Case Reopened

Iwan opens his phone, opens the chat app, and creates a new group consisting of Iwan, Indra, and Agatha. His thumbs are warming up, ready to unleash every bit of calories from the pizza he ate.

Iwan: GUYS LISTEN TO THIS!

Iwan: (audio file, 30 megabytes)

Iwan: We're cooked…

Bayu: I just listened to it; we're a well-done steak now.

Agatha: More like congratulations.

Agatha: Time to continue our investigation.

Iwan: I couldn't agree more. But how do we get any information from an online meeting?

Agatha: There's a website called Kotta Mara where we can hack to take over control of a device or two without the user's knowledge.

Iwan: That's pretty neat, what do you think Bay?

Iwan: Bay?

Iwan: @Bayu

Agatha: Bayu's talking with Indra right now.

Iwan: Sorry. I wonder what they are talking about.

Back at the dining table, Agatha is still glued to her phone. Meanwhile, Bayu and Indra are exploring languages.

"Indra, do you agree with euphemism?"

"Of course, it masks words that are deemed offensive or bypass automated moderation on social media platforms. It masks taboo topics such as illness, violence, death, or pain more politely. You can express yourself freely by changing the words a little bit. Like Jeez, oh my gosh, or f-bomb."

"I agree with your points, but I disagree. Some words are unnecessary to be softened. For example, 'the demonstrator has been secured by the police.' The word 'secured' doesn't mean that you are safe and sound. Instead, you reek of tear gas, sitting in an interrogation room with a newbie police droid that keeps saying '28 stab wounds'. Another example is 'sanitary protection,' which is called diapers. I can still forgive slaughterhouses being called 'meat packing companies' and 'take a leak' for a pee. But 'men's room' for men's toilet? Just say men's toilet; it's not that hard."

"Society evolves, you see; there are once-innocuous euphemism that turns offensive these days. Sometimes, it's the other way around. There's an option for euphemism, but it's unused to garner more attention. By the way, where's Iwan?"

"Still dropping nukes on a squat toilet. He always takes his time when it comes to this sort of thing."

"Squat toilet?"

"It's a toilet where you squat above it and do your business. Have you ever used it?"

"Let alone use, I never see them."

"Dude, explore the internet. We live in the era of convenience. You can order anything from your home, heal any diseases with a single bed if you're insanely rich, purify water with your phone, and travel the world without a visa. Countries are actually compromising for the greater good: free shipping, teleport cargo, having a full-course meal with one pill every day, a relatively rectangular population pyramid in some parts of the globe, enjoying every single culture this world has to offer, and becoming a weeb like me if you're interested."

"Weeb? So you want to be a Japanese?"

"Not quite; I just enjoy their entertainment media like manga and anime. Never will I change my citizenship. Every passport is strong and usable in every country."

"I see. Let's shift the topic to maternity in our language. There are ibu pertiwi (motherland), ibu kota (capital city), ibu jari (thumb), and bahasa ibu (mother tongue). Why don't we use fatherland, jempol (thumb), and capital city?"

"Indonesia is rich in natural resources; you don't have to carry a bottle since every river, spring, and pond is safe to drink—foods from trees, animals, and underground. There is only hot and rain here. No winter, that's for sure. In short, life is easy here—no need to plow hectares of land to produce food at certain times. There is rice with higher calorie production per acre than wheat and cassava. If you're lazy, stick some cassava stem and let it grow. You can either eat its leaves or tubers. That sense of richness and easeness is like a mother's love for a child. In some parts of the world, harsh environments create a view that strength is a must in order to survive. That's why paternity is preferred; a father's name is passed into his children in order to protect them and maybe give them social status. Hence the family name, Anderson, bin and binti (add father's name), or son of (add father's name)."

"Make sense, oh! Wan! You sure took your time."

"Sorry, my bombs keep dropping."

"You're good?"

"Don't worry about me. I'm fine and dandy!"

"Alright, thank you for today. I have to take my leave. I have a meeting to attend tonight. Bye!"

"Bye! Wear your raincoat properly!"

"Take care!"

"Oh yeah, how about Ayu? Is it okay for her to go home when it's raining cats and dogs like this?"

"Wan, you good? You know droids are waterproof and can swim into the Challenger Deep, right?"

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that."

"Go get some nap, dude. Let's scram and commence our plan tonight."

"Great, see you, everyone!"

"Bye! Go get some nap, Wan!"

"Thanks! Take care, you two!"

On the way home, Iwan decided to have another meal. He ordered a takeaway of kupat tahu. When he reached home, he opened the wrapping of the banana leaves—pieces of ketupat, fried tofu, bean sprouts, bakwan, cabbage, and celery. Sweet and spicy sauce flows from the mountaintop to the bottom. A mixture of peanuts, palm sugar, sweet soy sauce, garlic, and five chilies in the sauce evokes more saliva to fight the heat. Then, he takes a nap and wakes up at 6 PM with a refreshing cup of tea with a tiny piece of rock sugar and fried banana with a salty touch. All that's left is to coordinate with Agatha about the hacking and recording of the screen during the meeting. Both of them are prepared to pull an all-nighter. Meanwhile, Bayu has received an unexpected order of 150 kebayas, so he can't join the duo yet.

"Wan, are you ready?"

"Yup, let's do this."

Notes:

Ketupat: Rice cake packed in a container of woven palm leaf pouch.

Bakwan: Vegetable fritter

Kebaya: Traditional upper garment worn by women in parts of Southeast Asia.