All Chapters of In the Name of the Sacred Tree: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30
285 Chapters
20 | Strong Will
THEN, the emcee read out the next schedule. It was the turn of a Muslim scholar who would give a speech. I was surprised when the name of Imam Shahryr was called. I did not see him earlier.Imam Shahryr wore the same clothes he wore when he was present at In-Depth with Aaliyah yesterday. Thawb and guthrah. As he walked towards the pulpit on the stage, the shouts of Allahu Akbar repeatedly resounded.Standing at the pulpit, Imam Shahryr replied to the shout with Allahu Akbar as well. The atmosphere at Abdul Rasheed's house became more crowded. Hundreds of people with turbans suddenly pushed forward before the Imam. It seemed they really intended to listen to his speech.I was sure they are Indonesian Muslim Defender mass.After greeting, Imam Shahryr began his speech by praising the appearance of Aisha, who had just recited Surah At-Tin. I just found out that what Aisha read was apparently Surah At-Tin. But wait a minute. Wasn't Tin is the Arabic for fig t
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21 | A Ruse
MY cell phone alarm rang. It made me wake up, and it was half-past seven in the morning. As usual, I hurriedly got up and immediately cleaned myself in the bathroom. After that, I rubbed my underarms with deodorant, and I sprayed my body with perfume. Then I put on my shirt and trouser.I swore, at the campus, I would never see Aisha again.I stepped out onto the lawn and heating at my favorite automatic motorbike that I just bought three months ago. But how come there was something odd. Usually, every time I wanted to go to campus, my mother was fussy. But, it was different. I looked at the shop. I saw Jenny was typing on her cell phone. She seemed to be smiling to herself."Don't you go to campus?" I asked while concerned."No," she replied, then smiling."Why?" I was curious."Today is a day off," Jenny burst out laughing.What the hell? I thought aloud."Okay, where is mom?" I asked."At Mother Catherine's house, wor
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22 | Consent
WHEN Julia opened the package, I could suddenly see that her eyes were sparkling. She tried to cover up her joy by turning her body around. Julia then spread the gown she dreamed of towards the vent. Apparently, she was trying to light up the dress. It was raining. What was she doing?However, Julia looked so happy till she was rolling on the floor. Sorry, I was just exaggerating it."Surprise!" I said with my sign language.Amid Julia admiring the gown she wanted, I shifted to sit on the battered sofa in the living room. She then lowered her dress, turned around again, then looked at me sharply."How much?" she asked by her sign language."200 thousand rupiahs," I answered honestly by my finger alphabets, continuing to dry my body. "And you have to return my money?"I said that on purpose so that Julia felt attached to me for being in debt. I laughed slyly to myself."Impossible?! In online this gown is 500 thousand rupiahs. Where di
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23 | Law Enforcer(s)
I was curious.Just about to walk towards Julia's house, a woman's voice called out to me. From the tone, I could recognize my mother's voice. She seemed to be walking hurriedly from the direction of the Laymisch's stall. My mother seemed to be holding a file."Lang!" my mother called me."Yes," I answered her."You are awaited in Laymisch's," my mother said as she flicked the file in the air and just passed me.What was making her in such a hurry? Maybe she forgot something while working at Mother Catherine Catering. But, what file was she carrying? It seemed important.Okay, later. Now, there was something more urgent."Lang!" called my mother from inside the shop."Yes," I replied, stopped my intention to go to Julia’s house."Where’s your cell phone," my mother asked. "My phone's credit runs out.""Okay," I turned around and gave her my cell phone.I did not know who she was going to call. B
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24 | The Tarnished Piety
"Reverence," said Big K.Alright!Mr. P and Matt giggled.They did not know what I just experienced last night at Aisha’s house and this day with Julia. Especially the last name I mentioned--after all disputes--now I even had a cute chat with her older brother.If Julia complained to Big K about what happened in her house earlier, he would cast and throw me in the sea. And my body would never be found.But it seemed Julia did not say anything to Big K.I interrupted in the middle of the song, asking Big K and Cole why they did not work? They replied that they had been overtime the day before. Now they only worked half a day."Where is Santos?" I asked."Dating your lecturer," said Big K."Who?" I was curious."Why should I know? I'm not his mother," he replied.We continued to party while joking. Amid our jokes, the corner of my eye caught something familiar. A black Toyota Avanza was parked across fr
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25 | Shooting Stars
BIG K, Cole, Mr. P, Matt, and I hitched a ride in a chartered pickup. The trip to Brother Thompson Stadium was always thrilling. Along the way, an aura of solidarity was exposed in the air. Chants of support to Surabaya United continued to boom, accompanied by trumpets and drum beat.It was as if the Certajava Gutrechtians had forgotten the Bowie arrest incident. But I did not.Amid my anger, I wanted to know more details about Bowie's arrest by the Indonesia Corruption Eradication Commission (ICEC) in the news. I took my cellphone and opened the website of the Indonesian Herald. It was the most famous online news channel. There, Bowie's arrest made the headlines.Apparently, my allegation was true. The two incidents were really related. ICEC officers arrested Bowie in the aftermath of the arrest of Madura Regent Floyd Austin Sr.It was just like the news broadcasted by Indonesia News Channel (INC) earlier. The Floyd Austin Sr. case was a bribe case. He w
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26 | Maroon Stain
I still could not believe Julia found me tattered on the middle east restaurant patio. But now, she even led me to her chamber. Julia then dragged me into her private room. She was no longer sob, but her heart filled with flowers.In Julia's room, I could see the glowing lights dimly. But, I could still look at Julia, who looks beautiful wearing only a red polka-dotted negligee. I remembered her challenge this afternoon."Repeat if you dare," that was how she provokes me.I ventured closer to her slowly. Julia suddenly blushed. I put my hands around her waist. Julia greeted my action by placing her palms on my chest. Up close, I could see her lips started to open. I dare myself to push my lips against Julia's.I enjoyed the tongue's sensation.Then I shifted the two straps of the negligee on Julia's shoulders downward. She was complied, lowering her hand. At that moment, I could feel the smooth skin of her arms. I continue to sag it until the negli
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27 | A Quarrel
WHEN I got home, I saw my sister Jenny serving a customer at the shop. I opened my house fence, and it was apparently unlocked. Before I entered, my eyes were disturbed. It turns out there was a broken flower pot on the outside of my house.How did it break?Alright, it was fine. Maybe it was because of the neighborhood children who played, knocking the pot down, and then it fell and broke.My own mother, Lidia, really likes caring for plants. In the front yard of the house, lined and hung various types of ornamental plants and herbs."What happened?" I asked Jenny, pointing to the broken flower pot."I don't know," she replied.I took a broom and a wastebasket, then cleaned and threw the broken flower pot into the trash can.After that, Jenny asked where did I sleep last night? I answered at Mr. P's house in Maynard. I could not answer that I slept at Julia's house. I then added, when I got home last night, the house fence was alread
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28 | This Old House
"LANG!" shouted a woman calling me from outside the room. "Greyson Langley!" she shouted again. “Wake up, Son! Aren't you picking up Amelia? ""Yes, Ma’am!" I replied half-consciously from my room.But, how come my mother knew I have to pick up Amelia later in the night? I did not tell her. Maybe, my father was the one who told her. Then, I saw a black wall clock. There was the white letter A and letter W logo, which are stacked against each other. Its short forefinger pointed to the number 5, while its long index finger pointed to the number 1. It was five o'clock in the afternoon.Apparently, I fell asleep after playing guitar earlier. Aspirin was indeed efficacious! No wonder driving people were prohibited from consuming it.I then stretched my stiff muscles, then looked at my cellphone. There were several message chats via WhatsApp. In a lying position, I read whoever sent me messages. The newest one was Amelia Limantoro, who remind me to
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29 | The Emperor's Heir
ON the veranda, Benjamin seemed to pull something out of his shorts pocket. Apparently, he picked up a carved bamboo-ivory smoking pipe, a lighter, and a pinch of tobacco and cloves. Benjamin sat across from Vincent, who was busy observing the news clippings.Benjamin's fingers looked lively when he mixed tobacco and cloves. He then put the herbal concoction into the end of the pipe that resembled a bowl. Benjamin then set fire to it with his lighter.This old Chinese man closed his eyes and took a solemn inhale of the nicotine. The smoke that came out of his mouth was as much as the smoke of an old rickshaw exhaust.Sucked up a smoking pipe, Benjamin looks more charismatic. But in my opinion, he was artsy too. The smoking pipe was indeed a legendary device. Based on its history, the device was in use long before the cigarette industry developed.Benjamin then stood up and back to the living room. He called his maid. The one who was summoned arrived while
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