ALKISAH: Prayer for the World [1001 Indonesian Fantasy Stories]
STORY: The Hugs & Inserts of the Future

Story By: Dominic Brian & Kevin E.S.P

Ever seen a big horned bull walking around with a tiny porcelain doll? That's what Jaka and Ratna look like when they're spending their Sunday nights at the fair.

The two of them were so different, not just from appearance, but also from background. Ratna is an accountant at a well-known business company, her appearance is neat, and her body is not high. Jaka is a thug.

Not just an ordinary thug, but the head thug in Gang Girang. Jaka is feared by the people around with his big stature and his anger is no less great. Her smile was also as short as her hair that was cut flat, a cut she chose because her men said it was fashionable—and she had already clamped down hard on those who said otherwise.

Before meeting with Ratna, Sunday night Jaka began by securing his territory from the threats of rival gangs, as well as raising money from nearby shops that thank many— without coercion or any threat, jaka— said because it had secured their store from the danger of violence and robbery.

Then when it was all over, he would go to his subscription stall to think of his fairly simple life purpose, the last one after the treasure and the throne, which was the woman.

When Jaka was an aide to the previous gang leader, he once asked what a real man like himself needed in order to be considered successful in his life. The chairman replied that he must have all three things, because life must be enjoyed as much as possible because we do not know what will happen tomorrow.

Jaka takes very seriously the message from the chairman, so serious until he dethroned him and made the “mantan” chairman must be hospitalized in an out-of-town hospital for his safety.

As the new chairman, Jaka already has the treasure and throne. Now, just women. For Jaka who often hijacks TV stalls to play his favorite romance soap operas, he knows that women cannot be bought for money, because it is not sincere love. A woman should be able to be obtained by using her own effort and charm as a real man. More than one woman had tried to approach him because of his position and status, but none of them accepted Jaka because he could feel that they were not sincere to him.

This made Jaka depressed, who could be seen clearly by the people around him when he spent a minimum of seven glasses of joyful soda in the stall and watched the soap opera with a moody look. Sometimes he closed his eyes and imagined himself kissing a woman while a romance scene was unfolding, continuing to hope in his heart that one day the woman he had been craving for all along.

“Heh! Why are you guys looking around?!”

That was when Jaka first heard Ratna's voice, which immediately jolted out of his fantasy to see what was happening outside the shop.

“Sini dong beautiful..”

“Come mbak, come with us..”.

So said Bang and Sat, the two men of Jaka who sat in front of the shop and were trying to captivate the heart of a woman who passed in front of them, Ratna. Unlike the other women who usually sped up the pace and ignored them, Ratna showed her annoyance by chanting various expletives to the two of them. Some of the words he had spoken had not even been heard before, making him so curious, while Bang and Sat only laughed at his mockery.

Jaka began to think, is this the woman he had been looking for all this time? Bang and Sat were after her, so it was certain that this woman was different from the usual woman. Then he showed resistance, which meant that he was a brave man, suitable for the pairing of a leader of thugs like him. To look like, this woman also looks quite charming, at least for Jaka's taste.

But what can Jaka say to attract his attention? Does it begin with a polite like asking what his name is? Or go straight to him? Or maybe...

Whatever Jaka thought, Bang, Sat, and Ratna only saw the response.

“Grrr..”.

The growl was all that Jaka could let out because he was so confused to determine what he could say.

Bang and Sat, who bowed to their boss, left without saying anything, thinking that Jaka was in a bad mood. While Ratna spoke words that Jaka did not expect at all.

“Thank you!” sahut Ratna with relief while walking towards Jaka, “Kukira I will continue to be bullied by the two people, fortunately you appear.”

“Hmm,” murmured Jaka who still could not string the sentence because of his happy mood.

“What's your name?”

That's how Jaka met Ratna, who then introduced each other's names and promised to meet again at a later time.

But as Jaka knew, from his experience as chairman, getting the area of power was not difficult. Keeping it, it's another story, and Jaka starts to feel that keeping Ratna will be harder than when he gets it. This continued Jaka thought as he continued walking with Ratna at the fair, his face remained petrified.

“What's up, Jaka?”

“N-No Why, Rat...” said Jaka with a doubtful tone that would definitely make the surrounding people turn their head and wonder why the mighty man seemed to be made groggy with a simple question.

“If there is a problem mending you the same story me,” Ratna said with a sweet smile, “I'm a good listener you know.”

Jaka nodded at hearing that, and tried to smile at Ratna with a smile that could make a child cry. Fortunately Ratna was not a child, and she found it sweet from laughing at Jaka's efforts.

“Begini... Actually it has been three days I got the dream. What a weird dream... “

“Hmm? What kind of dream? Try to explain everything.” Ratna seemed interested.

“In my dream, I was in a very, very dark place, but strangely I could see clearly. And there was someone in that dark place. She is a very beautiful woman anyway.. and very.perfect.”.

“Heh...?” Ratna put on a strange smile upon hearing Jaka's explanation.

Jaka who understood the meaning of the smile hurriedly continued his story, so that his Beloved was not mistaken.

“A-ah! But, I don't care about her beauty!” Jaka chirps.

Ratna laughed softly. “Not to panic so dong.” Ratna. “But, well your dream is indeed very strange in my opinion.”

“I-iya... I've been dreaming about that girl for three nights. In that dark place, the girl sat in the air, and she kept looking at me with a sharp gaze. Until finally, last night, the girl stopped looking at me with her cynical gaze, and got off her invisible chair. Then... she walked towards me.”

“Hah!? Keep going!? What happened!?” Pekik Ratna was getting curious.

“She said that she chose me... And he'll fuck me first... Then, when he finished talking, I immediately woke up in panic.“

“Lho... Is that doang?” Ratna asked who was now astonished. “I don't understand... “

“Iya... I'm also the same kok—”

“I'm the first!”

“No, me!”

“Nak only!”

A sudden commotion could be heard, coming from the ice cream stall. The two of them immediately turned their heads and saw that Bang and Sat were struggling on the ground without caring or knowing that they were now the center of attention.

“Basic handyman nyerobot!”

“Her fault go first!”

“I told you to take care of my place!”

Seeing this, Jaka made a note to himself to immediately clamp down on the two subordinates as they met again at the stall for embarrassing him in front of the woman he liked.

“Huh, you rude thugs,” Ratna said curtly, making Jaka instantly turn to her and see Ratna staring at them like how someone looks at a smelly mound of trash, he said, “I hate people like that.”

As fast as a flick of a finger, Ratna turned to Jaka with a sweet smile that should melt Jaka's heart, “But thankfully you're not like them. Isn't that right, Jaka?”

But Jaka was too stunned to hear Ratna's previous words to enjoy the smile. If until Ratna knows Jaka is a thug, especially if you know his anger is similar to the anger of a bull when you see the red color, their relationship is over.

“Hngh,” is just a word that Jaka can say and Ratna takes it as a sign she agrees.

“Yuk, we look for other rides only!” ratna said excitedly while pulling Jaka's hand.

A struggle was also going on in Jaka's mind, what did he have to say to Ratna? Jaka doesn't want to just stop being a thug, this is his life, he doesn't know what he should do if he suddenly stops. Is it possible that he should hide his thuggish work—if it's a job or even the legitimate word—for so on? Or did Jaka have to take the simplest decision, but also the most difficult, which is to be honest with Ratna?

No human who does not like the word free—with some exceptions—including Jaka. Perhaps this was an opportunity for him to know what decision he had to take to maintain his relationship with Ratna.

“Ratna, we just go there yuk,” invite Jaka while pointing to the tent, “It looks interesting.”

“Wah, can tuh! Yuk!”

When entering the tent, inexplicably Jaka felt that he was in another world, and it was not a figure of speech. In addition to the cooler air, the bright light that enters through the tall and graceful windows makes it seem to be on a sunny day and no longer on a fair night. There was no way that a tent that looked as big as a stall in Gang Girang could accommodate a hall that was the size of a football field near his house and as tall as Ratna's office building.

The two looked up in astonishment.

“Something seems wrong... But this place is really cool to think about.“ Ratna Mumbled. Admiration emanated on her beautiful face.

“There can I help?”

The voice of the foreign-talking woman surprised Jaka and Ratna, who seemed to appear behind them with a tall and well-built body like a trained servant.

Sharpening his eyes, Jaka began to observe the woman while positioning his hand in front of Ratna to guard her. The woman also looked at him with sharp eyes and looked cunning like a fox observing its prey. Jaka also thought of her as a fox, with long reddish-orange hair and a slender figure dressed in formal maid-like clothing.

But the appearance of these servants was in stark contrast to the look of the hall they were in, which had a high ceiling and was supported by sturdy stone pillars, which were solid, so also with the carved stairs that lead down them. In this tent—if you can still say so—malah like the hall of an old cathedral that Jaka often sees visited by tourists.

“We want to see the future,” replied Ratna innocently, making Jaka feel that Ratna seemed to ignore the strangeness of this place.

“Please sit first,” said the waiter pointing to chairs circling a small white table that looked so small compared to the vastness of the hall. “I will call the person you are looking for.”

Jaka continued to stare intently at the waiter, giving him the gaze he had used whenever he was charging debts to the local shopkeepers. But the servant did not budge, until Jaka felt that the servant's eyes did not even blink from earlier.

“Come Jaka, here sit.”

“Ah—oke,” replied Jaka who momentarily turned to look at her lover, and then had a small heart attack when she saw that the servant had disappeared from before her when she turned to Ratna. His hair began to stand up, and the Gang Girang thug began to admit in his heart that he was afraid.

For Ratna's sake, she still put on a stiff face. But Ratna seems to know about it.

“You're pale? What's up?”

“Neither is it,” replied Jaka flatly while wiping cold sweat on his forehead, “It looks like it is too hot here, I am so uncomfortable.”

“Hahaha, time anyway? This place is cold, like when you take me to the top,” Ratna smiled sweetly, remembering the fun moments they spent together in that place, “Definitely this place uses a lot of AC so that it can make this cold atmosphere.”

Jaka just agreed with Ratna's words, not daring to say that the cold was even too similar to the mountain air. Whatever the strange woman will do, Jaka will protect her lover.

“Welcome,” says one male voice with an equally foreign accent to Jaka, “Sorry to make you two wait.”

The servant reappeared from the stairs leading underground while leading the person whom Jaka considered to be the soothsayer. Jaka believes he is a man because of his voice, although his appearance looks feminine to him, with long white hair reaching his shoulders, similarly, his face looks smooth and his skin is as pale as the white robe he wears. It is clear that the astrologer was also blind, for a white silk cloth covered his eyes—or perhaps so.

“So,” said the astrologer who was helped sit by the waiter, “Who wants to do it first?”

"Me!” replied Ratna excitedly, “But may I ask first?”

“Please.”

“Why free? Not that looking at the future requires special abilities huh? So there should be..” Ratna was silent for a while while thinking about the right words before continuing her sentence, “Her payment, right?”

“Before I got this gift, I also thought the same thing,” replied the astrologer calmly, “But it turns out that people do not want to hear their own future because they are afraid that the future they do not like and cannot be avoided. After all I also do not need money, I just want to try to see the future of others besides kings and rulers who often try to find me.”

Jaka snorted at the astrologer's explanation, this must be just a scenario of subterfuge so that he could sound more convincing. But a small voice within him felt that everything the astrologer said was true, and from his tone explained, he could be much older than he seemed.

“Oh so apparently. Thank you for the explanation, master forecaster,” said Ratna politely, “Then I do not need to see his future, maybe what you say is true. Let my future be a surprise, I guess not exciting if you know what will happen later, hahaha!”

The astrologer only smiled at her, as if Ratna had made a wise decision, or because the soothsayer did have a gentle person.

“Helpter,” says Jaka in high tone, “Read my future.”

“Good, can you have more specific request?”

“Soal asmara.”

“Put your hands here,” said the astrologer who reached out his palm to Jaka, “And I will see.”

The clairvoyant's hand felt so smooth and cold, but Jaka did not think much of it and turned to Ratna while giving her a confident smile. For her, this was an opportunity to show her courage in front of Ratna, if she was not afraid of her future.

“Thank you,” said the astrologer while pulling again his hand, making Jaka surprised because he only takes a few seconds to see the future, “So do you want me to lie or be honest?”

“Hah!? What do you mean?!” sahut Jaka was confused, surprising Ratna who had never heard Jaka use such a loud voice, a voice that Jaka often used to intimidate his opponent before making a brawl.

“I think honesty is the best policy, Therefore I will not hide anything,” replied the astrologer innocently, “But many great people are not satisfied to hear my honest prophecy, , so I can give you a very good lie prediction to hear.”

“What kind of lie?!”

“Like, ‘relationship with your partner will run smoothly without any obstacles’.”

The astrologer's words caused Jaka to ride, and Ratna has never seen such a broad face since she saw a documentary about bull ramming in Spain.

“Then the actual forecast will be like what?!”

“Yeah, you guys are going to break up tonight too.”

Usually those who hear the truthfulness of the astrologer immediately leave in anger without saying anything, or denying the astrologer.

However, Jaka was not like them. With one mighty blow, the soothsayer bounced back and his servant immediately ran up to him. A satisfaction for Jaka to see him limp on the floor after hearing him say things he did not want to hear.

But a footstep further away from him made Jaka aware of his anger. When he turned his head, he only saw Ratna walking out of him. A word of apology and apology was immediately spoken from his mouth that Ratna did not listen to.

Now Jaka realizes how dangerous it is to know the future, and when Ratna comes home by herself, Jaka tries to find the fortune teller's little tent, but she doesn't find it.

For the first time for Bang and Sat who saw Jaka from a distance, they saw the thug leader Gang Girang sobbing like a child.

Maybe Jaka should be prepared to defend his position from his two subordinates who considered that he had softened.

Perhaps Jaka was not aware of the saying that true love will not always run smoothly, and the soothsayer just said that the night they would break up.

It's possible that Jaka and Ratna could make up again sometime. Might as well.

The future is only a hope, not a promise.

“What would happen if God did not exist? I can't imagine what the world would be like if the Fate ruled over life. Surely this world will be filled with a terrible cry.” the Seer glanced at his servant, and the servant looked down. “But well, thank goodness the Fate has got its new toy... Victim twenty-three..“

Then the seer closed his tent, and at that moment the tent simply vanished from sight.