DRAGON CARVED JADE BRACELET
Chapter 9: TUMBAL SESAJI

    Melian's disappearance in Lasem Market has been reported to the police. Several witnesses have been questioned over Melian's disappearance. Especially people who know exactly the characteristics of the man who is said to carry Melian from the middle of the market. Temporary conclusion delivered by the police, Melian was kidnapped by the man who carried her from the middle of the market. But who was the man who kidnapped Melian, police are still asking for information from various parties. Even the police have also sketched the man's face from the captions of those who saw it.

    Miss Lan could only cry. So did his father and mother, who were grieved at the loss of their grandchildren. Babah Ho's kiosk instantly became crowded by the people who had arrived. Not going shopping, but just just want to know the news about Melian, Babah Ho's grandson who was lost in captivity. Of course it only adds to the sadness of Cik Lan and Babah Ho and his wife. Not only the noisy market people asked Melian, but also the Babah Ho subscription buyers. So did the journalists who asked the story of Melian's abduction.

    Of course, the news of Melian's disappearance became a scene in the small town of Lasem Subdistrict, which borders Tuban City. Child abduction cases become the talk and news that seize the attention of the community. Especially mothers who have small children. They are afraid that their son will become a kidnapping victim.

    There are even rumors that unsettled the community, namely the issue of children who were kidnapped will be sacrificed as offerings or victims of the construction of Cerbung Bridge, which is the case, it is a bridge on the border between Central Java and East Java. It is said that the construction of Cerbung Bridge has been hampered. Whenever digging a river base to install a piling, always have difficulty. The land that has been dug all day, the morning the land has returned to its original place, the excavation is worse again. Likewise the poles that will be used to arrange cast iron, every time it is erected, the morning has collapsed and divorced berai. He said the guardians of Cerbung Bridge which is being built were not willing if disturbed by the workers.

    That's exactly what happened. Not only the construction of the Cerbung Bridge was disrupted. Not only the collapse of the supporting poles that will be used to build. Even some carpentry equipment is also missing a lot. Such as iron punch, catut, shovel or hoe, often lost. The artisans said the tools were hidden by the demits to harass the workers.

    Even once, there was a worker who came from Lasem, meaning his house was west of the river. When the worker passed over the bamboo that crossed from west to east, when he reached the middle, suddenly the worker's body was thrown and fell into the Cerbung River. Lucky there was a friend who sprightly and immediately helped workers who fell into the river.

    "If crossing it be careful .." said the man who helped her.

    "So it was on the bridge, I intercepted the same big black tall man and brewokan, he said I westerners should not cross to the east .... Lha, I keep stepping, suddenly immediately kicked the same person. Of course I fell ..., lha wong just passed over uwotan bamboo kayak gini ..." the story of the fallen man.

    "We .., arah .... Means you were kicked the same demit waiter Kali Cerbung, to .... Worth darting away ..." said the one who helped was astonished.

    Of course, this event is also a concern for other workers. Some are afraid, some continue to stop not wanting to work.

    "Please others be careful .... Don't get any accidents ...!" shouted the Mandor, who was certainly also worried if there was an accident.

    "Yes, Mr ...!!" answer the workers.

    Watching those events, of course the foremen and contractors are worried. Not only worried about lost items, but also irritated by the work that has been prepared is always torn apart again. Even the contractor and foreman are also afraid that there are workers who are victims. For example, some have fallen from above into the river. Lucky not to have any severe injuries, just blisters.

    Therefore, at that time the contractor and foreman asked to find a smart person who could help or help so that the construction of the bridge was not disturbed by subtle creatures.

    Yes, of course not arbitrary shamans who are asked to conquer the jinn or demits on the Cerbung Bridge. Surely the shaman asked for help is a shaman who is quite famous and considered powerful. And it is true, by the Shaman, it is explained that the demits of the Cerbung Bridge waiter asked for someone who was not as stupid. But after being explained by the Shaman, such a stupid offerings are interpreted as the sacrifice of girls and boys.

    Spontaneous news became a stir in society. Surely the news of the missing child, associated with the plan of sacrifice of offerings as stupid as to congratulate the construction of Cerbung Bridge. Society also became restless. Especially mothers who are afraid of their children if they are kidnapped. And the case of the disappearance of Melian, of course, is also associated with the story of offerings for the Cerbung Bridge. Melian was kidnapped for the construction of Cerbung Bridge.

    Ms. Lan along with her father and mother tried to ask the police who served in the Lasem Police Station. Of course asking the problem of the disappearance of Melian, related to the news of the kidnapping of children who will be made a pilgrimage for the construction of Cerbung Bridge.

    "Police Officer ..., how is my son ...?? Is there any news ...?" ask Ms. Lan with her mother and father to the police officer.

    "Look Koh ..., here's Ms .... Obviously we have been looking for information to different regions .... Including to Tuban .... Please be patient ..., hopefully Ms. Lan's child can be found." replied the police officer.

    "Say my son was kidnapped to be a victim of the construction of Cerbung Bridge ...?" ask Ms. Lan to the police officer.

    "That means ..., Melian wasn't kidnapped to be sacrificed for that bridge?" ask Ms. Lan again.

    "Sik Lan don't believe such mystical stories .... If even the construction of the Cerbung Bridge needs to be panned ..., it needs to be monitored .., there needs to be a tumpeng shirking ..., which certainly is not at the expense of human children, Ms. Lan ...." obviously the cop.

    "But I'm worried, sir .." said Ms. Lan who was certainly crying straight away.

    "If Ms. Lan does not believe it, please ask directly to the contractor who built the bridge .... Or ask the workers ..., there is no such thing as a salvation to sacrifice all humans .... It's the age of bars, Ms. Lan .... Cook today is equated with ancient times ..." said the officer from the police.

    Of course Ms. Lan and her father and mother were very disappointed with the police answers. Which is obvious because Melian has not been found. And the police could not give clarity, when it would be found and how the news of his son's condition. The three of them went home empty-handed and disappointed.

    In the morning, Ms. Lan and her father and mother deliberately went to the border of Tuban. They want to find the truth of the news about the condition requested by the shaman, which is to give offerings to a pair of human children to be used as collateral in the construction of the Cerbung Bridge. They went straight to the foreman who was watching the workers.

    "Pak Mandor ..., is it right to build this bridge using human collars?" ask Ms. Lan to the foreman.

    "Yes not to, Ms .... Who wants to be a mashup?" answer the foreman.

    "Haiyah .... But owe dengel oleang-olang on the talk begetu, ha ...." Babah Ho has commented.

    "No way to, Koh .... Later we can be arrested by the police, continue to be imprisoned .... What about our wife's son?" the foreman again.

    "Cock people on stories like that, sir?" ask Cik Lan to the foreman again.

    "Huh, Ms .... Usual .... It's just an issue to scare the kids into not playing here. It is a place of danger .... Later if it falls into the river, how about ...?" sahut the foreman again, which is certainly quite logical.

    Finally, Ms. Lan with her father and mother returned home from the bridge construction site. Although the foreman's answer had already said that there were no human casualties, there was no human idolatry, but the name of a mother who lost her child, still they were sad and worried.

    But when Cik Lan left the workers who built the bridge, suddenly there was a man who also worked as a porters there, approaching Cik Lan. Of course Ms. Lan was startled and stopped, because someone was whispered by that person.

    "The bridge is haunted .... Many demits. Every day the construction of this bridge is disturbed by the waiting demit. Many items are missing, bamboo couples are torn apart ..., even yesterday there are workers who are said to be kicked by the jinn and splashed into the river. Said the shaman who asked for help, the demit who waited for this bridge asked for offerings of people .... Be careful if the child is kidnapped ..." whispered the worker's man to Ms. Lan, of course while pretending to work so as not to be seen by the foreman.

    Plass .... Limp body Ms. Lan. His worries are becoming more and more. Lest Melian really be kidnapped to be used as a collision course for bridge construction.

    "If you want to know, tomorrow night Friday Kliwon .... The shaman will come here to hand the offerings to the waiting creatures." the man whispered again to Ms. Lan.

    Without answering, without asking, Ms. Lan immediately walked quickly away from the bridge construction site. Thus his father and mother who immediately followed his son who had gone first. Of course the words of the building worker man on the Cerbung Bridge immediately stifled his chest. His heart was like being stabbed by a very sharp sunduk satay. Very sick and painful. Ms. Lan half ran over crying. If it is true what the construction worker said, if it is true what people say, if it is true that is told by the community, of course Ms. Lan will lose her favorite child, Melian.