The Hidden Master of Silat: Chapter 3. The Beginning of a Determination

 

The sun was almost at its peak, and the heat was intense. Only a few clouds dotted the sky over Kampung Cikaret¹, while a gentle mountain breeze swept through. Jaka Someh had been unconscious for more than six hours. Although there were many lush trees around him, he lay in an exposed area of the path where no shade protected him from the sun, and the heat on his skin roused him from unconsciousness.

Jaka Someh tried to open his eyes. His head throbbed, and the world seemed to spin. He closed his eyes again, waiting for his senses to steady. After a few moments, he opened his eyes again, recalling the painful events he had just experienced—an encounter so sudden and brutal.

His face stung from the slaps and punches, his chest ached from Ki Marta’s kicks, and his joints were sore. With great effort, he struggled to sit up, breathing heavily as he tried to gather what little strength he had left. Sadness, anger, and frustration boiled within him, igniting a desire for revenge.

His heart was filled with pain, overshadowing the physical wounds. He swore to avenge himself against those who had wronged him and his late father. Still weak, Jaka forced himself to stand. Though he staggered at first, he eventually steadied himself and walked to a large, leafy tamarind tree² nearby. There, under its shade, he rested his weary body and spirit.

After a long rest, he regained enough strength to make the journey back to his hut. He walked home slowly, feeling defeated after failing to make it to his field that day.

A week had passed since the incident, and Jaka still hadn’t returned to his field. Instead, he spent most of his time inside his hut, lost in thought. His physical injuries were slowly healing, though his face was still bruised. Though still young, Jaka’s strong body had begun to recover, but the pain in his heart was far from healed.

That day, he sat on the veranda of his bamboo cot, lost in thoughts of his seemingly ill-fated life. He felt as though God had been harsh with him. Already orphaned, he now suffered a brutal assault. Alone in the world, he had no one to confide in or to support him. His isolated hut only deepened his loneliness, and he longed for someone to keep him company during these difficult times.

Occasionally, villagers searching for firewood would stop by his hut, taking a brief rest on his veranda. However, it had been more than a week since he’d had any visitors.

Suddenly, a deep longing for his parents washed over him. He remembered the times he had spent with them. Sadness welled up as he recalled his father’s tragic end at the hands of Ki Marta and his thugs. He himself had almost met the same fate. Now, he was determined to seek revenge against Ki Marta for what he had done.

“If only I knew martial arts… if only I could be a warrior… I’d defeat every one of them,” Jaka murmured to himself, clenching his fists. In his heart, he longed to become a powerful warrior, someone no enemy could defeat. But how could he? He didn’t even know the basics of silat³.

Jaka muttered, “If that’s the case, I need to find a great silat teacher. But where? Ah, it doesn’t matter. I’ll find a teacher, no matter where they are.”

For the next few days, Jaka’s mind was consumed with the desire to find a teacher who could teach him silat.

One morning, Jaka sat on a large tree trunk outside his hut, his mind drifting over recent events. As he sat there, deep in thought, a villager suddenly approached. It was Mang Engkos⁴, a resident of Kampung Cikaret, out collecting firewood. Seeing Jaka daydreaming, Mang Engkos decided to have a bit of fun. He snuck up from behind and slapped Jaka’s shoulder hard, shouting.

“Hey... Someh, what are you thinking about?”

Jaka jumped, startled out of his thoughts. “Ah, Mang Engkos! You almost scared me to death!” he replied.

Mang Engkos laughed heartily, seeing how surprised Jaka was. “You’re the one daydreaming so early in the morning... what’s on your mind, Meh?”

Jaka was glad to see Mang Engkos during such a troubled time but pretended to frown and said, “Ah, Mang Engkos, you’re too nosy! Always curious about others…”

Mang Engkos put on a mock-serious face, which looked amusing to Jaka. “It’s not like that, Meh. You know it’s bad luck to daydream too much… Let me tell you about Pak Somad, a guy who once got into big trouble because of his daydreaming.”

Jaka felt intrigued by Mang Engkos’s story. “Really, Mang? What happened to him?”

Mang Engkos sighed, adding a dramatic pause.

“Pak Somad was an odd old man in the neighboring village, famous for his habit of ‘testing’ everything before he bought it.”

Jaka chuckled, “Testing, Mang?”

Mang Engkos leaned in close and whispered like it was a secret. “Yes, Pak Somad wouldn’t buy anything without ‘testing’ it first. If it was fruit, he’d bite it. If it was cloth, he’d tug on it. Anything he bought, he had to test first!”

Jaka laughed, but Mang Engkos continued with a serious expression.

“One day, Pak Somad went to the market to buy a chicken. He wanted a plump, healthy chicken, but he was so busy daydreaming on the way, imagining a nice bowl of chicken soup, that when he got to the market, he said to the seller, ‘Ma’am, I want a plump and chewy chicken, okay?’”

Mang Engkos paused, his face full of expression.

“So, the seller gave him a good chicken, but Pak Somad was still not convinced. So, as usual, he had to ‘test’ it. And suddenly… he pinched the live chicken and said, ‘Hold on, Ma’am, I’m just checking if it’s firm!’ The chicken flapped and struggled to escape, almost flying away, while the seller yelled, ‘Sir! That’s a live chicken, not vegetables! Don’t pinch it!’”

Jaka laughed out loud, imagining Pak Somad pinching a live chicken in the market.

Mang Engkos continued with a grin, “But that’s not all, Meh! When the seller got mad, Pak Somad didn’t apologize. He just replied, ‘Ma’am, I’m just making sure I don’t buy the wrong one. If the chicken runs when I pinch it, it means it’s healthy!’”

Jaka burst out laughing, but Mang Engkos wasn’t done yet.

“Then something even crazier happened. Pak Somad, still daydreaming, kept pinching and prodding the poor chicken. Suddenly… FWAP! The chicken slipped out of his hands, flapping its wings wildly, and started running through the middle of the market!” Mang Engkos said, mimicking a runaway chicken.

Jaka couldn’t stop laughing, imagining the frightened chicken running off.

“Pak Somad just stood there, stunned, while the chicken escaped. But the chicken seller was furious, yelling, ‘Pak Somad! That’s my chicken! Pay up!’”

Mang Engkos imitated the angry seller. Jaka laughed harder, as Mang Engkos kept going.

“Now that the chicken was on the loose, the whole market was in chaos! The chicken ran through the vegetable stand, scratching at the cabbage and chilies, then hopped over to the fabric stand, making a mess of the cloth! The seller kept shouting and chased after Pak Somad, who still stood there stunned!”

“Oh, no!” Jaka laughed so hard his sides ached.

Mang Engkos added with excitement, “Afraid of getting yelled at, Pak Somad joined in the chase, shouting, ‘Chicken! Come back here, chicken!’ But the chicken just kept running faster!”

Jaka laughed uncontrollably, picturing Pak Somad running around the market chased by the chicken seller.

“But wait, Meh! That chicken suddenly jumped onto a basket of eggs nearby, and… CRASH! All the eggs broke! The egg seller, seeing this, started yelling and joined the chase, shouting, ‘Pak Somad! Pay for my eggs!’”

Jaka laughed so hard tears were in his eyes.

Mang Engkos continued, “Now the whole market was full of shouting and chasing. Pak Somad ran, chased by the chicken seller, the egg seller, even the fabric seller, while the chicken kept flapping around causing trouble! The people shopping just watched and laughed at the chaos caused by that runaway chicken.”

Jaka almost fell over from laughing. Mang Engkos finished with a shake of his head.

“That’s what happens when you daydream too much, Meh! Pak Somad went to buy a chicken but ended up causing a scene in the entire market. He went home with an empty bag and a red face from getting yelled at by all the vendors!”

Jaka laughed heartily, his worries forgotten for the moment. Mang Engkos smiled, happy to see Jaka smiling again.

To be Continue Chapter 4

Footnotes

1. Kampung: An Indonesian term for a village. ↩
2. Tamarind tree: A large, leafy tropical tree known for its shade, commonly found in Indonesia. ↩
3. Silat: An Indonesian martial art that incorporates self-defense techniques and spiritual development, often practiced in local schools across Southeast Asia. ↩
4. Mang: A respectful term in Sundanese, used for an older male, similar to “Uncle.” ↩

The Hidden Master of Silat: Bab 3. Awal Sebuah Tekad

Matahari hampir berada di tengah langit, dan panasnya terasa begitu terik. Hanya sedikit awan yang menutupi langit di Kampung Cikaret. Angin gunung berhembus sepoi-sepoi, namun Jaka Someh sudah pingsan selama lebih dari enam jam. Meski di sekelilingnya banyak pepohonan rimbun, Jaka tergeletak di jalan setapak yang tidak terlindungi, sehingga terik matahari langsung mengenai kulitnya, menyadarkannya dari pingsan.

Jaka Someh mencoba membuka matanya. Kepalanya terasa pusing, bumi dan langit seakan-akan berputar. Ia kembali memejamkan mata, menunggu kesadarannya pulih sepenuhnya. Setelah cukup tenang, ia membuka mata lagi, mengingat kejadian yang baru saja dialaminya—peristiwa pahit yang terjadi begitu cepat dan tiba-tiba.

Wajahnya terasa perih akibat pukulan dan tamparan. Dadanya terasa sesak akibat tendangan Ki Marta dan kawan-kawannya. Sendi-sendinya ngilu. Dengan susah payah, ia bangkit dan duduk. Setelah berhasil, Jaka terdiam, mencoba mengumpulkan sisa-sisa tenaganya. Sedih, marah, dan kecewa bergejolak di dalam dirinya, menyalakan api dendam.

Hatinya dipenuhi luka yang dalam, membuatnya tak lagi peduli pada rasa sakit di tubuhnya. Ia bertekad untuk membalas dendam pada mereka yang telah menganiaya dirinya dan ayahnya. Dengan tubuh yang masih lemah, Jaka berusaha berdiri. Meskipun tubuhnya sempoyongan, akhirnya ia berhasil tegak. Ia berjalan menuju pohon asam yang rimbun tak jauh dari sana. Di bawah pohon itu, Jaka mengistirahatkan jiwa dan raganya yang sedang terluka.

Setelah beristirahat cukup lama, kekuatannya mulai kembali. Ia pun memutuskan untuk pulang ke gubuknya. Dengan langkah tertatih, ia meninggalkan tempat itu, kembali ke gubuknya. Hari itu ia telah gagal pergi ke ladangnya.

Sudah seminggu berlalu sejak kejadian itu, dan Jaka belum kembali ke ladangnya. Ia lebih banyak melamun di dalam gubuknya. Tubuhnya mulai membaik, meskipun masih ada lebam di wajahnya. Meski usianya muda, tubuh Jaka kuat, dan semua luka fisiknya berangsur-angsur sembuh. Namun, luka di hatinya belum juga sembuh.

Hari itu, Jaka duduk melamun di serambi bale-bale, merenungi nasibnya yang tampak begitu sial. Ia merasa Tuhan berlaku kejam terhadapnya. Setelah kehilangan ayah dan ibu, kini ia mengalami penganiayaan. Hidupnya yang sebatang kara membuatnya merasa tak ada tempat berbagi keluhan, apalagi mencari pertolongan. Gubuknya yang terpencil semakin menambah kesepiannya. Ia berharap ada orang yang menemani di saat-saat susah seperti ini.

Kadang-kadang, warga kampung yang mencari kayu bakar mampir ke gubuknya, meskipun hanya untuk beristirahat di serambi. Namun, sudah lebih dari seminggu ini tak ada satu pun tamu yang datang.

Rasa rindu yang mendalam pada kedua orang tuanya tiba-tiba muncul. Ia teringat masa-masa bersama ayah dan ibunya dulu. Jaka merasa sedih mengenang ayahnya yang meninggal tragis di tangan Ki Marta dan kawan-kawannya. Ia sendiri hampir mengalami nasib yang sama. Dalam hatinya, ia bertekad untuk membalas perbuatan Ki Marta yang telah menganiayanya.

“Seandainya aku bisa bela diri, apalagi kalau aku bisa jadi pendekar… pasti akan kuhancurkan mereka semua…” gumam Jaka sambil mengepalkan tinjunya. Dalam hatinya, ia berkeinginan menjadi pendekar yang kuat, yang tak bisa dikalahkan oleh siapa pun. Tapi, bagaimana caranya? Dasar-dasar silat saja ia tidak tahu.

Jaka bergumam, “Kalau begitu, aku harus mencari guru silat yang hebat. Tapi ke mana? Ah, tak peduli di mana dia berada, pokoknya aku harus menemukan seorang guru yang bisa mengajariku silat!”

Hari-hari berikutnya, pikiran Jaka dipenuhi hasrat untuk mencari guru yang bisa mengajarinya silat.

Pagi itu, Jaka duduk di atas batang pohon besar di halaman gubuknya. Pikirannya melayang memikirkan berbagai peristiwa yang telah terjadi. Ketika sedang asyik melamun, tiba-tiba seorang lelaki datang ke gubuknya. Ia adalah Mang Engkos, warga Kampung Cikaret yang sedang mencari kayu bakar. Melihat Jaka yang sedang melamun, muncul keisengan dalam benak Mang Engkos untuk mengagetkannya. Dengan mengendap-endap dari belakang, Mang Engkos menepuk pundak Jaka keras sambil berteriak.

“Hey... Someh, kamu lagi mikirin apa?”

Jaka terperanjat, lamunannya buyar seketika. “Ah, Mang Engkos ini bikin jantung saya mau copot saja…” balas Jaka.

Mang Engkos tertawa terbahak-bahak melihat Jaka yang kaget, lalu berkata, “Lagian kamu sih, pagi-pagi sudah melamun... melamunin apa sih, Meh?”

Jaka merasa senang bisa bertemu Mang Engkos di tengah hatinya yang sedang gundah, namun ia berpura-pura cemberut. “Ah, Mang Engkos kepo saja… dasar mau tahu urusan orang,” kata Jaka sambil menahan senyum.

Mang Engkos pun memasang wajah serius, meski tetap terlihat lucu di mata Jaka. “Bukan begitu, Meh. Pamali kalau kebanyakan melamun... saya punya cerita tentang orang yang meninggal mendadak gara-gara kebanyakan melamun…”

Entah kenapa, Jaka penasaran dengan cerita Mang Engkos. “Hah, yang benar, Mang? Masa iya cuma karena melamun orang bisa meninggal mendadak?”

Dengan muka serius, Mang Engkos melanjutkan, membuat Jaka semakin penasaran.

“Jadi begini, Meh… dulu ada seorang lelaki tua di kampung sebelah, namanya Pak Somad. Dia terkenal karena kebiasaannya yang aneh, selalu mau ‘mencoba’ setiap barang sebelum membelinya.”

Someh mulai tersenyum, penasaran. “Mencoba barang dulu, Mang?”

Mang Engkos mendekatkan wajahnya dan berkata dengan nada rahasia, “Iya, Pak Somad itu nggak bisa beli barang tanpa ‘uji coba’. Kalau beli buah, pasti digigit dulu. Kalau beli kain, dia tarik-tarik biar tahu kuat atau nggaknya. Pokoknya, semua harus dicoba dulu!”

Someh tertawa kecil, tetapi Mang Engkos melanjutkan dengan nada lebih serius.

“Suatu hari, Pak Somad pergi ke pasar untuk beli ayam. Dia ingin ayam yang gemuk dan sehat, tapi dia mulai melamun di jalan, kebayang enaknya sop ayam. Sampai di pasar, saking semangatnya, dia langsung bilang ke penjualnya, ‘Bu, saya mau ayamnya yang gemuk dan kenyal, ya!’”

Mang Engkos berhenti sebentar, membuat wajah penuh ekspresi.

“Nah, si ibu penjual ayam kasih ayam yang bagus, tapi Pak Somad masih nggak yakin. Jadi, seperti biasa, dia mau ‘uji coba’ dulu. Tiba-tiba… eh, dia langsung nyubit ayam hidup itu sambil berkata, ‘Bentar ya, Bu, saya cek dulu kenyal atau nggak!’ Ayamnya langsung berontak untuk bisa kabur bahkan hampir terbang, sementara si ibu penjual marah-marah, ‘Pak! Itu ayam hidup, bukan sayur! Jangan dicubit-cubit!’”

Someh sudah tidak bisa menahan tawa, terbayang tingkah Pak Somad mencubit ayam hidup di pasar.

Mang Engkos melanjutkan sambil tertawa kecil, “Belum selesai, Meh! Waktu si ibu marah-marah, Pak Somad bukannya minta maaf, dia malah balik jawab, ‘Bu, kan saya cuma mau uji coba, biar nggak salah beli. Kalau ayamnya lari pas dicubit, berarti ayamnya sehat!’”

Someh langsung tertawa membayangkan kejadian itu.

Mang Engkos melanjutkan, “Penjual ayamnya langsung marah-marah, ‘Pak, ini ayam hidup! Jangan dicubit-cubit, nanti kabur!’ Tapi bukannya sadar, Pak Somad malah bilang, ‘Tenang, Bu. Ini cuma ‘uji coba’ buat memastikan ayamnya sehat!’”

Someh tertawa terbahak-bahak, tetapi Mang Engkos belum selesai.

Mang Engkos melanjutkan cerita dengan semakin seru, membuat Someh terpingkal-pingkal.

“Nah, Pak Somad yang lagi melamun dan asyik mencubit-cubit ayam itu, tiba-tiba merasa ayamnya kok makin lama makin liar. Tiba-tiba… BUWUS! Ayamnya terlepas dari tangannya, kabur sambil mengepak-ngepakkan sayap, lari pontang-panting ke tengah pasar!” Mang Engkos berkata sambil menirukan ayam yang kabur.

Someh sudah tak bisa menahan tawa, membayangkan ayam itu lari ketakutan.

“Pak Somad masih melongo waktu ayamnya kabur. Tapi si ibu penjual ayam langsung berteriak-teriak marah. ‘Pak Somad! Itu ayam saya! Bayar dulu, woi!’”

Mang Engkos menirukan suara ibu penjual ayam yang marah-marah. Someh tertawa keras, sementara Mang Engkos melanjutkan.

“Karena ayamnya lari ke segala arah, semua pedagang di pasar jadi ribut! Ayamnya lari ke kios sayur, cakar-cakarin kol dan cabai merah, terus lompat ke kios kain sampai bikin kainnya jadi berantakan! Si ibu penjual makin ngamuk-ngamuk, teriak sambil ngejar Pak Somad yang masih melongo!”

“Waduh…!” Someh tertawa sampai perutnya sakit, membayangkan keributan itu.

Mang Engkos semakin antusias bercerita, “Karena takut dimarahi, Pak Somad pun ikut lari sambil teriak-teriak, ‘Ayam! Ayam! Balik sini, ayam!’ tapi si ayam makin lari ngibrit, nggak mau diam!”

Someh semakin terpingkal-pingkal, membayangkan Pak Somad lari keliling pasar sambil dikejar ibu penjual ayam.

“Belum selesai, Meh! Ayam itu tiba-tiba lompat ke bakul telur di kios sebelah dan... BYAR! Telurnya pecah semua! Si penjual telur yang ngeliat itu langsung ikut marah-marah, ikut ngejar Pak Somad sambil bilang, ‘Pak Somad! Bayar telur saya!’”

Someh semakin keras tertawa hingga matanya berair.

Mang Engkos melanjutkan, “Pasar jadi penuh teriakan dan kejar-kejaran. Pak Somad lari sambil dikejar ibu penjual ayam, penjual telur, sampai tukang kain, sementara ayamnya lompat-lompat bikin keributan! Warga yang lagi belanja cuma bisa ngeliatin sambil ketawa-ketawa lihat keributan gara-gara ayam kabur.”

Someh hampir terjatuh dari tempat duduknya karena tertawa terpingkal-pingkal. Mang Engkos mengakhiri ceritanya dengan geleng-geleng kepala.

“Itulah akibatnya kalau terlalu banyak melamun, Meh! Niat beli ayam, malah bikin heboh satu pasar. Pulangnya Pak Somad cuma bawa kantong kosong dan muka merah kena marah ibu-ibu pasar. Habis heboh deh, gara-gara si ayam kabur!”

Someh tertawa terbahak-bahak, dan sejenak melupakan semua kesedihannya. Mang Engkos tersenyum puas, lega melihat Someh terhibur dan kembali ceria.

Setelah suasana tenang, Jaka akhirnya bercerita kepada Mang Engkos bahwa ia ingin mencari guru silat. Mang Engkos berkata, “Kenapa kamu tidak cerita dari tadi, Someh? Soal itu, kamu tidak perlu khawatir. Kamu bisa belajar di Perguruan Maung Karuhun. Perguruan silat ini sudah terkenal sampai ke Pajajaran dan Sukabumi… bukan cuma di kampung kita saja. Banyak orang datang ke sana untuk berguru pada Ki Jaya Kusuma.”

Mendengar penjelasan Mang Engkos, wajah Jaka berseri-seri, seolah-olah telah menemukan secercah harapan. Ia merasa senang mendengar informasi tersebut, dan berkali-kali mengucapkan terima kasih kepada Mang Engkos.

“Terima kasih banyak, Mang. Insya Allah, saya akan berguru ke sana. Tapi, kira-kira Ki Jaya Kusuma mau menerima saya tidak, ya?”

Mang Engkos tersenyum, “Hey, belum apa-apa kok sudah pesimis. Insya Allah diterima, Someh. Kamu tidak perlu khawatir. Ki Jaya Kusuma itu baik dan tidak sombong. Kamu tenang saja... ayo semangat, semangat!”

Jaka tersenyum, hatinya berbunga-bunga setelah berbincang dengan Mang Engkos.