JAGRAK

Part-19 Lost in Darkness

There was a sound of tarkhem from the mosque and then the dawn call to prayer. There was a little relief on their tired faces, Nina gently said goodbye to her father to go to the mosque. While Magdalene helped her husband to take ablution water. Grace said goodbye and went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. The silence of the morning melted away, the dark and very tired heart seemed to have found light and an antidote. It was as if they had found rest from the crushing fatigue.

Nina rushed to get ablution water, put on a mukena and rushed to the mosque. The steps are wobbly. There are tears in the corners of her eyes, she misses her papa, she also misses Saka and Nina. She missed the time when they were cheerfully joking as they walked towards the mosque. Sometimes she is still sleepy but always Saka and Fareda wake her up, guiding her gently. Those beautiful days seemed to have gone a long time ago, who knows when the last time she laughed cheerfully she had forgotten. When was the last time she took Saka's hand and Nina she had also forgotten. The last time she had been clinging to his father's arms was also forgotten.

Nina ducked into the courtyard of the mosque, occasionally she wiped her tears. From a distance, Ki Sudarsana watched her and felt what she was feeling. He took a deep breath, the next second his face looked up to the sky. Ki Sudarsana asked for a miracle in his heart and promised that no matter what, he would try to get his student back. He had indeed promised and guaranteed that Wisanggeni would no longer interfere in Fareda's affairs. But he never promised not to interfere. Even if h have to prepare for war and his own life is at stake. “I will bring my two disciples back. Whatever the risk."

Ki Sudarsana rushed into the mosque when he saw that Nina had entered the mosque. When he entered the mosque, Iqamat(1) was echoed. After praying together, Ki Sudarsana met Nina in the courtyard. "Are you will allow Abi(2) come to your house together?" The greeting surprised her, she hurriedly grabbed Ki Sudarsana's hand and kissed it. "Of course, Bi," the teacher's greeting was really like a cooling dew for him. Then the two walked hand in hand while talking. The teacher asked about Wisanggeni's condition. She explained at length. The teacher listened, his face not surprised. Ki Sudarsana did know everything. It's just small talk. Ki Sudarsana always knew how to make Nina complain to him. He is also a good listener.

It didn't feel like the two of them had arrived at Wisanggeni's residence. Nina invited her teacher to come in and took her to meet Wisanggeni. After that served coffee and snacks perfunctory. Then she said goodbye because she wanted to make room for the teacher and her father to talk. Magdalene who had been there earlier also said goodbye. She seemed intimate with her daughter. Wisangeni and Ki Sudarsana had a serious conversation. Both are preparing steps to bring Fareda and Saka back.

*****

Saka looked dazed when he realized he was no longer in Fareda's room. With a frightened face he looks around. Everything was dark and foggy, there were only very large trees, their roots gripping the ground and their towering branches. Within five meters his vision could not see clearly because it was dark and foggy. Saka is frozen where he is standing, his body is shaking. In addition to the fear that he was trying to suppress, he also tried to dispel the very cold air that infiltrated the body to the bone marrow.

Saka was still shivering where he was standing, frozen and unable to move when he saw countless shadows appearing from the opposite direction. More and more until there are countless. The shadows grew clearer, forming monstrous figures grinning ferociously at him. The shape and appearance is different but they are equally terrible. He closed his eyes because he didn't want to see them anymore. He was shivering with fear, his eyes started to water with fear. He wanted to faint but in fact he stayed awake. His eyes were indeed closed but ears could hear clearly that they were still approaching and starting to surround him. Saka feels being threatened but it's like something is preventing them from hurting him even though they really want to.

Saka was in that state until he finally decided to open his eyes. Saka is very shocked, he doesn't see anyone there. His eyes searched in all directions but still could not find the figures he was looking for. Saka looks dazed, he doesn't understand all that he is going through. It was only recently that he had seen it all. "Where are they?" He senses clearly that they are still around him, watching his every move. Saka feels himself getting threatened. His confused eyes watched in all directions warily. He staggered up from where he was standing, the only thing he could think of was to get out of that place and go back home.

The atmosphere was still the same dark and foggy, the suffocating cold air still seeped up to the bone marrow. Plus the fear and feeling of being threatened made Saka's body keep shivering. No matter how hard he tried to control himself but still he couldn't do it. The fear he was trying to suppress only made his chest feel even tighter.

Saka closed his eyes many times hoping to find his father, teacher, or Fareda. But in fact everything is just dark and foggy. What he saw when he closed his eyes was absolutely no different from when he opened his eyes. The visibility is less than five meters, plus the large trees around it look even more sinister. Saka feels the trees have millions of eyes and are watching. Its strong roots also seemed to be trying to grip his heart and feelings, narrowing his range of motion. Saka complained in silence, in his heart he kept calling Wisanggeni, Fareda, and Ki Sudarsana.

Saka is getting confused because wherever his feet go he only finds darkness and fog. Big, towering trees with big roots gripping the ground. He desperately hoped to find a glimmer of light, but his hopes were in vain. Looking up at the sky, hoping to see the stars. But there was actually one thing he had just realized, made his heart shrink even more. It makes you feel colder and more hopeless. No matter how high the surrounding large trees towered towards the sky, their visibility was unable to see the sky, how he will see the stars if the sky his eyes not able to reach? Everything is just gray and foggy. It's no different from what's around it. Saka started to think one thing, “what place is this?!”

In confusion, doubt and despair his mind said, "rest! lay your tiredness in the dark! sit down and step aside, let things happen." Saka gave up. Stop moving and choose a tree to lean on. Sit and lay his back there. He stretched his legs, he didn't want to care about anything. He closed his eyes, body, heart, soul, and mind at one point. Surrender!

TO BE CONTINUE