Forgotten Heroes

Mpok Ati caressed her son's hair and put his head on her shoulder, "Usin, when a person died, it is Allah's work to judge, not ours. Let go of the memory of the dead ones, accept their deaths with open heart, but send a prayer for their souls in the afterlife. Speak of their good deeds. Then hopefully Allah would forgive their sins, because He sees that there are people in the world who still care for them after their death. It is not a sin to love. Even to love a whore."

"Usin, do you realize that your rejection to women is triggered by your vengeful heart towards Marni?"

Rausin stayed silent. He was sure that her mother knew him better than anyone else, sometimes even better than he knew himself.

"Your buried anger had clouded your judgment towards women, my son. Not every woman is the same as Marni. Some women would rather die than lose their dignity and pride. Open your eyes, and you will see. Promise?"

Rausin sighed, "Yes Mak. I promise you. It's a hard thing to do, but I promise you I will try.

"Good boy."

"Mak. . please don't match me with Mirah. I don't like her. Not a bit!"

Mpok Ati laughed. "No, my son. I will never match you with any woman you don't like. It's your life, it's your choice. If you don't choose Mirah, then I won't say yes to Mpok Siti. Besides, this world must be nearing doomsday, for a woman dared to propose a man. What a crazy world."

Rausin laughed with her, "I told you, Mak. If a man came to her with a spoon of diamonds, I bet she would forget everything she likes about me."

They both laughed.

"Now you help me get her to the back. I'm going to give her a bath. She's so dirty.

Rausin smiled naughtily at his mother, "You sure you don't mean: I'm going to give her a bath?"

Mpok Ati slapped his head softly and laughed, "Get going, silly boy. I don't have all day."

Rausin carried her to the back of the house and put her on a chair. He noticed that his mother had prepared a bucket of water beside the chair.

"While you're bathing her, I'm gonna get some grass for the cow. Just call me if you need me to carry her back inside." He went back in the kitchen and grabbed a cutting blade, then waved his mother goodbye.

"You have to get her to the city, Cornelius." Said Dr. Marcus van Sizoo who sat on the couch drinking whisky. He was a middle aged man with dark hair and dark eyes.

Cornelius Janssen stood by the window, holding a glass of whisky.

"But you said that the sun and the air in this village is much better than in Batavia." He answered.

"Yes, I did say that. What I mean is the hospital, my friend. I'm not around here often, and there is no hospital in this place. Damn, this place doesn't even have a descent place but your house. Think about it."

"I thought she was getting better." Cornelius looked at his friend seriously. They were discussing the condition of Katrina Janssen, Cornelius' only daughter. She was diagnosed with acute pneumonia.

"She was, a couple of months ago when I came here." Sizoo explained. "Obviously she stayed in the house all day for the whole two months. She's getting worse now, Cornelius. You have to bring her out. Don't keep her inside like a pet."

"She didn't want to go out, Marcus. What can I say? Everytime I told her to go, she said she hated her companion. I even paid a young woman from the village to keep her company. But she doesn't like her either. She's a beautiful young woman, Marcus. I tell you, the most beautiful woman in this village."

Marcus van Sizoo laughed out loud, "What kind of companion is that? That's your companion, not hers. Get somebody her own age, Cornelius. I believe there's a 16 or 17 year-old girl in this village. Well, it's your problem, my friend. I told you if you can't get her to walk under the sun, you better take her to Batavia where she can receive proper medication."

Van Sizoo rose from his seat and walked towards him. He patted his friend's shoulder, "Cornelius, she's your only daughter. Her life is much much more important than the money you found in this village. You lost your wife because you love money and opportunity more than you love her. Don't lose your daughter too. Not this way."

Cornelius sighed, "All right, all right. I'll take care of the matter, Marcus. I'll ask Mirah to find someone else to play with her, to take her for a walk."

Cornelius smiled wittily. Marcus caught that smile and commented, "And you're gonna make her a mistress, eh?"

"Oh Yes my friend. You can't possibly know how exciting and erotic this woman is. And all I give her is money and she would adore me like a God." He laughed.

"Ah.. your type of woman." Marcus commented.

"I better leave you while you're in good mood. I'm gonna make my rounds."

"Marcus! Why are you doing it? You sound like you really care for these miserable inlanders. You always do this in every village you're visiting"

"Yes, Cornelius. I do care about them. They live in poverty and they have no doctors here. I'm a doctor, it's my job to help them."

Cornelius waved his hands. He was actually in a good mood tonight. "Get out of here, stop your lecture Dr. Van Sizoo." He laughed.

Marcus shook his head, smiling. He turned and walked out of the room. Before he left he heard Cornelius saying, "Get me Mirah. I want to talk to her."

He smiled and left the mansion.

Dr. Van Sizoo knocked at the door. He waited for a moment, then an old lady came out with a surprised look. He remembered her face, but mostly he remembered this house. Two months ago when he had been doing his rounds, he found a very sick young man. Lucky he had come on time to save his life.

"Ah! Meneer Doctor." She hurriedly asked him to come in.

"It's been a long time, Meneer. Please come in, come in. Would you like a glass of water?"

"No, no, thank you. I've had enough water now, Mpok. Every body offered me to drink, ha ha ha.."

She smiled and motioned him to sit on the bamboo divan.

"So, how are you? How is you son. . er. . "

"Rausin? Oh he is fine now Meneer Doctor. He's fine."

"And yourself?"

"Oh, I'm old, Meneer. I get tired now and then, but I feel fine."

"Let me check then."

He examined Mpok Ati and smiled as he finished.

"You know, you're one healthy person, Mpok. Now let me check on your son."

"Oh, he's fine Meneer Doctor. His malaria is cured."

He smiled to her patiently, "No malaria can be cured, Mpok. It only subsided and dormant in his body. Once in a while, when his stamina goes down, it will reappear. And the attack becomes stronger than before."

Mpok Ati's eyes widened, "He can die?"

"Yes. He can if he didn't get quick and proper medication during the attack. The fever alone could cause internal bleeding. Anyway, let me just get a quick check, Mpok."

"Oh.. I'll get him. He's feeding the cow."

A moment later she came back and apologized.

"I'm sorry, Meneer Doctor, he's already gone. I guess he's going to the river to get some water."

"Ah I see. Well in that case, I better get going." He rose from his seat.

Mpok Ati seemed to hesitate. But before the good doctor went out the door, she quickly called him back.

"Oh, Meneer Doctor, there's actually one more person in the house who might need your help."

"Indeed? Then show me to this person, Mpok."

"Come this way, Meneer."

Dr. Van Sizoo walked into the small bedroom and saw a very beautiful woman sitting on the bed, combing her long black hair. She looked up when he entered the room and her face suddenly changed. She seemed afraid.

"It's allright, my dear. This is the good Meneer Doctor. He helped us a lot. He's just gonna do a quick check on you."

She looked a bit relaxed but her stare seemed to be full of suspicions.

Dr. Van Sizoo examined her and shook his head.

"You are very weak, Miss. You should eat more and take a lot of rest. May I ask what happened to you? There are cut and scratches on your skin. They are not too bad, but when they healed it would leave some scars."

She looked at Mpok Ati who quickly took over the situation.

"Oh she just came from Bogor, Meneer Doctor. She didn't feel too well when she arrived here. And yesterday she fell on top of thorny bushes . . . You careless girl."

Dr. Van Sizoo frowned, he didn't seem to believe her story.
"What's your name again?" He asked her.

Mpok Ati quickly answered before the girl could speak up, "Rogayah. She's Rausin's future wife, Meneer Doctor."

The Doctor seemed satisfied now. "Ah I see. Well Rogayah, you should eat well tonight and get a good sleep. I guarantee you will feel much better tomorrow. Here are seven pills to help you get well. They are called vitamins. Drink one per day, all right? Just one each day, remember that. I guess I better get going now, Mpok. If you should need anything, I'm staying at Cornelius Janssen's mansion until tomorrow afternoon."

He smiled and walked out of the room. Mpok Ati thanked him once more before he left the house.

"You did?" Rausin asked in surprised. He had just gotten back from the river carrying three small fish. It was already dark outside when he arrived home. He had taken time swimming and lying on the grass by the river, thinking over and over about how to get his scheme worked. He had come through the backside and his mother was in the kitchen. She had welcomed him with a story about the doctor's visit.

Rausin was getting more troubled, on the contrary his mother was on a very good mood. She seemed to like this Fung Yin Li a lot. She even called her a goddess. She called her The Long Lost Daughter, whatever that meant.

"My future wife?" He couldn't believe what he heard.

"Yes. What else could I tell him?"

Rausin smiled and shook his shoulders, "I hope he believes you." He could see that his mother was already very fond of her.

"Will you call me if the fish is ready? I'm very hungry, Mak. Meanwhile I'm gonna do my night prayer."

"Go ahead, son. I'll call you if dinner's ready."

Fung Yin Li opened her eyes in horror. She screamed and fell down from the bed. Mpok Ati who came running followed close by Rausin, helped her up.

"Are you all right, my child?" She asked.

Yin Li cried, being disoriented. But slowly her surroundings seemed to make sense again and she stopped sobbing.

"I. . I'm so sorry, Mpok. I'm fine now. Did I scare you? I'm sorry if I did. I just had a bad dream that's all."

She then looked up and saw Rausin standing by the door. She quickly covered part of her blouse that got opened when she had fallen. She was wearing Mpok Ati's clothes that seemed to small for her body.

Mpok Ati followed her gaze, then smiled, "That's Rausin."

She quickly straightened her posture and kneeled before him. She touched his hand saying, "Thank you very much for saving my life, Bang (Brother). I am your servant now."

Rausin quickly took her hand, "What? I don't need servant, young lady. Get up now, don't you kneel before me. Ha..ha.. ha.. I'm not a prince." He laughed.

Yin Li stood in front of him, confused.

"You are funny, young lady."

She shook her head, "No, I indebted my life to you. I ought to serve you. That is the way." She didn't understand why this man rejected her.

"Your way, probably. Not ours."

Mpok Ati saw the confusion in her eyes. She motioned Rausin to go out.

"Why don't you have dinner with us, then we can discuss about this debt thing. All right?"

Half an hour later Rausin had heard all of her story. She related it with tears in her eyes, but she described all in details as if she was now in front of the horrible scenes. He admired her strength.

When she finished her story, she kept quiet as if waiting for Rausin to comment. But Rausin didn't know what to say. He knew she must have felt so sad and lonely this time. He only managed to offer her a glass of water. Mpok Ati looked at him, her looks demanded that he said something comforting to her. Rausin was just too ashamed to talk much in front of women, especially a beautiful woman like her. He kept on glancing to her cleavage and her beautiful long black hair.

"So, now what should we call you. It's not possible to call you Fung Yin Li. People will wonder where you come from." He finally managed to say something.

Yin Li looked at Mpok Ati, "This afternoon, you told the doctor that my name is Rogayah. I think we should stick to it. I don't mind, Rogayah is a beautiful name."

Rausin nodded and pointed at her neck, "You better keep it away for awhile, Gayah."

Yin Li, touched the jade pendant hanging on her neck. She smiled and quickly took it off. She gave it to Mpok Ati, "Will you keep it for me, Mpok?"

Mpok Ati looked at the necklace on her palm, "I'll keep it in one condition."

"Oh? What is it?" She seemed surprised.

"I'll keep your pendant if you call me Mak. If I said you're Rausin's future wife, then it will be odd if you keep calling me Mpok like an outsider."

She smiled and hugged her, "Yes, Mak."

Suddenly Rausin spoke up, "Wait a second you two. Mak, did you tell anyone else about her being my future wife?"

"Yes, to our neighbor this morning. Imron's wife asked for some milk, but I turned her down because I already gave the milk to Gayah. You were still in that state... unconscious.. and you didn't want to eat anything. So I gave all the milk we have to Gayah."

Rausin shook his head, "We have one big problem, then. In a couple of days she would ask you when do we get married."

Mpok Ati seemed surprised, she had not thought about it before. It was not common for two people, man and woman, to live under one roof before marriage. People would start questioning them if Rogayah stayed in the house too long.

Yin Li, or rather, Rogayah, only smiled, "It's not a problem at all. Even though Bang Rausin doesn't want me to serve him, we can get married tomorrow. We will get married, Bang, to avoid people suspicion. The marriage will be between Rausin and Rogayah. Not Rausin and Fung Yin Li. Besides, the marriage will be held in Moslem way. I'm not a Moslem."

Mpok Ati laughed, "Oh, you clever young woman."

Rausin also smiled, "Yes, a false marriage would do."

He looked at her eyes and she looked back at him, "Even though it's a false marriage, you still own me, Bang Rausin."

Rausin opened his mouth to speak but she cut him off.

"I don't care if you do not want a servant, I am still your servant. Whatever you wish me to do, I will do it. Even if you ask me to kill my self, I will do it. For you own my life and I'm not an ungrateful person."

Rausin opened his mouth again, but closed it and sighed. He looked at her and for the first time he saw stubbornness in her. He didn't like it, but he was too tired to argue with her, "Very well, Rogayah. I will remember that."

Rausin turned to her mother, "I'm going out tonight, Mak. Don't wait up."

With that he closed the conversation and lied down on the divan.

Mpok Ati understood that it was his way of saying he was going to sleep. So she motioned Rogayah to the bedroom. In a short while, they both engaged in a warm conversation.

There were eight men dressed in black sitting on the grass. They were talking in a low voice. The place was not too far from the woods and could be reached in a fifteen-minute walk from Kampung Tebu and about twenty minutes from Kampung Gula. They were gathered under a big tree up on a mounted hill.

"As some of you might have heard, I'm offered a position as a guard in Janssen's warehouse, together with Ali and Rozak. We will start the work tomorrow night under the supervision of Bek Yanto himself. It is up to us now how to mess up that place."

"Do you have a particular plan, Bang Rausin?" A man asked. He was tall and thin. He was the leader of Kampung Gula.

Rausin turned to him and nodded.

"Regarding the warehouse, I have. But Cornelius Janssen is another matter. I haven't found a weak point yet."

"What's your plan, Bang?" Another one asked.

"We will not strike tomorrow because I will have to study how they work. But my plan is to get Bek Yanto out of his job once and for all, if possible to get one of us to replace his position. Then, we will have access not only to the warehouse and factory, but also to the mansion."

Rozak turned to Rausin, "To get rid of him? Isn't it too obvious?"

Rausin smiled, although his comrades might not see his face in the dark.

"Let me worry about that. I already have a plan. Once I understand their schedule in guarding the warehouse, I'll call for another meeting."

"There is in fact several important matters I'd like to discuss with all of you." He continued. "First is about the access to Janssen's mansion. I think we need to know the exact lay out of the house before we continue our mission. And we do not have anyone who are working inside."

"There's Mirah, the daughter of.." One of the men spoke up.

"We can't trust her." Ali answered quickly. "She would betray us for a piece of gold."

Rausin nodded, "No, we can't trust her."

"Haven't you heard?" Rozak asked. "My wife told me that Mirah has become Janssen's mistress. She's not a chambermaid anymore. Dr. Van Sizoo asked my wife if she knew anyone who is about 16 or 17 years old to be paid not only as Katrina's chambermaid, but to accompany her all day. He said it's for the sake of her health."

Rausin frowned but a second later he smiled, "Good, very good. Then consider one problem is solved."

"What? Are you gonna send your future wife to work there? The leader of Kampung Gula asked.

Rausin was surprised to hear it, "I didn't know that the news has gotten to you, Bang."

The other men laughed softly. Some of them patted his shoulders.

"You can hide that kind of news around here. So when is the marriage, eh? I hope we're invited." He said again.

"Err. . to tell the truth, I don't have any money for a party or anything. Maybe we're gonna get married tomorrow. I'm sorry brothers, I truly can't afford any celebration. Besides, it would cause suspicions if suddenly the na�ve Rausin has a lot of friends from Kampung Gula."

"Ah, yes. You always think one step ahead of us, Bang." The leader of Kampung Gula nodded his head.

"There's another important matter at hand. If we are to destroy the VOC domination in this village, we have to make sure that they won't get any back up forces arrived from Batavia. I heard some rumors that after the incident with the Chinese, Batavia has become quite a mess. I want to know exactly the situation, guys. I need someone to go there. So who will go?"

"I can go tomorrow if you want, Bang." A man named Marwan volunteered. "I have a brother living outside the city wall." Marwan was a relatively new member. He was very young but quite good at martial arts. He was invited to join the gang by the leader of Kampung Gula.

"Good. Tomorrow I will get some money from Bek Yanto. I'll give some to you before you leave. And I will brief you about what you should do tomorrow, all right?"

"All right Bang."

"I guess, that's all for tonight. Keep your eyes and ears open. If you see or hear anything out of ordinary, you come to me as soon as you can."

Ten minutes later, the hill was as quiet as it had been. The mysterious people who gathered there were already gone. The shadows of trees and the sound of crickets made the hill as spooky as a tomb.

Rogayah couldn't sleep anymore. She had been awaken by another dream, in which she saw her mother speaking to her. She was still dangling from the mango tree and her eyes were fixed on her. She mouthed some words that she couldn't understand. The nightmare was truly horrible that she couldn't go back to sleep. So she walked out of the bedroom and went to the kitchen. The house was quite dark, lit only by one burner in the front room. Its light hardly reached the kitchen area.

She opened the kitchen door and went out of the house. The moon was far in the east, indicating that dawn was only a few hours away. She went back inside and tiptoed to the front room to check on Rausin. But she found the bamboo divan empty. He was not home yet. So she took the burner to the kitchen and get a broom and started sweeping the ground. She cleaned all she found and swept the whole house lighted by a burner only. She hoped she didn't miss any spot in the dark.

After she finished sweeping she sat on the divan, thinking about her life. She thanked Thian (God) for sending her to a wonderful family. She was thankful for Mpok Ati who took care of her like her own child. And she prayed that one day she could somehow repay her debt to Rausin. Knowing that she owed him her life, she could only realize that the only way to repay the debt was giving him her life. Either to dedicated her whole life to become his loyal servant, which he had rejected, or to die defending his name, which was very unlikely in her position. A drop of tears fell from her eyes. "If I were born a man, I could have taken a revenge upon my parents' death." She cried softly.

Suddenly she heard noises from the back room. She quickly wiped her tears with the back of her hand and took the burner to check out the noises. As she walked in the kitchen she could see a figure of a man outside the house. She put the burner in the kitchen and tiptoed outside.

The figure was definitely a man. He was sitting on the grass, with his back facing her. He was breathing hard. She heard a hiss sound coming out of his mouth. He moved his arms upward towards the sky. From his palm she could see thin smoke coming out. She had seen her father exercising Chinese Kung Fu. He had used to make a similar movement to exercise his Chi. But never before she had seen smoke coming out of human's body. This man must have had an unbelievably strong Chi. She stepped forward to see who the man was, although she had guessed who he might be.

Suddenly he turned around with a golok in his hand. She couldn't see how he moved but the next thing she realized was a blade by her neck. Rausin's surprised face was the next thing she saw.

His bare chest was wet from perspiration. His hair and face too.

He drew his blade away and spoke softly, "Don't you ever do that again, Rogayah. Don't you ever, ever; sneak up behind me like that. I could have killed you by accident."

Rogayah felt her knees weakened; her heart pounding fast. She was too surprised to say anything. She only stared at him wearing an empty expression on her face.

Rausin walked away from her to get a glass of water. Before he got too far he realized that she was still standing there. He came back and touched her shoulder.

"Gayah .. Gayah .. are you all right?"

She felt her heartbeat slowing down. She turned to him and gave him a smile, "I .. I .. am fine, Bang."

Rausin took her hand and led her inside. He offered her a glass of water. She took it and drank it fast.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." He apologized.

She shook her head, "No, Bang. It was my fault. You don't owe me any apologies."

He smiled, "Just make sure you don't do that anymore."

She nodded. Rausin put the burner aside and sat beside her.

They sat side by side, each one speaking no word at all. They were both consumed by their own thoughts.

"Gayah." He started a conversation. "I'm gonna need you to do me a big favor." He continued.

Rogayah looked up to him. She smiled and looked very happy.

"Oh yes, anything. I'll do anything for you, Bang." She answered quickly.

Rausin turned his body to face her, his face was dead serious.

"We have to get married today."

She nodded.

"You don't have to be afraid that I'm going to force you to do your duties as a wife. You know.. you know what I mean. We both know that this is just a false marriage. But I want you to do something. Something quite hard."

Rausin spoke the words slowly as if hesitated. While Rogayah was impatient to know more about this favor she had to do for him.

"What is it, Bang? Please tell me. I will do it even though it means I have to sacrifice my life. I owe that much to you."

Rausin nodded and smiled, "Have Mak told you about Cornelius Janssen?"

"Yes, Bang. She told me everything about everyone in this village."

"Good. I need you to work in his mansion."

Rogayah face suddenly turned pale. She hardly forgot the tragedy in her life that was caused by the VOC and now suddenly she had to work for one.

Rausin saw the change in her face and all of a sudden he regretted his decision to involve her in his plan. But he had no other option.

"I'm sorry, Gayah. I know I'm asking too much. Believe me I know how you feel about Dutch officers. If I had other options I wouldn't have asked you to do it."

She looked into his eyes for a moment as if to find the right words to say. But finally she said, "I will do it, Bang. I will do it for you. Just tell me when to start." Her face was full of confidence now.

Rausin nodded, "Today, after our marriage ceremony, I'll take you to the mansion. You'll be working as a chambermaid for his daughter Katrina."

"Yes, Bang."

"Good. Good." He smiled and rose from his seat.

Rogayah hesitated for a while but then she urged herself to say, "Bang, may I say something?"

Rausin turned his back, "Yes."

"Well, I never told you this before, but I already told Mak that I can sew. I can make kebayas and man's clothes too. I can get more money from sewing then being a chambermaid, Bang. Please don't misunderstood me, it's not that I don't listen to the words you said, but . ."

Rausin sat beside her and cut her words, "Gayah. . it's not about the money." He said softly.

Rogayah looked at him, confused. "No?"

Rausin sighed deeply and shook his head. "No. It's not about money. It's far more. .complicated."

"Rogayah,. ." He continued. His expression changed to a more serious look. ". . I'm not what you think I am. I need your help to do something in the mansion. Not a dangerous thing to do, but very tricky. So I guess it is only fair if I tell you the truth."

"Have Mak told you about the Masked Murderers?" He asked.

"Yes. She told me that they are a bunch of guys wearing black masks. They go out at night killing and robbing the Dutch. Yet they never keep the money and food for themselves. They distribute them to the villagers. Mak also told me that the Dutch call them the Masked Murderers, but the villagers prefer to name them the Masked Heroes."

Rausin nodded, he moved closer to Rogayah. Very close that Rogayah could feel him breathing on her ear.

"I'm one of them." He whispered in her ear. As he inhaled, he could smell the scent of her hair. It was relaxing, yet exciting at the same time. He had never smell that kind of scent before. He expected her to be surprised and moved away from him, yet she remained still and said nothing.

"You don't seem to be surprised." He whispered once more. This time inhaling her scent deeper into his lung.

Rogayah looked down to the floor, shaking her head. She felt him too close, she knew he wanted to do something to her. She was afraid. Her heart was beating faster with fear.

"It is only logical." She managed to say. "Mak told me that you found me lying on the street. Why did you go out with your friends in the middle of the night? Besides, Mak gave me a very good meal when I came around. And she told me that she got the rice from the masked murderers. It was given at the same night when you found me."

Rausin didn't quite hear what she had said, for he was drowned by the burning sensations inside. He could barely control himself. He wanted her so badly. He wanted to hold her in his arms.

He moved even closer to her. His lips were touching her ears as he whispered the words, "You're a smart woman."

Rogayah felt the chill along her spine. She was prepared for this night. She knew that sooner or later, this man would want her to serve him. Yet she knew that she owed much more to this man. She didn't have any choice. However she tried to justify the matter, her pride took over her logic.

"I was born under the sign of an Earth Dog, Bang. I'm smart, and loyal too. But... I bite." She said softly, her hands were shaking with fear.

Rausin tried hard to control himself, "Rogayah,.." He said more seriously. "I need you to draw a map of the mansion. I don't know if you can draw, but all you need is to memorize the location of every room and door, and window. If possible, the locks too. I will draw myself if necessary. I need a clear access to get inside the house. Do you understand me?"

Rogayah nodded again, her fear was subsided. "I can draw, Bang. I know measurement too. I told you that I can sew kebaya and clothes. I usually draw the pattern before cutting the material. I think I can manage to draw a map."

Rausin was now leaning towards her. He said, "Good...." And suddenly he lost control. He held her shoulders and kissed her cheek. It felt so good to him, but it surprised Rogayah. She reflectively drew back and swung her hand slapping the right side of his face.

Rausin immediately stood away from her, surprised. "I... I'm sorry." He said in a hurry.

Rogayah walked away from him, but he chased her and grabbed her elbow. She struggled, but he was much stronger. He took her to his arms and held her tight. She fought to break free in vain. Rausin held her tight still until she realized that it was no use to fight.

When finally she stood still, he caressed her hair and spoke softly to her ear.

"Ssh... don't be afraid, Gayah. Please don't be afraid of me. I want you to know this." He let go one arm but his other arm was still holding her. He looked at her again and spoke softly yet firmly, "I will not take anything from you by force. You understand me? I won't take you by force! You don't have to be afraid of me, Gayah. Look at me."

Rogayah lifted her head and looked at him with teary eyes.

Rausin wiped the tears from her cheeks with his hands and held her back in his arms. He whispered to her again, "I'm sorry if I scared the hell out of you. But please trust me, Gayah. I won't take any advantages from you. I know you're not some cheap girls who sell their bodies for money. If you were, you would have married that old china man to save your father from his debts. You are a descent woman. And I do not want to be the man who robbed your dignity away." He smiled at her caressing her hair, then let go of her.

Rogayah stood still in front of him, looking into his eyes like a watchdog inspecting a visitor.

"Are you still afraid of me?" He asked again.

She suddenly threw herself to him and put her head on his chest. She was crying. Rausin caressed her back softly, wondering why she acted that way.
"Sshh.. Sshh... why are you crying, Gayah? Did I say something wrong?"

She broke free from him, still crying saying, "Bang Usin, please forgive me. Please..."

"Sshh.. don't cry, Gayah. It was my fault. You didn't do anything wrong."

"Oh yes. Yes I did. I slapped you on the face, thinking that you might take me by force. I was so foolish. If you wanted to take me that way, you would have done it in the first place, that night when you found me unconscious.... Please forgive me.... please. I had such a dirty thought towards you."

Rausin led her to sit on the bamboo divan. He smiled and lifted her chin up with his finger.

"Look at me, Gayah. We did make mistakes tonight. So let us forget about this embarrassing thing and start over. ... if it's all right with you." He spoke softly to her. She was such a baby, he thought. She was totally different from the woman who once had been very close to him. Marni had been great in bed. She had been a sex machine and she had made him do many things he never did to women before. He had been like her student and she the mentor. With this woman it was the other way around. She was so na�ve and pure. She was shy. It was up to him to make her feel comfortable, and he enjoyed that role very much. He was the mentor now.... And protector of this poor young woman. Rausin liked the feeling.

"Rogayah, may I ask you to do me a favor?" He asked.

Rogayah nodded and smiled faintly.

"I need you to work in Cornelius Janssen's mansion as a chambermaid...." Rausin didn't finish the sentence because she cut his words.

"I will draw the map, Bang." She looked at him very seriously. "What just happened do not change it." She confirmed.

"Thank you." He took her hand in his. "May I ask you another favor?" He continued.

Rogayah's smile widened. She was happy that he needed her. She was glad to be useful. That way she can at least repay the hospitality she had received from both Rausin and his mother. She nodded her head in confirmation.

Rausin moved closer and spoke very softly to her, "May I kiss you? ..... On the cheek?"

Rogayah's heart was beating faster, yet she dared not locking her gaze into his eyes. She looked down at the floor instead. Rausin thought that it was a nod, so he came closer and kissed her lightly on her left cheek. Then he put his arm around her and pulled her towards his chest. She buried her blushing face in his chest. They held on to each other for a moment. Each one enjoying the presence and the warmth of the other. Rogayah listened to his beating heart and felt so secure. She closed her eyes and wished that time would stop at that moment. Rausin breathed her scent deeply into his lungs. He loved the scent. Her hair fell on his arms, smooth and soft like silk. He closed his eyes and imagine making love to her.

As he was drifting in his imagination, he suddenly realized that Rogayah was asleep in his arms. She was sleeping soundly, like a child. He laid her carefully on the divan and then lied beside her. He pulled her closer to him to hold her. He closed his eyes thinking there was still time to sleep before dawn.

Ali, Rozak, Rausin and Rogayah waited in the terrace of Janssen's mansion. They were standing barefooted on the cold yet smooth alabaster floor. Bek Yanto came out and motioned them to follow him in.

"Meneer Janssen's waiting." He said coldly.

The four of them followed him into the house. They were amazed by the luxury and the gorgeous design of the house. The ceiling was so high above them and they saw large paintings hun in many places. The furniture was made of beautifully carved teakwood that was usually made by Javanese slaves in Batavia. There was one big clock at the corner of the hall.

"... and this is only the living room..." Rozak murmured.

They went further in until Bek Yanto motioned them to go inside a room. They could see the Meneer from outside. It seemed that the room functioned as a study room. Rausin paid attention on every detail of the house. From the location of the windows and doors, to the types of the locks. While Rogayah could hardly believe she was about to work in these marvelous place.

Drawing a map of the whole house was probably harder that she had thought. Yet her mind was set on finishing the job, even before starting it. She had been impatient the whole morning, waiting for this opportunity. She had gone through the wedding ceremony with even less attention than this moment. She repeated the Penghulu's words like a robot, because her mind was too preoccupied with the task. Penghulu was the religious leader in a village. His job was to lead a marriage of burrial ceremonies. Ali & Rozak were the only people invited to the wedding.

Her mind wondered as she stood behind Rausin who was listening to Meneer Janssen's words. She was startled as Rausin took her arm to bring her forward.

"This is my wife, Rogayah, Meneer. I hope she is fit for the job." He said.

Janssen motioned her to step forward. He was quite impressed with her beauty. She was much younger then Mirah and she had a much more beautiful body. Never before he had seen a woman as wonderful as her in this village.

"How old are you?" He asked her.

"I'm 16, Meneer." She bowed her head she spoke to him.

Meneer Janssen smiled. His eyes explored her entire body carefully. Then he fixed his gaze at her breasts. Rausin didn't like what he saw, but he kept his innocent face as a mask. He halfway regretted his decision to get her involved in his plan, realizing that he had fallen in love with this woman.

"You'll start working today, Rogayah. Your main job is to take care of my daughter Katrina. She's about the same age as you. Make sure you see to her every need. You'll be working starting 8 o'clock everyday. You can go home after dusk. Understood?"

"Yes, Meneer, I understand." She bowed her head again.

With that, he motioned all of them to leave and Bek Yanto closed the door as he went out.

They were laughing and cheering by the side of the river that flowed behind the mansion. Katrina held a rattan basket full of flowers in her hand. She was a blond girl with blue eyes. He skin was pale that she looked somehow ghostly. She was not a beautiful woman, but very attractive in a manner of speaking. She was very polite and a little bit shy. Her character did not differ very much from Rogayah. As soon as they were introduced, they liked each other in a matter of minutes. Katrina was 17 years old, only one year older than Rogayah. She had a tour around the house before meeting Katrina, and had memorized two rooms located near the hallway. She would draw the two rooms tonight, she thought.

"Becarefull, Miss. You're going to fall into the river." Rogayah shouted.

"No worries, Gayah. I'm not as weak as I look." She giggled.

Rogayah picked some chrysanthemum flowers. She was very glad to find them because she could use them to make flower tea for Rausin and his mother.

Before sunset, they both arrived back home safely. Rogayah had a chance to measure the rooms before she left. She walked by the side of the walls and counted her steps. One big step equals to one meter, her father had taught her. Then she left the mansion and hurriedly went back home. Rausin would go to work after Shalat Isya. His duty was to guard the warehouse at night until dawn. She wanted to make a cup of tea for him before he went to work.

Rausin was surprised when he saw her came out of the kitchen with a glass of something yellowish. He was sitting on his divan. He had just finished eating and Mpok Ati went out to Rozak's house to help deliver his wife's baby. Mpok Ati was known to be a helper in babies' delivery. So there were only both of them in the house.

"Drink the tea, Bang, while it's still warm." She said.

"Tea? Where did you buy it?"

She chuckled, "I don't need to buy this kind of tea, Bang. It's chrysanthemum tea. I picked the flowers by the river today."

"Flower? I didn't know flowers taste this good." He said after sipping his tea.

"Not all flowers, Bang. Just this kind. It's an old Chinese recipe my mother used to teach me when we're out of money to buy the real tea."

Rausin smiled, "Thanks, Rogayah. You didn't have to..."

"I know, Bang. I know I don't have to, but I want to." She gave him a very pretty smile.

Rausin's heart paced a little faster. Her smile was like an invitation to him. "You're spoiling me, Rogayah." He said smiling, moving closer to her.

He touched her chin with his finger, lifted her face up to level his gaze, and brought his lips to meet hers. Surprisingly, she welcomed the kiss and moved closer to him, pressing her body against his. He held her tight, caressing her back while he slipped his tongue into her mouth. He felt her body tensed as their tongues met. But as he practiced his deadly kiss, her body became more relax. He felt her hands holding him now. Rausin's hand went further down, caressing her behind. He squeezed it a little and heard her gasped. He knew she was turned on. He broke the kiss and started kissing her neck. Rogayah was drowned in the sensation. She hardly noticed that Rausin had slowly begun to undress her. When she realized she was half-naked. Her face blushed and she was so ashamed when she felt his hand caressing her breasts. Rausin saw the change of her expression and whispered to her, "Come my darling, lie down and close your eyes. Just give in to your feelings, don't think."

As she lied down and closed her eyes, she heard him whispered again, "I know you've never done this before, Gayah. Just relax.... I promise I'll be gentle. You won't feel any pain."

She was in the dark now, the feelings were confusing. In some ways she welcomed the sensations. She wanted him too. Yet, in some ways she feared the experience. She knew that Rausin was well aware of her confusion for he kept on whispering to her to relax. He even told her to let out a sigh or even scream if she wanted to. But she kept silent. The sensation was overwhelming to her. She felt her feminine part pulsing as if it had a heart of it's own. Her heart raced and she gasped several times as she felt his tongue or fingers touching it and caressing it. She felt it wet and sticky, like she had never felt before. Rausin kept telling her to let go, yet she didn't fully understand what he meant. As she was drifting in the storm of sensations she suddenly felt pain inside her. She let out a short scream and opened her eyes. Rausin was on top of her, caressing her hair, "Ssshh... I'm sorry. Did I hurt you badly?" He whispered.

Rogayah didn't answer, she was too shocked.

"I guess, we could try again some other day." Rausin smiled to her, understanding her feelings.

Rogayah grabbed his arms strongly and whispered, "No. Do it now... finish what we have started, Bang. Please.... Forgive my ignorance, but I had never been...."

Rausin sealed her words with a kiss. When he broke the kiss he said softly to her, "Forgive me for hurting you, Gayah. I lost control of myself. I totally forgot that all this is new to you. Let me try again. I promise to please you this time." He smiled and started kissing her neck again. This time Rausin used a much more different approach to her. He slipped his tongue in her feminine part. Kissing it, licking it and sometimes sucking it, sending shivers to her spine. And she tried to let go of her feelings too. She moaned calling his name. The feeling was much better than the first time. When she felt something hard slipped inside her she felt the pain again and opened her eyes to look into his eyes. They kissed and the pain subsided, replaced by thunderous new sensations. She felt waves of pleasure with every thrust he pushed in to her. She closed her eyes again, only to hear Rausin's whisper "Let go, my dear. Let the feeling go, don't hold it inside you."

She put her arms around him, feeling his every muscle, as she opened her eyes she saw his beautiful face so close. They were both sweating and she liked the smell of him as he bent down licking the sweat on her neck. The waves came harder and faster now that her feminine part began to feel hot. Her heart was pacing even faster that she sometimes had to gasp for air. Rausin moaned more often as his thrust became even faster. She felt the sensations building up inside her. Up and up until she couldn't help herself any longer. She let out a scream as she received the bombarding burning feelings of ecstasy, unaware that at the same time Rausin let out a deep moan as he let go of himself.

Both of them ended up lying on the bamboo divan, catching their breath. Rogayah felt her feminine part pulsing with pain now as the pleasure had subsided. She felt it hot, as if it was cut with a razor. She sat up and felt the pain again. "Ah..."

Rausin came to her and held her, "Is it hurt? Did I hurt you? Can you walk? How do you feel now?" He asked her so many questions without waiting for her to reply. That made her feel flattered.

"I'm allright, Bang Usin. I just experienced the most wonderful feeling in my life." She smiled to him as she was getting dressed again. She knew he had seen every inches of her body, yet she felt embarrassed talking to him in nudity.

"I heard you, Rogayah. You're in pain, are you?" He asked worriedly.

"Just a little. I will be fine tomorrow. Don't worry about me, Bang. You should worry about yourself. I guess it's time for you to go to work." She reminded him.

As if struck by a lightning, Rausin stood upright... yet still naked. "Ya Allah, I almost forgot." He quickly dressed, drank a glass of water and ran out of the house but he returned a few seconds later to grab his golok. Without saying anything to Rogayah he flew away like a bird.

Rogayah sat on the divan alone, combing her hair, smiling to herself. Tonight was the best night she had ever been through in her life. She had been hesitated on giving herself away to someone she hardly knew. She had grown a sense of respect towards Rausin when she found out that he was one of the masked murderers. But after tonight, she knew that she had completely fallen in love with him. She would never regretted giving herself to him. She took a piece of paper that had been prepared by Rausin, and started to draw. "But above all, I have to keep my promise to him." She murmured. Mpok Ati who had waited patiently outside the house for quite a long time entered the house. Unknown to them, she had accidentally saw them making love, yet she discreetly retreated and sat outside of the house. She was very happy knowing that her son finally found someone to love, which could only mean one thing, a grandchild she'd been longing for long.

The dawn was just breaking when she heard footsteps closing in. Before she could move a strong hand grabbed her waist. She was about to let out a scream when the man whispered, "How's my dear wife doing this morning?"

He let her go and chuckled, "I did surprised you, didn't I?"

She threw herself into his arms, "Bang Usin!"

He didn't give her a chance to say anymore words by taking her lips into his. He kissed her dearly this time, not passionately as he had done last night. As the kiss ended, Rausin looked at her more seriously.

"Rogayah, I hate to bring this up ...... but I need the map fast."

"Something happened last night, Bang?" She asked worriedly.

He nodded and started relating his story.

"You know that after both Rozak and I got the job, we planned on taking Bek Yanto down. We finally decided to launch the attack on the first night we were on duty. So last night, Ali and five more men dressed in black attacked the warehouse. We fought as real as we could. When Bek Yanto and his friends joined us to fight them, we attacked them. We killed all of them and dressed them in our uniform. As we reported to Meneer Janssen, he was shocked to find that all this time it was Bek Yanto behind the mask. He then promoted me as the chief of guards. The new Bek will be coming this afternoon from Kampung Gula. Gayah, I need to have the full map soon. You see, we're not only going to destroy the mansion, but we're gonna take back what he had taken from us. I sent Marwan to Batavia yesterday to get information on the availability of Dutch officers and weaponry. He will be back this afternoon. Once I know the situation, we will plan the next move to get to Janssen and the plantation."

Rogayah nodded several times, as she understood the grave situation they were in now. "From your story, it sounds to me like you're the leader of the masked murderers." Rogayah said finally.

"Does it?" That was all he said before leaving her. A minute later she heard the sound of water splashing from the back of the house. He was either taking water to wash himself before Shalat, or he was taking a bath. He looked exhausted. Rogayah thought it must have been a great fight last night. She never cared that much to a man before except for her father, but now she was dead worried about him. He could walked outside the house and found dead somewhere.

The sky was blue and beautiful. Rogayah and Katrina walked by the river again today. They picked some flowers too. Katrina's face looked rather pink, making her looked fresher than yesterday. Rogayah too, she enjoyed talking with her. They had a lot in common. They both liked singing, sewing and cooking. They taught songs to each other and exchanged recipes.

Although they spent most of the morning time outside, they always got back home before eleven o'clock. The sun was too hot for Katrina after that time. By four o'clock in the afternoon they usually go outside once more, to play until sunset and it was time for Rogayah to get home. Katrina usually had her afternoon nap from two o'clock to four o'clock.

For two hours, Rogayah could do her detective work. Two hours were more than enough for her to remember 5 to 6 rooms with all the details. She would sit in one room and close her eyes trying to picture the rooms again. Then she would go and look again until she can remember all the rooms precisely.

It was almost dusk when Katrina finally let her go. She asked her to stay overnight, but Rogayah needed to confirm to Rausin first. She thought that the opportunity to finish the map was better if she had more time spent in the house alone. She could sneaked out at night to check on the rooms. So, Rogayah promised Katrina to be back after she asked permission to her husband.

Rausin was seen several meters away from the house when Rogayah got home. He was on the direction to Rozak's house.

"Bang Usin, wait up." She shouted, running after him.

Rausin stopped and waited for her. "What's wrong, Gayah?" He asked her when she got close.

Rogayah caught her breath , "Can I... can I stay overnight at the mansion? Katrina Janssen begged me to stay for the night."

Rausin remembered what he had seen in Janssen's eyes when he had interviewed her for the job. He shook his head, "No. You have to be home with Mak." He said.

"But Bang, if I stay tonight, I can finish the map the day after tomorrow. Didn't you say you need it soon?" She argued.

Rausin liked her for her intelligence, but he hated when a woman argued with him. "Rogayah, I said No. It's not safe for you to stay there." He said with a deep, angry voice.

"Don't talk to me about safety, 'cause you don't know what it means! If my father were looking for safety, Bang Usin, I would have married Lo Shen Hui that old chinese loan shark and I would never end up living in this pathetic village!" She cried and ran away, leaving Rausin alone watching her with his jaw dropped. Never before a woman spoke to him that way. He had been angry, but knowing her reasons to do what she wanted to do made him regret his words. But there was no time now, he had to go to work. He reminded himself to apologize to her later. "Young women!" he shook his head and continued walking.

He had so many things in his head now that the thought of Rogayah quickly faded away. Marwan had informed him about the situation at Batavia. The big city had been still, he said. The markets had been closed. The Chinese who survived the slaughter ran to Bekasi, a town near to their kampung. The Governor General of VOC had been commanded to report the incident to the Netherlands Government. He shook his head again as the images of his attack plan formed in his mind. He had to be patient and wait until Rogayah finished up the map. It was a good thing if she could finish it in the next two days, he thought.

Rogayah ran back to the house and told Mpok Ati that she would stay overnight at the mansion by request of Katrina Janssen. Mpok Ati didn't have a chance to ask her anything else because she fled from the house in a hurry. She saw tracks of tears on her face. She suspected that she might have a dispute with Rausin. She sighed and prayed that Allah would protect her and her son.

It was 2 a.m. She had been going around the house bare-footed since 11 o'clock. Katrina had been asleep since 10 o'clock. The house was as quiet as a tomb that she had many chances to go from one room to the other without being noticed. She had drawn the map of about three-quarter of the house. She hid the map inside her bra. And went back to Katrina's room to get some sleep. She was so happy that she didn't notice the sound of footsteps from her back. She was at the backside of the house, near the maid quarters. She kept tiptoeing across the big inner hall when she heard a thunderous voice.

"What are you doing up this late of the night, chamber maid?"

Her heart shrunk as she realized whose voice it was. She turned back and faced the tall man.

"I.. I just came back from the washing room, Meneer." She answered groggily.

The Meneer didn't answer her. Instead he looked at her with more and more interest. "Come closer, chamber maid. What's your name again?" He was watching her intensely as if he could see what was behind her blouse. He licked his lips as he drew closer.

"Rogayah, Meneer." She was now feeling very afraid. She moved several steps back.

Suddenly he took her arm and pulled her closer. He tried to kiss her while still holding her arm with force. She winced in pain as he kept on squeezing the blood flow in her arms. She struggled to let go but he now used both hands to kept her.

"No! Let me go!." She screamed in fear. Her voice echoed through the hall. All maids were awaken and peeked from inside their quarters, but they were afraid to interfere. Rogayah's screams continued echoing as Janssen managed to tore her clothes. She defended herself uselessly as his strong arms grabbed her breasts, tearing the bra open and squeezing them hard. She cried as she saw the map fell down to the floor behind him. She didn't actually paid attention to what the Meneer was doing to her, she had lost hope of herself. But seeing the map flew away made her strength came back. As if getting a new strength she struggled more. The map was all she cared about. Suddenly she felt pain in her breast. She screamed in pain as she realized that the Meneer had beaten her nipples. She screamed, but this time the Meneer slapped her face hard to shut her up. She cried in pain. Her focus melted away as she felt his manhood penetrated her. She screamed and screamed in pain, and everytime she received blows on her face.

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                                                              Forgotten Heroes - continued