“Yo!” said the mustached man, crossing his arms with a rough voice. “Give it to him! I gotta get an answer today, Kalingundil!! You hear!?” The person named Kalingundil nodded and accepted the letter handed to them.
“If he talks too much…,” the mustached man said again, “just take care of it. Leave now, and if necessary, bring Saksoko!” Kalingundil stood up and left the room.
Just as Kalingundil disappeared behind the door, Suranyali, the thick mustached man, appeared. “Damn woman! Worthless woman!” He clenched his right fist and pounded the wooden table in front of him. “Crack!!” The table broke. The four legs sank three inches into the floor tiles, and the tiles themselves cracked!
Then, he stood up. His body trembled with uncontrollable anger. His mouth opened again, and he cursed to himself. “Crazy woman! Left for a year and suddenly got married! Got pregnant and had a child! Damn it!” Suranyali stood with heavy breaths in front of the window, then he walked to another table in the room.
From a jug, he drank cold water. But after just two sips, the jug was empty. “Damn it!” Suranyali cursed again. He threw the jug to the ground, shattering it into pieces. An middle-aged woman appeared with her head at the other door, but seeing Suranyali in a rage, she quickly disappeared again.
Finally, Suranyali grew tired of cursing and being angry like that. He threw his body onto a chair, feeling how tired he was. “Ludjeng!” Suranyali shouted. A middle-aged woman who had appeared at the entrance hurried over.
“Yes, Denmas Sura…”
“You’re a damn fool too!” Suranyali snapped at the woman. His spit sprayed, and Wilujeng didn’t dare to wipe the saliva that wet her face.
“How many times have I told you, don’t call me that name! Are you crazy that you keep forgetting?!? Are you crazy, huh?!!” Wilujeng remained silent, trembling in fear. Once again, she forgot. Once again, she called him Sura even though Suranyali had repeatedly ordered her to call him Mahesa Birawa.
“You foolish woman! I asked if you’re crazy? Answer!”
“No, Denmas Su… uh, Mahesa Birawa…”
“If you’re not crazy, then you must be insane! Get me some water, quickly!”
Wilujeng turned around. A moment later, she returned with a glass of water. The cold water slightly cooled Suranyali’s heart. Then he sat calmly in the chair, and when he closed his eyes, he could still see the past year.
At that time, he had known Suci for a long time. He knew that the girl didn’t like him, but by constantly meeting Suci by the riverside where she washed clothes, he hoped that eventually he could soften her heart. Eventually, Suci reluctantly agreed to talk and serve Suranyali, but it was not because she had feelings for Sura, but out of pity. But unfortunately, Suranyali misunderstood. He assumed that Suci was now attracted to him.
One time, Sura was called by a sage on Mount Lawu. Before leaving, Sura met Suci and said, “Suci, I’m going to Mount Lawu. Maybe I won’t be back for another year. I hope you’ll wait patiently. When I return, I will marry you…”
“But Kangmas Sura…” Suci stopped her words because at that moment, Suranyali stepped forward and reached out to hug her.
Suci stepped back.
“No, Kangmas. People will see…”
Then Suranyali left without giving Suci any more chance to explain that she didn’t like that man, that she rejected his proposal! And in Suranyali’s departure, Suci then married Ranaweleng, a young man whom she loved and who loved her back. For Suci, her marriage to Ranaweleng was not a betrayal to Suranyali because she never loved him and never expressed her love for him.
So, when Suranyali returned from his journey that day, the first news he heard, which infuriated him, was that Suci had married Ranaweleng. The couple even had a son. Their life, though simple, was happy, and Ranaweleng had become the Head of Djatiwalu Village.
If Suranyali had any face and self-respect as a human being, he should have taken a step back upon learning about Suci’s marriage because it would be shameful to continue desiring Suci when she didn’t love him, especially now that she was married and had a child. But Suranyali was not a clear-minded person, he quickly lost control and became blind with rage. That very day, he sent his men to Djatiwalu to deliver a threatening letter to Ranaweleng.
Mahesa Birawa, the name Suranyali now used, rose from his chair when he heard the thundering sound of horse hooves in the yard. He walked to the window and watched his men leave. His fingers gripped the window frame.
“Suci must be mine… she must be mine!” he muttered in his anger-filled heart. “If not…,” Mahesa Birawa didn’t finish his sentence. Instead, his left hand moved to strike the window sill. And the wooden frame shattered into pieces!