Bulan Cakduh
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2
the Duel29Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡS1YazwtLdG
&
the Wedding
II
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The sun stretches out from sky and touches the roofs of the people in Tanah Melaywasi.
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That includes Dayang, who is still sleeping soundly on her bed. With a slight drool drip from her face and snoring away in deep slumber, Dayang was greeted by the sun ray beaming at the corner of her eye and slowly creeping up on her face. It shines directly on her face so it probably burns her skin bit by bit. She finally woke up by changing her position of sleep and now her feet are burning.
All the while she slumbers away in her room, someone knocked at the back door kitchen. Cik Siah, who happens to fix herself with morning coffee, walked to open the door and surprised by the sight of Chandra smiling at her who’s holding a basket of ikan siakap.
“Eh! Chandra? It’s you! What are you doing here this morning?”
“Hi Cik Siah, Nothing, I was just fishing near the river at dawn and caught a lot of them. So, I thought I’d give some to you.” Chandra shows a rotan basket filled with siakap to the brim. Cik Siah was shock to see the amount of the fishes.
“Oh wow, I see. Thank you for your generosity.”
“You’re welcome, Cik Siah. So, where can I store them?”
“Huh? Oh yes, the fish. Well, come in, come in.”
Cik Siah invites Chandra to come in and immediately the sight of huge basins and pots filled with masak lemak and a few steels container is full with ayam masak merah and other rewang utensils been used to cook just laying everywhere around the kitchen.
“Sorry for the view, my nieces were busy staying up last night preparing the feast for the upcoming tahlil in two moons. And now, they just left the pots and pans for me to clean it by myself. Adoi, those kids!”
“Haha, that’s why.”
Chandra carefully not to misstep his foot or accidentally knock down the rewang food. He’d know he’d be a dead meat if he did.
Cik Siah pauses herself and looked around to find the wet food storage which is hidden under the rewang clutter. She found the storage and spoke while pointing at it,
“Ah there, put the fishes in there.”
Chandra looks over and saw the cold storage at the back, in row with other tall wooden cabinets of spices and herbs. After finishing storing the fishes, Dayang suddenly appeared beside Chandra at the kitchen door and surprised him.
“Morning…oh, morning Chandra.”
“Uhm-!”
She has the weird bed head going on her hair and her left hand under her shirt, scratching her itchy chest, revealing her stomach. The view was verily shocked to Chandra. Without saying a word. He quickly stood still. Looked up. And never dared to opened his eyes.
Dayang calmly and lazily walked past Chandra with a big yawn, still scratching her itch. The room between them was small because they are in between the wooden cabinets and the massive kawah and pots at their feet so Dayang had to push Chandra a bit closer to the cabinet with her other hand. So, she places her hand on his bare chest and lean in towards him. She skids slowly, one step at a time.
“Sorry, just gotta grab something.”
Chandras’ will and dignity is at stake. To him, it was happening in slow motion. He can feel her warm and soft hand on his chest. It tickles a bit. He clenched his fist and pray to all of the gods he believed. Luckily, Cik Siah managed to witness before it got worse. She yelled in horror.
“ASTAGHFIRULLAHAL’AZIM!!! DAYANG!!! Have you got no shame?! With your stinky hair and snobby appearance?”
“Laa…lek la, Mak Siah.…it’s just Chandra. It’s not like he never saw me in just a batik before, right, Chandra?”
Chandra never replied. He stayed quiet and stood there. Fist clenched and his face is as red as he gets. Dayang looked at him and asked,
“Right, Chandra?...Hey, Chandra? You alright?”
She came close to tap his shoulder but Chandra quickly made his escape. He grabbed his stuff before his leave. He looked down and cried,
“Uh!...I see you later, Cik Siah! Bye!”
Chandra ran past Cik Siah and never looked back. He can feel his heart beating loudly at his throat.
‘OMG…OMG…OMG…I’m a horrible friend. Horrible! Degenerate! A piece of trash who deserve to die! How could you! How could you think of her like that! She has been nothing but loyal and kind to you. She’s your best friend but you…you…GRAAHHHH!!!!’
He huffed and puffed away from that place, running past through his house where his amma is waiting for him and the rottan basket.
“Dei! Chandra! Where are you going, you stupid head?!”
“I’m going to hell, amma! I’m sorry for being a horrible son!”
“What?! I can’t hear you?!”
“I’m a sinner, amma! But I swear I will take responsibility. I swear! I SWEEEAARRR!!!!”
‘DAMN YOU STUPID THOUGHTS’
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***
At the Istana Luwasangkah, Maharaja Shah Kalang Raktti was seen to be pacing up down from his throne to the end of the carpet beneath. His right-hand man has been following Maharaja by his side, frantically going to and fro with an anxious face, looking down. The other two guards standing tall and bold just 3 meters apart from the throne and two rows of dayangs holding various (hadiah pengantin nama), wearing a perfect combination of purple and blue pastel with sprinkles of glitter in pink. All the laces and embroideries are made out of golden sews. After running laps, Maharaja finally spoke,
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“Oh Tuhan, where is he? He has been in the room for ages. The other party might arrive here soon and we are missing a groom!”
“Oh Tuanku, it is still early. Why don’t you sit down and drink first and I will-”
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The right-hand man interfered and the Maharaja has never been upset with his offer.
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“What did you just say?....Didn’t you hear what I said!? Are you stupid or just very dumb?! Do you think A DRINK will solve it?! ”
“Apologies, Tuanku. Accept my thousand apologies. I am wiling to cut my life for you.”
The right-hand man was basically kissing the floor as he said it. The guards did not dare to move or ever looked at the commotion and all the dayangs looked down and closing their eyes, shaking in fear of their position.
“Ugh! I am wasting time with you. ALL OF YOU!...Fuck it! I’m going to his ro-”
“Can you calm down for once, father? I am here now. So, don’t need to shout.”
Putera Hamzah steps into the throne room with his assistance by his side and his dayangs following two rows just behind him. He was wearing a golden outer thin long robe, dark emerald pants with yellow white rough kain pelikat folded tightly into a flower to his side. His dark emerald-coloured ‘baju melayu’ glows brightly in the room, defeating any looks he has ever worn in his life.
All the dayangs are especially keen on keeping their guards up around Putera Hamzah today, because his gracefulness is exceptional towards every woman he saw. His way of speech today was very sweet and charming because it was his way of practicing to dazzle his soon-to-be-wedded-planned-wife. It seems he’s doing it pretty well; but perhaps too well one supposes.
During in Putera Hamzah’s chamber one hour ago, five dayangs were preparing him for the wedding, two of which is at both of his side styling him outfit while the three stood idle by. Then, one dayang came rushing into his room with a tray holding a glass of water, panting for air and sweating like crazy.
“Ha…ha.. Tuan Hamba, I have brought you your water.”
‘I see, She must be the new dayang’
“Thank you, you may put it beside me.”
Putera Hamzah gestured to put it on the table beside him.
As the dayang put down the water, Putera Hamzah called for her.
“Hey you, come here.”
The dayang was shocked but followed his orders anyway. The dayang stood in front of Putera Hamzah.
“Closer.”
The dayang hesitated, two dayangs at the putera’s side were too at shocked by his sudden command. But that dayang just do as what she was told. She steps inch closer to him. He didn’t move as the two dayangs continued at their duty. He then spoke,
“What’s your name?”
“N-Nabila, Tuan Hamba.”
“Were you running just now when I asked you to get me my water?
“Um..I, um,…I, uh…”
“You did, didn’t you?”
The dayang stayed silent and didn’t look at him. Then, suddenly, Putera Hamzah steps closer to her, ignoring the two dayangs and raises his hand. The dayang flinched as she thought he was about to slap her but then, he takes his sleeve and wipes her sweat running down on her cheeks, softly.
“ sigh You don’t necessarily have to run for me. What would have happened if you’d fall and hurt yourself? Then, the glass would break and my father sees it, he would go mad.”
All the dayangs were aghast and speechless at his unexepected action. That dayang was frozen and accidentally made eye contact of his soft expression, half-smiling at her.
‘OH MY HEAVENS! HIS EYES ARE MAGNIFICENT AND HIS FACE IS TOO MAJESTIC TO LOOK AT! I CAN’T BELIEVE HE IS WIPING MY DISGUSTING SWEAT WITH HIS CLOTHES!’
“Next time…carefully bring it to me, okay?”
He smiled with his eyes at her.
‘Oh lord, his smile…it’s so beaut-’
Tha dayang suddenly spurted blood out of her nose and fainted backwards. The other dayangs were in shocked and screamed at the scene which alerted the guards to burst into the room. The fainted dayang was carried away carefully by the guards and Putera Hamzah ordered the other dayang to accompany her just in case, leaving him alone in his chamber.
He then sat down in defeat. He then has a cringing monologue about himself.
“sigh, did I come on too strong? Was I not supposed to touch her? How far should I do it? How exactly am I going to show my affection or compassion if this keeps happening to everyone…”
He stops and stares at an open jewelry box where the silver badik lies. He then remembered of the night with the mysterious warrior. The way she fights and the way she looks at him with such gaze. Such fierce.
“Well…not everyone.”
***
At last, the wedding ceremony has arrived.
Everything was according to planned. The venue has been set; the food is royally prepared to fed. Maharaja Shah Kalang Raktti and Putera Hamzah and other royal relatives were seated on the adjusted rank altar. Everything was perfect…almost.
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In a distance, Chandra was busy collecting some ubi leaves in his kebun when he heard someone yelled in pain,
“Ouch! Ugh, my feet hurt.”
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He ran to the person, and seeing a woman with pick hair got stuck in the thorny vines of pumpkins vegetables. He held out his hand to help.
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“Hey…are you okay? Are you…lost?”
“Oh wow…I am now, in your eyes.”
She grabbed and pull herself towards him, made Chandra stepped back in shock.
“What?”
“Oh, no. I meant, I’m Aom Long Jun. Nice to meet you.”
She stood up on the few flatten pumpkin on the ground and swatted away the dirt on her dress. She smiled sweetly and held out her hand.
“Oh hi, nice to meet you. I’m Chandra A/L Mundralavik. You can call me Chandra.”
He shook it back while scratching his head in confusion.
“Um…are you happen to-“
Before Chandra could finish, Aom interrupted,
“Say, Chandra. You don’t happen to smell siakap masak kari, is it?”
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-End of Chapter 2: Part 2-
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