Forgotten Heroes

Her screams were heard until the Meneer's bedroom, awakening his mistress. Mirah listened carefully, unsure of what she had heard. When she heard it again, she ran outside towards the noises. She was shocked as she saw the scene in front of her. Rogayah was naked on the floor, crying in pain. Blood was on her breasts and mouth. Her face was blue. She could hardly breath. While the Meneer was riding on top of her, thrusting his manhood into her in such a wild manner.

"STOP IT!!!" She screamed. Janssen was surprised to see her standing there. Janssen got mad because someone dared to ruin his fun.

"Get back to your bedroom, woman. Or do you prefer I do this to you?" He said in thunderous voice.

Mirah cringed in fear and ran back to her bedroom as fast as she could.

Katrina heard the noises but too afraid to open her bedroom door. She cried behind the door, realizing that Rogayah was no longer in her room. She regretted inviting her to spend the night in the mansion. She had a cynical attitude towards her father ever since he divorced her mother. But now, he hated him more than anything on earth.

Janssen finished his act in a devilish laugh of ecstasy. He pulled up his pants and spat on her before walking away from the hall, leaving her slumped on the floor.

As his footsteps were fading away, the doors of the maid quarters opened. One by one they came out and some took Rogayah in one of the rooms. The others gathered her torn clothes and the map inside the room. Some of them shed tears, regretting how they cowardly hid behind the doors watching a fellow servant being raped and abused.

Rausin and Rozak walked pass the cane plantation. The dawn was breaking and the sun was beginning to rise. The scenes were too beautiful to ignore, even for them. The air was fresh and they inhaled them deeply. They were having small conversations, but mainly it was Rozak who talked. He was happily talking about his newborn baby boy. Rausin patted his shoulder to congratulate him. They were still talking about the same subject as a man approached them from the village. From afar they can tell it was Ali. He waved to them and started to run.

"Usin! Usin!" He shouted loudly. Rausin didn't bother to answer him. He only waved back.

As he got closer, he shouted more words, "Go back home quickly, Usin. Your wife!!" He kept running towards them.

Rausin heard what he said, his heart was beating faster. He started walking faster towards Ali. Rozak followed him close behind.
As they met, Ali caught up his breath and started blurting words, "Usin. Your wife. She's hurt. She...."

The words were enough to alert Rausin. He didn't wait until Ali finished his words and started to run. Yet Ali grabbed him by the arm, very strongly.

"Wait up, my friend. You have to hear this first."

"What! What happened!" He knew there was something grave that Ali would like to tell him.

"She... well.... She...."

"What are you trying to say Ali. You go figure it out while I run to the house." He let himself free from Ali and started running again.

Ali finally shouted the words, "She was raped by Janssen. Usin."

Rausin stopped dead on his track and turned back to face Ali. His face was so pale that Ali afraid he was going to faint.

"Wh... when? How did it happen? Who else knows about this?" He whispered the words.

"Last night, Usin. After midnight, I guess. The maids in Janssen's mansion saved her. Everybody already knows about this.... I'm sorry, Usin."

Rausin stood in silence.

Rozak and Ali looked at each other. Ali touched his shoulder, "Usin. Go now. I think you can still save her."

Rausin awaken from his shock, "What do you mean?"

Ali grabbed his arm, "Just look at her, Usin. You'll know what I mean."

The three of them sprinted to the village. Rausin saw Marwan sitting outside the house. He burst inside the house and saw Rogayah lying on the bamboo divan. Black and blue marks looked very contrast on her white pale face. Other than that, Usin didn't see anything wrong with her. Until he got on the divan and touched her skin. She was as cold as ice. Rausin touched her neck to feel her pulse. It was way too slow for a living person.

Ali followed him in, "Check out her kebaya, Usin. I think she has internal bleeding." He explained.

Rausin touched her kebaya to find out that it was wet with blood. He winced.

"Ali, Marwan, I want you guys outside with Rozak. I'm gonna need to undress her. I'll shout if I need anything."

"Rausin, I've tried to flow my inner strength to her. It helped a little.... But you know I'm not as strong as you are."

"Thanks Ali. Now please just go." He waved him to flee outside.

Mpok Ati's hand trembled as she helped him undressing her.

"Usin, the bleeding is from her... you know.... her.... "

"I know, Mak. I know. Just undress her and sit her up with her back towards me. Once it's done, you keep your hands away from her body. I'm gonna flow my inner strength into her blood circulation. Understood, Mak?"

She nodded and carried out his orders as fast as she could. Tears fell from her eyes, but she swallowed her cry. Rausin sat on the divan, folding his legs. He closed his eyes and concentrated on letting out his inner strength. He breathed a very regular pattern. If Mpok Ati hadn't known better, she would have thought he was asleep. Thin smoke came out of his palms.

"She's ready, Usin."

He opened his eyes and touched certain points of her back with his index finger. Thud. Thud Thud. This method was at that time known as Totok, it worked through blood veins and nerves points. Rausin put his palms against her bare back. Her body jerked a little. He flowed the pure energy inside her, making it's way through her blood veins. After a few minutes, he lied her down again and starting to totok some points of her upper chest with his finger. Thud, thud, thud. The he saw her breast was bleeding too. He swallowed hard as he pictured the scene on his mind. It must had been very painful for her. He swallowed his tears and kept going to the lower section of her body. Once finished, he put his palms against her belly. The bleeding slowly ceased. Mpok Ati sighed in relief as she saw the development. She went to the kitchen to prepare hot water to clean her up.

Rausin inhaled deep as he finished his work. He stepped down from the divan so that Mpok Ati could clean her up.

"Is she all right now, Usin?" She asked.

Rausin shook his head, "I don't know, Mak. I managed to stop the bleeding and flow pure energy to speed up the recovery. Now it's up to her. I can't control her heartbeat, Mak. It's beating too slow. I... I... don't know what else to do..." He swallowed hard. Mpok Ati could see tears on the corner of his eyes were about to fall.

Rausin went outside and asked his friends to go home. He assured them that he could handle the matter alone. The he went back inside and sat by the corner of the divan, watching her mother cleaning her and dressing her.

"This is all my fault, Mak." He whispered.

"How is it, my son? It's not you who did this barbaric action."

"But... but I was the one who asked her to work in the mansion, Mak.... To draw a map of the mansion...." His last words were so soft that Mpok Ati had to strain her ears to hear them.

"What? You what?" She looked at him in disbelief.

Rausin lifted his head to meet her eyes, "You heard me, Mak. You know, I'm to blame."

Mpok Ati walked to him and held him for a moment, saying words of comfort that Rausin ignored knowing that he was the only person who was truly responsible for the incident.

He looked at his mother, crying, "What have I done, Mak?" He whispered. "What have I done?"

Mpok Ati didn't answer him knowing that he had not even listenened to her words. She knew that when he was in this state she better kept silent.

"I'm not a man. You once told me that the main responsibilities of a man are: To shelter his family. To give them food. To protect them from harm, and to lead them to the path of Allah. Look at me Mak. I sent my wife to work instead of feeding her. I sent her to face danger instead of protecting her. And I never tried to lead her to Allah's way. I made her swear false commitment in our wedding..... I'm as low as Janssen, Mak." He covered his face with his palms and sobbed.

Mpok Ati cried too, but she tried to be strong for both of them. "No, my child. You're not the same as Cornelius Janssen. You..."

Rausin rose from his seat, "No? No? Tell me then, Mak. Tell me the difference. I kill people. I draw my swords and slit people's throats. I rob other people's belongings. Have you read just once in the Qur'an that it is all right to take other people's belongings as far as to feed your fellow friends? No, Mak!! Robbing is robbing. Killing is killing. No matter what the reasons are." He paced back and forth the small room and rising his voice as he spoke.

"Oh, and don't forget that I committed adultery for years with Marni! I gave in to my lust, just like Janssen. That is just another rule I break from the Commandments. Just because I'm your son, Mak, doesn't mean I cannot commit sins. I have committed a lot and a lot of sins. But this one is the greatest." He pointed to Rogayah, "THIS one is my greatest sin. And I deserve to burn in hell for this. Now tell me, what makes me so different from Janssen? TELL ME!" He stood in front of her mother in a menacing posture.

Mpok Ati had never been afraid of her son, but this time, she could see the devil in his eyes. She cried, mentioning Allah's name over and over again.

"Ya Allah.... Rausin, say His name... you're possessed by your anger.... Say His name..." She cried.

Rausin looked at his crying mother, then to Rogayah. He got even angrier to himself and ran out of the house through the back door. On his way to the river he kicked a papaya tree with all his might, sending it tumbling down.

"Usin... Rausin!! Come back!!" Mpok Ati went after him, but then she stopped as she realized that she would leave Rogayah alone. She went back inside the house, sobbing. "Allah, please take care of my son. Please don't let him do foolish things. Please open his eyes again." She prayed.

Rausin destroyed many more trees by the side of the river. When he thought the trees were too easy to crack he squatted on the ground and put both his palms against the ground. He screamed and channeled his inner strength to the ground. The ground began to crack. Stones flew out as the crack went further and further. He kept on screaming as loud as he can.

Rozak was carrying his baby on his arms in front of his second wife's house when he heard the scream. His wife came out. "What's that, Bang?" She asked in fear.

The house was the nearest to the river, so they could hear the scream quite clear.

"Rausin. It must be him." He answered and gave the baby to her. "I better check him out."

When he arrived at the river, he saw Rausin lying on the ground. His chest was heaving up and down. He quickly sat up as he heard noises from behind him.

"Easy... it's just me." Rozak said when he saw Rausin was ready to blow a distant blow with his inner strength.

"Go back, Rozak. I don't want you here." He said with a croaking voice.

"OK, I'll go. I just wanna make sure that you're all right."

"I'm all right. Just a little upset." He answered him coldly.

"Take care, Usin. Don't do anything stupid. Your family still needs you." He turned away and walked back to his house.

Rozak words were like a knife cutting into his heart. He realized that he was too consumed with his anger that he had forgotten that Rogayah might still need his strength to recover.

He undressed quickly and jumped into the river to wash himself. As the fresh water washed away the dirt from his body, it also washed away the cloud from his mind. He could think much clearer now.

He looked up to the sky and lifted both arms to reach it.

"Allah the almighty. Please listen to my plea. Please take my life in exchange for Rogayah's. Spare her life, please. I'm an unworthy human, ya Allah. I committed more sins than anyone in this village. I'm the one who deserves to die, not her. Take my life, burn me in the bottom of your hell if it's what it takes to spare her life. Help her in her future life, ya Allah. Please keep her safe...."

Rausin cried as he spoke the words. Seconds later he quickly dressed up and ran to go back to the house.

When he arrived home he saw that his mother was nowhere in sight. Rogayah was still unconscious. He quickly checked her pulse and was relief to find it beat slightly faster then before he had left home.

Mpok Ati emerged from the kitchen. "Thank Allah, you're back."

"I'm sorry, Mak. I'm sorry for all that I said to you...." He took his mother's hands and kissed them.

"That's all right, my son. I know you're angry and upset." She smiled to him.

"You should get a rest, Usin. Here, eat something. You haven't eaten anything since this morning."

"I'm not hungry, Mak. Just keep it for her." He said.

"I've made some porridge for her, my son. And I milked the cow. When she's awake, I have to make her eat something."

"What should I tell her when she's awake?" Rausin spoke softly as if talking to himself.

Mpok Ati looked at him and walked closer, "I forgot that you didn't know.... When Ali and Marwan brought her here, she was still conscious."

"Then, what?" He asked impatiently.

"Then she took my hand and said that she was sorry to burden us like this. She said that she fell into the river on her way back home. She doesn't want us to know what happened, Usin. It's her way to keep her dignity in front of both of us. Then she gave me a piece of paper. She was about to faint by that time, she could only spoke two words. She said Bang Usin. The paper was clutched in her hand. I think she wants to give it to you, Usin. I keep it safe in the bedroom."

Rausin waited as his mother went to get the paper. She came back and handed him a piece of paper stained with blood. As he opened it, his heart sank. Tears fell down his cheeks. He wiped them with the back of his hand and looked at his mother.

Whispering as he swallowed the cry he said, "It's the map.... She... she had drawn almost the whole house...."

Mpok Ati looked at Rogayah, ".... And she held on to it .... After all she had been through she held on to it.... What a remarkable strength she has...."

Rausin wiped his tears again, whispering in croaking voice, "My fault..... my fault...."

"All you can do to help her, my son, is to pretend you don't know. Don't hurt her pride. Keep her feel safe, keep her close to you. That way she knows that we still care for her. Most of rape victims ended up taking their own lives, Usin. Don't let her do that. Make sure that she's loved and needed. It might help her to face the future." Mpok Ati patted his shoulder.

Rausin nodded to her. "I'll keep her safe, Mak. I swear to Allah, I will not let anyone hurt her anymore."

Rogayah opened her eyes slowly. Her head was throbbing and she felt slight pain in her belly. She tried to sit and for a few seconds blackness claimed her vision. She held on and continued her effort to sit. Slowly the memories came back to her. Her hands trembled as the images of Janssen pictured in her mind. She shook her head and coughed. She closed her eyes. A strong hand suddenly held her to steady her. She screamed and reflectively hit the man. She was not going to give in for the second time. She would rather die, she thought.

A soft voice calmed her in her panic. "Ssh.... Ssh... Rogayah... it's me. Ssh... it's me, Rausin. Open your eyes and look at me..."

She opened her eyes again to see Rausin's handsome but troubled face looking at her. He supported her with his arm while the other caressing her hair.

"You're all right, now. You're home." He continued.

She cried when she realized that she was now safely home. She saw Mpok Ati standing nearby. Rogayah held on Rausin and buried her face in his chest. She cried.

Rausin held her and caressing her, saying comforting words.

"You're safe now, dear. Don't cry." He said the words over and over again.

A few minutes later she managed to gain control of her emotions and break free from his hug. Rausin helped her sit.

She looked at him and said, "I... fell into the river...."

"Yes, dear. Yes. You fell into the river. But nothing is broken. You bruised your face, and you fell on your belly. Is it still hurt?" He asked her in a very comforting voice.

Suddenly she sat up right, "The map!" She cried.

"Here, here, I got it. Now don't worry about the map anymore. Is you belly still hurt?" He asked her once more.

She nodded, "A little."

"Come lie down and take up your blouse. I'll make it better." He said smiling.

Surprisingly, Rogayah followed his words and lied down. Once again, he channeled his inner energy into her belly. Once finished he asked her, "How do you feel now?"

She smiled, "The pain is gone, Bang. It feels warm inside me."

He smiled back at her and kissed her on the cheek. "Good, now drink this." He helped her sit and supported her back with his strong arm.

Mpok Ati handed him a glass of hot milk. She drank a little.

Rausin held a bowl of porridge and started to feed her. She smiled and shook her head.

"I'll eat by myself, Bang. It's not proper for you to feed me this way."

Rausin chuckled, "Who cares? You're my wife, and I'm feeding you the way I like it. Now open your mouth and eat." He pretended to get mad.

She smiled and followed his orders. Mpok Ati left them both and sighed in relief. It seemed that she was all right after all, she thanked Allah.

Days went by as Rogayah fast recovered from her wounds. The purple marks on her face were hardly visible and she could walk around and help Mak cooking or washing clothes. Yet, Rausin had not let her go back to the mansion to finish the map. Deep down inside she was glad that she didn't have to go back, but some parts of her kept reminding her that she should keep her promise to her savior.

She often had bad dreams that awakened her in the middle of the night. Mostly they were about the rapes and the killings of her parents. But there was one dream that troubled her mostly. The dream that she would get pregnant and gave birth to Janssen's child. Sometimes Rausin was by her side when she woke up, but mostly he was out doing his job as a night guard. She often spent the night crying alone. But when Rausin came back home, he seemed to know what she had been through and held her tight in his arms. Some nights they made love and she would usually forget all her troubles while drowning in the ecstasy. Rausin brought her pleasures and wiped her pain away. She loved making love with him and it seemed to her that Rausin did too. For there was no night passing away without them making love.

However, Rogayah noticed that he was getting more and more closed towards her. He rarely spoke with her about his plans anymore. When she asked him about it, he suddenly got overprotective towards her. Sometimes she wondered if he had known what had happened to her that night in the mansion.

One afternoon, she felt sick. Her head was spinning and she kept on vomiting everything she had eaten. Mpok Ati advised her to rest. This went on for three more days, until one night Mpok Ati have them all sat down and said: "Congratulation, Rausin. You're going to be a father."

The words felt like an arrow to Rogayah as she realized that the chance she might be pregnant with Janssen's child was as big as Rausin's.

Rausin too, knowing the circumstances concluded the same thought. But when he looked into his mother's eyes and he saw that slight painful thought, he pretended to be surprised and quickly hugged and kissed Rogayah.

"I'm going to be a proud father of a healthy son.... or daughter." He said, kissing her more and more to distract her from her doubt.

Rogayah could hardly hide her doubt. She began to cry. Both Rausin and his mother knew that it was not a cry of happiness. She was confused. Rausin kept her in his arms for a long moment. He wanted so much to tell her that he knew how she was feeling. She had been hurt physically, she had been deprived of her dignity, and Rausin didn't want to be the one who hurt her pride.

Days flew for Rausin as he was getting closer to carry out his attack plans. On the contrary, it felt like ages just to wait for the sunset for Rogayah. She had been thinking to kill herself to end this misery. But the thought of Rausin brought her back to reality. What if it was Rausin's child she was carrying? Day in and day out, she was drowned in doubts.

One afternoon, Rausin had prepared a carriage to take her and Mpok Ati to Bekasi. Marwan will escort them to reach the city. Once in Bekasi, Marwan would take them to his contact person who would protect and shelter them for temporary.

She knew that it was time for him to carry out his plans.

"Bang, the map is not complete..." She said to him.

"Don't worry about the map, dear. Just take care of yourself and our baby. We'll meet again soon. Mak, will you take care of her?" He asked looking up to his mother who was already in the carriage.

"Yes. Just think about your mission, my son. Don't you worry about us. We can take care of ourselves."

Rausin carried Rogayah up the carriage. He kissed her lips lightly. Rogayah held him tight not willing to let go. She kissed him more. Rausin broke the kiss and let himself go.

"Go now." He ordered to Marwan, who quickly paced the horses to gallop.

Rogayah waved goodbye, mouthing words: I love you.

Rausin turned his head away, afraid of letting his tears to fall. He hated parting with Rogayah, but it was the safest way for them. Tonight they will attack the mansion and destroy the plantation. If he got caught or killed, he didn't want them to see.

It was almost 10 o'clock. The mansion was quiet as everybody seemed to have gone to their beds. There were many guards around the house. Each one carrying a gun or a rifle. The masked murderers had surrounded the mansion. There were around 35 men, armed with blades and spears.

Rausin's plan was simple. The 35 men would split into groups. A group of 5 men consisted of Rausin, Ali and 3 more people would go into the mansion. Their responsibilities were to rob the valuables, burn the documents of the cultuurstelsel and burn the mansion too. The job of killing Janssen was left to Rausin, as per his request.

The 30 men were divided into two groups. One group was to kill all the guards and burn the sugar cane plantation. The other group was to attack the warehouse, rob the logistics and then burn it to the ground.

Those were for one kampung only. Kampung Gula was led by Rozak. Their responsibilities were much easier that only 7 men were enough to carry them out. They were to kill all the guards, destroy the sugar factory and burn it.

Rausin gave the signal to charge. A second later, shadows of black figures charging forward, taking the guards down. The guards didn't give up easily, though. Some of the masked men fell down as bullets went through their bodies.

Surprisingly, there were more guards coming out of the left side of the mansion. They were all armed with guns and rifles. "Traitor... we have a traitor..." Some of them shouted to Rausin. But he replied with a loud cry "Allahu akbar!! Fight till death!!"

They charged further forward. Rausin jumped up using his inner strength and landed on the terrace of the mansion. He burst inside the house. The map that Rogayah had drawn was exact to the detail. He and the other 4 companions had memorized it. More guards coming out from the house. He was surprised to see there were so many back up guards tonight that made them outnumbered. Rausin had think of one name in his head. The name of the traitor, but he could not think about it further for more and more guards were surrounding him. He fought bravely and took down half of them. Yet he was just one man against 5 more guards now. One of them fired a gun. The bullet hit his left arm, yet he kept on fighting. Suddenly a loud cry came from behind him. He recognized it as Ali's. A second later they both fought against the 5 guards and managed to kill them all.

The sound of the battle from the outside was heard. The clinking of blades against blades, the thunderous noise of shotguns and the deafening sounds of loud cries were overwhelmed.

Rausin ran inside the house starting to find Janssen's room. He kicked a door and found Katrina curled under the bed, instead of Janssen. She didn't recognize him for he was wearing mask. "Run. Run through the back of the house and hide by the river banks if you want to survive." He said.

She looked at him in fear, unable to move.

"Run now!" he commanded her. In a second later, Katrina was already running through the hall towards the backside of the mansion.

Rausin moved on to the next room. Ali followed him, watching out for more guards, but it seemed there were no more people inside. He reported that the other 3 were managed to rob some money and gold from the safe and were gone out of the house now. A blaze of red color lighted up the sky as some of the masked murderers managed to burn the plantation. A minute later the warehouse was also on fire.

Rausin saw someone running towards the back of the house. The part of the house that Rogayah had not mapped yet. He ran after him for he recognized that it was Janssen.

Ali shouted, "No, leave him. There are more guards coming. Let's flee, Usin. We're outnumbered."

Rausin didn't answer Ali. He caught him by the arm and didn't bother to waste anymore time on him. He quickly drew his blade and stabbed it to his stomach. As Janssen fell down on his knees in pain, he moved his blade across his neck and cut his head off.

"That's for what you've done to my wife!" He murmured.

"Come, Usin. Let's get out of this house. The others have fled away. We lost the battle."

Rausin joined him running out of the house. More guards came and surrounded the house, trapping them inside. Ali motioned him to jump up to the roof. Rausin nodded and they ran across the roof beam. The guards shot at them. From up the roof they could see there were more masked murderers already captured. There were around 5of them. But those who took the valuables were safely out of sight. Rausin smiled under his mask. The mission was a success tonight, he thought, with the price of the lives of some of his men and the 7 of them to surrender.

Suddenly the shooting stops. From inside the right part of the house some guards appeared holding two women. One of the guards lighted up a torch and held it close to the hostages for Ali and Rausin to see.

Surprisingly, a very familiar voice addressed him by name.

"I know it's you up there, Rausin. Give up or you're gonna see your mother and your wife get killed." He laughed devilishly.

Ali whispered in disbelief, "That's... that's Marwan ...."

They both didn't move an inch.

A blade was suddenly placed next to her mother's neck.

"I will count to three, Rausin, and your mother will die. One. Two...."

"Why would I surrender if you would kill them after all?" Rausin shouted.

Marwan looked up, "I'll let them go in exchange of your life. I've no use of them anyway. Well... I could use your wife, but what good is a pregnant woman anyway? I'm also a man of honor, Rausin. Now come down and surrender yourself!"

Rausin jumped down and Ali followed him. They had no other choice.

As they landed on the ground, the guards pointed guns on their heads. Marwan walked to them and unmasked them.

Rausin looked around to see his mother and wife.

"Release those useless women. And get the prisoners on the carriage. Janssen is dead, so I'm taking command here as a Bek." Marwan ordered.

Some guards tied Rausin hands and pushed him to join his friends.

Rogayah cried and ran after Rausin, "Where are you taking him?"

Some guards prevented her from being too close to Rausin.

Marwan turned to her, "Batavia of course, to stand trial on murdering a VOC officer."

Rogayah kicked the guard away she cried in anger, "Why are you doing this?"
"You traitor. You're as low as a pig." She spat.

Marwan came to her and slapped her face. "Shut up, woman. You're lucky that I don't do pregnant women. Do you think I can stand living in poverty like your stupid husband, eh? Do you think I'm stupid to reject an offer of money and career? Look at your silly husband, woman. Look at him. He's just a pathetic man! He thinks he fooled us. But it was him who was fooled. Janssen had suspected him as the leader of this pathetic circus and sent me to disguise as one of the member. Hah! You fool. He also sent Bek Yanto to get him hired. And that stupid Yanto didn't even suspect anything. It's good that he's dead now, that worthless man. Now I'm in charge. So go away from here, before I change my mind and have you killed."

"Go home Rogayah. Go now." Rausin's deep and charismatic voice calling her.

She cried and shook her head, "No...."

"Go now. Take care of our baby. Take care of Mak. Go. Go home." Rogayah could see now that there was blood dripping from his shoulder. He was hurt.

She cried harder, but she turned her back and ran anyway. It was too painful for her to watch him get caught. But he was right, there was nothing she could do for him here. She took Mpok Ati's hand and they both fled from the scene. They had to follow Rausin to Batavia. She knew he would be imprisoned in the city hall, waiting for the trial like her father had. It would take months before he could appear in front of the judge. She knew well that most prisoners would die even before facing the trials. The prison was a hell on earth. She wanted to be there for him in each and every way she could.

Eight months later...

Rogayah carried the canteen of food in her right hand. She was walking towards the city hall to meet Rausin. She had been working hard for the past two months to save more money for the bribe. Finally, yesterday the prison guard told Mak that she could meet him this afternoon.

From the eight months of time, she had only seen him three times. This time will be the fourth. The bribe was getting more expensive. She usually worked at home, sewing kebaya to get the money. Mpok Ati cooked and delivered the food to Rausin everyday. Although he received regular food from them once everyday, he got thinner and thinner. He had been down with the malaria last month, but surprisingly survived.

Ali had died two months ago of dengue fever. Rozak and his 6 men had been killed in action, but after they successfully burn the sugar factory. From all 7 men who had been captured, only 3 survived to face the trial, including Rausin. Words had been around that the trials might took place in the next 2 weeks.

Mpok Ati and Rogayah lived in the old house that used to belong to Rogayah's parents. The house was still there, empty but clean. It was Rogayah's aunt who took care of the house, hoping that she would come back one day. The day she arrived in Batavia, she had been welcomed with tears and happiness.

The city hall looked the same as two months ago when she visited Rausin the last time. It was big, white, and menacing. She climbed the stairs at the entrance and talked to the guard, handing him the envelope full of money. The guard let her in to see Rausin. However, they didn't get a private room. They could only meet and talked in front of Rausin's cell. She brought extra food for Rausin's two friends and gave it to them. Rausin stepped out of the cell and the guard locked it again.

Rogayah was surprised how two more months in the cell changed him. He looked pale and thin and much older. His hair had been cut short at the first day he entered the prison, but now it already grew even longer than before. His beard covered his face. He had grown much gray hair too. But his voice was the same. That sexy deep comforting voice no doubt belonged to Rausin, the man she loved dearly.

She stepped closer to him to hug him, but he stepped back. "No, Gayah. I'm not clean. Only Allah knows what disease I carry with me. You have to think of our baby. Don't come too close to me."

"But Bang, I want to hold you... I miss you..." She started crying.

"I miss you too, my dear. But you can't be selfish. The baby might catch the disease I carry."

Rogayah's face changed. She opened the canteen and gave it to Rausin. Rausin ate it fast. In seven minutes he had finished eating them all and drank the water. Rogayah didn't say one word during the time. She seemed to be preoccupied with something else.

"It was delicious, my dear." Rausin saw the change on her face. He could easily guess what was bothering her.

"I want you to keep the baby, even though it's not mine." He said.

Rogayah startled. She looked at him with surprise. "You... you knew?" She started crying again.

"Yes, Gayah. I knew it from the first time. I just didn't have the heart to tell you then. But now it's different. I know it's getting closer to the time you give birth. I know how confused you must be. What if the child is not mine.... Right?"

Rogayah nodded slowly, still crying.

"Well, you don't have to be confused anymore, my dear. I want you to love the child. To raise him well, and bring him to the path of Allah." He put one hand on her shoulder. He was dying to draw her near and hug her, but he knew he couldn't.

"No! I can't love this child knowing that it's not yours." She cried. "I can't. I hate it."

Rausin shook her shoulders to bring to her attention.

"Gayah look at me. Look at me!"

Rogayah stopped crying and looked at him. "What do you want?" She said.

He spoke with a softer voice, "Gayah, let me ask you one question. Does the child ask to be born?"

Rogayah looked at Rausin, tears fell down her cheek. She shook her head.

"No. It's not his fault to be born to this world. It's not his fault to have Janssen as his father. It's not his will, it's not his choice. You cannot blame it on the child, my dear."

"It's easy for you to say that, Bang. I swear I would kill the child if it's not yours. I hate it." She answered him coldly.

"Yes, Gayah. It's easy for me to say that. I'm not the one who got raped. I'm not the one who carries the child for nine months. I know, I won't be around too long anymore. Whatever you decide on the future of the child will be your decision alone. Rogayah, I just don't want you to be a killer."

"Do you think it's easy to kill? No, Gayah, it's not easy. When you kill someone for the first time your conscience will fight you. The guilty feeling will haunt you for days, months, even years. But once you get use to killings, you blind your conscience... you blind your heart. Look at me, Gayah. I'm a killer. Look at where I end up. I have never ask you this question before, but I'm gonna ask you now. Among your many Gods, is there a God of Love?"

She nodded, "Kwan Im, the Goddess of Love." She said.

"Go to the temple, Gayah. Pray to her, ask her for guidance. I believe She will show you the way. Don't kill, my dear. It only makes you the same as your enemy."

Rogayah didn't answer him, she asked him a question instead. "When was the first time you killed a man, Bang?"

Rausin chuckled. "A long time ago, Gayah. When I was very young. I killed the man who killed my lover."

"You took revenge on her death, then. It wasn't wrong." She said.

"Oh it was wrong, Gayah. My lover was a whore. We lived together in her house. And that man was one of her regular customers, who gave her money in exchange for sex. He got jealous and prefered to see her dead than stop giving him the pleasure because she was going to marry me. It was all wrong, Gayah. It was what made me like this."

Rogayah was shocked to hear the story. She always regarded Rausin as a noble man. She could hardly believe the story.

Rausin saw the shock in her face, "Yes, Gayah. That's who I was.... And I'm paying for my sins now. Please promise me you won't fall into devil's way like me. Please promise me you will take good care of the child. Please...."

"Time's up!" A guard emerged and pushed Rausin back inside the cell.

"Gayah, promise me..." He pleaded.

Rogayah didn't answer, she cried and left the city hall.

Rogayah kneeled before the statue of Kwan Im. She had gone directly to the temple after meeting Rausin. She prayed and prayed until she felt exhausted. It was almost sunset when she finished praying. She walked slowly back home, but her mind was getting more and more stressed to think that Rausin insisted her to raise Janssen's child. She hoped that the baby was Rausin's.

She entered the house and went directly to the bedroom. She didn't even pay attention of Mpok Ati who had been worried about her the whole afternoon.

Two weeks had passed since her short reunion with Rausin. Her doubts still haunted her day and night. The thought of losing Rausin brought more burdens to her mind. She was at home sewing kebaya that afternoon when Mpok Ati suddenly came inside handling a sealed envelope.

"Gayah, this came from the City Hall. Can you read it for me? Is it about Rausin?"

Rogayah took the envelope and tore it open. She read the letter and her hand trembled.

"Rausin's trial will be held tomorrow, Mak. At eleven in the morning...."

She felt weak. The day she had been afraid to even imagine had finally come. She felt her head spin and fainted.

Rogayah opened her eyes and felt a stabbing pain around her back and belly. She screamed and held her belly. She looked at around her and saw Mpok Ati and two of their neighbors were helping.

"Calm down, Rogayah. Take a deep breath now. You're about to give birth. You fell to the floor and the water broke." Mpok Ati caressed her forehead.

"Don't you worry, my child, I'm here to help you." She said again.

The labor was premature, considering that she was only entering the eighth month of her pregnancy. She prayed to Kwan Im to save her and the child.

12 days after...

Rausin was wearing new clean clothes. He had trimmed his beard and combed his hair. He was going to see his dear wife today, in exchange for his last meal.

He paced back and forth in the room. He was placed in a different cell now. Clean and bright. The three of them occupied the cell for the night, and tomorrow they would be escorted to the front of the city hall to face their execution.

He heard footsteps coming closer and saw two guards. They opened the cell and took him to a room. Rogayah was there, holding a bundle of white blanket. Mpok Ati stood beside her. She let out a cry when she saw him coming. Rausin approached her and saw that there was a tiny baby sleeping in her arms.

"Your son, Bang Usin..." She whispered.

Rausin took the baby in his arms and cried. "My son?" He asked.

Rogayah nodded , "Your son."

Rausin touched his hair. It was black and curly like his. And he has his lips too. But his skin was more like her mother, smooth and yellow, like Chinese.

"He has your voice, Bang. He cried loud at night, waking up our neighbors." Rogayah told him.

"Good boy." He kissed him and held him close.

He gave the baby back to Rogayah and he hugged his mother. "Mak, please forgive all my mistakes."

Mpok Ati cried, "You're already forgiven, my son."

She kissed him on his cheeks, forehead and hugged him once more before saying, "Now I leave you two alone."

She was about to take the baby out but Rausin stopped her, "Mak, I want to be with my child too."

"All right, son." She kissed him once more and went outside. Once outside she sat on a stool and cried alone.

Rausin held Rogayah and the child in his arms. Rogayah was crying. Rausin tried to swallow his cry, but it was such a hard thing to do. Tears started running down his cheeks.

"Rogayah, promise me that you're going to bring him up in my way. Show him the path to Allah. Show him how to become a moslem. Tell him our story and let him know about the suffering of the people."

Rogayah nodded, "I promise, Bang. I promise."

They cried holding each other tight.

"Rogayah, I want to say something to you, something I've never said before.... I want you to know....that .... I love you....."

Rogayah's tears were flowing faster, "Oh, Bang Usin... I know that. I've always known that you love me. You don't need to say it out loud... I know."

Rausin shook his head, "I have to say it now, or I will not have a chance to say it, my love. I love you. I've fallen in love with you since the first time I saw you lying on the street near the plantation. And everyday I love you more and more."

"I love you too, Bang. We both love you." She said crying still.

"What's his name?" Rausin asked. His voice was croaking because he tried not to cry.

"I have not given him a name. It's your right as his father to name him."

Rausin kissed Rogayah on her lips, lightly. "Thank you, my love. Thank you for giving me such a wonderful boy. From today on, he will be called by my name, Rausin."

Rogayah smiled, but the tears kept flowing down from her beautiful eyes. Rausin bent down to kiss his son and then kissed Rogayah's lips. She kissed him back and they had the longest kiss. Their last kiss.......

The execution didn't take long. The names of the prisoners were called out one by one. One prisoner at a time. He would kneel on the ground with his head down. The executioner would swing the sword cutting his head. Then the coroner would collect the head and labeled it for the family to claim later. Then the next prisoner would be called and so on. There were total 10 men who got executed that morning.

Rogayah stood among the crowd. She insisted that she had to be with Rausin until the very end of his life. Mpok Ati couldn't stop her from going. She left the baby in her care.

When Rausin's name was called out, Rogayah moved her way to the front. As she saw Rausin started to kneel down she cried out his name as loud as she could.

"Bang Usin!!!!!"

Rausin turned his head and managed to smile to her. She mouthed the words: I love you. And Rausin mouthed the same words to her. He kept smiling as he let his head down. Rogayah turned her face away as she saw the executioner swung his sword of justice. She went further away from the crowd and sat crying on the corner of a building.

A Chinese man who once owned a shop opposite the building saw her and went out from his shop to help her.

"Are you all right, Cik (sister)?

Rogayah looked up with her wet eyes, she's crying hard now.

"My husband had just been executed....." She whispered in her cry.

The man took her hand, "Come with me, Cik. It's not good crying here on the street."

She shook her head. "I want to go home, Ko (brother).

"Then I'll take you home." He said.

Rausin was buried the next day. People say he was smiling at his death. Rogayah did keep her promise and brought up her son in a moslem way. Mpok Ati died two years later of a broken heart. She lost her motivation of life when she lost her one and only son.

The people of Kampung Tebu and Kampung Gula had 8 years of freedom. Marwan ironically died 3 months after Rausin's death from malaria tropicana. The plantation was reopened 8 years later by the new governor general and once again the people in both kampung suffered from the cultuurstelsel.

Rogayah who then used her original name, Fung Yin Li, kept her friendship with the former shop owner in Batavia, Lim Siau Bun. Ko A Bun, as she called him, took her, her baby and Mak to Bekasi and they lived with him. He used to be a successful businessman in Batavia so he had money to buy a big house in Bekasi.

The bachelor befriended her for 10 years. Helping both Yin Li and little Rausin in everyway he could. He loved her dearly and had asked to marry her several times only to be rejected again and again. Until one day, when Rausin reached 10 years old, he came before her to once again propose her to marry him. He said this would be the last time he asked for he was planning to go back to China. Bekasi was not a promising town, and Batavia had become ecologically ruined. People who used to stay inside the citiy wall had moved due to malaria epidemy. He would go back to China, to ask forgiveness for leaving the homeland in the first place and to start a new life, with a new family if she agreed to come with him. If not, she could still occupy the house and manage the farm they had.

Yin Li finally gave in to his endless love and went with him to China. Surprisingly, she found out that A Bun's family was highly respected. His father was a governor in a province. Yin Li's life turned 180 degrees from poverty to wealthy. Rausin enjoyed education, however he was forced to changed his name to Chinese name. Yin Li insisted that he bore the family Fung's name. A Bun respected her decision. So from that day, our young Rausin had become Fung Lauw Sin. The closest Chinese words for Rausin.

At the age of 17 he was sent to England to study economy. By the age 25 he had become a successful businessman, and had a company of his own. He opened a branch of the company in Batavia, exporting sugar and spices from the city worldwide. He often stopped by in Kampung Tebu to visit the factories and plantation, and make sure that the native workers got paid for their work. He, had followed his father steps, only in a much different way.

He never forgot visiting his father's grave too. However, when Fung Lauw Sin died, his sons were too busy taking care of their new business in Hong Kong that Rausin's grave then forgotten. So today, we do not know where the location of Rausin's grave anymore. His name had long forgotten by the people of Kampung Tebu. But if you go there and mentioned Fung's name, they will all recognized the name. The Fung, the conglomerates who owned the factory, the plantation, the export-import business and brought prosperity to the villagers. Rogayah and Rausin were names long forgotten.

Simon Ong looked at his mother in disbelief. "Fung family like Jacob Fung?"

Karina chuckled, "Well, yes. Like my maiden name, Karina Fung."

Simon's eyes grew wider, "So you and uncle Jacob are descendant's of Rausin?"

"Yes, my son. Why don't you ask your uncle to show you the jade pendant. He has it."

Simon looked a bit confused. "Jade pendant?"

"Simon.... like the one Fung Yin Li had." Karina seemed hopeless by her son's ignorance.

"Oh.. oh.. that pendant. How come he has it, mom? Not you? You're older than uncle Jacob." He protested.

"Yes, I'm his older sister. But I do not carry the Fung's name anymore. I now carry your father's family name. Uncle Jacob will get married someday, and he will pass on that pendant to his son too. To carry the Fung's legacy."

"We're here, ma'am." Pak Slamet, the driver informed them as he stopped the car in front of the City Hall, now was called the Jakarta History Museum.

"Well, Let's go, Simon." She opened the car door for him.

Simon looked across the front yard of the Museum. He pointed, "There's where they executed Rausin, mom?"

"Yes, dear. Now come on, you can even see the sword of justice inside the museum."

"Oh Cool!! Let's get inside, mom. Hurry!" He ran up the stairs leaving his mother behind.

"If you need me just use the car call, ma'am" Slamet said.

"Thank you, Pak."

"Ma'am, it was a wonderful story. You have made him interested in history now. You're a good story teller, Ma'am."

"No, Pak Slamet. You have listened to the version for an eight-year-old boy. The complete story is a tragedy. But like all mothers before me, we have to pass it on to our children, as part of our family's legacy."

"It should be made a movie." He murmured and got back into the car.

"I'm glad you find it entertaining." Karina Ong smiled and walked away to get to her son who was now waving at her and shouting for her to hurry.

She climbed the stairs of the city hall, just like Fung Yin Li had. Only she climbed the stairs with joy, instead of sadness, with pride instead of hopelessness. Rausin and Rogayah might have been forgotten by the worlds. But their names will live forever in the lines of the Fung family.

THE END