is this seriously your grandmother's funeral?" asked Tatang, approaching Simon who was still standing next to Wawan.

"Yes, that's how it is when Torajan people hold funeral parties. There are even some that are even more crowded than this one, and usually the number of buffaloes reaches hundreds," Simon explained, looking enthusiastic in explaining.

"This one is already really crowded," answered Tatang while continuing to observe the situation around him, fascinated by the crowd and atmosphere.

"Eeh, Mon, how many days does an event like this usually last?" asked Jems from beside Tatang, curious.

 

"Usually around six to seven days, and the peak day is on the day of the funeral. But usually on the day of the funeral it's less crowded," Simon explained, giving a clearer picture.

"So what day is it now, Mon?" asked Jems again, wanting to know more.

"It's the first day, today's event has just started," Simon answered enthusiastically.

"Well, it's just about to start, Mon, the event is already this crowded?" Wawan asked while continuing to watch the procession of guests who were starting to enter the event location.

"It's not too crowded yet, Wan. It'll be crowded later in the afternoon," Simon answered, looking enthusiastic in explaining.

"So, where are we going to have breakfast, Mon?" Jems asked, feeling his stomach starting to rumble.

"Uh, yeah... you haven't had breakfast, huh? Hehehe, sorry, I forgot," Simon said, feeling a little guilty.

After that, Simon invited his three friends to the public kitchen that was specifically for guests. They walked through the crowd, feeling the warm and togetherness atmosphere.

"Uh, yeah, you eat pork, right, Jems?" Tatang asked.

"Well, this is a public kitchen that is specifically for guests, or a public kitchen that is free from pork contamination. Basically, this is a sterile kitchen and guaranteed to be one hundred percent halal," Simon explained to Wawan, Tatang, and Jems.

"Well, where is the one with pork, Mon?" Jems asked seriously, wanting to make sure.

"Well, it's over there, next to the stilt house that we just got here. Basically, if there are lots of wood stoves and lots of women, that's it, Jems, the non-halal public kitchen," Simon explained while pointing towards the stilt house that was surrounded by a tent.

"Well, you know I'm Batak with Chinese blood, so it's a bit hard to get away from that menu," Jems said jokingly, making the others laugh.

"So what do you think, Jems? Do you want breakfast here? Or in the kitchen over there?" Simon asked Jems, wanting to make sure of his friend's choice.

"I'll go over there, Mon," Jems answered while pointing towards the kitchen Simon was referring to.

"Okay, okay. Then, Tatang and Wawan are here, okay. Just think of it as your own home, eh, wrong, your own kitchen," Simon said to Tatang and Wawan, trying to create a comfortable atmosphere.

"So, what happened after that, Mon?" Wawan asked, curious about the next plan.

"It's up to you, whether you want to go straight up to the house above, or whether you want to look around first while looking for a match, who knows you might find your match here," Simon explained jokingly while pointing to the crowd of people.

"Ah, are you serious, Mon? I did see a lot of beautiful people earlier," Jems said enthusiastically, her eyes sparkling.

"Yee... yee, my illness is starting to flare up when talking about women," Wawan teased Jems, making the others laugh.

"Ah, not just you, Wan?" Jems replied to Wawan in a teasing tone.

"Well, for me, if there's a suitable one, there's nothing I can do. Jems, I give up," Wawan replied, trying to sound relaxed.

"Aah, your style of giving up! You just chased after one that was in Makassar, before anything else you're already scared. Besides, in Jakarta, where have I ever seen you with a woman," Jems snapped, not wanting to lose.

"Well, the champion always loses first, Jems," Wawan denied, trying to defend himself.

"Well, let's just eat. I've been hungry for a while. Plus, listening to you guys chat, I'm even hungrier, euy," Tatang intervened, feeling the need to divert attention from the increasingly heated debate. "After eating, let's go look for some time, okay?" Wawan asked, wanting to plan his next step.

"You like it there," answered Jems, not really caring about the plan.

"Yee... it's even longer," Tatang interrupted, feeling a little annoyed with Wawan's attitude.

"Okay, you guys eat first. Later, if anything happens, you just call me or Bernad, okay?" said Simon, trying to remind them to keep in touch.

Simon then approached one of the women in the public kitchen and said something. After chatting for a while, he returned to Wawan, Tatang, and Jems.

"The point is, it's safe. If you want something, just talk to Aunt Ira. She's the general head of the kitchen, she's also Muslim, so when it comes to food, it's safe," explained Simon while pointing at Mrs. Ira, who was busy arranging kitchen utensils with the help of several mothers and several teenage girls.

"Aunt Ira, it's safe, okay? I'll entrust my friends," continued Simon again, making sure everything.

"Okay, it's safe, those noodles," replied Mrs. Ira with a friendly smile.

After making sure everything was safe, Simon hurried out of the public kitchen. However, just as Simon had walked a few steps, Wawan suddenly followed from behind.

"Mon... Mon, wait, Mon!" shouted Wawan following Simon who had just walked out of the public kitchen.

"What, Wan?" Simon turned around, curious.

"Mon, is your grandmother still alive, huh?" asked Wawan, looking serious.

"Yeah, there's one more person. Why is that?" answered Simon, a little confused by Wawan's question.

"Isn't she going to die soon?" Wawan asked, surprising Simon.

"Well, I don't know, that person over there," Simon pointed to a grandmother who was around eighty years old, walking carrying a bucket of water in both hands.

"Wow?! She's old but still fresh and healthy, Mon. She can still carry water, how old is she, Mon?" asked Wawan, amazed.

"If I'm not mistaken, eighty-six years," Simon replied, trying to remember. "Well, that's Wan, you get the water a bit further away, on our driveway yesterday, well a bit further over there," Simon replied, pointing in the direction of the grandmother.

"Sheet, bye! I'm not even sure I'll live to be eighty-six years old, Mon," Wawan complained, feeling pressured by that fact.

"So if you go first, my grandmother and I will come to your house, bring the best flower arrangement," Simon joked, trying to cheer Wawan up.

"Okay, then, Mon, later if your grandmother dies first, don't forget to invite me, okay, Mon?" Wawan asked, joking a bit.

"Invite me to the afterlife?" Simon replied, surprised.

"Well, no way, Mon! Invite me here again, to an event like this, Mon?" Wawan explained, wanting to make sure.

"Oh, okay. Then, take good care of your health, okay, Wan. Same here, don't buy too many snacks," Simon advised in a serious but relaxed tone.

"Okay, Mon. I'll eat first," Wawan replied, feeling hungry after all that talk.

"Okay, ready!" Wawan replied enthusiastically.

"Are there still any questions about my grandmother?" Simon asked, wanting to make sure nothing was left out.

"Emmmmm... What? I'll think about it later," Wawan replied, looking confused.

"Okay, mi pae... I'll go there first," Simon said as he turned around, leaving Wawan who was still staring at Simon entering among the crowd of people who were starting to arrive.

"Wooooi, Wan! What are you doing there?" Jems shouted from behind while lifting a plate filled with rice and side dishes.

Without answering a single word, Wawan walked closer to Jems. Near Jems, Tatang was very focused on his breakfast which doubled as lunch.

"Busheet dah... you're really eating, Tang! It's like you haven't eaten for weeks, your face is really full," Wawan looked at Tatang's plate.

"He'll die, if he doesn't eat for weeks," Jems replied, making Tatang smile.

"Well, maybe he's like a janitor fish, even if he's not fed for a month, he'll still live," Wawan added, "So, why are you in the public kitchen? There aren't any pigs here, Jems?" Wawan continued asking, curious.

"Who said there aren't any pigs here?" Jems suddenly asked, making Tatang and Wawan confused. They both looked at each other and looked around and under the chairs.

"Where's the pig, Jems?" Tatang asked, still curious.

"There's the friend, he's eating like a pig," Jems answered lightly while focusing on scooping rice into his plate.

"I thought a pig got loose here?" Wawan laughed, entertained by Jems' joke.

"Not loose pigs, but stray pigs," continued Jems again, making the atmosphere even more cheerful.

"Very stupid," Tatang answered briefly, smiling. "Speaking of pork, it seems nice to eat pork at noon like this. Hey, Wan, I'll go to the kitchen first," Jems said as she stood up, carrying her plate and still holding the rice ladle.

"Hey!!! Woooi!! Jems, that's the rice ladle!" Wawan shouted calling Jems who was already some distance away.

"Hey, yeah! Sorry, I took it!" Jems turned around and approached Wawan, realizing her mistake.

"What if the rice ladle also becomes non-halal?" Wawan teased, trying to be serious.

"Well, okay, later just ask the Ministry of Religion for another stamp," Jems replied with a smile.

"You're just kidding, playing around with stamps. Even RT stamps are expensive," Wawan replied, still joking.

"Sub-district stamps are also expensive," Jems continued, joining in the joke.

"Well, there you go, you know! Hurry up, or the pig will come back to life!" Wawan chimed in, making Jems laugh.

Jems left Wawan who was still babbling about pigs, and from behind, Tatang approached Wawan.

"Eeh, Wan, is it true that janitor fish can still live even though they haven't eaten for weeks?" asked Tatang, curious.

"Yeah, maybe, because I've never been a janitor fish," answered Wawan, a little confused.

"Eh, that's what you said earlier," Tatang reminded him.

"Ellah, that was a joke, Tang! Don't believe jokes like that," Wawan explained, trying to change the subject.

"Well, then, do you know where to catch janitor fish?" Tatang asked again, not wanting to give up.

"Gosh, Tang! You're still talking about it, why don't I eat first!" Wawan started to get annoyed, feeling annoyed.

"Well, let's finish it, Wan, about the janitor fish!" Tatang snapped, still wanting to continue the conversation.

"There are a lot of janitor fish in the gutter in front of your house. After this, I'll help you scoop up the janitor fish in front of your house," Wawan joked.

"Okay... eh, Wan, I'll go over there first," Tatang pointed towards the crowd.

"Jiaah... get out kid! Why don't you accompany me to eat first? I'm embarrassed here alone, and I don't know anyone anymore," Wawan complained, feeling lonely.

"Okay, just eat there quietly, okay. Don't make any noise. You'll get gored by a pig," Tatang replied with a laugh.

Meanwhile, Jems was chatting with several mothers and grandmothers in the non-halal public kitchen.

"So, how long are you going to be here, kid?" asked a woman who was around sixty-five years old, with a friendly smile.

"Wait until Simon comes home, then the rest of us will go home too," Jems replied, smiling.

"How many of you are here?" asked mother who was stirring coffee in the pot, sitting almost directly in front of Jems.

"There are four people with Simon," answered Jems kindly.

"So you guys work together with Simon?" asked the mother from earlier, curious.

"Oh, it's different, ma'am. If I'm not in the same office as Simon, I'm his college friend," explained Jems, explaining the situation.

"So which one of you isn't married yet?" asked the mother from earlier, curious.

Jems was a little surprised by the question.

"Wow, when it comes to not being married, none of the four of us are married yet, ma'am," answered Jems enthusiastically.

"Why? Isn't that the age when you actually have children?" asked the grandmother who was standing next to Jems, curious.

"Yeah, actually, but the truth is, we're not married yet, Grandma. Nobody wants to be with us yet, Grandma," Jems half-joked as he looked up at the grandmother who was talking to him.

"Maybe you guys are too picky," the grandmother responded, looking wise.

"Well, no, Grandma. Personally, if someone wants it, I'm grateful," Jems joked, trying to lighten the mood.

Suddenly, a voice that Jems knew very well came from behind.

"Yeah, that's right, Grandma. He's too picky. Never mind being picky, he even tastes it!" Wawan joked from behind, surprising Jems.

"What does he taste?" the grandmother asked, looking confused.

"That's it, Grandma, the food, whether it's good or not. If it's not good, then I won't do it," Jems interrupted, a little panicked, trying to explain.

"It's you, Jems. You're not surrounded by girls everywhere, even girls from the Dutch era would come to crowd around you!" Wawan teased, making Jems smile shyly.

"What do you want, Wan? You just have to choose, or take them all, that's fine too," Jems said, turning to Wawan, trying to tease her friend.

"Oh, no, Jems! Not my class, after all," Wawan replied, trying to avoid it.

"What's wrong with that?" Jems asked, curious.

"I'm confused, Jems, which one to choose. Because they're all beautiful!" joked Wawan, followed by the laughter of the mothers and grandmothers there. "Well, that's all for now, ladies, Grandma. Who knows, maybe you have children or nephews, you can introduce them to my friend. He's a loyal person, you know! He's never cheated on anyone and never had a girlfriend," Jems promoted Wawan with a serious expression.

Meanwhile, Wawan did not respond at all to Jems's bragging words. Wawan chose to leave Jems, feeling embarrassed by the unexpected promotion. Seeing that Wawan was no longer in his place, Jems hurriedly ran after Wawan, but Jems was not fast enough. Wawan had disappeared among the crowd of guests who were starting to arrive.

"Wawan! Wait!" Jems shouted, trying to call his friend, but his voice was drowned out by the noise.

Jems continued to run, trying to find Wawan among the crowd of people.

The atmosphere this afternoon was so crowded with the hustle and bustle of visitors. The sound of the gong being struck faintly could be heard among the loudspeaker informing the groups of guests and families who were starting to arrive. The guests and families who began to arrive were wrapped in dark traditional clothes, while in the middle of the yard were dozens of large buffaloes lined up. One buffalo was guarded by at least one to two young men. Several striped buffaloes were also seen among the dozens of other buffaloes.

Meanwhile, in another corner, smoke billowed from the side of the public kitchen which was preparing traditional Torajan cuisine grilled in bamboo.

As the day progressed, the number of guests who arrived increased, almost the entire place was full of mourners. Wawan, who stood confused among the mourners, watched every guest who passed in front of him or who was still within his sight, hoping that someone he might know would be there. However, of the hundreds of people present at the place, Wawan did not know any of them, the only ones he knew were Simon's mother, Simon's father, and Bernard, Simon's brother. Because he felt that his standing position was not advantageous for his view, Wawan finally walked to find a place with a good view that was often passed by girls. But this time Wawan got the wrong spot; The place he moved to this time happened to be filled with mothers and grandmothers again. Wawan moved again, but only a few steps away from his previous place, he met Jems and Tatang.

"Jiaaaah, you guys again... you guys again. It's only been a few minutes since I saw you two, and you're back," Wawan said in a half-joking tone when he saw Jems and Tatang suddenly appear in front of him.

"Do you think we want to see your faces? Who knows what shape they are?" Jems replied while folding her arms, not wanting to lose.

"You know, he's the one who suddenly appeared in front of us, eh, he's the one who's gassing," Tatang continued with a wide smile.

Wawan just shook his head when he heard their replies.

"Just imagine, out of this many people, we meet you two again," he said while directing his gaze to the crowd of people that seemed busy.

"Tang, let's go around in circles again. I'm dizzy looking at their faces all the time," Jems teased while walking leisurely.

"Come on," Tatang answered briefly without wanting to comment further.

"We're talking about looks these days. It's too late to talk about looks, the important thing is to be reckless," Wawan joked while looking at the backs of Tatang and Jems who were slowly moving away from him.

Jems and Tatang walked aimlessly among the crowd of guests who came to pay their respects. Suddenly Jems' gaze was diverted to see Simon walking hurriedly through the crowd, beside Simon was a middle-aged man, but not his father.

"Eeh, Tang. Tang... try looking at Simon," Jems patted Tatang's shoulder while focusing on Simon.

"Yeah, look," answered Tatang, who looked normal.

"You look at his serious face, maybe he's grumbling too," Jems joked, pointing at Simon. "Iyah euy, I've been friends with Simon for years, I've never seen him look like that," Tatang replied with a curious look.

"Let's follow him?" Jems said, unable to contain his curiosity.

"Ah, what are you doing? Do you want to be nosy?" Tatang grinned.

"Yeah... who knows if something serious happened to him, right? And what if something happens to Simon? What then?" Jems began to worry.

"Aah, you're a nagur, Jems. How could something happen to him, this is his village, his home," Tatang insisted, thinking everything was fine.

"That's him, according to my lawyer background, most criminal incidents and acts are actually carried out by people closest to the victim!" Jems explained while continuing to watch Simon who continued to walk away.

"Ah, is that true?" Tatang was doubtful.

"Eh, don't you watch crime news? Uncle kills nephew, or child kills parent, even loggers kill orangutans!"

"Huh, why did it involve orangutans, Jems? What's the connection?" Tatang was confused.

"Long story, Tang, if I explain it here, Simon will get ganged up on," Jems said, sounding careless.

"Ganged up on by who?" Tatang was surprised.

"Aah, you ask a lot of questions, let's follow Simon," Jems walked and pulled Tatang's hand. Tatang resignedly followed Jems.

Jems and Tatang returned to the original direction, and there was still Wawan standing there watching the people passing by.

"Eeh, busyeeeet, the tiger seeds are back again. Where are you guys?" said Wawan annoyed.

"Come on... just follow me, Wan. "I'll explain later," Tatang also pulled Wawan's hand.

"Hey, Tang, don't pull me, you'll fall, ruin my performance in front of people," whined Wawan whose hand was still being pulled by Tatang.

"Just come along," replied Tatang.

"Well, but where are we going? And what are we doing? To be dragged like this!!" Wawan was still curious.

"Okay, just come along," continued Jems, still pulling Tatang's hand.

"Wow, this is kidnapping," protested Wawan again.

Suddenly Jems stopped walking and was followed by Tatang.

"Come on, don't be a nag. Just come along, this is a serious matter," Jems said in a serious tone.

"Well, but explain first what the problem is?" Wawan was still insistent.

"Come on, Wan, just come along. "You'll find out later," Tatang said, hoping to stop Wawan's rambling.

"Okay, I'll come along, but explain later, what's really going on," Wawan resignedly followed Tatang's instructions.

Without further conversation, Jems immediately walked hurriedly followed by Tatang, and Wawan followed behind following Tatang and Jems' speed.

Finally, from their current distance, Jems saw Simon, Simon went up the stilt house followed by the middle-aged man who had been with Simon earlier.

"So what, Jems? Let's just follow him to the top of the house?" asked Tatang seriously.

"Emmmm... what should I do? Do you have any suggestions, Wan?" Jems thought for a moment and asked Wawan.

"Well, what about me, Jems. I don't even know what the problem is?" Wawan was still confused.

"Okay, let's just go up slowly, then we'll just hang out on the stairs," Tatang suggested to Jems and Wawan.

"Okay, come on, let's just hang out on the stairs, as if we're watching the crowd," Jems agreed and immediately rushed towards the stairs.

Not long after, these three nosy people were right in front of the stairs, but they were hesitant to go up.

"How about we go up?" Jems asked in a half-whisper.

"You said earlier we'd just hang out on the stairs," Tatang replied.

"But if you're here, you can't hear what's happening up there," Jems replied, still in a half-whisper.

"If the sound from above can't be heard up here, why are you two talking like you're whispering?" Wawan said seriously.

"This is called being alert, Wan," said Tatang.

"Yeah, we're alert, don't let anyone find out that we're here," Jems without looking at Tatang and Wawan.

"What are you two actually doing here?" Wawan was getting more curious.

"Just be quiet for now, I'll explain later," Jems whispered.

"It's up to you guys, then what should I do here?" asked Wawan resignedly.

"In the meantime, just be quiet for now, don't ask too many questions and don't protest, okay," Tatang emphasized to Wawan.

"It's up to you two, arrange it however you like, Tang," Wawan sat on the bottom step, while at the Civil Servant level Tatang and then Jems.

Because he was curious, Jems climbed further up until part of his body was already on the terrace of the house, and from that position he could faintly hear the conversation from inside. It seemed like there was a big discussion between the family.

"I told you, Uncle, don't sell it," Simon raised his voice a little.

"It's okay, it's only one. The price is also very high," said Uncle Markus to convince Simon. "Well, because of that I can buy four tedong saleko and two tedong bonga. There are still many more, later we can use them for other needs," continued Uncle Markus explaining, still trying to convince Simon that what he had done was the best for everyone.

"Then where is the other one?" asked Simon expressionlessly.

"I haven't found it yet, that's the only one I've found," answered Uncle Markus casually.

"At that time, grandma was still alive, did you say you found all of them?" Simon looked surprised.

"Only one has been found, but they said that once they find the other one, it will be easy to find the other one," explained Om Markus while taking out a pack of cigarettes from the small bag on his waist.

"Didn't you ask where he lives?" Simon asked curiously.

"Why? You want to know where he lives, the important thing is that he pays me the price I asked for, right?" Om Markus' voice remained high.

For a moment, the atmosphere was silent, Simon and Om Markus were silent for almost a minute.

"Oh yeah, that's the coffin in the house above. Tell your friends not to do anything to it, let alone dismantle it, okay. Someone told me before, that the carvings on the coffin can tell us where the other heirloom is," continued Om Markus again.

"My friends also don't know what the coffin above is, they're all not Torajan, so no one cares about it," answered Simon while taking his cellphone from his jacket pocket and looking at the clock.

After listening to Simon and his uncle's conversation, Wawan suddenly rushed away, leaving Tatang and Jems who were still pressing their ears against the wall of the house. Tatang tried to call him, but Jems immediately covered his mouth.

Not far from the house, Wawan met Simon's father who seemed to be looking for him.

"Hey, Uncle, where are you going, Uncle? You seem in a hurry?" said Wawan.

"Oh, yes. I'm looking for Simon and his uncle. He said he was going upstairs. Wawan, did you see him?" asked Simon's father hurriedly.

"Yes, Uncle. Earlier I saw Simon going towards the house, with a man. I think that was his uncle," explained Wawan to make sure.

"Oh, is that so? Then, I'll go first. Hey, where are your friends? Aren't you guys going to the front? The party is about to start," said Simon's father, then left Wawan, who seemed to have other intentions.

From a distance, Simon's father saw Tatang and Jems sitting on the stairs, half of their bodies already on the terrace.

“Hey, aren’t you guys going to the front? The event is about to start,” Simon’s father asked Tatang and Jems, who didn’t expect Simon’s father to be there.

Instantly, Tatang and Jems were surprised, not expecting that the one who caught them was Simon’s father.

“Yes, Uncle. We were waiting for Simon. It seemed like he went upstairs,” Jems argued.

“Yes, Uncle. Simon seemed really busy upstairs,” Tatang said, emphasizing Jems’ words just now.

“Then, you guys go up front first, it’s already crowded,” Simon’s father said.

Jems and Tatang left Simon’s father who started to climb the stairs of the house, but in Jems and Tatang’s minds there were still some questions about what Simon and Uncle Markus’ conversation meant.

“We were caught red-handed, Jems,” Tatang said with an embarrassed smile.

“At most, Simon’s father doesn’t know what we were doing on the stairs. There’s no way he’d think we were eavesdropping on Simon and his uncle’s conversation,” Jems tried to calm Tatang down, that their actions just now were normal and impossible for anyone to find out, let alone Simon's father.

"Yeah, yeah. At most Simon's father thinks we're just sitting around on the stairs," Tatang tried to convince himself.

"Hey, where did Wawan go? Why did he disappear so quickly?" Jems stared at the crowd of people.

"You know yourself, he's probably looking for new prey," Tatang replied sarcastically.

"Is he brave? I've never seen him successfully approach a woman," Jems became pessimistic again.

"Who knows, maybe he'll become braver here," Tatang replied flatly.

"Huh, he's still the same person, Tang. There's no way he could upgrade that quickly," Jems laughed, feeling unsure of Tatang's words.

"That's right... Let's just look for him," Tatang suggested.

"Come on, I'm afraid he'll follow someone else somewhere. He's like that, as long as he just gets to know someone, he'll just tag along," Jems said as he walked beside Tatang.

Meanwhile, the atmosphere was getting more crowded. Guests began to fill the tents that almost covered the yard of the Tongkonan house complex (traditional house) which could be categorized as very large. Lantang-lantang (a type of temporary lodging made of planks and lined up around the yard of the house) was also full of families who came from inside and outside the city.

Jems and Tatang observed every corner looking for Wawan, but there was no sign of Wawan. Tatang and Jems also contacted him several times, but his cellphone was off. Tatang and Jems gave up hope and stopped searching for Wawan.

"Enough, Tang. Look for him later. There's no way he's lost, he's already big," complained Jems.

"Yes, I'm also thirsty and hungry," said Tatang while holding his stomach.

"What? Are you hungry already? It feels like we just ate," Jems seriously while looking at Tatang's face.

“Yee… we’ve been going around looking for Wawan for almost an hour, not to mention what we were going around before eavesdropping on the stairs,” Tatang explained his Civil Servant activities with Jems.

“Yeah… but still, you’re hungry that fast. As for me, I’m just thirsty. Let’s just get something to drink, shall we?”

“Where?”

“Well, in the public kitchen, Tang.”

“But the public kitchen is quite far back, Jems?” Tatang complained.

“Far from where?”

“In the back,” while pointing to the back.

“Try looking to the side?”

“Huh, why did the public kitchen move here, Jems? Or how many public kitchens are there?” Tatang was surprised, it turned out they were almost next to the public kitchen.

“How many public kitchens are there, and how many mothers are there to eat? You’re the one who’s confused, Tang, even though we were going around here and there,” Jems explained.

“Aah, is that so?” Tatang was still surprised.

“Well, of course… that’s why you have those eyes, don’t just use them to look at women.”

“Eh, you’re the same, just now your eyes were darting around, especially the one wearing the black traditional dress, the one with the bun-like hair and the mole on her neck.”

“Huh, how come you know, Tang?” Jems was surprised.

“Really… her body is really great, especially she’s tall.”

“Huh, how come you know, Tang? Did you look too?” Jems was doubly surprised again.

“Well, look, her skin is white too, Jems.”

“Wow… yeah, I couldn’t stop looking at her earlier.”

“A lot, Jems. The ones like that.”

“So you look at everything I look at too, Tang?”

“Of course, Jems. We’re standing side by side like this, so our view is the same.”

“Well, never mind then. You said you were hungry? You eat first, I just want a drink.” Jems entered the public kitchen followed by Tatang next to her. Inside, Aunt Ira and her crew were busy going back and forth.

“Ma’am, we want to eat again,” Jems greeted Mrs. Ira without further ado.

“Yes, yes, go ahead son. Let’s just get some ourselves, now,” said Mrs. Ira while stirring the food in a large frying pan. “The guests have all arrived,” continued Mrs. Ira while continuing to stir the food in the pan, occasionally wiping the sweat on her forehead with her hand. The smoke from the wooden kitchen almost filled the room, adding to the increasingly intimate atmosphere.

Without further ado, Tatang immediately took a plate and spooned rice onto his plate, while Jems was still confused about whether to drink or eat.

“Oh yeah, Sis, don’t go to the kitchen over there. That kitchen over there is a non-halal kitchen, there’s pork,” said Mrs. Ira as she turned around to get some spices, finding Jems confused in front of the serving table. “Oh, yes, ma’am. I’ve been there. I just want to drink water.”

“Or who knows, maybe I want to drink coffee? Here, there’s freshly made coffee,” Mrs. Ira pointed to the large pot right in front of her.

“Yes, ma’am, it’s okay. I haven’t had coffee for a few days,” Jems was shy but agreed.

“If you want to drink palm wine or what the locals call ballo, it’s there too,” Mrs. Ira pointed to the other public kitchen again.

“Really, ma’am, that’s also for the public, and it’s free, right?” Jems asked, wanting to make sure again.

“Yes, it’s possible, it’s a public kitchen, so everything is possible, and it’s free,” Mrs. Ira answered again.

“Okay, ready, ma’am. I’ll just drink coffee first, then drink that. What was the name of the drink?”

“Ballo,” Mrs. Ira said briefly.

“Well, yes, that’s it, later,” Jems answered, smiling.

Jems and Tatang were busy in the communal kitchen, while Wawan was also busy with his secret impromptu mission. It turned out that Wawan had returned to the house on the hill, where they were staying. It seemed that he had a specific purpose with the pieces of wooden chest in the kitchen and behind the house.

After eavesdropping on Simon and Om Markus' conversation, Wawan was right that the carvings on the wooden chest in the kitchen of the house where they were staying really did hold something.

Wawan immediately rushed to the house where he found the wooden chest. He couldn't wait to investigate the pile of wood that had caught his attention from the start. Wawan seemed to be in a hurry walking along the hilly path surrounded by bamboo and pine trees.

While walking, he tried to contact Amrul, his old junior high school friend, who currently works as a geology lecturer at a private university. In fact, to Wawan's knowledge, Amrul also once had a side business related to antiques or ancient objects.

"Hello, hello Rul, can you hear my voice?" Wawan half shouted.

“I can hear you, Wan, but your voice is intermittent. Try calling with a regular phone,” Amrul said in a tone similar to Wawan’s.

The call was disconnected again, Wawan looked for a better signal spot, and he stopped again and called Amrul again.

“Yes, hello Rul, can you hear me? Is it clear?” Wawan’s voice was still like someone shouting.

“Well, this is just your voice. Oh yeah, Rul, do you still often get side jobs checking antiques?” Wawan asked to make sure.

“Well, sometimes, Wan. When I have it, I do. When I don’t, I don’t,” Amrul answered flatly.

“Oh yeah, so how are the photos I sent you yesterday?” Wawan asked hopefully.

“Well, yes. Yesterday I immediately forwarded it to my friend who is in charge of ancient artifacts. He asked you to tidy up the pieces of wood, then you took more photos, so it would be clearer,” Amrul explained excitedly.

“Is it really impossible, Rul, if you do it yourself, not with anyone else. I’m afraid it will leak everywhere,” said Wawan worriedly.

“I can, but what should I do, Wan, I have a lot of work,” Amrul evaded.

“Oh my God, Rul, you’re a player with stuff like that. Can’t you just do it yourself?” Wawan replied worriedly.

“Actually, I can’t be sure what it’s about, but from the pictures you sent, it seems like a relief with a storyline, and another one has a map, an ancient map carving too,” said Amrul with his temporary analysis results.

“An ancient map? What kind of map, Rul?” Wawan was curious.

“I can’t be sure yet, Wan. There are only a few long lines that look like roads. Because the pictures you sent were separated, so I can’t see them clearly,” Amrul explained in a slightly hesitant tone.

“Well, that’s it. Today I’ll tidy it up, then I’ll take more detailed photos,” Wawan seemed to be getting excited.

“But don’t take too long, okay? Because I won’t be in the lab for long today. If the pictures you sent are in order and not separated, I can check them using a special scanner in the lab,” Amrul said firmly. Hearing Amrul’s words, Wawan became even more enthusiastic.

“Okay, okay, ready, Rul. I’ll send you a clearer and more detailed one soon,” Wawan said firmly.

“Okay, ready. Don’t take too long!”

“Okay, okay. Two hours at most.”

“Great. Contact me again when you’re done. I have class soon.”

“Okay, ready, Lecturer.” Wawan ended his call and immediately rushed to the house where he was staying. Upon arriving home, Wawan went straight to the back room where the pile of wooden crates was kept. He was frozen in place, confused about where to start. The carvings on the wooden box, although worn out by time, were still clearly visible as relief carvings. The reliefs depicted various shapes and symbols that were interconnected, as if telling a deep story. However, Wawan could not interpret the contents of the relief carvings.

He observed every detail carefully. There were images of humans, animals, and several objects that looked foreign to him. Some parts of the reliefs stood out more, as if emphasizing certain elements of the story that was being conveyed.

The carvings and reliefs on the box were clearly not the same as the carvings on the Tongkonan House, which Wawan had observed carefully and took photos of in several parts of the Tongkonan traditional house. Each carving motif on the Tongkonan House has a deep symbolic meaning and is closely related to the beliefs and cultural values ​​of the Torajan people.

Meanwhile, the carvings on this wooden box looked very mysterious, and were not at all the same, and were not tied to the Torajan cultural context. Although there were elements that might be somewhat similar, such as carvings of animal shapes, the way they were depicted and the style of the carvings felt very different. The relief on the chest seemed to tell another story, perhaps related to a history or myth that had never existed before.

Slowly, Wawan began to separate the piles of wooden chests and observed the wooden planks sheet by sheet. He tried to find out which planks were related to each other, so that they could be reassembled like the coffin when it was still intact.

Every piece of wood he lifted, he examined carefully. Some of them had the same carvings, while others looked simpler.

Meanwhile, at the location of the Funeral Party, Tatang and Jems seemed to have forgotten that they still had one more friend. They were really enjoying the atmosphere of the party this afternoon. They were sitting in a tent with the other guests, the two of them seemed to be engrossed in a long and seemingly enjoyable conversation.

"I said there were three of you, right? Why isn't your other friend visible?" asked a man sitting next to Tatang, while looking behind and to the side of Jems.

"Uh, yes. Where's Wawan, Jems?" asked Tatang while looking at Jems.

"Well, where's the cheese combro?" Jems was also shocked.

“Yes, the three of us, Uncle. Only our other friend doesn’t know where he is,” replied Tatang, still confused.

“Yes, Uncle. I think he’s missing, Uncle,” said Jems casually.

“Ah, if it’s here, it’s impossible to be missing, especially if you know Simon’s friend,” replied a middle-aged man wearing a black sarong and black shirt who was sitting cross-legged next to Jems.

“Wow, Simon is that famous in this village, huh?” Jems praised.

“How could he not be famous, Simon was born and raised in this village,” said the man sitting next to Tatang.

“Well, this village is also small, and almost all of the residents are family, so you must know everyone,” continued the grandfather next to Jems.

“Eh, that’s right. How could you not know him, the whole village is full of family,” said Tatang with a friendly smile.

 

 Chapter 6: Hidden Secrets Amidst the Festivities

“In your village, Tang, is the whole village filled with coconut trees?” Jems teased Tatang.

“My family is all coconut trees?” Tatang replied to Jems’ joke.

“Yes, then later you will have a family of coconut milk and nata de coco,” Jems tried to be funny.

“Hmm… this time your jokes didn’t work, Jems,” Tatang said with a blank expression.

“So the one just now wasn’t funny, Tang?” Jems pretended to ask.

“Well, no… it’s dry… like rengginang that has just been drained.”

“Well, this one is a bit funny, Tang,” Jems praised.

Meanwhile, several people around them just smiled as they saw and heard Tatang and Jems chatting.

“Hey, why are you all smiling, Sir? Why is that?”

 

“You guys talk like people in soap operas,” said the women sitting next to Jems’ grandfather.

“That’s usually how we talk, Mom. I haven’t heard our friend talk again, I don’t know what his name is,” Jems went on at length.

“So where’s that friend?” asked the woman again.

“What are these signs, mom?” Tatang turned to Jems.

“What are these signs, Tang? Don’t make yourself paranoid?” Jems lowered his voice.

“Yes, because I’ve asked Wawan twice. In my village, that’s something that’s not normal, Jems,” Tatang began to worry.

“Eh, are you serious, Tang? Because if there’s no news in my village twice in twenty-four hours, well that’s not normal,” Jems was still joking.

“I think it’s the same in all the villages, son. It’s like that here too,” said the men next to Tatang.

“Okay, Sir. Let’s look for our friend first, because I promised his parents to bring him home alive and well,” Jems excused himself.

“Yes, Sir. Ma’am, we’ll excuse ourselves for a moment. We’ll come back here later,” Tatang stood up after Jems.

Outside the tent, Jems and Tatang watched everyone passing by, but none of them saw Wawan’s face there.

“Let me call first,” Jems took his cell phone from his jacket pocket and called Wawan’s number.

“How about it, did he come in?” asked Tatang curiously.

“His cell phone is active, but he’s not picking up,” said Jems with the cell phone still pressed to his ear.

“If he doesn’t answer, try calling again once.”

“Yes, let me call again… but the loudspeaker sound is probably too loud,” Jems looked up to find the source of the event committee’s loudspeaker.

“How about it? Still not picking up?” asked Tatang again, getting even more curious.

“Yeah, that combro didn’t pick up. I don’t know what that kid is doing,” Jems was annoyed.

“Eh, Jems, how about we borrow the committee’s loudspeaker to call Wawan?” Tatang said with a cheerful laugh on his face.

“Aah, it’s not funny. Do you think this is a mall, the boss calls the driver in the basement?” Jems seemed to reject Tatang’s suggestion.

“But Wawan must have heard it.”

“Yeah, we’re definitely embarrassed too, Tang. You’re the only one who’s not-so-good.”

“So what should we do? Should we try to find Wawan? Or should we wait for him to contact us?” Tatang tried to provide a solution.

“Let’s just wait for him to contact us. If he sees that his phone has missed my call twice, he’ll definitely call back,” Jems said, but it seemed like he wasn’t sure about what he had just said.

They hadn’t even been confused for two hours when suddenly a call came in on Jems’ phone. “Did I say that the oncom guy would definitely call back if he knew I missed his call?” Jems looked at her phone screen and made sure it was Wawan who was calling.

“Well, hurry up and pick up. Who knows, he might be at the bottom of a ravine and needs help.”

“Hey, the handsome man in Jabodetabek, where are you?” Jems asked annoyed.

“Hey, sorry. I’m just going back home, lying down. I don’t think I’m feeling well,” Wawan said from the other end with a tone of voice like someone who was not feeling well.

“Hey, crazy, you’re already in Jakarta, Wan? When are you coming home?” Jems was shocked that Wawan was already home.

“Not at my house in Jakarta, but here, in the house above, where we’re staying,” Wawan said on the other end of the phone.

“Oh, there you are. We’ve been looking for you everywhere, we thought you slipped and ended up at the bottom of a ravine,” Jems replied worriedly.

“No… I’m just lying down. It’s safe, Jems,” Wawan assured Jems.

“Are you sure it’s safe?” Jems asked, trying to make sure.

“Yes, it’s safe. No need to worry.”

“Aah, you’re acting cool. Who are you worried about?”

“Well, are you guys panicking and looking for me everywhere?”

“We just feel sorry for your parents. If you go missing, you haven’t given your parents any children yet.”

“As if you already have children?”

“Well, that’s enough. You be good there. I’m going to find Tatang a partner first, who knows he might find his partner here,” Jems hung up the phone.

“So where is he?” Tatang asked, but this time he wasn’t curious anymore.

“Aah, that little slob is apparently sleeping in the house above where we’re staying,” Jems was still a little annoyed.

"Yee... just say it if you want to lie down. After all, you've come all the way here, it's a shame to just lie down."  “Yeah… it’s better to enjoy the atmosphere while looking for a partner, right, Tang?” Jems seemed to be teasing Tatang.

“You want to find me a partner? Do you know the specifications that match me?” Tatang was a little arrogant. “Aah, you and Wawan are the same, there are no clear specifications. What’s important is a woman, and what’s more important is that the woman wants to… you know!!!”

“Yee… I really want to be a man.” They hurried away from where they were, but they didn’t know where else to go, back to the tent or find a new place.

Meanwhile, in the house above, Wawan began to carefully put together the ancient wooden coffin sheet by sheet. The wooden coffin he was handling didn’t seem to be just any wooden coffin. Even though it was hundreds, maybe even thousands of years old, it was still in very good condition. There were no signs of significant damage, in fact the wood was well-preserved.

One amazing thing was that around ninety percent of the carvings were still intact. When Wawan looked closer, he could clearly see the grooves and shapes of the carvings depicting animals and other objects that were done in great detail. It was as if each carving had its own story to tell.

"Busheeeet, I feel like the movie The Mummy," Wawan joked as he continued to press together some of the wood that had not been attached tightly. He looked serious, but there was clearly laughter in his eyes. "Eeh, no, this is like Indiana Jones, right?" Wawan said again while shaking his head, as if denying his own words. There was joy on Wawan's face, seeing that his "puzzle" was almost finished being put together. The shape of the chest was almost perfectly arranged. With a smile that did not disappear from his face, he groped for shape after shape in the carvings. He couldn't wait to find out what mystery was actually stored in the relief carvings on this wood. And finally, the complete shape of the wooden chest was perfectly assembled. However, strangely, there were no metal elements at all, such as nails or the like, to unite the sheets of wooden boards of the chest. All the wooden parts seemed to interlock with incredible precision, as if they were designed to complement each other without the need for additional tools. With enthusiasm, Wawan began taking pictures of the chest from various angles. In fact, he took several selfies with the background of the chest that he had put together for almost half a day. There were around twenty photos that he took. Finally, Wawan recorded a video from all angles. It seemed that Wawan was quite experienced, all the pictures and videos he took were precise and detailed. After he felt that everything was more than enough, Wawan dismantled the old chest again and returned all the pieces and sheets of the chest board to their original positions, to avoid suspicion from anyone, especially Simon's family. Some time later, Wawan left the house looking for a signal position to immediately send the photos and videos to Amrul. Just as Wawan was about to close the door of the house, suddenly Wawan was surprised by an old man who was already at the bottom of the stairs. Wawan turned his gaze elsewhere and looked back at the stairs, the old man was still there in the same position. Wawan politely tried to greet the old man,

“Hey, Grandpa, how are you? I’m Wawan, Simon’s friend. Simon is said to be the most handsome young man in the village.” Wawan tried to joke to relieve his nervousness.

However, the old man showed no expression at all. He just left Wawan. “Well… I asked the old man to chat, but he left. Who cares, I don’t even know him,” Wawan said as he locked the door and made sure it was locked. After that, he went down the stairs. When he was downstairs, he turned to look at the old man, but the old man had already disappeared among the coffee trees. Before Wawan could take a step, suddenly a voice called his name. Wawan was immediately shocked.

“Wow, who is this again?” Wawan said as he turned to the source of the voice that called him.

“Hey, Lu Nad, aren’t you joining the event downstairs?” Wawan’s smile immediately returned and he looked relieved when the person he knew came.

“It’ll be a minute. Um… I want to get the tools upstairs,” Bernad seemed to be in a hurry.

“Tools, what are they, Nad? Here, let me help you,” Wawan went back up to the house followed by Bernad behind him.

“That’s an electrical tool. I once kept it in a box in the living room. I think the light connection downstairs is still lacking,” standing about two steps behind Wawan who was unlocking the door. “Oh, that box. Yeah, take a look. I wonder what that box is,” Wawan said as he unlocked the door and opened it. After the door opened, Bernad immediately headed to the left corner of the room, while Wawan was still standing holding the door leaf. The toolbox that Bernad meant was right under the table. He immediately took it and turned to leave. “Okay, let’s go downstairs,” Bernad passed Wawan who was still standing at the edge of the door. “Okay, fine. I’ll lock the door first,” Wawan hurriedly locked the door then jogged after Bernad.

“Eh, Nad, who did you go up here with?” Wawan continued. “No… I came here by myself.”

“Alone? Not with anyone or did you see anyone other than you go up here?” Wawan asked a little doubtfully. “Well, no. Who would want to go up here, especially if you’re an old man, how could you climb the path down there?” Bernad walked without looking at Wawan. “Oh, I see. I thought there were two of us.”

“Before I came, did you see someone going up here?”

“Oh, no… Hey, Nad, wait a minute. I want to take pictures up there. You go first,” Wawan separated himself from Bernad.

“Hey, why are you going straight down?”

“Yeah, I’ll go straight down from here and catch up.”

“Okay, okay.” Bernad said briefly. Bernad quickened his pace along the path that was starting to slope down. He was very familiar with the path so he didn’t find it difficult to rush on a path like that. Meanwhile, Wawan walked slowly while pointing his cellphone upwards, looking for a spot for an internet connection. He couldn’t wait to send detailed photos and videos of the ancient wooden chest to Amrul to be analyzed immediately. He continued walking while continuing to stare at his cellphone screen which he pointed up into the air, looking for the best signal spot. While continuing to point his cellphone into the air, Wawan's heart was actually in turmoil. He was confused about what else he would do after this or what else he would face. Was it true that the relief carving on the wooden chest was a clue to finding the heirloom as Uncle Simon had said when Wawan, Jems, and Tatang had eavesdropped on Simon and Uncle Markus' conversation earlier this afternoon. After going around looking for the best signal spot, finally all the files that Wawan had sent to Amrul were sent. Wawan was still at his place making sure that all the files that he had sent to Amrul had been sent. After making sure that everything had been sent, Wawan contacted Amrul.

"Hello, Bro. The files that I just sent are safe, right?"

"It's rare for you to call now, you're not using WhatsApp anymore? Do you not care about your credit?" said Amrul while teasing Wawan.

“The 4G signal for the internet is bad here, bro. I sent the file earlier and had to go around looking for a good spot,” Wawan complained. “Hey, how are the photos and videos? They’re safe, right?” Wawan continued to make sure.

“Yes, yes, they’re safe. I’m looking at them one by one. They’re really cool. The chest alone would be worth quite a bit if it were intact like in the photo,” Amrul said, sounding amazed by the picture Wawan sent.

“I’ll just collect them one by one, because the chests are already separated, so I have to collect them and then put them back together,” Wawan explained proudly.

“So, where is the chest now?”

“Well, it’s here.”

“In front of you?”

“Well, no. Inside the house, but I’ve separated them again.”

“Oh, I see. Well, I’ll let you know later,” Amrul said with an optimistic tone.

“Okay, ready,” Wawan said briefly, then ended the call. Just as Wawan was about to contact Tatang and Jems, drizzle wet his cellphone screen. While looking at the sky, Wawan thought about whether to go back down or go back to where he was. Wawan decided to go back down to join his friends.

Soon night would cover the entire village. Darkness began to creep in between the trees, and only the sound of rain and the sound of leaves rustling in the wind filled the air. Wawan broke through the rain, his steps fast and enthusiastic. However, as he went down the rather steep path, a strange feeling began to grip his mind. It seemed like something was wrong.

With every step, he felt like he was walking on the same path, as if time and space had brought him back to the starting point. "How is that possible?" he thought, looking around anxiously. The same trees, lush bushes, and even the sound of water trickling from a small channel that flowed on the side of the road, repeating the same rhythm, making him even more confused.

Cold sweat began to flow down his temples even though the rain was pouring down his body. It seemed like the path didn’t change, even though he had tried turning left and right. “Am I lost? I feel like I keep going around in circles here,” he asked himself, he doubted his own steps.

He stopped for a moment, trying to calm himself and stay positive. In the silence, he heard unusual sounds. It seemed like something else was moving among the bushes. He held his breath, trying to hear better. The sound of leaves rustling and water trickling, or was it the sound of other footsteps?

“Hey, who’s that?” he shouted, breaking the silence of the night. Wawan’s voice was muffled by the rain, but he felt like someone was watching, as if the creatures from the forest were watching him from afar.

There was no answer, only the sound of rain falling harder. Anxiety shrank into courage. With new determination, he decided to continue his journey, but suddenly he changed his mind. He intended to call someone, but it turned out that his cellphone had run out of battery.

“Eh, I’m so unlucky today. I feel like I’m not doing anything,” he scolded in an annoyed tone. He felt as if time had been wasted, even though he knew that his journey was not over yet. As he continued his steps, Wawan tried to calm his mind. He looked around for signs that could lead him to the house below where Simon’s grandmother’s funeral party was being held. While walking, Wawan connected the events he was currently experiencing with the events this afternoon, where suddenly a grandfather mysteriously appeared on the stairs and disappeared without a trace, not even a trace of him on the dust in the yard. In confusion, Wawan imagined the faces of his family in Jakarta, remembering his mother’s message that made him excited again to find a way to return. The rain that was starting to ease gave him hope that he would soon find his destination. He continued walking and faintly heard the sound of a crowd and a point of light that slowly began to brighten, and that made Wawan even more excited. He quickened his steps and got closer to the crowd. However, as Wawan got closer, the atmosphere was still exactly the same as when he left the party location that afternoon. Wawan tried to calm his raging heart and mind, but his facial expression could not lie. His Civil Servant continued to sigh loudly because he was holding something in his chest. He looked for a corner where he could calm himself for a moment and make peace with the current situation that was changing so quickly. From the side, Bernad suddenly tapped his shoulder.

“Wan, where have you been? We’ve been looking for you since yesterday, but we didn’t find you. What’s wrong? Why does your face look like you’re exhausted?” Bernad was surprised to see Wawan suddenly appear and bombard him with questions.

“Yesterday? Hey, are the electrical cables that were installed this afternoon all done?” Wawan was still out of breath and had an almost expressionless face.

“Yes, where were you yesterday? The electrical cables were all installed, they were above the ones I installed yesterday. I was waiting for you, but I didn’t know where you were?” Bernad was still confused by Wawan’s condition. “Nad, can I have a drink? I’d like some hot coffee, I’m really tired from going around upstairs,” Wawan explained with his breathing starting to become regular.

Hearing Wawan’s request, Bernad immediately rushed over without asking anything else.

“Yes, wait a minute,” Bernad said briefly and immediately rushed to take Wawan’s request.

Wawan saw Bernad walking away from him, but his mind was still one hundred percent normal. He tried to trace everything that happened. He began to feel his whole body and head aching as if he had hit something hard. Wawan touched his head which felt sore.

“How come my head hurts like this? Like someone threw it,” he winced in pain while rubbing the part of his head that hurt. Not long after, Jems and Tatang came over.

“Hey, where did you get the stove exploding? We thought you were up there all night?” Jems approached Wawan.

“Why is your body in such a mess, Wan? You were kidnapped by a ghost, huh?” Tatang was serious while looking at Wawan’s whole body.

“Looks like someone who just came from the rice fields, but I came to see you, Wan,” Jems joked with a smile.

“I got lost in the forest on my way here,” Wawan said while pointing his index finger behind him.

“Ah, which forest? Up there are just coffee trees and pine trees. Even then, there aren’t many like forests,” Jems was confused when she heard Wawan’s previous sentence.

“So where did you actually go yesterday when I was staying up there?” Bernad came over and put a glass of water next to Wawan.

“Yes, at that time I was looking for a signal, then I called my brother. After that, it started drizzling,” Wawan said.

“Then where did you go?” Bernad asked seriously.

“When it started drizzling, I got carried away to follow you. Then I came back here today,” Wawan explained.

“Where did you get lost?” Bernad asked confusedly.

“Yes, how could you get lost walking that far, Wan?” Jems emphasized again.

“Well, I don’t know either. When it started drizzling, I ran down to follow you, Nad.”

“So?” Bernad said briefly.

“Then I followed the path we passed. Well, the rain got heavier, my steps got faster. Finally I just ran, eh, the rain got really heavy,” Wawan explained while trying to remember again.

“Then where did you run to when it rained heavily?” Bernad inquired.

“Well, I don’t know anymore. I just ran, then I think I stopped or something,” Wawan said remembering everything again.

“Stopped where, Wan?” Tatang asked curiously as he approached Wawan.

“As far as I remember it looked like a tree, but the tree wasn’t that big. Well, about your height, Tang, the trunk was big.”

“Hmm... I think I know that’s a tree,” Bernad said while remembering the tree Wawan mentioned.

“Well, I definitely know, Nad. You were born here, grew up here,” Wawan said half annoyed.

“Yeah, but it’s close to here. How could you get lost there?” Bernad was surprised.

“According to my lawyer’s instincts, I don’t think you disappeared or were possessed by a genie or a ghost or whatever in your mind, Wan,” Jems tried to analyze.

“So where did I go all night? And what did you do?”

“Well, you passed out all night. You said it was raining heavily, you were running, and it was on a dirt road. Well, you probably slipped and hit a tree,” Jems analyzed.

“And then fainted?” Tatang answered hesitantly.

“Well, of course. Or like this, try to feel your body, is there anything that hurts?” Jems asked while looking all over Wawan’s body.

“I think so. My head hurts the most, and my back too. It hurts and aches,” Wawan complained while feeling his head and back.

“Well, that’s it. When it was raining, you ran, then you slipped, then you hit a tree, then fainted?” Jems confirmed his analysis.

“Yeah, it seems like Jems’ analysis is right, Wan,” Bernad added and helped convince Wawan.

“Then if I only hit the tree, why did I faint for the whole night? It’s not like people faint for two or three hours, right?” “It depends, Wan. Where did you hit your head and how hard did you hit it. If I explain it, I don’t think I’ll be able to do it in two nights. What’s clear is that you were unconscious all night in the garden above,” Jems explained with a very serious expression.

“Yeah, well, what do you say, Jems. I think you’re right,” Wawan said, not wanting to discuss it further.

“It’s not that there’s any truth to it, my analysis is correct, Wan. Just look at your body, it looks like a thief who’s been beaten up by a mob, mud everywhere,” Jems looked at Wawan’s body from the front and back again.

“This isn’t a thief who’s been beaten up, Jems, but like a motorcycle gang member who fell into a river,” Tatang pointed his phone at Wawan.

“Wow, you guys are really up to something. What are you doing, Tang? How dirty am I?” Wawan looked at his legs, left shoulder, and right shoulder.

“Okay, drink your water, Wan,” Bernad told Wawan to drink.

“Well, I said coffee, Nad. Why is this just plain water?” Wawan was shocked when he took a sip of the water that Bernad had brought.

“Okay, okay, I’ll get some more coffee from the public kitchen,” Bernad hurriedly left Wawan, Tatang, and Jems.

“You just drink it first, Wan. The coffee will come later,” Jems requested while patting Wawan’s shoulder.

Suddenly, Simon came from a distance and hurriedly approached Wawan, Jems, and Tatang.

“Gosh, Wan, your situation is ruined, Wan. What’s wrong with this?” Simon came and immediately held Wawan’s shoulders.

“Destroyed how, Mon? Well, I’m still intact like this, you can call me ruined,” Wawan replied while looking at his entire body.

“Yes, your body is not destroyed, Wan, but... look at you, it looks like someone who goes to the rice fields and doesn’t come home for a week,” Simon looked at Jems and Tatang as if asking them to agree with what he said.

“Yes, Mon. Not just looking like this is already pitiful, let alone looking like this. Actually, I didn’t have the heart to look at him earlier, Mon, but what if he’s in front of me like this,” Jems also commented on Wawan.

“You two are even better. I’m fine,” Wawan said to Simon and Jems, while Tatang, who was still pointing his cellphone camera at Wawan’s face, just nodded silently.

“So, try telling me first, Wan, the chronology from when they said you were missing until now,” Simon asked in a tone that seemed to care.

“How did you know I was missing?” Wawan pretended to be curious.

“I met Bernad earlier, then he said you were missing last night, then you only came home this afternoon.” Simon’s tone of voice showed concern.

“But I’m tired, Mon, if I have to tell the story from the beginning again. You’d better watch Tatang’s recording later,” he pointed at Tatang who had been recording Wawan.

“Tang, why did you record everything from the beginning when Wawan was telling the story?” Simon turned to Wawan.

“Not that early, Mon,” Wawan said while pointing his cellphone camera at Wawan.

“Later, Mon, I’ll tell the story from the beginning, but I don’t think so now. I’m starting to get hungry,” said Jems who actually wanted to say that he was hungry and wanted to end this conversation and go eat.

“Bernad is taking so long. Ah, rather than just getting coffee,” Wawan complained while waiting for Bernad to get the coffee.

“I’m already here, Wan?” Bernad’s voice came from behind Wawan.

“So, since when were you there, Nad?”

“You’ve been there all this time. If you don’t believe me, you can see it in Tatang’s recording,” Simon said jokingly but with a serious face.

Bernad handed his coffee to Wawan and drank it.

“What will happen to me?” Wawan asked everyone.

“What, what do you mean, Wan?” Jems asked.

“Oh come on, you’re pretending to ask again, Jems. What I mean is, should I take a shower first, change clothes or eat first, or what?” Wawan said, sounding annoyed.

“What’s the best thing for you to do first, Wan?” Simon asked without any intention.

“I think I want to eat first,” Wawan replied resignedly.

“Ah, you want to eat, but you keep turning here and there. I’m hungry too,” Jems stood up but his face was facing Wawan.

“After all, he’s been missing all night, so he’s hungry, thirsty, sleepy, and...” Wawan hadn’t finished yet. “And what? Need affection and caresses?” Jems acted nosy.

“Well, you know that,” replied Wawan smiling.

The five of them stood up and walked towards the public kitchen, but suddenly Wawan stopped in his tracks when he saw a figure he seemed familiar with standing not far from their current position.

“Hey, Jems, Jems, look. It seems like that one, right?” Wawan patted Jems’ shoulder and pointed in the direction right in front of Wawan.

“Ah, what’s wrong with you, Wan?” Jems didn’t look at Wawan.

“That one, Jems, that female one… eh, Tang, look at that one,” Wawan started to get excited and forgot about his hunger.

Suddenly everyone turned towards Wawan’s finger, except Jems.

“Oh, that’s Winda, my cousin’s friend. She’s a media person, but more into YouTube,” said Bernad when he found out it was Winda, the woman who was staying at the same hotel as Jems, Simon, and Tatang.

“Who’s her friend, Nad?” Simon asked curiously.

“That’s Sarce’s friend. Actually, her brother is friends with Sarce, and then asked permission to make a kind of video coverage for their media channel,” Bernad explained to Simon, while Tatang who was listening just nodded.

“Eh, yes, yes. That’s the fierce girl that day at the hotel in Makassar,” Jems just realized that she meant Winda.

“Wait a minute. I’ll go over there first,” Bernad pointed at Winda who was still standing while pointing his DSLR camera at one point.

From where Jems, Tatang, Simon, and Wawan were standing, it was quite clear that Bernad and Winda seemed very close.

“Eh, Win, how is it? Are you all safe?” Bernad greeted Winda.

“Eh, Bro Bernad. Yes, Bro, everyone is safe. Once again, on behalf of my team, I would like to express my gratitude to Bro Bernad and his extended family,” Winda said with a friendly smile.

“Yes, you’re welcome. If you need anything, just let me know.”

“Yes, Brother Bernad. So far, everything is more than enough.”

“Oh, thank goodness then. Eh, Win, let’s go there. Let me introduce you to my brothers,” Bernad pointed to Wawan, Tatang, Jems, and Simon.

Seeing the line of men pointed to by Bernad initially surprised Winda, because a few days ago Winda had known about those people and left a bad impression in Winda’s mind about those four people.

Bernad and Winda approached the four tough young men who were still standing in the same place without moving two or three meters, because their focus was the same.

“Winda, let me introduce you to my brothers,” Bernad introduced the three tough young men to Winda, and Winda shook their hands one by one, starting from Wawan, Tatang, Simon, to Jems.

“Winda,” said Winda as she shook Wawan’s hand.

“Wawan,” with the most handsome smile she had.

“Winda,” said Winda as she shook Tatang’s hand.

“Tatang,” Tatang with a smile that seemed forced.

“Winda,” said Winda as she shook Simon’s hand.

“Simon,” with her typical civil servant smile, but it still didn’t look like she was smiling.

“Winda,” Winda as she shook Jems’ hand.

“I’m Jems. Hey, I think we’ve met before, right?” Jems was still holding Winda’s hand, and it seemed like Winda hadn’t realized that Jems was acting out.

“Yeah, I have. It’s only been a few days. You… you’re staying at the same hotel as me,” said Winda with familiarity.

“Hey, Jems, don’t hold other people’s children’s hands like that,” Wawan was annoyed to see Jems still holding Winda’s hand, and Winda quickly let go.

“But I think you were fierce when you were in Makassar, I saw,” Jems said in a serious tone.

“Yeah, man, he’s actually mean,” Tatang added to emphasize Jems’ statement.

“It’s natural, mean and fierce people are towards people they don’t know at all. Well, you already know this, it turns out they’re Bro Bernad’s siblings. Since Bro Bernad is a good person, chances are you’re also good people,” Winda explained at length, whose character was very different from when they first met at the hotel in Makassar.

“Omma’, it turns out this friend is actually a talkative person. He suits you, Wan,” Jems poked Wawan’s arm, who was standing wordlessly. “Yes, when I was chatting in the hotel lobby, I was called a nut, Jems. It was like my somai was warned about nuts,” Wawan continued to observe the smile on Winda’s face.

“Well, it’s natural for Winda to act like that. She’s a woman who is approached by single men like you, she must always be vigilant,” Bernad defended Winda.

Realizing the situation was like being in a trial, Winda hurriedly excused herself to continue her activities.

“Eh, sorry, yeah. I want to continue first, it’s getting late,” said Winda looking in a hurry.

“Wow, it’s like a high school student who has an exam tomorrow. I have to go home quickly to study at night,” Wawan joked.

“No, I mean that tonight we have a briefing with the team for tomorrow’s plan,” Winda answered, still with a friendly smile remaining on her face.

“Oh, I see. Bye. I’ll come over later, okay,” joked Wawan while giving his best smile.

“Yes, yes,” Winda walked away from those who were still standing.

“Real, really demplon, bye. Turns out she’s actually friendly, kind, the ideal wife for me,” Wawan said while looking at Winda who was getting further away until she was out of sight.

“If it’s like what you said, Wan, she’s the ideal wife for all men, not just for you,” Simon said who was also still staring at Winda until she was out of sight.

“Eh, there’s your voice, Mon. I thought you didn’t have an appetite for someone like Winda,” Jems pretended to be surprised to realize Simon’s presence who had been silent all this time.

“I didn’t know how to greet you earlier, and then what did you want to talk about?” Simon said in a confused yet resigned manner.

“How did you get a girlfriend, Mon, you’re already confused before anything?” Jems with his lecture.

“So you haven’t had a girlfriend in Jakarta all this time, Mon?” Bernard told Simon in a tone of disbelief.

“Now, Nad, look at your brother, he’s confused when he’s with a woman. What about when he’s with a woman’s parents?” Jems felt like giving advice.

“Well, later I’ll just find a woman who doesn’t have parents anymore,” Simon said lightly.

“You’ll just hang out at the orphanage from now on, Mon?” Wawan teased with a smile.

“Did you say you were hungry earlier? Why are you talking everywhere?” Tatang intervened.

Jems, Wawan, Simon, and Bernad broke up in line without a word. Their destination was the same, heading to the public kitchen. When they arrived at the public kitchen, still without a word, Wawan immediately went in to get a plate and rice.

“Eh, Wan, this isn’t really a public kitchen for the public,” Tatang said as he looked around the kitchen.

“Really? This is a non-halal kitchen, huh?” Wawan was surprised as he also looked at the interior of the kitchen.

“Well, just stay here, I’ll stay here,” joked Jems while pouring drinking water into his Civil Servant gel.

“Ah, you, Jems. You’re an omnivore, so you’re free to go to any kitchen you want,” said Simon next to Tatang.

“Here, let’s go to the public kitchen over there,” invited Bernad to Tatang and Wawan.

“Pretend, come on,” Tatang put down his plate and followed Bernad.

“Hey, what’s wrong with me changing clothes? After eating, I’m going to go for a walk,” said Wawan, who was also defended by Tatang while tugging on his shirt.

“It’s safe, you can borrow my shirt first,” said Bernad, turning to Wawan.

“And what about your pants, Nad?” asked Wawan again curiously.

“I’ll lend you a sarong later, it’s safe, right?” said Bernad lightly.

In Toraja tradition, a funeral 'party' unfolds over five sacred days, each marked by rituals of respect and communal solidarity.

This counting process is not just an ordinary ceremony, but also reflects a sense of responsibility and deep respect from the family and relatives. After the counting, the animals will enter the slaughtering stage, or what in Toraja is called "mantunu tedong." All the animals that are slaughtered will be distributed to all the guests who come, both the mourning extended family and all the villagers where the deceased once lived during his life.

In this tradition, not all the buffaloes will be slaughtered. Some will be auctioned, and the proceeds from the auction will be put into the village treasury to repair village roads or other village infrastructure. In addition, it is also donated for the construction or repair of the church.

On the second day, everyone seemed busy because the next day, namely the third day, apart from the extended family, all the villagers and surrounding villages came to pay their last respects to deceased. After that, entering the fourth day, one of the days awaited by everyone present, namely the animal slaughtering event. The animals will be herded into the middle of the large yard and the animal slaughter will be carried out, where one buffalo will be slaughtered by one young man or father who is not yet fifty years old. Usually, this moment is most liked by the native Toraja people, but rarely liked by guests from outside Toraja for various reasons.

The fourth day of Grandma Simon's funeral party was getting more crowded and crowded with relatives and guests. Today the weather felt bright, the sun was shining very brightly without the slightest cloudy fog, different from the previous days which were almost cloudy and rainy every day, sometimes drizzling all day. However, even though the air was quite bright today, the cold air was still felt all over his body.

As Wawan prepared to carry out his intention to go to Winda's place, he suddenly remembered Amrul. 'How is he?' thought Wawan. Without further ado, Wawan immediately activated his cellphone and put it on the table for a moment.

Not long after, a notification tone began to be heard from his cellphone. Quickly, Wawan took his cellphone and saw many incoming messages. One of them was from Amrul. "Wan, I have scanned the photos of the wood carvings that you sent, using a historical object scanner. It turns out that there is some kind of message, but I have not been able to examine the details of the message further, and one more thing, there is also some kind of clue to the location of the object, which seems to be related to an object that must have been found before. Try to find out what the object is, I'll contact you again, okay," Amrul wrote in an enthusiastic tone.

Wawan frowned, his eyes sweeping over the text line by line. He felt his stomach ache a little, either because he was nervous or too excited. "Amrul, I asked for help with the analysis, eh, he told me to look for stuff instead," Wawan muttered to himself.

Meanwhile, at the party venue, Simon and the others were looking for Wawan.

"Mon, have you seen Wawan?" Jems approached Simon who was standing watching the buffalo slaughtering process.

“Yesterday I met him at the back, when he was about to eat,” Simon answered.

“Yes, I only met him yesterday, and that was in the afternoon. After that I don’t know where he went.”

“Is it possible he disappeared again upstairs?” Tatang joked.

“Ah, you’re always so funny, Tang. How could it happen twice?” Jems looked behind where Tatang was standing.

“Eh, Tang, why are you standing at the back? Here,” Simon invited after realizing Tatang was behind him.

“No, ah, Mon. I’m scared of seeing blood,” Tatang refused Simon’s invitation.

“But it’s only buffalo blood, Tang,” Simon answered again.

“Buffalo blood is also scary if it’s that much, Mon,” Tatang avoided again.

“He doesn’t like a lot of blood, Mon. Maybe he likes a little bit of blood on the bedsheet,” Jems joked.

“What do you mean by this, Jems?” Simon asked, really confused.

“Ah, you interpret it yourself,” Jems answered lightly.

“Have you ever seen blood on the bed, Tang?” Simon asked, still confused.

“Hmm... once before, when my boil burst.”

“Eww, you’re so dirty, Tang,” Jems responded, reflexively shrugging her shoulders.

“You were the first to talk about blood on the bedsheets,” Tatang said.

“But that’s not what I meant. But never mind, forget it,” he wanted to explain but didn’t.

“Tang, do you know where Wawan is wandering?” Simon asked Tatang without looking at Tatang.

“If he’s not in the house upstairs, he’s probably chasing Winda,” Tatang said guessing.

“Ah, there’s no way he’s at Winda’s place, because last night Winda and her team were discussing their work,” Jems answered as if she knew everything about Winda. Hearing that, Simon reflexively turned to Tatang, and Tatang just raised both of his hands to indicate that he didn’t know anything, while Simon just raised his chin along with his eyebrows.

“So you were hanging out with Winda at her place all night, huh, Jems?” asked Simon guessing.

“Well, no. I happened to be passing by, then I stopped by for a while,” answered Jems.

“Just stopped by for a while but I know that Winda was discussing work with her team all night,” he sensed that something was wrong.

“I heard, Tang, they said that,” still making up stories.

“Just say yes, Tang,” Jems moved back to approach Tatang.

“Eh, I don’t believe you,” replied Jems.

“No wonder since we talked with Winda that time, Jems has often had a solo career, just like Wawan,” Tatang analyzed his two friends.

"Ah, it's different, Tang. If Wawan had often had a solo career before, I don't know what that kid was doing," Jems turned to Tatang and Simon.

"Well, yeah. Then you, Jems, have had a solo career since we talked to Winda and Bernad," Simon replied to Jems' words. “You think too, Mon. Is it possible that at an event as lively and great as this, I only spend my time with Tatang? I’d rather wander around, who knows I might meet a Torajan person,” Jems went on at length but still hadn’t gotten to the point.

“But Winda isn’t a Torajan person, Jems?” asked Tatang.

“Why do you guys seem to be interrogating me?” Jems felt cornered.

“Who, Jems, is interrogating you?” Wawan suddenly appeared next to Jems.

“You, Wan? Where have you been?” asked Jems in surprise.

“Where have you been, Wan, since yesterday afternoon?” asked Simon in surprise.

“Well, just here and there, Mon. Well, maybe I can wander around Toraja by myself,” Wawan answered Simon’s question who was still shocked to see Wawan suddenly appear.

“Could it be that you’re also trying to get close to Winda?” asked Tatang, wanting to know more.

“No, me. Maybe Jems was the one chasing Winda to her inn?” Wawan seemed to know what happened.

“How did you know, Wan?” Jems was surprised to hear Wawan’s accusation.

“Well, you know. Winda was the one who said that you went to her last night.”

“When did you chat with Winda?” Jems became more curious.

“Well, I was there with Winda earlier. You didn’t see it,” Wawan pointed straight in front of Jems.

“Ah, are you serious, Wan? How long were you there?” Jems inquired even more curiously.

“Not bad, before the buffalo slaughter,” Wawan answered lightly.

“How many buffaloes are there now, Mon?” Tatang asked.

“Try counting them yourself. I think there are around fourteen,” Simon answered without knowing for sure how many.

“Not bad, you chatted there earlier?” there was a hint of jealousy in Jems’ question.

“Well, it’s not bad, Jems. Before that, Winda and I also went around in circles,” Wawan said lightly as if he wanted to show Jems something.

“Your approach is really solid, Wan,” Simon praised.

“Yeah, man, you’re cool, Wan. It turns out you can do it too,” Tatang also praised Wawan.

“Well, you can do it. You don’t know about my toys yet?” he joked, bragging.

“So how far has your approach gone with Winda, Wan?” Jems probed, really curious.

“I don’t dare to say, Jems, how far. What’s clear is that she’s given me her WA and IG numbers,” Wawan said, taking out his cellphone and pointing it at Jems.

“Wow, you’re really cool, Wan. I haven’t even dared to ask for Winda’s WA and IG numbers,” Jems praised. Usually, Jems rarely complimented Wawan about women.

“That means you’re not as quick as Wawan, Jems,” Simon patted Jems on the shoulder.

“That means that handsomeness is still inferior to speed,” Tatang seemed to remind Jems.

“Why do you think I’m approaching Winda? In Jakarta, I still have a lot of collections, even more beautiful than Winda,” feeling cornered, Jems boasted by starting with his Civil Servant essay.

“Give me one, Jems, when we get back,” Wawan requested, but it seemed like a joke.

“Even candy is asking to be shared, I don’t know what’s wrong with you, Wan,” Jems grumbled to Wawan.

“Eh, Wan, it’s rare for you to be that close to Winda,” Tatang asked in disbelief.

“I originally wanted to approach Winda, Tang. But because of one thing and another, never mind, I canceled my approach,” Wawan explained lightly.

“So how come you’re close to Winda now?” Simon became even more curious.

“I don’t have any intention of getting close to her anymore, Mon. So, yeah, I don’t have any burden when I talk to her or when I’m around her. It’s safe, right?” Wawan pretended to be lecturing Simon and Tatang.

“So how did you get close to Winda, Wan?” Jems asked as if he wasn’t sure that Wawan could get close to Winda.

“Gosh, Jems, you’re nosy. Hehehe, but let’s move to the back. It’s getting hot here, euy,” Wawan held his head while looking up at the sky.

“Yeah, I actually wanted to say that earlier, but I’m still curious about your story, Wan,” Simon added while joining the crowd in moving to a shadier and cooler location, which was only a few steps away from where they were standing earlier.

“Just here, Wan. It’s cool here, not hot. The view is also nice, you can see lots of people passing by.” “There are a lot of people here, Tang. If you close one eye, there will still be a lot of people passing by,” said Jems, still annoyed.

“Just kidding, Jems. You’ve been getting more annoyed since you found out that Wawan is close to Winda,” said Tatang, which made Jems even more irritated.

“Who’s annoyed? You’re the one who thinks like that. As for me, I’m just normal, just relax. Right, no, Mon?” Jems nodded his head at Simon.

“Yeah, yeah, Jems. Relax, man. Like me too,” Simon agreed with Jems’ statement.

“So, shall I continue the story? It’s getting late, I’m hungry,” Wawan interrupted Simon and Tatang’s conversation.

“Yeah, so be it, Mon,” Tatang was excited.

“Yeah, so be it, Mon. Why not?” Simon joined in excitedly.

“Hee… you guys are all upset bachelors,” said Jems without any purpose.

“So that’s it, bro,” said Wawan.

“So what, Wan? Before you even talk, you’re already playing around like that,”

“Yeah, I meant earlier. So you don’t have to think about getting close to someone. Just let the conversation flow so you don’t feel awkward,” Wawan lectured his friends.

“Listen, that’s the science, it’s expensive!” Jems actually wanted to tease his two friends who were being lectured by Wawan.

“So do you still have the intention to get close to Winda, Wan?” asked Tatang.

“No more, Tang. But if it’s fate, well, what can you do. There’s no way I’ll refuse,” answered Wawan.

“Well, you Wan, you’re already like the most handsome guy in the district,” Jems was still annoyed with Wawan, especially with Wawan’s sentences today.

The previous day. Wawan was busy chatting on the phone with Amrul, discussing the details of the artifacts and relief carvings that had been painstakingly and with much struggle finally been scanned using a special tool, becoming a digital copy of the historical artifact to further study the artifact in detail without having to handle the original artifact.

"So it's like this, Rul. The other heirloom has indeed been found, but Uncle Simon sold it to an antique collector," said Wawan in an excited tone. "Well, then the chest that used to store the heirloom was just stored like that in Simon's other house," Wawan continued his explanation.

"Oh, yes, Wan. That wooden chest doesn't seem to be from Indonesia, because I've compared many carvings and engravings from ancient artifacts in Indonesia, but none of them are similar at all," explained Amrul, feeling something mysterious.

"Then what about the clues to the other object, Rul?" asked Wawan.

"It seems easy but also difficult to find, Wan. I've mapped out the areas where the other heirloom is likely to be stored," explained Amrul.

“I have also added some coordinates that are approximately a hundred meters from the target center point, plus a margin of error of around fifty meters. So your search location is not too far away, and hopefully you won’t get lost,” Amrul said in a serious tone.

“Then what do I use the coordinates for, Rul? I don’t know how to use them,” Wawan asked, feeling really confused.

“There are many GPS applications on the Play Store. You can also use Google Maps, but you have to be with a local, Wan, who knows the area exactly. Otherwise, you’ll definitely be confused!” Amrul asserted.

“Later, I’ll probably be with Simon. He was born and raised here. So, if I’ve downloaded GPS or Google Maps, what else do I do, Rul?” Wawan asked, repeating his question.

“You just enter the coordinates I gave you into Google Maps. I’ll teach you how. Then after that, you just follow the route,” Amrul said in a slightly relaxed tone.

Without Wawan expecting it, it turned out that Winda had been behind him for a few minutes. When Winda passed by, she saw Wawan having a serious conversation with someone on the phone. Wawan's voice sounded very excited, and that made Winda curious.

"From the coordinates you sent, are the locations far apart, Rul?" asked Wawan.

"No, they're all close," Amrul's voice on the other end of the phone sounded very confident. "One is in the forest near the rocky hill, another is on a large rock around the river, and the other one seems to be under the valley. But the rocky hill is really big, Wan," continued Amrul, mentioning several places.

"Of these three places, can you be sure, Rul, where is the object stored?" asked Wawan hopefully.

"Well, it can't be done, Wan. It has to be searched for again. The coordinates I gave you are only the center point for the search radius. After that, you have to search for it yourself," said Amrul on the other end of the phone, while Wawan just listened while thinking about who he would look for the object with. “That’s why I said earlier, you have to look for it with a local. If not, it will be hard for you to find it, or you might not find it at all,” Amrul emphasized his sentence.

“What should I do, Rul?” Wawan looked increasingly frustrated. “Listen to your instructions, I’m getting more and more confused. Do you have any input? You have experience with things like this?” Wawan asked, hoping that Amrul could provide a little solution.

“Here’s the thing, Wan. Usually, heirlooms are kept not far from the graves. Some are even deliberately kept in graves. Especially the Toraja tribe, as far as I know, since ancient times or thousands of years ago, they have buried the bodies of their relatives in stones. Well, it’s possible that the heirloom is around the stone grave, Wan,” Amrul explained clearly.

“Jiah, so I have to rummage through the graves?”

“Well, not really. I said near the cemetery. Well, if you can, focus your search around the stone graves first. Hopefully there are stone graves nearby, so you can start right away.”

While Wawan was busy chatting with Amrul on the phone, Winda, who was now standing quite close to Wawan, felt that there was something strange, yet interesting, from Wawan’s conversation on the phone with someone. She heard the tension and excitement in Wawan’s voice, and without realizing it, her curiosity grew.

“It seems like this kid didn’t come here just to mourn. There must be another, more important purpose,” Winda thought to herself.

Suddenly, Amrul continued, “Wan, I think you should prepare at least a compass and a digital map on your cellphone. Then you should also prepare paper or some kind of writing instrument. If necessary, bring a measuring tape,” Amrul explained.

“Wow, why not also wear a cowboy hat to look more like Indiana Jones?”

“Well, you’re actually Indiana Jones in the real world, Wan. You’re looking for a very historical heirloom,” Amrul said with a laugh.

Winda translated the sentences piece by piece in her mind. “Heirloom? History?” she asked herself. She didn’t expect that she could find out such a big secret from someone she didn’t expect at all.

“Oh, yeah, Rul. Should I invite someone? Simon, Tatang, or Jems?” Wawan asked doubtfully.

“It’s up to you, Wan. You know what their characters are like?” Amrul’s answer this time was without a solution.

“Okay, maybe in two days I’ll start looking while I prepare what I need to prepare.”

“Why in two days?”

“Yeah. Because in two days, Simon’s grandmother’s funeral will be. Maybe the location is in the same direction as Simon’s grandmother’s grave.”

“Okay, okay, bro. Good luck, Wan.”

“Okay, okay. You’re welcome, Rul.” Wawan hung up the phone.

And when he was about to leave, Winda suddenly called out to him from behind,

“Hello, eh, your name is Wawan, right?” Winda asked politely.

Wawan reflexively turned his head when he heard a voice behind him calling his name. It turned out that Winda was already behind him. Spontaneously, Wawan was shocked and immediately panicked.

Wawan was still panicking when he saw Winda. He turned and saw her. He was very confused because how could Winda have gotten here, he thought, while he felt like he had moved away from people. “Oh, Winda! Eh, I…” Wawan with a panic that he couldn’t hide.

Winda smiled, trying to cover up the panic that was very clearly visible on Wawan’s face and behavior.

“Wow, your chat seemed really exciting earlier. It was like Indiana Jones. I’ll join in, be your assistant, something like that,” Winda said jokingly but with a serious purpose.

“What Indiana Jones, Win? Earlier I was just chatting about movies with a friend,” Wawan tried to avoid it.

“I heard everything, you know. Your conversation earlier,” Winda approached Wawan.

“So you heard everything?”

“Yes,” Winda smiled.

“So what do you want now?” Wawan asked resignedly.

“Nothing,” Winda said, feeling on top. Then she approached Wawan’s side. “I just want to join you, looking for that heirloom,” Winda continued seriously, without looking at Wawan.

“Okay, okay. Here’s your WA number,” Wawan resignedly then handed his cellphone to Winda. Then Winda typed her cellphone number on Wawan’s cellphone, and after that she made a call back to her own cellphone with Wawan’s cellphone, and handed Wawan’s cellphone back. “This is your phone. When do we start the mission?” asked Winda, smiling meaningfully.

“You already eavesdropped earlier, in two days at the funeral,” Wawan answered flatly, indicating that he was not happy with Winda’s presence. carried it out, but unexpectedly in the middle of the road Winda came in.

This person he had found, but why was it that the first person to know the secret besides Amrul was Winda, not Jems, Tatang, or Simon who were native Torajans.

For a moment Wawan thought about revealing the secret to Simon, Tatang, and Jems. Wawan thought that if this secret had been found out by outsiders, it was possible that this secret would be found out by his three friends sooner or later, and it would be even worse if his three friends found out about this big secret from someone else. After thinking for a while, Wawan finally called Amrul again.

“Hello, Rul. There’s something I want to tell you, but I apologize in advance,”

 

said Wawan in a worried tone

“What, Wan? Why did your voice suddenly sound so unenthusiastic, even though you were so enthusiastic earlier,” asked Amrul jokingly.

“Rul, this secret has been found out by other people, my friends too, but new friends that I met here,” replied Wawan in an anxious tone, worried that Amrul would be angry.

“Gosh, how could that be?” Amrul’s tone sounded disappointed.

“So, earlier when we were on the phone, it turned out that my friend was behind me, listening to our entire conversation. After that, he asked to join,” said Wawan in a slightly depressed tone.

“Gosh… you’re so careless, Wan. Okay, just don’t let him tell anyone else,” Amrul looked annoyed with Wawan.

 

“Oh yeah, Rul, one more thing. Before I called you, I was thinking, what if I also invite Simon, Tatang, and Jems. I’m afraid sooner or later this will leak, but I don’t want Simon to find out about this from other people. How about it?” Wawan explained with a flat expression, having thought about these words carefully.

“Okay then, it’s up to you. You just arrange it there, what’s clear is how the item can be found before other people find it,” Amrul said not as friendly as before.

“Okay then, once again I apologize, Rul.” Before Wawan could finish explaining further, Amrul had already hung up the phone.

Wawan took a deep breath and turned his face to Winda.

“So what? Your friend agrees?” Winda asked without any burden.

“Yes, he agrees, so what else can I do. But I was forced to invite Simon, Tatang, and Jems. After all, this is Simon’s village and the heirloom belongs to his ancestors,” Wawan said, starting to get excited.

“Okay, I agree, but I also want to suggest one thing,” Winda looked serious this time.

“What else? I’ve already invited you, so what else do you want to suggest?” Wawan said in an annoyed tone.

“Agree or not, I want to invite another friend of mine, actually more precisely my best friend, from my college days until I started working, I’ve always been with her, and I can trust her,” their conversation seemed equally serious.

“It’s up to you, do you want to invite someone from your hometown, or why not invite your soft-boned relative?”

“Who?”

“That one at the hotel with you in Makassar?”

“Oh that one, he’s already back in Jakarta.”

“So, where is the one you want to invite now?”

“Here with me.”

“Okay, whatever you want, Winda. I’m dizzy,” Wawan said as he walked away from Winda.

“Hey, seblak ceker, just pull it out,” said Winda following Wawan from behind.

“Hey, kembro pasir, I’ll wait for you near the tongkonan tomorrow morning, while we chat with my friends about this plan,” Wawan stopped and turned to Winda.

“Jiah, kembro pasir… eh, cat of course. Okay, I’ll be there tomorrow at eight in the morning,” Winda answered to make sure.

“Okay,” Wawan said briefly then walked away again, while Winda was still standing smiling, there was a certain satisfaction in her heart. The next day, exactly at eight in the morning, Winda and her friend Rani were already beside the Tongkonan House waiting for Wawan to arrive. She tried to call Wawan, but he didn't pick up.

"What time did you make your appointment, Nda?" Rani asked while looking at the clock on her cellphone screen.

"They said it was eight in the morning beside this Tongkonan house," Winda looked around, who knew Wawan was already around.

Suddenly Winda's cellphone rang, and it turned out to be Wawan.

"Hey, where are you?" Winda asked.

"It's above you," Wawan answered with a smile.

"You're rude! I'll slap you," Winda's voice rose.

"You're the rude one, just slapping people. Come on, look up," Wawan said from the window.

It turned out that Wawan had seen Winda and Rani since they first arrived.

"Come down here!" Winda's voice rose a little.

“Yes… yes, wait a minute,” Wawan came down to Winda and Rani.

“I’ve been watching you two,” Wawan smiled.

“Then why don’t you come down right away?” Winda said, lifting her chin.

“So you two can make a little effort,” Wawan replied.

“Hey, this is my friend I told you about yesterday,” Winda introduced Rani to Wawan.

“Rani,” Rani extended her hand to Wawan.

“Hey, yes, I’m Wawan,” while shaking Rani’s hand.

“So where are we going first?” Winda asked excitedly.

“Hey, have you guys had breakfast yet? Or coffee? The coffee here is the best in the world, I swear I’m not lying,” Wawan assured Winda and Rani.

“I just found out, where have you been?” Winda said in response to Wawan’s statement.

“We’ve already had breakfast,” Rani continued.

“What did you guys have for breakfast this early in the morning?” Wawan's face was serious.

"What morning? It's already afternoon," Rani replied again.

"Yeah, you know, it's obvious that people rarely wake up this early," Winda replied, glancing at Wawan.

"So what's our plan for today?" Wawan asked Winda and Rani.

"Well, you're the project leader, we'll just follow what the project leader says," Winda said.

"Okay, but let's not talk about it here," Wawan lowered his voice.

"Then where?" Winda asked while looking around the Tongkonan house.

"Come with me," Wawan invited.

"Where do you want to go first? I don't want to go to the place I went to yesterday, the road is uphill, and muddy."

"No, let's go to the public kitchen, while having breakfast," Wawan replied while walking.

"Isn't it crowded or not?" he aligned his steps with Wawan.

“No, the halal public kitchen is quiet, besides, people will be gathering in the yard soon,” Wawan answered while still walking.

“What’s wrong, bro?” Rani asked from behind.

“So, don’t you two know what’s going on? Today is the day of animal slaughter.”

“I don’t know,” Winda and Rani spontaneously.

“So, what have you two been doing? How come you don’t know the order of events?”

“We’re not the committee,” Rani answered.

“So, am I the committee?” Wawan tried to turn to Rani who was behind him.

“You’re family, so you must know,” Winda continued.

Hearing Winda’s words just now, Wawan was silent for a moment. He remembered Bernad’s words when Bernad introduced Winda to them.

“Of course,” Wawan smiled.

They entered the door of the public kitchen which was only made of two bamboo poles without a door, while the walls were as high as an adult’s waist made of large chopped bamboo poles. Inside there were three long tables and long benches at each table. And sure enough, the atmosphere of the halal public kitchen this morning was quite quiet, there was only one woman on duty in the public kitchen. The woman said she wanted to go to the yard to watch the slaughter of around a hundred buffaloes.

"What I said was true, this public kitchen is rarely busy," Wawan said while taking an empty glass that was not far from his position.

"Why is that?" Winda was serious, still standing.

 

 

Chapter 7: Tracking the Secret of Heirlooms at the End of the Party

"Because there is no pork menu here," Wawan said jokingly, while pouring water into his Civil Servant gel.

"Okay, if you want breakfast, please have breakfast first, you are free to choose what you want," said Wawan while pointing to several menus on the table.

"Why did we just find out, Ran, that there is a public kitchen like this here?" said Winda.

"Yes, I've known since yesterday," replied Rani.

“Hey, didn’t Bernard tell you guys that there was a halal public kitchen here?” Wawan’s tone was surprised.

“I think so, I just forgot,” Winda answered while remembering.

“Eh, so what should we do, where do we start? Last night I shared all the data and the digital map, do you know where it is?” Wawan asked Winda.

“Yes, last night we had time to study it, then we also studied the history of the Ancient Torajan people plus the artifacts that were found in Toraja,” Rani explained. But before Rani finished explaining, Wawan suddenly cut her off.

“Stop-stop, why did you go that far, all the way to artifacts?” Wawan interrupted.

“Well, Wan, before we start this search, we have to know the customs of the Ancient Torajan people, especially in terms of burying corpses and storing their heirlooms. From what we’ve read, usually the heirlooms of the Ancient Torajan tribe were stored in Tongkonan houses, or at least buried with the traditional elders of that era,” Winda explained in detail, while Wawan just nodded without saying a word.

“Well, that’s why we have to know first what types of artifacts have been found around this village,” Rani continued.

“Eh, Wawan, that ancient chest with relief carvings, where did you find it?” Winda inquired.

“Upstairs, in another house,” Wawan pointed behind him.

“In what condition did you find it?” Winda became even more curious.

“Someone had put it in the kitchen, then it was in a messy state, then I tidied it up,” Wawan explained while moving his hands as if he was doing something.

“So you’re not the first person to find it, right?” asked Winda with a serious look.

“Of course not, maybe Simon’s other family had already found it, then I came,” their conversation had entered a serious stage.

“That means it’s possible that there are other people or other teams who are also looking for this object,” said Winda guessing.

“It could be, because from what I heard from Uncle Markus, he has sold the other heirloom,” said Wawan, remembering Uncle Markus’ words when he, Jems, and Tatang were eavesdropping on the stairs.

“So that means the heirloom has been found before?” asked Winda, increasingly curious.

“So when did he find it?” Rani was no less curious.

“Yes, it has. In fact, the other one we are looking for is the pair of the heirloom that Uncle Markus sold. As for when it was found, I don’t know for sure, probably around two or three years ago,” explained Wawan, remembering.

“Well, the heirloom that Uncle Markus sold, do you know where it was found?” asked Winda.

“Well, I don’t know about that… eh, but…” Wawan seemed to remember something.

“What?”

“Yes, what,” continued Winda.

“That ancient wooden chest, the chest where the heirloom that Uncle Markus had sold, used to be kept in an ancient chest that was on top of the house.”

“So?” Winda said briefly, while Rani waited for what other words would come out of Wawan’s mouth, so curious as if every sentence that came out of Wawan’s mouth today was a valuable sentence.

“Then Uncle Markus said, the other heirloom was kept not far from the heirloom that had been found before, and it had been carved on each of the chests where the heirlooms were kept, so that later if there were descendants who found one of them, they could easily find the other heirloom,” Wawan explained at length.

“So what’s next?” asked Winda hopefully.

“Well, like it or not, today, we’ll go to Simon and the others first, then we can talk about further preparations and what equipment we might need. Well, maybe we only have a cellphone flashlight,” Wawan explained while laughing at his words.

“Okay, let’s go now,” Winda was very excited.

“But I’m afraid that Simon will find out about this and get angry or throw a tantrum at me, because this is a very valuable family heirloom, and then I leak it to you guys,” Wawan said feeling guilty.

“So what should we do? Do we continue?” Rani asked hopefully. “Let’s go first, in your heart you have to be optimistic that everything is okay,” Winda coaxed.

“At that time I also went to you in the hotel lobby in Makassar, I was already very sure that I would be able to woo you. Eh, you were so fierce,” Wawan snapped, seemingly still disappointed with Winda’s treatment when they first met.

“Eh, I’m a girl, I have to be alert, aka careful, especially with guys like you and your gang,” Winda snapped back at Wawan.

“Well, why, we’re all handsome like this,” Wawan.

“It’s not a matter of handsome or not, but your faces look like they’re going to pounce when you see a girl alone,” Winda honestly said in response to Wawan.

“That’s probably a man’s instinct, hehehe,” Wawan smiled.

“What are you guys doing, come on, let’s move, it’s almost noon,” Rani stood up.

“Then what about my breakfast?” said Wawan pointing at the table in front of him.

“Easy, we can just do it during lunch time,” replied Winda, pulling Wawan’s hand and leaving the place.

“Hey, wait a minute, let’s watch a show, you two have never seen how Torajan people slaughter buffaloes, right?” Wawan stopped in his tracks and Winda released her hand from his.

“I have, on YouTube,” replied Rani, turning to Wawan.

“Yeah, that’s on YouTube. If this is live and there’s no rebroadcast… well… well?” requested Wawan.

“Okay then, let’s watch a show, then we’ll go to your members, okay?” replied Winda, giving in a little.

The three of them joined the crowd to watch the buffalo slaughtering event. They looked for a standing position among the crowd of people. On the other side were Jems, Tatang, and Simon, but it seemed like the three people didn’t see Wawan, Rani, and Winda. Actually, Wawan was just stalling for time and it was just his excuse to watch the buffalo slaughter. In his heart, he was actually very afraid and did not have the courage to be honest with Simon about this, about the search for this heirloom, because it was very closely related to the culture and history of Simon's extended family and previous descendants. Wawan was very sure that Simon would most likely be angry, and Wawan had resigned himself to whatever Simon's decision was. He had also thought about the worst possibility, which was to immediately return to Jakarta today if there was a fight between him and Simon.

"Hey... you're just daydreaming," Winda pushed Wawan's shoulder who was just silent with his blank stare.

"Ah, no, I'm looking at the children there," Wawan tried to avoid it and immediately changed his expression.

"Okay, let's just go there," Winda invited enthusiastically.

"Are you scared to see that much blood?" asked Wawan.

"Yeah, man, my head is dizzy, and I feel a bit nauseous," said Winda while holding her stomach and covering her mouth with her other hand.

“Okay, let’s hurry up and go there,” Wawan said in a hurry.

“Hey, wait, I’ll catch up there, I want to get my camera first,” Rani excused herself and hurriedly left Wawan and Winda.

After chatting and joking around for a long time, Wawan finally invited Simon, Jems, and Tatang a little away from the crowd.

“Mon, I want to talk to you, but not here. Let’s find a place a little away from the crowd,” Wawan whispered to Simon.

“Why is this, Wan? Just asking to talk has to be far away from people?” confused, not knowing what Wawan meant.

“Hey, you two come here too,” Wawan invited Jems and Tatang.

“What’s wrong, Wan? Why are you so serious about inviting us like this?” said Jems in surprise.

“Have you found treasure, Wan?” Tatang joked, almost right. Hearing Tatang’s joke, Winda and Wawan stared at each other for a few seconds. “More than that,” said Wawan, making the atmosphere tense and not fun.

It turned out that Wawan invited them to the halal soup kitchen. There was still no one there since Wawan, Winda, and Rani left the place. The five of them entered the halal soup kitchen, and not long after, Rani followed from behind.

“How did you know we were here?” Winda asked Rani.

“Earlier, I saw you guys walking together, so I just followed from behind,” Rani answered casually with a smile.

“Hey, let me introduce you to Rani, Winda’s friend,” Wawan introduced Rani to his friends.

They shook hands and said each other’s names.

“Why didn’t you tell me, Wan, if you had any other female friends besides Winda?” Jems said with a bright smile.

“Yeah, maybe that’s it, every time I have a friend, I have to introduce them to you. I only just met someone today,” Wawan glanced at Rani.

“That’s what friends are called, Wan. That’s how it is,” Tatang said, acting wise.

“We’ve gathered all of this, Wan. Try to explain what you mean and what you said earlier,” Simon’s curiosity grew.

“But first I apologize, and whatever I say later, don’t be mad at me, okay, Mon?” Wawan’s expression became more serious.

“Winda, what’s really going on? You guys want to get married? Why so soon? Have you really thought it through before marrying this kid?” Jems said to Winda with a face that was just as serious as Wawan’s.

“That’s not the problem, Bro. Just let Wawan explain it to you guys first,” Winda replied while directing her gaze at Wawan.

“I’m getting more confused by what you guys are doing, it seems like we’ve never been this serious before,” Simon became more confused and wanted to know what was really happening quickly.

“Wan, can you make the atmosphere more fun?” Tatang asked in a whisper.

“How come?...” Wawan was confused about where to start.

“Come on, Wan, you talk about what you want to talk about, don’t confuse us all like this,” Jems asked hopefully.

“So it’s like this, Bro Simon…” Winda hadn’t finished expressing her intention, Wawan immediately cut her off in the middle.

“Okay, Win, let me do the talking,” Wawan interrupted with a frightened expression.

“So it’s like this, Mon, you know the wooden box in the house above that has the carvings?” Wawan approached Simon’s sitting position.

“Yes, I know it’s been there for a long time,” Simon answered confidently.

“When we just arrived at the house, I was looking for the kitchen. Well, in the kitchen I saw a pile of wood, I thought it was firewood. When I looked closely, it turned out there were carvings. Because I was curious about the carvings on the wooden box, I finally arranged them, I tidied them up a bit, then I took a picture, then I sent it to my friend who understands about that,” Wawan explained recounting.

“So, so, Wan?” asked Tatang curiously, but Jems raised his hand towards Tatang, a sign that Tatang should not interrupt Wawan.

“Then it turned out that the carvings were suspected of holding a message, like a kind of clue to the location of an ancient object, which seemed to be related to an object that had been found before.”

“Well, I was right, this concerns a treasure,” Tatang suddenly interrupted Wawan again.

“Hey, Tang, I’ll tape your snout if you don’t calm down. Let Wawan finish everything he wants to talk about,” said Jems angrily. And calmly, Wawan continued his story.

“Yes, that’s a map showing the location or position of the other heirloom. Oh yeah, Mon, I apologize again,” Wawan took a deep breath.

“Why?” Simon asked flatly, standing with his arms folded across his chest.

“When you were having a serious chat with Uncle Markus, I, Tatang, and Jems accidentally overheard all your conversations with Uncle Markus. And really, we didn’t do it on purpose, because at that time we were looking for you, and heard your voices chatting, because at that time we were under the house,” Wawan explained, but the atmosphere was still tense, as if there was a high-level court.

“So what’s the point of this, Wan? It seems like you went straight to the point,” Simon urged impatiently wanting to know everything.

“From your chat with Uncle Markus, I just found out that what was carved on the wooden box was actually a clue to your ancestral heirloom, and that made me even more interested in finding out more,” Wawan said enthusiastically. After that, he continued explaining again.

“Oh yeah, according to my friend who has scanned historical objects into the photos of the carvings on the walls of the box, the information is that the position of the object suspected to be the other heirloom has been found, but it is likely in three places,” Wawan continued his story. But there was a relief that Wawan felt little by little as he unraveled all the stories that he had not made up at all. But the guilt still remained in Wawan's heart and mind. With the guilt still weighing on him, Wawan explained everything to Simon again, starting from when he accidentally found a wooden chest and carvings on the walls of the wooden chest in Simon's family home, to sending photos of the carvings on the wooden chest to Amrul for analysis. From Amrul, Wawan obtained information that the carvings on the ancient wooden chest were a map or clue to where the other heirloom was, from what Amrul found on the wooden carvings, including one of the three locations that were close if referring to the map that had been converted to a digital map.

After a few moments of silence, Simon finally spoke. Although there was still tension hanging between them all.

"Emmm... it's like this, Wan..." Simon had just started to speak calmly, suddenly interrupted by Wawan.

"I'm really sorry, Mon. I swear, I was just curious, I didn't mean anything else," said Wawan, cutting Simon off.

“Edede, don’t apologize too much. What month is it, Eid is still far away. I mean, why didn’t you tell me from the start, so we could look for that item together. It would be nice if it could be sold,” Simon said with a smile. Simon’s unexpected sentence immediately made the atmosphere lighten up, as if the room was shining again after being dim and almost dark for some time.

“What do you mean, Mon?” Wawan asked with a smile slowly opening on his lips.

“I mean, if you had told me from the start, we could have found out where that item was together. Because I also heard this story from my grandfather, how to look for that item so it could be found quickly,” Simon explained enthusiastically. Once again, Simon’s unexpected words made all of Wawan’s worries and fears disappear instantly. So did Winda and Rani, they looked relaxed again and their faces brightened again, not as tense as before.

“Well, how would I know, Mon. I thought you would be angry because I messed up your family heirloom,” Wawan said with a smile.

“Actually, I’ve wanted to look for that item for a long time. When I was in high school, my friend and I wanted to look for it, but it didn’t happen. And then, year after year, I forgot about it and lost my enthusiasm to look for that item. After graduating from high school, I went to college in Jakarta, then worked, so I never remembered about looking for that item again,” explained Simon, telling a new story. This time he told it to his three friends.

“Oh, so you already know about that heirloom, Mon?” asked Jems, nodding.

“Yes, I’ve known about it for a long time, since I was in junior high school I think. Then I wanted to try looking for it when I was in high school, but it didn’t happen,” recalled Simon.

“Why did it happen, Bro?” asked Winda curiously.

“That’s because no one wanted to help me look for it. If it were me, I’d rather not,” answered Simon enthusiastically.

“So what’s the next plan, Bro?” Rani tried to speak up.

“It all depends on you, Mon, now,” Wawan hoped that there would be a breakthrough and new steps from Simon.

“Who wants to come along to look for that thing?” Simon asked everyone there.

Wawan, Winda, and Rani raised their hands, but Jems and Tatang remained silent.

“What’s wrong with you, Jems, Tang? You don’t want to come?” Wawan asked with his hands still raised.

“Yes, Jems, Tang, why don’t you want to come?” Simon asked Jems and Tatang again.

“We only have two weeks of leave, Mon. So how many days are we going to look for that?” Tatang answered with a disinterested expression.

“Yes, Mon, if we look for it tomorrow, I will, so it’ll be quick. Because I also want to get back quickly,” Jems continued, more or less the same as Tatang.

“Not today or tomorrow, wait until my grandmother is stored first,” Simon answered.

“Stored, Bro? What do you mean?” Winda was confused.

“Here, if it’s buried in a hole, people here say stored, not buried,” Simon explained without looking at Winda’s face.

“Oh, I see. Ready, bro,” Winda answered without commenting further.

“So what’s the plan, what do we do? Does anyone have any suggestions?” Simon asked everyone. Everyone was silent for a moment, and after glancing at everyone, Rani finally raised her hand.

“Excuse me, bro, Rani wants to make a suggestion,” Rani said, turning to Simon.

“Okay, okay, ready to continue,” Simon answered politely.

“You said earlier, we’ll start after your grandmother’s funeral is over, more or less like that, bro?” Rani confirmed.

“Yes, that’s right,” Simon answered, nodding with an enthusiastic face, while the others just listened to what Rani had to say next.

“So we still have two more days to spare. How about we prepare some small equipment in the next two days, bro, like a few flashlights, a proper compass or GPS, and what else? Is there anything else?” Rani explained and then threw a question at Winda.

“Probably a rope, and a rolled meter, if I’m not mistaken a hundred-meter one,” said Winda while remembering what was needed.

“Okay.. okay, we can do it later,” Simon replied while nodding, holding his chin.

“You agreed quickly, right, Mon, if it’s a woman who speaks. If we were the ones who spoke, it’s not certain that you would agree right away, especially if you wanted to arrange it right away… maybe this crew member’s friend,” Jems’ voice was loud, but only joking.

“This is indeed urgent, Jems, so we have to accelerate this quickly,” Simon’s voice sounded very wise.

“So two more days, right, Mon? Let’s start,” Wawan asked enthusiastically.

“Yes, two more days. Meanwhile, I’ll request the equipment from earlier to my friend in Makassar, so that it can be picked up at the bus pool tomorrow morning,” Simon said, still acting wise.

“If I’m not mistaken, tomorrow is the burial day, Mon? Are you going to the city tomorrow?” asked Tatang.

“Don’t worry, Tang. Tomorrow I will ask someone to pick up our order. Anyway, relax, everything can be arranged,” Simon assured Tatang enthusiastically, perhaps because there were two beautiful women present. Because, it was unusual for Simon to act like this; usually he was more submissive.

“Our friend is very enthusiastic, either because of his very important heirloom, or because there are two beautiful women,” said Jems while laughing, teasing Simon who did seem different from usual. Meanwhile, Winda and Rani just smiled when they heard Jems’ joke to Simon.

“So, the meeting is over?” Wawan asked everyone.

“It’s over, Wan. Do you want it to be tense like before?” Tatang joked.

“Ah, only Wawan deliberately created an atmosphere like that, so dramatic. You are really good, Wan, when it comes to things like this,” Jems teased again.

“So, are we dismissed?” asked Winda, glancing at Wawan.

“Are there still any questions? Rani, maybe you still want to ask something?” Wawan glanced at Rani who was sitting next to Winda.

“Why is Rani the only one being asked? We weren’t asked, Wan?” Tatang protested.

“Yeah, Tang, you’ve been rambling on and on, why would you ask?” Wawan was a little annoyed.

“Who knows, maybe we still have questions or brilliant ideas, right, Jems?” Tatang replied teasingly to Wawan.

“Isn’t it a bit different, Tang, our two friends?” Jems replied.

“Nothing from me, Bro,” Rani replied softly to Wawan.

“Wan, after this, just create a WA group, so we can communicate in the group,” Simon said approaching Wawan.

“Does it really have to be like that, Mon? Create a WA group?” Wawan replied as if he thought the WA group was unimportant in this mission.

“Yes, it has to be, Wan, so our communication can run smoothly,” Tatang replied again to Wawan’s statement.

“It’s okay, Wan, just make it. So that later if there is any equipment missing or there is important information, it can be immediately reported in the group,” Simon is still committed to his wise style and attitude.

“Okay, ready… if the project leader says so, I’ll just say yes,” Wawan answered very enthusiastically.

Two days later, on the day of Simon’s grandmother’s funeral. Slowly, many families have returned to their respective areas, and usually on the day of the funeral it is not as crowded as the previous four days. On this day of the funeral, only the immediate family was present. The equipment that Simon ordered to Makassar had arrived yesterday and was stored at Winda and Rani’s lodging. Everything was according to their needs.

Jems, Simon, Wawan, Winda, and Rani accompanied Simon’s grandmother to the funeral, which was quite far for city people. The journey was taken on foot, while the road taken was a footpath through gardens, rows of pine forests, and rice fields. They really enjoyed the trip because this was their first experience. On the way to the burial, Wawan felt something was odd. In the midst of the crowd of people who seemed to be in mourning, he saw several strangers whom he had just seen for the first time that day. Their style and behavior were very suspicious. Some of them looked serious holding Garmin GPS, as if they were matching location coordinates. Meanwhile, the others kept looking at the printed paper. With his high curiosity, Wawan approached one of the people holding the printout. When his eyes fell on the picture, he was immediately shocked to death. The picture was exactly the same as the one Amrul had given him earlier. His heart was beating fast; something was not right here. He immediately looked away and started looking for Simon among the crowd of families who were walking to accompany the body. "Where the hell is Simon? He should know about this," he thought to himself while continuing to glance at the suspicious people. In his heart, Wawan began to think, maybe there was something bigger than just this ordinary funeral.

"Mon... Mon, come here for a minute, there's something really important," Wawan pulled Simon out of the family group.

"What's wrong, Wan? Why are you panicking like that?" asked Simon who was also panicking.

“Mon, do you know those people?” Wawan asked while pointing one by one at the people he had been suspicious of.

“No, I just saw them today. Why is that, Wan?” Simon continued to observe the people Wawan pointed at.

“Do you know, Mon, that person over there is the one holding the paper?” Wawan asked while pointing at the person he meant.

“Yes, why?” his gaze followed Wawan’s finger.

“They are holding the same printout paper as the digital map image that Amrul gave me,” Wawan panicked even more.

“Ah, how can it be the same? Does that mean there is a leak between us?” Simon asked suspiciously.

“Winda or Rani?” Wawan speculated.

“Seriously, Winda or Rani?” Simon asked to reassure Wawan.

“Honestly, I don’t know for sure if the perpetrator is Winda or Rani, but among us, they are the only new people,” Wawan suspected Rani and Winda.

“Let’s call Rani and Winda first,” Simon and Wawan rushed to Rani and Winda who were walking at the back of the group. Not long after, Wawan and Simon were with Rani. Seeing Wawan and Simon with Rani, Jems and Tatang thought that their two friends were trying to approach Winda and Rani. Without further ado, Jems and Tatang joined in and approached Wawan, Simon, Rani, and Winda.

“Wow, there are two pairs of pigeons, Tang,” said Jems approaching Wawan and Simon.

“Ah, the male is not a pigeon, but a crow,” joked Tatang followed by Jems’ laughter.

“Hey, you two come here quickly,” whispered Simon to Jems and Tatang.

“Don’t worry, we won’t bother you,” Jems continued to chatter.

“Hey, try to pay attention to those people over there? Do you know what they’re doing?” Wawan put his arm around Jems’ shoulder and pointed at the people he had suspected earlier.

“Hey, yeah, I saw those people looking really busy, like they were looking for a lost coin,” Jems was shocked as if realizing something.

“It seems like someone leaked our information,” Wawan was still suspicious and glanced at Rani and Winda.

“I’m sure you’ll accuse me and Rani of leaking the data to them,” said Winda calmly, looking at the four people. “But Rani and I do not have any data about maps or any instructions at all. Wawan never shared anything with me or Rani,” Winda continued in a calm tone.

“Yes, that’s right. How could they leak the data if they don’t even have the data,” Jems said, as if realizing something.

“Yes, I’m the only one who has the data,” Wawan answered, confirming Winda’s words.

“They came here with preparation, it couldn’t have been for just three or four days. It must have been at least a week. Look at the equipment they brought, it looks like it was prepared well in advance,” Rani analyzed while continuing to observe the movements of the people.

“I think if I look closely, they are not from Makassar, let alone Toraja. Maybe they are from Java or Jakarta,” Simon speculated.

“Eh, yes… I just heard them chatting, they spoke in a soft voice, their accent is not an eastern accent,” Tatang confirmed.

“So who leaked this, Wan?” Simon asked Wawan who was still embracing Jems’ shoulders.

“Well, there’s one more person left,” Wawan’s voice sounded tired, like someone who had resigned themselves to the situation.

“Who, Bro? Amrul, huh?” Winda guessed while frowning, trying to understand the situation.

“Yeah, who else? He’s the only one who holds detailed information about this mission,” Wawan answered while pointing at the cellphone he had been holding.

“Hey, Mon, we’re already behind the group!” Jems suddenly exclaimed to Simon in a panicked tone.

“It’s okay, Jems, the hole is close by,” Simon replied casually, trying to calm his friends down.

“This way, you guys just follow the group. I’m going to call Amrul, to make sure he really leaked the data,” Wawan said again in a tone that was less than enthusiastic, as if all his hopes depended on the one call he was about to make.

Wawan called Amrul, and without waiting long, Amrul immediately picked up the phone. “Hello, Rul!” Wawan checked whether he was connected or not.

“Yes, Wan… listen… listen,” Amrul answered on the other end.

“You’re fast, bro. Got a jackpot after selling the data I gave you, huh?” Wawan went straight to the point.

“What else can I do, Wan? Support me, I don’t get anything, just a thank you from you,” Amrul answered lightly without any guilt.

“Oh is that so, luckily I haven’t told you the key clue from Simon’s family,” Wawan held back his emotions.

“What other key clue, bro? The clues are all complete,” Amrul didn’t want to lose.

“That’s just the carvings, you don’t have any explanation in the Toraja script scroll,” Wawan said feeling on top.

“Who cares, what’s clear is that I’ve got the money, it’s quite a lot, bro,” Amrul provoked Wawan’s emotions.

“Hurry up and run far away, okay? Later, antique collectors will be looking for you, because you sold fake data and information to them, hehehe,” Wawan laughed and immediately hung up the phone.

A few moments later, Amrul called Wawan back.

“You were looking for them so quickly?” Wawan said without saying hello.

“Wan, do you want to work with me? I’ll give you fifty million, if the item is found, I’ll add another hundred million. Do you want to?” Amrul coaxed Wawan to work with him.

“Three hundred million paid up front, I’ll do it. If it’s less than that, forget it,” Wawan made a new offer.

“You’re crazy, that’s too much, bro!” Amrul said in surprise.

“Then, don’t bother,” Wawan replied without any burden.

“Well, okay, this is it, I’ll call you in ten minutes, okay?” Amrul thought for a moment.

“No, Rul. I’m at Simon’s grandmother’s funeral. After this, I have another briefing, so if you agree, transfer now. If not, then that’s it,” Wawan replied, putting his index finger to his lips when he realized Jems, Winda, and Tatang were in front of him.

“But that’s too big, bro,” Amrul was still trying to negotiate. “Rul, I know how much the item is worth. It can buy twenty Pajeros and Alphards, so if it’s only three hundred million, it’s small,” Wawan said matter-of-factly.

“Okay, I’ll transfer it now,” Amrul’s voice sounded resigned.

“Once there’s a notification from the bank, then I’m ready to support your people here,” Wawan said in a firm tone.

“Okay. I’ll transfer it now.”

“Okay, ready.” Wawan hung up the phone.

“You’re dead, I’ll do it,” Wawan continued while putting his phone in his pocket.

“Who, Wan?” Jems asked while lifting his chin.

“It turns out that Amrul is the one who sold his data to antique collectors,” Wawan answered in an annoyed tone.

“So the ones hanging around here are antique collectors?” while pointing to the right without looking at the direction of his index finger.

“Yes, it’s all Amrul’s doing,” Wawan emphasized again.

“Okay, let’s go to Bro Simon,” said Winda.

“Wait a minute.” Wawan raised his hand, while the other hand took the phone from his pocket.

“What, Wan?” asked Jems.

“There’s a notification from the bank,” replied Wawan.

“Wow, you have a lot of money, Wan,” Jems smiled broadly.

“Not me, but us,” said Wawan smiling.

“You mean the three hundred million earlier is for us to share?” Tatang confirmed again.

“Yes, so you guys can relax, I’ll work on Amrul back,” Wawan smiled, while his gaze was still on his phone screen.

“Hey, Win, what is that Rani doing? She looks like a reporter and a cheesy vlogger, I see,” said Jems when he saw Rani busy recording images of people who were busy passing by.

“Oh, that’s actually her job, reporting while taking videos for the office YouTube channel,” explained Winda.

“Oh, she’s a cameraman, huh?” asked Tatang.

“No, actually he’s an editor, but he often gets emotional if the videos he edits are incomplete, or the images are tilted, or the objects aren’t very visible. That’s why he took the pictures himself in the field,” explained Winda. Their gazes focused on Rani.

“Then after that he edited it again?” asked Jems.

“Yes,” Winda briefly.

“Wow, his salary is double,” asked Jems again with a smile.

“Not double, it’s just a policy from the office,” Winda revealed a little information.

“Eh, that’s Simon,” Wawan pointed at Simon who was also walking towards them.

“How is it, Mon? Has your grandmother been put in the hole?” asked Jems.

“Not yet, the coffin is being tied up first, then later it will be pulled up using a bamboo ladder made specifically to lift the coffin into the hole,” Simon answered explaining.

“Is it close, Mon?” asked Wawan.

“Over there, after passing those pine trees, then down. Well, that’s where it is,” Simon replied while pointing in the direction in question. “Eh, so how is it? Do you know who leaked it?” Simon continued patting Wawan’s arm.

“Yes, that’s right, Mon. It turns out that Amrul sold the data to antique collectors,” Wawan replied with full confidence.

“So how many people are here, it’s because of Amrul, I guess?” Simon pointed down where he was standing.

“I also didn’t expect, Mon, that Amrul could be that cruel to me, even though he was my junior high school friend,” Wawan said with regret.

“Well, okay, but are you sure they won’t be able to find the item. I have the detailed instructions and the key to the stone,” Simon said confidently.

“Oh yeah, Mon, I did something to Amrul back. He asked me to cooperate, then I pretended to convince him, then I asked for three hundred million too,” Wawan explained proudly.

“Then what?” Simon asked curiously.

“Well, he sent three hundred million. It’s enough for us to share later,” Wawan replied, beaming.

“Wow, that’s great, Wan. It’s enough to buy a pig,” Simon said with a big smile.

“Come on, Bro, let’s go there. Winda has never seen a Torajan burial ritual in person,” Winda invited in a curious tone. Simon then replied, “Well, that’s why, Win, marry a Torajan, so you can see events like this more often.” Simon’s words seemed joking, but there was a slight nuance of seriousness—as if there was a desire behind his joke. Winda just smiled without giving any further response. Without saying much more, they walked side by side towards the grave where Simon’s grandmother was buried. Tatang walked in front, followed by Jems and Winda, while Rani was behind them, continuing to direct her camera at interesting objects she found along the way. The air around her felt cool, the distinctive scent of pine needles wafting slowly into the nose, adding to the serene atmosphere in this cemetery area. The distance to the grave site was getting closer, and several other family members also followed from behind. When they arrived at the grave site of Simon's grandmother, the view of a large and sturdy rock cliff was now in front of them.

Jems, Simon, Wawan, Winda, and Rani were stunned to see the view that stretched out in front of them. The view was very beautiful, overlooking a valley surrounded by lush pine forests and neatly arranged terraced rice fields. The green color of the rice plants that were starting to turn yellow on the edge of the rice fields combined with the brown color of the fertile soil, creating a calming panorama.

"Wow, the location of the grave is really cool, bro. This is an expensive grave, Bogor is inferior," said Winda, while admiring the scenery around her.

"Well, that's why, Win, if you want to see this view as often as possible, you have to find a Torajan husband," Simon still continued his efforts to Winda. "Are you still trying, Mon? Don't let up, okay," replied Jems.

"If the view is this good, it can also be used as a tourist spot," praised Winda again. Tatang just nodded pretending to agree.

“This grave, long before my grandmother and grandfather were born, was already there. If you listen to the stories of the old people, it is estimated that this grave is more than a thousand years old,” said Simon guessing. Meanwhile, Rani, who usually rarely speaks, maybe because she still feels new in this circle, finally spoke up, “In my opinion, it would be better to just leave it like this, no need to do anything. The trees should not be cut down excessively, so that whenever the situation and atmosphere remain like this, nothing changes at all,” said Rani explaining her opinion. They all fell silent for a moment, pondering Rani’s words, giving them the opportunity to look around, feel the cold breeze that smells typical of pine forests. After a while, Jems broke the silence.

“Yes, if I think about it, what Rani said earlier is true. An arrangement like this should be left alone, no need to build anything,” Jems confirmed what Rani said.

“That’s right,” Simon replied, replying to Jems’ sentence.

“Hey, let’s go there. The coffin will be pulled up soon,” Simon continued, inviting his friends. Everyone walked closer to the bottom of the cliff where his grandmother would be buried. People were already ready on the very wide and high stairs, which could hold about twenty adult men plus the coffin being pulled up. Slowly, the coffin was pulled up. There were several people directing the coffin so that it would stay straight when being pulled and not get caught on the bamboo or stairs. After spending less than an hour, the coffin finally arrived in front of the cave mouth or hole door. Several people held it in front of the hole door to push it in, and there were already two people ready inside the hole to then fix the position of the coffin that had just been put in, as well as tidying up several coffins that had been in the hole for a long time, even arranging the scattered skeletons in the hole so that they would not be crushed by the coffin that had just been put in. The other family members who were below all directed their gazes at the coffin that was being lifted up to the grave. They watched the coffin being lifted little by little until it reached the grave door, and even when the grave door was closed, many families, especially close relatives, children and grandchildren of the deceased, continued to stare at the closed grave door. Sadness was very visible on the faces of the family, even though the grandmother's body had been stored at home for several years.

The sun had begun to lean to the west, emitting golden light that shone on the cliffs of the cemetery. The afternoon air felt increasingly cold touching the skin. One by one the families began to leave the place. Simon, who was still standing still, stared at the entrance of the cemetery with a blank stare. Tears kept falling from his eyes, how deep the sadness he felt.

Jems, Tatang, and Wawan had actually been watching Simon from afar. They knew very well the deep sorrow felt by their friend. Simon had once told them about how close he was to his late grandmother. Since childhood, Simon had lived with his grandmother, and their relationship was very close.

Simon's father and mother had called him several times in the hope that their son would leave the place, but all their efforts seemed in vain. Seeing how depressed Simon's parents were, Jems and Tatang decided to approach them.

"Uncle, Auntie, we'll go home together with Simon. Soon at most," said Jems in a calming tone, hoping to help ease the burden on Simon's mother.

"Thank you, son," answered Simon's mother softly, while rubbing Jems' shoulder gently. Simon's parents left, leaving Simon still stunned.

Simon knew that his parents had come twice to take him home, but his heart was still fixated on the door of his grandmother's grave. He could not forget all the memories left behind, his grandmother's loving face, and the wisdom she always taught him. After trying hard all day, now the sadness was taking over his feelings again.

The evening began to darken, and the atmosphere around him became quieter. One by one the sounds of night insects began to be heard calling to each other as if accompanying the thin mist that slowly began to descend, covering the trees and cliffs of the grave where Simon's grandmother was buried, as if nature also felt Simon's sadness.

Finally, Wawan, Jems, and Tatang came to Simon. They stood by his side in silence, feeling the discomfort that enveloped him. Jems then whispered softly in Simon's ear, "Come on, let's go home, don't let yourself get sick. There are still many things you need to do," said Jems softly.

"Simon," Wawan's voice sounded soft. "Your grandmother wouldn't want you to continue to be sad like this. Don't disappoint your grandmother, Mon."

Simon's gaze began to dissolve in the shadows of the fog, thinking about his friends' words. Slowly, with heavy breath, he nodded his head. "Yes, you're right," he said, his voice full of regret but with hope.

Simultaneously, Wawan, Jems, and Tatang embraced Simon.

They walked home, the fog slowly began to clear, and the soft colors of the twilight sky revealed warmth. Simon felt a burden lifted from his heart. He would never forget his grandmother. While he was studying and working there, he missed many days with his grandmother. Now only the silent door of the cave fixed on the high cliff could he look at. His grandmother's smile and warmth of love remained alive in his memories.

For two days now, Simon had not communicated with all his friends. The WA group that they had just created a few days ago since the day of Simon's grandmother's burial was quiet, there was no conversation whatsoever. Winda, who contacted Wawan via chat yesterday, only asked when their team would start moving, but Wawan himself did not know when, because Simon, "the caretaker," had not shown his head to his friends. For the past two days, he seemed to have disappeared. Yesterday afternoon, Jems saw Simon walking down the road beside the tongkonan house, it seemed like he was heading towards the grave where his grandmother was buried.

“Jems, so what are we doing? We’ve been sitting here for two days, not doing anything. Bored, man,” Tatang complained to Jems who was busy playing games on his phone.

“Take it easy, Tang. You know Simon is still grieving. Besides, we have two weeks of leave,” Jems replied, still focused on the game on his phone.

“Yeah, Tang, take it easy, we still have a week of leave,” Wawan said, who was also busy with his phone.

“That’s not what I meant, Wan, Jems,” Tatang approached Jems and Wawan.

“Then what?” Wawan and Jems replied almost simultaneously, but their gazes remained the same.

“Do you guys think I feel bad for Simon’s mother and father? We’ve been placed in this fairly spacious house, not the one on the hill anymore. Plus, we get food brought to us three times a day. That’s what makes me… like, gosh… how is it with Simon’s family,” Tatang explained with an irritated feeling. Hearing Tatang's sentence, Jems and Wawan suddenly seemed to realize something, and immediately stopped their respective activities. They realized how important this situation was.

"I've been thinking like that, Tang, since this morning," said Jems as she put down her cellphone and turned to Tatang who was standing near the window, with his back to them. "But I'm still confused, what should we do?" continued Jems again.

"Earlier I thought about calling Simon, but I still feel uncomfortable," said Wawan who was still sitting in his position, stretched out on the bed.

"Hey, do you know where that kid is sleeping? Yesterday afternoon I saw him going down there, I think he was going to his grandmother's grave," added Jems, remembering what she saw.

Not long after, Jems' cellphone rang, there was an incoming call from Simon. "Hey, long live this kid," said Jems as she looked at her cellphone screen.

"Hey, Mon, where are you?" asked Jems in the softest tone possible.

“Here, Jems. Where are you guys? I looked for you upstairs, but you weren’t there,” Simon answered on the other end. From Simon’s tone, it seemed as if he was fine.

“Well, we’re here, in the stilt house next to the Tongkonan house,” Jems continued.

“Yeah… I thought you were hanging out with Winda and Rani, that’s why I didn’t contact you.”

“Baaah!… How could we hang out, and you’re still in mourning,” Jems answered anxiously. Suddenly the door was opened from the outside.

“The mourning has passed, Jems,” Simon answered, suddenly entering the house with his cellphone still attached to his ear and still talking to Jems on the phone.

“Ah, you didn’t talk, we thought you were still miserable, still mourning, so we just kept quiet,” Jems explained over the phone, even though Simon was only a few steps away.

“Yesterday afternoon I looked for you guys in the house upstairs. I waited, but you didn’t come until I stayed overnight in the house upstairs. Because I wanted to come back here, but it was raining heavily until dawn,” Simon explained with a smile on his face.

“Well, then yesterday afternoon, almost evening, I saw you coming down. Where were you going?” Jems asked in surprise, but he no longer had his phone next to his ear.

“I went looking for you guys. I thought you had started your mission,” Simon explained.

“Lhaaaaa....??? What’s wrong, Mon? Didn’t you call or ping in the group first?” Wawan said, standing up with a confused expression.

“Yeah, come on, Mon. We thought you were still like that, so we just ignored you,” Tatang said, adding to Wawan’s statement. “My phone was low on battery, and I forgot where I put it. It turned out to be in Bernad’s jacket pocket,” Simon answered while shaking his head, feeling a little ridiculous about the situation that had occurred.

Hearing Simon’s explanation, Jems, Wawan, and Tatang exchanged glances, feeling relieved and a little annoyed at the same time.

“Eh, hang on a minute… So, we’re all worried for no reason?” Jems sighed, trying to hold back his laughter.

“Ah, if I had known that, I would have gone for a walk around the village,” Wawan said with an annoyed expression, while holding back his laughter. “Well, poor Winda and Rani, asking questions all the time, they’re also bored at the inn, not doing anything, waiting for information from us,” Wawan added. Simon smiled and then laughed, laughing at the situation they had been experiencing for the past two days. “Sorry, I should have called you guys, but my phone was in Bernad’s jacket.”

“Well, it’s okay, Mon. The important thing is that everything is safe, right?” Jems asked to make sure again.

“Well, it’s safe, Jems, we’re all here,” Tatang added.

“Let’s continue our unexpected mission, let’s be like our Indiana Jones this time,” Jems said in an enthusiastic tone of voice.

“Well, okay, Wan, try calling Winda, let them come here, then we’ll discuss everything we need to do first,” Simon said to Wawan.

“Yeah, man, it’ll be more colorful, it’s not all guys,” Tatang joked to everyone.

Wawan dialed Winda’s number, and it seemed like Winda had been waiting for a call from Wawan. Without waiting for it to ring for long, Winda immediately picked up the phone from Wawan.

“Win, are you still at the inn, right?” Wawan asked.

“Yeah, yeah, still, Wan. We’re waiting for you to let us know,” Winda said excitedly.

“So what do you think? We go to your inn? Or do you come here to Simon’s house?” Wawan offered a choice.

“We’ll go there, Wan. Rani also wants to show us something. It seems like yesterday she recorded something that is related to what we’re looking for,” Winda explained.

“What, Win?” Wawan was curious.

“Later, Rani will show you and explain it to us,” Winda replied, her voice full of mystery.

“Okay, okay… ready! Let’s wait, Win,” Wawan replied happily, feeling enthusiastic about the new information he had received.

After hanging up the phone, Wawan turned to Simon and the others. “Winda said that Rani has a recording that she said is related to our mission. They’ll be here soon.”

“Hopefully it’s not a recording of an apparition,” Tatang said flatly.

“No way, Tang, how could that be?” Jems said, glancing at Tatang. “I actually think it’s some kind of code or something that will make this mission finish quickly,” Jems continued, looking excited.

They were all very curious waiting for Winda and Rani to arrive. The atmosphere in the house felt more lively. Wawan opened the door and looked outside, then took a deep breath.

“The atmosphere is so fresh, euy. Taking a deep breath also doesn’t require fear of exhaust fumes entering the lungs,” said Wawan cheerfully.

From behind Wawan, Jems also came out. “Mon, I think it’ll be nice if we chat here,” said Jems while sitting on the edge of the terrace.

“Come on, it’s up to you. I’m free to go anywhere, the house above is also fine,” said Simon, giving the option of the house on the hill.

“No, Mon, just here. I’m tired, euy, walk up,” complained Tatang, imagining when they had to go up to the house on the hill.

“Eh, eh, there they are,” Wawan pointed in the direction where Winda and Rani came from.

“They’re carrying backpacks and carry-ons, are they going straight back to Jakarta?” Jems looked at Winda and Rani’s belongings.

“They look like they’ve been kicked out of their boarding house, huh?” added Tatang.

“But it seems like even though they’re big, the things they’re carrying seem light,” Simon also analyzed.

“Maybe dirty clothes, Mon, they want to wash their clothes here?” Tatang guessed again.

“Could be, Tang. Maybe their thumbs are acting up at their lodgings,” Jems also confirmed Wawan’s guess.

“But the closer we get, the more it doesn’t seem like the laundry,” said Wawan, who was lined up with four people focused on Winda and Rani’s belongings.

“It’s so complicated. We’d better wait until they come up here, then we’ll ask them,” said Wawan.

“Winda, Rani, hurry up and go up! They’re probably curious about your belongings,” Jems shouted at Rani and Winda. Hearing Jems’ shout, Rani and Winda just smiled without replying a single word. Casually, Rani and Winda approached Simon’s house, and now they were in front of the stairs.

“Come on, just go up,” Simon invited with a friendly smile. They just stared at Winda and Rani until the two of them were really on the terrace.

"The atmosphere of a stilt house is really different, huh, from a regular house," said Rani when she was already on the terrace. “It’s different, Ran. Especially when a girl goes up, her voice is also different,” replied Tatang.

“Eh, you, Tang, I don’t know what you’re saying,” Jems reprimanded Tatang.

“Well, it’s different, Jems. Try going down first, then going up here, the sound of your footsteps is different. Moreover, your body is quite big,” replied Tatang seriously to Jems.

“Well, okay, let’s get started. Eh, by the way, what are you bringing? Why do you look like you’ve run away from your boarding house?” Wawan asked in an awkward tone.

“Oh, this. Yesterday, the kids at the inn bought a lot of snacks. They went back, eh, they left them behind. Well, okay, we’ll just bring them all here,” said Winda while handing her a large plastic bag that she had brought from the inn.

“This much, Win? All the snacks? It could get us inflamed,” said Jems jokingly.

“Yes, they thought there would be less consumption here. Eh, it turns out there are a lot, so they are lazy to snack,” Rani also sat on the edge of the terrace.

“Eh, the atmosphere is very different from yesterday?” Rani said feeling strange.

“Yesterday the view wasn’t like this, there were a lot of what were those called on the edges of the yard?”

“Oh, that’s called Lantang, temporary lodging for guests,” Simon answered.

“Well, that… yes, that. But now it’s clean, and the people are gone too,” Rani continued.

“Yes, everyone has gone home to their respective origins,” Simon stared into the distance.

“I didn’t expect it, Bro Simon, that the view from Bro Simon’s terrace is really cool. In front of there is a mountain, on the left is a forest, on the right is a pine hill and rice fields. It’s really cool,” Rani praised enthusiastically enjoying the situation around Simon’s house.

“Hey, this is your house, right, Mon?” Tatang asked to make sure.

“Yes, whose house do you want?” Simon replied with a smile.

“No, Mon, I mean who knows maybe your father and mother’s house,” Tatang said to make sure.

“My father and mother live in the traditional house over there,” Simon pointed towards the Tongkonan traditional house.

“Then if Bro Simon goes back to Jakarta, this house will be empty, right?” Rani asked while looking at the stilt house. “Well, it’s such a shame, isn’t it?” Rani continued in a spoiled voice.

“Well, what else can I do, Ran. You want to live here, go ahead. We can raise our children together in this house,” Simon joked, greeted by laughter from everyone there. “Ew, what is this, Bro Simon? Are you a chick?” Rani replied, still holding back her laughter, she knew that it was just Simon’s joke.

“Your progress is fast, Mon. You and Wawan have progressed fast since we’ve been in Toraja,” Jems said in a slightly surprised tone.

“What about me, Jems?” Tatang asked jokingly.

“Ah, if it’s you, Tang, you caught a cold while you were here,” Jems answered in response to Tatang’s question.

“That’s why, Tang, you should wear a jacket diligently while you’re here, so you don’t catch a cold,” Wawan added to Jems’ joke.

“Eh, so what’s going on, guys? Ran, try turning on your laptop, then try showing and explaining it to all of us,” Winda’s sentence invited us to focus on the original goal.

“Eh, yeah… yeah, wait a minute,” Rani took her laptop from her backpack and opened it immediately.

“Try, Ran, explain it as clearly as possible, Civil Servant, so no one will misunderstand,” Winda said again as a reminder.

“Okay, ready.” Rani briefly, everyone was in their respective positions approaching Rani’s laptop monitor.

“Well, like this, guys, mmm… wait a minute, where should I start, okay? So it’s not too long, I think there’s something I want to skip. How about it, Win?” Rani directed her gaze to Winda as if asking for approval.

“No need, Ran. Just explain everything from the beginning,” Winda asked Rani.

“Well, that’s it then. So, at that time, I really wanted to pee, but because there were a lot of people, well, I hid myself looking for a quiet place where there wouldn’t be anyone passing by,” Rani explained the story in sequence.

“Now, now, what happened, Ran?” Jems with a very serious face couldn’t wait to know what happened next.

“Jems was really excited hearing someone needing to pee,” Tatang said.

“Well, finally I found a place that I felt was safe enough.”

“So?” Jems asked quietly. "You're so horny, Jems," Wawan joked.

"So, yeah, I opened it, then speed... Well, when I finished peering, I stood up and reflexively looked back, and it turned out that behind me there was a flat rock cliff, but only a little. Well, like in this video," Rani explained while showing her findings on the laptop screen placed on the table. She played a video that recorded the strange discovery behind where she was standing.

Their feelings were filled with enthusiasm, mixed with a strong sense of curiosity. The video clearly shows the unusual shape of the cliff and plains. "Well, then the one below this, why is there a flat one, quite wide like a human handiwork. It's about two meters wide, maybe, but I don't know how long it is, because it's still buried in the ground," Rani continued, her eyes sparkling as she looked back at the discovery.

Hearing Rani's explanation, everyone's attention was focused on her. “Mon, do you know about this?” Wawan asked, hoping that Simon had information or more knowledge about the discovery in Rani's video.

“Honestly, guys, I just found out about this,” Simon replied, while continuing to watch the video on Rani's laptop carefully. "But it's possible that if we dig further down, there might be a door. Because at the Civil Servant Office, the carvings seem to form a kind of signpost for a door," Simon continued. Rani and her friends were silent as they heard this. “Hey, wait a minute,” Simon gasped when he saw something on Rani's laptop.

“Rani, try moving the carvings back a bit,” Simon said, staring seriously at Rani's laptop screen.

"This, bro?" Rani asked while trying to adjust the video.

"Yes, stop there," Simon replied, still staring seriously. “It doesn't look like these are Torajan carvings,” Simon confirmed.

"Yes, that's right, Bro. Rani has a recording of the tomb door when my grandmother was about to be put in, and the carving motifs are also different," Rani added while showing the next video. On the screen, the carvings were clearly visible, which were thick with typical Torajan art.

"Well, Mon, it doesn't seem like a Torajan carving," Wawan said in a serious tone. "Previously, I had observed all the Torajan carving motifs in the Tongkonan houses. I also googled all types of Torajan carvings, but they didn't resemble the ones on the stone. In fact, the carvings on the stone were more similar to the carvings on the wooden chest," Wawan continued, finishing his explanation.

Simon nodded as he listened to Wawan's explanation. "Yes, Wan, to be sure, we really have to execute this quickly. But not today, it's already evening, especially since it's already cloudy, it's better if we go there tomorrow morning. Today, let's just prepare everything we need to bring there tomorrow morning," Simon said with an explanation that all his friends accepted.

“Agreed!” they answered in unison.

Suddenly Wawan's cellphone rang, there was an incoming call from Amrul. Wawan signaled to everyone, by bringing his index finger near his lips, then Wawan pressed the loudspeaker and picked up the phone from Amrul.

"Yes, Rul, so what? Where are our members now?" asked Wawan pretending to care.

"Aah, you're messed up, Wan. How come my members were kicked out of the location by Simon, and you just let them be?" said Amrul in a disappointed tone.

"You didn't even inform me that your members were heading to the field," Wawan pretended to be innocent.

"Yesterday, my four members, they were busy carrying a body to the cemetery," explained Amrul.

"Oooh, those were your members. Well, how would I know, Rul. None of them contacted me. Besides, your members are all so brash. How could they just go into someone's village without paying their respects to the landowner, and cut down bamboo trees without permission, like their ancestors planted them," explained Wawan explaining the incident a few days ago when several unknown people barged into Simon's grandmother's.

Meanwhile, Simon, Tatang, Jems, and Winda and Rani just listened attentively to Wawan's conversation with Amrul.

 

 

Chapter 8: Behind the Traditional Aroma and the Secret of the Heirloom

“They’re looking for the same coordinates that I gave you,” Amrul defended his members.

“But that’s not how it works, Rul. There’s etiquette when entering someone’s village,” Wawan said in a raised voice.

“So what do we do? Do you want to support me now, since the one with the capital has been nagging me,” Amrul asked resignedly.

“I’ll call you back later, Rul. I’ll think about the strategy first, then I’ll let you know,” Wawan tried to buy time.

“Okay, don’t take too long, okay. I’ll be waiting for you,” Amrul tried to pressure Wawan.

“Okay... okay, Rul.” Wawan hung up the phone.

“Is that your friend Amrul, Wan?” Jems asked angrily.

“Well, yes, that’s the suspect kid,” Wawan replied.

“Enough, just relax, Wan. You keep good communication with Amrul,” Simon said, acting wise.

“Why, Mon? He’s the traitor, he’s the one who sold the information, to the point that the person who came here the other day,” Jems still said to Amrul in an annoyed tone.

“Yes, Jems, calm down, bro. We’ll just use him later,” Simon said calmly.

“What do you mean, Bro?” Winda hastily interrupted the conversation.

“What I mean is this, he must know a lot of antique collectors, right? Later, we’ll just use him to give us links to those collectors,” Simon said, explaining his intentions.

“He betrayed me, Mon. How could he still trust someone like that?” Wawan disagreed with Simon’s intentions.

“Just relax, Wan. There will be a time when he’ll be cornered and surrender unconditionally to us. What’s certain is that the six of us will remain solid,” Simon continued and tried to give Wawan an understanding.

“Okay, ready. We’ll just wait for your instructions,” Wawan tried to understand Simon’s intentions.

“So, what do we do next, Mon?” asked Tatang who had been silent all this time.

“Yes, Bro. What’s our plan now?” asked Winda again.

“Today we’ll prepare everything we need for tomorrow morning, including tools for digging, hoes, crowbars, and so on,” explained Simon.

“Hey, wait… wait a minute, Mon. Are we really digging the ground?” asked Jems to make sure.

“Yes, of course, Jems. What are the hoe and crowbar really going to do? Scooping up porridge?” continued Tatang again.

“Hey, to be honest, yeah… I’ve been holding a hoe my whole life when I did community service at my school in junior high school,” said Jems hoping that he wouldn’t have to join in digging the ground tomorrow.

“Really? Rani and I, Bro, are the ones digging the ground,” replied Winda jokingly.

“Eh, that’s not what I meant, Win. There are these guys, who are tough, macho, and strong,” Jems praised Simon, Tatang, and Wawan.

“So what are you going to do tomorrow, Jems?” asked Wawan.

“Yeah, what are you going to do tomorrow, Jems?” asked Simon again.

“Well, what, I can still cut grass, or the consumption part,” joked Jems.

“Jems, I’ll tell you, okay. This isn’t community service in the RT, where you just cut grass, then chat until noon,” said Tatang telling Jems.

“We’ll see tomorrow then, Wan,” answered Jems in a weak tone.

“Come on, tough men and macho guys, let’s go downstairs to see what equipment is needed tomorrow,” invited Simon enthusiastically.

“What’s down there, Mon?” asked Tatang following Simon from behind.

“Various things, there are hoes, shovels, machetes, crowbars, and even tractors,” Simon said while naming his tools one by one. They all rushed downstairs following Simon. After arriving at a small room in the corner under the house, Simon immediately opened the door which was indeed unlocked. “Please take what you need,” said Simon inviting them.

Tatang and Wawan were very enthusiastic. They immediately went in and immediately held the hoe and crowbar. “I’ll do this, Mon,” said Tatang while holding the hoe and crowbar.

Meanwhile, Jems was still confused about what type of equipment to use. “You, Jems, what do you want to take?” asked Wawan who was still choosing the type of equipment he needed.

“I’m confused about what to take, Wan,” Jems answered while looking around him doubtfully.

“Mon, are all of these not used anymore?” asked Tatang who was next to Simon.

“They’re all still used, Tang. And why are there so many? Back then, and even now, my grandfather was a landowner. He had a lot of rice fields and gardens, from here to Liang Batu where my grandmother was kept yesterday, it was all still his land. Then there were a lot of people helping to work on it, so there were this many agricultural and plantation equipment,” said Simon explaining proudly.

“Wow, that means we can use all of this for our mission,” Wawan said excitedly.

“We can just take the most important ones first, so it’s not too heavy,” Simon said again.

“Ready! Let’s take the most needed ones first,” Tatang added while lifting his hoe.

“If there’s anything missing, we can come back,” Tatang continued.

“Okay, I’ll just use this sickle. To cut grass,” Jems finally chose the sickle, even after looking at several other tools for a long time.

“Eh, and this one more, so it won’t get too hot,” Jems continued, taking a wide-brimmed hat made of woven bamboo that was hanging nearby.

“Eh, wow, Jems, big body, muscular, only taking a sickle and a hat, what are you going to do, Jems?” Wawan asked, confused by the equipment Jems chose, which according to Wawan was not commensurate with his body posture.

“For me, bring this, a hoe, a shovel, and a machete,” Simon said while tying the tools he had chosen together.

“Me too, Mon, a hoe, a dustpan, and this machete. This seems to be for cutting grass and twigs, right? Because it looks like this, long but thin,” Wawan said, looking closely at the machete in his hand.

After choosing the tools, they gathered again near the exit.

“Okay, ready. Now, let’s take all of this upstairs, don’t mix them up, and don’t forget to return it tomorrow like when you first took it,” Simon said to his friends.

“Ready, Mon. I couldn’t possibly forget or lose this,” Jems said while holding the sickle and hat he had chosen earlier.

“Of course, Jems didn’t forget. If I forgot, it would be too much, just the sickle and hat,” Tatang added to Jems’ sentence.

With the equipment selected, they all went back upstairs to meet Rani and Winda who were waiting curiously about what kind of equipment they would bring tomorrow. After going upstairs, Rani and Winda looked confused by the equipment they brought.

"Is this the equipment?" Winda asked while looking at the four macho men's belongings.

"Yeah, tomorrow we're going to dig up the thing in Rani's video yesterday," Simon answered confidently.

"So we can make sure whether it's what's still buried underground, the entrance or another clue. But hopefully it's the entrance," Tatang said, adding his enthusiasm.

"So are you all really sure that there's something big down there?" Rani asked, her eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"Yoi! From what we saw in the video, there's a big possibility that it's the entrance to the heirloom we're looking for," Wawan explained, looking excited.

"Then, we have to be careful. Don't let us damage anything that's there," Winda reminded, worried about their safety.

“Don’t worry, Win. We’ll make sure everything is safe. We each brought the right tools,” Jems added, trying to calm him down.

“Hey, you only brought a sickle and a hat, pretending to bring the right tools,” Wawan teased.

“Hey, don’t be like that, Wan. I think this is the most appropriate for me,” Jems answered defensively.

“So, what’s our plan for tomorrow?” Rani asked, increasingly curious.

“Tomorrow we’ll gather here at six in the morning, then we’ll leave at half past six, so the sun isn’t too high yet, so we don’t get too hot while digging the ground,” Simon said, still enthusiastic.

“Not that early, Mon. And what time are we having breakfast?” Jems complained.

“It’s at six in the morning, while we’re having breakfast, while waiting for Winda and Rani,” Simon replied again.

“You’re so complicated, Jems. It’s hard to even wake up in the morning,” Wawan said, responding to Jems’ complaint.

“Yeah, I know, Jems. Just continue sleeping there, Jems,” said Tatang.

“Ah, are you serious? Is there a place to sleep there?” asked Jems enthusiastically.

“Yeah, there is, Jems. You just go upstairs to Simon’s grandmother’s place, then you can sleep there as long as you want,” Tatang said with a serious face. “Ah, damn you, Tang. I thought that was really what you said. It’s the same as telling me to die.”

“That’s different, Jems. You want to sleep, well, it’s safe up there,” Tatang said, greeted by laughter from the others.

“Okay… okay, so that’s the conclusion, huh. We’ll start digging at the location no later than seven in the morning. What’s important is that this is our cooperation. Later, anyone who feels or sees something suspicious, speak up immediately, okay,” Simon explained firmly.

However, something felt strange. Every time Simon explained something or talked to his friends, Rani always stared at Simon with focus. It was unknown whether it was just Rani’s admiration for Simon, or whether there was something else that Rani was hiding. Sometimes, Simon caught Rani’s gaze when she accidentally turned her head towards him, and often their gazes met, even if it was only for less than two seconds.

Rani felt her heart pounding every time their gazes met. She tried not to think too much about her feelings, but there was something about Simon that attracted her. Maybe it was Simon’s confidence and passion, or maybe there was something deeper that made her feel connected.

“So, we all agree, right?” Wawan asked, calling their attention back.

“Agreed!” everyone answered in unison, but Rani was still caught up in her own thoughts, contemplating her feelings for Simon.

After the meeting, they all started getting ready to continue their respective activities. Rani lay on her bed, thinking about their plans for tomorrow and how she felt about Simon. She hoped to get to know Simon better and understand what he really felt. Meanwhile, Simon also couldn’t get his mind off Rani. He felt there was something special about the girl, but he didn’t know how to approach her. Simon didn’t want to experience the same thing a third time. Simon had been badly disappointed twice before. In the past, he had confessed his feelings to Clara, a new girl at his office. At that time, Simon felt confident because he felt cared for by Clara. However, when Simon confessed his feelings, he was rejected because Clara already had a husband and two children. Not stopping there, a year later, Simon expressed his feelings to Melda, a woman he met at a minimarket. Simon and Melda had been together several times, and they had even watched movies together four times. However, when Simon expressed his feelings, he was rejected again, because Melda wanted to get back together with her husband. What a shame, huh…

Jems approached Simon who was sitting on the terrace, his eyes staring blankly at the dusk sky that was starting to dim. With a relaxed attitude, Jems said, “Hey, Mon, you’re thinking about it, huh. I admit that Rani is beautiful, and cute too.”

Simon was still silent, staring at the sky in silence, as if looking for an answer in the heights. “Yes, Rani is beautiful and she seems smart,” he said, staring blankly ahead.

“Eh, but just a reminder, right, Mon? Don’t let her have a husband and children. Are you going to fall into the same hole three times?” Jems sat next to Wawan, who was also listening.

“Aah, just remember that, Jems. But you were the one who told me to ask Clara out,” Simon brought up an incident that he could never forget, his gaze still on the sky, his face reflecting regret.

“Yes, I was the one who told you to ask her out, but I asked you first, how far your friendship had gone. Then you said it was far apart and it seemed like she liked you too. You must have been sure, that’s why I told you to ask her out… eh, it turned out she already had a husband and two other children,” Jems recalled with a laugh.

Simon felt awkward, the memory haunting him again. “Yes, that was really stupid, Jems,” he admitted while shaking his head.

“That wasn’t stupidity, but you were lustful at that time, I saw,” Jems said, putting on a mocking face. “Not to mention that… who was that, who already had a husband too?” Jems remembered one name.

“Melda,” Simon answered, mentioning a name that made his heart tremble slightly. The memory of Melda brought back long-buried pain.

“Well, yes, Melda! It turns out she already has a husband.”

“Not a husband, but a mount,” Simon answered flatly. “Yeah, but they were on break, right? Then they continued. I think you were unlucky that time, Mon,” Jems said with a laugh, but there was no laughter on Simon’s face.

Simon just shook his head, feeling a little embarrassed by the memory. “Yeah, I know. Maybe I should have been more careful with this one,” Simon said turning to Jems.

“That’s why you have to be more careful this time, Mon,” Jems advised.

“Yeah, maybe it was because I wasn’t careful enough, Jems,” Simon said in a serious tone.

Wawan, who had previously been a listener, finally got involved. “Well, from now on, try it, Mon, stalk Rani’s social media. Look at her status, then pay close attention to her photos,” Wawan advised.

“It used to be like that too, Wan. There was no status on her social media, and there were only a few photos, only her face was in her social media photos.”

“So, what are your plans again, Mon?” Jems asked seriously.

“Well, I don’t know yet, Jems. Let’s just focus on our plans for tomorrow. If it’s fate, we won’t run away, right?” Simon replied, trying to distract himself from his feelings.

“Let’s go in, it’s really cold,” Wawan invited, putting both of his hands in his jacket pockets.

Meanwhile, at the inn, Winda and Rani were also discussing more or less the same thing. The atmosphere in the room was quite warm, even though the night air outside was quite cold. Rani lay comfortably on the bed with half of her body covered by a blanket, staring at her cellphone screen, while Winda sat on the small sofa near the window while applying night lotion to her hands.

“Ms., why do you want to join Simon’s team?” Rani asked, lying down, staring at her cellphone screen.

“First, because I’ve always been very interested in Torajan culture. I often watch it on YouTube,” Winda said, still applying night lotion to her hands.

“I mean, why do you want to join Simon’s team to look for his family’s antiques?” Rani asked, wanting to dig deeper into Winda.

“Yes, that’s right. Because I want to know the historical object I’m looking for and the history behind it,” Winda answered enthusiastically.

“So, are you going to trace the antique to its history?” Rani asked in surprise.

“Yup, if necessary,” Winda answered briefly.

“And after that? What do you want to do?” Rani continued.

“After that, maybe I can write a book about it, or make a kind of documentary, specifically for historical objects that are less exposed,” Winda explained enthusiastically.

“Wow… that far?” Rani asked even more in surprise.

“Why? You don’t believe me, huh?” Winda looked at Rani seriously.

“It’s not like that, Miss. But at least you need a local resident who understands a bit about it to explain everything you said earlier,” Rani answered.

“I already have someone,” Winda answered very confidently.

“Who?” Rani asked curiously.

“Bro Simon,” Winda answered confidently.

“Huh?? Bro Simon?” Rani asked, looking incredulous.

“Why? Do you like Simon?” Winda asked, glancing at Rani with a mischievous smile.

“Like, it’s relative, Nda. I noticed that Bro Simon is indeed a good person. His extended family is also all good people, and he still upholds ancestral traditions, even though he lives in modern civilization,” Rani said at length.

Hearing Rani’s words about Simon, Winda clapped her hands at a slow tempo. “Amazing… you’re amazing, Ran! You can comment on Simon to such an extent, even though you only just met him,” Winda praised in a tone full of suspicion.

“Hey, don’t be like that, Nda! I was just observing,” Rani tried to defend herself, even though her face was starting to turn red.

“Yes, I understand. But, seriously, you have to be careful. Don’t get caught up in the wrong feelings,” Winda reminded, even though she was also happy to see Rani talking about Simon with enthusiasm.

“No way, Nda. Let’s focus on our mission first. After that, we’ll think about the others,” Rani replied, trying to distract herself from her feelings. That night, they both laughed and shared stories, but in each of their hearts, there was curiosity and hope about what would happen the next day.

The next morning, it was only five forty, Winda and Rani were already in Simon's yard. However, there was no sign of Simon, Wawan, Jems, and Tatang. The door of the house was still tightly closed, as if there were no signs of life upstairs.

"Nda, it seems like there are no signs of life upstairs," said Rani while continuing to observe the situation in the stilt house painted green combined with dark red.

"Yeah, where are those people?" Winda stepped forward while looking for their group on the WhatsApp application. Suddenly from under the house, Wawan came.

"Winda, Rani, come here!" shouted Wawan from behind the house while walking towards Winda.

"Where are the others?" asked Winda while looking around.

"In the kitchen at the back," Wawan pointed to the back of the house.

“Are the kitchen and the house separate?” asked Winda, just realizing.

“Yes, for Torajan people, the main house and the kitchen are separate. Come on, hurry up, let’s have breakfast together,” said Wawan.

“Come on, Ran, let’s do it,” said Wawan to Rani who was already next to Winda.

“Where are the others, Bro? Why is it so quiet?” asked Rani.

“They’re in the back kitchen,” said Wawan as he walked towards the kitchen.

The distance between the kitchen and the main house was actually not that far, only a few meters. When they arrived at the kitchen, which was actually more like a semi-stilt house with two stairs, the size of the wooden building was about four by eight meters. Inside, there were Jems, Tatang, and Simon who were seriously eating their breakfast.

“Hey, come on in, Ran, let’s go!” said Simon with an excited face. He reflexively stood up when he saw Rani and Winda already in front of the door. “What’s up, Mon? It’s clear that Civil Servant Winda is at the front, Rani is at the back, but why did you invite Rani in first?” joked Jems, who was sitting near the door.

“Yes, this is it, Bro Simon. How come I’m at the front and I can’t be seen, even though Rani is at the back? What’s wrong, Rani and Bro Simon?” joked Winda, intending to tease Simon. Rani just stayed silent while smiling at everyone.

“I thought I already mentioned Winda and Rani,” Simon explained with an embarrassed face.

“Hey, did you guys hear that earlier, Simon called Winda’s name?” Jems asked everyone, and everyone answered in unison, no.

“No!” everyone answered in unison.

“See, no one heard. Could it be that Rani was the only one on your mind all night?” asked Jems judging Simon.

“Come on, come on, Winda, Rani, let’s go in!” Simon shouted, trying to divert attention.

“Well, now there’s just been a mention of Winda,” Tatang said next to Jems.

After breakfast, they chatted for a while and got ready to leave. Each of them was ready with the equipment they had prepared yesterday. Among them, Jems’ equipment was the most prominent; she was wearing a caping on her head and carrying a fairly long sickle.

“Jems, you already look like a wong feihung. You’re already wearing a wide caping, carrying a sickle, luckily you’re not riding a horse,” teased Wawan who was behind Jems.

“Yeah, it’s safe,” Wawan resignedly, still following behind Tatang.

 This morning marked the second day of my grandmother’s funeral rites, a significant milestone in our Torajan tradition that honors the departed over several days.

“You’re just envious, Wan. Why don’t you hop on a mythical cloud instead?” Jems teased.

“Why me?” replied Wawan while looking at his entire body from his chest down to his feet.

“No, look at yourself. You look like a turtle genie, you’re already wearing a beanie, beach clothes, and a big backpack on your back,” said Jems looking at Wawan from head to toe.

A gentle mist lingered among the pine trees, and the cold morning dew clung to every leaf, but none of it dampened our spirits.

“I’ve never found a morning atmosphere like this in my life, it’s so beautiful,” said Rani in amazement while pointing her camera forward.

“Hey, Ran, try blowing, there’s steam, you know, like you’re smoking,” said Winda to Rani while blowing air out of her mouth.

“Oh, yeah, really, there’s steam,” Rani was excited.

“You two are so cheesy, it’s obvious that you’ve never woken up early while you’re here, huh?” said Jems as he passed Winda and Rani.

“Yeah, that’s great. We always wake up early, Bro,” replied Rani.

“Why don’t you know that the morning atmosphere here is like this?” said Jems, stopping in his tracks and turning to Winda and Rani.

“You’re being presumptuous, Jems. Even though you’ve only woken up early once while you’ve been here,” said Wawan from behind.

“Move over, come on… let’s walk, don’t rest too much,” Tatang passed them.

They continued their journey. Winda and Rani seemed not to waste the morning atmosphere which they thought was so amazing. Not to mention the sound of birds that seemed to greet the morning with their voices.

Just as they continued their journey, Amrul suddenly called Wawan. "Yes, Rul, how is it?" Wawan asked in a lazy tone.

"Wan, I want to make you an offer."

"What kind of offer is it, Rul?" Wawan asked pretending not to be too enthusiastic.

"How about when you find the item, I'll help you find the seller?" Amrul said offering his services.

"Wow, I don't know about that, Rul. You should talk to Simon directly about that," Wawan evasively refused Amrul's offer.

"Is Simon near you?" Amrul asked.

"Here he is, do you want to chat?"

"Yes, try giving it to Simon. I want to chat for a moment," Wawan said in a slightly hesitant tone.

Wawan handed his phone to Simon who also stopped when he noticed Wawan’s phone ringing.

“Hello, afternoon, who’s it?” Simon asked casually.

“Hello, Bro Simon, I’m Amrul, Wawan’s friend,” Amrul introduced himself.

“Yes, how about it, Amrul? Let’s get straight to the point, okay? We’re on our way to the rice fields,” Simon said hurriedly.

“Okay, ready, let’s get straight to the point then. So, Bro Simon, when you find the goods, can I help you sell them? I have a buyer who is willing to pay a high price,” Amrul said, immediately offering a collaboration.

“Okay, ready, Amrul. We’ll discuss it first, okay. Because we’re a team, I can’t decide on my own,” Simon replied casually, responding to Amrul’s collaboration proposal.

“Okay, okay, ready then, Bro. Great… great. Just contact me later, okay, Bro, when you’ve discussed it with your friends,” Amrul replied enthusiastically.

“Ready… ready, Amrul. We’ll contact you through Wawan, okay?”

“Okay then. Thank you, Bro Simon.”

“Ready… you’re welcome, Amrul,” said Simon, who then handed his phone back to Wawan.

“Hello, Rul… Rul, hello… oh, it’s been turned off,” said Simon when he realized that Amrul had disconnected his call.

“So what, Mon?” asked Wawan.

“Later, Wan, we’ll talk about it. If the goods are already here, we don’t even know what the goods look like yet,” answered Simon with a smile.

“Well, yes, that’s right, Mon. Okay, let’s continue walking,” answered Wawan while raising his thumb.

They continued their journey. From a distance, the rock cliff was already visible between the gaps in the pine trees. There were smiles of joy on their faces when they saw the rock cliff, but there was worry that clouded the minds of Wawan, Jems, and Tatang as they got closer to the rock cliff. Without being directed, they all turned to Simon, and it seemed like Simon could read his friends' worries when they all turned to him. Simon raised both of his hands parallel to his face while smiling broadly and shaking his head. Suddenly, Simon's behavior made his friends laugh with relief. It turned out that Simon had moved on and had truly accepted his grandmother's departure, happy on the side of the Almighty.

The place they were heading to was a road that went down like a valley, but not too steep, and only overgrown with wild grass that was not too high. Around it stretched a wide expanse of grass like a savanna. Since long ago, the place had not been used as a garden or anything. Left abandoned by Simon's parents' family.

Rani, who was walking in front, looked serious, remembering the path she had taken at that time and occasionally looked at her camera to look back at the direction she had taken at that time. Because they were getting closer to the cliff of their destination.

"Ran, do you still remember the direction?" asked Winda, keeping pace with Rani.

“Yes, Ma’am. I just don’t remember exactly, but from my video recording, it’s true that I passed by here first,” Rani tried to remember with the help of her video recording. Seeing that Rani seemed confused, Simon, who was not far behind, approached Rani and Winda.

“So how is it? Everything is fine, right?” Simon greeted her kindly.

“Yeah, yeah, it’s safe, bro. It just seems like Rani forgot, the last position she recorded was on the flat rock wall,” Winda replied.

“It’s easy, just try to smell if there’s a smell of urine from Rani’s pee, that’s where she last took the picture,” Jems said lightly. Hearing Jems’ words, Rani immediately lowered her head in shame.

“Yeah, that’s right… eh, Ran, you didn’t rinse it off yesterday, huh?” Winda asked.

“Yee… that’s fine. I used wet tissue, you know,” Rani replied a little shyly.

“Hey, wait a minute. That means this is the wet tissue you used that time,” Jems said, seeing the tissue mark near her feet.

“Yes, this is true, right, Ran?” Winda asked to make sure.

“Yes, that’s true,” Rani replied, feeling like she was being judged.

“Enough, now let’s try to find the one like in the video,” Simon intervened, and Rani felt a little relieved when she heard Simon’s voice mediating her conversation with Jems and Winda.

“Now, try to smell around here. If there’s a smell of urine, well, it’s not far away,” Jems joked.

“Bro Jems, don’t do that. It’s been raining for two days, so there’s none anymore,” Rani said annoyedly.

“We’ll line up along the edge of the rock, now, look for the one in Rani’s video yesterday,” Simon said to everyone, and they did as Simon said. They started to part the bushes along the foot of the cliff. Jems swung his sickle at the grass, but not a single blade of grass was cut. He swung his sickle over and over again, but it seemed like he was only swinging it between the grass.

“Jems, what are you doing?” asked Tatang who was not far from Jems.

“No, what are you looking at me for, Tang?” asked Jems standing up, out of breath.

“Look, what are you doing, cutting grass, right?” said Tatang to make sure what Jems was doing. “You’re just disturbing people’s concentration,” replied Jems, swinging his sickle again. Tatang moved away from Jems, afraid that Jems’ sickle would slip and hit him.

“Where are you going, Bro Tatang?” asked Rani when she passed Rani.

“I want to go over there, I’m scared I’ll get hit by Jems’ sickle,” answered Tatang while continuing to walk away carrying the hoe on his shoulder.

Everyone seemed busy clearing the undergrowth around the cliff using the tools they had brought earlier. Only the sound of the tools hitting the ground and the weeds could be heard, accompanied by the sound of the wind. There was no conversation between them. However, among them, only Tatang looked like he was digging something. He looked serious, swinging his hoe carefully, as if avoiding something down there. After swinging his hoe on the ground for a while, Tatang seemed to find something. Without hesitation, he immediately shouted to call his friends.

"Hey! Everyone! Come here!" shouted Tatang, with his eyes fixed on the object he had just dug, which was among the piles of dug soil and grass surrounding him. His voice was heard by everyone.

Suddenly, all his friends immediately came to Tatang.

"What's wrong, Tang? What are you looking at?" asked Wawan, full of curiosity.

Tatang did not answer, he quickly pointed down, to the object he had just dug.

In an instant, Wawan, Jems, Winda, and Rani gathered around Tatang, trying to see the object that had caught their friends' attention.

"Look at that!" Tatang whispered, his voice holding back expectations. All eyes followed the direction of his index finger, and among the not-too-deep dug soil, an oval-shaped object was seen similar to the size of an adult human head.

Rani approached and pushed aside the long weeds that were blocking her view. “It's like a statue's head,” Rani said in an even, careful tone of voice.

“I think it’s still about one or two meters into the ground,” said Winda, observing the shape of the statue’s head.

“Earlier, I was there lifting a hoe. Because I was starting to get sore, I just pulled my hoe. It turned out that my hoe seemed to be stuck on a hard object. I dug, eh, the stone was round. I dug again, the face started to show from the eyes, nose, to the mouth,” said Tatang, describing what he had just found.

“Maybe not? Is this one of the parts we’re looking for? Or is this one of the clues?” said Winda, fascinated when she saw the details.

“Come on, Tang, dig again, so we can see what the statue looks like underneath,” asked Jems curiously.

“Hey, where’s Simon?” asked Wawan, looking around, realizing that Simon wasn’t with them.

“Over there, Bro Simon, he’s squatting, he doesn’t know what else to do,” said Winda, pointing at Simon.

“He’s probably pooping,” answered Wawan.

“Hey, Mon! What are you doing? You’re pooping, huh?!” shouted Jems. Simon, who heard Jems’ scream, stood up for a moment and waved his hand at Jems.

“Come here, all of you,” Simon answered from there.

“Hey, what did Simon find?” Jems said excitedly.

“Okay, let’s go over there,” Wawan invited everyone.

“So what’s this, huh?” asked Tatang, still digging up the statue he had found.

“Okay, just a moment, Tang. Your statue won’t run away if you leave it for a while,” said Wawan as he hurried away.

“Yeah, it won’t run away, the neck down is still buried in the soil,” answered Tatang, then stood up following Wawan.

They approached Simon and stood behind him, observing clearly what Simon was digging. It turned out that Simon had found the location of the carved stone wall like the one in Rani’s video recording.

“You finally found it, Mon. Did your pee smell carry it with you?” said Jems jokingly. Rani did not respond to Jems' joke, even though she knew that Jems was targeting her.

"When I was little, I rarely played here, because our parents forbade us from playing here. They said this was a sacred area, so it was haunted," Simon explained.

"Is it still like that now?" Wawan asked, starting to get scared.

"That depends on each person's beliefs, Wan. But don't worry, it's safe here," Simon said, calming his friends down.

"So how about it, Bro? Which one did we dig first?" Winda asked enthusiastically.

"Oh, yeah, what did Tatang find there?" Simon asked curiously.

"It looks like a statue, Bro, but only the head and neck have been dug up," Winda answered.

"A wooden statue, huh?" Simon asked, thinking it was a tau-tau (tau-tau is a wooden statue that resembles the deceased who has died and is placed near their grave).

"No, Bro, it looks like it's made of metal," Winda answered again.

“How could there be a metal statue? Because as far as I know, the Toraja tribe has almost never made a statue of a person from metal in history,” said Simon identifying his statement.

“Or maybe it’s a person who was cursed to become an iron statue?” asked Wawan, guessing.

“Why is it so far away, the Malin Kundang statue came here, Wan. You’re just making things up,” said Jems in response to Wawan’s words.

“Malin Kundang was cursed to become stone, man, not iron,” answered Wawan to correct him.

“Let’s put it this way, Tatang, you go there and dig up the statue. It seems like the statue has a valuable historical value, because as far as I know, the Toraja tribe has never made a statue out of stone, let alone iron,” asked Tatang to return to his earlier discovery.

“Okay, ready. Then who will help or accompany me?” asked Tatang.

“Um... who?” Simon thought while looking at his friends.

“It’s okay, I’ll go there with Tatang, Bro,” Winda volunteered.

“Eh, seriously, Win? It’s okay, right?” Simon asked doubtfully.

“Well, it’s okay, Bro. This is our mission together,” Winda answered confidently.

“Okay, ready then. So the rest is here, now, Wawan and Jems, let’s dig this up, now,” Simon glanced at Wawan and Jems.

“Okay, ready, eight six,” Wawan answered enthusiastically. “Okay, I’ll help as best I can,” Jems replied enthusiastically.

Winda and Tatang headed to the place where Tatang had found the stone statue and continued their excavation. Meanwhile, Wawan and Jems helped Simon dig up his discovery.

“Ran, don’t forget to take a video or photo of the documentation,” Simon said softly to Rani.

“Yes, Ran, this is a historic event,” Jems added.

“Yes, ready, Bro,” Rani briefly nodded at Simon and Jems’ request.

Rani moved away from Jems, Simon, and Wawan, deliberately keeping a distance so that they could dig freely. Feeling that the distance was at its maximum, Rani took out a drone from her backpack and hung the camera around her neck.

“Let’s just clear the grass around here first so it’s easier for us to dig,” Simon said to Jems and Wawan.

“How about we just burn the grass first, so we don’t have to tire ourselves out cutting it?” Jems suggested.

“It’s really you, Jems. Don’t you see that the grass is still green, and the dew hasn’t dried yet. So you want to burn it? You can pour a gallon of gasoline on it, but it won’t burn,” Wawan grumbled upon hearing Jems’ suggestion, which was indeed difficult to implement.

“It’s just a suggestion, Wan. Even if we can’t do it, it’s nothing,” Jems replied in a low voice.

“Come on, let’s just pull the grass out, rather than making a fuss. This type of grass doesn’t have deep roots, ji,” Simon intervened between Wawan and Jems.

Meanwhile, Tatang, accompanied by Winda, had dug under the neck towards the shoulders of the statue. Until a puddle began to form around the statue. The soil on the statue’s body began to look cleaner, and the magnificent shape of the statue began to appear clearly. The statue was in the form of a man’s body, whose head looked like it was decorated with a crown, which had a simple yet elegant design, with geometric decorations and other motifs. The bottom looked like a cloth covering from the waist to the knees.

Tatang paused for a moment, staring at the statue that almost looked intact down to the feet. “Do you want to take turns, Tatang?” Winda’s voice broke Tatang’s reverie, casually offering to help.

“It’s okay, I’ll do it. How can you dig, and I just watch?” Tatang said in a wise-cracking tone, trying to show that he wanted to take responsibility for this job.

“Okay, then, Mas. I’m just being polite,” Winda replied with a laugh.

“Hey, don’t forget to video it, Win. This is the coolest discovery of the century,” Tatang said as he continued to swing his hoe on the ground, trying to dig deeper.

“Okay, ready!” said Winda, who immediately pointed her camera at Tatang. “Whose statue is this, I wonder? How come it’s here, and only this one?” asked Winda curiously while pointing her camera at Tatang.

“If I look closely, it looks like a hero or a prominent person of his time,” Wawan guessed while cleaning off the dirt that was still stuck to several parts of the statue.

“Just look, this statue has interesting details,” replied Winda, while continuing to record the details of the statue from top to bottom. The statue that Tatang dug was completely visible. Judging from the details of the statue’s face, down to the neck and the entire body from the front and back, it seemed like the person who made this statue was a very great artist. He was able to create the details of the statue’s face.

“So what about this, where do we take the statue?” asked Tatang coming out of the puddle and approaching Winda.

“Let’s ask Bro Simon first, okay? Who knows if this statue is related to the one Bro Simon dug up there,” said Winda guessing.

“Okay, let’s go there first, Win, and help out,” Tatang took his hoe and walked toward Simon. Winda was still near the statue, photographing the statue from various angles.

“Win, aren’t you coming?!” shouted Tatang when he realized Winda wasn’t following behind him.

“No, I’ll catch up later,” replied Winda.

Tatang approached Simon, Wawan, and Rani. “So how is it, Tang? Are you done?” asked Jems who was just standing holding the sickle, realizing that Tatang was walking towards them.

“Enough, Winda is taking pictures of him,” Tatang pointed at Winda who was clearly visible from where Jems was standing.  “Have you cleaned the statue?” Jems asked again.

“I only scrubbed it with grass, but the shape is already visible,” Tatang explained.

“Well, okay, I’ll go there first,” Jems jogged towards Winda.

Tatang approached Wawan, Simon, and Rani. “Hey, why does this look like a window frame?” Tatang commented immediately.

“Yeah, people in the past, when they made doors in stone, they carved the edges like this,” Simon replied, stopping swinging his hoe when he saw Tatang was standing behind him.

“Hey, so what, Tang? The statue is all intact, why are you digging it?” Simon asked again.

“Yeah, it’s done. Where do you want to move it?”

“So the full shape is already visible?” Simon asked excitedly.

“Yeah, it’s visible up to the feet,” Tatang replied again.

Wawan, who heard that, immediately stopped and rushed to the statue. “Come on, Mon, let’s go there. I’m curious to see what the statue looks like as a whole,” Wawan said excitedly.

“Come on, come on!” Simon put down his hoe and walked quickly towards the statue.

“Eh, Tang, please continue first, now!” Simon shouted as he walked quickly after Wawan.

“Ran, aren’t you going there too?” Tatang asked Rani who was still busy with her drone remote.

“I’m going there,” Rani replied while showing her drone remote.

“Oh, okay, okay, I’ll continue first,” Tatang replied continuing Simon and Wawan’s digging.

Simon, Wawan, and Jems were already above the puddle. The three of them seemed transfixed looking at the statue.

“It’s really amazing,” Jems said in awe with her focused gaze on the object in front of her.

“Yeah, I didn’t expect it to look like this,” Wawan said glancing at Jems, while Simon remained silent, as if remembering something.

“I didn’t expect it either, Wan. Tatang dug a hole this big so fast,” said Jems praising Tatang.

“Yee, I thought you were talking about the statue,” Wawan gently pushed Jems’ shoulder using his elbow.

“But it’s true, look, he dug a hole this big by himself?” said Jems, still commenting on the hole left by Tatang.

“Win, did you have time to help Tatang dig a hole this big?” asked Wawan to Winda who was sitting on the grass looking at her camera screen.

“Never mind, I helped you. I’ve never even held a hoe,” Winda looked at Wawan.

“This statue seems to be the only one in Toraja,” said Simon, but his voice was a bit distant.

“Wow, Mon, you’re already there, when did you come down?” asked Wawan, surprised to see Simon already in the hole near the statue.

“Yes, I had time to browse. It seems like this type of statue has never been found in Indonesia,” said Winda, approaching the puddle.

“What about in other countries?” asked Simon again.

“Wow, I didn’t have time, Bro, because the signal was really slow,” answered Winda while showing her cellphone.

“How about it, Wan, what do you think?” asked Simon to Wawan.

“For me, Mon, I’ll probably take a photo first, then ask Amrul,” answered Wawan, not daring to make a conclusion.

“Hey, like this, just give me two photos, a photo of the face, and a photo up to this point,” Simon pointed his hand at the statue’s chest.

“Okay, ready,” Wawan approached the puddle and took two photos, then sent them to Amrul. “Okay, sip... I’ve sent it, but it’s still pending. The signal keeps coming and going, euy,” continued Wawan again.

“Bro Simon, can we move this statue to Bro Simon’s house?” asked Winda, not sure.

“Yes, yes, I can, Win. Just the four of us can carry it,” Simon answered very confidently.

“Mon, is there a well or river around here? I want to get some water, to pour water on this statue so that it looks clearer,” Wawan asked while looking around.

“It’s up there. On the way here, there was that rice field. Well, next to it is a small river,” Simon pointed up in the direction they came from.

“Eh, yes, yes... okay, I’ll go up there to get some water,” Wawan walked up in the direction they came from.

“Then what are we going to use to carry the water?” Winda asked confusedly.

“Take it easy, Win. That kid is resourceful,” Wawan replied.

“Really, Bro Simon?” Winda asked Simon.

“Yes, take it easy, Win. We’ve known him for more than ten years, so we already know how he thinks. Let’s see what he brings back later?” Simon answered to convince Winda.

“While waiting for Wawan, we’ll continue over there, Mon,” Jems pointed to Tatang who was struggling alone.

“Come on, come on… but I’m worried, I’m afraid he’ll get lost and go into someone’s garden,” Simon said, looking at Wawan who had disappeared from sight.

“It’s safe, Mon,” Jems tried to dismiss Wawan’s worries.

“Winda, do you want to stay here or go over there?” Simon asked, turning his face toward Tatang and Rani.

“Yeah, I’ll just go along, Bro. If this statue suddenly talks, my heart will run away, Bro,” said Winda jokingly. The three of them walked back towards Tatang, who was still busy swinging his hoe.

“This Jems is actually a farmer, this. The sound of his hoe can be heard all the way here,” said Simon, praising Tatang.

“It’s really loud, I think Tatang is hoeing it, it makes a sound like he’s digging the ground,” said Jems in amazement.

“Tatang shouldn’t take a break for a drink,” said Winda to Tatang who was still busy with his hoe.

“Yeah, Tang, take a break. Come, let’s take turns,” added Simon again.

“Yeah, man. Turns out you’re tired, you haven’t hoeed in a long time,” replied Tatang, putting down his hoe.

“But it’s pretty good, you know, Tang, compared to when we were earlier,” praised Jems, looking at the mound of soil that Tatang had thrown away.

“Even though we’re alone,” praised Simon again.

“I think it’s because of this foreman, that’s why Tatang was so quick to hoe it. Right, Ran?” said Jems while looking at Rani.

“Ah, you’re careless, Jems,” defended Simon.

“Take a look at this, Mon. Earlier there, the foreman was Winda, and here the foreman is Rani,” joked Jems.

“Hey, where’s Wawan? Still hoeing?” asked Tatang looking at Simon.

“Wawan went to get water. He said he was going to wash the statue,” answered Simon.

“Hey, Mon, what are you going to do with the statue? Do you want to just put it there or do you want to take it to your house?” asked Tatang seriously.

“I’m confused too, Tang. If I put it at home, my relatives will take it,” answered Simon confused about what to do with the statue they found.

“Then what will happen?” asked Tatang again.

“We’d better sell it if there’s an antique collector who wants to buy it. Then we’ll split the money,” Simon answered resignedly.

“Don’t you care, Bro?” Rani asked from behind.

“Well, what else can we do. You can see, after my grandmother’s funeral, the house is quiet. It’s just me, my father and mother, and we have different houses,” Simon answered half-heartedly. He knew that the statue couldn’t be kept in his house.

“When we go back to Jakarta, the stilt house will be empty, right, Mon?” Tatang asked.

“Yes, so it will be unoccupied, Tang. At most, a nephew will come to clean it, and that’s once a week. My mother also teaches in Rantepao, when she teaches, she lives there all day,” Simon answered in a resigned tone of voice.

“And Mr. Simon?” Rani asked.

“My father is a broker for agricultural products, coffee and cocoa. He often travels around Toraja, even to Palopo and Enrekang.”

“So, you don’t have any plans to just live here?” Rani asked.

“What would I do if I lived here? While I was a civil servant in Jakarta. I don’t know how to garden or farm, even though I was born here until high school,” Simon answered without expression.

“That’s why you should get married quickly, Mon. Then ask for a transfer here,” Jems suggested.

“Who will you marry, Jems? Tedong bonga?” Simon replied, actually joking, but his expression still looked serious.

“That’s why, don’t make the requirements too high, so that Simon can quickly find his soulmate,” Winda said jokingly.

“How high, Win? You’ve lowered the price too, but no one wants it yet,” Simon replied resignedly.

“Ran, aren’t you interested in becoming a Torajan, and enjoying cool air like this every day and being surrounded by beautiful scenery?” Winda teased Rani who was sitting nearby.

“Ah, Nda, what’s the matter?!” Rani answered with a slightly red face, even though she knew that Winda was just joking.

"Bro Simon, Winda wants to ask something, can I?" said Winda, turning her attention to Simon who seemed silent.

"What do you want to ask, Winda?" asked Simon in a curious tone.

"What does Bro Simon think of Rani?" asked Winda, baiting Simon with a rather surprising question.

"Ah, don't start, Nda! Don't you see what? Bro Simon is in a situation like that," Rani tried to dodge Winda's attack, feeling a little awkward.

"That's right, right now Bro Simon is in a situation where he wants to get married, but hasn't found his soulmate. Right, Bro Simon?" said Winda with increasing enthusiasm.

"Well, how about it, Win. I want to say yes, but I'm embarrassed," Simon tried to joke even though his face was a little red “How can you be proud, Mon? Your soulmate has been delivered to your village, and you’re still proud,” Jems teased, joining in the conversation.

“Well, Bro Jems really likes people when he talks,” Winda continued, supporting Jems’ joke.

“Just look at Simon’s face and Rani’s face, they’re so nervous,” Tatang joked, teasing Simon and Rani who were increasingly uncomfortable with the situation.

“Hey, why hasn’t Wawan come back for so long? I’m afraid he’ll get lost and go back to Jakarta,” Simon tried to joke again to divert attention from the topic that was making him awkward.

“When Simon is nervous, his jokes become stale, euy,” Tatang said with a laugh, making his friend’s behavior even worse.

“Want to divert the conversation, Tang,” Jems chimed in with a laugh.

Simon remained silent as he was the butt of his friends’ jokes, but in his mind, he knew that his friends’ jokes and teasing were a source of encouragement for him, even though they sometimes made him awkward.

Meanwhile, Rani listened to all the jokes with a smile. She knew that behind all the jokes there was a warm feeling that united them. "Besides, fate is a matter of fate, no one can force it," Rani added, releasing the tension by trying to be more relaxed.

"That's right, Ran, especially if fate has come to pick you up, and you're not welcomed," said Winda, fading Simon and Rani's relaxed attitude again.

Wawan finally appeared from a distance, shouting loudly while carrying a bamboo that turned out to be filled with water. Simon and Rani were finally saved from these jokes.

"Winda, that's your boyfriend bringing water, go greet him," said Simon as if he wanted to reply to Winda's teasing.

"Ciee... Bro Simon wants to reply," replied Winda, knowing what Simon meant.

"Eh, is that true, Bro Wawan is carrying water?" asked Rani in surprise.

"So the water is in the bamboo, right, Bro?" asked Winda to make sure.

"Yes, that one bamboo is filled with water," answered Simon, looking at Wawan. “But where did Wawan make that bamboo?” Simon asked again while thinking.

“Eh, when we got there, why are you all silent? Poor Bro Wawan,” Rani said as if she had forgotten the joke earlier.

Hearing Rani’s words, Jems and Tatang immediately ran to greet Wawan, who seemed to be having trouble carrying the bamboo pole filled with water. Because it was so full, a lot of water spilled over Wawan’s head.

“Wan, you should take a shower first, huh? No wonder it took so long!” Tatang said with the intention of teasing, seeing Wawan’s head and half of his body that were already soaked.

“Yeah, I was walking while taking a shower. Didn’t you see, the water spilled over my head!” Wawan replied irritably while putting the bamboo pole on the ground with relief.

“Wan, where did you get this bamboo?” Simon asked, curious about the origin of the bamboo pole that Wawan was carrying.

“It’s a long story, I’ll tell you later there, I’m tired. Here, you two carry this!” Wawan replied as he walked away leaving Tatang and Simon who were still amazed.

"How do you lift this, Mon? If we lift it together, it could spill!" asked Tatang, looking at the bamboo from top to bottom with full attention.

"Calm down, Tang. Wait here for a moment, now, don't go anywhere," said Simon, taking the initiative to find a solution and leaving after Tatang who was starting to feel worried.

Not long after, Simon returned with a plastic bag and duct tape.

"Where did you find it, Mon?" asked Tatang, looking at the object in Simon's hand.

"It happened to be in Winda's backpack," answered Simon as he approached the bamboo that Tatang was still holding.

Simon quickly climbed to a higher mound of earth to be able to work better. "Tang, tilt it a little this way, slowly," asked Simon seriously.

Tatang followed Simon's instructions, slowly tilting the bamboo in the direction requested. When the bamboo was in the right position, Simon began to cover the open top of the bamboo with the plastic bag he was carrying. He neatly wrapped the plastic bag, making sure there were no open spaces that could cause the water to spill.

After the bag was evenly wrapped, Simon sealed the edges of the bag with duct tape, making sure everything was tightly closed. “Now, okay, Tang, try to lay the bamboo down slowly,” Simon instructed.

“Okay, ready,” Tatang answered briefly, with full concentration. Slowly, Tatang placed the bamboo pole on the ground.

Sure enough, the water did not come out. Finally, Simon and Wawan carried the bamboo pole at the front and back ends respectively.

“Tang, walk slowly, okay, don’t let us slip. If you find it difficult, say so, okay, so we can stop for a while,” explained Simon who was in front.

Slowly, they continued their journey. “Jems, what are you doing?” asked Wawan, seeing Jems just sitting there doing nothing.

“No, what are you looking at me for?” answered Jems, folding her arms.

“Aren’t you helping Simon and Tatang?” asked Wawan, grilling Jems.

“That’s enough with the two of them, one behind, one in front,” answered Jems, pointing her finger at Tatang and Simon who were walking carrying bamboo towards them.

“Well, if that’s the case, you just continue digging behind,” Wawan pointed to the hole that wasn’t even half dug.

“Wait a minute, I’m still tired, Wan. Can’t you see my sweat is like a fountain,” complained Jems, wiping the sweat off her forehead.

“Jiah… the sun will be up high soon, and then it’ll rain,” said Wawan, trying to persuade Jems to get back to work.

“Okay, okay, I’ll continue. Even if you’re nagging. But promise me, okay, if it rains, we’ll all take a break!” Jems finally gave in, stood up and started walking towards the unfinished excavation.

“Deal!” Wawan answered enthusiastically, feeling satisfied that he had managed to persuade Jems to work. Rani and Winda remained silent while smiling at the way Jems and Wawan communicated, like two emotional people, who argued for a moment but didn’t really fight. After that, they talked normally again as if nothing had happened. “A very unique friendship,” Rani said to herself.

“Hey, that’s Bro Simon and Tatang!” Rani said as she stood up and gestured to Simon and Tatang who were approaching.

“Hey, why did you bring them here, Mon? They’re to water the statue!” Wawan said, looking a little annoyed.

“Hey, why didn’t you tell me earlier?” Simon replied while adjusting his Civil Servant’s nap who looked a little out of breath.

“Yes, if I had known, we would have gone straight there,” Tatang continued, looking impatient.

“What about you, Mon? I told you earlier, I wanted to get water to rinse the statue, so it would be clean!” Wawan said in a slightly annoying tone.

“Come on, Tang, let’s take it there, before the foreman gets even more annoyed!” Simon spoke quickly, while hurriedly carrying his bamboo pole again, looking like he wanted to finish the task immediately.

“Yes… that’s right, it’s like Wawan’s project foreman today,” Jems’ voice was heard from behind, adding a joke.

“This again… just focus, focus!” Wawan turned to Jems, who had been standing, and immediately rushed to continue hoeing.

Rani and Winda just looked at each other, trying to hold back their laughter at the ridiculousness that was happening in front of them. The atmosphere around them felt warm even in the midst of tiring work.

“Eh, just stand in the puddle, Mon!” Wawan shouted.

“You go over there, Wan! Bro Simon won’t hear you if you shout from here,” Winda suggested, trying to remind Wawan to come closer.

“Okay, I’ll go over there,” Wawan approached Simon and Tatang who were having a discussion.

“You’re just acting like a foreman, looking like a debt collector,” Jems said while standing and staring at Wawan who was walking towards Simon.

“What’s wrong with you guys, Bro?” Rani asked, curious about their seemingly funny interaction.

“Yes, that’s how we are, Ran. So, just understand,” Jems replied with a smile, as if wanting to convince Rani that it was all just a joke.

“What time are we going to eat?” Winda asked while glancing at the clock on her cellphone, feeling hunger starting to come over her.

“Did you bring food, Win?” Jems asked enthusiastically.

“I did, Bro, but I’m afraid it won’t be enough,” Winda replied anxiously, worried that the food she brought wouldn’t be enough for everyone.

“When did you cook?” Jems asked again, wanting to know more.

“This morning, bro. It’s just enough. Don’t complain later,” Winda replied, trying to explain in a relaxed tone.

“No one complains when given food, you’re just being silly, Win,” Jems replied, encouraging Winda, making her feel better.

“Hey, why did the three of them come here?” Winda said, seeing Wawan, Tatang, and Simon walking towards them.

“Just look at those people’s faces, they seem hungry,” Jems guessed.

“Wait a minute, Winda, get it from your bag first,” Winda approached her backpack.

“Hey, you guys are hungry! Why did the three of you come here together?” Jems reprimanded again, making sure her guess was correct.

“Hungry? Who’s hungry? It’s only this late at night,” Tatang asked in a confused tone.

“So you didn’t come here because you were hungry?” Jems asked again, wanting to be sure. “No, no. We came here so we can finish this together, so it can be finished by the afternoon. Then we’ll carry the statue to Simon’s house,” said Wawan, explaining the purpose of their visit.

“Ah! I thought you were hungry that’s why you came here, even though Winda brought us food,” said Jems explaining in a slightly disappointed tone, as if the food that Winda brought could be a savior from hunger.

“It’s still early, Jems. It’s not even ten o’clock yet,” said Tatang, trying to remind them that it was still too early for lunch.

“Ah, but who could refuse Winda’s food, you’ve never eaten Winda’s cooking, right?” asked Jems trying to persuade his three friends.

“Well, not yet,” answered Simon briefly, looking at Tatang and Wawan.

“Then, let’s relax for a while, then continue working,” Jems tried to invite everyone to enjoy the moment.

“Wawan, Tatang, how about it?” Simon waited for Wawan and Tatang’s approval.

“Mon, there aren’t any coconut trees here that bear fruit, huh?” asked Tatang a little strangely.

“Why, Tang? There aren’t any coconut trees here,” Simon was confused.

“Ah, I know what Tatang meant,” Rani seemed to know where Tatang was joking.

“Okay, let’s eat for a bit,” Wawan felt that Rani had guessed Tatang’s joke and changed the subject.

Winda smiled hearing their conversation. With Rani’s help, Winda distributed the packages from her backpack.

“I’m sorry in advance if the taste isn’t to your taste,” Winda said modestly, feeling a little doubtful about her cooking.

“Don’t worry, Winda. They’re all men, they don’t have any taste,” Simon said trying to calm Winda down, smiling.

It turned out that Winda made a fairly simple fried noodle dish, but it tasted quite good even though it only used simple spices.

“It’s delicious, Win! Even though the spices are simple and there aren’t many toppings,” Tatang praised while chewing greedily, showing that he really enjoyed her cooking.

“Winda, are there any more of these?” asked Simon, holding out the empty package, showing how quickly they had finished their food.

“Sorry, Bro Simon, it’s only a little. Because the kitchen in the inn has very limited cooking utensils and spices,” said Winda, feeling a little guilty for not being able to provide more.

“Okay, it’s okay. My nephew will bring us lunch later,” said Simon, trying to cheer Winda up and convince her that they wouldn’t go hungry.

“That’s good then, Mon, so this is just to tide us over,” said Jems, feeling relieved to hear the good news.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter 9: Discovery of Ancient Statues and the Next Secret

“Let’s continue, shall we? It’ll be fast if we work together,” said Tatang, standing up and picking up his hoe.

“You’re crazy, Tang, you’re already asking me to hoe before the food comes down,” replied Jems.

“Let’s continue, before it gets hot,” Wawan followed Tatang down.

“Hey, you guys continue digging first, I want to take that, for us,” Simon was confused about how to explain it, he just moved his hand as a sign that he wanted to do something.

“Take what, Mon?” asked Wawan.

“That’s so we don’t get too hot later,” said Simon. Simon moved towards the tree.

“Oh, Simon wanted to go get the tent that time,” thought Wawan.

They continued digging until fifty percent of the object they had dug was clearly visible. However, even though they were still enthusiastic, there was no sign of an entrance, as they had hoped. Meanwhile, the stone wall was still flat, showing very smooth and neat chiseled marks.

“Earlier we were hoping that we would just dig a little more and find the door,” Tatang said as he put down his hoe and hurried up.

“Where to, Tang?” asked Wawan who had also stopped hoeing.

"I'll go up for a moment to get some grass," Tatang climbed up from the puddle and went to cut the grass, then on his head the grass was the size of two adult fists, then Tatang returned to the puddle with Wawan. “What are you doing, Tang?” asked Wawan who was still observing the size frame from top to bottom. Tatang then cleaned the remaining soil covering the frame on the edge of the carving with the grass he had balled up earlier, not long after the frame was quite clearly visible. Up close, they all observed the edge of the carving which was made like a carved frame. The striking pattern gave a charming artistic impression. However, when they observed more closely, Rani raised her voice,

“Wait! If you look closely, the carvings on the top and the middle have different patterns, huh?”

Everyone continued their observations. Indeed, the carving pattern on the top with fine strokes and rich details looked very different from the pattern in the middle. The pattern on the bottom also had a style that was completely different, giving the impression of a change in style or technique used in making the carving.

“This is interesting and confusing at the same time,” said Winda, feeling fascinated. “Or maybe there is a different story from each part?”

“Eh, yeah, I think what you said is true, Win. The wood carvings above Simon’s house are also like that, the carvings are different on each side, and according to Amrul, each side with different carvings has a story, but he doesn’t know for sure what the story is about,” said Wawan, remembering his conversation with Amrul a few days ago.

Simon, who had been coming back and forth bringing palm leaves and tree branches, finally became interested and approached his friends.

“So, how is this?” Simon asked excitedly.

“Here, Mon. Take a look, we’ve dug quite deep, but why isn’t the door visible yet?” said Wawan, pointing to the depth they had dug.

“And one more thing, Mon, take a look at the carvings above here and below here, they’re very different, aren’t they?” Tatang invited Simon to get closer to the carving he meant.

Simon didn’t know what to say, he just nodded. Jems, who was trying to pay closer attention, thought seriously.

“Who can help us identify these writings?” said Jems while rubbing the part of the frame that still had some dirt on it.

“Eh, keep going, Jems, why are you rubbing it?” said Simon suddenly making a sound when he saw an object under Jems’ finger.

“Which one, Mon?” slowing down his hand movements.

“Here, Jems, take a look at what this looks like?” everyone focused on the direction Simon was pointing.

“Eh, yeah, what does it look like?” Winda was getting more and more curious.

“Ran, let me borrow your camera for a moment,” Simon turned to Rani.

“Here, Bro,” Rani handed him her camera. Winda immediately changed the camera mode on her phone and pointed it at the same object as Simon. “Take a look at this, what does it look like?” Simon asked Wawan, Tatang, and Jems to look at the camera monitor, the object had been zoomed in several times by Simon. Everyone was stunned without making a sound. Winda and Rani nodded looking at the object on Winda's cellphone camera.

"Yes, this is the statue over there, right, Nda?" said Rani in a tone that seemed not too sure.

"Yes, I thought so too," said Winda still focused on the object.

"So we all think the same, right?" said Jems standing up straight again, after a few moments of bending over observing the object on the camera screen in Simon's hand.

"Fiks this, so what? Let's just dig until we get stuck? Or let's tinker with the statue first, maybe there's a clue, right?" said Tatang trying to make a conclusion.

"How, Mon?" asked Tatang.

"Yes, it seems, there's a connection between the statue over there and the object here," said Rani analyzing.

“Umm, so it’s like this guys, after lunch we’ll continue. So after lunch, Tatang and I will continue digging here, then Wawan, Jems, and Winda, try to look at the statue again. If you can, look at it inch by inch, it seems true that Wawan and Rani said there was a clue in the statue and it has something to do with what we’re digging now.”

“Yes, that’s the most correct, Mon,” said Jems still excitedly.

“But where’s lunch, Mon?” asked Wawan.

“Come here, come with me, my nephew has come from afar bringing lunch, don’t let them come near here,” said Simon pointing at two teenagers from a distance.

“Come on… come on, Mon,” said Wawan as he ran in front of Simon, followed by Simon from behind.

Simon ran towards his two nephews, who seemed to be having trouble carrying several packages in their hands.

“Just wait there!” shouted Simon as he approached his two nephews. Hearing Simon’s shout, his two nephews just stood there waiting for Simon and Wawan to come closer.

“What are you and your friend doing there?” asked Simon’s nephew as he handed over the packages and a large plastic bag.

“Yes, that’s a sacred area, Sis. No one dares to go there,” said Simon’s other nephew, who had already handed over all the packages he had brought to Wawan.

“That one over there is what people say is sacred, not there,” answered Simon evasively.

“Oh, no, bro. The area there is really sacred, no one dares to go there,” Simon’s nephew emphasized.

“Okay, hurry up and go back. Thank you,” Simon said, letting his two nephews go.

“Thank you, bro…,” Wawan continued.

“Yes… yes, bro, you’re welcome,” Simon’s two nephews answered in unison.

“Is that area really sacred, Mon?” Wawan asked worriedly.

“Actually, that story was made up on purpose so that no one would dare to go there. Come on, hurry up, everyone there is hungry.”

Simon and Wawan walked down the grass that was starting to dry, enjoying the bright sunlight after the rain last night. Down there, their friends were already waiting enthusiastically. As soon as they arrived at the gathering place, Winda immediately let out her complaint filled with fatigue.

“Bro Simon, it’s hot!” complained Winda, wiping the sweat from her temples as Simon put his belongings on the grass.

Simon just smiled when he heard Winda’s complaint.

“Hey, wait a minute!” He lifted the palm leaves he had taken earlier and spontaneously, his friends helped. Winda and Rani immediately participated without hesitation.

They started digging the ground and stuck the palm leaf stems and tree trunks into the ground, to block the sunlight in the place where they were doing activities so that it could also serve as a shelter.

After everything was neatly stuck in the ground, they sat cross-legged underneath, enjoying the cool atmosphere, even though the sun was still shining brightly. “Now, great, right?” said Simon, looking at the mini tent made of palm leaves that they had made.

“So, where do we start planning now?” asked Rani, observing the faces in front of her.

“Yes, eat first, Ran,” answered Tatang.

“Come on… let’s put it down,” Simon was helped by Winda to move all the packages that were in front of them.

“Winda, Rani, come on, you guys take them first,” said Jems inviting them.

“It’s okay, you guys go first,” answered Rani shyly.

“If we go first, we’ll finish it all,” said Jems jokingly.

“Come on, Ran, let’s just take it, you’re still shy around them,” said Winda, starting to open the wrapping cloth.

When Winda started to open the wrapping, the aroma of the cooking from inside started to waft out, tempting the appetite of everyone around her. It so happened that the first thing Winda opened was the main menu, which was fish with a Torajan specialty.

The brownish color of the fish and the abundant spices made it look very tempting. Winda inhaled deeply the aroma of the distinctive spices, creating an increasingly raging hunger.

“Who cooked this, Bro? It smells really good,” asked Winda to Simon, amazed by the aroma of the seemingly simple cooking.

“It was my aunt who cooked it, because my mother left for school early in the morning,” answered Simon, sitting cross-legged next to Tatang, looking proud of his family’s cooking.

Rani opened the wrapping containing rice paper that had been formed into a square, and distributed it to everyone. “Come on, share it evenly!” she exclaimed, smiling.

“Yes, Mbak Rani, thank you, come hang out with us often, okay,” said Jems jokingly while grabbing the rice wrapper that Rani had shared.

“When else can we come back here, huh? With a situation that’s almost like this, I really didn’t expect to meet you guys, and have an adventure like this,” said Winda somewhat mellowly.

“Eh, yes! I also really didn’t expect to be here with you guys. We just met, but it feels like we’ve known each other for a long time, huh?” Rani added, feeling close to her friends even though they had just met.

“That’s all because they’re unique and limited edition humans, that’s why they became close so quickly,” said Tatang jokingly, while holding the still-empty rice wrapper.

“Ah, you’re not unique at all, Tang. In fact, you’re the second most unique after Simon and Wawan,” Jems refuted with a serious face.

“I’m confused, they all say I’m unique, where’s the uniqueness?” said Simon while asking Winda.

“Eh, you guys are just kidding, I’ll finish this,” Wawan apparently had already eaten.

“Eh, your quick response, Wan, suddenly you’re already eating this,” Simon was surprised to see that the rice packet in Wawan’s hand was already full.

“Yes, you guys just talk, the food is being queued,” said Wawan, while starting to chew.

The six of them ate the dish that looked simple but was very memorable for them, because among them the atmosphere today was very expensive, it was unlikely that it would happen again after this, especially since the moment was no longer there. Winda and Rani who entered Simon’s gang and friends felt a very strong atmosphere of friendship between the four of them. Winda and Rani felt that they had never found this friendship out there, among them there was no ‘baper’, easily offended, emotional, angry, or competition in any way, especially when it came to calculating who was more dominant.

Even though Winda and Rani had only been in Simon and Co.’s gang for a few days, they felt comfortable, never felt offended, or touched on gender issues, let alone verbal and non-verbal harassment, there was none at all.

After finishing eating and tidying up all the eating utensils, Tatang immediately took his hoe, to immediately continue digging.

“Eh, wow, Tang, your rice hasn’t even come down yet, you’re already continuing to hoe again,” said Wawan, still sitting lazily on the grass.

“It’ll be late afternoon, Wan, and then it’ll rain again,” answered Tatang worriedly.

“The sun is this bright, it won’t rain, Tang,” Wawan, while lifting his head up, indicating that the sun was very bright this afternoon.

“Yes, Tang, you wait about ten more minutes before continuing, I’m also excited,” said Jems, giving Tatang advice.

“Come here first, Tang, there’s still this coffee,” Simon took a tube-shaped thermos from the pile of eating utensils that had been cleaned earlier.

“Eh, there’s coffee. Pretend then,” Wawan was surprised and immediately put down his hoe.

“Wan, any reply from Amrul?” Simon asked Wawan, while pouring coffee into a plastic cup.

“Eh, yeah, I haven’t checked my WA since earlier,” Wawan hurriedly took his cellphone.

“So you sent the photos of the statue to Amrul?” Jems asked. However, Wawan didn’t answer it right away, he was still looking for Amrul’s WA.

“Eh, there’s a reply from Amrul,” Wawan read Amrul’s WA message, everyone was waiting for the contents of the message.

“So it’s like this, Amrul is also still confused about what year the statue is from, because he said Toraja doesn’t have a history of metal statues, then he’ll call me later for the details,” said Wawan explaining Amrul’s WA.

“A metal statue?” said Winda in surprise.

“I think it’s a stone statue, Nda?” asked Rani, not sure.

“Come on, let’s wash that statue first! Who knows, maybe it’s really a metal statue,” Simon said, standing up quickly, full of enthusiasm. All his friends stood up as well, rushing to the place where the statue they had found was still trapped in a puddle of damp soil. Together they cleaned the statue. Winda took out a cloth from inside her Civil Servant’s bag, a kind of small towel, then threw it to Tatang to be used to clean the statue that Simon and Jems had started to shower.

“Hey, pour it little by little, take it far away!” said Wawan warningly, reminding Simon and Jems to be more careful with the water they poured.

Quickly, they cleaned the statue together. Simon and Jems rinsed it with water, while Tatang and Winda rubbed it with a cloth, trying to remove all the remaining dirt that was stuck to it. The atmosphere was full of joy and happiness when they saw the statue starting to show its original form.

After the statue was washed clean until there was no more dirt material left, the surface of the statue was clearly visible. And it seemed that the statue was indeed made of metal, which made everyone amazed. However, it was not yet certain what metal it was made of.

“So this is made of metal, huh?” said Simon, still not believing what he saw.

Everyone was still silent, as if realizing something bigger. However, the silence did not last long, because Rani's voice suddenly broke the atmosphere when she found two rectangular stones that were about the size of bricks, appearing at the feet of the statue after the statue was doused with water.

“Hey, look at this!” Rani exclaimed, pointing at the stones. “Why are there bricks here! Is this part of the statue?”

They all came closer to see more clearly. The two stone artifacts looked different from each other, each stone had carvings that were only in the form of straight lines. However, the lines were too deep, almost one centimeter deep. On each side of the stone, the carvings looked similar, but the number of straight lines was different.

On the top side, there were eleven carved lines, while on the bottom there were only nine. On the left side, there were only four lines, and on the right side, there were six lines.

“Why, could the number be this different?” asked Winda, frowning, trying to understand the pattern.

“Or maybe the number of lines is a kind of number code?” said Jems guessing.

“I don’t know, maybe there are special meanings to the number of lines,” answered Simon, observing more closely. “But strangely, on the other stone, the lines protrude above the surface of the stone, even though the number and position of the lines are the same as the previous stone.” Simon continued.

They all fell silent for a moment, thinking about the strangeness they had just discovered. The protruding lines gave the impression that the stone artifacts had different characters, even though overall they looked similar. “Let’s take a closer look,” suggested Jems, trying to feel the protruding lines on the second stone. “Maybe there’s something we can find here.”

Winda and Tatang also approached, trying to find out if there were any other differences they could find. “Maybe this is some kind of code or clue,” said Winda, observing.

“Let’s try to move it up and align it based on the number of lines,” suggested Rani, and they all followed. They lifted the two stone artifacts up and looked for a flat surface to place the two stones close together.

“If you look closely, this is like a key pattern,” said Winda, feeling the surface of the two stones simultaneously.

“Eh, yes… yes that’s right… that’s right,” Wawan took one of the stones from Winda.

“Then if this is the key, where do we put it? We don’t see a hole this big in the statue or the one over there,” Simon said.

“Hey, let’s finish that one first,” Wawan invited us to continue the unfinished excavation.

“Wan, later when Amrul calls, you don’t have to tell him the full version about this statue, okay? Later, just say it belongs to Simon’s brother, he wants to sell it, we’ll just test it, see how much his friend is willing to value this statue,” Simon said to Wawan as a warning.

“Ready, eight six!” Wawan answered enthusiastically while giving Simon a thumbs up in his face.

They all returned to the unfinished excavation, and resumed digging together. They were even more enthusiastic, maybe because they had lunch and had coffee.

Winda and Rani continued taking pictures, Rani focused on taking pictures of the surrounding situation using a drone, while Winda recorded the activities of Simon and his friends.

They continued digging for almost two hours, finally all the flat stone carvings and their frames were completely visible. However, there are still no signs indicating that there is an entrance to the rock. There is only a flat area approximately two meters high and about one and a half meters wide.

"It's stuck, Mon," said Wawan, looking down at the stone wall with a disappointed expression.

"You can't even see the keyhole," Jems added, scratching his head to indicate that he was confused. They all looked tired, but curiosity was still burning in their hearts.

Winda, who did not want to give up, tried to express her suspicions.

"But this, I am very sure, between the statue and the two bricks earlier, and this wall there must be a connection." Winda was very sure.

 

"What connection?" asked Simon, still skeptical. "If there is, why can't we find a door or other clues?"

"These three objects can't be close together without a reason. Well, that's the reason we are still trying to find out," Winda tried to remember the details they found.

"Bro Simon, are the remaining branches still there?" Suddenly Rani made a sound out of context.

"Wait a minute, they're still there," Simon walked up to pick up some unused branches.

"Is there a machete? Borrow it," asked Rani again, while the others were silent and waited for what Rani would do with the machete and the wooden branches.

"What do you want to make, Ran?" asked Simon confusedly.

“Rani wants to clean up the remains of these small stems,” Rani took the machete from Simon.

“No need, I’ll clean it up,” Simon hurriedly cleaned the branches until there were no small stems left, then handed them to Rani.

Then Rani went down closer to the stone wall, then started stabbing randomly with the branch she had taken earlier. “Tatang and Bro Simon, can you come here?” Rani called Simon and Tatang who were still standing a little further away.

“Yes, what’s wrong, Ran?” asked Tatang, waiting curiously without hesitation to help.

“Please, Bro Simon, for here,” said Rani while pointing to the flat stone wall. “And Tatang over there, about four steps outside this frame, okay,” she asked firmly and focused.

Simon and Tatang followed Rani’s instructions obediently. “Bro Simon, try putting your ear to the stone wall and knocking with the machete in your hand, Tatang too, okay!” Rani gave clear instructions.

“Okay, ready!” Simon replied, and Tatang just stared at Rani's order, feeling a little confused but excited to try.

After they did what Rani asked, the atmosphere calmed down again. "So, what else, Ran?" Simon asked in a resigned tone, wanting to know the next direction.

"Ready to wait for the next instruction!" Tatang shouted from his place, trying to add to the cheerful atmosphere.

"Try doing it one more time and for a while, okay? After that, switch places," Rani asked again, not wanting to miss the moment.

Simon and Tatang followed Rani's instructions attentively, trying to clarify the sound produced. After trying one more time and switching places, they did the same thing again, putting their ears to the wall and knocking a few times. After that, they came back to Rani with confused expressions.

"Was the sound here and there the same?" Rani asked, looking at Tatang and Simon's faces, wanting to get their opinion about the sound they heard.

Suddenly, Simon and Tatang seemed to be awakened by something they had just caught in their minds. “Oh, yes! Mon, the sound here is different from the one over there,” Tatang said excitedly. “The sound here is a bit hollow, while the sound over there is solid!”

“Yes, that’s right, Tang! You’re welcome… I heard it too,” Simon agreed with Tatang’s opinion, it seemed like there was something new in this discovery. Enthusiasm returned to their minds.

“So it’s clear, right, that what you’re digging is actually a door, but you don’t know how to open it yet,” Rani said, seemingly thinking hard to align their perceptions.

“Your analysis is really great, Rani!” Simon praised with a smile, feeling that hope was always there. “I think I should just dig in the middle of this,” Jems had already sat down and started digging with his machete, trying to find a point that might reveal the secret behind the stone wall.

They struggled again, trying to uncover the mysteries that were slowly starting to be revealed. However, the more clues they found, the more confused they became. How could they not? Out of all of them, none of them had any experience with antiques, let alone knowledge of archeology or geology. They only had a compactness supported by instinct, reason, and logic. So they became impromptu archaeologists.

“Hey, there’s a hole… But, wait a minute!” Jems exclaimed, his enthusiasm burning again. He continued to clear the ground around the hole he had found, trying to confirm the existence of the hole he had just found. Carefully, he began to remove the soil covering the hole.

However, Jems’ efforts seemed in vain. When there was hardened soil in the hole like a boulder, he tried to lift it out but it felt heavy and hard, as if it had been deliberately placed inside. “It looks like this has been covered for a long time,” he muttered, frustrated. “Or maybe it was put here on purpose to cover something.”

Everyone came over to Jems, Wawan and Simon stepped in to help Jems remove the rock from the hole, and although it took quite a while, their efforts paid off, they managed to remove the rock. And when the hole was clean of rocks and soil, Jems tried to put his hand in, to make sure whether the walls of the hole had a carved motif or not.

“But why is this hole round like a tube,” said Jems while putting his hand in.

“Jems, put your hand out!!” Wawan half shouted, and Jems hurriedly took his hand out.

“What’s wrong, Wan?” said Jems with a shocked expression.

“I’m afraid there will be some kind of trap that could cut your hand off, and if you put your hand in more, the remaining soil will automatically go in, which could make the hole shallower,” said Wawan analyzing.

“That’s the most logical one, Wan,” said Rani in response to Wawan’s analysis.

“Well, okay, you take care of that, Jems. We’ll go there again,” said Simon returning to his original position, Jems continued assisted by Tatang.

The midday sun was so hot, emitting its rays, accompanied by the cool mountain breeze. Simon and his friends were still enthusiastic about uncovering the mystery of several ancient artifacts that they had found. The atmosphere around them felt contrasting, the scorching sunlight met the cool breeze that blew. Everyone was focused on their respective tasks.

“Hey, come here everyone!!” shouted Tatang while continuing to rub the square-shaped hole that he had found. Suddenly, all his friends came over to Tatang with high curiosity.

“What did you find, Tang?” asked Jems very excitedly, his eyes sparkling.

“This… this… this! Look, the square hole has been found!” answered Wawan happily, while pointing at his findings enthusiastically.

“Tang, did you bring the towel that was there earlier?” asked Simon to Tatang who was standing beside him.

“There… there, he’s upstairs… wait a minute!” Tatang hurried up to get the towel they had used to clean the statue.

“For what, Mon?” asked Jems, confused.

“Let’s try cleaning the walls of this hole first, who knows, the motif might be the same as the square stone from earlier,” said Simon hopefully.

“Yes, right. While waiting for Wawan, try cleaning it slowly, Wan. Who knows, there might be another clue,” said Jems to Wawan, encouraging him.

“Is the water from earlier still there?” asked Wawan, while observing the square hole carefully.

“I think it’s still there. Wait a minute, I’ll get it,” Winda immediately headed to the statue to get water.

“Well, okay… I’ll continue my digging there,” said Simon to his friends, not wanting to waste time.

“Yes… yes, Mon. Who knows, I might find another square hole like this, right?” answered Jems, smiling.

Tatang came with a towel and immediately handed it to Wawan who was still squatting cleaning his discovery.

“Here, Wan,” Tatang handed him the towel, Wawan just turned around and took the towel from Tatang’s hand.

While Winda had returned with water, Tatang began to clean the walls of the square hole carefully. He rubbed the surface of the wall gently, hoping to find something new.

“Wait a minute,” Tatang stood up as if he wanted to get something.

“Where are you going, Tang?” asked Wawan.

“Take the two stones from earlier,” answered Tatang.

“Okay, just sit here, I’ll get them,” said Tatang and immediately took the object he meant.

Winda and Rani looked at each other and smiled seeing their togetherness, no one felt dominant over the other, they all supported each other. Suddenly Simon passed by them.

“Hey, where are you going, Bro Simon? Get a drink, okay? Here, let Rani get it,” said Rani offering.

“No. I want to get the square stone over there,” Simon answered, pausing for a moment.

“Hey, Tatang has already taken it, Bro,” answered Winda, pointing towards Tatang.

“If you want to get Simon a drink, I’ll do it too, Ran,” said Jems.

“Bro Jems, just listen, wait a minute, okay…” replied Rani.

“No… no need, Ran, I was just kidding. I have a tumbler here,” Jems laughed while showing the tumbler lying nearby.

“Tang, try giving me one of those stones!” said Jems to Tatang, when he saw Tatang approaching Wawan carrying two shaped stones.

“Have you found the other hole, Mon?” asked Tatang as if in disbelief, approaching Simon and handing Simon one of the artifact stones.

“I have!” answered Simon with a wide smile, while raising his chin proudly.

“Why didn’t you say anything? There were no celebrations, Mon?” said Wawan in a happy tone, as if he wanted to celebrate the discovery.

“Bro Simon, have you found the other hole?” said Winda very happily.

“Yes, it’s over there… it seems to be in line with the hole Wawan found,” Simon pointed casually in the direction he found the other hole.

“But does it match, Bro, with the stone?” asked Winda.

“I don’t know yet, let’s try,” Simon continued.

“Tang, try bringing that stone,” Jems asked Tatang who was still holding the other stone.

“Uh, yeah… let’s go there, Mon,” Tatang and Jems headed to Wawan. Meanwhile, Simon, Winda, and Rani headed to the hole that Simon had just found.

“Come on, Bro, try putting the stone in, does it fit?” Winda asked anxiously.

Simon slowly tried to put the artifact stone into the hole, but the stone wouldn’t fit. “Why can’t it fit in?” Simon said in confusion as he stared at the stone he was holding.

“Can you move aside for a moment, Bro,” Rani said, squatting next to Simon. Simon moved to make room.

Rani felt the walls of the hole and cleaned off the remaining soil that was still in it. After that, she felt the surface of the stone in her hand again.

“It doesn’t seem like this is the same. Try swapping it with the one over there,” Rani said while pointing at Wawan, Tatang, and Jems.

Simon immediately approached Wawan. “How about it, Wan? Can it go in?” Simon said while standing beside Wawan.

“I don’t know this. How about it, Wan? Can the stone go in?” Tatang asked Wawan who was trying to put the stone artifact into the hole.

“Let’s swap. Try putting this one in,” Simon said while handing him the stone artifact in his hand.

Without a word, Tatang immediately put the stone Simon gave him into the hole. “Now, this is perfect, it can go in!” Wawan said happily.

“Eh, but why isn’t there any reaction, Tang?” Jems asked while looking around, hoping that something would happen. They all waited expectantly, but there was no visible change. The atmosphere became silent for a moment, only the sound of the wind blowing softly around them could be heard.

"Let's check again, maybe we missed something," Rani suggested, trying to stay optimistic. "Maybe we need to press or twist this stone after it's been inserted," Winda continued, adding to Rani's suggestion.

"Yes, it could be," Simon replied. "Try, Tang, press the stone a little." Simon requested.

Tatang nodded and began to press the artifact stone that had been inserted into the hole. He felt a slight movement, but there was no further reaction.

"Nothing happened, Mon," he said, a little disappointed.

"Hey, wait a minute, isn't that the one in Bro Simon's hand not inserted there yet?" Rani glanced at the other stone in Simon's hand.

"Well, why didn't you tell me, Mon?" Jems said with a laugh.

"Be patient, bro. I'll go over there first to put this stuff in," Simon stepped into the other hole, followed by Rani and Winda.

“Omma, the two maids must come along,” said Jems jokingly when she saw Winda and Rani following Simon from behind.

“This fits, it can go in,” said Simon as he put in the other stone.

Winda and Rani stepped back, still watching, hoping something would happen.

“How is it, Mon?! Have you put it in?!” shouted Jems.

“Yes!!” shouted Simon briefly.

“So what!!?” shouted Jems again.

“Nothing,” answered Simon, waving his hand.

Knowing that nothing had happened, Jems, Wawan, and Tatang approached Simon who was still sitting in front of the hole he had found, looking lethargic.

“Have you knocked again, Mon?” asked Jems to make sure.

“Yes, Mi… I even kicked it, but there was no reaction,” answered Simon, his voice sounding desperate.

“Well, maybe we need to rest for a while, Mon,” said Wawan, trying to cheer her up. “We’ve tried hard.”

“Come on, let’s just go up here, guys!” shouted Winda from a distance, her voice still excited.

They all turned and rushed to Winda and Rani, who were already standing on flatter ground. Rani seemed to be carrying a small supply. “Let’s have a snack first, so our minds are fresh,” suggested Rani, while taking out a snack from her Civil Servant bag.

“Hey, is the coffee from earlier still there, Mon?” asked Jems.

“There is. Still… try taking it from that thermos,” Simon pointed to the thermos lying under the stem of the palm leaf.

“Who knows, after drinking coffee, there will be enlightenment… right?” said Jems with a smile.

“Agreed!” exclaimed Tatang, nodding.

“Eh, by the way, the tube-shaped hole that Jems found earlier, maybe that’s one of the keys too?” Rani suddenly spoke up.

“It could be, Ran, that’s one of the three sets of keys too,” answered Winda guessing.

“But where is the key?” said Tatang, trying to think of something.

Tatang suddenly stood up, grabbed his hoe, and headed straight for the statue, where the two square stones were found.

“Hey, Tang, where are you going?” asked Jems to Tatang, who had started to walk away.

“Over there, Jems, looking for the other key,” answered Tatang, pointing to where the two previous stones were found.

After that, Winda also stood up, but her destination was different from Tatang’s.

“Eh, well… well, where are you going again, Win?” asked Jems, a little confused seeing the direction Winda was taking.

“There seems to be something strange about the hole that Bro Jems found,” answered Winda, suspecting that there was something odd about the cylindrical hole.

Jems just stared blankly, not saying anything. He felt a little surprised by Winda’s statement. “Strange? What do you mean, Win?” asked Jems, trying to understand.

“Yes, I think there is something that I find suspicious, but I don’t know for sure,” Winda said with a hanging response. Her words made Jems even more confused, while Wawan and Simon just listened without saying anything, feeling that there was something deeper than Winda’s statement.

“I’ll come with you, Nda,” Rani suddenly stood up following Winda from behind, showing the same interest.

Not long after, Winda and Rani were already in front of a hole that was approximately fifteen to twenty centimeters in diameter. The air around felt a little colder, indicating that the afternoon air was starting to shift to evening.

“Ran, take a look at this hole? Is there anything strange? Do you think so?” Winda asked seriously, full of mystery. Rani just kept quiet, continuing to look at the hole, and slowly shook her head.

“No, Nda, it looks normal, nothing strange,” Rani answered a little hesitantly.

“Take a look again, Ran, the position of this hole is unusual, its position is not like the two square holes on the left and right,” Winda said while feeling the surface of the hole, while Rani just kept quiet observing. “This hole is unusual because its position is not straight horizontally but diagonally,” Winda explained, which made Rani even more confused. “I still don’t understand what you mean, Nda,” Rani said, still looking confused.

“So, Ran, this isn’t something like a key, but there must be something else.”

“Water was put in, right? Because this hole already had a lid,” Rani said lightly, as if her words had just crossed her mind.

“Yes, that’s what I meant. Water probably has to be put in. Wait a minute,” Winda took the water bottle they brought and poured water into the hole.

With burning curiosity, they all watched as water began to flow into the hole. They stared with great tension, and saw the water flowing out to who knows where, disappearing into the darkness at the end of the hole.

“That means this hole has a continuation, Nda!” said Rani, feeling surprised and excited at the same time with the discovery.

“Yes, try looking at the walls, there are no carved motifs whatsoever!” added Winda, observing the hole closely.

“This is strange. There should be signs or traces, considering this hole is hundreds or even thousands of years old,” said Rani, observing.

From behind, Simon and Wawan approached, observing closely.

“So, how is it? Is there a possibility that this hole is connected to a bigger place?” said Simon, trying to guess.

In their hearts, they believed that every new clue they found, meant that there was a greater possibility that this series of puzzles would be solved.

“Mon, it’s almost evening, is it okay if we leave this like this?” said Jems while looking at the pine forest that was starting to be left by the sunlight.

“It’s okay, Jems. This is my family’s private area which is sacred to the people in this village,” said Simon trying to dismiss Jems’ worries.

“Uh, yeah, I haven’t seen anyone passing by or doing anything around here for almost the whole day,” said Jems, coming to his senses.

“Uh, how’s Tatang, have you found any new clues?” Rani turned to Tatang.

“I’m sure, we haven’t found anything else about that kid,” continued Jems with full confidence.

“Why, Bro Jems, are you that sure?” asked Rani seriously.

“If he finds anything, he will definitely scream,” Jems replied with the same confidence as before.

“Woooooiii!!!... everyone, come here!!” Tatang shouted from his place.

“Now, this is what I mean… was what I just said right?” Jems’ smile immediately spread, and he immediately ran towards Tatang.

“Yes, Tang… I’m coming!!” Jems replied while running. Seeing that, Rani just took a deep breath and nodded, trying to understand the situation she had just heard and seen.

“Eh, what else did Tatang find, let’s go there,” Simon said, while inviting Winda and Rani to Tatang’s place.

“What’s wrong with you, Tang? What else did you find?” Jems asked, seeing Tatang crouching in a puddle.

“Come here, Jems, hurry up!” Tatang turned to Jems, telling him to come over immediately. He couldn’t wait to show him something.

Jems immediately went down to Tatang, who in front of him was a vessel whose shape was not yet one hundred percent visible because it was still embedded in the ground. This sight was quite surprising, and his curiosity overflowed.

"Is this a flower vase, Tang?" asked Jems quietly, not wanting to jump to conclusions too early.

"It looks like a vessel, or a water container, Jems," answered Tatang, holding the mouth of the vessel, feeling around to feel its shape and design. There was a sacred feeling flowing through their minds, realizing that this was no ordinary object.

From behind, Winda, Simon, Wawan, and Rani had gathered and were very surprised by the discovery.

"Oh my gosh!!! What is this?" asked Wawan in a voice full of awe, feeling as if they had found another piece of lost history.

"Hurry up, hurry up and dig, Mas!" said Winda in a hurried tone, feeling that this discovery was very important.

"Yes-yes," answered Tatang, immediately continuing to dig, but this time he used his hands. Jems also helped dig from the other side, excited by the discovery that was becoming increasingly clear.

Wawan, Simon, and Rani stared with hope and confidence, their spirits rising after finding a new object. They felt that this discovery could provide all the clues they needed to immediately reveal the rest of this mystery.

"If this is a water container, there is probably something very valuable or some kind of message in it," said Simon, adding a sense of confidence and optimism.

"Be careful, don't break it," said Rani, watching carefully while her hands shook excitedly.

With their cooperation, the soil covering the vessel slowly began to lift. The tension was increasingly felt.

Finally, after a few minutes that felt like an eternity, the vessel could be lifted from the ground. In the light of the afternoon sun, the vessel looked shiny even though there were already traces of time on its surface.

"Look, this is beautiful!" exclaimed Winda, fascinated by the detailed carvings on the side of the vessel. "It seems like there is a pattern that is similar to the artifact we found earlier."

 

Jems and Tatang exchanged glances, feeling joy flowing between them. They knew that this discovery was a series of unanswered puzzles.

"So, what's inside?" asked Wawan, curious to know what was inside.

They all looked at each other, feeling tense, as well as quite curious.

 

They began to open and clean the contents of the vessel, with the hope in their hearts that they would find further clues and immediately end the mystery of this search. The water vessel was about three adult spans tall, with a curved neck, giving an elegant impression to its shape. On the left side of the vessel is a handle made of fine carvings, and on the top, neatly carved triangular ornaments line up like waves, adding to its visual beauty.

The center of the vessel is bloated, giving the impression of sturdiness and large capacity. Simon and his friends were amazed when they saw the beautiful details of the carvings, showing the skills of ancient craftsmen, depicting not only function, but also art. Meanwhile, at the base of the vessel, there is a flat area carved to resemble the symbol of the sun, complete with rays extending out.

Every detail depicts a very large masterpiece that could have an implicit message about deep heritage and tradition, as well as illustrating how valuable this artifact is. After the contents of the inside of the vessel were cleaned, it turned out that the contents were only soil, nothing else. The inside of the vessel is also plain, there are no carvings or instructions whatsoever. It seems that this vessel was only used as a water container in its time.

"Maybe this is a drinking water vessel left behind when the statue workers buried this statue here?" said Wawan guessing.

“No way, Wan. I’m sure all the objects here that we’ve found are related and have their own functions,” Winda said, refuting Wawan’s statement.

“Just look at it, the details are amazing. I can’t believe we could find such a beautiful historical object,” Rani exclaimed in awe, gently touching the surface of the vessel.

“Or maybe not? This vessel was used in some kind of ritual?” Jems tried to guess.

“Mon, do you understand anything from the carvings or pictures on this vessel?” Wawan asked Simon, hoping for an explanation. Simon grabbed the vessel and tried to take a closer look, turning it over and over. However, he just shook his head, a sign that he had no idea at all. “I know absolutely nothing,” Simon said as he handed the vessel to Tatang.

“So, what about this? What should we do with this? It doesn’t seem to have anything to do with what we’re looking for,” Tatang put the vessel on the ground, looking frustrated.

“Hey, wait… wait,” Winda said suddenly, catching everyone’s attention.

“Hey, yeah… yeah… wait, Tang,” Simon said again, feeling like there was something important.

“Bro Simon, do you think the same as Winda?” Winda said as she took the vessel back, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

“Is there still water in the bamboo, Wan?” Simon asked Wawan, as if he had an idea.

Instantly a smile spread across Winda’s face, a sign that there was an understanding between her and Simon. Wawan nodded, “There is still some.” Simon immediately approached the bamboo containing water, followed by Wawan and Winda who were carrying the vessel. Rani just watched silently, but then suddenly understood Simon and Winda's train of thought. She hurriedly walked towards the palm leaves and cut a few sheets, bringing them to the tube-shaped hole that Jems had found.

Meanwhile, Simon, assisted by Wawan, slowly poured water into the vessel that Winda was holding. Tatang and Jems were still confused and didn't know what to do, so they finally followed Rani.

"Ran, is there anything we can help you with?" Jems asked Rani.

"Yes, there is, Bro. Please help Bro Jems roll this palm leaf into a cone shape, okay. Then fold the bottom and the end of the Civil Servant," Rani asked enthusiastically.

"What's it for, Ran?" asked Tatang, very curious.

"To pour water into here, Bro," said Rani while pointing to the hole in front of her.

"Ooh, that's a funnel. Here, I can do that too," Tatang answered as he started to roll the palm leaves. Jems also helped make another funnel. After finishing, Rani inserted Jems' funnel into Tatang's funnel, so now there was only one cone or funnel.

Winda, assisted by Simon and Wawan, came carrying a vessel that was already filled with water. Rani placed the cone funnel made of palm leaves right at the mouth of the hole.

"Hey, wait," said Tatang, "Ran, hold the funnel at the mouth of the hole, okay? I want to block it with soil underneath, so that the water doesn't flow out," said Tatang, conveying his idea.

Finally, after everything was ready, Rani and Simon slowly poured water into the hole. Their faces looked very tense, full of hope and curiosity. They all waited anxiously, hoping that the water they poured could provide a clue or open the way to something bigger.

"Hopefully this works," whispered Winda, her eyes not leaving the hole that was waiting.

Seconds passed, as the water began to flow into the hole, they felt a small vibration in the ground. After all the water in the vessel had been poured into the hole, Winda and Simon were still holding the vessel. While waiting for what changes would happen next, they all seemed to hold their breath without blinking.

"Look! Something's moving!" said Simon, pointing towards the hole. Everyone stared intently, their hearts beating fast, the tension on their faces increasingly visible.

"Is this a sign that we've done the right thing?" asked Rani, her voice trembling between hope and tension.

"Hopefully, Ran," answered Tatang, unable to hide his fear and curiosity. They all waited expectantly, waiting for what would happen next.

Suddenly, from inside the hole, came the sound of gurgling water that grew louder. They all looked at each other, not believing what they were hearing. "What's that?" asked Wawan, his voice trembling with fear.

"It seems like the water is flowing according to its path," answered Simon, with a sweaty face.

They all didn't make much noise, continuing to observe the hole, waiting for what surprise would happen.

“You mean there’s a ditch inside?” Wawan asked in a serious tone.

Everyone fell silent again, waiting for the surprise, but over time the sound of the splashing water slowly became smaller and finally could not be heard anymore. Hearing the sound of the splashing water had disappeared, the vibration that had only been felt once, after that the atmosphere inside returned to being as quiet as before, there was no sound or movement whatsoever. One by one they climbed out of the puddle.

“Where are you going, Mon?” Wawan asked as Simon turned around listlessly without a word. Simon headed to the palm leaf tent, he sat on the grass and stared blankly into the distance.

“Bro Simon, why?” Rani came over. Simon grabbed the vessel and tried to take a closer look, turning it over and over. However, he just shook his head, a sign that he had no idea at all. “I know absolutely nothing,” Simon said as he handed the vessel to Tatang.

“So, what about this? What should we do with this? It doesn’t seem to have anything to do with what we’re looking for,” Tatang put the vessel on the ground, looking frustrated.

“Hey, wait… wait,” Winda said suddenly, catching everyone’s attention.

“Hey, yeah… yeah… wait, Tang,” Simon said again, feeling like there was something important.

“Bro Simon, do you think the same as Winda?” Winda said as she took the vessel back, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

“Is there still water in the bamboo, Wan?” Simon asked Wawan, as if he had an idea.

Instantly a smile spread across Winda’s face, a sign that there was an understanding between her and Simon. Wawan nodded, “There is still some.” Simon immediately approached the bamboo containing water, followed by Wawan and Winda who were carrying the vessel. Rani just watched silently, but then suddenly understood Simon and Winda's train of thought. She hurriedly walked towards the palm leaves and cut a few sheets, bringing them to the tube-shaped hole that Jems had found.

Meanwhile, Simon, assisted by Wawan, slowly poured water into the vessel that Winda was holding. Tatang and Jems were still confused and didn't know what to do, so they finally followed Rani.

"Ran, is there anything we can help you with?" Jems asked Rani.

"Yes, there is, Bro. Please help Bro Jems roll this palm leaf into a cone shape, okay. Then fold the bottom and the end of the Civil Servant," Rani asked enthusiastically.

"What's it for, Ran?" asked Tatang, very curious.

"To pour water into here, Bro," said Rani while pointing to the hole in front of her.

"Ooh, that's a funnel. Here, I can do that too," Tatang answered as he started to roll the palm leaves. Jems also helped make another funnel. After finishing, Rani inserted Jems' funnel into Tatang's funnel, so now there was only one cone or funnel.

Winda, assisted by Simon and Wawan, came carrying a vessel that was already filled with water. Rani placed the cone funnel made of palm leaves right at the mouth of the hole.

"Hey, wait," said Tatang, "Ran, hold the funnel at the mouth of the hole, okay? I want to block it with soil underneath, so that the water doesn't flow out," said Tatang, conveying his idea.

Finally, after everything was ready, Rani and Simon slowly poured water into the hole. Their faces looked very tense, full of hope and curiosity. They all waited anxiously, hoping that the water they poured could provide a clue or open the way to something bigger.

"Hopefully this works," whispered Winda, her eyes not leaving the hole that was waiting.

Seconds passed, as the water began to flow into the hole, they felt a small vibration in the ground. After all the water in the vessel had been poured into the hole, Winda and Simon were still holding the vessel. While waiting for what changes would happen next, they all seemed to hold their breath without blinking.

"Look! Something's moving!" said Simon, pointing towards the hole. Everyone stared intently, their hearts beating fast, the tension on their faces increasingly visible.

"Is this a sign that we've done the right thing?" asked Rani, her voice trembling between hope and tension.

"Hopefully, Ran," answered Tatang, unable to hide his fear and curiosity. They all waited expectantly, waiting for what would happen next.

Suddenly, from inside the hole, came the sound of gurgling water that grew louder. They all looked at each other, not believing what they were hearing. "What's that?" asked Wawan, his voice trembling with fear.

"It seems like the water is flowing according to its path," answered Simon, with a sweaty face.

They all didn't make much noise, continuing to observe the hole, waiting for what surprise would happen.

“You mean there’s a ditch inside?” Wawan asked in a serious tone.

Everyone fell silent again, waiting for the surprise, but over time the sound of the splashing water slowly became smaller and finally could not be heard anymore. Hearing the sound of the splashing water had disappeared, the vibration that had only been felt once, after that the atmosphere inside returned to being as quiet as before, there was no sound or movement whatsoever. One by one they climbed up and left the puddle.

“Where are you going, Mon?” Wawan asked as Simon turned around listlessly without a word. Simon headed to the palm leaf tent, he sat on the grass and stared blankly into the distance.

“Bro Simon, why?” Rani came over.

“Eh, Rani… it’s okay, Ran, maybe because you’re tired,” Simon said trying to hide his disappointment and despair “But, Bro Simon still hopes that we can all finish this, right?” Rani asked softly.

“Yes, of course, Ran. It’s just a shame that you’ve all worked hard here all day, but the results aren’t as expected, or there aren’t any,” Simon looked desperate.

“Why not, Bro? We’ve found some artifacts, you know, Bro,” Rani answered, still maintaining her intonation.

“But that’s not our main goal, Ran,” Simon answered expressionlessly.

“Don’t worry, Bro. Everything has a process,” Rani said smiling, patting Simon’s shoulder.

“Thank you, Ran,” Simon turned to Rani. Rani just smiled and nodded slightly.

“So, how about it, Mon? Shall we continue tomorrow, maybe?” Wawan and Jems approached Simon and Rani.

“Yes, we’ll continue tomorrow morning. We’re all tired,” Simon answered to Wawan who was sitting near Simon.

“How about that statue, Mon?” Tatang asked, pointing to the statue that was still standing.

“It’s okay, just leave it there. Later we’ll tilt it and cover it with these leaves,” Simon replied.

“So, how is it, Mon? Is it safe? Later people will have to carry it,” Jems asked worriedly.

“Who can carry a statue that heavy? The four of us can’t possibly lift the statue,” Simon replied.

“Winda, Tatang! Come up first, it’s getting late!” Jems called to Winda and Tatang.

Winda and Tatang turned to Jems and immediately approached him. Winda brought the last vessel they found, and their faces looked very tired and disappointed.

“Is it safe, Bro? We’re all staying here?” Winda asked while pointing at their former excavation site.

“It’s safe, Win. The only access is also the road above that, it also passes in front of my house,” Simon tried to convince his friends.

“Hey, but what we can bring, let’s just bring it, okay, Mon?” Tatang said, remembering the things they had.

“Yes, let’s just take this vessel,” said Winda while showing the vessel in her arms.

“Just take that,” replied Simon.

“Is your lodging far from home, Simon?” asked Tatang to Winda and Rani.

“Not that far, actually it’s a kind of homestay,” replied Rani.

“You guys can stay at my house. The tongkonan house is empty, you guys can stay there,” said Simon offering his house.

“Eh, okay… okay, Mon! I’m also curious about how it feels to sleep on a traditional Torajan house,” replied Winda happily.

“Yes, in my entire life I’ve never stayed in a traditional house in any region,” continued Rani, looking very enthusiastic.

Simon smiled at their response. “Then, let’s clean up first, then we’ll go home,” said Simon.

“Mon, can you use these palm leaves to cover the statue?” asked Wawan. Simon gave a thumbs up as a sign that he agreed. “Wan, leave two or three sticks, to cover that,” said Tatang pointing to the flat stone wall that had not yet opened. While Winda and Rani tidied up the eating and drinking utensils and put them back in their original places, Jems and Simon tidied up the other utensils and put them in the statue pool, and covered it with palm leaves.

Meanwhile, Winda and Rani tidied up the eating and drinking utensils, put them back in plastic bags and bags made of cloth. Jems and Simon also helped tidy up the other utensils, then put them in the statue pool and covered it with palm leaves.

“If everything is done, let’s go home, before it gets dark, because it gets dark very quickly here in the afternoon,” said Simon to his friends.

“Win, I’ll take that,” said Tatang, approaching Winda and immediately taking the large plastic bag containing their lunch utensils.

“That too, Ran, let me take it,” Simon held the cloth bag that Rani was holding.

“Thank you, Bro Simon,” said Rani as she released her grip from the bag she was holding.

“Can I carry your backpack too?” Simon offered Rani another hand.

“No need, Bro. It’s okay, Rani can carry it,” Rani replied, refusing Simon’s help.

“Not at all, Mon. You ask Rani, do you want to be carried home, dear?” teased Jems who was next to Rani.

“You, Jems, don’t know that there are people trying,” Simon replied jokingly but with a serious expression.

“Shall we go back, Bro?” asked Winda casually after tidying up the contents of her backpack.

“Hey, Winda and Rani, we’ll go home first, okay? Get the car to pick up your things at the inn,” Simon told Winda and Rani.

“Okay. Okay, ready, Bro Simon. Thank you in advance,” Winda replied with a smile.

Not long after, Simon returned and handed the key to Winda. Winda then handed the key to Rani. “Ran, you drive,” said Winda with a smile.

Rani just nodded, then walked towards the car. “Okay, okay, Nda,” she replied.

“Oh, yeah, you can take your bags upstairs first,” said Simon, seeing Winda and Rani still holding their backpacks.

“Hey, Ran, take your bags here too, I’ll take them upstairs,” said Winda as she walked towards the car.

“Here, Nda. Lay them out slowly, because there’s a laptop and stuff,” said Rani, a little worried about her stuff.

“Don’t worry, Ran. I’ll be careful,” replied Winda, taking Rani’s bag and carrying it with great care.

After making sure everything was ready, Winda and Rani got ready to leave, while Wawan was still busy with his phone.

“Ah, really, Rul? That statue is probably made of gold?” replied Wawan, surprised to hear Amrul’s statement.

“I’ve asked several of my friends, and they all guessed that. Because, if it’s a bronze statue, the carvings aren’t that smooth and detailed,” Amrul explained with full confidence.

Wawan frowned, still not believing it. “But, gold? That’s really expensive! How could a statue that big be made of gold?”

“Yes, it’s possible. There are many ancient artifacts made of gold, the size of which is as big as a gaban,” Amrul explained on the other end of the phone, Wawan focused on listening and occasionally nodded slowly.

“It could be, right, that it’s one of the ancient statues brought by a tribe from another region. For example, as a form of respect or a symbol of cooperation,” Amrul continued his explanation.

Tatang, who was listening to the conversation, chimed in, “Wow! If the statue is really gold, he’ll suddenly be like Simon, he could use it for dozens of wedding funds!” Tatang said in amazement, moving closer to Wawan. He was curious to know all of Wawan’s conversations with Amrul.

Meanwhile, Wawan just nodded while putting his index finger near his lips, as if signaling Tatang not to disturb the person who was chatting with Amrul on the phone.

"So, how do you sell it, Rul? Calculated based on the weight of the Civil Servant or based on the rarity of the item?" Wawan asked curiously.

"It depends, Wan. If you sell it to an antique collector, they will pay based on the historical value and rarity of the item. But if you sell it to a gold seller, it will definitely be calculated based on the weight and content of the Civil Servant. The possibility is, yes, the value could be tens or maybe hundreds of billions," Amrul explained again.

"Hundreds of billions?! Wow, Simon could become an instant millionaire!" Tatang exclaimed excitedly.

"Well, okay, I'll talk to Simon's brother first, because it belongs to Simon's uncle," Wawan replied lying, keeping the source of the statue a secret. He knew the importance of maintaining confidentiality related to the object.  Wawan ended the call and approached Tatang.

Hearing Wawan's conversation with Amrul on the phone, Tatang became even more excited. "Crazy, Wan! We have to find a way to confirm the authenticity of the statue immediately. If it's true, this could be a big opportunity for us!" Tatang exclaimed enthusiastically.

Wawan nodded in agreement, although in his heart there was a feeling of anxiety. He knew that the statue was not just a valuable material item, more than that there was a very long story and history that followed it. And he was not sure if they were ready to face all the consequences that might arise later.

"Hey, aren't you guys going to take a shower?!" Simon shouted from the terrace of the house.

"Yes, Mon... I'm just about to," Tatang replied, still standing where he was.

"Ready, Mon, I'm going to take a shower," Wawan pulled Tatang's hand.

"You two are going to take a shower together, okay?" Simon asked while raising his thumb.

 

 

Chapter 10: When Water Opens the Secret Cave Door to Hidden History

Wawan immediately released his grip on Tatang's hand.

“What are you doing, Wan? It’s funny, you know,” said Tatang.

“I’ve actually been suspicious of you two for a long time,” Jems’ voice came from under the house. “Take a look, Mon, there are two men who want to take a shower together in one bathroom,” Jems continued, holding back laughter.

“Yeah, that’s right, Jems. Men taking a shower together…!” said Simon jokingly.

“What are you two talking about, huh?! Hurry up, Tang, you take a shower first,” said Wawan to Tatang. Tatang just looked at Jems and Wawan in confusion.

The afternoon was about to turn into night, the fog slowly began to descend, covering the pine hills that grew neatly in rows across from Simon’s village. The cold air seemed to usher in the evening to welcome the night. Jems, Tatang, Wawan, and Simon sat on the terrace, waiting for Winda and Rani who, without realizing it, had not returned for almost two hours.

“Jems, why are you already taking a shower?” asked Simon to Jems who was already sitting on the edge of the terrace while stroking her hair.

“No, look, my hair is still wet, Mon,” Jems replied while continuing to wipe her hair with a towel.

“Did you wash your hair, Jems?” Simon asked again, curious.

“Are you crazy, Mon! Washing your hair in this cold?! Just look at the fog that’s almost here, aren’t I getting colder?” Jems replied, slightly annoyed while pointing towards the mountain whose peak was starting to be covered in fog.

“Hey, why is your hair wet?” Simon asked, looking at Jems’ head which looked soaked.

“I wanted to wash my face, I lifted the ladle high so my head got drenched, that’s why I wiped it,” Jems replied, explaining.

“Ooh, I see,” Simon nodded, as if understanding.

“Hey, Mon, are Winda and Rani still here?” Jems asked while glancing towards the yard which was starting to get dark.

“Still collecting their things probably,” Simon replied, guessing.

“They have a lot of stuff. Why haven’t they come back for two hours?” said Jems, starting to worry.

Tatang, who was sitting next to them, chimed in, “Maybe they got lost or had a problem with their car.”

“If they got lost, it’s unlikely, because the main road is only the one below, there’s no other,” Simon answered to make sure.

“Well, how do we find out? Should we just go there, Mon?” Wawan also gave a suggestion.

Simon looked at the two of them. “But it’s already dark like this, and there’s only one car,” Simon replied, chiming in.

“Why don’t we just call them?” answered Tatang, feeling like he had an idea.

Simon immediately called Winda, but she didn’t pick up. Simon tried calling several times.

“Hey, wait a minute, why is there a phone ringing upstairs?” said Tatang, hearing the faint sound of a phone ringtone from the top of the tongkonan house. “Oh, yes… Winda’s and Rani’s Civil Servants are kept on top of the tongkonan house,” said Simon, realizing that Winda and Rani had left their Civil Servants to be kept on top of the tongkonan house.

“So, what should we do, Mon?” asked Wawan, not knowing what else to do.

“Let’s just wait for about half an hour. If there are no signs, I’ll try to find a vehicle, then we’ll follow,” explained Simon, trying to calm the atmosphere.

“Mon, your family is in the same village from the bottom to the top, all your relatives. Try calling your relatives who live in the lower area, near the homestay where Winda and Rani are staying,” explained Tatang, giving advice.

“Yes, yes, Mon, what Tatang said is right. Who knows, maybe one of your relatives will see your car going up here,” Jems added confidently.

Simon tried to open the phone book on his phone to look for the names of his family. Simon still hadn't found his relative's phone number, suddenly from the top of the tongkonan house, the faint sound of Winda's phone ringing could be heard.

"Eh, it seems like Winda's phone is ringing again?" said Tatang while turning his ear to the side.

"Okay, just leave it, Tang. It might be her relative or friend who called," answered Jems. "How about it, Mon? Haven't you found any relatives you can contact?" asked Wawan to Simon, seeing Simon still fiddling with his phone.

"I don't think I saved the number, Wan," Simon was still focused on his phone screen.

"Well, so what?" answered Wawan increasingly worried.

Suddenly the sound of the phone ringing was heard again, but this time it wasn't Winda's phone, but Rani's phone, and Rani's phone was louder.

"Now, whose phone is this again?" asked Jems to everyone.

"Maybe it's Rani's phone," answered Simon.

“How do you know, Mon, that was Rani’s cellphone voice?” Jems asked, actually joking but with a serious tone.

“Earlier, Winda and Rani asked their Civil Servant to look after them upstairs,” Simon replied, pointing to the side of the Tongkonan house.

“Oh, yeah, I thought it was because you were too attentive to Rani.

 

“You even memorized the sound of her phone,” said Jems with a smile.

“Hey, it’s Winda’s phone that’s ringing again,” said Wawan.

“I think there’s something, let’s just pick it up, who knows there’s something important,” said Tatang with a serious face.

“Yes, Mon, you just take their phones, who knows it’s them but using someone else’s phone,” said Jems, suspecting that something was wrong.

“Yes… yes, just a minute,” Simon immediately rushed to the tongkonan house which was just next door from where they took Winda’s and Rani’s phones.

Not long after, Simon returned with Winda’s and Rani’s phones, and placed them on the table, waiting for someone to call again. They stared at Winda’s and Rani’s phones, hoping someone would call one of them.

“Or we should just call back the number that called us earlier,” said Simon suggesting.

“But I think their phones have a PIN. Let’s just wait, someone will definitely call again,” Jems said confidently.

“Yes, just wait, Mon,” Tatang agreed, staring at his cellphone screen.

“Eh, Mon, does your car have GPS?” Wawan asked hopefully, feeling like he had found a solution.

“I don’t think it’s equipped with GPS, Wan. He’s a villager, he just uses his car,” Simon answered expressionlessly, as if it wasn’t a big deal.

“A car that good doesn’t have GPS? What if someone steals it?” Wawan looked worried, imagining the worst case scenario.

“There are no car thieves who would come here, Wan. This is a mountain. It’s also quiet here, and the people from the same village are all family,” Simon explained, trying to convince Wawan.

Suddenly, Rani’s cellphone rang, only an anonymous number. They looked at each other.

“Come on, pick it up!” Wawan said in a panic.

“Well, hello, who’s this?” Simon’s voice sounded soft.

“Hello… who’s this?” the woman’s voice from the other end sounded a little hesitant.

“Is this Rani, right?” asked Simon, a little hesitant.

“Yes… yes… this is Bro Simon, right? We’re still at the homestay, we’re about to go back,” Rani answered in a voice that sounded relieved.

“It’s safe, right? There?” Simon asked, still feeling worried.

“It’s safe, Bro… erm… the owner of the inn was out… yes, he was out… but he’s back now, Bro,” Rani’s voice from the other end sounded a little awkward, as if there was something she wanted to say but was holding back. “But you’re about to go back here, right?” Simon reconfirmed.

“Yes, Bro. After this, Winda and I will go straight to Bro Simon’s house,” Rani answered, but her tone of voice did not sound entirely sure.

“What’s wrong, Rani? Is anyone there? Because your voice sounds strange,” Simon tried to dig deeper.

“Eh, nothing, Bro. Maybe I’m just a little tired,” Rani tried to divert attention.

“Okay, then, hurry back. We’re worried here, thinking you’ve gotten lost,” Simon said, even though his heart still felt something was wrong.

“Okay, Bro. We’ll leave soon,” Rani answered, and before Simon could ask further, she hung up.

Simon stared at his phone, feeling that there was something strange about the conversation. “There seems to be something wrong with Rani and Winda,” he muttered softly.

“How about it, Mon? Where are they? Are they safe, right?” asked Wawan, who was getting impatient.

“Yes… yes, they are safe, but there seems to be something strange about Rani. It seems like she is hiding something,” Simon replied, still pondering Rani’s tone of voice.

“Ah, maybe she is exhausted from cleaning up. Let’s just wait for them to come home, then we’ll ask them again,” Jems tried to calm the atmosphere.

“Hopefully. I hope there is nothing strange about them,” Simon said, hoping that everything would be okay.

“Or maybe, Winda and Rani met the person who was wandering around on your grandmother’s funeral, Mon?” Wawan said suspiciously, after examining Simon’s words.

“Amrul’s member?” Simon asked, feeling that there was something right.

“Well, yes… Amrul’s member. Because they have spent a lot of money, only to get this information,” Wawan became more optimistic, as if finding a suspicious correlation.

“Don’t be like that, Wan. I am also getting more worried about this, because that statue down there is easy to steal, you know,” Jems replied, with his tone of voice starting to become tense.

“But, Mon, access down there is only through here, right?” Wawan asked, dismissing his fear.

“Yes, if people want to go down there, they only go through here, so anyone who wants to go down there must go through here,” Simon answered, dismissing Wawan’s fear.

“Are you serious, Mon? Only here is the access to the grave below?” Jems asked again to be more convincing.

“You’ve been down there twice, right? Now, do you see any other way down there other than from here?” Simon said more firmly.

“Well, there isn’t one, Mon,” Jems said flatly.

“Yeah, there isn’t one. At most from the direction of the pine forest from above,” Wawan answered a little nonsensically.

“Yeah, it could be from the top of the pine hill, if they take a helicopter,” Simon smiled in response to Wawan’s statement.

From a distance, the sound of a car driven by Winda and Rani was heard approaching Simon’s house. Instantly, Wawan, Tatang, and Jems rushed to the corner of the terrace to look from the side, to make sure that it was really Winda and Rani. “Here, Mon, try to see that, is it really Rani and Winda?” Tatang asked, calling Simon who was not watching.

“I know the sound of my father’s car. In this village, only my father’s car has that engine sound,” Simon answered, identifying the sound of the car approaching his house.

“Yeah, too, he must know the sound of his father’s car,” Jems said, coming back and sitting beside Simon.

The light of the car’s headlights had begun to appear behind Simon’s yard, and slowly the car entered the yard. They all waited expectantly. The car was parked in its original place, and the atmosphere became tense for a moment.

“Come on, let’s greet them!” Wawan exclaimed, excitedly.

They all rushed downstairs, waiting for Winda and Rani to get out of the car. As soon as the car door opened, Winda and Rani appeared with tired faces, but their smiles gave a little reassurance.

“So how is it? Is it safe?” Tatang greeted them, hurriedly approaching Rani and Winda.

“Eh, so it’s safe, right?” Simon greeted them with relief, although there was still a feeling of anxiety in his heart.

“Sorry, we were a bit late. There was a little business at the homestay,” Rani explained, but her tone of voice did not sound entirely convincing.

“What business? Why didn’t you tell me?” Wawan asked, trying to find out more.

“Nothing important, really. We were just chatting with the homestay owner,” Winda answered, but Simon could sense that something was being hidden.

“Well, what’s important is that you’ve returned safely. Come on, come in!” Jems invited, trying to divert attention.

They all went inside the house, but Simon still felt something was strange. He was determined to find out what really happened while they were at the homestay.

“Winda, Rani, you guys take a shower first, then we’ll have dinner together, okay,” Simon said to Winda and Rani, trying to make the atmosphere relaxed and warm.

“Earlier, we had time to shower and eat, bro. The owner of the homestay offered it,” Winda answered, her voice sounding as if everything was fine.

“Yes, that’s right, bro. We already did,” Rani continued, adding to Winda’s explanation.

“Okay, then you guys just rest,” Simon said again, even though his heart was starting to fill with suspicion.

Winda and Rani’s answers made Simon’s suspicions even more justified. The same goes for Jems, Wawan, and Tatang. The reason was, when Rani called earlier, she said that the owner of the homestay was out, so they had to wait a long time to get in. However, now Winda and Rani said that they had eaten and even showered.

“So, where did you guys eat and shower? Didn’t Rani say earlier that you had to wait for the owner of the homestay to come back before you could get in?” Jems asked, trying to dig deeper.

“Uh, yes, Bro. We… we just ate a little. After the owner came, we immediately took a shower, then cleaned up. After that, we borrowed the homestay owner’s cellphone, then called the person from earlier, Bro,” Rani answered, but there was a hint of doubt in her voice.

“Hey, but earlier Rani said the homestay owner went out. So, who let you in?” Wawan added, looking at Rani and Winda seriously.

“Yes… we… we just waited for a while, and then the owner came back,” Winda tried to explain, but Simon could see that they both looked nervous.

“Then why didn’t you say so from the start? Why did you have to wait so long?” Tatang asked, increasingly suspicious.

Simon felt that something was wrong. “You don’t have to feel pressured or like we’re interrogating you. We just wanted to make sure that you two were safe and okay,” Simon said, trying to calm the atmosphere.

“Right, it’s nothing. We’re just worried about you guys. For example, if there’s something you think is strange and needs to be discussed, it’s better if we talk about it together, find a solution together,” Jems added, in a voice that sounded wise.

Winda and Rani exchanged glances, as if there was something they wanted to say but were hesitant to express it. Simon felt increasingly uncomfortable with this situation.

“Okay, if you feel uncomfortable, we’ll talk about it later, just calm your hearts and minds down, so they can relax,” said Simon trying to calm Winda and Rani.

That night, the atmosphere in Simon’s house felt tense, and everyone wondered what information they were hiding, that made them different from usual.

They waited for an explanation from Winda and Rani. It was almost nine at night when Winda sent a message in their WA group, Winda asked for time to chat.

“Have you read the WA group?” said Jems approaching her friends who were lying down in the living room.

“Whose WA is it from?” asked Tatang turning to Jems.

“Winda and Rani, they said they want to come here, they want to talk to us,” Simon replied.

“Okay, tell them to come here now,” Wawan replied, getting up from lying down.

They all went out onto the terrace, waiting for Winda and Rani to come down from the tongkonan house. Not long after, Winda and Rani were seen coming down the stairs of the tongkonan house, walking towards Simon and his friends.  “Seriously, have you eaten? The nights are long here. You’ll be hungry by midnight,” Jems greeted Rani and Winda who had just arrived on the terrace.

“Seriously, Bro, we’ve eaten. But if there’s coffee, it’s okay to just have coffee,” Rani replied with a smile, trying to lighten the mood.

“Yeah, that’s right. Before we ate, none of us had coffee,” Jems said teasingly. Her gaze shifted to Simon, followed by another gaze that also glanced at Simon.

“Why are you all looking at me?” Simon asked in surprise, feeling a sudden pressure.

“You’re the host, Mon. Try making us some coffee first. Rani will accompany you later, right, Rani?” Jems gestured to Rani.

“You’ve never tried Rani’s coffee, right?” Winda said, helping to lighten the mood.

“Yeah, not yet, Win. That’s why I’m really curious to know what it tastes like,” Tatang replied, curious.

“Same here, I’ve never tasted Rani’s coffee either,” Winda added while smiling at Rani.

“Omma, I think we need young coconut water,” Jems said jokingly, making everyone laugh.

“But let’s see what happens when they both make coffee. Do you want it, Ran?” Tatang tried to confirm with Rani again. And Rani just nodded with a smile.

“Eh, Mon, the kitchen is downstairs, right?” Wawan asked, wanting to confirm the location of the kitchen.

“The kitchen for cooking heavy meals is downstairs, but if it’s just for hot water and making coffee, it’s over there,” Simon answered while pointing towards the back of the room.

“There are two kitchens,” Wawan said again.

“Yes, it was made when my late grandfather was sick, to boil his herbal medicines, and to boil hot water too, so there was no need to bother going to the kitchen downstairs, especially at night,” Simon explained reminiscing.

“So it’s still used now?” Tatang asked.

“Yes, so it still works now.”

“Let’s go!” Rani exclaimed, excited. Simon and Rani moved towards the small kitchen located at the back.

Upon arriving in the kitchen, the atmosphere felt warmer. Simon began to prepare the tools and ground coffee in a glass jar. After a few minutes, the aroma of coffee began to waft from the direction of the kitchen and filled almost the entire room. Simon came out of the kitchen carrying a pot of coffee, followed by Rani who was carrying a tray containing several glasses. Winda stood up and took the tray from Rani and placed it on the floor that had been covered with a typical Toraja mat. Simon placed the pot right next to the tray, greeted by Rani, then began to pour the coffee one by one into the glasses.

Everyone looked enthusiastic. “Come on, let’s try it!” Jems exclaimed, impatient to taste it.

“It’s still hot, bro. Wait a minute or two,” Simon said, trying to remind them not to rush.

“Wow, do you have to wait for it to warm up? Because this coffee-making process takes a long time, you know,” Tatang teased, rubbing his hands, as if waiting expectantly.

Rani smiled at her friends’ behavior. “This coffee is definitely delicious, Bro Simon said that the coffee beans come from his own garden, then the roasting process until it is ground into coffee powder is done by Bro Simon’s brother,” he said, trying to create a more relaxed atmosphere.

Simon and Rani sat down, while Jems and Tatang sat across from them. Wawan chose to sit next to Winda, creating a small circle on the mat.

“So, what was your trip like at the homestay? It seems like there’s an interesting story. How was Simon’s father’s car, the gas pedal and brakes are still good, right?” asked Jems in a relaxed tone, hoping that Rani and Winda could also talk casually about what they actually experienced at the homestay.

Winda and Rani looked at each other for a moment. Both of them realized that this had to be told to them. Winda tried to keep smiling so that the atmosphere remained relaxed. However, there was a pounding feeling inside, which made them hesitate to tell the story in depth.

“Okay, let me do the talking,” answered Winda, trying to sound relaxed even though her Civil Servant nap was a little rushed.

“So, it turns out that something happened to you guys at the homestay earlier?” Jems exclaimed, full of curiosity.

Rani, who had taken a deep breath, finally said, “Actually, at the homestay earlier, there were four people waiting for us, Bro,” Winda said flatly, trying to convey quite surprising information.

“Girls, boys?” Wawan asked, curious. “All four of them were guys. They asked us what we were doing here, while the others had already gone home, why were the two of us still here. Then I asked them back, who are you guys and where are you from? What are we going to do here, it’s up to us,” said Winda with an emotional expression.

“They didn’t say where they were from?” asked Wawan with a serious face, as if sensing something was wrong.

“At first, they didn’t say or say who they were. They were focused on just asking us. But I didn’t answer any of their questions. Then they claimed that they were from the Department of Archaeology from Jakarta,” Winda took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.

“So, what happened?” asked Jems, increasingly interested in this story.

“So, what happened, we didn’t believe it, Bro. Besides, they were the same people that Bro Simon kicked out at Bro Simon’s grandmother’s burial,” continued Rani, adding an explanation.

“Well, yes, bro. They are antique hunters, who are paid to look for the heirlooms that we are currently looking for,” said Winda, shaking her head with a mixed expression of fear and disbelief.

“Bah! It’s Amrul again, huh?” said Jems turning to Wawan.

“Wow, Amrul is messed up. I already told Amrul, his members shouldn’t hang around here anymore,” said Wawan in annoyance.

The atmosphere between them became tense. Jems and Wawan exchanged glances, while Simon looked thoughtful.

“So what were you guys doing at that time?” asked Simon, wanting to know more.

“We just said, that we don’t know what they mean. If you want to know information about Toraja’s ancient objects or artifacts, please contact the Toraja Antiquities Service, not us!” replied Rani, emphasizing their courage.

“It’s good that you’re brave. But we have to be careful with the movements of Amrul’s friends. Who knows, they might have a bigger plan,” Tatang added, warning his friends.

“Yes, Bro. Then after that they showed us a picture like the one Wawan showed us earlier, they asked if we’ve ever seen a picture like this?” Winda continued.

“So, what did you answer them?” Jems asked.

“Still, Bro, we said we didn’t know what they meant,” Winda replied firmly, trying to show that they weren’t intimidated.

“Lastly they threatened, if we lied, we wouldn’t come back to Jakarta again,” Rani said in a frightened tone, her eyes suddenly drooping as she remembered the threat.

“Yes, then there was a commotion there. Well, the owner of the homestay finally came with some guys and guys. We were taken inside by the owner of the homestay, then we didn’t know what happened outside, but I heard it seemed like there were people fighting outside. After that they were thrown out,” Rani continued her explanation enthusiastically.

Hearing such a threat, Simon immediately became furious. He rushed out, his face showing deep anger.

“Hey, Mon, where are you going?” Jems stopped Simon, trying to stop him.

“I’m going to the village head’s house, to let them know, to sweep the foreigners who come here, so we can catch them. No one knows that they were killed here!” Simon said with a burning emotion, his head filled with plans that seemed illogical.

“Wow, wow… don’t be like that, Mon! This could cause a commotion throughout the district. We’d better call Amrul first, so he can tell his members to leave Toraja tonight. If his members don’t leave Toraja tonight, we’ll threaten them that they won’t be able to leave Toraja safely again, that’s all for now,” Wawan answered at length, trying to provide a solution calmly so that Simon wouldn’t act rashly.

“What Bro Wawan said is true. We’d better not be rash yet, Bro Simon. Later all our efforts will be in vain. Although we were really scared and shocked earlier, but now we’re not anymore,” Winda said smiling, trying to control the situation.

“Yes, that’s right, Bro. We’re fine,” Rani continued.

Simon paused for a moment, listening to the words of Wawan, Winda, and Rani. Simon was silent for a moment, trying to suppress the emotions in his chest. “Wait a minute, I’ll call Amrul first,” said Wawan, while Simon sat back down in his original place without a word.

Wawan took out his cellphone and immediately called Amrul. Luckily Amrul was holding his cellphone, so Wawan didn’t have to wait long.

“Hello, Rul… your members have gone too far,” said Wawan, getting straight to the point in a firm tone.

“Yes… yes, Wan. What do you mean by going too far?” Amrul answered on the other end, sounding confused by Wawan’s urgent statement.

“Your members have threatened my friends, they’re no joke!” Wawan’s voice grew louder, his feelings a mixture of anger and anxiety.

Amrul was surprised to hear Wawan’s tone. “I apologize in advance, Wan. I didn’t want to be like that either. They called me earlier, they said they did make threats, but they said they were just bluffing, Wan.” Amrul said, trying to mediate.

“Well, I don’t want to know, Rul! What can I do to intimidate you, what can I do, what is clear is that your members have traumatized my friends!” said Wawan, suppressing his increasingly high emotions.

“Once again, I apologize to you and your friends. I guarantee that it will not happen again. They have now left Toraja. They are on their way to Makassar tonight,” Amrul replied, trying to calm the situation.

Hearing that statement, Wawan felt a little relieved, although there was still a little emotion left. “But don’t let your members show up here again, they will be finished here, Rul,” said Wawan, his voice starting to ease a little.

“Of course, Wan. I guarantee that they will not return to Toraja, because after Makassar they immediately returned to Jakarta. I also make sure there are no further problems,” Amrul promised, trying to give Wawan a sense of security.

After a short chat, Wawan hung up the phone and returned to his friends. They all seemed to be waiting for information from Wawan. “So, how is it, Wan?” Simon asked, his eyes hoping for something positive. “Yes, thank God. Amrul’s members have left Toraja and will not return. Amrul apologized, and what’s important is that his members will never return to Toraja again,” Wawan replied, trying to give good news in the midst of a tense moment.

Rani sighed, as if the burden on her chest had begun to lift. “Thank God, that makes us more comfortable to continue our search.”

“That means we can focus without thinking about interference from outside parties,” Tatang added, feeling relieved to finally be able to move forward without worry.

The atmosphere immediately relaxed again as before. “So? Rani, Winda, are you still continuing tomorrow? Because without you two, these people are not serious, they just keep joking around,” Jems said looking at Rani and Winda.

“Yeah, yeah, Bro. We’ll continue until this mission is complete,” Rani replied very optimistically.

“And until you guys don’t need our thoughts anymore,” Rani continued with a smile.

“Ah, don’t be like that, you guys. We will always need your thoughts. We would also be happy if you wanted to become members,” said Jems with a laugh.

“If you want to become a member of this gang, where can you get the form, Bro?” asked Winda jokingly.

“You can just go directly to Jems, Win. He’s here as a spokesperson, as a public relations officer, and also as a lawyer,” said Simon praising Jems.

“As a donor too, Mon,” added Tatang.

Jems just smiled hearing the praise.

“So here, Bro Jems plays a very important role, huh? I think, in football, like a striker,” said Rani praising Jems again.

“Hey, don’t praise me too much, I’ll get a big head,” replied Jems with a laugh.

“Sometimes Jems is also a doorman, a door locker, a background dancer, huh,” joked Wawan with a smile.

“This Bro Jems is really great. This gang is lucky to have Bro Jems,” joked Winda, without any intention of praising him. “Okay, I’ll just accept all the compliments. But seriously, you two played a very important role here. Without you, this could all be a mess,” Jems explained in a serious tone, although his smile didn’t disappear.

Winda smiled, “But we’re also happy to be able to help. This mission is exciting, and not everyone can experience an adventure like this,” Winda said, feeling relieved that the situation had relaxed.

“That’s right, Nda. This is something completely new in my life,” Rani added, looking excited.

In the middle of the conversation, Wawan’s cell phone suddenly rang. When he glanced at his cell phone screen, it turned out that Amrul was calling again. Quickly, Wawan activated speaker mode, not wanting to hide anything from his friends regarding the antiques they had found.

“Yes, how is it, Rul?” Wawan asked flatly.

“Hello, Wawan, I just wanted to let you know,” Amrul’s voice from the other end sounded serious.

“Tell you what, Rul? About your members?” Wawan answered in a sarcastic tone. However, Amrul immediately denied it. “No, no, Wan… it’s about the statue and the vessel.” Amrul opened a new topic.

When Amrul mentioned ‘statue’ and ‘vessel’, everyone in the room immediately focused and approached Wawan. Wawan, who initially seemed indifferent, suddenly became serious, but he tried to act casual. “Oh, yeah… so?” he asked in a tone that was not too enthusiastic.

Amrul, with obvious enthusiasm, continued, “I’ve shared the photos with high-end antique collectors, and do you know how much they quoted, if all the antiques in your photos were real?”

“Well, I don’t know, Rul,” Wawan answered flatly, not wanting to react too much. But when Amrul explained that the price of his statue could reach hundreds of billions, everyone there seemed stunned. “The range is around two hundred and fifty to four hundred and fifty billion!”

Hearing Amrul’s voice over the phone mentioning such an extraordinary figure, the atmosphere suddenly became tense. Everyone held their breath, amazed by such a fantastic amount.

“So what about the vessel?” Wawan asked, pretending not to care, but his heart was pounding.

“For the vessel, someone dared to bid five billion,” Amrul answered, still with the same enthusiasm. Wawan, who had previously tried to act normal, now began to tremble with excitement.

“Wow, that’s not bad, huh, Rul. Let me talk about it with Simon’s brother later.” Wawan was still trying to sound normal, while the others looked very surprised to hear the fantastic value that Amrul mentioned.

“It’s really not bad, bro! Oh yeah, oh yeah, Wan,” Amrul said, pausing for a moment as if remembering something.

“Yeah, how about it, Rul?”

“The current assumption regarding the origin of the statue is that it comes from the Akkadian Kingdom, Mesopotamia, around the year two thousand three hundred BC,” Amrul said to make sure.

“Wow, that statue is really old. How did it get here?” Wawan exclaimed in surprise, his imagination wandering far into the past.

“It was probably brought by the Akkadians themselves or the Greeks, but that is still a temporary assumption, it still needs study, research, and comparison of other supporting artifacts,” Amrul replied, still withholding some important information.

“Yes, that’s it then, Rul. It’s complicated for me to hear. I’ll inform Simon’s brother first, okay?” Wawan began to make a plan. The excitement in the room began to feel writhing. Their faces looked radiant.

“Okay, ready, Wan,” Amrul replied. However, Wawan did not want to end the conversation just like that. “Hey, Rul, I’ll ask for the buyer’s cell phone number, okay? I don’t want there to be any lies between you, me and Simon’s family and my friends,” Wawan said ending the conversation with Amrul.

“You’ll be a millionaire, Mon!” Wawan teased Simon.

“Is it just me? Yes, all of us, Wan,” Simon replied casually to all his friends.

“We’ll discuss that later when it’s clear. We still have the main homework behind the stone wall, which until now has not been opened,” Jems reminded, turning their attention back to the main goal.

Rani and Winda said goodbye to rest, they all rushed to the terrace of the house to take Winda and Rani to the tongkonan house which was right next to the stilt house where the four people were staying.

“Let’s rest first, okay. Don’t stay up late, wake up early tomorrow,” said Winda as she went down the stairs of the house.

That night, after they parted and returned to their respective rooms, their minds remained focused on the mystery that awaited behind the stone wall that still held secrets. They knew that every artifact they found could be a key or clue to unlocking secrets that had been hidden for centuries. And to learn a little bit about civilization from generation to generation. Even though they felt tired, their curiosity made them impatient to wait for morning to come. Finally, with burning hopes and dreams, they fell asleep, ready to face the challenges that awaited in the morning. The stone wall, with all its mysteries, was waiting to be solved.

The peaceful silence of dawn turned into panic when a very loud bro echoed at exactly three or four in the morning. Simon and his friends woke up from their sleep, startled by the sound that made their hearts beat fast. Without thinking, he immediately woke his friends up.

“Wake up! Something happened outside!” Simon shouted, his voice full of panic. In an instant, they all rushed out of the house, their faces showing confusion and worry. Everyone thought it was an earthquake, but when they stepped outside, there was no vibration felt on the ground.

Outside, they saw Winda and Rani who had just come down from the tongkonan house, their faces pale and panicked. Rani ran over to them, her eyes full of anxiety. “What’s wrong, Bro?!” she asked while looking at the roof of the house that didn’t move at all.

“I don’t know, euy… the sound was really loud,” answered Tatang, who was also in the yard, looking confused and anxious.

Jems, who was always curious, tried to find an explanation. “Mon, has this ever happened here before?” asked Jems, hoping that Simon could give a calming answer.

“No, Jems… this is the first time a sound like this has happened here,” answered Simon, trying to think clearly. He looked around, looking for signs that could explain what had just happened.

After a few moments of silence, Simon tried to calm his friends down. “Hey, let’s do this, guys, let’s wait for about half an hour. If there’s nothing suspicious or dangerous, we’ll go back to sleep,” he suggested, trying to provide a sense of security amidst the panic.

Everyone nodded in agreement, although worry still lingered in their minds. They gathered in the yard in the cold early morning, guessing what had happened. The sound of the bro was still ringing in their ears, and curiosity overcame the fear and anxiety that had gripped their minds.

“Ran, let’s go back inside. I can’t stand the cold,” complained Winda, who still looked restless, folding her arms tightly into her jacket.

“Come on, ah. I can’t stand it either… it’s so cold,” Rani, who was starting to shiver from the cold.

“Brothers, let’s go upstairs first. If anything happens, let me know right away,” Winda said goodbye to Simon and her friends, and immediately rushed upstairs to the house.

“Yes, ready. You guys go back to sleep, we’ll come to you if anything happens,” Wawan said while holding back his sleepiness.

“Okay, okay, Winda, Rani, it seems safe now,” answered Tatang, trying to give a sense of security.

After waiting for almost thirty minutes in the yard with the almost unbearable cold and the worry gradually receding, because what they were worried about didn’t happen, finally Simon and his friends decided to continue their rest.

“It seems like nothing happened,” said Simon, trying to restore the atmosphere. “We’ve been waiting for quite a while. Maybe we should go back to sleep and continue our rest.”

“Come on, come on, it’s cold,” said Tatang hurriedly walking up the house, followed by Jems, Wawan, and Simon.

“Hopefully there will be an answer tomorrow morning,” said Jems who followed behind Tatang while crossing his arms over his chest.

Finally, the sun had fully illuminated the entire village. It was already six thirty in the morning when they all had breakfast and were ready to leave. As usual, they remained cheerful and enthusiastic to continue their mission. A glimmer of hope today, they hoped that today they could end this adventure and complete their search.

“Bro, is there any equipment that you want to bring downstairs?” asked Winda approaching Simon who was tidying up his jacket zipper.

“I don’t think so, Win, because we still have everything downstairs,” answered Simon to make sure all their equipment was safe.

“Eh, Mon, lunch is safe, right?” asked Jems to make sure.

“Well, it’s safe, Jems. My nephew will bring us some more,” Simon replied.

“That’s great then, Mon. Let’s go, or we’ll be late,” Jems patted Simon’s shoulder.

“Mon, is it raining today?” Wawan asked, approaching Simon who was walking behind Jems.

“Looking at the clouds, it looks like it’s sunny today, Wan,” Simon replied, looking up. “Why is that?” Simon asked again.

“No, Mon. I’m just worried, because there’s no shelter there if it rains,” Wawan replied worriedly.

“Hey, where are Rani and Winda, Wan?” Jems approached Wawan who was walking beside Simon. “Downstairs, Tatang and I have already gone ahead,” he pointed down the road.

“Ommae… they must be excited! They were never absent during history class, I think,” said Jems, commenting on Rani, Winda, and Tatang who had already gone ahead, looking excited to welcome the second day of their mission.

“What does that have to do with history, Jems?” asked Simon, curious about his friends’ thoughts.

“What else is missing from history, Mon. What we did today is the same as yesterday? Everything is related to history!” answered Jems, excitedly as he continued walking.

However, in Jems’ mind, there was one thing that began to weigh on his heart. He was unable to suppress the worry that was bothering him as he continued the conversation. “But… I’m a bit worried about that stone door,” he said slowly, shifting the focus of the conversation to something more serious.

“What do you mean, Jems?” Wawan asked, interested in hearing more.

“Even though we’ve placed the two stone artifacts that we believe are the keys in the appropriate holes, why hasn’t the door opened yet?” Jems explained, his face starting to show a worried expression. “Why? Is there a special way to put the stone in? Or is there something we missed?”

 

Simon nodded, sensing the anxiety in Jems’ words. “I also thought about what you said earlier, Jems. We’ve done all the steps and methods we can, but there’s no reaction from the door,” Simon replied, trying to share the same burden of thought.

“Do we break it or do we just break it down?” Wawan replied playfully.

“Break it down? Break it down? Do you think we’re going to raid a boarding house kid who’s being naughty? We don’t even know how thick the stone walls are… you’re always up to something,” Jems grumbled to Wawan.

Hearing Jems grumble, Simon and Wawan just laughed without saying a word. They walked again, this time without chatting. The atmosphere around them felt calm, the scenery along the way was very pleasing to the eye.

The lush trees, with green leaves that gently shook in the wind, created a peaceful atmosphere. Not to mention the refreshing cool air, making them feel more comfortable. The aroma of wild flowers blooming along the road added to the peaceful and calm atmosphere.

Soon they arrived at their destination. In front, Wawan saw Rani, Winda, and Tatang standing like statues.

"Hey! What are you doing there?!" shouted Wawan, but there was no reaction from them at all.

"Tatang, what are you doing?!" shouted Jems then, his voice full of curiosity. Tatang just turned his head and waved his hand, a gesture telling them to hurry over there. Jems, Wawan, and Simon looked at each other, curious, then ran over to Winda, Rani, and Tatang.

When they arrived near Tatang, Rani, and Winda, how surprised and amazed they were. It turned out, the stone door was completely open, and there was not the slightest obstacle in front of the door that looked more like a cave.

"Wow, the door is open, hey!" Wawan exclaimed, his eyes sparkling at the miracle in front of them.

“How did this open? When did it open?” Simon asked in amazement. For a moment everyone was silent, thinking about the theory that caused the door to open by itself. Suddenly Tatang spoke up.

“Does this have anything to do with the bro earlier this morning?” Tatang said, breaking the confusion.

“Uh, yes, it could be, Mas. The bro earlier this morning was because this door was open,” Rani replied, confirming Tatang’s suspicions.

“If it’s true that the bro earlier this morning was because this door was open, that means the door is very heavy, that the sound could be that loud. Or if not, maybe it was caused by the gas content that was trapped inside for thousands of years,” Winda tried to give her opinion and analysis.

“Yes, because the bro was very loud, it sounded three more times, but the third sound wasn’t that loud,” Simon recalled the events a few hours ago.

“Is that true? The cause of the bro was because the stone door was open?” Jems doubted his friends' analysis. "Well, okay, but whatever it is, let's go there," said Jems again inviting everyone to come closer to the mouth of the cave. Finally, they were now only five meters from the mouth of the cave, and the atmosphere between them felt tense. They were all silent, observing the contents of the cave that they could see from their view. “Let’s just go in, okay?” Wawan said hesitantly, his voice shaking a little.

“Hey, wait a minute, I’ll get a hoe first,” Tatang suddenly remembered something.

“What do you want, Tang?” asked Jems, a little annoyed because he felt they had been waiting too long.

“Anyway, don’t do anything before I come back with a hoe,” Tatang said firmly to all his friends. Without waiting for an answer, Tatang ran to where they kept their equipment, in the puddle with the statue. When he arrived there, Tatang was confused to find that the position of the statue had changed. The position of the statue was not the same as yesterday when they left the place.

“Mon, can you come here for a minute?!” Tatang shouted to Simon.

“What’s wrong with that kid?” said Jems, still in an annoyed tone.

“Yes, I’ll go there!” answered Simon immediately approaching Tatang.

“Mon, hurry up and come here, Mon!” Tatang lifted the stem of the palm leaf that was covering the statue. He couldn’t wait to show Simon something. “Well, try it, Mon, why is the statue lying face down like this, and its position has also changed. It wasn’t like this yesterday, yesterday the statue was standing facing upwards, right? Why is the statue now lying face down, and moving closer to upwards as if someone is trying to move it?” explained Tatang, trying to reconstruct the previous position of the statue with the position of the statue this morning.

Before answering Tatang’s question, Simon looked around the statue and the puddle where the statue was. “But there are no new footprints, Tang. Also, there are no signs that anyone has come here other than us,” Simon analyzed.

“Yeah, right,” Tatang answered briefly, also observing his surroundings.

“Hey, what are you guys doing there? There’s something more urgent!” Jems came over to Tatang and Simon.

“Here, Jems, the statue is lying face down, and its position has changed. Tatang suspects that someone wants to move this statue,” Simon answered, expressing Tatang’s suspicions.

“Oh, that’s right, huh? It wasn’t like that yesterday, was it? How could it have changed?” Jems replied, realizing that something had happened to the statue.

“Well, okay, we’ll take care of this statue later. The important thing is that it’s not lost,” Simon dismissed Tatang and Jems’ concerns.

“That’s right, huh. Hey, Tatang, what did you come here for?” Jems asked.

“I forgot, man. What did you come here for?” Tatang recalled his purpose for going to the statue.

“Well, okay, let’s just bring one hoe each, who knows we might need it later,” Jems said while taking one hoe that happened to be near his feet.

“Well, yeah… yeah, I was going to take this!” Tatang came to his senses while holding the hoe.

“Come on, let’s go there again,” Simon said hurriedly, after taking one hoe.

In front of the cave, Winda tried to point her camera into the cave and zoomed in as close as possible to make sure some objects that might be visible.

"So how is it, Win? Can you see anything?" Simon asked, curious.

"It's dark, bro, it's not clear yet," Winda replied while showing her camera screen which only showed darkness.

"Ran, did you bring your drone from yesterday?" Jems asked Rani.

"Oh, yeah, that's right. Bring it, bro," Rani replied, realizing something.

"Is the signal safe in the cave, Ran?" Winda asked, worried about the possibility of the drone's signal being cut off in the cave.

"It should be safe, but you still have to be careful. If there is signal interference, the drone could fall inside the cave," Rani replied, while preparing her drone.

They all looked at each other, feeling the tension increasing. With hoes in hand and drones ready to fly, they prepared to explore the mysterious cave that awaited them.

“Then, I’ll fly the drone inside now, okay?” Rani said with a tense expression.

“Hey, wait a minute,” Tatang intervened, his voice full of caution

 

“Oh, what’s wrong with you, Tang?” Jems’ voice sounded annoyed, feeling like they had been waiting long enough.

“I’m afraid there’s something inside, a trap or something. How about we throw this one hoe first, to make sure everything is safe inside?” Tatang said, intending to give his friends a sense of security. “You watch too many Hollywood adventure movies, Tang,” said Jems seriously.

“Yeah, it’s okay. Tatang, try throwing one of those hoe, then I’ll put the drone in,” said Rani, speeding up the conversation. She couldn’t wait to see what was inside the gaping cave in front of them.

Tatang threw the hoe into the cave with all his might. The sound of the hoe hitting the stone floor inside the cave echoed. For a moment they waited for a reaction from inside the cave, but it seemed there was no reaction.

“I think it’s safe,” said Tatang, although his doubts were still clearly visible on his face. Joy mixed with fear and doubt filled their minds one by one.

“Okay, then, I’ll fly this drone inside, okay? Let’s see what’s in there before we go in,” said Rani trying to be optimistic about what she was going to do.

She turned on the drone and adjusted its controls. Carefully, the drone began to fly into the cave, the sound of its propellers distracting them a little. All eyes were on Rani's cellphone screen which displayed images from the drone camera.

As the drone slowly entered the cave, a large room and a very high cave ceiling were visible, the cave walls were almost filled with images and symbols that looked very complicated. On one of the cave walls was attached a very large statue towering high to the cave ceiling. Underneath it was a very magnificent and sturdy altar table, on the altar table there were many strange symbols. In addition, the bottom of the table had many cuneiform writings attached to the legs supporting the altar table.

"Wow, look at that statue, it's so tall," said Tatang, continuing to pay attention to the monitor in Rani's hand.

"Yes, there is another statue, almost the same as the one over there," said Simon in surprise, pointing to the statue they had found earlier.

"Is this possible from the megalithic era?" asked Wawan in a low voice, his eyes gazing curiously. Winda quickly answered him, "No way, this looks like it's from before Christ, Wan," answered Winda, still focused on staring at Rani's cellphone screen. “Take a look, the writing and the pictures are very ancient. This could be a kind of place of worship or a place to put offerings,” Winda added again.

The drone flew further in, and it looked like there were doors on each side of the wall.

“Wait… what’s that, Ran?” Simon asked, pointing to an object that resembled a door.

“It looks like a door, Bro,” Rani replied, continuing to observe.

“Yes, that’s right, that’s a door,” Tatang also confirmed.

“This is getting more exciting, I thought this door was open, the mystery was solved, but it turns out it’s not,” Jems said in despair.

“Try to get closer to the one that looks like a door, Ran,” Wawan asked, his gaze full of curiosity.

Rani moved her drone slowly, approaching one of the structures that they suspected was a door. “Why is the writing on the wall that looks like a door different from the writing on the stone table?” Wawan said confusedly, paying attention to the details.

“How is it different, Wan?” Tatang asked, also curious.

“Try it, Tang, you pay attention, the writing on the stone table earlier was similar to cuneiform,” Wawan answered, analyzing carefully. “While the one on this wall looks more complicated and irregular. It looks like there are two different types of writing.”

“It’s getting more confusing, huh,” Simon said, frowning. “Maybe there are two different cultures or time periods related to this place.”

“Or if not, this place has been entered by humans but different generations?” said Winda after observing for a while.

“What do you mean, Nda?” asked Rani.

“I mean, it’s possible that this place has been entered by humans twice in two different eras,” Winda continued.

“What for example?” asked Rani again, while continuing to maintain the position of her drone.

“What I mean is this.. the two eras that I mean, for example the humans who made this cave were humans in the era of three thousand years before Christ, then four thousand years later or a thousand years after Christ, there were people from that generation who entered here and left writing on the wall. Well, how many thousand years later we are the third generation who entered this cave,” said Winda explaining her guess.

“Yeah, there could be some truth to what you said, Win,” said Jems while scratching his chin which was not itchy. “Because it could be that the two types of writing are the same descendant, but far different generations. Well.. basically all sorts of things,” continued Jems hoping that all his friends understood what he meant. “Let’s just say this, what do you guys think, if we just go inside? Because if we look at it, I don’t think it’s dangerous. How about it, do you agree?” said Simon, giving a solution, trying to eliminate the tension between them.

“If we go in, we have to be very careful. We don’t know what might be inside,” said Rani, still alert.

“Agreed, but we can’t just stand here. We have to go in to find out the real contents of the cave,” replied Winda, excitedly.

“Come on, let’s go in, but we have to stay together, okay? And don’t get separated inside the cave,” said Tatang, starting to show his fear.

“Then, let’s go! We can start by examining the stone table more closely,” suggested Wawan, feeling excited.

“Wait, I’ll take out the drone first, then we’ll go in,” said Rani.

Finally, Rani’s drone was taken out of the cave and put into her backpack.

“So are we going in?” asked Rani again to make sure to everyone.

They all nodded in agreement and began to prepare the flashlights they had prepared yesterday. There were flashlights that were attached to their heads like miners' flashlights, there were also conventional flashlights, handheld flashlights, and carefully, they prepared to step into the cave.

"Bismillahirrahmanirrahim," said Tatang and Wawan almost simultaneously.

They began to enter the cave, the sound of their footsteps echoing off the cave walls, creating an increasingly mysterious atmosphere. The damp aroma from inside the cave was so pungent in the nose.

Jems noticed the direction of the water they had poured yesterday in front of the cave door, "Where did the water we poured yesterday flow to?" Jems whispered to Wawan while looking down at the cave floor. "It probably flows into those ditches, Jems," Wawan answered while pointing to the ditches in the corner of the cave floor.

"Then what is the use of the water we poured?" asked Jems again. “Well… how do I know, Jems, we’ll discuss it later when we get out of the cave,” Wawan replied, trying to end the conversation with Jems, because he was focused on the contents of the cave they were exploring. They continued into the cave. The statue began to appear, and it turned out to be a very large statue, towering to the ceiling of the cave. The statue’s face seemed to be looking up, facing the cave entrance. In the statue’s hands, it seemed to be holding a three-edged spear.

They approached the altar table. As they approached the stone offering table, they could see more clearly the writing and pictures carved on its surface. “Look, this is really cuneiform writing, right?” said Jems, pointing to one side of the stone table.

“Hey, don’t touch it, okay, Bro,” Rani reminded Jems.

“Ran, don’t forget to record it, okay, everything,” whispered Tatang to remind Rani. Because from the beginning of their entry into the cave, Rani seemed to have forgotten to document it.

“Oh, yeah… Rani forgot, bro, she was too focused that Rani forgot,” said Rani, hurriedly opening her backpack and taking her camera.

“Eh.. eh, Ran.. try pointing your camera here,” Winda pointed at an object, asking Rani to point her camera. Rani reflexively followed Winda’s direction.

“Why, Win?” asked Simon, also looking at the object Winda pointed at.

“Here, try looking at this writing, Bro?” said Winda with focus.

“Yes, why? It seems natural, the writing is carved on a stone,” answered Simon, not really thinking it was strange.

“Well, the problem is this is not carved on a stone, Bro. It seems like this is solid clay material that is written, then attached to this stone, or the soil is attached to the stone first, after that it is written or carved,” answered Winda, explaining the results of her analysis.

“Yes.. yes that’s right. If it was carved on a stone, it would be impossible for small writing like this to be neat like this, Mon. And this writing would definitely break if it was carved on a stone,” said Wawan, starting to focus on the object Winda pointed out.

“But it’s possible that they have sophisticated carving techniques?” Simon replied, doubting Winda and Wawan’s analysis. “Try to look closely, Bro,” said Winda, bringing the flashlight closer to the object.

“This is not carved, it looks like it was written on a clay tablet. Try to look closely at the letters, Bro. The edges of the letters seem to be sunk in, right? So it’s also possible that this was written by pressing, so that the edges of the letters look sunk in,” said Winda convincingly, after observing the object in more detail and carefully.

“Then... Mon, try to look at this larger object, like this picture of symbols. It looks like it was made by slicing or slicing with a sharp, pointed object on a soft surface, like clay, so it must be made of clay that was stuck to a stone wall,” Wawan added his analysis.

“It could be, Wan. It seems like the material is different from the stone wall that the Civil Servant is on,” said Tatang, comparing the two different objects.

“That’s right, Tang. This stone wall looks rougher and sturdier, while this object’s surface looks smoother,” said Rani, trying to connect all the information she saw.

“Now, the question is, where did this writing come from, because as far as I know, that type of writing existed in the Mesopotamian era, a thousand or two thousand years before Christ?” Jems expressed his historical insight.

“And if I’m not mistaken, this type of cuneiform writing is the oldest writing in the world,” Rani continued.

“Then how come it’s in Toraja?” said Simon, confused.

“It could be that during the time of Noah’s flood, someone was swept away here, then boarded in this cave,” Wawan answered carelessly, trying to joke to make the atmosphere less serious.

“Sometimes you give good answers, Wan, but more often you’re just crazy,” Jems’ sentence seemed irritated.

“Well, it’s an opinion, Jems. If it’s wrong, I’m sorry,” Wawan replied, realizing that he had joked at the wrong time.

“Seriously, Wan,” Tatang’s voice was flat, glancing at Wawan.

They were silent for a moment, as if regaining their focus that had been disturbed by Wawan’s joke.

“Regarding Bro Simon’s question, why this writing is in Toraja, I think only a historian can answer that, Bro, and maybe not all historians have the same opinion about why this writing is in Toraja,” said Winda, trying to answer Simon’s question.

“Let’s just move over there, I’ve been curious about that door over there,” Jems turned his head back, pointing at an object that was approximately four meters from their current position.

“Why didn’t you go there yourself earlier, Jems?” said Wawan.

“Well, that’s you, right? We agreed earlier, we have to go together, we can’t be separated,” said Jems.

“Well, maybe you forgot, Jems,” replied Wawan jokingly.

“Let’s go there,” invited Rani, pointing her camera at the next target.

After they arrived in front of the door, it looked like the door had been opened, leaving a small gap between the door leaf and the wall.

“Wow, this time it’s rude, who’s been in here?” said Jems observing the door in front of him.

“Why, Jems?” asked Tatang, joining in the observation.

“Take a look at this, Tang. He just went out but the door wasn’t closed properly, what if there was a thief?” Jems started joking.

“There’s CCTV, Jems?” replied Tatang, joining in the joke.

“Where is it?” asked Jems briefly.

“Well, that box on the wall?” replied Tatang pointing at a box-like object on the cave ceiling.

“Uh, yeah… what’s that?” Jems and Wawan were surprised.

“I think it’s a kind of place to hang a carabiner for climbers, Jems,” Simon replied while looking up at the ceiling.

“Don’t be silly…” Winda scolded seriously.

“Now, you’ll get smacked by your homeroom teacher,” Tatang addressed Simon, Jems, and Wawan.

“Let’s just push it, okay?” Jems started to get serious.

“Push it or break it, Jems?” Wawan answered seriously.

“Ehm, you’re starting again, Wan. Do you think there’s a pervert inside?” Jems said, actually joking but sounding serious. “We’d better push it, if we break it down, the owner of the boarding house will be angry, what do you think?” Simon with a serious expression without a single smile. Hearing their chatter, Rani just smiled.

“So what do you think? Let’s just push it?” Jems asked once more.

“Well, just push it, bro,” Winda answered nodding.

Jems bit her flashlight while Simon left his flashlight with Winda, “I’ll leave it for you, Win,” Simon said to Winda.

“Hey, Tang, what are you doing over there? That’s the hinge position, it won’t matter if you push there,” Jems said to Tatang seeing Tatang standing on the left side of the door.

“Are you ready yet?” Wawan asked, already taking the pushing position.

With their respective positions, Wawan, Jems, Tatang, and Simon, with full strength together counted to three.

“One… two… threeaaaaaa!!!!!!” they together pushed the door with all their might. But it turned out that the stone door was not as heavy as they thought, the door was pushed, Jems, Tatang, Simon, and Wawan fell in front of the door because they pushed too hard, actually it could be pushed by one adult without full strength.

"Huh... it turns out the door is light, huh? It doesn't take much strength," said Winda, amazed. Beside her, Rani suddenly noticed something a bit odd. "Eh, why is it wet?" She saw the clothes and hands of her four friends which were also wet. Questions began to emerge, adding to their curiosity.

"Eh, where is this water from?" asked Simon and Jems, confused by this sudden situation. Wawan was also shocked. "Eh, yeah, why is there water here?" In the midst of confusion, Wawan looked at his clothes and hands which were also wet. Suddenly Wawan panicked, "Isn't this blood?!" while looking at his wet clothes. "No, it's water!" answered Winda, quickly pointing the flashlight at Wawan's body to calm him down.

“Uh, yeah, water… where does this come from?” Wawan began to replace panic with confusion.

_

 

Chapter 11: Artifact Trail, The Lost Legend

“It looks like the water comes from these ditches, Bro,” said Rani, pointing down the corner of the cave with her flashlight, where a ditch seemed to have formed.

“Hey, how come the ditch is under this door?” She pointed her flashlight under the door that stood upright leaning against the cave wall.

“It turns out the ditch branches out under the door, Bro,” explained Rani, appearing to have found something new. Simon, who had been silent from the start, suddenly spoke up,

“Ooh, so under this door, the ditch forms a semicircle, a kind of rail under the door leaf?” Simon seemed to have found the answer to a mystery.

“So… the door rail is filled with water, so that later when the door leaf is pushed, it will open more easily,” said Winda with her observations. In an atmosphere that was starting to warm up with this discovery.

“So, where does the water come from, Dong?” asked Wawan.

“It could be the water we poured yesterday,” Simon replied, reminding them of what they had done yesterday.

“This much?” Rani interrupted again.

“The water we poured into the hole yesterday was quite a lot, you know, Ran. The vessel itself had to have two people at the bottom,” Simon replied convincingly.

“Yes, that’s right, Ran, it took quite a long time to pour it,” Tatang added.

“I understand, the designer of this door is really a genius, using the laws of physics too, where he uses water as a key to open access to this cave,” Winda praised while observing the structure of the ditch and the cave door in front of them.

Winda didn’t stop there, “Could it be that the cave door in front of you opened because of the water you poured too?” Rani and her friends nodded, realizing that they might have found the answer to the question that had been bothering them all this time, about how the big door in front of the cave could open.

“Yes, that’s right, it must be because we poured the water, then the water flowed slowly, right? Then it knocked it down or swept it away… whatever it’s called, until the door leaf fell,” Jems added with his analysis that seemed random, but it seemed to have some truth to it.

“Eh, by the way, how many doors are there here?” asked Winda.

“I think there are only two,” answered Rani.

“So there are only two rooms, right?” continued Winda again.

“Well, okay, let’s go in first,” invited Simon.

“Eh, everyone’s attention,” said Wawan, getting everyone’s attention.

“Why else, Wan?” answered Jems, a little annoyed.

“This is here, there is no air ventilation, and the further we go into the cave, the less oxygen there is,” said Wawan explaining.

“Enough, just the point, Wan, what?” said Tatang impatiently.

“I just want to let you know, don’t fart yet, okay? The smell won’t go away,” said Wawan ending his appeal to everyone.

“Hee.. ee.. I thought it was something,” Jems became increasingly annoyed.

“Enough, let’s go in,” said Simon patting Wawan’s back from behind.

They all started to step inside, all the flashlights focused on the same object, looking for something inside. When they were in the middle of the room, their flashlights scattered looking for objects throughout the rectangular room. The shape of the room was very precise, the walls and floor, to the ceiling of the cave were carved very neatly.

Vaguely from the flashlight light, it looked like two pieces of wood or iron were standing leaning against the cave wall.

“Eh, what is that?” Tatang exclaimed as his flashlight focused on an object in the corner of the cave wall.

“That.. that.. that’s the heirloom, Tang,” Wawan said half-shouting, feeling very sure. They rushed over, it turned out to be just two sword sheaths but more like machete sheaths, and a spear shaft that had no spearhead at the end.

“Hey.. who’s messing around, taking out the sword and spearhead, huh?” Wawan said looking at the empty sword sheath and the spear shaft that had no spearhead.

“Can I hold this sword sheath?” Wawan glanced at Winda and Simon.

“Maybe someone has been here before us,” Wawan said while looking at the sword sheath in his hand.

“Yes, that’s right, before us, there must have been someone who came here before,” Winda said guessing.

“Maybe, but that was hundreds of years ago, not in our generation,” Rani replied, joining in guessing.

“Try looking again, who knows there might be other objects? Besides this empty sword sheath and empty spear,” Simon said to everyone.

“Hey, you guys bro the cave walls, who knows something might come out,” said Jems jokingly.

“Ah, you’re right, Jems, these walls are clearly all stone,” answered Simon.

“Hey, in Hollywood movies it’s like that, Mon. Indiana Jones and The Mummy, I saw them like that?” Jems with a very serious face.

“There are no other artifacts that can help identify the owner or at least where the sword’s contents are,” Winda picked up another sword sheath.

“This must be another puzzle, I’m sure the sword’s contents and spearhead are in this room,” Tatang seemed to be thinking about something.

“What do you mean, Tang?” asked Jems.

“Wawan, Winda, try to put the sword sheath back in its original position, don’t get it mixed up, okay?” said Tatang to Wawan and Winda. Wawan and Winda just followed what Tatang instructed.

“Do you know? Why are these sword sheaths and spearheads deliberately arranged facing the door?” asked Tatang to everyone. But everyone shook their heads, no one knew what Tatang meant.

"What does it look like, Tang?" Jems asked lightly.

"Let's go back to the front door," Tatang invited everyone to go back to the front door where they had fallen.

"Does anyone have a lighter?" Tatang asked everyone.

"Hey, wait, I think I have one in my bag," said Rani as she hurriedly opened her backpack and took out a long gas lighter that looked like a gun.

"Here, bro," Rani handed over the lighter.

"Cute, thank you, Ran," said Tatang. Then Tatang stood at the edge of the door and lit his lighter while holding it up.

"Mon, Jems, Winda, don't point the flashlight into the room, let the room be dark," asked Tatang.

The conditions inside the cave actually felt tense. The walls were dusty and damp, while the light from Tatang's lighter created shadows that he thought were signs of direction. He felt he had found a little clue where the sword and spearhead were stored. Tatang re-lighted his match and raised it into the air. He asked his friends to pay attention to the direction of the shadows from the sword sheath and spear shaft standing upright in the corner of the cave.

"Try to see where the shadows of the two sword sheaths and spear shafts are pointing," he asked in a serious tone. Everyone nodded, agreeing to Tatang's request, they all tried to remember the direction.

"Memorize it, each of you, which direction, if necessary, take a picture, okay, Ran," he continued to Rani, who quickly took out her cellphone.

"Okay, sip," Rani answered briefly. A few seconds later, Tatang confirmed, "Have you taken a picture, Ran?" Rani replied, "Okay, done... done, sir." With that order, Tatang stepped inside first. Jems whispered to Simon, “He’s like a project leader. Shall I see?” Jems pointed at Tatang who was stepping into the cave.

Simon just smiled as he continued his steps into the cave.

When they arrived inside the cave, they stood facing the sword sheath and spear shaft that were still standing in their original positions. Tatang stopped walking, as if waiting for the right moment to share what he had been thinking.

“I understand what Tatang means,” Winda spoke, who seemed to have understood what Tatang meant.

“Are you sure, the sword and spearhead are in this room?” Rani asked skeptically.

“I’m sure, Ran, all the objects placed in this cave must have a specific purpose,” Winda answered, dismissing Rani’s doubts.

“Ran, take a look at the photo you took earlier,” Tatang asked.

“Eh.. yes.. this, sir,” Rani showed her cellphone screen which contained several photos that Rani had taken.

Tatang continued to look at the photo.

“Win, is it the same? What are you thinking?” Tatang brought Rani’s phone screen closer to Winda. Winda just smiled as if she found something new in the photo.

“It might be different, bro, but it’s actually good, so we have two options,” said Winda, without dismissing the idea in Tatang’s mind.

“Okay then, let’s just follow your idea for now, Win,” Tatang tried to be magnanimous.

Simon, Wawan, and Jems just kept quiet waiting for what other instructions Winda or Tatang would give. The atmosphere in the cave felt tense.

“Okay, then, we’ll split up in this room. Look for a triangle like this,” Winda drew with her feet on the cave floor, showing a clear triangle shape.

“Then if we find a triangle like that, what’s next, Win?” asked Wawan, who was actually still confused about the next step.

“Tell me, okay,” answered Winda firmly, making sure that everyone understood their task.

“Okay...,” answered everyone almost at the same time, enthusiasm starting to burn among them.

They started looking for the triangle sign as Winda had mentioned, combing the cave walls step by step. Simon moved to the left side of the room, while Wawan and Jems explored the right side. Rani and Tatang went to the other side but kept watch and were ready to help if anyone found something.

"Hey, look at this!" Jems suddenly exclaimed, pointing to a rather dark wall. "I think there's something there!"

They all rushed closer, looking more clearly. On the wall, a triangle shape was faintly visible, although it was already a little faded.

"Is it like this? The triangle we're looking for!" Wawan exclaimed, his face beaming.

"Winda.. come here for a minute, bye.. is this what you mean?" Wawan half shouted at Winda. Winda turned her head and came over to them.

"How about it, Bro Jems?" Winda asked.

"Take a look at this first, is this true, Win?" Jems pointed out a triangle on the cave wall that was almost parallel to his knees, which was approximately forty to fifty centimeters high.

“Wow, there really is a triangle,” Winda exclaimed as if she had found a bright spot, the others smiled and were excited by this discovery.

“So what’s next, Win?” Wawan asked enthusiastically.

“Wait, let’s look for more triangles until there are three,” Winda answered confidently, that she could solve the mystery of the existence of the two swords and one spearhead that were still a mystery.

“Hey, come here all of you,” Simon shouted, as if they had found something. They all flocked back to where Simon was standing. “Why, Mon?” Wawan asked curiously.

“Here, look at this,” Simon pushed the stone door leaf outward.

“Which one?” Tatang asked looking at the door wall.

“Here, Tang, look at all of this. There are three rectangles but the arrangement is similar to a triangle,” Simon continued to observe the object he had found.

Wawan tried to touch one of the rectangular images. “Eh, how come you pressed it?” Wawan was shocked and brought his flashlight closer to the object.

“Try pressing it harder, Wan,” said Jems, a little worried.  Suddenly a stone slab as thick as a tile came loose from the box, then fell to the cave floor and broke into several pieces. Everyone was shocked, reflexively looking at the fallen stone slab.

"You, Jems, told me to press it harder," Wawan panicked.

"How would I know, Wan, if the lid comes off easily," Jems replied feeling irresponsible.

"Hey, guys, look at this," said Rani looking at something behind the door.

"It turns out the sword is kept here," continued Winda.

"Do you want to try opening the next one?" Rani spoke softly, almost whispering.

"I'll open it," said Jems, trying to be brave. Jems pressed the bottom box, and the palm of his other hand held the top of the box, he didn't want what just happened to happen again.

Finally the second box opened, and sure enough, the contents of the second box were swords again.

"That means this one must be a spearhead," said Wawan, while opening the last box. And sure enough, it contained a spearhead, but the spearhead was wrapped in cloth.

“Wrapped in cloth, Mon,” Wawan was astonished in a whisper.

The three objects were still in place, none of them dared to take one of them.

“Not cloth, it looks like animal skin,” Simon answered as if he could be sure that it was really animal skin.

“How about it? Should I take it?” Wawan said to all his friends. For a moment everyone was silent, afraid to take the risk.

“We’ll leave everything to Bro Simon, because Bro Simon is a local. Go ahead, Bro,” said Winda sounding wise.

Hearing Winda’s words, Simon fell silent, not yet able to make a decision. Simon was afraid of making a decision that would have a negative impact on everyone.

“Well guys, thank you for getting to this stage. After all, we have to take this item before someone else comes to take it,” Simon said sounding casual.

“So what do you think, Mon?” Jems asked impatiently.

“Well, okay, let’s just take it. I’ll take it,” Simon replied. Before taking the sword and spearhead on the door wall, he first went to get the two sword sheaths and spear shafts that were still in their places.

After that, he was silent for a moment, contemplating the words he was going to say, a kind of sentence to ask permission or ask for permission.

After that, Simon said the sentence in his local language, then was silent again for a moment, and then he began to take out the swords one by one from the stone box, which might have been there for thousands of years.

The position of the stone box was parallel to his chest, so there was almost no difficulty when Simon took it out. Carefully, he put the swords into their sheaths one by one. His friends, Wawan, Jems, and several others could only be silent, watching Simon's actions. Their faces looked scared, their facial expressions radiated anxiety about mystical things that might happen after lifting the objects.

Doubt clouded their minds. Had they been caught in an ancient trap? Was there a disaster lurking for them as a result of this action? These thoughts raged in each of their minds, as if the quiet and dark cave held a dangerous secret.

When Simon arrived at the last spearhead, he acted differently. He carefully reached for it, but Simon did not open the cloth covering it. The tension increased, until Wawan could not contain his curiosity.

"Why, Mon, don't you open the cloth?" Wawan asked with a slightly trembling tone.

"After this, I'll tell you," Simon answered flatly, as if he knew the story behind the cloth.

They fell silent again, just watching Simon intently. They knew, right now they were involved in an experience that might not happen again in their lifetime.

Simon held one sword, while he hugged the other sword. Meanwhile, he handed the spear shaft to Jems. The atmosphere became even more tense when Simon handed the spear shaft and spearhead to Jems.

"Jems, please hold this, now," said Simon while giving the spear shaft and spearhead. Jems looked hesitant, fear enveloped him. Somewhat reluctantly, he finally grabbed the spear shaft and then the spearhead.  “Then, what am I doing, Mon?” he asked anxiously.

“Calm down, Ko. Take it easy, Jems. No need to be so scared,” Simon said with a smile, trying to calm his friend who was clearly still haunted by fear.

“Where are we going after this?” Winda asked.

“Hey, wait a minute, why are we talking like we’re whispering? There’s only the six of us here, isn’t there anyone else sleeping or a monster watching us?” Tatang interrupted, making everyone smile a little and making the atmosphere a little more relaxed.

“Aah, you, Tang, you always ask questions,” Jems’ voice was still a little whispery.

“Hey, so where are we going after this?” Winda asked in her usual voice.

“Let’s go to the main room first, there’s still a door we haven’t opened yet,” Simon said, trying to look relaxed.

Everyone was silent, looking at each other, as if they wanted to say, how about we just go home.

“Why are you all quiet?” asked Winda, looking at everyone.

“Well, come on.. come on, I’m still excited!” said Jems pretending to be excited.

“Come on, Tang.. let’s go,” continued Simon, elbowing Tatang’s arm. Tatang, who didn’t know what to do, immediately agreed and walked outside by himself.

“Ommaee… be enthusiastic, bah, Tatang.. come on.. let’s go out,” invited Jems again, still pretending to be excited.

They all went out into the middle of the cave, where the only object there was an altar table that was right in the middle of the room.

“So we open that door, Mon?” asked Wawan, looking at the thick door.

“Yes, that door, Wan. You must all be curious, right? What’s in this room?” asked Simon jokingly.

“It’s probably a bicycle, if not a TV,” answered Wawan jokingly.

“Eh, not necessarily, who knows a car,” Jems chimed in.

“But don’t let it be a dud, okay,” said Winda interrupting.

“Then, just use two curtains,” Simon chimed in.

“Aah!!... why is it like a quiz, you guys be serious,” Rani said, a little annoyed.

“Then, let’s open door number two together,” Simon said, holding back laughter.

“Then curtain one won’t work?” Wawan was still joking.

“Wan?!” Winda scolded Wawan.

“Come on, Tatang and Wawan, you push it. I’m holding this,” Jems asked Wawan and Tatang.

“Come on, Tang.. this door is light,” Wawan invited. Wawan and Tatang started to push the door, but this time the door didn’t move at all. Tatang and Wawan tried several times, but the door didn’t budge an inch.

“Wow, I think this one has to use a password, Mon,” Tatang said to Simon.

“No, Tang, this one has to use a fingerprint,” Wawan replied.

“Wait a minute..” Winda approached the door and observed every side of the stone door, to the point where she used two flashlights to see more clearly.

“The structure of the door is different from the one over there,” said Winda while continuing to observe. “It seems like this was deliberately made complicated so that people wouldn’t easily get in,” she continued.

“That means the contents behind this door aren’t just any old thing,” said Tatang to make sure.

“Also, everything in this cave isn’t just any old thing, Tang. It must have been tiring for the people of the past to only store ordinary things in a cave this big,” said Jems grumbling, commenting on Tatang’s sentence.

“Let’s try pushing it again, help me, Jems,” suggested Wawan.

“How can I push it, I’m holding this,” Jems showed the spear in his hand.

“You can push it from the side using your arm, Jems,” replied Wawan.

“Okay, okay. Come on.. come on,” Jems approached the door and the three of them tried to push it, but it seemed like the stone door was indeed heavy. Seeing the three people struggling without success, Winda also helped push, but the door didn't move at all.

"Wan, try putting the spear shaft and spearhead on the table first," said Simon to Jems, seeing that Jems seemed to have difficulty pushing the wall door with the spear shaft and spearhead in his hands. Jems approached the altar table and put the spear and spearhead on the altar table, then went back to the front of the door.

They pushed the door again, but still, the door didn't move at all.

"Okay, let's take a break first. Let's just go outside first," invited Simon to all his friends.

They all walked out of the cave, resting while thinking about how to open the cave door.

"What should we use? We're not that door," asked Wawan, looking enthusiastic.

"Don't tell me you're going to break it down again, Wan," replied Jems, warning Wawan's suggestion.

"Well, no way, Jems. Do you think you're raiding a boarding house kid who's being perverted?" Wawan repeated Jems' previous words. “Well, you know that,” Jems replied again.

“Do you have any ideas, Nda?” Rani asked Winda.

“I was blank, Ran. Earlier I noticed that there were no gaps on all sides of the door, there were no rails or anything underneath that could be a clue,” Winda replied resignedly.

“So what should we do? Should we just leave this place?” Simon suggested, it seemed like he had also run out of ideas.

“Oh, no, Bro. We’ve come this far, we can’t give up,” Rani replied in response to Simon’s statement.

“Yeah, it’s okay. After all, we’ve got the heirloom,” Wawan said while pointing at the sword in Simon’s hand.

“But not like that, Wan. There’s still something we haven’t finished, and we also don’t have any clues on how to close the door again,” Winda said while pointing at the wide open main cave door.

“Just leave it open like this, Win. Maybe it could be a museum or something? Or a tourist attraction,” Wawan joked.

“If it is opened to the public, the relics in this cave could be stolen by people,” Winda answered, ending their conversation.

They were silent, enjoying the breeze and the cool mountain air.

“So how about it, Mon? What time is lunch coming?” Tatang’s voice broke the silence.

“I thought you wanted to talk about something, Tang. So it turns out you’re asking about lunch,” said Jems, glancing at Tatang.

“Later, Tang, at half past eleven. It’s not even ten o’clock yet,” Simon answered calmly. After almost twenty minutes of resting, Rani invited her friends to go back into the cave to open the other door.

“Okay.. let’s try again, shall we?” Rani invited everyone.

“Come on, this is because Rani invited me. How can you tough men lose to women? Come on, cheer up!!!!...” Jems encouraged her friends, actually she was also encouraging herself, because she was also between despair and tired.

They all went back into the cave to open the last door.

With the remaining spirit, they rushed back into the cave, to try to open the other cave door again. Once inside, they immediately approached the cave door together, trying to find out how the door could be opened.

"Jems, try broing on the wall over there. I'll bro on this side," Wawan said to Jems while gently hitting the cave wall using his fists. They all did what Wawan said, some broed using a hoe, some used a flashlight, Rani used a drinking bottle. They did that for about ten minutes, but it didn't produce any results at all. They returned to the front of the door, and together pushed it with all their might, but still nothing, Rani even poured the rest of her drinking water in front of the door, hoping that it would happen like the previous door, but still nothing.

"Let's just go home. No matter what we do to this, the door won't open," Wawan was already at the end of his despair.

"Yeah, man.. this is a mess... this is a mess," Tatang grumbled, also because he was desperate.

“I apologize to everyone because of me, you are having a hard time like this,” Simon said guiltily.

“Bro Simon, don’t be like that. I personally feel like the luckiest person to be in this place, Bro, doing this mission,” Winda smiled, trying to cheer Simon up.

“Yes, Bro, I also feel lucky to be able to have an adventure here with all of you. Bro Simon doesn’t need to apologize, I’m the one who’s grateful that you allowed me to be involved here. Not everyone, Bro, can have an adventure like this. Usually, adventures like this only happen in Hollywood movies, Bro,” Rani explained.

“Thank you, Winda and Rani. Thank you again. Here, none of us are forced or required to take part in this mission. We’re not archaeologists, researchers, let alone historians,” Simon looked at his friends one by one, his hands still holding the two swords. “So it’s natural that some of you are desperate, some are exhausted, that’s perfectly normal. I won’t stop you if some of you want to go home first,” Simon continued.

 

“Hey, who of you wants to go home first?” asked Jems. Tatang and Wawan stared at each other.

“No need to stare at each other like that. It’ll be a hassle to fall in love with each other. Just tell me, do you want to go home or stay here?” said Jems seeing Wawan and Tatang’s reactions.

There was no answer from Tatang and Wawan.

“If you’re quiet, that means we’ll assume we’re all staying here, okay?” continued Jems again.

“Okay, come on.. let’s continue pushing this door,” said Winda.

Finally, Winda, Jems, Tatang, Wawan, and Rani tried to push the door again with all their might.

“Hey, I’ll come with you,” said Simon from behind.

“No need, Mon. Just hold that heirloom. If it falls, it’ll be our curse,” said Wawan.

“Yes, Mon, just stay there. Hold mehold on tight to that heirloom,” Jems’ voice added.

Simon couldn’t bear to see his friends struggling with all their might. Finally Simon approached the door.

“What do you want, Mon?!” asked Jems. “Want to help push this door,” Simon replied, starting to help push the door.

“Okay, okay. If that’s the case, you put the heirloom on the table over there, near the spearhead,” Jems said, telling Simon to put the two swords on the stone offering table. Before putting the two swords down, Simon first moved the spearhead and the spear shaft to the middle of the table. After that, he put his two swords side by side with the spearhead, right in the middle of the offering table.

After finishing, Simon walked over to his friends who were still standing in front of the stone door that hadn’t moved at all. “Come on, let’s push it again!” Simon said enthusiastically. They all pushed again with all their might, but there was no reaction. They tried to push as hard as they could for about fifteen minutes, but to no avail.

“So what, Mon? It really can’t be opened,” Wawan’s voice rose.

“Be patient, Wan. We’re all tired here too,” Simon said, trying to make them understand. “Hey, what if we push it from the side? Who knows, maybe this door slides when pushed from the side,” Simon continued to give an idea. Then they followed what Simon said, they even tried to push from the opposite direction, but the cave door still didn’t budge, not even a little vibration. But just as they started to push, suddenly Tatang and Wawan decided to get out of the cave.

“I’m pulling out, ah. I’m tired. I’m sure we can’t do anything to this door anymore,” Wawan said then went out leaving the others. After that, Tatang followed Wawan out.

“Sorry, guys. I’ll just wait outside,” Tatang said then walked away following Wawan. Simon, Jems, Winda, and Rani didn’t say a word to stop Tatang and Wawan.

“Hmmm... so what’s this, Mon? I think they’re desperate,” Jems said while watching Tatang head towards the cave mouth.

“They’re hopeless. It seems like this cave door wasn’t meant to be opened,” Winda said, looking desperate.

“We are all here because of our own desires. I don’t mind if someone wants to leave or go home,” Simon said without any disappointment or emotion.

“How about it, Mon? Or should we just go out first?” said Jems, without a solution.

“Yes, Bro, it’s better if we just go out first, while we go to the pool where the statue is. Who knows, there might be another clue there,” said Rani, trying to calm the situation.

“Come on then,” Simon answered without any choice. He went to the altar table and grabbed the spearhead and spear shaft.

“Jems, you take this again, now,” said Simon while giving the spearhead and spear shaft to Jems. Jems just stayed silent, grabbing the spear and spearhead without saying a word. Simon then turned around and returned to the altar table. At the altar table, Simon picked up the two swords that were lying there. When Simon tried to hold one of the swords, the flashlight he was holding fell to the middle of the altar table. Quickly, he grabbed his flashlight. That’s when his eyes fell on the carving that was faintly visible on the table. Slowly he rubbed the carving. The carving was shaped like a sun and was very similar to the sun carving on the bottom of the vessel they found near the statue some time ago. The carving or sun carving was in the middle of a circle that resembled a crop circle that was sunk into the table about two to three centimeters. Simon frowned, thinking hard about the possible connection between these two symbols.

"Guys, try coming here first," Simon called his three friends. With a forced gesture, the three of them came over to Simon.

"What's wrong, Bro?" asked Winda, without looking at Simon.

"What else did you find, Mon?" Jems, with his tone of voice not showing the same interest as Winda.

Simon raised the flashlight he was carrying, the bright light focused on the carving on the stone. "Look at this! It seems like this carving is very similar to the carving on the bottom of the vessel, right?" He said enthusiastically, his face shining in the reflection of the light from the flashlight.

Jems, Winda, and Rani approached, interested in what Simon showed. “Yes, it’s exactly like the one on the vessel,” said Jems, seeming to agree as he observed it more closely.

“This might be one of the clues, Bro, to open the door?” said Winda, getting closer to the carving on the stone.

Rani, who was usually quieter, also touched the surface of the carving that looked smooth but intricate. As she paid closer attention, the light from her flashlight found something interesting near the beautifully carved sun carving. “Bro, there’s something like a piggy bank hole here,” said Rani, pointing to a hole hidden among the carvings.

Simon, with renewed enthusiasm, rubbed the area around the hole to confirm what Rani had found. “Eh, yes... this must have a purpose! Winda, try pointing your flashlight this way,” said Simon in a hopeful tone.

Winda quickly complied, moving the flashlight beam toward the hole in question. The light highlighted the details of the carvings around the object Rani had just found.

“Bro, is this the same size as the hole in the sword sheath, right? Try... try, Bro, put the sword in here, does it fit?” said Winda enthusiastically while pointing to one of the holes outside the crop circle.

“Yes... yes, wait a minute,” Simon answered excitedly. He took out one of the ancient swords they had found in one of the rooms in the cave, and tried to insert it into the hole in question.

“Eh, yes, it can go in!” Simon shouted happily, his face beaming with pride as the sword was perfectly embedded, leaving only the hilt.

“Try looking again, there must be two holes like this, because there are two swords too!” said Jems, who didn’t want to be left behind.

They were excited again after several new discoveries on the altar table.

They started looking for other holes, and sure enough, not far from there, they found another hole that was exactly the same as the first. Jems took the second sword and inserted it into the hole.

“Wow, this fits perfectly too!” Jems exclaimed happily, watching the sword stick in perfectly, just like the first.

Their cheerful laughter and cheers echoed to every corner of the cave, as if the stone walls and the mysterious altar table were responding to their joy. However, their curiosity was not yet satisfied.

“So this is the one in the middle?” Winda asked, pointing.

“This might be used to place the vessel, Bro,” Rani said, bringing her flashlight closer to the sun carving.

“Yes, it could be, Ran, because if you look at the diameter, it looks like it’s the same size as the water vessel stand,” Winda answered excitedly.

“Where is the vessel now?” Jems asked excitedly.

“Well... the vessel is at home, Bro Simon. I brought it there yesterday,” Winda answered weakly.

“Well, it’s okay. I’ll go get it first, you guys wait here. I’ll go get the vessel,” Simon said enthusiastically, then the four of them went out towards the mouth of the cave, while the two swords were still stuck into the altar table.

Outside, Tatang and Wawan were seen just sitting on the grass without chatting.

“So how about it, Mon?” asked Tatang.

“Be safe, Tang. You guys rest first, I’ll go home for a bit,” answered Simon in a hurry. After that, Simon was seen running.

“That kid, what’s wrong, Jems?” asked Wawan turning to Simon who was running fast towards home.

“That, he forgot to bring the vessel,” answered Jems flatly.

“What for, do you want to bring the vessel here again?” asked Wawan, adjusting his sitting position.

“Earlier, Bro Simon seemed to have found a new clue that might have something to do with the vessel, Wan,” answered Winda without mentioning the details.

“Oh, I see, that’s good,” said Wawan as he stood up.

“Jems, Tang, let’s put the palm stems back up. The sun is starting to reach here!” Wawan shouted as he walked quickly towards the puddle where they kept the palm stems that covered the statue. Jems and Tatang, who were busy chatting, immediately followed Wawan’s steps without asking many questions.

Carefully, they began to pull out the palm stems one by one and put them back in their original positions, just like yesterday. When the last palm stem stood firmly, the atmosphere...

Felt calm. The wind blew gently, and the sound of rustling leaves added to the tranquility.

“Do you want a drink?” Winda, who was sitting on the grass covered with a cloth, lifted her tumbler. Jems turned and nodded.

“Well, yes, thank you, Win,” said Jems, grabbing the tumbler from Winda’s hand. He took a deep sip before handing it to Wawan and Tatang. After they all got their drinks, the atmosphere was quiet again.

Rani, who was previously busy taking pictures with her camera, now focused more on staring at the screen, reviewing the results of her shots and video recordings. Tatang and Wawan chose to lie down on the green and fresh grass, enjoying the warmth of the sun.

"Aren't Tatang and Wawan itchy sleeping on the grass?" Winda observed the two of them.

"Never mind on the grass, Win. Even on the sidewalk they're fine," Jems commented while laughing. Winda could only shake her head, although a smile could not be removed from her face.

"No, Win, as long as you sleep with sincerity and supported by noble desires, I'm sure it won't itch," Wawan joked while covering his eyes with his right arm. Rani only turned her head for a moment hearing Wawan's chatter, then returned to focusing on her camera, while Winda only smiled while shaking her head. "What do you mean?" said Winda confused.

"Come on, Win, don't translate it, let alone think about Wawan's words. You'll get a migraine later," Jems joked without looking away.

"I still don't understand, who carved this cave, and from what century?" said Rani while staring at her camera screen.

"Wow... that should be done by researchers research again, Ran,” Winda replied, turning to Rani. “Why is that, Ran?” Winda asked again.

“I’m just surprised, why are the carvings on the cave walls so neat, like they’re made of cement,” Rani replied, turning her gaze to Winda who was approaching.

“That cave, if it’s cleaned and then lights are installed, then painted with pink or purple wall paint, it can be rented out straight away,” Wawan joked, still in the same position as before.

“You haven’t slept yet, Wan?” Jems asked in surprise.

“Why does it have to be pink or purple?” Winda asked curiously.

“Well, it’s okay, Win, because most of the rented houses near my house have walls that are colored, if they’re not pink, they’re definitely purple,” Wawan replied casually, imagining all the rented houses near his house that he had passed.

“Why not just white, which is more neutral?” Winda offered her opinion.

Hearing Winda’s answer, Wawan suddenly woke up, yawned widely, and replied, “Later, Win, I’ll ask the owner of the rented house, when I get back to Jakarta.” He sat down casually, turning to Tatang who was still sleeping nearby.

Rani and Jems just looked at each other, not wanting to get involved in a debate about colors that didn't exist. finished. The atmosphere became silent for a moment, only the sound of the wind and the chirping of birds could be heard.

"Hey, where's Simon? It's been so long, I'm hungry," said Wawan again, while looking around.

"I told you earlier, Bro Simon is at home for a moment to get the water vessel from yesterday," answered Winda, while checking her cellphone.

Wawan lay back down on the grass with Tatang. Winda and Jems also returned to their respective activities, trying to enjoy the time they had. Several minutes passed without anyone speaking, the atmosphere felt peaceful even though it was colored by the hunger that was starting to gnaw at them.

Suddenly, from a distance, Simon's shout was heard. "Woooii!! I'm coming!!" he exclaimed, walking quickly closer while hugging the vessel. Everyone immediately turned to look at him, and wide smiles immediately appeared on the faces of Winda, Rani, and Jems.

Wawan, who had been lying relaxed on the grass, immediately got up and shouted, "Oh, that's the kid coming!"

Simon walked while running, looking so excited. As if they couldn't wait to put the vessel on the altar table and see what would happen next. When Simon got closer, Winda, Rani, and Jems immediately stood up to greet Simon.

"So how about it, do we put it on top or what?" Simon asked his friends, looking at the object they were carrying.

"Just do it, Bro, so we can see the results," said Rani enthusiastically, full of spirit.

"Come on... come on, Mi!" Simon invited, seeming impatient to start.

"Aren't you coming, Wan?" Jems asked Wawan who was still sitting relaxed on the grass, looking less enthusiastic.

"Yeah, I'll follow later, Jems," Wawan answered in a languid tone, as if he was more interested in enjoying the atmosphere than participating.

"Okay, Pae Wan, just stay there for now, now, let's go in first!" Simon said in a cheerful tone. Before stepping into the cave, they all turned on their flashlights, both those still attached to their heads and those in their hands.

They all looked excited, while Wawan remained sitting looking at his friends with a small smile, hoping that everything would go smoothly. Slowly they stepped into the cave, their focus was only on that one place, namely the altar table. The further they went inside, in the cave all the flashlight light focused on the altar table. They approached the altar table and rubbed the part they were focusing on with a cloth.

"Is this directly placed on top or what about this?" asked Jems while shining his focus on the sun carving in the middle of the altar table.

"That's a sun carving on a vessel, try to match it, Bro, with the one on the table," said Rani while remaining focused.

"Yes, Bro, match the carving first, then place the vessel," she said in a trembling voice. Simon, who also felt the tension, just nodded, trying to hold back the anxiety that was hanging over his heart.

Carefully, Simon began to place the vessel on the altar table, right on the depression that resembled a crop circle with a sun motif in the middle. He matched the sun motif under the vessel with the symbol or sun motif carved on the altar table.

"Is it right, Bro? Position?" Winda asked, her voice trembling. However, after the vessel was in the position that was considered correct, there was no reaction whatsoever. The room was silent, only the sound of the wind blowing from the mouth of the cave that was blowing into the cave could be heard.

Panic began to hit, their faces turned pale. "What's wrong? Why is there no reaction?" Winda's voice sounded panicked, her eyes widened as she continued to observe the vessel and altar table that did not seem to give the signs they had expected.

"Calm down, Win, relax. Maybe there's something else we have to do first, before we can act on this thing," Jems tried to calm her down, trying to create a calmer atmosphere amidst the panic.

"Well, Nda, I'm sure this is all correct, there must be more stages that we don't know yet," Rani added, her voice trying to sound calm even though her heart was pounding.

"Is this also what made the altar table and vessel, they weren't given the manual book?" Simon commented in a flat tone, trying to lighten the atmosphere with a joke, even though he was still covered in fear.

“There must be a manual book on the wall at the foot of this altar table, it’s just that we don’t understand how to read it,” Jems answered with a smile, pointing at the foot of the altar table.

“Eh, yes… yes, that’s right, Bro. Let’s try to look at the pictures on the wall under this altar table,” Rani said as if thinking about something.

“What are we looking for, Nda? No one can read the writing below it!” Winda answered skeptically with Rani’s suggestion.

“We’re not reading the writing, Nda. We’re looking, who knows there might be a picture or some kind of symbol that is similar to this vessel and altar table,” Rani answered calmly. Everyone focused on the pictures and symbols on the wall of the altar table. They paid attention to symbol after symbol and picture after picture on the altar table wall, they even circled the altar table several times looking for the clues they meant, but again they didn't produce anything.

"Nothing, guys. What's this?" Jems asked everyone.

"I'm confused too, Jems. Eeh... this vessel, besides being a place for water, what else is its function, I wonder?" Simon answered with a confused expression, while observing the vessel standing firmly on the altar table.

"Well, it's called a vessel. If not a place for water, what else is it?" Jems asked back again.

"Well, that's the answer, Bro," said Winda with a cheerful face, it seemed like she had found an idea in her head. Simon and Jems frowned, confused by what Winda meant.

"What, Nda?" asked Rani, also curious.

"It looks like we have to fill the vessel with water," said Winda excitedly.

"Eh, yes, that's right. It looks like it has to be filled with water so that there is pressure," said Rani.

“Come on, Jems, let’s get what Wawan took yesterday,” Simon invited. Jems just nodded and followed Simon from behind.

Winda and Rani waited inside the cave, while continuing to look for new clues around the altar table and the cave walls. The cave was a little damp, but they were both used to conditions like this after going in several times. The flashlights they brought were enough to light up the dark room, not to mention the help of the refraction of sunlight from the direction of the cave mouth, making the shadows of the carved symbols on the walls and the altar table clearly visible.

Winda paid close attention to every detail of the symbols carved on the altar table wall. Her hands groped the cold surface of the stone, trying to feel the texture that might provide additional clues. Rani, who had been busy documenting with her video camera, also wrote down several important details in her notebook.

Not long after, Jems, Simon, and Wawan came carrying the bamboo water container that Wawan had previously used to get water.

“Why did you guys take so long?” Rani asked, sighing as she saw them approaching.

“Earlier we took the water back up, because yesterday it was used to water the statue,” answered Jems while holding the bamboo pole with Wawan and Simon, so that it would remain standing upright.

“Hey, Tatang is still outside, huh?” asked Rani.

“Oh, Tatang is upstairs waiting for my nephew who is delivering the drink. Don’t let them see this cave, it could leak everywhere,” answered Simon, still standing holding the bamboo pole.

“So how do we pour it, Mon?” asked Wawan.

“Like this, Jems and Wawan hold the end of the bamboo, then I’ll lift it from behind,” said Simon giving instructions.

“Then me and Winda?” asked Rani.

“Winda and Rani, you hold the vessel so it doesn’t fall or shift when we pour the water,” said Jems adding.

“Okay, ready, Bro,” answered Rani and Winda.

“Oh yeah, Winda, later you pull the bamboo cover, okay, when the end of the bamboo is right on top of the vessel,” said Wawan.

Jems and Wawan moved closer to the altar table while carrying the bamboo, they tilted the bamboo. up to about sixty degrees.

“Ok, Mon, lift it!” Jems asked. Jems and Wawan also lifted the end of the bamboo and pointed it above the mouth of the vessel, while from the other end Simon lifted it higher.

“Ok, Win, pull the bamboo cover,” Wawan instructed. Winda pulled the cover or stopper on the end of the bamboo, and immediately the water from inside the bamboo spilled into the vessel.

“Guys, hold on, okay?” Winda said to everyone. The water continued to flow into the vessel. This time there was no tension on their faces, they looked serious but still looked relaxed.

“Ok.. stop!!” Winda shouted to everyone. Simon immediately hurriedly lowered the end of his bamboo and took a few steps back, followed by Wawan and Jems.

“Let’s just lean it there for now,” Simon said to Wawan and Jems. They went to the stone wall not far from them and leaned the bamboo pole, then returned to the altar table with Winda and Rani.

“How is it? Is there a chemical reaction?” Jems asked casually.

“Not yet, bro,” Winda answered, feeling the surface of the altar table, hoping something would happen. But it seemed like there was still no reaction.

“What’s wrong with this?” Simon said, patting the edge of the altar table. Everyone looked confused. They pointed their flashlights again at various corners of the altar table.

“Hey, there’s another hole,” Jems said as he felt the stone floor right under the left leg of the altar table. Suddenly everyone came and pointed their flashlights at the object Jems pointed at.

“This seems to match the spear shaft, Jems,” Simon said happily.

“Hey, yeah.. try it.. I’ll take the spear shaft first,” Jems said, then rushed to get the spear shaft near the altar table.

“Just put it in, Jems,” Simon shouted when Jems came carrying the spear shaft. Jems immediately put it in and it turned out that the size matched between the hole and the spear shaft. At first there was no movement at all.

“Why is this thing still quiet?” Jems said, starting to get annoyed.

“Wan.. let’s try pushing the sword forward, based on the position of the sharp part of this sword,” said Simon wanting to try something.

“Where did you get that idea, Mon?” asked Wawan pessimistically.

“Well.. I was just guessing. If there are results, thank God. If there aren’t any, then that’s it,” answered Simon resignedly to his plan.

“Okay, then, Wan,” answered Wawan also resignedly. “Eh, Mon, do we push together or you first or me first?” asked Wawan again.

“Eemm.. how about it?” Simon thought for a moment.

“Just push together, Bro,” said Winda giving a suggestion.

“Yeah, come on, Wan, let’s push together,” said Simon in agreement.

“Count to three, okay?” said Winda.

“Ready!!” Winda’s voice was loud. Simon and Wawan looked at each other, ready to wait for the next command.

“1...2...3...!!!” shouted Winda. Simultaneously, Wawan and Simon pushed the handle of their swords. And it turned out there was movement, they pushed diagonally about thirty centimeters, and the sword could not be moved anymore. After the sword could not be moved anymore, a few moments later, the vessel was seen slowly descending, sinking into the altar table.

"Eh, look... look... the vessel is slowly descending," said Winda and Rani. Simon, Wawan, and Jems got closer. They all pointed their flashlights at the vessel that was slowly descending, sinking into the altar table. But it didn't last long, only half of the vessel was submerged into the altar table. "Huh, why did he stop, oi?" said Jems, who was very serious about observing the vessel.

"Wait a minute, there are bubbles in the water in the vessel," said Rani in amazement.

"Wow, what's this?" said Wawan, wide-eyed watching the reaction from inside the vessel. This incident made them even more tense, waiting for what would happen next. But after less than three minutes, the water in the vessel emitted bubbles, slowly the water began to recede. They all watched it without words. They were rooted to the spot with tension and question marks in their heads. Should they stay in the cave, or go out, to avoid something that would happen caused by the reaction of the vessel and the altar table. Finally, in less than five minutes, the water in the vessel ran out.

"Wan, do we need to refill the vessel?" asked Wawan with a slightly trembling voice.

"Yes, let's try refilling the water," answered Simon, who actually didn't know what to do either. Finally, the two of them took the remaining water in the bamboo and poured it into the vessel. However, after the water in the bamboo was no longer much, so that it only filled half of the vessel.

"No more reaction?" said Wawan.

"Maybe the measurement was only for one filling," said Rani as if not sure.

"Then what's going on?" asked Jems in a frightened tone.

"You said earlier that there was still some spear shaft left, right, Jems?" asked Wawan.

"Yes, what's up?" answered Jems.

“Try to step hard on the rest of the spear shaft, Jems. Like this sword earlier, after we pushed it, he had an immediate reaction. Who knows,” said Simon, guessing.

“Ah, are you serious, Mon?” asked Jems, feeling uncertain.

“Okay, just try it first. Step on it as hard as you can,” added Wawan. With a feeling of trepidation, Jems headed behind the altar table where he had inserted the spear shaft into the hole he had found.

“Jems, what’s wrong with your face? It’s been a long time since I’ve seen your face that scared,” said Wawan, laughing at Jems’ fear. Jems was already behind the altar table near the spear shaft that was almost completely buried in the cave floor.

“So, I’ll step on this?” Jems' face looked scared.

"Okay, step on it with all your might," said Simon. Jems then took a deep breath and lifted his right foot. After that, with all his might, he stepped on the remaining spear shaft that was almost half buried in the cave floor. After that, the atmosphere was quiet. But in a matter of seconds, a rumbling sound was heard, from nowhere. The vessel on the altar table vibrated, gradually the vessel vibrated faster until the water in the vessel sprayed out, wetting the surroundings of the altar table.

"Winda, Rani, you guys go out first!" Simon shouted to Rani and Winda. Rani and Winda just nodded and immediately ran out of the cave.

"Then what are we going to do, Mon?" asked Wawan in a trembling voice.

Gradually the rumbling sound became louder and the vibrations began to feel like an earthquake. "Let's get out!" Simon shouted while swinging his arms. Wawan and Jems immediately ran out through the dust and small rocks that began to fall from the ceiling of the cave due to the vibrations. Finally, Wawan, Jems, and Simon managed to get out of the cave. Although feelings of anxiety and fear still hung over their minds, Winda and Rani could not hide their smiles of relief. "Finally, you're out!" Rani exclaimed, with a face full of happiness. Jems, Wawan, and Simon immediately lay down on the grass while regulating their shortness of breath.

Meanwhile, from inside the cave, a rumbling sound and vibrations could still be heard that were felt all the way to the mouth of the cave, the rocks and soil that were stuck to the walls of the cave mouth continued to fall.

"Jems, what did you do just now?" asked Wawan in a breathless voice, still lying on the grass.

“You said to step as hard as you can.. well I stepped as hard as I can,” answered Jems, still catching his breath, occasionally swallowing saliva as he spoke.

Less than five minutes after they came out of the cave, the vibrations and rumbling sounds could no longer be heard from inside the cave.

“Eh, eh, the sound and vibrations have stopped,” said Winda standing facing the mouth of the cave. Finally, the rumbling and vibrations from inside the cave had disappeared. There was a sense of relief that enveloped them all, knowing that there were no more rumbling and vibrations from inside the cave.

“It finally stopped. What happened earlier?” asked Rani.

“I don’t know yet, Ran. Maybe the guardian is angry because Wawan poured more water into the vessel,” answered Simon carelessly.

“You were careless, Mon. This, Jems, you stepped on it carelessly,” answered Wawan, waking up and sitting up. “hu, what are you guys doing, still blaming me. You two were the ones who told me to step on it with all your might,” Jems’ voice sounded annoyed.

“Enough already, so what do we do? Shall we go back inside? Or wait until after lunch?” Winda suggested, weighing things up.

“Later, Win. I’m still in shock from the local earthquake,” Wawan replied, refusing.

“A local earthquake, even,” Jems said in a flat tone.

“Hey, where’s Tatang?” Rani asked, feeling that someone was missing. Suddenly, Tatang came from behind with two large plastic bags in both of his hands.

“Hey... what’s wrong with you guys? Why do you all look so unclear?” Tatang said as he put the two plastic bags on the grass. “What did you see inside?” Tatang asked again, confused by the tense expressions on his friends’ faces, not to mention the traces of dust that were still stuck to Wawan, Simon, and Jems’ hair.

“Later, Tang, you can see it yourself on Rani’s camera,” Jems replied in an annoyed tone. “You recorded it earlier, Ran, when the earthquake was about to happen?” Jems turned his gaze to Rani.

“Recorded it, Bro. Rani’s camera was on standby to record,” Rani replied, nodding.

“Earthquake? Why didn’t you feel it up there?” Tatang asked in surprise.

“ We must be hungry, wei. Come on, let’s eat first.”It was probably just a local tremor, Tang.

 This time, the atmosphere felt different, their lunch was not colored by conversation or jokes. Everyone looked serious with the food in front of them.Without hesitation, they formed a circle, unpacked Tatang’s lunch spread, and began eating.

 Tatang said, finishing his lunch, while observing his friends one by one.“Hey, what’s up with you all? You looked uneasy before, yet now you’re devouring food like you’ve been starving!”

“That’s why you’ll come inside the cave later,” Wawan replied while folding the paper used for his food.

“Put it in here, Wan,” Simon handed him a small plastic bag for the trash.

“Right, Tatang will come inside later, so we know what’s going on,” Rani continued, which made Tatang even more curious.

“Okay.. I’ll go in later, I’m curious,” Tatang replied resignedly, feeling like he didn’t get an answer.

“So what? Do you still dare to go in?” Winda asked everyone.

“What about you, Nda? Do you still dare to go in?” Rani asked a little hesitantly.

“Yes, I do. I actually want to find out why there was a rumbling and shaking, but only inside,” Winda replied with an unyielding spirit.

“I still want to go in too, Win,” Simon replied, still unyielding.

“I’ll just wait outside first. I’ll follow you inside later, Mon,” Wawan said, still worried that something worse would happen again.

“Rani, how about Jems? Do you want to stay here or come inside?” Simon asked, there was no pressure of coercion in the words he said.

“I’ll still come in, Bro,” Rani answered with a confident look.

“You, Jems?” Simon asked again.

“Well, how about it? Rather than me being embarrassed, Rani and Winda have more guts. I’ll still come in, Mon,” Jems said resignedly, glancing at Wawan.

“Let’s go in then,” Simon invited, standing back up while preparing his flashlight. Tatang put his head flashlight back on, and so did Jems.

“Wan, can I borrow your head flashlight first, you’re not going in, right?” Simon said to Wawan who seemed to be sitting relaxed.

“Then what if I want to go in, Mon?” Wawan asked, handing his flashlight to Simon.

“Easy, you just shout in front of the cave, or I’ll come and call you,” Simon answered. Wawan just nodded in agreement.

“It’s safe, right? Come on, let’s go in,” Rani invited with her new enthusiasm filled with curiosity in her head.

They stepped into the cave, although it could not be denied that there was still a little worry in each of their minds.

“Bro Simon, are you really sure?” Winda asked Simon when they were about to step into the mouth of the cave.

“One hundred percent sure, Win. Don’t worry, I was born and raised here,” Simon said to reassure Winda and give Jems and Wawan a sense of calm.

With optimism, they stepped further into the cave.

Rani’s voice suddenly broke the silence with an exclamation of joy. “Eeh.. eeh…. look.. look!!... it’s there.. look!! the door is open!!!!” she shouted, her voice full of enthusiasm. Her eyes widened, showing a deep sense of amazement when she accidentally pointed the flashlight at a cave door that was already wide open.

Meanwhile, her other friends immediately stopped in their tracks and spontaneously directed their flashlights into the newly opened cave room, which was not far from where they were standing now.

"Wow... it's really open," said Winda in awe, in a low voice, as if she couldn't believe what she saw in front of her.

"This is probably because of my footing earlier," said Jems feeling confident, who continued to direct His gaze followed the direction of his flashlight. Simon and Winda immediately turned to Jems at the same time, feeling tickled by Jems's words just now.

"Is that so? Jems kicked the door open earlier?" Tatang asked, feeling strange and in disbelief.

"It's a long story, Tang. You'll understand later," Jems replied irritably, turning to Tatang.

"So let's go straight in?" Simon asked everyone.

"Let's go to the altar table first, while looking inside. I'm afraid there are still some ruins left from earlier," Rani replied worriedly.

"Come on..." Simon replied briefly.

Slowly they approached the altar table, there they still found the water vessel still in the same position as before, as well as the two swords still stuck into the altar table. In some parts of the table it looked wet, especially around the vessel, the bamboo used to collect water that was previously leaning against the cave wall, fell, the remaining water that had been stored in the wastebasket all pooled around the bamboo.

After observing from the altar table, it seemed that there was nothing suspicious or worrying inside the cave.

"It seems safe inside, bro," said Winda, feeling confident.

"No need to throw anything inside first, Win? There's a hoe and a bamboo stick used to get water earlier," asked Jems, suggesting.

"Yeah, that's okay, bro," answered Winda, feeling a little calmer. Jems rushed to grab his hoe and threw it into the cave, a sound like something was thrown onto the cave floor was heard, but after that there was no more sound. Finally, after waiting for a while, again there was no reaction from inside, they dared to enter.

"It's... safe. Let's go in," said Simon, who took the initiative to step inside first. Inside the stuffy cave, it was certain that there were no wild animals or reptiles inside, because this cave had been tightly closed for hundreds or maybe even thousands of years, and it was likely almost airless inside. The tense and silent atmosphere made them feel as if they were trapped in a time that had long passed. Fortunately, the main door of the cave that had been opened earlier was wide and large enough, so that fresh air could enter.

They began to slowly walk into the cave, Simon at the front, followed by Winda, Jems, Tatang, and Rani.

When they had only taken about three or five steps into the cave, they stopped and pointed their flashlights inside. The bluish yellow light from the flashlights penetrated the darkness, and instantly, they were stunned, not believing what they saw. It turned out that inside the cave there were many ancient artifacts that had probably been there for thousands of years, neatly arranged on shelves stones embedded in the cave walls.

As if time had frozen in this place, the artifacts seemed to tell a story of an extraordinary civilization that once existed in this place, a story waiting to be revealed.

"Wow... this is amazing!" Winda whispered, her voice barely audible in the silent room.

The others still looked serious, their eyes bulging with curiosity. Every artifact displayed in front of them seemed to tell a story of a time long gone. On one shelf, there was a beautifully carved clay bowl that still looked intact, while on another shelf, there were small statues depicting ancient gods and goddesses.

Meanwhile, the other artifacts consisted of various objects, ranging from everyday tools, weapons, to amazing works of art. Some of them appeared to be made of metal, while others were made of stone and clay, showing a variety of extraordinary manufacturing techniques for their time. There were also many mysterious symbols carved on the cave walls. It is possible that this room was used to store valuables.

"Oh my God... it's over there, look, bro?" Winda was shocked when her flashlight fell on a rectangular box that resembled a coffin, but smaller in size.

"Wow, what's that coffin??, but it's probably not a coffin," Simon replied, his eyes not leaving the mysterious object.

"Then what, Mon?" Jems asked, curious.

"I don't know either, let's just approach it," Simon replied in a serious tone. They approached the coffin that had carvings on almost all sides.

Now the coffin was in front of them, Winda took out her handkerchief and wiped the top of the coffin.

"This is like the coffin that Wawan photographed at your house, right?" Winda said to Simon.

"Yeah, yeah, that's right, Win! The coffin is the same as the one in the house above," Simon replied, feeling increasingly confident with their discovery.

"Wait a minute, I'll call Wawan first," Jems rushed out of the cave. Outside, Wawan was just lying on the grass.

"Hey... Wan... come here first!!" Jems shouted from the mouth of the cave. Hearing Jems' scream, Wawan woke up and then looked at Jems.

"What's wrong Jems?" he answered briefly, lacking enthusiasm.

"Come here first, is someone looking for you inside?" Jems walked over to Wawan. Wawan stood waiting for Jems to come over to him.

"Who, Jems? Looking for me?" Wawan asked again, curious.

"Okay, just come with me inside," Jems pulled Wawan's hand, who seemed less enthusiastic about going back into the cave.

Inside the cave, Simon and Tatang seemed to be talking, while Rani was busy making a video documentation with Winda.

"It seems like this cave was intentionally left in this condition, everything is neatly arranged," said Rani, while continuing to point her camera at the objects in the cave.

From the living room, Jems and Wawan's voices could be heard.

"You should have just come in earlier, I wouldn't have bothered to go out to call you," Jems' voice was heard scolding Wawan. Tatang and Simon looked back.

"Hey, Wawan, come in. Just make yourself at home. If you want coffee, please brew it yourself," Simon's voice joked, welcoming Wawan.

"Looking for me, Mon?" Wawan approached Simon, his eyes full of curiosity.

"Finally the prince has arrived," said Tatang welcoming Wawan's arrival.

"I'm not the one looking for you, but this one," answered Simon while pointing at a rectangular wooden box that looked more like a chest.

"Well, well... this is similar to the one at your house, Mon," answered Wawan in surprise, then slowly felt it, while observing each side carefully. The length of the chest was about one meter, the width was about sixty centimeters and the height was about one meter.

"So what do you think, Wan?" asked Winda, waiting for Wawan's answer.

"So... so what? Well, okay, these are the things we've been rummaging through for the past two days," Wawan answered excitedly, his face looking enthusiastic.

"Eh, Mon, should we just open it here or should we take it out first?" Jems asked, wanting to make sure of the next step.

"We'd better take it out first," Simon suggested, agreeing with the idea.

"Then what are we going to do with the things here, Mon?" Tatang asked as he continued to look around the cave, curious about the other artifacts.

"That'll be easy, if necessary we'll make a museum," Simon replied jokingly, trying to lighten the mood.

"Who's going to take it out?" Wawan asked, looking at his friends doubtfully.

"Well, you're the one, Wan. Why are you asking? You're the one who made us all look for these things," Jems replied, not wanting to give in.

"Why... why me? Everyone," Wawan protested, feeling unfair.

"But if it wasn't for you messing around, we wouldn't know about this stuff," Jems answered stubbornly, emphasizing his opinion.

"Mon, help me, Mon," Wawan held onto his chest. Simon helped push the chest toward the more spacious center, trying to make it easier lifted.

"Be careful, bro. I'm afraid the wood is rotten," Winda warned, worried about the condition of the chest.

"No, Win. This one is strong. The wood at Simon's house is still intact," Wawan replied, trying to convince his friends.

Wawan, Simon, Jems, and Tatang began to remove the wooden chest from the cave. They tried to lift the chest step by step.

"What's inside this, Mon? Why is it heavy?" Wawan asked while pushing the chest out of the cave.

"I don't know either, Wan, what's clear is that it's not PS 7," Simon replied, while continuing to push the wooden chest whose contents still held a mystery.

"Is it out yet?" Wawan asked enthusiastically.

"Hey... push first... hey, we'll talk later, this is heavy," Jems shouted from the other side.

"Slowly, don't fall!" Rani followed from behind, warning them.

After struggling to push from the inside, they finally managed to remove the wooden chest from the cave. They were all out of breath, but their faces were filled with satisfaction and enthusiasm again.

"Now, what should we do next?" asked Tatang, looking at the chest with curiosity.

"Open it and see what's inside!" shouted Winda, impatient to know what was inside the chest.

"Hey, Mon, you haven't answered my question yet?" Wawan stood next to Simon.

"Which question is it?" Simon turned to Wawan.

"That... what I asked was what's inside this?"

"Oooh that... it could be cooking utensils, Wan," answered Simon seriously.

"Wow, someone really has the heart to carve a stone this big to put cooking utensils inside the chest."

They gathered around the chest, ready to reveal the mystery that had been hidden for so long.

"Wan, how do you open this?" asked Simon to Wawan.

"Why are you asking me, Mon?" said Wawan in surprise.

"You were the one who did something to the wooden box above," Jems chimed in, pointing his finger upwards.

"Yeah, I didn't even notice the wooden box at Simon's house," Tatang joined in.

Wawan circled the wooden box looking for something that could help them open it.

Looking at it as a whole, it looked like the wooden box was polished with a dark red color, and the carvings seemed to be colored white. In addition, there were several yellow carvings. All of these colors looked worn and faded with age. The carvings that used to decorate its surface were now covered in a layer of dust, giving the impression that this box had been abandoned for a long time. There was no key visible, only a small rectangular wooden protrusion that invited their imaginations to guess what the function of the rectangular wooden protrusion was.

"Eeh, try looking, this is what it does, is it pressed or pulled?" Jems directed all of his friends' gazes to the rectangular wooden protrusion, feeling curious.

"Let's try pressing it first," Winda suggested, approaching and extending her hand towards the protrusion. Carefully, Winda pressed the wooden protrusion. A creaking sound was heard as the protrusion moved slightly inward. "Hmm, it looks like it can be pressed," she said, looking at her friends expectantly.

"Then, let's try pulling it too," said Simon, excitedly. He grasped the protrusion and pulled it slowly. When pulled, a clearer clicking sound was heard, and the coffin lid moved slightly.

"Well, it's likely to be pulled, Mon," Tatang exclaimed, impatient to see what would happen next.

"Try again, Mon, pull harder! Don't let it slack off," Jems encouraged, increasingly curious.

Simon pulled the wooden protrusion harder, and suddenly the coffin lid opened a little wider. Dust that had stuck to the coffin flew, adding to the mysterious atmosphere around them.

They reflexively moved away from the coffin and waved their hands to avoid the dust.

Simon approached again and lifted the coffin lid higher, Tatang and Wawan helped lift the coffin lid.

"Slowly, don't break it!" Wawan reminded.

They slowly lifted the lid of the coffin, then placed the coffin lid on the grass.

The others just waited silently for what surprise was inside the wooden coffin. After the coffin lid was opened, it turned out that there was still a cloth covering the contents of the coffin.

The cloth covering looked very thick, maybe made of tree bark or animal skin, on the surface of the cloth was dominated by ancient letters and several pictures that blended with the other pictures.

"What is this?" asked Tatang, looking at the writing on the cloth.

"I think it's an inventory list of the names of the items in here?" answered Jems lightly.

"You're the same, Jems," Simon denied Jems' statement.

"What is that?" asked Jems curiously.

"This is it... a list of PKK mothers who have paid monthly dues," Simon pointed to the writing on the cloth with a serious face.

"Ooh, I thought this was a recipe for 'peda fish chili sauce'," Rani chimed in, trying to joke.

"Can you guys be serious? At times like this you can joke around," Winda said in a serious tone, and everyone was silent.

"This is a warranty book, you know?!, if you don't believe me, just look at the name of the shop and the shop's stamp," Winda said getting closer to the cloth covering it. Wawan and Jems moved closer to the cloth, then behind her Jems and Simon.

"Eeh, yeah, that's right, there's a shop name here... Toko Harapan Makmur Lancar Jaya Sehat Sehat Selalu," Wawan said carelessly, while laughing. The others laughed and circled the edge of the wooden crate.

Suddenly Wawan's cellphone also rang, and it turned out to be Amrul.

"Eeh, Amrul... Amrul," Wawan said to everyone, he pressed speaker mode then answered his phone.

"Yeah, Rul, so what?" Wawan said before Amrul's voice.

"Eh, yeah, Wan, I've talked to the person who wants to buy the statue, but the value has gone down a bit from yesterday," Amrul answered on the other end of the phone.

"So how about it, how much is he willing to pay? Hey, wait, you'd better talk to the owner of the item directly," Wawan answered, handing Simon his phone.

"Yeah, hello... Amrul... I'm Simon," Simon greeted Amrul.

"Hello, Bro Simon, how are you?" Amrul said casually on the other end of the phone.

"Ready... fine, Amrul."

"Yeah, it's like this, Bro Simon, I'm meeting with the person who wants to buy Bro Simon's statue, we've seen and examined the photos and videos, and it seems like it's real, later we just have to see the item," Amrul explained.

"So how much is it, bro?" Simon asked without further ado.

"The value has only gone down a bit from yesterday."

"How much will it be after the price drops?" Simon asked again.

"How dare it be at three hundred and sixty, bro." Amrul answered, stating the amount.

"But all the transportation and permits, your friend will take care of it, right?" Simon asked to make sure.

"Get ready, bro, we'll take care of that later, bro Simon just prepare the goods and we'll pick them up at bro Simon's house," Amrul said to assure Simon that everything was safe.

"In Toraja?" Simon asked, wanting to be more sure.

"Ready... it's safe, bro, we can pick up the goods in Papua too, bro," Amrul said excitedly. Simon was silent for a moment and looked at his friends, while lifting his chin, Wawan came closer and whispered the offer price.

"Let's put it this way, bro, three hundred and seventy, but you guys will take care of all the accommodation, taxes and permits, well, that's all we'll accept, bro," Simon said to emphasize the offer.

"Okay, wait a minute, bro, I'll ask the person concerned first," said Amrul, who could be heard faintly from the phone as if he was chatting with someone.

"Okay, ready... ready, they said it's a deal, bro," said Amrul firmly.

"So how many days will it take for your team to arrive here?" asked Simon again.

"Wait a minute, bro," said Amrul, and he went back to chatting with someone nearby.

"We'll try to do it in three days at the earliest, seven days at the longest, please, bro Simon, prepare everything," said Amrul as a reminder.

"Okay... okay, ready "More info later, bro," Simon answered firmly.

"Okay... Bro Simon... oh yeah, can I talk to Wawan again," Amrul asked as if there was something important.

"Hello, Rul, how is it?" Wawan asked.

"Eh, what about the three hundred from yesterday?" Amrul asked as a reminder.

"What's the matter, so you want me to return it?...," Wawan asked, able to guess Amrul's intentions.

"What do you think?" Amrul asked resignedly.

"No way, lah... you also get a big percentage from this business," Wawan answered, which seemed to displease Amrul.

"Well, okay, then," Amrul resignedly.

"Just relax, Rul... there will be more business after this statue," Wawan said trying to comfort Amrul.

"Okay, Wan," Amrul ended the call.

"Jiaah, kid, turn off your phone," Wawan stared at his phone screen.

"How is it, Mon? Let's just unbox this, so we don't get late," Wawan suggested, looking at the chest in front of him.

"Yeah, let's unbox it," Simon replied, nodding in agreement.

They stood up and moved closer to each side of the chest. Simon took a deep breath, then glanced at his friends one by one. Everyone nodded in agreement.

"Okay, gass, let's see what's inside," Simon said excitedly. Slowly, he pulled the cloth cover, and his other friends also pulled the cloth. When the cover was fully open, they were all stunned to see the contents of the chest.

It turned out that behind the cloth cover was a magnificent grandpa mask, gleaming in the sunlight. Its intricate design with several symbols left them in awe. "This probably belonged to an ancient god or ancestor who was glorified in his time," Rani whispered, her eyes sparkling.

Under the mask, there was a shield that was also made of pure emurni. The shield was oval-shaped, and right in the middle was embedded a type of reddish gemstone the size of an adult's fist. The entire surface of the shield was decorated with a beautiful star motif.

"It seems like this is not war equipment, but rather ritual equipment for worship," Wawan added, while admiring the beauty of the artifact.

Behind the worn shield they found something extraordinary, a twin dagger made of metal, gleaming with intricate details. The beauty and elegance of this dagger reflects the extraordinary skills of the craftsmen of the past. Beside the dagger, there was also a short spear, complete with a sharp spearhead. The spear shaft was made of bronze, adding historical value to this discovery that has been around for centuries.

However, the contents of the chest did not only consist of weapons. Various statues and sculptures were also found in the chest, indicating that this place may have once been a place of worship or ritual. Among these valuables, there were also cylindrical and rectangular seals, which may hold important secrets from ancient times. Seeing all the contents of the chest, Jems's amazement could not be contained. "Wow!!... that's cool, this is what treasure looks like, huh?" Jems exclaimed, unable to hide his curiosity. However, Tatang immediately responded, "But treasure usually contains crazy coins, gold jewelry, not war equipment like this." Tatang's statement highlighted the common stereotype about treasure that is often found in novels or Hollywood films.

"Where did you get that reference from?" Jems asked sarcastically. "There are many, Jems, one of them is the One Piece cartoon, and the adventures of Unyil, and the Mummy movie, Indiana Jones, there are many, Jems," Tatang answered casually, referring to popular shows that tell the story of searching for treasure.

Winda was shocked to see a long box at the bottom of the chest.

"Eeh... bro, there's a long box," she said, making everyone rush to look in the direction she meant.

"Eeh, yeah... what else is in this?" Wawan said while trying to reach the box. However, Wawan quickly pushed Wawan's hand away, saying, "Wait a minute, Wan."

"Looking at the shape, it's long like this, it looks like it contains a weapon, or a sword," said Winda with her analysis.

"That's right, looking at the shape, it's definitely a sword, Win. There's no mistake," added Jems, increasingly curious to open the box.

"I'll take it, now?" Simon asked everyone.

"Yeah... yeah, try lifting it," said Jems, curious.

"Just lift it, Bro," said Winda, bending down, focusing on watching.

Simon lifted the wooden box that was about twenty centimeters high, about eighty centimeters long, and about ten centimeters wide. Simon didn't expect the box to be quite heavy.

"Why is it so heavy?" said Simon, who couldn't lift the box yet. "Try, Tang, lift it from that end," asked Simon to Tatang, who was standing watching. Without thinking, Tatang immediately lifted the end opposite to the one Simon was holding.

"Yeah, it's heavy, apparently," Tatang and Simon took the long box out of the chest and placed it on the grass.

"No wonder it's heavy, maybe this chest, even though if we look at the contents it can't possibly be heavy, apparently this is what makes it heavy, huh," said Jems, nodding.

"Fiks, this sword, Bro," said Rani, feeling very sure.

"Yeah, I also thought so earlier," added Winda, strengthening her belief in the contents of the long box.

"Sook, come on... come on open it, Mon," said Tatang, who looked impatient.

"Open... open it, Mon, want to know what kind of sword it is?" said Wawan, very enthusiastic.

"Eeh, how do you open this?" Simon looked at all sides of the long box. The others also looked at the box, to see from which angle it could be opened.

"Try putting it down first, Mon," asked Tatang. Simon followed Tatang's words, he put the box on the grass.

"Eeh, it looks like the end was pushed, Bro," said Winda. Winda tried to push the very end of the box using her hands, but it didn't seem that easy to open the box. From behind Winda, Rani came carrying a hoe.

"Hey... Ran... what are you going to do?" said Winda in surprise, immediately moving from where she was sitting.

"Okay, try moving aside for a moment, Nda," said Rani, expressionless, ready to swing her hoe. Seeing Rani start swinging the hoe in her hand, all of her friends who had gathered around the box spontaneously moved aside.

Rani swung her hoe into the air and slammed it on top of the box, and immediately a crack appeared right where Rani had stabbed her hoe.

 

"Okay, okay, okay. Bro Simon, just pull it," said Rani with a very serious face, immediately throwing her hoe to the ground. Meanwhile, the others watched Rani almost without blinking.

“Ommaee... it turns out these women have super seiya abilities,” Jems whispered to Tatang who was right next to him.

“The casing is feminine, gentle... eeh, it turns out to be a robocop,” Tatang replied.

“Super saiya I said,” Jems protested.

“Yeah, super saiya,” Tatang corrected.

“Wan, help me hold it over there, let me open it from here,” Wawan nodded and immediately carried out Simon’s instructions. Meanwhile, Simon squatted down holding the middle of the box with his knees, both hands pulling the board that had been broken by Rani’s swing of the hoe. With all his might, Simon pulled the board cover, and finally the cover opened perfectly, although it was slightly stained by Simon who fell while pulling the box cover. And sure enough, the contents of the long box were a sword, wrapped in a kind of blackish gray cloth. Without further ado, Simon immediately pulled the cloth and the entire sword was visible. The sword had a long, straight blade, with two sharp sides, the tip of the blade was very sharp. The hand guard is simple in shape, with a short transverse blade made of bronze, while the handle is also made of bronze iron. At the end of the handle there is a pommel or knob which is round, usually this part functions as a blade balancer, and can also be used as a striking tool in battle. The entire sword is made of metal or something similar.

"Why do I feel like this sword is a bit strange?" said Wawan, squatting down to observe the sword more closely.

"How strange, Wan?" asked Simon.

"Swords usually shine, at least there is a shine, and the surface is smooth. Well, this surface is like wavy, and there are gradations, and the color is black," explained Wawan, observing the sword closely.

"Maybe that's what heirlooms are like," said Jems.

"Besides, this has been stored for a long time, it's natural, Wan, if the color is black," said Tatang, also giving his opinion.

"But you haven't stored it for long, Wan, but why is it black?" asked Jems jokingly.

"I've kept it, not stored, the manufacturer is like this," answered Wawan.

"Then what about this, Bro?" asked Winda.

“Well, okay, let’s tidy it up again, like before. We’ll just tie up the cracked ones,” Simon replied.

“And after that?” Wawan asked.

“Well, let’s take it up to the house. We’ve dug it all up, why don’t we put it back inside?” Simon replied, smiling as he pointed towards the cave. Everyone smiled and seemed to agree with Simon’s statement.

“So, what about the statue, Mon?” Jems asked.

“Everything that’s already out here, we’ll take it all up,” Simon replied again, which was again greeted happily by his friends.

“Eh, Mon, how are we going to lift the statue up to your house?” Jems asked, glancing at the statue that was still lying in the puddle.

“I’m still thinking about that too. If I ask the villagers for help, I’m afraid it’ll all make a scene,” Simon said, looking a little worried.

“That’s right, Mon. Because it’s not ten or twenty kilos,” Wawan said, nodding in agreement.

“If it’s a hundred kilos, I think the four of us can carry it all the way to Simon’s house,” Tatang said lightly. Hearing Tatang’s words, Wawan immediately reacted.

“You’re being ridiculous, Tang, don’t you see, the road up here is all uphill,” Wawan replied angrily.

“Come on, calm down, let’s try to think of a way out,” Winda said, mediating.

“It does make sense, if a hundred kilos can be lifted by four adult men, but this road is uphill, the weight can feel twice as heavy,” Winda explained analyzing.

“How about just pulling it, tying the statue, then pulling it together,” Rani explained her idea.

“Yeah, that’s right, Ran,” Jems supported Rani’s idea.

“But I’m afraid it’ll get scratched. It could reduce its meaning and historical value,” Winda said in response.

“Then, we’ll just use a tarpaulin as a base, then we’ll pull it,” Simon said.

"Well, that's cool, Mon," Wawan raised his right thumb to Simon. “Hey, Mon, is the buffalo hide from yesterday still there?” Tatang asked Simon.

“Aih... I think it’s all been taken by someone,” Simon replied.

“Are there any used tents or tarpaulins, the ones that are quite thick?” Tatang asked again.

“If that’s easy, there must be a lot,” Simon replied confidently.

“What about ropes, or clotheslines?” Tatang asked again.

“That’s easy too, Tang. There’s a lot of that,” Simon replied firmly.

“Well, then, tomorrow our agenda is to lift the statue to Simon’s house,” Jems interrupted.

“Not early in the morning, I’m afraid the villagers will see it,” Winda said.

“In the afternoon, Bro. Four o’clock,” Rani suggested.

“Yeah, we can. We can pull it up around four o’clock. At that time there won’t be any people passing by,” Simon replied firmly.

“So, what about this chest and its contents?” Tatang asked.

“Oh my, that’s easy, Tang. We take out the contents, put them somewhere, then we unpack the box, then store them again at Simon’s house upstairs,” Wawan said without a care.

“Yeah, we can. We divide the contents into six people, we can go to Bro Simon’s house in one trip,” Winda said, standing up and looking at the contents of the box.

“Okay, deal!!!” Jems’ voice was like shouting.

“Wow, your voice is really loud, Jems. You weren’t as enthusiastic as a vegetable chicken earlier,” Wawan commented on Jems.

“That’s really how I am,” Jems replied defensively.

“Let’s clean up first,” Winda said to everyone.

“That’s the mentality of mothers. Cleaning up little by little,” Jems said while picking up the leftover food in front of her, followed by the others.

“Eh... wait... wait,” Rani seemed to be thinking about something.

“Why, Ran?” Winda asked.

“Bro Simon... after passing the embankment above, the road is quite wide, right? Can Bro Simon's car park there, then we'll drop everything into Bro Simon's car,” said Rani.

“Yeah... yeah, that's right, Mon. Your car has four wheels, that's definitely possible,” Wawan said enthusiastically.

“Eh... really, I forgot... It's possible, how many times did you park there to let me get down and lift my father's farming tools,” Simon answered, just realizing something.

“Well, that's great then, talk often, Ran, so Simon's brain will connect quickly,” Jems teased Rani and Simon.

“Yeah, euy... that's right, Jems... when Rani talks, Simon connects quickly,” Tatang also teased Simon.

“It's just a coincidence, Tang,” Simon answered briefly without expression.

“Coincidence, but why is it always coincidence??... I’m confused,” Winda teased while pretending to look away.

“Come on... come on, let’s finish this first,” Rani deliberately changed the subject, even though Simon really hoped for a response from Rani. Jems glanced at Simon, she knew very well that Simon was waiting for one sentence from Rani that could make her heart a little hopeful.

“Ommaee... how many times bah! My lob bait didn’t get eaten, even though my friend was hoping for it too,” Jems said in a sarcastic tone to Rani while walking to Simon and patting Simon’s shoulder. Rani knew that Jems’ sentence was directed at her, but Rani only smiled while glancing at Jems.

“Eh, Mon, how about now, you go home, get the car, and tarpaulin, and as much rope as possible, okay?” Wawan said to Simon.

“Come with me, Mon,” Tatang offered.

“Okay... okay. Ready,” Simon nodded firmly. “Is there anything else you want to bring?” Simon asked everyone.

“What else?” Jems thought for a moment, “Winda, Rani, what do you want me to ask you to do?” Jems asked Rani and Winda.

“Winda doesn’t have anything, Bro,” Winda answered.

“Same here, Rani, Bro, nothing,” Rani replied as well.

“Same here, Mon, I’m asking you to do big sacks, if there are any, just three or five of them, if there are any,” Jems requested.

“Are you serious, Jems, what are that many sacks for?” Wawan asked in surprise.

“This is for putting the contents of this chest in,” Jems pointed to the contents of his chest.

“Well, that’s it, I’m not asking you anything, Mon,” Wawan resigned himself.

“Come on, Tang...” Simon invited Tatang. Tatang followed Simon.

Rani, Winda, Jems, and Wawan remained at the location to tidy up all their equipment. Jems and Wawan were busy collecting the used equipment they brought from Simon's house, such as sickles, machetes, hoes, and other tools. Meanwhile, Rani and Winda were skillfully tidying up their used eating utensils. "Is everything done, bro?" Winda asked Jems who looked a little relaxed. "Yeah, it's all been collected," Jems replied while pointing to the equipment they had collected. "Hey, are we going to take out the contents?" Jems asked, pointing to the chest. Winda responded by nodding her head, "Yeah, maybe. We'll just take out the contents. Later, we'll just put them in a sack so it's easy to get underneath." They immediately worked together. Jems and Wawan started taking out the contents one by one, while Rani and Winda arranged the items on the mats where they were sitting. In the midst of their activities, little by little Jems continued to try to slip in jokes to Rani, to find out how Rani would respond to her best friend Simon, lest Simon be unrequited again for the umpteenth time.

Jems and Wawan continued to try to create a cheerful atmosphere. They knew that Simon had feelings for Rani, Jems and Wawan wanted to see if there was a chance for Simon to get closer to Rani. And will there be a continuation of Simon and Rani's relationship after their mission is over.

"Ran, after this is over, and we all return to Jakarta, do you still want to hang out with us?" asked Jems, attracting Rani's attention.

"Well, I still want to, Bro," answered Rani enthusiastically. She felt comfortable in this group and didn't want this good relationship to end just like that.

"I'm afraid that after this, you all will go back to the factory settings like before you knew us," said Wawan, a little awkwardly.

"Rani already told you, that in this hangout with the brothers, Rani finds many new things that Rani has never found in her entire life," explained Rani again, smiling broadly at her friends.

“Hey, why didn’t you ask me?” said Winda, looking at Jems and Wawan with a fake annoyed expression.

“Do you still need to be asked, Win?” Jems turned to Winda, trying to hold back his laughter.

“Well, I need to, Bro Jems. Hey, by the way, where do you guys usually hang out in Jakarta?” asked Winda, wanting to know more about her friends’ habits.

“It’s at Mang Udin’s Coffee Shop, near Simon and Tatang’s office,” answered Jems while still focusing on taking out some of the remaining items from the chest.

“Oh, so Tatang and Bro Simon’s offices are close together?” asked Winda, a little surprised to hear the information from Jems.

“Not close anymore, Win. They’re in the same office!” Wawan replied with a laugh, happy to see Winda’s reaction.

Meanwhile at Simon’s house, Simon and Wawan were busy collecting the tarpaulins and ropes left over from the funeral party. There were quite a lot of ropes and tarpaulins left over.

“Mon, are we taking all of this?” asked Tatang when all the tarpaulins and ropes were gathered in the yard.

“Yeah, just all of them, Tang. Rather than if there aren’t enough, we have to go back and forth again,” answered Simon as he piled up the tarpaulins.

“Mon... I’ll take care of that, you take the car, so we can transport it straight away. Eeh, Mon... Mon, don’t forget the sacks, okay,” said Tatang taking over the tarpaulins that Simon was arranging. Simon went to the side of his house to get the car and take it to the middle of the yard, where he and Wawan had piled up the tent and some ropes.

“Ok... stoop... stooop, Mon!!!” Tatang shouted while raising both of his hands.

Simon got out and immediately opened the back door trunk, and lifted all the ropes and tarpaulins that were in the yard. After that, Simon rushed back to the warehouse under the house to get some sacks of used grain.

After that, they put them in the car, then they rushed off again, to the place where they found many ancient artifacts.

Near the cave, Wawan, Jems, Winda, and Rani had finished removing all the ancient objects from the chest. They were sitting relaxed with their respective gadgets.

"Hey, have you realized it? There seems to be a lot of strange things about the artifacts we discovered," said Rani while staring at her cellphone screen. Then, she continued by showing the information she had just dug up. "Which one, Ran, is strange?" asked Wawan curiously, wanting to know more about what made Rani think that way. "Almost all of them," answered Rani, while scrolling through her cellphone screen. Winda, who was sitting beside her, felt moved and approached Rani to see the information she was showing. "Take a look, Nda. The cuneiform writing comes from Mesopotamia, precisely in the Euphrates and Tigris River valleys. In modern times, that area is in Iraq. Now, how come the writing and all the artifacts are in Toraja? Where is the synchronization from?" asked Rani, her eyes widening because of her great curiosity. “Oh, the cuneiform writing on the offering table, the altar table, huh?” Winda quickly remembered. “Yes, it seemed to be written on earth, then stuck to the leg of the altar table,” Rani answered, looking increasingly excited. Winda thought for a moment before continuing, “I was confused about the writing too. Then, compared to the writing on this chest, and the pictures on the cave walls, it seems like it spans several generations.” Jems, who had only been listening, finally commented. “Yeah, actually I was confused too, why is there an altar table in the middle of the cave and there is cuneiform writing, and what makes me even more surprised, is actually the one over there,” Jems pointed to the statue that was still in its position. “If you look closely, it looks like a statue from the era of ancient Greek kings, I see.” Jems said expressing his surprise at the objects or artifacts they had discovered. “It could be from there, because the cuneiform writing came from those directions too, but the question is why are all the artifacts to find out how Rani would respond to her best friend Simon, lest Simon be unrequited again for the umpteenth time. Jems and Wawan continued to try to create a cheerful atmosphere. They knew that Simon had feelings for Rani, Jems and Wawan wanted to see if there was a chance for Simon to get closer to Rani. And will there be a continuation of Simon and Rani's relationship after their mission is over.

"Ran, after this is over, and we all return to Jakarta, do you still want to hang out with us?" asked Jems, attracting Rani's attention.

"Well, I still want to, Bro," answered Rani enthusiastically. She felt comfortable in this group and didn't want this good relationship to end just like that.

"I'm afraid that after this, you all will go back to the factory settings like before you knew us," said Wawan, a little awkwardly.

"Rani already told you, that in this hangout with the brothers, Rani finds many new things that Rani has never found in her entire life," explained Rani again, smiling broadly at her friends.

“Hey, why didn’t you ask me?” said Winda, looking at Jems and Wawan with a fake annoyed expression.

“Do you still need to be asked, Win?” Jems turned to Winda, trying to hold back his laughter.

“Well, I need to, Bro Jems. Hey, by the way, where do you guys usually hang out in Jakarta?” asked Winda, wanting to know more about her friends’ habits.

“It’s at Mang Udin’s Coffee Shop, near Simon and Tatang’s office,” answered Jems while still focusing on taking out some of the remaining items from the chest.

“Oh, so Tatang and Bro Simon’s offices are close together?” asked Winda, a little surprised to hear the information from Jems.

“Not close anymore, Win. They’re in the same office!” Wawan replied with a laugh, happy to see Winda’s reaction.

Meanwhile at Simon’s house, Simon and Wawan were busy collecting the tarpaulins and ropes left over from the funeral party. There were quite a lot of ropes and tarpaulins left over.

“Mon, are we taking all of this?” asked Tatang when all the tarpaulins and ropes were gathered in the yard.

“Yeah, just all of them, Tang. Rather than if there aren’t enough, we have to go back and forth again,” answered Simon as he piled up the tarpaulins.

“Mon... I’ll take care of that, you take the car, so we can transport it straight away. Eeh, Mon... Mon, don’t forget the sacks, okay,” said Tatang taking over the tarpaulins that Simon was arranging. Simon went to the side of his house to get the car and take it to the middle of the yard, where he and Wawan had piled up the tent and some ropes.

“Ok... stoop... stooop, Mon!!!” Tatang shouted while raising both of his hands.

Simon got out and immediately opened the back door trunk, and lifted all the ropes and tarpaulins that were in the yard. After that, Simon rushed back to the warehouse under the house to get some sacks of used grain.

After that, they put them in the car, then they rushed off again, to the place where they found many ancient artifacts.

Near the cave, Wawan, Jems, Winda, and Rani had finished removing all the ancient objects from the chest. They were sitting relaxed with their respective gadgets.

"Hey, have you realized it? There seems to be a lot of strange things about the artifacts we discovered," said Rani while staring at her cellphone screen. Then, she continued by showing the information she had just dug up. "Which one, Ran, is strange?" asked Wawan curiously, wanting to know more about what made Rani think that way. "Almost all of them," answered Rani, while scrolling through her cellphone screen. Winda, who was sitting beside her, felt moved and approached Rani to see the information she was showing. "Take a look, Nda. The cuneiform writing comes from Mesopotamia, precisely in the Euphrates and Tigris River valleys. In modern times, that area is in Iraq. Now, how come the writing and all the artifacts are in Toraja? Where is the synchronization from?" asked Rani, her eyes widening because of her great curiosity. “Oh, the cuneiform writing on the offering table, the altar table, huh?” Winda quickly remembered. “Yes, it seemed to be written on earth, then stuck to the leg of the altar table,” Rani answered, looking increasingly excited. Winda thought for a moment before continuing, “I was confused about the writing too. Then, compared to the writing on this chest, and the pictures on the cave walls, it seems like it spans several generations.” Jems, who had only been listening, finally commented. “Yeah, actually I was confused too, why is there an altar table in the middle of the cave and there is cuneiform writing, and what makes me even more surprised, is actually the one over there,” Jems pointed to the statue that was still in its position. “If you look closely, it looks like a statue from the era of ancient Greek kings, I see.” Jems said expressing his surprise at the objects or artifacts they had discovered. “It could be from there, because the cuneiform writing came from those directions too, but the question is why are all the artifacts

Their discussion became more serious when they thought that these artifacts were not part of local history, but part of the history of various civilizations in the world. Their discussion continued, and then more questions arose. Was there a trade relationship between Toraja and Mesopotamia in the past? Or maybe there was a migration of people who brought this culture and writing to the area that we currently know as Toraja?

Everyone was silent, there was no more discussion. Everyone felt like they had reached a dead end, because none of them had formally studied history. In the midst of the dead end, Jems looked up, his gaze fixed on the row of grave doors on the rocky hill.

"Eeh... in your opinion, is the tradition of burying bodies in stone caves only found in Toraja in Indonesia? Or is there any other place besides Toraja?" Jems asked everyone, who were sitting happily enjoying the cool breeze blowing between the palm leaves that they had put up as a barrier to the sunlight. "Because Indonesia is an inland area that is almost dominated by mountains, well, maybe, Bro, there is also in other places," Winda answered, guessing.

“Have you ever thought that it was an adopted culture, or a culture passed down by a local civilization that was the same age as ancient Egypt?” said Jems, then he paused for a moment and took a breath. While the others were still waiting for Jems to finish his opinion. “Or maybe there was another nomadic tribe that had stopped by in the Toraja plains before? Then they left and left all the artifacts in the cave?” Jems continued to express everything he was thinking. It seemed that Jems had had many questions in his mind for the past few days that he finally expressed today.

Wawan who was listening immediately raised his eyebrows and smiled.

“Gosh, gosh, your questions are really complicated, Jems. Historians would also be confused by your questions!” He smiled broadly, pointing at Jems who looked a little confused.

“I don’t know, Wan. I’m confused too, because for the past few days there have been many questions in my head about this,” answered Jems, looking a little defensive. “Because the more we discuss it, the more this stuff gets all over the place.”

Winda, who had been listening all this time, suddenly chimed in, “It’s natural, Bro, we’re all confused too, and I think historians, if they find a new discovery, they’ll definitely conduct further research, and that will take a long time.”

“Yes, that’s right, Bro, we need an expert to explain it to all of us. We don’t have any expertise in ancient objects or ancient artifacts,” Rani continued with her signature smile.

“Yeah… then it just ends up being even more absurd,” Winda said, continuing Rani’s conversation in a skeptical tone.

“But that’s just my analysis. Whether it’s true or not, let history prove it,” Jems replied in response to her friends’ comments.

“But we also have to be realistic, Jems. We can’t just randomly link one culture to another without strong evidence,” Wawan explained. “Winda is right, historians need to conduct deeper research before drawing conclusions,” Wawan continued.

“That’s right, we have to be careful in drawing conclusions. Maybe there’s a simpler explanation for this tradition,” Winda added.

“Like, maybe this tradition has existed in Toraja for thousands of years and developed locally without any outside influence?” Winda continued her words. Meanwhile, only Jems nodded, although he still looked curious.

“Eeh, look up there!!! Bro Simon and Tatang have arrived, come on... let's help,” said Rani, turning to the top of the hill, seeing Tatang and Simon who seemed to be having difficulty carrying the tarpaulin.

Wawan and Jems immediately ran to Tatang and Simon. Together, they took down all the tarpaulins and ropes from Simon's car and brought them down to their place. After they had moved all the ropes and tarpaulins, they took a short break and discussed the next steps.

“What time is it, Ran?” Simon asked Rani who was holding her cellphone.

“It's already two forty, Bro,” Rani answered after looking at her cellphone screen.

“Hey, do you think we can all arrive at five in the afternoon to put the statue and the contents of the coffin in the car?” Simon asked his friends.

“At five in the afternoon, it’s possible, Mon. There are four of us guys, three of us who pull, one of us who directs from below,” Jems answered optimistically.

“Yeah... I’m sure I can, Mon, at that time,” Wawan said lightly.

“Then Rani and I, little by little, move the contents of the box to the car,” Winda said.

“Yupss... ready... agreed,” Rani answered while giving a thumbs up.

“Eh... how do we close the cave door?” Jems...

“That’s easy, Jems. We just have to pull the two rocks over there and the one over there,” Tatang said lightly while pointing at both sides of the cave door .

“Then how do we close the cave door inside?” Jems asked again.

“That’s easy too, Jems. Later we just pull out the two swords on the altar table, then we take the vessel, and we pull out the spear shaft too, and it’s done,” Simon answered without any burden.

“If that’s the case, why don’t we just move the statue now, then we take care of all this, and then tomorrow or the day after tomorrow we can go around to all the tourist attractions in Toraja,” Jems said in a tone of voice full of joy and renewed enthusiasm.

“Yeah… yeah, agreed. While we’re here we haven’t had the chance, Nda’ to go around to tourist attractions,” Rani exclaimed, excited.

“Yeah… we haven’t had the chance to go anywhere at all,” Winda answered enthusiastically.

“Okay… ready… later you just tell me where you want to go, I’ll take you,” Simon said smiling.

“Thank you, bro, in advance. Our friends had already visited several tourist attractions before returning to Jakarta,” said Winda.

“But you guys are the only ones who have the opportunity to travel and picnic at a tourist attraction like this, right?” said Tatang, pointing his hands to the mouth of the cave, to the statue, and to the hills above them.

“Well, there’s no need to talk about this, bro. Maybe we’re the only ones in the world who have the opportunity to travel in a cave that spans ages and civilizations and is located in a beautiful valley like this. Plus with authentic and delicious traditional food,” praised Winda, looking at Simon, “Come on... where else in the world can you find something like what Winda mentioned earlier?” said Winda with an expression of joy.

“But it’s too bad, Nda,” Rani said in a less enthusiastic tone.

“Huh, what’s wrong with you, Ran?” asked Jems.

“What’s wrong with you, Ran?” asked Winda, holding Rani’s shoulder.

“This kind of opportunity only happens once in our lifetime, it might not happen again in a few years,” Rani replied with the same expression as before.

“It doesn’t matter. Whenever you want to come here, just contact me, then we’ll arrange the time. It’s that easy,” Simon said, trying to calm Rani and Winda down.

“How many times have I advised you, Ran, marry a Torajan, who is the landlord here, you can travel here every day. If necessary, build your house here, right?” Jems returned with his teasing words that everyone already knew where they were going.

“If you have a lot of money, you can make a car access road from up there to here,” Tatang added, chiming in.

“Eh, after this they could be millionaires, so that’s possible,” Jems pretended to whisper to Tatang, even though his whisper could be heard by everyone there. “Come on… come on, before it gets too late!” Simon shouted, interrupting Jems and Tatang’s joke. “You know, you guys... just kidding,” Wawan stood up and walked towards Simon. “So, when are you getting married, Mon?” Wawan asked as he walked away. Simon just laughed and shook his head, while the others laughed along. “Gosh, you, Jems,” Simon said as he walked away.

“Don’t worry, Mon, we’ll try, who knows?” Jems followed Simon, for a moment he turned and smiled at Rani. Rani and Winda looked at each other, already fully understanding the direction and purpose of Jems’ intentions.

“Come on, let’s continue! We’ll finish everything today, so tomorrow we can rest and go for a walk,” Simon said, trying to divert attention from the continuing jokes.

They all focused again, dividing up tasks and trying to complete their mission as quickly as possible. Rani and Winda began to move the contents of the chest into a burlap sack. Meanwhile, Jems, Wawan, Tatang, and Simon began to wrap the statue with a tarpaulin and then wrapped rope around it and tied it tightly. After it was wrapped, the statue looked like a mummy at first glance.

“Why does it look like a mummy?” said Tatang while continuing to stare at the statue wrapped in a blue tarpaulin.

“Ah, no, Tang. It looks like a bolster, I see,” Simon refuted, smiling.

“I thought it was really heavy, but it turns out it’s not even two hundred kilograms,” Wawan said, patting his tarpaulin.

“Yeah, I thought so too. The four of us can pull it all the way to the car,” said Simon.

“We can… let’s pull it!” replied Jems, taking the rope they had prepared to pull the statue. They pulled the statue out of the puddle. With enthusiasm, they started moving, pulling the statue wrapped in tarpaulin. After almost an hour of trying, they finally managed to lift it to the top of the hill. At the top of the hill, they stopped for a moment. “Wow, we’re finally here,” said Jems while looking down at where they had pulled the statue. After resting for a while, they continued and started pulling the statue again towards the path leading to the car. An atmosphere full of laughter and jokes accompanied their hard work, even though they were starting to feel tired. “Oi!!! Don’t be so fast, my breath is already in my throat,” Wawan commented with a laugh, trying to keep everyone’s spirits up, even though it was undeniable that they were already quite tired.

“If we all run out of breath, it will be hard to be a civil servant,” Tatang chimed in.

Finally, after a fairly tiring struggle, they managed to bring the statue near the car. In the car, Rani and Winda had already arrived, they were moving things from the sack and putting them into the car.

“Are there still a lot, Ran?” Tatang asked Rani.

“No, Bro, there are only a few more things, but they have all been put in the sack,” Rani replied, turning to Tatang. “Oh yeah, ask for the heirloom sword, Bro, later Tatang and someone else will carry it up here, okay,” Rani continued.

“Okay, after this we’ll continue helping,” Tatang said smilingly, offering his help. “Okay, ready, Mas, we’ll go down again,” Rani said after putting everything in the car.

Simon and Wawan were in front of the car, Simon sitting on the front hood, while Wawan stood leaning against the front of the hood.

“Continue, no!?” Wawan shouted from the front.

“I’ll take a breath first!” Jems replied while wiping his sweat using his sleeve.

“Don’t pull too long, Jems, or it’ll be hard to turn around!” Wawan joked. While they were resting, from a distance they saw several people approaching them.

“Hey, there’s someone… there’s someone, quickly put it in the car!” Simon said. He immediately jumped off the hood of the car followed by Wawan who also ran, rushing to the back of the car and lifting the statue, all his friends reflexively rushed to put the statue in the car.

Luckily, they had already put the entire body of the statue in the car when the person was close.

“Hey, Simon hasn’t returned to Jakarta yet, huh?” greeted one of them, who was about the same age as Simon's father, whose name was Ruben. "Eh, Uncle Ruben, yes, not yet, Uncle. These are my friends who still want to go sightseeing here," Simon answered casually. One of them looked into the car window that was still open, "Eh, what are you guys carrying, it's so long?" looking into the car.

"Oh, that, Uncle, pine wood. We want to take it upstairs," Simon answered calmly.

"Okay, we'll go first, we want to go upstairs first," Uncle Ruben continued his steps, followed by the others. Jems and the others just sat there leaning against the car, watching the people until they were out of sight...

"Huff, that was close," Tatang said, breathing a sigh of relief.

"Don't worry, Tang, there's no way they're going to tell me to open the tarpaulin," Simon restored the atmosphere, feeling undisturbed by the presence of the people who had just passed by.

"So, where are Winda and Rani?" when Wawan looked around, Rani and Winda were nowhere to be seen.

“They had already gone down again when we just arrived,” Tatang replied.

“Oh yeah, that heirloom sword is with us, right, Wan, lift it from below,” Tatang approached Wawan.

“Ready, Tang, let’s hurry down,” replied Wawan, who still looked very excited.

“Rani said earlier, there’s only a little bit left in the chest, we only have to go back once,” Tatang said, informing him.

“If the contents of the chest are gone, what about the chest? What are we going to do with it?” asked Jems.

“That’s easy, we just dismantle it. We pull each of the four sides of the chest or we hit it with a hoe to open it. The chest uses a slop system, without nails,” explained Wawan, as if he already knew.

They all went back down, continuing the rest of their work. It didn’t take long for Wawan and Simon to successfully dismantle the chest into several parts. After that, they stacked it together, then they wrapped it with a tarpaulin, then tied it.

"Are you sure the tarpaulin won't tear?" Jems asked Simon.

"Don't worry, Jems, how many layers of tarpaulin did we double-double," Simon tried to dispel Jems' worries.

"Yes, this is strong, there are so many ropes like this," Tatang added.

"So who's carrying it up? Wawan and I want to lift this heirloom sword up," Tatang continued, pointing to the heirloom sword that was still lying on the grass complete with its box that had been tied neatly.

"I can do it this time, Tang, I'll carry it myself," said Wawan as he squatted down to try to lift the sword and raise it onto his shoulder. "Eh, yes, I can, Tang. It's quite heavy, but it's okay, I'll carry it, you just pull the board," said Wawan again.

They immediately divided the tasks according to the agreed plan. Simon, Jems, Rani, and Winda went back into the cave to close the cave door inside and tidy up the altar table. Wawan carried the heirloom sword, while Tatang moved the pile of crates.

Simon, Jems, Rani, and Wawan were ready to go back into the cave. They all turned on their flashlights, Jems brought two flashlights, one on her head and the other she held, and so did Simon.

"Later I'll pull out the two swords, then after that, Rani and Winda will lift the vessel, okay?" Rani and Winda just nodded. "Then you, Jems, pull out the spear shaft, okay?" Simon continued his words while turning to Jems, Jems just nodded.

The four of them stepped into the cave, all pointing their flashlights forward. Although they tried to stay relaxed, but as they got closer to the altar table, for some reason tension enveloped them again. Slowly they approached the altar table, after they were at the altar table, they looked at each other as if signaling to immediately do their respective tasks. Before pulling out the two swords, Simon took the spearhead that was still wrapped on the altar table, he put it in his jacket pocket. After that, he took to the two sword sheaths lying on the cave floor, while Jems went straight to the back of the altar table.

"Okay, I'll pull out this sword, okay," said Simon, immediately pulling out the first sword and immediately putting it back into its sheath. After that, he rushed to the inside of the table, then pulled out the second sword and immediately put it back into its sheath.

After the two swords were pulled out from the altar table, the vessel suddenly moved up to the surface of the altar table. They just stood there watching the movement of the vessel, and after the vessel stopped moving, Rani and Winda immediately lifted the vessel down from the altar table. After the vessel was lowered from the altar table, the spear shaft on the cave floor slowly appeared until it reached a size of approximately ten centimeters.

"How about it, Jems, can you pull out the spear shaft?" asked Simon with a tense facial expression.

"Yes, wait, Mon, I just pull this, and the shaft will rise," answered Jems looking tense. "Yes, okay, just pull it out," answered Simon again. “Then what, after I pull it out, do we run straight out of the cave or what?!” asked Jems feeling anxious.

“Winda and Rani go out first, Jems and I will follow later,” said Simon in a flat tone. Turning to Rani and Winda.

“Yes, Winda, Rani you should come out now!” continued Jems again to confirm. Winda and Rani with anxious faces, without saying anything slowly took a few steps back, looked at Jems and Simon, then turned around and walked hurriedly towards the mouth of the cave. Rani who was hugging the vessel walked in front of Winda, while Winda followed behind Rani.

“How about it, Mon? I’ll pull this out straight away,” said Jems, her face covered in cold sweat, a hint of fear could be heard in her voice. “Okay, after you pull it out, you come out straight away, okay, I’ll follow behind you,” answered Simon. “Okay!!” answered Jems while raising her hand. She took a deep breath, feeling tense in her chest. After that, without hesitation, she immediately pulled the stick from the dark cave floor. After that, he quickly ran towards the mouth of the cave, hoping to get out as soon as possible. Simon was still standing where he was waiting for Jems' reaction, finally he also ran behind Jems after starting to hear a rumbling sound from the floor and ceiling of the cave, followed by a light vibration on the cave floor. While hugging the two swords, he ran as fast as he could. Simon stopped for a moment to look towards the door, and pointed his flashlight, faintly visible a large square rock appeared from the left side of the cave door. Seeing that, Simon smiled in relief, and immediately rushed out of the cave. Outside the cave, Winda and Rani smiled broadly seeing Jems followed by Simon coming out of the cave, Simon came out while raising the two swords into the air, a satisfied smile adorned Simon's face. Simon and Jems approached Winda. "The door is closed, right, Bro?" Rani asked Simon. "Yes, before I came out I had time to go back, there was a large rock appearing from the side of the door," Simon answered while catching his breath. "Then what?" continued Winda. "We just have to close the main door," Simon answered lightly. “Eh, how do we do it?” asked Jems worriedly.

“It’s easy, just pull out the rock over there and the one over there,” answered Simon while pointing to the left and right sides of the cave mouth.

“So?” asked Jems still confused. “Yes, then we run back up,” answered Simon with a smile, seeing Jems’ tired face.

“wooow... there’s still another running event,” answered Jems, looking desperate and tired. Winda and Rani just smiled hearing the conversation between the two people. “What about me and Winda, Bro?” asked Rani pretending not to understand the situation. “As usual, you guys go up first,” answered Jems.

So we’ll start now, Jems, you go to the left, I’ll go to the right. “Well, what else can we do,” answered Jems, walking to the left side of the cave mouth. “Jems, listen to my command, okay, on the count of three then we’ll pull out the rock together, okay?” said Simon to Jems, who was walking with her back to him. Winda and Rani immediately rushed up the hill.

“Okay, ready, chief,” Jems raised his thumb without looking back.

Simon and Jems headed to their respective positions, while Winda and Rani moved further away up the hill.

“Okay. Ready, in position!!!” shouted Jems.

“I’ll count, Jems!!” shouted Simon.

“Okay, Mon...” Jems’ voice was loud.

“One... two... three!!!!” shouted Simon as loudly as he could, on the count of three. Simon and Jems immediately pulled out the stone box with all their might. After that, they ran up following Winda and Rani who were already standing on the hill. Before Simon and Jems had even taken a few steps, a rumbling sound could be heard from inside the cave, louder than before. The rumbling sound grew louder, followed by a very extraordinary vibration the usual that was felt until it came out. Simon and Jems continued to run closer to their friends. Above, Wawan and Tatang were seen approaching Rani and Winda.

Finally, with the remaining energy, Simon and Jems were already on the hill with their friends. From their current position, the six of them watched with bated breath, as the cave door was slowly closed by a large rectangular rock. The shaking caused by the movement of the rock felt stronger. The ground around the cave shook violently, and in an instant, a landslide covered the cave door until it disappeared from view. In the painful silence, they were all stunned, as if time had stopped.

Only sadness could be read from their facial expressions. Rani and Winda could not hold back their tears, deep sadness enveloped each of their hearts. They had just found a very historic place with all its mysteries and uniqueness, but everything had to end so quickly, not many memories were recorded in that historic place.

"Are there still any of your belongings left below?" Simon asked everyone softly. Everyone just shook their heads.

“It’s almost dark, you guys go to the car first,” Jems said softly.

Winda and Rani tried to smile and nod slowly, then left the place. When they had only taken a few steps, Rani had time to look back. Seeing the cave that was wide open earlier, and held thousands of questions and adventures that might not happen again, was now buried under the ground.

Jems, Simon, Tatang, and Wawan walked towards the car without any jokes as was their usual characteristic.

They all kept walking, when they reached the car. They tidied up all the artifacts they had found in the back trunk.

“Come on everyone get in, Winda and Rani, you two fit in the front,” Simon said.

“Mon, I’ll drive, okay, you three arrange your positions in the back, don’t fight with the statue, okay?” said Jems trying to find the atmosphere.

“Okay, Jems… the key is still inside,” Simon replied pointing to the car.

“I think it’d be nice if we just walked, moments like this are very rare,” said Wawan, refusing Jems’ invitation.

“What do you mean rare?” Jems pretended to be confused.

“When else will I walk around in nature as beautiful as this, with two beautiful girls, and escorted by two bodyguards,” Wawan answered while glancing at Simon and Tatang. Winda and Rani just smiled hearing them starting to get back into their groove.

“Okay, I’ll go, if I take too long that statue inside will get sore,” Jems went to the front of the car while looking inside the car. Everyone smiled hearing Jems’ grumbling. When the car was started, everyone moved away from the car and not long after the car slowly drove away followed by the sound of the horn.

“Eh, Ran... Is your father a coral stone businessman? Or a mountain stone businessman?” Tatang asked Rani with a serious face. “No, both. Why, really?” Rani replied.

“Eh, before I continue, I want to tell you first, I think you should call him Tatang, I’m Sundanese,” Tatang said with a smile.

“Eh, yes. Sorry, Tatang,” Rani said.

“Well, that’s it,” Tatang replied with a wide smile.

“Eh, what did Tatang mean by asking that?” Rani asked a little curiously.

“Oh yeah, your father is in the iron business, right?” Tatang asked again with his previous expression.

“Eww, why did Tatang ask that, my father is not a businessman, my father is a priest by profession,” Rani asserted.

“Ooh, I thought your father was an iron or coral businessman.”

“Why?” Rani’s voice rose, but she wasn’t angry.

“Because earlier when I hoeed, broke our swords and lifted sacks up and down the hill, your strength was really strong, euy... in a little while you’ll be as strong as a coolie,” Tatang said, pretending to be amazed.

“Yeah, your strength is really strong, you know, Ran,” Winda added.

“Really, it’s just a normal feeling, because I was also straddling you, Nda,” Rani answered with a straight face.

“By the way, Mon... Rani is a pastor’s daughter. So you already know how to approach her parents, right?” Wawan approached Simon.

“Edeh, stop talking about that, Rani will resign from our gang because you guys keep bothering her,” Simon’s voice was a little annoyed. Simon looked confused by the question.

“I don’t think Rani is bothered, Bro, by jokes like that, right, Ran?” Winda nudged Rani’s arm. Rani spontaneously nodded.

“Rani and Winda, how many more days of leave are you guys going to have?” asked Tatang.

“About five more days,” answered Winda.

“Why, Kang?” asked Rani, curious about Tatang’s intentions.

“We want to go around all the tourist attractions in Toraja after this business is finished,” answered Tatang.

“How about it, Nda?” Rani looked at Winda.

“Well, I’ll leave it up to you, I’ve never traveled around Toraja either,” answered Winda with a smile.

Along the way to the house, Simon, Wawan, and Tatang deliberately quickened their pace. After they were a little far from Simon, Winda, and Rani, Tatang pretended to call Rani, as if there was something important he wanted to say.

“Winda, could you hurry up yesterday!? There’s something I want to ask you!” shouted Wawan to Winda.

“What’s wrong!? Wan!?” answered Winda in a slightly raised voice.

“Come here first, I’m not going to scream,” answered Wawan again.

Winda walked quickly toward Wawan and Tatang.

“What, Wan?” asked Winda curiously.

“Okay, let’s just walk, I’ll tell you later,” answered Wawan in a whisper.

Winda, Tatang, and Wawan quickened their pace, leaving Simon and Rani behind. Without taking long, Winda immediately knew what Wawan and Tatang meant.

“I know what you two are planning,” said Winda suspiciously, as if she already understood what Tatang and Wawan were planning.

“That’s good if you already know, let’s hurry up and walk,” Tatang said without further ado.

“Okay...” Winda said briefly, shrugging her shoulders.

“Mon!!! Don’t stay out too late, okay, go home!!” Wawan shouted at Simon and Rani in a mischievous tone.

Tatang added, “Other people’s children will catch a cold!!” he shouted with laughter.

Simon was confused, not knowing what Wawan and Tatang meant.

“Why is that person?” Simon asked Rani.

“As if they don’t know, Bro, it’s just their trick,” Rani answered, trying to act casual.

“Ooh, so you mean so we can walk together?” Simon said, seeming to have just realized.

Rani just smiled without responding, in her heart Rani just said, “Is he this innocent, Bro Simon? How come he doesn’t realize something like this?” Over time Simon looked awkward, he tried to continue the conversation, but his mind was full of considerations, afraid of making a mistake and the timing was not right.

Because Simon was mostly silent, so during the trip Rani dominated the conversation even though none of the conversation led to specific things, everything was just about general things. Far ahead, Wawan and Tatang didn’t expect too much of anything significant, they knew Simon’s character, especially when it came to women and feelings.

“I’m not sure, Tang, if Simon dares to ask out Rani,” Wawan said pessimistically.

“Hehe, you act like you don’t know Simon, just daring to chat with Rani alone is already a blessing, Wan,” Tatang said with a laugh.

“You guys are really serious about matching Bro Simon with Rani,” said Winda a little hesitantly.

“Huh, what’s wrong, Win?” asked Wawan seriously. “Does Rani already have a boyfriend?” she asked again.

“I don’t know for sure about that, but as far as I know there are several guys who are close to Rani,” answered Winda.

“Wow... it’s a mess, Tang, if it’s like this, don’t let it happen again in the third episode,” said Wawan a little panicked.

“Don’t let it happen, Wan... poor Simon’s heart is broken to the point of a hat-trick,” answered Tatang worriedly.

“What’s wrong with Bro Simon?” asked Winda curiously.

“Hmm... how’s the story, Win. Jems knows exactly,” Wawan sighed.

“The point is, Simon has been given false hope twice by women. The first time, she claimed to be single, then in the end, she got back together with her husband. Then the second time, there was another woman who broke up with her boyfriend, and in the end, Simon was left, she got back together with her boyfriend and got married,” said Tatang telling the story with a sad face.

“That’s weird, isn’t it, Bro Simon,” said Winda with concern.

“That’s why, Win, don’t let it happen three times. Suddenly after this, it turns out Rani already has a husband or a future husband, that would be a mess, my friend,” said Wawan with concern.

 

Chapter 12: Love hanging in the clouds

“But as far as I know, Rani doesn’t have a husband,” Winda answered firmly.

“And what about a boyfriend or fiancé?” asked Tatang enthusiastically.

“I told you earlier, there are several people who approach me,” Winda answered to make sure.

“Approaching beautiful people, there are risks. "There must be a lot of competitors," Wawan said flatly.

"Life is a competition, bro!" Tatang exclaimed, patting Wawan's shoulder.

Winda just smiled and didn't want to respond too much, because she realized that she was still new to their group.

"Wooi, you guys took so long!" Jems shouted from a distance.

"Oh, Jems is back again," Tatang said. They quickened their steps to approach Jems who had deliberately just stood there not approaching. Behind, Rani and Simon were still walking leisurely.

There was no enthusiastic conversation between them, in fact the two of them were more often seen just walking without talking.

The afternoon sky at the top of the mountain had turned gray, fog began to descend from the slopes of the mountains and hills. The sound of trickling water and the rustling of the wind created a calm and peaceful atmosphere this afternoon. Rani and Simon continued their steps, enjoying the beauty of nature that surrounded them.

The drizzle that began to fall wet the leaves, giving a fresh nuance and creating a calming natural melody.

"Wow, look at the fog! It's so beautiful, bro," Rani said while pointing towards the top of the mountain that was starting to be covered in fog. "Just like in the movies."

Simon nodded in agreement, "Yes... here almost all year round, when the afternoon turns to night, the atmosphere is like this. But it's not going to rain, tonight around seven o'clock, the drizzle will stop and the fog will be gone," Simon explained.

They stopped for a moment to enjoy the view. Rani felt an extraordinary sense of calm, and she knew that this moment would be one of the unforgettable memories.

"So, when Simon was little, every afternoon he enjoyed an atmosphere like this?" Rani asked enthusiastically.

"Yes. Sometimes when I came home from the rice fields or gardens with my grandfather, it was already afternoon like this, then we had to go put the buffalo in the pen," Simon answered with a smile in reminiscence.

"Was it this way too?" Rani asked again.

"Yes, this way, and this way down there, from when I was little until now it hasn't changed," Simon seemed to be returning to a memory of decades ago.

While they were talking, Winda, Tatang, and Wawan who were in front of them, looked back. They saw Simon and Rani still walking leisurely, as if they didn't realize that it was starting to drizzle.

"Mon... hurry up, it's already raining, hey!" Wawan shouted from afar.

"Hey, Ran... are you bothered by this drizzle? If you are, I'll give you an umbrella," Simon asked, looking at the taro leaves not far from them.

"No, bro, it's just a drizzle like this," Rani answered, seemingly being polite.

"Hey, wait," Simon ran over to the taro leaves and took two.

"This is it, bro, the umbrella?" Rani asked while grabbing the taro leaves from Simon's hand.

"Yooi... this is our impromptu umbrella. If you don't have time to bring a real umbrella, you can hold the stem of the Civil Servant's taro leaf, like a real umbrella," Simon smiled while showing how to use it.

"Wow... so old-fashioned, bro. I thought they were fairy tales or old-time stories, using a taro leaf umbrella," Rani exclaimed, very enthusiastic about experiencing something new.

"Yeah... I think everyone in the villages, their makeshift umbrellas are like this with banana leaves," said Simon while walking slowly, along the path that was starting to get damp from the drizzle.

"Well... the event even used their taro leaf umbrellas!" said Wawan pointing at Simon and Rani. "Two thousand twenty-four there is still a view like this, I'll take a picture, it will be the most exciting photo in this office," said Winda while taking out a camera from inside her Civil Servant's bag. Realizing that they were being targeted by Winda, Rani instead held Simon's arm, and that immediately made Simon even more awkward and a little nervous.

"Bro, Winda is taking a picture of us, let's pose," Rani pointed at Winda.

"Yeah... yeah... okay!" Simon answered a little stiffly.

"Diihh... diiih look, Tang, your brother is really stiff, he looks like a grilled eel," Wawan shouted to Tatang while pointing at Simon and Rani. Suddenly Jems came closer to Winda.

"Eeh, what's wrong with your friend? He seems to be possessed by the spirit of an ancestor, one is flirtatious, the other is like a dry chamois, stiff," said Jems, looking straight at Rani and Simon.

"They say that, bro. People who are in love are similar to people who are possessed by the spirits of their ancestors?" Winda tried to make a joke.

"How come I just found out, ehm over there, who's in love with whom?" Simon asked Winda.

"I think both of them, bro," Winda answered.

"Are you sure, Win, both of them?" Jems tried to make sure.

"That's what Winda saw, bro," Winda answered again.

"Hopefully your vision is not wrong, Win. Let's just go home, it's almost night," Jems turned around to go home.

"Jems, where are you?" Wawan greeted when he saw Jems walking back to Simon's house.

"Go back to Simon's house, come on, let's go back, just leave them alone, that person's a disaster," Simon invited.

"Oii... wait for me," Winda called out from behind. Jems, Tatang, and Wawan stood for a moment waiting for Winda to come over. After that, the four of them walked together to Simon's house.

After dinner, they gathered again on Simon's terrace. The night was cold, but the sky was bright and filled with stars, without any clouds.

"Wait a minute, I'll call Amrul first. I want to ask where the members are," said Wawan, taking out his cellphone.

"Yes, just clarify it with Amrul. We need to know their position to determine the next step," said Jems, who was standing leaning against the wooden pillar of the terrace. Meanwhile, the others were busy with their respective cellphones. Rani seemed focused on her laptop, and Winda was applying night lotion to her feet and hands.

"Amrul," Wawan began, his voice full of anxiety, "where are your members?"

"They arrived in Toraja tonight," Amrul answered from the other end of the phone, his voice flat.

"So, tomorrow's transaction will still be at Simon's house?" Wawan confirmed, doubt implied in his tone.

"Of course," Amrul replied, "I just gave your and Simon's cellphone numbers to the collector who will meet you tomorrow."

"What about the payment mechanism, Rul?" Simon interrupted, an irrepressible curiosity in his voice.

"It's obvious that you rarely do big business," Amrul quipped, a little mockingly.

"Never," Wawan admitted, a little annoyed, "that's why we want to know."

"It's like this, Wan," Amrul began his explanation, "tomorrow, after the statue is examined and its authenticity is agreed upon, Simon and a representative from our members will go to the bank for a manual transfer to Simon's account."

"Oh, I see," Wawan nodded, trying to understand.

"That's it," Amrul replied, reluctant to provide further explanation.

"Okay, Rul," Wawan gave in, "let you and Simon take care of that problem."

"Okay, okay. I'll call Simon after this," Amrul said.

"Okay, Rul," Wawan ended the call, breathing a sigh of relief.

Two days later, after the transaction with Amrul's collector friend was completed and the division of the proceeds was agreed upon, Simon and his friends brought the artifacts they had secured in sacks to the stilt house where Wawan had found the ancient wooden chest. They agreed to store all the artifacts and heirloom swords there, in the safe they had bought.

"Mon, are you sure it's safe for us to leave it here?" Wawan asked, doubt again clouding his voice.

"Wan," Simon patted the wall of the safe, "even if my house burns down, this safe won't burn down. You can see for yourself how strong this safe is," Simon said again to convince Wawan.

"You're still doubting, Wan," Jems pointed to the safe next to him, "this safe is so thick and heavy, that this morning, almost the entire village helped lift this safe here."

"It's not like that, Jems," Wawan explained, "I'm worried that someone will dismantle this safe after we leave."

"Even with a ton of dynamite, this safe wouldn't be damaged," Jems sneered, slightly mocking.

"So, after this we go back to Jakarta with our own activities?" asked Winda, her voice sounding tired, as if losing her enthusiasm.

"Why, Win?" Tatang asked, his curiosity piqued.

"It's okay, Kang," answered Winda, in the same tone, hiding her disappointment.

"Oh, yeah, we got a voucher for a week's stay at Bali from the collector who bought the statue. Want to go to Bali?" Simon's voice suddenly became excited, breaking the silence.

"I want to, Bro," Rani answered, "but it would be a shame if we don't go around Toraja first."

"Well, that's what I mean," Winda replied enthusiastically, "it would be a shame if we just missed the beauty of Toraja."

"We already planned it before, right?" Simon confirmed, enthusiastically.

"Oh, so that's what made your face look like a dry chamois earlier, Win," Jems teased, a mischievous smile adorning his face.

"I can't be bothered to answer," Winda snorted, "so, when do we start walking?"

"Yeah, when, Bro?" Rani asked along, looking at Simon hopefully.

"Then, this afternoon," Simon answered, without hesitation.

"How about it, Mon?" Wawan voiced his disagreement, "how could we go to a tourist attraction this late in the afternoon, especially since it's starting to drizzle."

"So, listen first," Simon reassured, "I haven't finished talking yet."

"Yeah, listen to him first," Jems chimed in, supporting Simon.

"Alright, ladies and gentlemen," Simon began, his smile contagious, making his friends smile too.

"Tonight, we'll go to Lolai first, stay there, so tomorrow morning we can see the sea of ​​clouds."

"If we just want to see the clouds, next to your house we can too, Mon," Wawan interrupted, pointing to the side of Simon's house.

"You can see the clouds there," Simon admitted, "but in Lolai, it's a tourist attraction. Everything is neatly arranged and there are civil servant facilities."

"And after that, Bro?" Rani asked, impatiently.

"Well after that, around seven or half past eight in the morning, we went to Kete Kesu, then to Londa, and finally to Buntu Burake, the largest statue of Jesus Christ in the world," Simon explained, enthusiastically explaining.

"Are all the roads in the same direction, Mon?" Tatang asked, making sure.

"Yes, all in the same direction. In fact, there are still several other tourist attractions that we can visit, as long as it doesn't rain or before nightfall," Simon answered enthusiastically.

Hearing Simon's explanation, his friends imagined a fun trip. So far, they had only seen Toraja tourist attractions on YouTube and Instagram.

"Bro, to be honest," Winda admitted, her smile widening, "all the tourist attractions that you mentioned are familiar to Winda's ears, but I've only seen them on Instagram and YouTube."

"Yes, Bro, me too," Rani added, agreeing with Winda's statement.

"So we're the same," Wawan chuckled, "all the tourist attractions that Simon mentioned, I only know from social media."

"Ah, you're just following suit, Wan," Jems sneered.

"Have you ever been there?" Wawan replied irritably.

"Never," Jems replied, admitting.

"Let's get ready first. We'll probably go around for two days, then to Makassar, and finally to Bali. How about it?" Simon asked, his enthusiasm not diminishing.

"Mon, why do we start from Lolai, which is famous for its view above the clouds?" asked Tatang, curious.

"Because I think Lolai can be said to be the center of tourist attractions in North Toraja," answered Simon.

"What do you mean, Mon?" Tatang asked, increasingly interested.

"From Lolai, we can go straight towards Pangala', then to Lo'ko Mata, and through to the Kalimbuang tourist attraction. Well, in Kalimbuang there are many menhir stones that are hundreds of years old," said Simon confidently.

"Oh, yes, Mon, is there a connection? The menhirs you mentioned with our discovery?" asked Tatang suddenly, making the atmosphere more serious.

"About that, we can't be sure yet, Tang. It needs in-depth research," answered Simon.

"That's right, Mon. Connecting history requires long research and lots of literature," added Winda, who had been listening.

"Then if we go down, towards Rantepao city, it's in the same direction as tourist attractions such as Kete Kesu, Londa, and the statue of Jesus Christ Buntu Burake. But, we can also go to Batu Tumonga first," Simon explained at length.

"Eh, Mon, I've seen on TikTok, Batu Tumonga is famous for its beautiful scenery, right?" asked Wawan, starting to get interested.

"That's right! From there, we can see the valleys and mountains that surround Toraja. Anyway, it's really cool!" answered Simon, enthusiastically.

While the others just listened, confused because none of them had ever visited the tourist attractions Simon mentioned.

"Okay, Mon, I'll just go along," replied Wawan, resigned.

"Eh, Wan, what do you think your mother would say if you came home from Toraja with billions of rupiah?" asked Jems idly.

"At most I'll be told to go to Simon's village every month," answered Wawan lightly.

"So when I come home, I'll bring billions more?" asked Tatang.

"Yes, that's it, Tang," replied Wawan, joking.

"Really! That's once in a lifetime, Wan, not often," said Jems, followed by laughter from everyone there.

"Come on, let's get ready! We're leaving soon," said Simon, excitedly. Everyone in the room immediately turned to look at him. Simon then went out to the terrace, followed by the others.

"Mon, where are you going?" said Jems, seeing Simon hurrying down the stairs.

"I want to go downstairs first, Jems. There's something forgot," Simon answered, hurriedly, without turning around.

"Where are you going, Bro Simon?" Rani asked, coming from behind.

"I don't know. They said someone forgot," Jems answered, still looking at Simon who seemed busy.

"Hey, Rani, can we talk for a moment?" he said when Rani was about to go down the stairs.

"Yeah, why, Bro Jems?" Rani turned and turned towards Jems.

"Come on, hurry up!" invited Tatang, who was passing behind Jems, followed by Winda.

"Come on, Jems, come down," Wawan invited then. Jems only gestured to Wawan, and Wawan seemed to understand.

"Ran, how should I say it? But I have to talk about this," said Jems, his gaze serious straight ahead. Both his hands gripped the terrace railing at waist height. Rani could guess where Jems was going.

"Yes, Bro Jems, is there anything I can help you with?" Rani answered, a little anxious.

However, before Rani continued, Jems immediately asked, "You must have known, right, Ran, that Simon likes you?" His sentence was sharp and straight to the point. Rani was silent for a moment. Her mind seemed to freeze, not knowing what to answer.

"Regarding romance, I really feel sorry for Simon. I don't want to see him disappointed again. I've seen him frustrated because he was betrayed many times, and it feels... how does it feel, Ran? As a friend, I'm devastated to see him being completely deceived," said Jems, remembering what happened to Simon.

"Rani doesn't know what to answer, Bro. It's just that, right now Rani is still confused about Rani's feelings for Bro Simon," said Rani, trying to explain without giving a definite answer. "I'm not forcing you to like Simon and accept him, that's not what I mean, Ran," Jems explained slowly.

"Then, what do you mean, Bro Jems, what should Rani do?" Rani asked, trying to understand the situation.

"I just ask, if you really like Simon, give him a proper response. But if not, please don't give him any response or hope at all. If necessary, after this, stay away from him," Jems said seriously, emphasizing the importance of Rani's decision.

Hearing Jems' words, Rani's heart trembled. She felt something was unfair.

"Bro Jems, Rani is sincerely friends with all of you, with Bro Jems, Bro Wawan, Tatang, and Bro Simon. If Bro Simon likes Rani, it's not Rani's fault," she answered firmly.

"I'm not blaming you, you know, Ran. There's nothing wrong," Jems argued, trying to ease the tension.

"Then, what's Rani's fault if Bro Simon likes Rani? Not that fast, Bro. Rani needs time to understand her feelings for Simon," Rani explained, a little emotional.

Jems took a deep breath, then answered slowly, "Simon has been betrayed by women several times, and I always accompany him when he's down. Finally, he was almost like a crazy person, and thank God he was able to recover, even though it took a long time. I don't want him to be heartbroken again. I think he'll really go crazy if that happens again. I hope you understand."

Jems glanced at Rani for a moment before continuing, "Oh yeah, Ran, sorry if you're offended, but this is just a friend's concern, nothing more."

Jems then left, leaving Rani alone on the terrace, still confused. On the one hand, Jems' words as a friend were very reasonable. However, on the other hand, Rani felt cornered by Jems' words that seemed intimidating.

Rani took a breath, contemplating everything Jems had just said. She knew Simon was a good person, and she didn't want to hurt him. However, Rani also felt that her feelings could not be forced. She needed time to understand her feelings for Simon.

"Should I stay away from them?" Rani thought. "But I also don't want to lose this friendship. They are all good to me."

Rani felt trapped in a dilemma. On the one hand, she wanted to respect Simon's feelings, but on the other hand, she didn't want to lie or give false hope. After pondering for a moment, Rani decided not to rush. She would talk to Simon directly and honestly about her feelings.

When Jems went down the stairs, she found Winda, Tatang, and Wawan waiting for her under the house. Jems approached them, and they just smiled without saying anything. The atmosphere felt a little awkward, even though Jems tried to act normal. However, the awkwardness she tried to hide was still visible.

Not long after, Rani went down the stairs and immediately approached Winda, who immediately stretched out her hand. Rani reached out and held Winda's hand, as if seeking peace. Finally, the five of them went downstairs without discussing Jems and Rani's previous conversation.

Jems felt relieved to be back in a more relaxed atmosphere, although a little worried about Rani's feelings for Simon.

When they arrived at the lower house, Simon seemed busy putting things into the car.

"Are you really busy, Mon? You're like the head of the committee for a celebration," Wawan said while laughing, teasing from behind.

Simon just smiled, pretending to be surprised. "Gosh, I thought this band was from somewhere," the civil servant joked.

Wawan, who was known to be a know-it-all, immediately chimed in, "I know the band you mean, but they've disbanded."

"So, what time are we leaving?" asked Tatang, impatient to get around Toraja.

"It's up to you. If you're ready now, we'll leave now," answered Simon, approaching Tatang.

Jems, who was curious, interrupted, "So, how? Can we leave now?" while looking at his friends one by one.

"Yes, we can," Winda nodded firmly, followed by Rani who smiled, "I'm ready too, Bro."

Jems turned to Tatang and Wawan, lifting his chin.

"Gas, don't let up, Jems!" Tatang answered in unison with Wawan.

"Get in the car, bring all the stuff," Simon shouted, excitedly. However, Wawan couldn't hold back his joke. "Huh, why did you bring everything? Are you chasing us away, Mon?" he said, joking.

Simon answered wisely, "We'll stay overnight later, rather than leaving anyone behind."

A few moments later, they were all in the car. Wawan and Jems sat in the back seat, Winda and Rani in the middle seat, and Tatang in the front with Simon.

"Rani, Winda wants to sit in the front?" asked Tatang, looking back.

"It looks fun in the front, you can see the view," said Winda, glancing at Rani.

"Tomorrow, Kang. Rani sits in the front. It's already night, the view is already asleep," said Rani, trying to crack a joke.

Winda and the others smiled broadly.

"Rani is starting to be funny, huh," said Tatang, trying to lighten the mood.

Rani just smiled without responding.

The car that Simon was driving driving through the dark night, breaking through the thin fog and light rain. There was no enthusiastic conversation between them. Everyone was busy with their phones, except Simon who was focused on driving.

"Mon, where are we staying later?" asked Tatang, turning to Simon.

"In Lolai," answered Simon.

"Still far? If it's still far, I want to sleep first," asked Tatang, making sure.

"Maybe about an hour. If you want to sleep, just sleep first," said Simon, without glancing at Tatang.

"Lolai is a peak tourist attraction, right, Bro?" asked Rani from the middle seat.

"Yes, that's right. Famous for its view of the expanse of clouds in the morning," answered Simon, informing.

"Yes, Rani had time to google Lolai, a view of the expanse of clouds appeared. Very cool, Bro," praised Rani, while looking at her phone.

"Well, that's it. That's why, tonight we're staying there, so tomorrow morning we can see the expanse of clouds," answered Simon, excitedly.

"Okay, Bro," answered Rani briefly, enthusiastically.

"How's the accommodation, Mon? Is it safe?" asked Tatang, making sure the plan went smoothly.

"Don't worry, Tang. I've booked three rooms. It just so happens that a friend of mine has a homestay there," explained Simon, reassuring Tatang who looked worried.

"Simon is great, huh. His friends are everywhere. The owner of the five-star hotel in Makassar is also his friend," praised Tatang, giving a thumbs up.

"Eh, yes, that's right, Bro. The hotel in Makassar that we stayed in yesterday..."

"Is the owner a friend of Bro Simon?" asked Winda, curious.

"Yes, Win, my close friend used to be in Makassar," answered Simon with a proud smile.

"No wonder, when I saw you guys go out, why are you using a car with a hotel logo," said Winda, remembering that moment. "At that time you were so rude, Win, we didn't even let you hitch a ride," said Tatang, remembering the funny incident with a laugh.

"Of course I was rude, Kang. I've only known my brother for a few hours, I just wanted to hang out," Winda replied, laughing a little.

"Eh, did you guys really know each other before?" Rani asked, seriously, wanting to know more.

"Yes, Ran. At first they got to know Rendy, then their actions became suspicious. Yes, I was rude," Winda replied, still remembering the way Tatang, Wawan, and Jems were at that time.

Suddenly from behind Wawan interjected.

"Well, yes, we were like that with you Win at that time," Wawan said from behind.

"Eh, are you awake, Wan?" Tatang asked, his eyes a little sleepy.

"Yes, I was sleeping earlier, but I woke up hearing you guys talking," Wawan replied, rubbing his eyes, still half-conscious.

"Is Jems sleeping?" Tatang asked again, turning his attention to Jems who was fast asleep.

"Yes, she's sleeping soundly," Wawan looked beside him, seeing Jems looking comfortable. "Eh, Wan, didn't you say that you fell in love at first sight with Winda?" Simon teased, his smile wide, waiting for Wawan's reaction.

"What love at first sight? He's so rude!" Wawan immediately responded, making everyone laugh, including Winda and Rani.

"Oh, so that's the story," Rani nodded while smiling. "Bro Wawan liked Winda when we first met."

"But, there's something you all don't know," Winda said, arousing curiosity.

"What, Win?" asked Tatang, turning his body towards Winda and Rani's chairs.

"About me, Win?" Wawan snapped, no less curious.

"No, it's not about you two or Bro Simon," said Winda, making everyone even more curious.

"Then, about who?" asked Wawan, enthusiastically.

"About Bro Jems," Winda answered.

"Why Jems?" Wawan was surprised, then turned to Jems who was still fast asleep.

"Yeah, why Jems?" Simon said, confused.

"My cousin, Rendy, actually likes Jems," Winda said, leaving everyone stunned.

"So, Rendy is...?" Wawan asked, surprised.

"Yeah, seriously, Win, Rendy is...?" Tatang couldn't continue, too confused. Winda nodded with a smile. Hearing Winda's confession, everyone laughed spontaneously. Luckily, Jems was still fast asleep, not knowing they were talking about her.

The car Simon was driving had entered Rantepao city. That meant they would reach their destination in about thirty minutes.

"Hey, let's eat first before going up to Lolai," Simon's voice brought his friends back to their senses.

"Yes, Mon. I wanted to ask where to eat, but I forgot," Wawan called out, looking away from his cellphone at Simon.

Rani from the middle seat joined in, "Agreed, Bro! I'm hungry too."

"Let's just eat coto, okay, that's the usual one," Simon said.

"Yes, I agree, Mon. Eating spicy soup is delicious in this cold," Tatang exclaimed, agreeing.

"How about Winda and Wawan?" Simon asked,

"Yes, Bro, Winda agrees. The atmosphere is very conducive to eating coto," Winda replied.

"Isn't there any local Torajan food, Mon?" Wawan asked from behind.

Hearing that, Simon and the others just smiled while shaking their heads. "Emm... How about it Wan, I want to explain it to you?," Simon replied, looking for the right words.

"Eh, there is, Wan, the local one, but it doesn't have a halal stamp," Tatang said, joking, although his tone sounded serious.

"Okay, just the one with the halal stamp," Wawan replied, resigned.

"Deal! Coto, all of it?" Simon asked, making sure.

"Yes, deal!" they answered almost simultaneously.

Suddenly, "Hey, what's this, klean? Playing around with deals, not inviting me, klean!" Jems exclaimed, suddenly waking up, her eyes still slightly narrowed.

"Huh, are you awake, Jems?" Wawan asked, turning her head, surprised to hear a voice next to him. "Yes... I'm hungry, that's why I woke up," Jems replied, rubbing her still sleepy face.

"We're going to eat coto, do you want to join?" Simon asked from the front, his voice sounding excited.

"Coto again? We already had it in Makassar at that time!" Jems protested, slightly annoyed.

"Then, what do you want, Jems?" Wawan asked, glancing at Jems curiously.

"What's that?... McD, KFC, or saksang," Jems replied, mentioning the food she wanted.

"Halah... none of them, Jems, that's what you mentioned! You'd better just follow the majority vote," Wawan said, shaking his head.

Jems could only surrender, knowing that their choice was clear. Coto again! But never mind, his stomach was begging to be filled.

"It's up to you," said Jems, then closed his eyes again.

"Oh yeah, Mon, where are we?" asked Wawan, looking out the window.

"We're in Rantepao city," answered Simon, focusing on driving.

"Eh, Mon, aren't your mother and father in Rantepao?" asked Tatang, curious.

"Yeah, that's the way to the house," answered Simon, pointing towards the road.

"How about we go to your parents' house, Mon?" suggested Wawan, excitedly.

"Yeah, Bro... Winda and Rani want to meet Bro Simon's parents, right, Ran?" said Winda, smiling as she nudged Rani's arm.

"Yeah, that's right, Bro," replied Rani spontaneously.

"That's right, Mon, stop by your mother's house first," Tatang confirmed.

"We'll have dinner at the same time, Mon," Wawan added, hoping that would come true.

"Okay, then, let's go home first," Simon agreed.

"That's it, Mon!" Wawan replied, excitedly.

Simon pulled the car over and took out his phone from the small bag on his waist. "Hello, Mak, are we at home?" Simon greeted.

"Yes, Mama is at home alone, your father hasn't come home from Pasar Bolu yet," Simon's mother replied.

"Yes, Ma, this is Simon and his friends, they want to stop by, and have dinner, Wawan and Tatang said," Simon said, glancing at Tatang who was smiling.

"Yes, it's okay, you guys come here," Simon's mother replied.

"Simon wants to introduce his future daughter-in-law, Auntie," Tatang said from the side. Simon immediately shook his head, his face panicked.

"Who is that?" Simon's mother asked, curious.

"Tatang, Ma. Yes, we're close, just turn down the road ahead," Simon replied, trying to relax.

"Yes, son, be careful," Simon's mother replied before hanging up the phone.

"So, how is it, Mon?" asked Tatang, teasing  .

"What's wrong, Tang?" Simon diverted his attention.

"Your mother is curious about her future son-in-law," said Tatang, smiling.

Simon just shook his head with a thin smile. "Don't talk about things that aren't certain, Tang," Simon said flatly.

"Oh yeah, Bro, didn't we bring anything for Bro Simon's mother?" Rani said suddenly, enthusiastically.

"Yes, Bro, let's stop by the minimarket or fruit shop first, okay?" Winda asked, hoping for a solution.

"The house is close, just turn down the road in front," Simon replied, pointing towards the turn. "Besides, there aren't any fruit sellers open at this hour," Simon continued, convincingly.

"Hmmm... never mind, Bro, it wouldn't be nice to come empty-handed," Rani said, a little disappointed.

"It's okay, next time we'll bring the fruit and the garden too," Simon joked.

"Also the farmer, Mon," Wawan joked from behind.

"Also with the fertilizer factory, Wan," Tatang snapped.

"Come on, Bro, let's just go. If we take too long, our conversation will wander," Rani said smiling.

"That's right! Come on, Mon, Wawan! When you're hungry, your conversation will become more and more absurd," Tatang continued.

Simon started the car and continued the journey. In less than ten minutes, they had arrived. Simon parked the car in front of a house with a plain wall fence one and a half meters high. In the corner of the fence, there was a black iron gate with a minimalist design. The gate was closed, but not locked. Simon took off his seat belt and prepared to get out.

"Hey, let me open the gate, Mon," Tatang interrupted, hurriedly unbuckling his seat belt and getting out of the car. Because the door was not locked, Tatang immediately slid the gate until it was fully open, then Simon went in and parked his car. Tatang did not go in immediately, he observed Simon's parent's yard from the front gate.

The yard was truly stunning! There were quite bright lights in every corner. Two large lamps with hanging poles in the middle of the yard, illuminate the entire garden and create a comfortable andpeaceful atmosphere. The neatly maintained green grass adds a cheerful impression to the yard. On the left side, a small garden is planted with Toraja chilies and celery leaves that grow neatly. There are also spring onions, lemongrass, and chayote that climb on a wooden frame. In the middle of the yard, there is a mango tree that is not too big, but its branches provide cool shade. Underneath, there is a long wooden table with two benches long that are placed facing each other. A perfect place to relax or spend time with friends. In the right corner of the yard, there is a beautiful small gazebo with a roof of woven grass and palm fiber. Inside there is a thick carpet and hanging lamps that add to the warm atmosphere. Meanwhile, the left and right sides of the terrace of the house have walls as high as an adult's knee, functioning as a place to sit and place flower pots. In the middle of the terrace there are two small steps leading to the terrace protected by a dark acrylic canopy. The garage is on the right side of the terrace, adjacent to the gazebo. Simon, Rani, Wawan, and Winda who had just arrived did not immediately enter. They took a moment to observe the beauty of the yard. "Bro, who arranged this yard, it's so nice to look at?" Rani asked Simon in awe. "Ooh, my mother and father made all this. Sometimes I ask someone to cut the grass," Simon replied while also looking at the yard. "It's really cool, Mon! There's a gazebo, perfect for barbecues!" praised Wawan, stepping closer to the gazebo. Meanwhile, Winda walked around the terrace, her eyes tracing every beautiful detail of the yard before rejoining the others. The warm and cheerful atmosphere in this yard made everyone feel at home and wanted to linger here.A serene calm settled over the yard, where vibrant green grass was meticulously trimmed, and a small garden of Toraja chilies, celery, and lemongrass thrived in neat rows.Feeling that his mother had not come, Simon finally decided to go inside."Eeh, come in!" Simon invited his friends. "I think we should just go on the terrace, Bro," said Winda while standing facing the front of the terrace.

"Okay, pae. Then, I'll go in first," Simon replied while saying goodbye and stepping into the house. "Evening... Maaa, where are we?" Simon greeted while opening the door. However, the atmosphere was quiet, there was no reply from inside.

"Hello Ma....." Simon's voice greeted again and finally Not long after, a voice was heard from the direction of the kitchen. "Yeah, evening!" Simon's mother appeared with an apron still wrapped around her waist. Simon immediately approached his mother, grabbed her and kissed her lovingly.

"Manami your friends, son," asked Simon's mother while looking behind Simon. "They're all outside," Simon replied while pointing towards the terrace. The two of them walked towards the terrace, approaching Tatang and the others. “Hey, come in, Tatang, Wawan!” Simon’s mother called out in a friendly manner.

Simon quickly introduced Winda and Rani. “Mak, this is Winda and Rani. The journalists who covered Grandma’s event yesterday,” Simon explained while pointing at Winda and Rani. Starting with a smile, Winda introduced herself to Simon’s mother. “Winda, auntie,” she said while hugging Simon’s mother and kissing her on the cheek. “This is Rani.” Just like Winda, Rani did the same thing, hugging Simon’s mother, kissing her on the cheek, then kissing her hand. After that, Wawan shook hands with Simon’s mother and kissed her hand, followed by Tatang who did the same.

“Tatang, who is the Manami you mentioned earlier?” Simon’s mother asked Tatang jokingly. “Oh, this one is auntie, Rani,” Tatang answered without further ado while pointing at Rani. Receiving attention, Rani immediately felt embarrassed and could only smile awkwardly. “Oh, Rani!” Simon’s mother turned her head again to Rani who still looked shy. “Ah, this is just random Tatang! No, Mak. Just friends,” Simon said quickly to avoid it. “Enough.. it’s okay, if it’s a match we’re grateful, if it’s not a match we’re still grateful, everything has been arranged,” he said in a calm tone. All of Simon’s friends just smiled and nodded in agreement, no one added any comments. However, the atmosphere suddenly broke when Simon’s mother asked, “Hey, where’s Jems? Why didn’t you see earlier?” Suddenly everyone’s attention was diverted to the car. “Wow?! Jems left it in the car!” Wawan just realized after seeing that Jems wasn’t among them. And suddenly Jems’ voice was heard from the direction of the car. “Is that so, klean? Yesterday I stayed at the Enrekang gas station, now klean is the only one left in the car,” Jems’ voice was heard from the direction of the car. All of his friends immediately turned their heads in surprise. “Oh.. you were sleeping, Jems! You were sound asleep again,” Wawan answered in a defensive tone. “Well Jems, you looked like you were fast asleep, so we didn’t wake you up,” Tatang defended himself, feeling guilty. “Oh, just an excuse! Where’s the coto?” Jems approached Tatang and Wawan while trying to show his annoyed expression. “Eeh.. Jems, did you just wake up?” asked Simon’s mother when Jems finally approached them. “Well Auntie, they didn’t wake you up! They’ve done this to me twice,” answered Jems, still annoyed but with a joking tone. “Come on.. let’s go inside!” invited Simon’s mother while smiling at the commotion among her children.

“Ehm Tang, how come we suddenly got here, why is Simon’s mother here?” asked Jems in a whisper, approaching Tatang with a confused expression,

Tatang shrugged, “Oh, it’s a long story Jems, what’s clear is that we should eat first.” Tatang answered casually, lazy to explain at length about how they ended up at Simon's parents' house. "Come on, let's go straight to the dining table!" Simon's mother said with a smile, inviting everyone to sit down immediately. Enthusiasm was visible on everyone's faces, except for Jems who still seemed to be holding back his sleepiness. He yawned a little before walking towards the table. At the dining table, the atmosphere seemed lively. Jems, although still half asleep, was the first to take a plate and take rice and tilapia with chili sauce to his Civil Servant. "Jems, sleepy but also clever, was the first to take it," Tatang whispered to Wawan who was sitting right next to him. "When it comes to hunger, there is no such thing as sleepy, you know!" Jems joked with an expressionless face, catching Tatang and Wawan's whispers that slightly disturbed the atmosphere.

When everyone started eating, the atmosphere became very quiet. There was no conversation between them, everyone focused on the food being served.

"Why are you all quiet, klean wei? It was noisy earlier, why is it so quiet now?" said Jems to everyone, standing up to add more rice and side dishes. However, no one responded to Jems' words.

"Wan, why is your face so red? You too, Win," asked Jems, seeing Wawan and Winda who seemed to be struggling to withstand the spiciness of the chili sauce they were enjoying. "I think they're too spicy, Jems," answered Simon, looking at the two of them with understanding eyes.

"Yeah euuy... really spicy! What kind of chili is this, Mon?" Wawan complained, rubbing his sweaty temples. "Ooh, the chili sauce is made from a Toraja chili, called katokon chili," answered Simon casually, "What does it look like, Bro?" asked Winda, holding back the spiciness, while pouring water into her Civil Servant gel.

"It's in front of the tree. The fruit is similar to paprika, but smaller and thinner," explained Simon briefly, while taking a spoon to scoop up the remaining food. "But it's sold in the market, right Bro?" Rani asked to make sure,

“Yes.. there is… I’ll take you to buy it when I want to go home,” Simon replied.

“Thank you, bro,” Rani answered briefly.

Tatang and Wawan had just finished enjoying dinner. After holding back his stomach from the sambal made by Simon’s mother, Tatang announced, “Hey, I’ll go first, I’m going to the front first!” he exclaimed while standing up from the dining table. Wawan, who had just finished eating, followed Tatang, “With Tang, I’m going to the front too, to get some fresh air.” They walked out of the dining room towards the living room. There, Simon’s mother was busy watching television. Realizing that Tatang and Wawan had left the dining room, Simon’s mother turned her gaze to Tatang and Wawan, “Hey, are you guys finished?” Simon’s mother asked, “Yes, that’s it, Tan! The sambal is really spicy,” Tatang replied while pausing for a moment, still feeling the spicy sensation on his tongue. Wawan added, “I’ve never eaten sambal that spicy in my entire life, Tan!” while feeling the feeling of being a civil servant again. “We’ll excuse ourselves to the terrace first, Tan,” said Tatang as he walked away. Hearing that, Mrs. Simon immediately stood up and rushed to the dining room. There, Winda and Rani were cleaning up the remaining cutlery. “Ehm, no need, later auntie,” said Mrs. Simon when she saw Winda and Rani working. “Yeah, it’s okay, Ma’am,” replied Winda while collecting the dirty plates on the table. “Yeah, Ma’am, just these few left,” replied Rani while continuing to wash the dishes without diverting attention. “Simon, why was her friend told to clean up?” asked Mrs. Simon to Simon who was busy chatting with Jems. “I told you earlier, no need to clean it up,” replied Simon while standing up and shrugging.

“It’s okay, Tan, just think of it as training,” said Jems jokingly, making the atmosphere more relaxed. Rani and Winda continued their work until all the cutlery was clean and tidy again.

Simon's mother took the water cooker, filled it with water, then put it on the stove and turned on the stove. "Okay, you guys go ahead, auntie will bring the coffee," said Simon's mother to Winda, Rani, and Jems who were still in the kitchen.

"Yeah... the coffee will follow later, okay," answered Simon's mother, smiling.

"Rani and Winda like to drink coffee, right?" asked Simon's mother, watching them attentively.

"Yeah, yeah, we like it, Mom! Especially Toraja coffee!" answered Winda enthusiastically.

Right in front of the sink was a glass window, Rani looked out the window, feeling curious. "Mom, is it okay for Rani to open the window? Rani wants to look outside," said Rani a little awkwardly, asking for permission.

"Yeah, it's okay, just open it. Auntie is also turning on the stove, so the air can come in," answered Simon's mother with a smile, giving permission in a friendly manner.

Rani slowly opened the window and was surprised to see that behind Simon's house there was a fairly large fish pond, decorated with lush green plants around it. Meanwhile, in several corners there are lamp posts which provide sufficient light around the fish pond. "Mom, is that a pond?" Rani asked, looking outside with curiosity.

"Ooh, that's Simon's father's fish pond. It used to be a rice field, but no one took care of it, so they just made a fish pond," Simon's mother answered while preparing sugar and coffee. “There’s a hut in the middle of the pond, right, Mom?” asked Winda, also looking out the window in awe.

“Actually, it was just for storing fish food, but it was enlarged to become a hut for relaxing,” explained Simon’s mother while continuing her activities.

“Wow, that’s really nice! Rani, come there sometime, Mom?” said Rani enthusiastically, imagining relaxing in that small hut.

“Yes, why not,” answered Simon’s mother with a warm smile, happy to see these young people enthusiastic about their home environment.

Not long after, the coffee was finished brewing in the pot. Rani and Winda helped prepare some glasses, then brought them out to the front porch.

On the porch, Tatang and Wawan were seen chatting happily on the phone, while Simon and Jems were busy playing games on their phones.

The atmosphere felt intimate and warm, Winda who couldn’t wait any longer, finally invited everyone to gather on the porch to enjoy warm coffee. They all gathered, surrounding the table in front of the porch, which was surrounded by beautiful and cool natural scenery.

“So, how did you guys get here?” asked Mrs. Simon, watching the young people in front of her with a warm smile and genuine curiosity.

Tatang, excitedly, began to tell the story of their journey to Simon’s house. “We were going to the village above the clouds,” answered Tatang, recalling the moment during the journey.

“The land above the clouds,” interrupted Simon, revising the information. “Yes, the tourist attraction of the land above the clouds. Then, when we arrived at the main road of Rantepao city, we wanted to buy something to eat, I asked Simon, ‘Mom and Dad are in Rantepao city, right? Let’s stop by for a while,’ I said.” Tatang explained.

Winda, who was sitting near Mrs. Simon, didn’t want to miss the moment. She was also enthusiastic and curious to get to know Simon’s parents. “Yes, Mom! Winda and Rani also really wanted to meet Bro Simon’s parents. So we all agreed to come here,” said Winda while holding her coffee cup with both palms, feeling the warmth of the drink in front of her.

“That’s right, Mom! Because since the few days we stayed at the Tongkonan house above, we never met Bro Simon’s parents,” Rani added, excitedly in this conversation.

“Yeah, because when the event was over, auntie and uncle immediately went down to Rantepao, because auntie only had a week of leave. Meanwhile, the event was also a week long, so right after the event was over, we immediately came here, because auntie had to teach again the next day,” Simon’s mother explained, explaining with a smile, as if she wanted to give a clear picture.

“Then where is uncle, Tan? Haven’t seen him since earlier?” Wawan asked, curious.

“Uncle called an hour ago, he said he was still at Bolu market. This afternoon when he finished picking up buffalo from Palopo. Usually he can come home after ten at night,” Simon’s mother answered in a familiar tone. “When did you go to Palopo, Ma?” Simon asked his mother curiously. “Early this morning, around five o’clock, Uncle Limbong and Uncle Natan came to pick us up, they said they were going to pick up a tedong in Palopo,” explained Mrs. Simon while pouring coffee into her Civil Servant gel again.

“We didn’t have time to meet later, because we wanted to continue up to Lolai from here,” said Simon to his mother.

“You can come here again tomorrow morning after Lolai, right?” replied Mrs. Simon.

“Yes... yes, that’s right, Bro. We’ll come here again tomorrow morning, okay?” said Rani very enthusiastically.

“Yes, Bro... Winda is curious, she wants to go to the pond hut behind,” said Winda hopefully.

“So, we want to go to Ke’te Kesu, and Londa, then what about Buntu Burake?” asked Simon while remembering several tourist attractions that they had planned earlier.

“You can come here early in the morning for breakfast. You come here at eight in the morning, then Mama will prepare breakfast, then go to teach. Then at eleven you can go again, right?” said Mrs. Simon in a wise tone.

“Ehm, Ma’am, let’s have breakfast outside, okay? It’s not nice to bother you, especially since you have to teach in the morning,” said Rani, feeling awkward with Mrs. Simon’s kindness.

“Yes, Tan, don’t bother, we’ll find breakfast ourselves,” added Tatang, agreeing with Rani.

“Yes, Ma, don’t prepare breakfast for us tomorrow morning. It’s easy, we’ll find breakfast in Lolai or around Rantepao,” Simon emphasized once again.

“But you’ll still come back here tomorrow night, right?” asked Mrs. Simon to make sure.

“Yes… yes, Ma’am… we’ll definitely come back here tomorrow,” said Winda, immediately agreeing without any consideration.

“Yes, it’s up to you guys, do you want to stay at the hotel, or stay here, or go back up to the village?” Simon gave his friends the choice.

“Yes, Ma’am… it’s okay if we come back here tomorrow, right?” asked Rani, a little awkwardly.

"Of course it's okay, son. If you want to stay here during the holidays, auntie will be very happy," replied Mrs. Simon while holding Rani's hand who was sitting beside her.

"So it's all a deal, okay, tomorrow we stay here?” Jems asked everyone. Everyone immediately agreed enthusiastically.

“Ehm, Simon, I want to ask you something, but let’s go inside first,” Simon’s mother said in a low voice.

“What is this about, Ma?” Simon asked a little hesitantly.

“About Uncle Markus,” Simon’s mother answered seriously.

“About Uncle Markus who sold that doke and la’bo to dolo?” Simon said, referring to the heirloom in Toraja.

“Yes, has Uncle Markus talked to you about that?” Simon’s mother asked seriously again.

“Yes, I have, and these kids already know all about it,” Simon answered, nodding and glancing at his friends. His friends were silent and waiting for the conversation to continue.

“Oh, then let’s talk here,” Simon’s mother answered, a look of relief on her face. “So actually at that time, Uncle Markus sold the aluk to dolo goods without the family’s knowledge. "Your mother and father didn't know," his mother continued to explain. Everyone just listened silently, without doing anything, including playing with their phones.

"So what happened?" Simon asked while adjusting his sitting position.

"So when everything was made loud, the tedong and the pig had all been bought, and all the party supplies were complete, suddenly Uncle Markus came bringing three large tedong saleko," Simon's mother explained.

"Uncle Markus didn't tell me where the money he used to buy the tedong saleko came from?" Simon asked again, this time his voice was a little higher, curious.

"Well that's what made Mama and the other family members wonder too. Why did there suddenly appear that much money? In fact, I don't think he ever told me about the source of the money," Simon's mother answered while shaking her head.

"So when did Uncle Markus tell you about the source of the money?" Simon asked, wanting to know more.

“One day before you guys came,” Simon’s mother answered flatly.

“No wonder after one day I came, Uncle Markus called me to talk to each other on the roof of the house,” Simon said, remembering the moment when he and Uncle Markus were talking on the roof of the stilt house, which Jems, Tatang, and Wawan accidentally overheard.

“Ooooooh… this is the story that Uncle Markus invited you to chat with each other on the roof of the house, right, Mon?” Jems asked, as if she was starting to understand the storyline between Simon and her mother.

“Yes… the time we were looking for Simon, then we accidentally heard Simon and Uncle Markus’ conversation from near the stairs,” Tatang said, remembering the rather moving incident at that time.

“Yes, that one fits,” Simon said, agreeing with a smile, although in his heart there was still a little bit of unease.

“Then how did you guys find that statue?” asked Simon's mother, smiling meaningfully as she stared at the face of the young man in front of her.

Instantly, everyone panicked hearing the unexpected question. "Does Auntie know about that?" Wawan asked with a panicked expression on his face, feeling uncomfortable with the attention that was suddenly focused on them.

"Well... Auntie knows everything," Simon's mother replied, her voice hanging in the air. Everyone fell silent, Simon's friends' thoughts became increasingly confused, then they all glanced at Simon who looked normal hearing his mother's statement just now.

"So Simon has told Auntie everything?" asked Tatang, feeling anxious and a little afraid that this would spread everywhere.

"Yes," Simon's mother nodded. "But Auntie salutes all of you, because you were able to solve the puzzle on the wall of the coffin. Even though it was the coffin where Simon's father was born, it was already in the Tongkonan house and no one knew what the carvings on the wall of the coffin meant." Mrs. Simon smiled and continued her words, which immediately made the atmosphere relaxed again.

"Yes, so my father said that since birth, the chest was already there, I don't know who first kept the heirloom chest there, then, moved it to the stilt house next door. Well, when the stilt house was renovated, the chest was moved again to the Tongkonan house. And it was stored there for about twenty years. When the Tongkonan house was renovated, this chest was moved again to the house next door. Well, how many times was it moved, until finally it was stored in the house above where you stayed when you first arrived," explained Simon, retelling the story of the journey of the heirloom wooden chest.

"After being stored in the house above, finally this chest was dismantled by Om Markus, then the contents were sold to an antique collector from Jakarta," continued Mrs. Simon, adding details that further clarified the background of this case.

"But about the statue, it was unexpected. "The thing is, the statue never had a story and no one in the village, from the past until now, has ever heard a story about the statue," said Ibu Simon, revealing the mystery hidden in the artifact. "So, the matter of the statue has no historical connection with the descendants of Uncle and Auntie, huh?" asked Winda, wanting to make sure.

The car driven by Simon broke through the darkness of the night, passed through the city of Rantepao, and began to enter the uphill road. The road to Lolai Negri di atas Awan was entirely through an uphill road that was already paved with concrete. They weren't the only ones who climbed to Puncak Lolai tonight, there were several cars in front and behind them who also had the same destination as them.

"Ehm, it turns out there are a lot of people going up at night like this," said Rani while looking back through the window.

"Yes, usually people go up at night, and can also see the view of Rantepao city at night," answered Simon from behind the wheel, in a relaxed tone. That night, the atmosphere in the car felt warm even though the outside air was quite cold. The lights of Rantepao city began to look small like shining stars. Rani looked enthusiastic, her eyes sparkling seeing the flow of lights that seemed to move.

"Cool, huh, like we're going up into the sky," said Rani looking happy. Simon smiled at Rani's comment. “Yes, especially at the top of the hill, it’s even more beautiful. So be patient, we’re almost there,” Simon said again. Meanwhile, Rani and Winda were still focused on looking out in awe. Not to mention Wawan and Tatang who were sitting in the back seat.

“It’s really cool, Mon, we feel like we’re going somewhere,” Wawan said while continuing to look out.

“Oh, yeah, Mon, if I look, the city of Rantepao looks like it’s under a valley, huh?” Jems said, continuing to observe from the car window.

“Maybe it could be, because the city of Rantepao is surrounded by mountains and hills, just like the city of Ma’kale is also surrounded by mountains and hills,” Simon replied, trying to give a specific answer.

“What about the expanse of clouds tomorrow morning, Mon?” Tatang asked, wanting to make sure.

“Yes, around half past five in the morning until maybe eight o’clock,” Simon said to make sure. The car continued to drive, passing sharp bends and steep slopes, full of enthusiasm to reach their destination. Rani took a deep breath, feeling the emotion of the increasingly thrilling night journey.

Toraja is indeed famous for its unique geographical contour, making it one of the places with spectacular mountain and valley views. The combination of green hills, cool air, and natural tranquility make this area a dream destination for nature lovers. Not only does it offer natural beauty, Toraja also has a rich culture, making this trip so complete. Destinations such as Puncak Lolai are a symbol of harmony between humans and nature, where local traditions and beautiful landscapes complement each other. Visitors can feel how local residents maintain balance with their environment even though the modern world continues to develop.

For lovers of natural beauty, Puncak Lolai is a must-visit destination. Like Simon and his friends, prepare your time to enjoy the scenery and feel how the land above the clouds touches your heart with its magic and peace. Because in truth, this trip is not only about the destination, but also about the journey itself.

As their journey approaches the peak of Lolai, accompanied by Simon, the only local resident on the trip.

That night, as they slowly approached their destination, the atmosphere in the car changed completely. There was no more chatter, or the barrage of questions that had previously bombarded Simon, the only local Torajan among the six of them.

Everyone was silent, lost in awe. Their eyes were fixed on the stunning view of the city of Rantepao stretching far below. Even though it could only be enjoyed from behind the car window, the beauty of the panorama was enough to satisfy souls thirsting for new experiences.

Rani, who was sitting right behind Simon, could not hold back the turmoil in her heart. Her inner self wondered, "Will there be another chance to return to a place as beautiful as this?" The view presented in front of her was too beautiful to forget. The thin mist that enveloped the city in the distance, the fresh mountain air, and the rustling of the night wind carrying the distinctive aroma of trees took her to another dimension—a dimension where humans can make peace with nature and find peace of mind.

Lolai, with all its beauty, seemed to come together to create an adventure sensation that not only spoiled the eyes but also stirred the feelings. It is no wonder that this place is one of the main icons of Toraja. Not a few tourists, both local and foreign, are willing to travel long distances to enjoy this wonder. In addition to its natural beauty, Lolai also offers a unique local wisdom atmosphere. Traditional Torajan houses, known as Tongkonan, stand majestically amidst the green landscape, adding a touch of culture to the already extraordinary natural charm. In the silence of tonight's journey, Simon, who was sitting behind the wheel, seemed focused on staring at the road ahead. in front of him, while his mind was wandering far away. Rani, who was sitting right behind him, always made Simon's world feel brighter. But this time, the atmosphere in Simon's heart was not as calm as his gaze that was focused ahead. There was a great turmoil that he tried to suppress, a story that he wanted to reveal, but he kept postponing.

Simon knew that this trip was not just about setting foot in a new place. This trip was their last moments before finally returning to their respective lives and activities. The time they had was getting shorter, and Simon was very aware that there was something he had to resolve, about the feelings he had long harbored for Rani.

However, this confession was not something that was easy to do. Simon was afraid. Afraid that with just one wrong word, he would ruin the flow of togetherness that had felt so perfect. For him, being with Rani were small, priceless moments. Their cheerful laughter, warm conversations until late at night, or even the comfortable silence between the two of them were everything to Simon. And that was what made him always hesitate to take steps.

On the other hand, silencing his feelings also felt torturous. Every second with Rani only made his love that continued to rage in his heart stronger. Simon wanted to ask Rani, "Is there a room for me in that place—in your heart?" But those words only kept echoing in his mind, never able to jump out.

It must be admitted that sometimes love is not about confession, but about the effort to keep a relationship alive without being damaged by personal ego. Simon did not want to ruin all this adventure just because of his personal ego.

Meanwhile, Rani did not want to give hope at all and did not want to disappoint Simon, who she knew had high hopes for her. Especially after Jems asked Rani not to hang Simon's feelings for her, Rani felt even more depressed. This togetherness and adventure were too precious to be ruined by unrequited affection.

Rani reflected on everything that had happened. She realized that even though in her heart there was already affection for Simon, she still felt doubtful. She needed time to be able to convince her heart to change that affection into love. Rani wanted to make sure that her feelings were not just a momentary attraction, but something deeper and more meaningful.

“What if I’m wrong?” Rani thought. “What if I change my feelings and nothing changes between us? I don’t want to ruin this friendship.”

She knew that Simon was a kind and caring person, and that made her even more confused. Rani wanted to keep their relationship good, without adding to the burden between them. She didn’t want Simon to feel pressured or expect more than she could give right now.

“For now, I’ll focus on this moment,” Rani resolved in her heart. “I’ll enjoy this adventure and see how my feelings develop over time.”

With that thought, Rani tried not to let her doubts and fears interfere with the happiness around her. She wanted to enjoy every second of this journey, hoping that one day, the right time would come to express her feelings honestly.

Rani stared out the window, trying to distract her from her doubts and focus on being with her friends. The sounds of laughter and jokes from Wawan, Jems, and Tatang filled the space inside the car, creating a warm and cheerful atmosphere.

“Ran, what’s wrong with you? Are you okay?” asked Winda who was sitting next to her, realizing Rani seemed to be daydreaming.

“Yes, I’m fine, Nda. I’m enjoying the view,” Rani answered with a smile, turning to Winda, trying to hide her feelings.

Winda took a deep breath and rubbed Rani’s shoulder, as if she knew the burden of feelings Rani was feeling right now. Rani took her phone and typed a few sentences then sent them to Winda.

“Nda, I’m really afraid that these days will pass quickly, and our adventure is over,” Rani’s WA message to Winda read.

“There’s nothing to be afraid of, Ran. Finish this adventure with a beautiful moment without any burden,” Winda replied.

 

Chapter 13: Broken History and Traces of Love Along the Way

Rani read the message and felt a little relieved. She knew that Winda could always give her encouragement. “Yes, Ma’am. I will try to enjoy every second,” replied Rani.

Winda smiled, feeling happy to be able to support her friend. “Remember, we are here to have fun. Don’t let your feelings interfere with this moment,” replied Winda again with full confidence.

Rani smiled then nodded, trying to remember Winda’s message. She wanted to enjoy this adventure without any burden. Although her heart was still in turmoil, she was determined not to let her feelings get in the way of the happiness around her.

After going through a very exciting journey, finally the car driven by Simon entered the parking lot of the inn. One by one, they got out of the car and were immediately greeted by the cold air that pierced their skin. Simon was still in the car, looking busy calling someone. Not long after, a man who was almost the same age as Simon approached their car with the phone still attached to his ear.

When he saw Johan, the owner of the inn, coming towards him, Simon immediately got out of the car and rushed to him. “Deeh, you know the most successful lodging entrepreneur in Toraja!” Simon greeted with joyful enthusiasm. Johan smiled broadly, shaking Simon’s hand with great familiarity.

“Not all of Toraja Sambarang, but all of Lolai,” Johan replied jokingly, making the atmosphere even warmer.

“Hey bro, let me introduce you to my friends,” Simon said while introducing his friends one by one, starting from Jems, Wawan, and the others, while pointing at his friends.

They all shook hands while smiling at each other, saying each other’s names. “This is my friend who used to be an employee, now the most successful lodging entrepreneur in Lolai, bro,” Simon said in praise while patting Johan’s shoulder. “But you’re better, boss. You can be a CIVIL SERVANT in the capital, we want to be CIVIL SERVANTS in our own village, it’s so hard,” Johan praised back. They all laughed at Johan’s praise.

“Come on, come on, I’ll show you the rooms,” Johan said again, inviting everyone to go to their rooms. They headed to the main building which had four floors, their rooms were on the second floor.

“Now, these are the rooms. There are three rooms: rooms 201, 202, and 203. This is each room, the view is facing the city of Rantepao. In the morning, the city of Rantepao is covered in clouds, so you have to wake up early to be able to see the clouds,” Johan explained, while opening one room to explain in more detail. The others just nodded listening to Johan’s explanation.

“Where can I find breakfast?” asked Tatang interrupting.

“You can go straight down to the cafeteria, later we just have to mention the name and room number, breakfast is free,” explained Johan again adding. Hearing that breakfast was free, everyone smiled happily; they no longer had the burden of having to find breakfast in the morning.

“Okay, pa, now bro... later if something happens, I’ll come straight to us or to who is this?” asked Simon just to make sure.

“You can go directly to me, you can go directly to the employees here, who wear the same clothes as the ones I’m wearing, there’s a lodging logo on the front and back,” Johan replied while showing the logo on his shirt.

“Okay, ready… thank you then, bro,” Simon said while shaking Johan’s hand.

“I’ll take my leave first, please rest and enjoy the natural panorama of Lolai,” Johan said, promoting the beauty of the place a little, before rushing off leaving Simon and his team.

“Wow… the view is really cool, Bro! Rani and I can have our room here, okay?” Winda approached the fairly large glass window, beaming as she watched the view outside.

“This is the coolest lodging view Rani has ever stayed in, Bro! Right below it is a pine forest valley, then over there are hills, and after that the district town,” added Rani who was still amazed, standing next to Winda and looking out together.

“Hey, don’t stay up late, okay. So we can see the clouds tomorrow morning,” Simon said to everyone. “Let’s go to our respective rooms, the portions are the same as in Makassar,” while leaving Winda and Rani’s room.

Hearing Simon’s instructions, they all agreed and rushed to their respective rooms. Upon arriving at the room, the atmosphere of joy was still flowing. They went straight to the window, enjoying the night view over the city of Rantepao.

Meanwhile in Winda and Rani’s room, they were still engaged in conversation.

“Nda, everything is beyond our expectations, huh?” said Rani, who was sitting cross-legged in front of the glass window, looking straight ahead. The city lights sparkled, as if a dream emitted by the night sky.

“Which one is it, Ran?” answered Winda while putting her backpack on the floor, trying to catch the gist of Rani’s statement.

“We didn’t expect to meet Bro Simon and her friends, went to Bro Simon’s grandmother’s funeral, then got involved in a fight with antique hunters at the homestay, helped excavate a statue, then went into a cave full of ancient artifacts,” Rani explained in a flat, expressionless voice, but behind it all, there was a sense of pride and gratitude within her.

“It all felt like an adventure from a movie, right? It just flowed,” Winda answered, still looking outside, feeling emotional with the story they had just experienced.

“And it’s time to go back in two days,” Rani continued, feeling not ready to end this adventure.

“Well, in about two or three days, Ran. We haven’t bought tickets yet,” Winda answered lightly. “Oh yeah, Ran, what are you going to use the money from Bro Simon for?” Winda asked again as if she had just remembered something.

“I don’t know, Nda. It’s a lot. In my entire life, I’ve never seen that much money in my account,” Rani answered in a confused tone.

“You got five million too, right?” asked Winda to make sure.

“Yes, it’s the same as you,” Rani replied, turning to Winda. “Well, that’s another unexpected thing. Getting five million, I feel like the luckiest person in the universe, but why am I so ordinary? No plans to buy this and that, or go abroad shopping, traveling, just ordinary!” said Rani pouring out her heart.

“Yes, same, Ran. I’m also so ordinary? I don’t want to do anything, or make strange plans with that much money. How does it feel? Well, it’s just ordinary,” said Winda, also expressing her heart.

“I’m going to sleep first, Nda,” said Rani standing up, then heading to the bed. Winda was still sitting cross-legged in her original place with a blank stare straight ahead. Not long after, Rani returned with a blanket and pillow in both hands.

“Do you want to sleep here, Ran?” asked Winda, shocked, turning her head immediately when she realized Rani had put the blanket and pillow next to her.

"Yes, I want to sleep here, Nda. I don't want to miss these beautiful moments. I want every time I wake up, my eyes will immediately look at the view in front of me," said Rani, which sounded mellow and strange to Winda's ears.

"Cieee... why are you so mellow, Ran? Have you really fallen in love with Bro Simon?" asked Winda, smiling mischievously, teasing Rani who was tidying up the blanket to be used as a bed base.

"I don't know, Nda. I'm also confused with my heart and mind," said Rani flatly, while laying her head on the pillow.

Meanwhile, in Tatang and Jems' room, Wawan visited them. Without knocking, Wawan suddenly entered and went straight to the mirror, staring at the city of Rantepao seriously.

"Eh, Wan, what's wrong with you?" asked Jems in surprise.

"Yes, euy. Wan, what's wrong with you, just coming in?" asked Tatang who was pressing the remote to find a TV channel that he himself didn't know what to watch.

"Come here, both of you," called Wawan with his gaze still in front of the window.

"What's wrong with you, Wan? Are you being weird?" Jems stood up and approached Wawan, followed by Tatang who also approached Wawan.

"Hey, where do you think Simon's parents' house is?" Wawan with a serious look and a serious tone of voice. Hearing Wawan's question, Jems and Tatang immediately felt annoyed.

"Baah... so earlier, you came here with that mysterious style just to find out where Simon's parents' house is?" said Jems, annoyed and confused.

"Gosh!.. What do you think you want to do, Wan," said Tatang, also feeling disappointed.

"Because I'm curious. Earlier when we were in Rantepao, right, this place was visible from below, so Simon’s parents’ house must be visible from here,” Wawan, still curious, glanced at Jems and then at Tatang. Jems, who was previously annoyed, also started to pay attention to the city of Rantepao while remembering their route earlier.

“From our route earlier, it seems like Simon’s parents’ house is over there, the one with the bright lights,” said Jems, seriously pointing in a direction that only he knew.

“No, come on, Jems. Simon’s house has a fish pond in the back, and in front of it there’s a garden and garden lights, so it’s likely that Simon’s house is over there,” pointing to a house that only he knew the position of, in the opposite direction to the one Jems had pointed to.

“You’re wrong, Tang. It seems like the house isn’t far from the highway,” said Wawan, denying Tatang’s analysis.

“Aah, you’re all wrong. It's true that what I pointed earlier, because we're from that direction," Jems emphasized his previous statement. Wawan and Tatang remained silent, after which Wawan excused himself and went back to his room. "Well, that's it. I'm going to sleep first. It will definitely be visible tomorrow," said Wawan and left Jems and Tatang who were still busy looking for Simon's parents' house.

“Why did the kid run away?” Jems was stunned to see Wawan walking away from them and disappearing behind the door.

“It’s not clear, he’s the one who came to ask questions… he’s the one who ran away first,” Tatang said in a sullen tone.

“Well, his name is Wawan. I’d better go to sleep, so I can meet our clouds tomorrow morning,” Jems threw his body on the mattress. Tatang also went back to his bed and went back to searching for TV channels because he was still confused about what to watch.

“Go to sleep, Tang. Don’t oversleep tomorrow,” Jems said, glancing at Tatang who was still busy changing TV channels.

“I sleep at whatever time, I still wake up at dawn, come on, Jems,” Tatang replied while staring at the TV screen.

“Then, after the morning prayer, you wake me up, okay? I want to see the sunrise and the expanse of clouds,” Jems requested, then went back to sleep, covering his entire body with the blanket.

“Ready!” Tatang replied firmly.

The cold night continued to move, accompanied by raindrops that hit the window glass, as if complementing the harmony of the night accompanying Simon and his friends' rest. They fell asleep immersed in their own thoughts. In Winda and Rani's room, there was no more conversation. The atmosphere was silent, only the sound of the rain was heard soothingly, making them both fall asleep in the warmth of the blanket.

In Jems and Tatang's room, the atmosphere was similar. After a day of activities, they chose to rest. Jems lay with headphones in her ears, listening to soft music that flowed, while Tatang fell asleep with dreams full of hope. The rain outside seemed to be a rhythm that led them into a deep sleep.

In Simon and Wawan's room, Wawan seemed to be deep asleep, immersed in his night's dreams. Meanwhile, Simon was seriously talking on the phone with his mother. His mother's soft voice was heard from the other end of the phone, and Simon seemed to be listening intently, occasionally nodding and giving responses.

Finally, not long after, Simon turned off his phone. His face looked a little tense, as if there was a burden he had to bear. After putting his cellphone in his jacket pocket, Simon took his car keys and rushed out to the parking lot, walking quickly towards his car. It seemed like there was something very serious to discuss with his parents that could not be postponed. Simon went out towards the city of Rantepao through the rain and through the night fog that made visibility a little difficult.

None of his friends knew that that night Simon left the inn for his parents' house. All his friends were asleep, even Rani who was sleeping in front of the window did not see Simon's car leaving the inn.

The night was getting late, and the sound of rain continuously dripping on the window created a peaceful atmosphere that enveloped their rooms. In the silence of the night, everyone was immersed in their own dreams, waiting for a new day full of hope and adventure.

Almost one in the morning, Simon had just returned from the city of Rantepao. He went straight to his room with lighter steps. His face was not as tense as when he had just left; now, he looked more relaxed than before. It seemed like there was a solution or meeting point after listening directly to his parents.

Arriving in his room, Simon took a deep breath, feeling the calmness that began to flow within him. She remembered the conversation that had just taken place with her mother and father.

Wawan was still asleep in his bed, unaware of Simon's arrival. Simon decided not to wake his best friend and chose to lie down immediately, and not long after he fell asleep.

Early in the morning, when Rani woke up, her gaze immediately fell out the window. In front of her, white clouds stretched as far as the eye could see, as if she couldn't believe what was in front of her eyes. She closed her eyes several times, hoping that the beautiful view was just a dream, but when she opened her eyes, the view in front of her remained unchanged. The soft sunlight shone through the clouds, creating a warm and calming nuance. "Wow, this is so amazing! A view as beautiful as this is displayed in front of the bedroom window," Rani muttered, fascinated by the natural beauty that greeted her in the morning.

Not wanting to enjoy it alone, Rani immediately woke Winda who seemed to still be asleep. "Nda... Nda... wake up, Nda! Come on, wake up, check this out!" Rani shook Winda's shoulders.

"Nda... come on, wake up, you have to see this!" Rani shook Winda's shoulders again. With drowsiness still hanging, Winda finally woke up.

"What the heck, Ran? You're already waking me up at this hour," Winda's voice was still hoarse from sleepiness.

"Nda, you have to see this, Nda!" Rani whined while pulling Winda's hand.

Sitting on the bed, Winda took a deep breath and slowly opened her eyes. "Ran, why is there a wide white cloth under the window?" Winda said still in a hoarse tone.

"That's the cloud, Nda! so wake up, let's see it in front of the window!" Rani led Winda who still looked sleepy to the front of the window.

As soon as Winda looked outside, her eyes immediately widened. "Wow! This is amazing!" she exclaimed, now fully awake. Thick and wide white clouds seemed to cover the entire view, creating a magical atmosphere.

"Right, right? Really cool, right?" Rani smiled broadly, happy to see Winda's reaction.

"Yes, Ran! "I didn't expect to see a view like this in the morning, from the room again," Winda replied, now fully awake and excited.

The two of them stood in front of the window, enjoying the natural beauty that greeted them in the morning. The sound of last night's rain was still faintly audible, but the sunlight began to penetrate the clouds, creating an amazing view. Today seemed like it would be a day full of adventure and happiness for them.

Not wanting to miss the moment, Rani immediately took a camera in her Civil Servant's office, while Winda took her cellphone and started taking as many pictures as possible from in front of the window. They took turns taking pictures, sometimes they took pictures of the two of them, smiling broadly with a backdrop of white clouds from behind the window.

"Let's take a picture here, Ran! Look, the sunlight coming in is really cool!" Winda exclaimed while pointing her cellphone towards the window.

After several attempts, they were finally satisfied with the documentation in the room. "I think we've had enough here. Now, let's go downstairs!" Rani asked enthusiastically.

They both immediately packed their things and left the room. As soon as they stepped outside, the cold air greeted them. The atmosphere around the hotel felt lively, with the noisy voices of other visitors who were also enjoying their day. Downstairs, it turned out that Jems and Tatang were already busy taking turns taking photos, with a cheerful atmosphere.

Rani and Winda approached Jems and Tatang. "Have you guys been here for a while?" Winda asked Tatang and Jems.

"We're still here early in the morning," Jems exclaimed while continuing to take selfies.

"Hey, where are Simon and Wawan?" Tatang asked.

"Hey, we were just about to ask, where are Bro Simon and Wawan?" Rani said, seeing that the two people were nowhere to be found.

"Okay, call those two kids first, Tang," Jems said to Tatang. Before Tatang had even opened the WhatsApp application, from a distance not too far away, Wawan and Simon were already seen walking towards them.

"Come on, Bro, hurry up!" shouted Winda to Wawan and Simon. Wawan jogged over to us, followed by Simon who then ran after Wawan.

“Why didn’t you guys wake us up?” Simon asked after being in the middle of Winda and Rani.

“Tatang woke me up at four in the morning,” Jems replied, glancing at Tatang who was reviewing his photos. “Hey, let’s take a photo together, everyone!” Winda said to everyone.

“Who took the photo?” Wawan asked, a little confused. “Let’s just ask someone for help,” Tatang said. “Okay, you go find someone,” Jems replied. Then Tatang stopped a teenager who happened to be passing in front of him, “Excuse me, can I take a photo?” Tatang asked while handing over his cellphone. After taking a few pictures, Rani asked the teenager again to take a photo using Rani’s cellphone. After taking about five to six photos, the teenager who had returned Rani’s cellphone to Rani then left.

“Hey, hey, let’s take a selfie!” Winda shouted to everyone. After that, they approached the valley.

“Let’s go there!” Rani said excitedly. The others followed Winda and Rani without comment. At that place, they took selfies again.

“Like a wad of cotton,” Rani said pointing at the expanse of clouds below.

“Well, no, Ran,” Wawan said. “This looks more like a cloud,” Wawan joked, followed by his friends’ laughter. Not wanting to waste the remaining time, Rani pointed her camera at the expanse of clouds below. After that, she pointed her camera at every corner of the place; almost all of those places were not missed by Rani’s camera, both photos and video recordings. “Go for it, Ran, don’t let up!” Winda shouted while watching Rani who was busy taking pictures.

“Have you had breakfast, Mi?” Simon asked Jems who was standing watching the visitors.

“Just a minute, Mon,” Tatang answered without looking at Simon.

“Eh, Jems, what are you doing? Are you looking for prey?” Simon asked suspiciously.

“Aah, you’re always up to something, Mon,” Jems replied, turning to Simon with a serious expression. “I’m looking at that one over there, it looks like my ex.” Simon moved closer to Jems and looked at the object Jems was looking at.

“Where? Anywhere? That pine tree,” Simon said, looking seriously in the direction Jems was referring to.

“It’s next to it,” Jems directed Simon’s gaze.

“Next to it is a dog,” Simon replied, following the direction of Jems’ finger.

“Next to the chicken,” Jems pointed more specifically.

“Next to the chicken is a dog,” Wawan's voice came from behind Jems.

"Eh... ehm, stupid. It's natural that you're single, a pretty girl like that, you call a pine tree and a chicken," said Jems, a little annoyed.

"There's a chicken beside the pine tree," answered Wawan, both looking at the chicken he meant.

"I mean, the one sitting on the wooden bench, wearing a white hoodie sitting alone, with her glasses pulled up into her hair," said Jems, pointing at a woman about twenty meters away from them.

"Oooh, that's it!" exclaimed Wawan and Simon in unison.

"Is that your ex too, Jems?" asked Simon seriously while still watching the woman.

"Looking at it from here, it seems so. At least, it looks similar," said Jems, unable to be sure that the woman they were looking at did indeed look like his ex.

"Your exes are all over Indonesia, Jems," said Wawan, teasing Jems.

“Yes, Jems. As long as there’s a pretty girl, she’ll definitely say she’s her ex or looks like her ex,” Simon added with a laugh. “Eh, she does look like him!” Jems defended himself, even though he knew that the teasing was just a joke.

Suddenly, Johan approached them. “Have you guys had breakfast?” Johan greeted him kindly.

“We’re just about to have breakfast, bro,” Simon replied, turning to Johan.

“Yeah, it just so happens… let’s have breakfast,” Wawan said while patting Simon’s shoulder. “Tang, come on, Tang!” Wawan shouted to Tatang. They headed to the cafeteria, followed by Tatang from behind. In front of them were Winda and Rani who had finished taking documentary photos.

“Let’s have breakfast!” Jems invited. Rani and Winda smiled while nodding, “Yes, we’re ready!” they were still standing in their original places while watching the images on their camera screens. Meanwhile, Simon and the others passed in front of them.

“So when are you coming back to Jakarta, bro?” asked Johan who was walking alongside Simon.

“About three more days, four more days at the most, bro,” Simon replied as he continued walking, his gaze straight ahead. Feeling that he had fallen behind, Winda and Rani hurriedly followed behind.

“Hey, how many nephews are there, bro?” Johan asked rather seriously.

“Don’t ask about nephews, bro. Their future mother isn’t even here yet,” Simon replied with a smile.

“Don’t expect too much, that’s why your standards shouldn’t be too high, bro,” Johan said as he gave advice.

“There are, yes, but they’re gone again. Well, what can we do, they’re not meant to be, bro,” Simon said resignedly. "Or maybe your soulmate is still being guarded by someone else," said Johan jokingly. Winda and Rani who heard from behind just smiled at Johan's joke. Not long after, they had entered the open-air cafeteria. From inside the cafeteria, they could see the surrounding scenery, including the expanse of clouds behind the cafe. The dividing wall from the outside was only as high as the table, all the interior designs were made of pine wood and beautified with several bamboo ornaments, such as the ceiling and window shutters.

"Hey bro, I'll be leaving first, okay. I still have a little business," Johan said goodbye leaving Simon and his friends.

"Okay, ready bro... thank you," Simon patted Johan's arm.

"Just call if you need anything, okay bro," said Johan before leaving Simon and the others.

"Mon, is that really your best friend?" asked Wawan, amazed by Johan's friendliness.

"Yeah, you could say that. My friend since school days," answered Simon, proud of his friendship with Johan that has lasted until now.

“Let’s eat, we’re hungry now,” said Jems, changing the subject.

“Hey, just order what you want, don’t wait too long,” said Simon to his friends who were still waiting to be invited. Finally, one by one, they headed to the serving table to take breakfast that was served buffet style.

“Hey, aren’t you guys joining us for breakfast?” asked Tatang to Winda and Rani who were still sitting relaxed while playing with their cellphones.

“Later, Kang, go ahead,” answered Rani to Tatang.

“Yes, Kang, we’ll catch up later,” continued Winda who was still confused about what to have for breakfast. Without asking anymore, Tatang headed to the buffet table to join the others.

“What do you want for breakfast, Nda?” asked Rani looking at the buffet table queue.

“I don’t know yet. Ehm, what time are we leaving, Nda?”

“After breakfast, there are still two or three places we want to go to. Why is that?”

“I’m still lazy, I think I want to go up to my room and lie down again,” Rani replied in a less enthusiastic tone.

“Are you feeling unwell?” Winda asked.

“No, it just seems like the room is too good to leave so quickly,” Rani explained.

“Well, okay, you can just rent a room here,” Winda said lightly.

“Well, okay, I’ll consider your suggestion later,” Rani replied as she stood up. From the buffet table, Wawan and Tatang had each arrived carrying a plate of fried rice and a glass of hot sweet tea.

“Hey, aren’t you guys having breakfast?” Tatang said as he placed his plates and Civil Servant gel on the table.

“We were just about to go there,” Winda replied.

“Hey, Bro Jems and Bro Simon, why are you taking so long?” Winda asked.

“They’re ordering two packs of boiled Indomie,” Wawan replied, placing his plates and Civil Servant gel next to Tatang’s plate.

“Oh, is there boiled Indomie?” Rani asked enthusiastically.

“There… nooh, queuing with Jems,” Wawan said while lifting his chin to glance at Jems who was still visible in the queue.

“Wow, it’s really delicious! I want to have it too,” Rani added, then walked towards Jems.

They really enjoyed their breakfast in a special place. The thick expanse of clouds slowly began to thin out blown by the wind, little by little the green hills and pine forests began to appear, and the expanse of rice fields arranged like steps slowly began to appear. The fresh and beautiful morning atmosphere made them feel lucky to be in this place. A flock of white storks flew across the rice fields, adding to the beauty of the scenery. The sound of birds chirping and the rustling of the wind made the atmosphere even more peaceful.

Winda was so fascinated by the scenery down there, she stopped chewing and unconsciously continued to hold her spoon which was almost parallel to her chin.

“Eh, Nda, what’s wrong with you? Poor thing, huh?” Rani patted Winda’s shoulder who looked serious looking at the scenery down there. “Look, that’s a flock of storks! It’s so beautiful, like a living painting,” said Winda, pointing at the birds flying, her gaze unmoved.

“Yes, the view is amazing. This is the first time I’ve had breakfast in a place like this, with such an amazing morning view,” Rani responded enthusiastically. She stopped eating and picked up her camera again, pointing it down the valley.

“We don’t have to tire ourselves out climbing mountains, carrying heavy carriers, to get a view like this,” said Winda, glancing.

“Yes, just wear climber-style clothes, then stand there very early in the morning with the expanse of clouds in the background, then take a photo, upload it on social media,” Tatang jokingly said.

“It turns out that Rantepao city has a view like this during the day, surrounded by hills and mountains,” said Rani with a cheerful face.

After breakfast, they all returned to their respective rooms to get ready. A few moments later, they gathered again in the cafeteria. In front of the cafeteria, Simon had parked his car, he seemed to be chatting with Johan, the innkeeper. After all their stuff was put into the car, they said goodbye to Johan. “Bro, thank you for coming here. Sorry if there’s anything that’s not satisfying,” said Johan humbly.

“No, bro. We’re the ones who thank you for giving us a room with a really nice view. My friends really liked it, I think we’ll come back sometime,” said Simon.

“Bro, thank you very much. We’ll come back again,” said Jems as he shook Johan’s hand and then headed to the car, followed by Tatang and Wawan.

“Thank you, Bro Johan. The view of the inn is really beautiful. I might come back again someday,” praised Rani with a smile, while shaking Johan’s hand.

“Thank you, Bro, for everything,” said Rani as she shook Johan’s hand.

“Yes, you’re welcome. Sorry, if there’s any of our services or facilities that might not be satisfying,” replied Johan back.

“It’s safe, bro. Everything is very satisfying,” Winda replied with her typical civil servant smile.

Everyone headed to the car ready to leave. Finally, they left Johan’s inn with all the time constraints they had, but it was enough to embed a new memory in their life journey. They had visited one of the extraordinary places in this country, called Lolai.

In the car, there was no discussion or chat like people who had just visited a tourist attraction. They were all silent, looking out the window. It was clear that there was a reluctance to leave the place quickly. The silence enveloped, only the sound of the car engine and the roar of the wind coming in through the slightly open window could be heard.

The car drove further away from Johan’s inn, entering a road surrounded by stunning natural scenery. Green trees, towering hills, and fresh air made the atmosphere even more enjoyable.

“Bro, where are we going now?” Rani asked, breaking the silence.

“According to the initial plan, we went to Ke’te Kesu first, then to Londa, finally to Buntu Burake,” Simon said, mentioning their travel route today.

“Then where are we going after that, Bro?” asked Winda, continuing Rani’s question.

“Back to Jakarta, continuing our respective professions.”

While they were on their way to Ke’Te’ Kesu, Wawan’s cell phone suddenly rang. When he looked at his cellphone screen, it turned out to be Amrul’s name.

“Eh, this Amrul, what else do you want, kid?” Wawan said while staring at his cell phone screen. “Just pick up. Don’t forget to put it on speaker,” said Jems, who was sitting next to him. “Hello, Rul, what’s wrong? Your boss didn’t give you enough quota?” said Wawan jokingly. “No, Wan… that’s fine,” replied Amrul on the other end. “Then why did you suddenly call me?” asked Wawan, not seeming too curious. “Oh yeah, Wan, you’re still with your friends there, right?” asked Amrul to make sure. “Still complete, six people, why is that?” asked Wawan while glancing at Jems. "Good, then," Amrul was heard to answer. happy, “so it’s like this, Wan, I have a project for all of you,” continued Amrul sounding serious. “Project?? What project?” Wawan was surprised, starting to get interested.

“About fifteen years ago, my boss bought an ancient manuscript from someone in Makassar. He said he found the manuscript while fishing in the river around Ramang-Ramang,” said Amrul starting to get to the point of his story.

“Do you know, Mon, where Ramang-Ramang is?” asked Wawan to Simon who was driving. “Yes, I know. In Maros Regency, it’s close to Makassar,” answered Simon from the front. “Ooh, in Maros Regency, huh?” asked Wawan to Amrul.

“Yes, that’s right,” answered Amrul from the other end of the phone. “But the destination is not Ramang-Ramang, but in Leang-Leang,” continued Amrul again.

“Where was that? What was that?” asked Wawan feeling unfamiliar with the name of the place Amrul had mentioned. “Leang-Leang,” answered Amrul repeating.

“Do you know, Mon, where Leang-Leang is?” Wawan asked Simon again.

“I know. It’s still close to Ramang-Ramang,” Simon answered without looking away. “So, what are my friends and I doing?” Wawan asked, starting to feel burdened. “Because we were curious, the ancient Ramang-Ramang manuscript was finally digitally duplicated and sent to history experts and archaeologists, both domestically and abroad, to be translated, to find out about the historical sources of this ancient manuscript,” Amrul said. His tone sounded serious, focused on what he was explaining.

“So?” Wawan became more curious, straightening his back to be more comfortable while listening. From the front, Simon also paid attention to Amrul and Wawan’s conversation. Finally, he stopped the car and parked it on the side of the road to focus more on listening to the ongoing conversation. “Well, finally the ancient manuscript was successfully translated, although not all of it, but about ninety percent was successfully translated,” Amrul answered, still with a tone that seemed serious.

“You haven’t answered my question yet, what should my friends and I do?” Wawan asked in a curious tone. On the other end of the phone,

“Yes, calm down. Let me explain everything. I will answer all your questions.” Amrul’s voice sounded calm but mysterious.

Wawan answered, “Okay, ready!” with enthusiasm.

There was a moment of silence before Amrul finally began, “So, after the script was translated, some important information was revealed. One of them is about…”

However, Amrul’s sentence suddenly stopped in the middle of his explanation. Silence suddenly enveloped the phone. In the car, everyone was stunned, Wawan and his friends’ eyes stared at each other in confusion. What actually happened? Why did Amrul suddenly go silent?

“Hello, Rul… why are you gone, Rul..!!” Wawan called out to Amrul.

“Sorry, sorry, the phone connection was a bit of an error. Okay, I’ll continue, okay, Wan,” Amrul replied. Wawan felt relieved, the disconnected connection was now reconnected. “Great... great, it’s okay. Please continue, Rul,” said Wawan in an enthusiastic tone. He was curious to hear the rest of Amrul’s story. “Okay... okay, ready... So, after the manuscript was translated, some important information was revealed. One of them was about the location that was allegedly the former escape site of one of the princes of the Akkadian kingdom who rebelled at that time. And according to the translation of the ancient Ramang-Ramang manuscript, his ship was allegedly stranded in the waters near the karst hill clusters of South Sulawesi. If it’s now probably around Pangkep or Maros,” continued Amrul in a very enthusiastic tone. But before Amrul could finish his explanation, Tatang suddenly interrupted, “It’s like this, Bro. Sorry to interrupt. I once read about this Akkadian kingdom, and if I’m not mistaken, yes, Bro... this kingdom collapsed around the year two thousand one hundred or so BC. I don’t really remember exactly. At that time, it was led by the grandson of the founder of the Akkadian kingdom, if I’m not mistaken his name was Narang Sing, or Naram Sin.” On the other end of the phone, Amrul nodded slowly. He knew the name, but he held back his words so as not to interrupt Tatang's explanation.

"And from the analysis of several historians that I have read," Tatang continued while moving his hands reflexively, "the alleged cause of the collapse of Akkadia was due to internal factors, one of which might have been a coup or rebellion. But, Bro..." Tatang leaned his body against the back of the car seat, his gaze serious. "There are no historical records about who rebelled. Moreover, the rebels fled to the waters of the Indonesian archipelago, as Bro Amrul said."

"So it's like this, Tatang, this Akkadian Prince did not flee to the Indonesian archipelago, perhaps more accurately, their ship ran aground," said Amrul from across, defending his argument.

Hearing the debate, Rani immediately took her tablet, curious to find out more information about the Akkadian nation.

Winda, who was sitting next to Rani, did not want to be outdone. She hurriedly took her cellphone and joined in on the googling.

Tatang, who looked quite confident, continuing his argument, “But there are also no historical records and even more so historical relics that modern humans have ever lived around the Leang-Leang Karst hills, or the karst hills in Indonesia. There are only historical relics from the ancient human era, and there are so many of them! Historical relics,” Tatang said again with full confidence. “Okay, ready...” Amrul answered briefly, reaching for Tatang’s words. “I’ll continue the explanation, okay. So... The ancient Ramang-Ramang manuscript that my boss bought from the discovery of the local community is a historical record and evidence, Tatang. Well, according to the translation of the ancient manuscript, the exodus from the Akkadian kingdom, their ship ran aground in the karst cluster of Sulawesi waters, and finally they lived and settled in a cave that they carved in such a way, maybe like a map in caves for their residence, but maybe bigger and wider. But indeed until now, no one has done any research, let alone found the exact location of the cave.” Amrul spoke like someone who had just studied the material, his enthusiasm was clearly visible.

Hearing Amrul's explanation on the other end of the phone, Wawan and his team's minds immediately drifted to one of their discoveries—a mysterious cave in Simon's village. However, the location of the cave sparked debate in their minds. Because it is located between the Leang-Leang and Toraja regions, the distance between Leang-Leang and Toraja is around three hundred kilometers. The hilly and remote geographical contour of Toraja also added to the doubt. How could a location like this be a shipping route for the Akkadian exodus? That was highly unlikely.

And how could it be related to traces of civilization involving the exodus of the Akkadian princes, who were known to have reigned supreme in the Mesopotamia region thousands of years ago?

"Rul, maybe not? The statue in Simon's village is related to the exodus of the Akkadian princes?" Wawan asked, full of doubt but trying to sound relaxed. “Honestly, Wan. The main reason the research on the ancient Ramang-Ramang manuscript was continued was because the statue was strongly suspected of being closely related to the ancient Ramang-Ramang manuscript. The reason was because the ornaments, carvings, and engravings on the statue had a striking resemblance to the ornaments in the ancient Ramang-Ramang manuscript. In fact, if I’m not mistaken, there was a carving that almost resembled the statue, but it still needed to be investigated further, because some parts of the carvings had faded.” Amrul’s explanation not only strengthened Wawan’s curiosity, but also sparked a series of new questions. How could an artifact from a cave in a remote area of ​​South Sulawesi be related to the Akkadian civilization located thousands of kilometers away? Did this ancient civilization ever explore the archipelago, or was there a cultural correlation that had been buried by time?

“But how, Rul?” Simon finally spoke. “My logical reasoning seems to think this is very unreasonable, between Akkadian, Leang-Leang, and Toraja, it’s very far, bro. No matter how logical we are from any point of view, we won’t find a common thread,” Simon continued with words that seemed to have been carefully thought out. From the accent and tone of his voice on the other end of the phone, Amrul could tell that it was Simon’s voice.

“Yes, it’s true what Bro Simon said. Indeed, it requires complicated research and long discussions with ancient history experts regarding this finding, Bro. Our team also consists of several history experts whose knowledge we can hold accountable academically,” Amrul emphasized. “But bro, it seems like you’re jumping to conclusions too quickly,” Simon replied flatly.

“Not so fast, Bro. Fifteen years ago, when this ancient Ramang-Ramang manuscript was in our hands, we immediately conducted research. Even my boss and several teams have conducted studies to collect data, by visiting several museums that store inscriptions and ancient manuscripts from The Akkadian Empire in Europe, such as the Louvre Museum in Paris and the National Museum of Iraq in Baghdad. And indeed there are some artifacts from the ancient Sumerian civilization in Mesopotamia that are somewhat similar to the ancient manuscripts found in Ramang-Ramang, but the results were not as expected. Finally, the research was stopped. And after dozens of years passed without any clarity, finally there was a bright spot when Wawan sent photos of the statues found in Bro Simon's village." Everyone was silent listening to Amrul's explanation.

"That's why my boss, Bro, wants to spend a lot of money. This is the biggest cost my boss has spent to buy an antique, because my boss and the team feel that they have found the answer key to the ancient manuscript that we have kept for dozens of years, Bro," Amrul's words were very firm and serious.

"So how is everything?" Simon asked his friends.

"I'll just follow the majority vote, Bro," said Winda, looking away from her cellphone to Simon.

"Yes, Bro, the same. New kids just follow their seniors," Rani chimed in with a smile.

"It doesn't have to be like that, you know. So what about your work?" Jems asked Rani and Winda.

“Relax, Bro Jems. Our job is as journalists and content creators,” Winda answered casually, with her signature smile.

“That’s right, Bro Jems. Everything can be arranged well,” Rani added, nodding.

“Hello, Bro Amrul, this is Jems. Are you still there?” Jems approached Wawan’s cellphone which was placed in the middle.

“Yes, hello, Bro Jems. How are you?” Amrul replied on the other end of the phone.

“So, here’s the thing, Bro Amrul. Honestly, we’re interested in being part of your research. Interested, even though we are, Bro,” Jems said, expressing his enthusiasm.

“Ready, ready, Bro Jems. Thank you in advance!” Amrul replied happily. “But here’s the thing, Bro Amrul, can you give us some time first? Because after all, there are things we have to consider. For example, regarding time, we’re still active employees and our leave is almost up. So let’s discuss it first, okay? Give us two or three days. We’ll let you know later, okay, Bro?” Jems explained carefully.

“Yes, yes, that’s right, Bro. It’s okay. Bro Jems and the guys will discuss it first, I’ll contact you in a week,” Amrul replied, understanding the situation.

“Okay, ready, Bro Amrul. If I may ask, when will this research project start?” Jems asked, wanting to make sure.

“It’s still quite a while, Bro. About three or four months. Because we also need a lot of preparation, we still want to map the coordinates, take care of the permits, and other things, Bro,” Amrul replied casually.

“Okay then. Thank you in advance, Bro Amrul. Greetings to the boss and the other team,” Jems politely ended the conversation.

“Ready, you’re welcome, Bro Jems,” Amrul replied happily. “Okay...” Jems hung up the phone, satisfied with the results of the conversation.

“So what do we do with this? "From what Amrul said earlier, it seems like this project is serious," said Jems while lifting his chin, wanting to make sure of the responses from all his friends.

"For me, it's safe, Jems. Don't let up," said Wawan in a joking tone.

"For you, Wan, I don't need to ask, these two," Jems looked at Simon then at Tatang. "So what about you two?" asked Jems to Tatang and Simon.

"How about you two, I don't need to come," answered Simon without any expression that invited reactions from his friends.

"It's not like that, you know, wei, the answer," said Jems with an unhappy expression. "Yes, yes, Mon. Why aren't you coming?" said Wawan looking disappointed.

"What's the reason, Bro? Why doesn't Bro Simon want to come?" Winda's voice sounded disappointed.

"I just gave an example of a sentence, if someone is invited, but pretends not to want to come," Simon said while laughing. Jems and Wawan immediately approached Simon and ruffled his hair. "Eh... ehm, you, Mon!" Jems exclaimed while laughing. "You know, I'm serious all the way to the top of my head," Wawan complained back to his place.

"What about you, Tang? Are you going to pretend to refuse too?" Wawan turned to Tatang.

"I'll definitely come, Wan. Amrul said, four months from now," Tatang answered enthusiastically.

"Ehm... ehm... take a look at this," Rani said, still looking at her tablet monitor screen. "Look at this statue's head." All eyes were on Rani's tablet monitor.

"If I'm not mistaken, this is the head of the first Akkadian king statue, right, Ran?" Tatang said looking at Rani's tablet monitor.

"Yup... that's right, Kang," Rani replied smiling.

"What's wrong with that, Ran?" Jems asked.

“Just look at the ornaments on the head of this statue, then look at the carvings,” Rani directed attention to the picture she showed. A few seconds later, she showed a picture of the statue they had found.

“Then try to compare it with the statue we dug up? The ornaments on the heads of these two statues are almost identical, plus the carvings,” Rani said. serious face showing the second picture.

“Eh, yeah, you know, wei, it looks like the statue’s head earlier,” said Jems in awe.

“No wonder Amrul was so enthusiastic in explaining, he even explained their research studies in museums. It turns out, there is a common thread to this item,” said Simon.

With a slightly raised voice, Wawan realized Amrul’s intention in their conversation a few minutes ago. “Yeah, that’s why that kid is so comfortable talking at length to explain, to the point where it feels like he’s being lectured,” said Wawan, responding.

“Ran, try going back to the statue’s head earlier,” said Winda, asking Rani to change the picture on the slide on her tablet. “Well, yeah… yeah, this… this one,” Winda said with a very serious face. “Try looking at this statue’s head again, is it the same as the mask we found in the chest?” said Winda then looked at her friends. “How? Is it the same? It’s just that the mask on the chest is missing a beard, while in this picture it has a beard,” said Winda, making it even clearer.

“Eh, yes, it’s the same, wei!” Jems exclaimed with wide eyes.“That’s right… yes… yes, it’s the same. It’s just the beard that’s different,” Wawan replied, feeling very sure. “We were the ones who took the mask and the other contents of the chest into the sack, that’s why I remember it very well,” Wawan continued, feeling even more sure.

“Yes, euy… no wonder when I saw the head of the Akkadian King statue, it felt familiar… ehm, it turns out,” said Tatang, feeling like he had come to his senses.

“Oh yeah, Bro, the contents of the artifacts in the chest seem to be a secret between the six of us. Don’t let anyone else know, especially Amrul’s team,” Rani reminded him.

“Yes, that’s right. It’s enough for us to know, because if Amrul’s team finds out, I’m sure our lives will be restless,” Simon added. “So, what’s our next step?” Simon asked again, trying to divert attention from the rather serious conversation.

“Well, how about it? Those of you who are permanent government employees, go back to work as before. Those of you who are contract employees, think about what you want to do,” Jems replied in a relaxed tone.

“Aah, you idiot! That’s it, Mon… let’s go!” Wawan exclaimed, impatiently.

“Yes, Mon… let’s go… let’s go, I’m hungry again, euy,” Tatang said, adding to leave immediately.

Hearing that, Jems could only smile. “Okay, okay. Let’s go. We’ll find a place to eat.” Simon started his car and immediately rushed to leave the place.

 

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