Vol 4 Chapter 52 (1/2)
Chapter 52
At the corners of the village, roosters crowed one after anotherThe chilly air had eased off and the freshness of a new day was signified by gleaht passed and now replaced by the break of dawn
Village Chief Kundrawana lit up his pipe tobaccoHe looked exhausted, his eyes were dim while his face was so paleBehind the feebled features, a hidden eer and unbearable anxiety!
He s of bitterness in his h the terraceSince long, especially these last few days, he had a horrible taste on his tongue, it was exceptionally bitterHe could barely eat, only very few spoonfulAs the sun goes up, he grew nipah was even ers came before the Black Trio of Comel River arrived at the scene! His eyes frequently looked to the outer yardHowever, everything seemed to be enveloped in silenceAnd this silence is exactly what e Chief Kundrawana most restless!
He put the butt of the pipe to his lipsHe inhaled deep and long into his lungs then exhaled the sround and rubbed his lips
He was surprised and turned his head when hearing the footsteps behind hi was none other than his wifeThe woht drastically, much skinnier than she was beforeJust like her husband, she was pale and languidWarih Sinten was a woman of beauty, however her beauty now vanished as it was clouded with anxietyShe was distressed thinking of her son’s fate, of his husband’s fate when the villagers really came
That day was the third tax collection dayUsually the Village Chief Bojongnipah’s aide who routinely went around the village to levy the tax had gatheredHowever now not a single one of them appearedHow could he show his face when he knew that the villagers would commit a rebellion that day!
“Hopefully the villagers will not come…”
Village Chief Kundrawana bit his lipsHe knew his as only co himIt was true that he also hoped what his wife said to come trueHowever, he clearly knew that this was an iers will come! He knew, he knew for sure!
Warih Sinten looked again beyond the front yardThen she said again: “Even if they come, I don’t think we can cover up the crimes committed by those three despicable cockroaches, Dear! We hter us mercilessly!”
“My life is of no value, Warih…” replied Village Chief Kundrawana“I’m not at all afraid of death! But my death will be futile, if our only son’s life was also wasted away…”
The silence was in the air for awhile
Suddenly
“Dear…” Warih Sinten touched her neck with her hands“They…they are co…”
Village Chief Kundrawana raised his head and looked upon the front yardWhat his wife said was trueA group of ed froroup was only the spearhead of the villager mob numbered a hundred-odd peopleFro any weaponHowever Village Chief Kundrawana knew that there ht and concealed their weapons!
A moment later, the spacious front yard was crowded by the villagersIt was clae Chief Kundrawana and his wife stood frozen on the terraceOnly their eyes gazed around the villagers of Bojongnipah
One of the villagers bursted to the front and cli few steps opposite KundrawanaKundrawana knew thisat the eastern part of the villageHis na up to the terrace, the atraveyard
“Village Chief…,” Kratoo opened his mouth to break the silence“You do know exactly e come here, don’t you…?”
Kundrawana did not repliedOn Krato s in front of you now as the spokeso pointed to the crowd and continued: “the villagers of Bojongnipah who, in this past month, had been the victims of your extortion, oppression, exploitation, choked down by your tax collection eleven tinipah…”
“Brother Kratoe Chief Kundrawana interrupted“Please make it conciseJust tell me what you want”
And Kundrawana saw again the o’s lips
“What do ant…? We have said all of that the first time you levied that crazy tax!”
“Personally I don’t want to i’s order, for country development and army maintenance…”
“An order is merely an order! If your leader order you to dive down into a well then you will do as you are ordered to? Stupidly falling to the well?! Every order e Chief!”
“An order is merely an order! If your leader order you to dive down into a well then you will do as you are ordered to? Stupidly falling to the well?! Every order e Chief!”
Kundrawana’s face turned red
At the same time, Warih Sinten started to sob
“Brother Krato, maybe the tax collection was only of temporary period…”
“Teers in Bojongnipah are choked down to death by the tax!”
“I know the tax with such amount is difficult to bear…”
“If it is difficult for you, why still co to the rule?!”
Village Chief Kundrawana bit his lips againHe desperately wished at that moment to simply tell the reason of the tax collectionHe frantically wished at that eous tax collection! However when he remembered his only son as in the hands of the Black Trio of Comel River…