A man appeared from the middle of a lake near Tiban Kampung in Batam and walked across. Wahyu could not believe what he saw. The man was then standing in front of him.
The man drowned while fishing at the lake. Though his body's buried deep underneath the mud, it needed proper ritual to rest. For a week, his soul was searching living human to carry out the task.
Wahyu happened to fish at the lake. Wahyu, like the drowned man, fish to feed his family - The only fish source they can get. They've no means, never enough money to buy fish. If not the freshwater fish, their meals would be rice with tempe, tempe and more tempe (fermented beancurd).
Wahyu was asked to perform prayers with few others. Food for those who pray must be covered with - Gold.
Ever since the incident, for almost a week, Wahyu was down with fluctuating fever. He did not fish. Only when his 5 year old girl asked when will be the time the family could have a fish meal again, then he told his wife of the drowned man's wish.
She should have known the real story earlier. She had sensed something's not right with his fluctuating fever. Wahyu's mind was too focused on - Gold. Where's the money to buy gold?
The wife insisted she has the means - Wahyu thought she's as crazy as him thinking about gold.
The next day, Romlah, the wife, readied a tray of plain rice with tempe (yes, tempe gain) cooked in thick coconut milk. The food was covered with -
Romlah whipped up 5 eggs (her money could afford only 5) to make a very, very thin omelette covering the only tray of food. It was sent to a nearby musollah. The local imam headed the prayer.
As Wahyu was heading home from the musollah, on his friend's bike (he was still down with fever), his eyes caught the sight of a plastic bag on the deserted road. Looking inside, there was 5 slaughtered chickens. He gave one to his friend and his family of 4 had chicken meals for a week sharing with his immediate neighbours, who's living the similar lives as his.
Though I found the story strange, but knowing Romlah, she had experinced more stranger incidents than this.
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