The Stupid of Laweyan's Shoulder
CHAPTER 2: Signs

A little girl was running around in a yard. He played alone, happily. Not far from him, a woman sat watching the little girl. He waved at the little girl who was running around.

"Be careful, Nduk ...."

Just as the woman was silent, little Mesha fell down, but noticeably, the boy was silent looking straight at her with his eyes wide.

In his vision, Mesha saw a man with a pale face and wearing all-black clothes standing in front of him.

"Haloooo, girl. Will you play with me?"

Mesha only fell silent, Mesha's eyes widened to look at the man standing in front of him.

"Om who?"

"I? Your future husband" said the man with a sinister laugh.

Mesha cried in fear, covering his face with his tiny hands.

"Mother ... mother ...!" call him on the sidelines crying.

Mayang immediately ran up to his son when he saw the little girl crying hysterically. Mayang was confused, why could his daughter cry hysterically like that. Hugged the little girl.

"Itshaang ... Why sobbing? Is anyone sick?"

The girl shook her head in his arms.

"Bus ... Mother ... what is the husband-to-be?" little Mesha asked, as her crying subsided.

Mayang was shocked.

"Where do you know those words from?"

"From the om-om who was standing here, ma'am. Echa scared, sereeemmm ...."

Mayang hugged his daughter back, with an erratic feeling.

In the evening, after putting Mesha to sleep, Mayang paced uneasily in the living room. Bagas, her husband watched Mayang from a distance. Bagas could not help himself as Mayang began to sigh and sat slamming his body on the sofa.

"Mom why the hell?" ask Bagas with a probing face.

Mayang was aghast, he held his chest.

"Father ... make a surprise mom ...."

"From now on, you notice, I'm pacing around like an iron, why?"

Mayang sighed, then he lowered his voice.

"Mesha, Mr ...."

"Why Mesha, Mom?"

"A few times, I noticed. There's something weird about this kid ...."

"Any? Meanin?"

"Oh well, I don't know either, sir .. The child is like seeing something no one else can see."

"What tomorrow you ask your brother who can see 'so', Mom?"

"Can, Sir."

"Yaudah .. Mom now rest."

Mayang nodded, while Bagas went into the room.

Suddenly the feathers of Mayang bristled. He stroked his nape, his eyes running around looking for something. He was wide-eyed, when he saw a black shadow not far from him. He closed his eyes, and when his eyes opened, the shadow had already disappeared.

Mayang hurriedly walked into the room, and quickly closed the door. Bagas, who saw his wife's behavior, was stunned.

"Why else, Mom?"

"Ndak .. nothing, sir. Yuk's sleeping!"

Mayang immediately slipped into the blanket, as soon as he arrived at the bed.

Meanwhile, the black shadow figure earlier, walked towards Mesha's sleeping room hugging her beloved brown teddy bear. The shadow became a man. He sat on the edge of Mesha's bed, he looked at Mesha's face, grinned, then stroked the reddish cheek.

The man, smiling again, then turned into a wisp of smoke, and disappeared.

*******

The next day, Bagas was on the phone with someone.

"Yes, Kang .. ask Kang very much for help. Anyway, I have to see my son yes.ya Mesha to, who else? yaa .. yeah .. I hung up on Kang."

Mayang watched her husband, while feeding Mesha who was sitting while playing her doll.

"Where, sir?"

"Later in the afternoon, he said Kang Suryo would stop by here, Mom. Look, what's the same Mesha."

Mayang is just mangosteen.

"There is nothing dear ... inget sama pakde Suryo right? Who used to buy Echa wooden slender toy ...."

Mesha.

"Well, sir wants to see Echa again."

"Ooohhh ..." answered mesha rounding her tiny lips.

"Ah .. hot ...." Suddenly Mesha held onto his left shoulder.

Mayang rushed to Mesha. He undressed Mesha's shoulders, saw a brownish-red mark the size of a coin, and began to wipe it. Although Mayang saw Mesha's birthmark hundreds of times, he was still surprised, why his daughter's birthmark seemed unusual.

"It's still hot, Nduk?"

Mesha shook his head, and continued playing his puppet.

Mayang hugged him, and stroked Mesha's head. In his heart he said,

"What's up, Nduk?"

It was getting late in the afternoon, there was a dock entering the yard of the house. From the dock, a man came down wearing a blangkon and dressed in striated clothes. Mayang who was sweeping the terrace immediately called Bagas, her husband.

"Monggo .. Pinarak used to be Kang" said Bagas, as he gave his thumbs up to a terrace chair made of teak wood.

The man was still looking around, his eyes looking and researching, then he sat on a chair.

Before long, Mayang came out with a tray of drinks and snacks.

"How are you, Kang Suryo? Healthy?" bagas said breaking the silence between the two of them.

Suryo smiled at her smile.

Mesha ran out towards the courtyard, Mayang followed in a hurry behind him.

"Be careful to, Nduk ...."

Instantly, Suryo looked towards Mesha. He looked like a plume of black smoke, the plume of smoke visible behind Mesha. Suryo immediately stood up from his shock.

Bagas saw Suryo's reaction when observing Mesha, he grew more worried.

"cha! Here, Nduk. Salim was the same sirde!" bagas.

Mesha walked over slowly and timidly, then he extended his tiny hand towards Suryo.

After touching Mesha's hand, Suryo sees a "vision". In his vision, a man dressed in all black, was sitting looking at him sharply. Suryo hurriedly pulled his hand.

Bagas gave the code to Mayang.

"Nduk, come! It's afternoon, take a shower first yes Cah ayu ..." said Mayang while holding Mesha's hand, to enter the house.

"Gas, your son, something's wrong ...." Suryo hesitantly said those words.

"I mean, Kang? What's wrong with that?"

Suryo gave Bagas a code to approach. After Bagas approached, Suryo said in Bagas' ear,

"This son of yours, favored by the gentle nation ...."

Bagas jerked, and spontaneously moved away.

"What a fact, Kang!"

"I can't talk at length, maybe this thing is watching me right now" Suryo said half-whisperingly.

"But have no bad consequences for my daughter, Kang?

"Yes, that's for sure. For the time being, it seems safe. Butiii .. maybe the creature will sometimes appear to greet Mesha."

Bagas still could not believe what he heard.

"It's a curse, Bagas. Believe not believe ...."

Suryo left Bagas' house. An ojek customer for Bagas, drove Suryo home. On the way, he saw a man standing under a tree, with a sharp look towards him. Who exactly is that man? Suryo wondered in his heart.

Connect ....

******

Kang: a term for an older brother, or an elder/respected man.

Panjenengan: You, in fine Javanese.

Pakde : Name for older brother from mother/father.

Monggo pinarak: Please sit down.

Salim: the tradition of shaking hands with kissing hands, as a courtesy.

Cah ayu: Adulation, which means beautiful child.