A large house appeared deserted. If I’m not mistaken, the owner’s wife is working abroad. Hong Kong, Taiwan, or Saudi Arabia, I don’t know. But one thing’s for sure, her remittances to her husband are regular. The husband himself is said to take full advantage of the money from his wife. Rumor has it that my neighbor Astri gave birth to a child from her affair with this man. I don’t know. Maybe Astri is involved with another man. I sneaked into the backyard of the house. Dim lights were installed in the corners outside the house. It was very quiet. Surely, everyone was deep in their dreams. It didn’t take me long to reach the house. I tried to pry open the bedroom window with my tool. It took me quite a while to open it. Damn it! Turns out the window was reinforced with strong iron grilles. I gave up. It was impossible to continue. And time kept ticking.
My steps echoed through the silent night as I walked along the deserted road surrounded by sugarcane plants on both sides. Suddenly, the urge to urinate hit me. In such dense foliage, there might be snakes lurking around. I abandoned the idea of relieving myself here and continued walking. My body felt increasingly weary, and I hadn’t earned a single cent to bring back home as a token of my night’s work. Amidst the sugarcane field, I spotted a light. I approached it steadily. It turned out to be a small prayer house. Next to it stood a small house. Beside the prayer house, there was another small room. I hurried towards it. After a few moments, I finished urinating. I felt an unexpected urge to perform ablution. I then entered the prayer house to pray. Since it was Ramadan, I thought it would be appropriate. I prayed quickly and then laid down for a moment. I glanced at the small house next to the prayer house. I noticed a partially open window. Curiosity got the better of me. My instincts kicked in. I stood up and moved closer. I saw an old man sleeping curled up in a sarong. What could I possibly gain from a house like this? But wait. Suddenly, I noticed something. On the table, I saw a twenty-thousand bill. Doubt crept into my mind. But then, I resolved to take action. I widened the window slightly. And to my surprise, my hand reached it. I took the money and it became my only souvenir for the night.
The next night, I embarked on another mission. Unfortunately, luck wasn’t on my side again. I almost got caught by the neighborhood watch while attempting to break into a house. I returned home empty-handed. The following night, my efforts yielded nothing once more. Remembering the peaceful atmosphere of the prayer house amidst the sugarcane field, I intentionally passed by there. I relieved myself again and performed my prayers, just like I did three days before. Once again, I noticed the small house’s window partially open. Driven by curiosity, I went back. And there, the old man wrapped in a sarong was still asleep. I surveyed the room. I saw a twenty-thousand and a thirty-thousand bill. I was tempted once again. After carefully observing the old man with white hair who was still asleep, I made up my mind. I widened the window and took the money. I returned home with fifty thousand. Thank God.
The following night, I resumed my activities. The wealthy widow’s house became my main target again. Unfortunately, luck was not on my side once more. I saw the shadow of Sarjud again in the darkness. This time, my arrival was slightly delayed compared to his. I saw his shadow in front of the Widow’s house. He was audacious to engage in adultery during Ramadan. My irritation reached its peak. I grabbed a pebble from under my foot. From a distance, I threw it at him. He was so startled that he screamed. And I continued to throw more. He got scared and ran helter-skelter. His commotion woke up the neighbors. Sarjud, running and screaming in fear, was eventually chased by the villagers. I left. Let the vile adulterer deal with his own people. The wealthy widow’s house was surely no longer safe for me. Many villagers were already awake. I was confused about where to act next. Until the kentongan was struck three times, I hadn’t gained anything. Finally, I returned home empty-handed.
The next night, I visited the prayer house amidst the sugarcane field again and obtained a hundred thousand. The following night, my endeavor failed once more. And the next night, I visited the small house near the prayer house again. I obtained two hundred thousand. This sequence of events continued. It felt very strange. On the ninth and tenth nights, I consecutively went to the small house. This time, I didn’t stop by the prayer house first because the night wasn’t too late yet. Unlike before, the small house’s window was tightly shut. The door too. Everything was tightly closed. I circled around the house. But the result remained the same. My heart started to feel anxious. I took out my tools. I made sure to cover my face with a mask as recommended by the government. At least I followed certain rules. While I was busy trying to pry open the window, suddenly, I heard a voice from behind me.
“Sorry, tonight I haven’t opened the door yet.”
I was half scared to death hearing the voice. I turned to look at him. It turned out to be the old man who usually slept curled up. He was wearing a sarong and a religious robe with a Hajj cap. He seemed to have just returned from the prayer house.
“It’s unusual for you to come at this hour. Come in, let me open the door for you,” the old man said casually.
It was so strange. Who was he? Why was he so calm seeing me? Instead of being afraid of me, he smiled and seemed friendly towards me. Suddenly, I felt afraid. My body trembled. I had never felt fear like this before.
The old man opened the door and entered. He waved at me to come in. I was very confused about what to do. But he kept insisting. Eventually, I followed him into the small and humble house. He gestured for me to sit on a rickety wooden chair. A few moments later, he came back with a glass of water and boiled sweet potatoes.