
“Pak, just found the body of a man in a burnt-out condition under the old banyan tree,” Sumini told Sumarto, her husband.
“Who did you hear from?” ask Mr. Marto.
“Must be from Mother RT passing in front of our house,” said Sumini.
This Sunday morning, around Mr. Marto's house so crowded. Many people came to see the body of the man found dead under the famous haunted old banyan tree.
Not only the surrounding residents who arrived, many people from other regions also arrived. This can be seen from the number of motorcycles parked around the location. The area is like an impromptu tourist location. Residents around also do not waste the opportunity to become a parking attendant. Because the police have not arrived, the bodies have not been evacuated, this news spread quickly via SMS and attracted many people to come and see the bodies of victims of the violence of the old banyan tree guard.
The body of the man, estimated to be about 30 years old, was covered with a sarong, waiting for police officers to arrive.
Residents around no one knows the man, you can be sure the man is not a citizen there. The death of the man made the mystical story that has been circulating all this time increasingly developed.
* * * * * * * * * * *
The old banyan tree is right next to the house that used to be occupied by Mr. Ponirah with his wife and their only child, Bondan. Of this family, Mr. Ponco was the first to die. Mr. Ponco died suddenly, without getting sick first. Residents around attributed the death of Mr. Ponco to the mystical world. Out of nowhere, residents believe Mr. Ponco had black magic and the death of Mr. Ponco because the ghost of the woman he raised asked for a fall.
A year later, his wife Ponirah died of dengue fever. And just a week after the death of Ponirah, Bondan their 17-year-old son died hanging from the old banyan tree. “Bondan died a pure suicide,” police said.
Since then, Mr. Ponco's family home has been left empty. I don't know where their relatives are. But as far as Mr. Marto knows, they never got a visit from their brother. So as a neighbor, Mr. Marto did not know where to go to contact the family or the heirs of Mr. Ponco. Mr. Marto only knew they were from Jombang, East Java.
For Mr. Marto, Mr. Ponco's family is good. Only Mr. Ponco was a bit quiet and closed. Their lives look normal, nothing looks different from other people. Not rich, does not display strange behavior, does not perform strange rituals. Their lives are like most of the surrounding residents, they and their families are farm laborers. Do not know who breathed the issue that Mr. Ponco has a relationship with the mystical world.
Mr. Ponco's house has begun to weathered in age. The old banyan tree next to Mr. Ponco's house is getting lush so that it adds to the impression of being haunted. Not many residents dare to come or just shelter from the rain under the old banyan tree. Fortunately, the goats are happy to graze there so that the land around the tree is not overgrown with grass or tall shrubs.
The path next to Mr. Ponco's house and past beside the old banyan tree is actually a shortcut to the main road, but because of the haunted impression that the mystery stories evoke, but, many people choose to go the other way. There are some residents who still dare to go through this shortcut, but usually they walk quickly without daring to turn to the former home of Mr. Ponco and the banyan tree. There are also residents who have been forced to go there because they are looking for their goats who have not returned even though it is late afternoon.
* * * * * * * * * * *
“Uncle, how many people died around the old banyan tree,” asked Bagas, nephew of Mr. Marto who yesterday just came from the city. After his prajabakti with his uncle and aunt this afternoon, Bagas visited his friend's house. Tonight Bagas and Mr. Marto, his uncle, were chatting in the living room.
“Hmmm.. as you recall Uncle, this is third person,” replied Mr. Marto.
“Actually, those who died around the tree because of what? Bagas became curious because of the stories of the people this morning. Some say the old banyan tree asked for a tumbal, some say the ghost of the pet woman Mr. Ponco asked the victim, and of course,” asked the accounting student was curious.
“Yes, it is unclear what died because. First a man was found dead with a charred body. The victim was found by his brother at night. According to the story, this man came to the area to buy a goat for a party. It rained quite a bit that afternoon. Because until nightfall he didn't come back, his brother came here looking for the man. The man was found dead under a banyan tree with a charred body. Some suspect struck by lightning, but it felt that afternoon the rain was not heavy and not accompanied by lightning,” Mr. Marto told me while remembering the events of that time. “The victim was immediately taken home by his family to be buried,” continued Mr. Marto.
“Second victim, also a man. This man was found dead by residents who passed around Mr. Ponco's house. The man was found dead in an open top pants position. Issues circulating say this man was killed by the ghost of a tree-waiting woman who was angry because his place of residence urinated on this man,” Mr. Marto looked at his nephew. “The dead are also not residents around here,” Mr. Marto looked out the window.
“The third victim, also a man and again not a citizen around here. The third victim was the man who was found this morning,” Mr. Marto ended his story.
“Hmm... Uncle believes in the story that circulated that this family nurtured female ghosts and they and their families so crashed and now the ghost continues to take its toll?” Bagas tried to get his uncle's opinion.
“Yah..how ya? Actually uncle doesn't believe. According to uncle, Pak Ponco's family is a good family even though he is rather quiet and closed. Throughout the knowledge of uncle who played several times to their house, there was no mystical impression at all. If the last victim, according to uncle, he died because he was struck by lightning. Bagas tau itself ‘kan, last night heavy rain and lightning repeatedly boomed. The man's body was charred,” Mr. Marto tried to give an argument. “Ya anyway..” Bagas confirmed his uncle's opinion, but something stuck in his heart.
* * * * * * * * * * *
As a Buddhist, Bagas did not believe in the existence of beings from other realms. Only when he heard the story of his uncle, Bagas suspected that there was something else that caused the death of these three men. Bagas took out a digital tespen from his backpack. This is not like a regular test. In ordinary tespen, the tip of the screwdriver-shaped testpen must be touched to the outlet hole or to an object that is suspected to be electric, if the lamp is on it means that the object has electricity. Digital tespen is more advanced. Digital tespen can even detect broken cables in which parts, simply by bringing the tespen closer to the cable without having to touch. If there is electricity, the tespen will make a sound.
This tool bought him time Bagas tried to fix the lamp on his study table. When the test with a regular tespen, it turns out that there is a power outlet. So the problem is not in the outlet. When the lights are tried elsewhere, the lights are on, meaning the lights have not been damaged. The problem is in the cable, there must be a broken cable but from the outside is not visible. What part of the cable should be cut and then connected again? A friend of the boarding school who is a child of electrical engineering lends this digital tespen. Move this tool along the cable, if there is electricity then this tool will make a sound. Move this tool down the cable from near the socket to the end of the lamp. When the sound stops, it indicates at that point the cable is disconnected. Finally Bagas also bought this digital tespen. This small digital tespen is always Bagas carry when traveling, its function is to tighten the glasses bolts that are often loose.
After preparing his equipment, wearing a soccer shirt and shorts, Bagas said goodbye to his uncle. “Tumben early in the morning already awake?” greet uncle.
“You sport, run around here only Uncle,” said Bagas.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Finally Bagas arrived at the former home of Mr. Ponco and old banyan trees. Bagas has no intention of disturbing other natural creatures if there are indeed people inhabiting this place. Along the way Bagas pronounces “Sabbe satta bhavantu sukhitatta.”
Bagas came just want to find out, whether the story circulating is true or just an irresponsible issue. Pity also these creatures become victims of human slander. Bagas did not intend to arrest them or expel them from this place. Buddhists are taught to learn to live in peace when side by side with any creature. And one more, ehipassiko, don't easily believe that, but prove it yourself.
There is fear too, lest Bagas even be disturbed by the creatures waiting for the house and the old banyan tree or the creature even entered the body Bagas, commonly called possessed. “Sabbe satta bhavantu sukhitatta,” repeatedly Bagas said that sentence. “May all living beings be happy, I came just to find out, not want to disturb let alone expel you,” said Bagas.
Mata Bagas carefully observed the old house and looked for whether there were still electrical wires there. All the doors and windows are open so Bagas can look inside freely.
“Aha... Bagas shouted happily. There are still electrical cables in this house even though the condition is already bad. It seems like the scavengers also did not dare to enter here to pick up everything that could still be sold. In some parts, the cable is already covered with dust and moss. Bagas looked at the cable and looked for where it was going the lowest so he could find out with his digital test pen. Bagas issued his digital tespen.
There are still tables, chairs, even though the condition has been damaged and dirty. Bagas slowly stepped foot into the house. Bagas stepped near the wall and placed his digital test pen near the cable, apparently making a sound. This means that the wiring in the house is still electric. Bagas' heart raced faster.
Mata Bagas observed one by one the cable lines in the house. One cable goes to the living room and ends at the lamp. The lights aren't on, maybe the lights are out. There is a cable leading to the bedroom, also ending in the lamp. There was a cable leading to the porch, again tipped at the lamp, but the lamp had broken. Bagas did not dare to press the switch to find out whether the lights there were still on, fearing that even an electrical short circuit occurred.
The last cable that Bagas observes goes up to the ceiling, somewhere. What does the cable go to the ceiling for? Bagas slowly stepped outside the house. He checked the terrace of the house once again, whether the cable leads to the outside of the house. Bagas did not find any wires coming out of the roof. What is the cable to the ceiling?
Bagas observed once more carefully. Then Bagas tried to circle the house. Right next to the house, Bagas stumbled and nearly fell. The ground level is uneven, as if some make police sleep small or people hoard water pipes under the mound. Bagas looking for twigs, then scraping the pile of soil.
It turned out that the dried leaves and the ground covered the wires! The cable goes to the old banyan tree. Bagas looked at the old tree and found a can of biscuit marks hanging, there was a lamp but without wires. Bagas concluded that this cable had come out of the roof to the old banyan tree. Mr. Ponco put a lighting lamp on this tree. Cans of biscuits to protect the lights from rain. The cable is disconnected from the connection and then dangled to the ground until finally naturally covered by soil and dry leaves.
Bagas took out his digital testpen and then brought it closer to the cable, wow. The mystery of the men's deaths. They may have been electrocuted by this cable, especially by the second victim. You can imagine, You urinate right about the cable that is chipped and spontaneously Your urine becomes a conductor. They died from electrocution, not because angry female ghosts had their residences urinated on.
Hmmm... If people are aware of this Bagas investigation, do they still think that Buddhists are close to the clenic, magical, idol worshipers world?
With his Dhamma, Buddha taught his people rationally to deal with circumstances, not blindly believe.
* * * * * * * * * * *
Uncle was amazed by the logical explanation of Bagas. Then, later uncle will meet Mr. RT and ask him to fix the power cord in the former house of Mr. Ponco so as not to take any more casualties. Bagas smiled with satisfaction.
This holiday is fun and useful. Case close's...