Is he truly a warrior who wants to serve, or is he a human being so blinded by love that he cannot think of anything aside from wanting to present himself to his idol, Dewi Citrawati? The petals of angsana flowers flutter and then wither instantly upon hearing those forgotten words, that love can become a curse when the heart that desires it is blinded by a fog-like darkness. Night falls and all return to their tents, leaving Sumantri alone, immersed in the question as to whether the promise he made was a true one.
The moon dims, the clouds are suspended in the sky, but the rain still doesn't want to fall even though it is the middle of the fourth month, when the sky shouldn't be closing up. Sumantri is confused, his face filled with lethargy like the angsana flowers yearning to be caressed by the raindrops that haven’t come. His heart is restless, like the vines of the gadung plant that don't know where to climb, until it becomes tired of grasping at the empty air. Does Sriwedari Garden really exist, did he dare promise that he could bring it to Maespati? Perhaps Sriwedari Garden is a mere dream, just like he dreams that he can still have Dewi Citrawati. Or is Sriwedari Garden fake, like a false love that makes him blind?
Thankfully, the moon starts to give a little light as Sumantri walks north, seeking light for his dark heart. In the midst of his restlessness, he suddenly hears a voice. He immediately recognizes whose voice it is.
"Darmawati," Sumantri says weakly. He is right, the one standing before him is none other than Darmawati. Sumantri feels that the daughter of Widarba has given him a sense of coolness and clarity since their first meeting and introduction. Sumantri really believes that the younger sister of Prabu Darmawasesa will be able to help him. Where could he have gotten 800 hundred beautiful domas girls, if not with the help of Darmawati?
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"Raden, I know your sadness," says Darmawati. Sumantri looks at the daughter of Widarba. Sumantri is surprised at how very beautiful she is, even when the light of the full moon has dimmed. Could this be because this beauty has become a light for him at a time when his heart is confused? The darkness of the night envelops him, and Sumantri sees that Darmawati is like a padma (lotus) flower bursting forth and revealing itself from the black mud.
“News about your promise has spread widely. Why are you always tormented by dreams of realizing what doesn't need to be realized, Raden?”
In the weighty night, when even the owl is silent, Darmawati's reprimand seems to wake Sumantri from a dream and take him closer to the arrival of dawn. He looks at Darmawati again, and Sumantri feels that her body is like a morning showering the fragrance of jasmine flowers.
"Raden, I have helped you to find eight hundred beautiful girls as Dewi Citrawati requested. But this time, it is impossible for me to help you move Sriwedari Garden as you promised the King of Maespati. I just want to wake you from this dream," says Darmawati.
"Then what should I do, Darmawati?" asks Sumantri.
"I saw myself that Prabu Arjunasasrabahu really cares for you and loves you. Go before him. And admit that, after careful consideration, it turns out that you will be unable to fulfill his request to move Sriwedari Garden. The King of Maespati is a king full of forgiveness and mercy, let alone for you. Sang Prabu is certain to understand and forgive you," says Darmawati.
"I am a warrior, Darmawati. It is an ugly thing for a warrior to take back his promise," says Sumantri.
"But Raden, have you forgotten that a warrior is also human? Even before you became a warrior, you were a human being. This is the time for you to return to being human. Only by turning back into a human being can you dare admit your weakness and then give up your chivalry which could be false,” Darmawati says, full of confidence and honesty of heart.
Sumantri is silent, swallowing the truth of Darmawati's words. The night slowly awakens, and the hoot of an owl that had long been silent is heard. The dim moon slowly brightens, the light falls like rain, showering Sumantri with the freshness of the champak. And he also feels that his chivalrous ideals are as sharp thorns that pierce him. "Darmawati, may I give up my knighthood?" asks Sumantri.
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> The Bajang Child Swinging the Moon (101)
> The Bajang Child Swinging the Moon (100)
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"Why not, Raden? You have contributed greatly on behalf of Prabu Arjunasasrabahu. Why do you think that he won't forgive you if you willingly admit your incompetence? He is a wise king. He is certainly aware that you cannot do everything," answers Darmawati.
"Because I've fought against him, I do know him. He is a merciful king. He will not kill me if I admit what I am in front of him. But doesn't this mean that my ideals of chivalry have ended?”
"Who knows that it might even be a way for your release, Raden? The end of your chivalry does not mean the end of your humanity. Who knows that in the end, it will be the way back to find what has been missing all this time?”
I do know him. He is a merciful king. He will not kill me if I admit what I am in front of him. But doesn't this mean that my ideals of chivalry have ended
"What do you mean, Darmawati?"
"If you may no longer serve Maespati and can be an ordinary person again, Raden, you can return to where you come from, to your peaceful hermitage, or if you want, you could stay in Widarba. Wherever you go, I will accompany you."
Become a human again? Darmawati's words are truly a surprise for Sumantri's heart. True, all this time, his path of chivalry seems to have led him to stray too far. Whether intentionally or not, his father Begawan Swandagni died at his hands when he set out on his chivalrous path. In this way, too, he also betrayed the love of his younger brother, Sukrosono. To make matters worse, this path has not led to his ideals of service, but has instead plunged him into his dreams of Dewi Citrawati.
And that path also tricked him into promising something that was impossible for him to do, moving Sriwedari Garden to Maespati.
This article was translated by Hyginus Hardoyo.
