Maze of Friendship

An arid and cold morning greets Iwan, a cocoon made of bed cover, pillow, and bolster. A good night's sleep extended to morning, with a spoonful of laziness. A bed is a rock during early sleep but becomes a soft cloud before waking up. With an alarm sound ringing, similar to his washing machine, he forces himself to move his body from the bed.

A warm bath to fight the cold is a good choice. Lerak joined the warm water as Iwan dipped himself, which was a main ingredient of boullion. Halfway cooked, he left the bath satisfied and didn't have to cook breakfast today. He searches for the perfect clothes, a jarik, surjan, and blangkon. After he wears his underpants, a layer of jarik covers his waist and ankle. Above, a layer of surjan is enough to cover his body from hot and cold weather. At his head, he wraps a piece of the garment around his head, and that's blangkon. His messy hair is now slightly curly and wavy but manageable into a low man bun. No shoes for today; it's a formal meeting, after all. This is no big deal for Iwan, but how about Bayu?

His clothes are exactly like Iwan's, but he wears a black beskap above his jarik. By going barefoot, he finally touches a lot of grass.

Wrapping a single unsewn garment and folding one crust in odd numbers is a pain. So Agatha goes with kain lilit, a sewn garment that is easier to wear than jarik, with a touch of Kebaya and ponytail hair. Going barefoot is not up her alley, but she has to deal with it.

Agatha and Iwan walked down the street, shimmering that overwhelmed Bayu's dark clothes. They arrived at a massive house with a double façade, generous roof eaves, and Romanesque arches, complemented by massive doors and a spacious garden. A thick wall cools down the whole house but is strong enough to withstand earthquakes. A tall and steep hip roof flows any rainwater straight to the earth, simply with chains. A lovely New Indies house, inside, welcome snacks and drinks. But this time, they waste no time for small talk.

"Alright, Ndra, I'll be quick with this one. You must stop building more housing on these scorched lands."

"Why should I? I provide more housing for those who dare to pay the price."

"Those lands are never meant for housing; we have a rule. I'm sure you already know it, but since you made the Land Utilization Commandment, it overrides the previous zoning rules and commandments. Before this region is messed up beyond repairs, you can stop it here and now and leave a good image to continue to be a governor. If one term is enough, you won't leave office with enemies."

"Like I care, I've done many wonderful works for all of you. Less light pollution, drone tax, and temples are central to spiritual life and education. Everything may have a downside, but it's not that bad."

"It's not that bad until most conspiracy theories about fires across this region are slowly proven true."

"Ndra, the people are anxious now; you're digging your own grave if you continue this. In the newest survey about your policy, ninety percent of the people disapproved of your Land Utilization Commandment. You heard of this, right?"

"Of course, but it's no big deal. Everyone knows it as accidents, and that is clear as day. El Niño makes all those fires wilder. No one still cares; ninety percent of them won't care even a bit."

"But the people love you. Once they are betrayed, their hate and vengeance towards you will only grow; it'll haunt you for the rest of your lives. Don't you want to make the people happy and support you?"

"There's no need for it."

"Alright, another fact for you: those land developers have put their cronies. If you decide to go against them, they'll replace you. You can ask the people's support to kick them out, put all of them on trial, and you'll be a hero."

"They don't even have to kick me out. Instead, they would love to keep me here. It's a big blunder for them to kick me out; I know their secrets and the people do not love them. The dividend is also pretty good, so I'm all in to support them."

"Money? For what? Don't tell me you are still dreaming about your revolution!"

"My dream of revolution is long gone, Wan… I love working for my people; it's fun, and I'm glad I can help improve this region. But slowly, I realized that power, money, and position feel good."

"That reason feels underwhelming; you must have a deeper reason, right?"

"No, it's just as simple as that. What do you expect? I SHALL REVOLT! Is that what you expect of me? Returning to the old days is unnecessary as it betrays all our advances. Money and power make me happy and enjoy my life; you can enjoy it as well if you join me. I'll put you in the right position and enjoy your life starting then."

"I don't know about what Agatha and Bayu might think. But personally, I refuse. Money and power have blinded you; I'm already happy with what I have. Living in simplicity, peace, prosperity, and having no enemies is the best experience."

"Dude, I didn't really get what you're talking about, but I already feel satisfied with my life. So, no thanks."

"Meh, I have no interest in politics, actually. I'll only mess things up even in the right position."

"Ndra, it's not too late for-"

"It's too late for me; I can't, won't, and refuse to change. With offers of simplicity, peaceful life, no enemies, and immense wisdom. I have no interest in such things."

"But-"

"No, that's my final answer. Dare deny it any further, and you're gone."

"Gone? Like dead? Are you for real, dude?"

"You, those theorists, and those who are against my policies will be no more. If they take to the streets and disturb this region, I don't mind making them all disappear. But I believe it's impossible to happen; people far and wide love this region; they are bound with a certain je ne sais quoi."

"That Je ne sais quoi is called romanticization; this region is branded as special, full of ancient heritages and cultures, very developed and peaceful as well. There are barely any problems here; even tough problems like your policy are never mentioned by the media."

"Imma head out."

"Wait, Tha!"

"You still want to save him, Wan? You're too soft and forgiving. Can't you see there's nothing we can do to him? He even threatens our lives!"

"Dude, you need a medical check-up for real. It's never too late to improve yourself."

"Forget it, Bay, I'm far too gone. I already told you earlier."

"Well… It's an honour to be your friend. If you change yourself one day, contact me and let's drink coffee together. Bye!"

"You're still here, Wan? Get some brain cells, will you? I already told you I refuse to change; I know the reality. I'm not stupid... Now get out. I have jobs to do."

"Well then, I'm sorry Ndra. I can't be a good friend to you. I can't even save you… If only I had realized this earlier, I-"

"It doesn't matter; your mentality of 'I can fix him or her' won't work for me. Face it!"

"Goodbye, Indra."

"Hey! Why leave so soon? C'mon, you three! Why don't we chat together?"

"Who are you?"

"We're the landlord!"

Notes:

Jarik: a cloth that has batik motifs with various patterns. In Javanese, jarik means 'Don't be jealous easily'.

Surjan: Top clothes for men, the use of surjan is usually limited to Yogyakarta.

Beskap: Top clothes for men adapted from Dutch suits and comes from the word beschaafd which means civilized or cultured.

Blangkon: Traditional Javanese headwear worn by men.