Antara Darah dan Hati: Dream Reality English Translation

Chapter 28 Part 6 "Coronation"

POV Karim

After my father received an apology from my uncle for all the crimes my uncle had done to him, he finally agreed to re-tie the ties of brotherhood that had been cut for more than thirty years. However, after three months passed, in the end their bond of brotherhood had to be cut again and this time that bond could not be re-tied because in the end my uncle's soul received an order from the Almighty God to face Him, to return to His bosom.

Before saying his farewell words to my father, he begged my father to remain as he was before, who persistently defended the rights owned by the Sucilangkung people and not become like him who helped to cause many destructions and hurt many people. In addition, he also asked my father to prepare me so that I can be a capable, knowledgeable successor and have a clear conscience so that I won't be easily manipulated by evil and greedy people like what had happened to him.

On the day of his funeral, my father was the imam for his funeral prayer and he was the one who chanted the call to prayer on my uncle's ear before his corpse was placed in his grave.

During the funeral procession, many unfamiliar faces attended my uncle's funeral and sometimes I found some of them quietly put their gaze to me, looking at me curiously and even some of them seemed to be trying to act very friendly to me even though I didn't know who they were, as if trying draw my attention and care to them so that I will remember them and give special treatment to them one day to smooth their interests and personal ambitions.

Well even my uncle's funeral could not be separated from theatrical and political intrigue. This kind of thing actually makes me quite angry and makes me try really hard to hold back the feeling of anger that wells up in my heart but, I think the mask I put on to cover the anger expression on my face can be easily removed by mevrouw Sofia because, during my time exchanging conversations with people, she never let go of her right hand that was holding my left, as if trying to calm me down and tell me that I'm not alone in this situation.

After my uncle was buried, my father, my mother, me and mevrouw Sofia accompanied him to stop for a moment at the Sucilangkung Palace and, in a room in which the name I do not know, the palace managers talked for a while with us, especially with my father. The point of their discussion was, they again asked my father to be the next Sultan based on the will that my uncle had left in which he appointed my father as the next Sultan. Without further ado, my father stated that he agreed to be the next Sucilangkung Sultan.

His coronation as the new sultan will be carried out after the tahlilan ceremony to pray for my deceased uncle and a tasyakuran ceremony for the crowning of my father as the new Sultan.

Well, thank goodness. In the end, even though I had to be a little rude to my father when I gave him my advice, at least he realized his mistake and was willing to take up his responsibility to set an example, to be a role model and lead the people of this city.

The 40th day after my uncle's death has arrived. Me, my family, my father's relatives and the sultans who come from various tribes in the territory of the Verenigde Staten van Indonesië as well as some invited guests from the executive government branch of the City of Sucilangkung and the military of the VSI such as the Governor of West Java, the Mayor of the City of Sucilangkung and some officers from the the army and the VSI police force together prayed for my deceased uncle led by the head of the cleric of the Sucilangkung Palace, asking God so that my uncle got His forgiveness for his sins and that God willed to protect my uncle from the torment of the grave and the torment of the afterlife and asking God so that he is willing to make my uncle's grave filled with His light and grace.

After praying, the emcee informed the audience that now was the time for my father to be crowned as the 17th Sultan of Sucilangkung.

"Dear honorable audiences, let us follow and witness the coronation procession of the 17th Sultan of Sucilangkung, Pangeran Raja Adipati Asep Amat Fauzi, which will begin with the handover and the sheathing of the Keris belonging to Ka Hiyang Jati, by Pangeran Raja Luqman Gumelar to Pangeran Raja Adipati Asep Amat Fauzi." said the host.