Echoes of Majapahit

Chapter 0 - Story Prolog

The lecture hall droned with monotony, the late afternoon sun casting a warm glow through the dusty windows. Johan, a native Indonesian with a deep passion for his country's history, stood at the lectern, his eyes alive with a fervor that contrasted sharply with the disinterest etched across the faces of his students.

As a University Lecturer specializing in Indonesian History, Culture, and Folklore, Johan was accustomed to the apathy that often greeted his classes. Today's lecture centered on the Majapahit Kingdom, a topic that stirred his own roots deeply. Born into a family of agriculturists, he possessed not only the scholarly knowledge but also an ancestral connection to the soil that enriched his understanding of the nation's past.

"Imagine," Johan's voice carried across the room, "what if the Majapahit Kingdom had succeeded in unifying the entire archipelago? How would our history have unfolded? What might have been the consequences?"

His words hung in the air like a forgotten melody, ignored by most. Rows of students, slouched in their chairs, exchanged glances of indifference. Johan, undeterred, delved into a vivid portrayal of a united Indonesia under the Majapahit banner, weaving a tapestry of possibilities and potential.

He described a nation that flourished under a single rule, its culture and identity intertwined. Majapahit's conquest of the entire archipelago became a vision he yearned to witness, a dream that animated his lectures but drew scoffs from the disengaged crowd before him.

"The richness of our culture would have been unmatched," Johan insisted, the excitement evident in his gestures. "The Majapahit legacy would have shaped the destiny of every island, fostering a unity we can only imagine."

Laughter erupted from the back rows, mocking and dismissive. The students, more interested in the digital glow of their devices than the tale of their own heritage, jeered at Johan's enthusiasm.

As the class dragged on, the clock ticking away precious moments, Johan concluded his lecture with a tinge of disappointment. The bell rang, releasing the captive audience into the freedom of the outside world. Backpacks shuffled, chairs scraped against the linoleum floor, and the room emptied, leaving Johan standing alone, surrounded by the remnants of his unmet expectations.

He sighed, collecting his notes and gazing out at the empty seats. The vibrancy of Majapahit's potential conquest, his love for agriculture woven into the narrative, had fallen on deaf ears. He felt a pang of sadness for a generation seemingly disconnected from its own history.

Johan made his way through the deserted hallways, the echo of his footsteps reverberating with each step. As he stepped out into the fading daylight, he couldn't shake the feeling of dismay that settled over him like a heavy fog. The world outside moved swiftly, indifferent to the echoes of Majapahit that lingered within him.

In solitude, Johan walked the familiar path home, contemplating not only the indifference of his students but the broader indifference of a society moving forward, perhaps too swiftly, to care about the echoes of its own past.