3 Tanah Aceh

The Kubah Emas Tower is a large library located in the Tanah Aceh and is located in the middle of the city which has access to enter from various directions.

In this place, all the archives and literacy of Tanah Aceh are stored from generation to generation, to maintain it, orphans are employed who do not have a place to live as well as a place to study for them. As an important place, a librarian was appointed by chieftain and the one who served at that time was Sheikh Sayuti Malik.

Sheikh Sayuti Malik is a person who is highly respected because of his vast knowledge and has traveled the world to the Sabda country, although there is one thing that people don't believe about him, that he believes in the existence of a middle-of-the-road the country called Galuh. Therefore, he will not talk about the country in the midst of the new Tanah Aceh structure as part of the Tirta country.

Many children under the age of fifteen live in the Kubah Emas tower and there are two teenagers above it, they are Rakeyan Sandanu and Cut Mutia. These two children are the most trusted by Sheikh Sayuti for the supervision of their friends.

"You, know what book this is?" Sandanu held a gold plated book on the cover with a picture of a large island, a book that a seven year old boy had previously found and handed over to him.

That afternoon there were not many visitors who came to the Kubah Emas tower, the two of them stood between the bookshelves that rose up to the ceiling which was five bamboo sticks high. The situation is very relaxed and looks neat, without any books that lie sideways or overlap. All the books stood in a row.

Mutia took the book from Sandanu's hand. "Maybe this is a secret book, we better give it to the teacher," said Mutia.

"Not yet, I want to see it." Sandanu snatched back the book in Mutia's hand and he started to open it.

A miracle happened when the book opened. A bright light came out of the book which made them both unable to see because of the glare of the light that hit.

As soon as the light went out, the two of them were in another dimension which took them to a land of nowhere. Amazement caught the eyes of both of them who couldn't believe what they saw.

The sky seems to be open so that thousands of stars and planets look amazing. Can't tell if it's day or night because the world they come to is so bright that the eyes can't understand its beauty.

"Where are we?" asked Sandanu.

Suddenly someone grabbed the book from Sandanu's hand and closed it. Instantly, the shadow of the world disappeared before the two of them set off to look at the other beauties. Sandanu and Mutia were astonished to realize the change in space and time with the presence of the teacher in front of them.

"This is an heirloom book that no one should know about because it is unknown who made this book." Strictly speaking, Shaykh Sayuti stood in front of his sassy student. "And don't open this book anywhere."

"Forgive us, teacher." Sandanu and Mutia are sorry.

The authoritative Shaykh Sayuti forgave his two students and because they already knew about it, he also told him what he really dreamed of about the country of Galuh.

His age is approaching dusk but his soul is still young even though the wrinkles on his face can't hide the fatigue in the journey of life that he has gone through. Maybe it's time that someone can be counted on to carry on his dream of discovering the country of the middle of nowhere.

"Hahahaha… it's okay." Sheikh Sayuti patted the shoulders of two of his students. "Since you have opened this heirloom book without my knowledge, then you must make a promise to me"

"Okay teacher, we will do whatever the teacher says," replied Sandanu.

Mutia also added. "Yes teacher, although we must be punished."

"All right, your punishment is to find the land of Galuh until you can and establish justice for the whole world. There you will know the secret of the power of sastra and an akik!"

"?" Sandanu and Mutia looked at their teacher.

"Even though people think that the country is a fantasy or a myth in fairy tales, I believe it exists. Haven't you seen it too?"

They both nodded. "But, should we leave the Tanah Aceh?" asked Sandanu.

"Even the two of us have never left the Tanah Aceh since entering the Kubah Emas tower." Mutia remembers that in this place she met Sandanu and after that she never left the Kubah Emas tower.

"You guys, let's free and go with an adventurous spirit, you two are the only ones who haven't left this place of all the contemporaries."

Sandanu doesn't want to leave the Kubah Emas tower even though he is over fifteen years old as his graduation limit because he doesn't know where he came from, while Mutia already has no one but family in the Kubah Emas tower.

"Teacher." They both hug their teacher.

***

After the incident that day, early in the morning in the tower of the Kubah Emas there was a commotion. Members of the Tanah Aceh guards surrounded the Kubah Emas tower and the children were arrested. The chaos frightens the children and the library is in ruins. The books were shattered and there was nothing that could be saved.

The children seemed to be prisoners and were gathered in the courtyard of the Kubah Emas tower which made the people of the Tanah Aceh astonished to see it. Sandanu and Mutia were also in the group of children who were under heavy guards, while their teacher was standing in front of them all.

The Aceh chieftain is came. "Shaykh Sayuti Malik." He met their teacher.

"Look at my children, in front of you who you think is the best teacher, the Sheikh who teaches knowledge to the descendants of the Tanah Aceh, turns out to be a traitor to the Tanah Aceh." The Aceh chieftain spoke loudly while stretching his arms in front of the children.

The morning sun began to warm the air and the chirping of birds seemed to be silent to see what was happening in front of the Kubah Emas tower. The residents were frightened by seeing the anger of the Aceh chieftain. He was the youngest tribal leader to be appointed after his parents died in a disgraceful event.

The chief of the Tanah Aceh who is handsome and tall with a young body, clad in the clothes of the greatness of the Tanah Aceh. The neckcoat is covered with gold embroidery that adorns the collar, which is complemented by long pants with a sarong at the waist. The head wears a makutip wrapped around a tangkulok or gold woven cloth. He put on his angry face in front of the childrens who did not understand much of the affairs of the state land.

"You, the venerable Shaykh Sayuti," The Aceh chieftain looked at the teacher in front of his students with a grave accusation. "You have hidden a valuable relic, why did you hide this heirloom book from the rulers of the Tanah Aceh?"

Sandanu and Mutia were astonished to see a gold-bound book in the hands of chieftain. They couldn't understand how the book had changed hands.

"The Great of chieftain, isn't Galuh's country the land of nowhere in children's fairytales, if you don't believe it, open it!"

The furious chieftain immediately opened the book. What happened made Sandanu and Mutia not believe it, because the book did not emit light and created another dimension. It turns out that their teacher was right: guidance is given only to holy souls who are full of faith.

"Now do you believe my lord?" Sheikh Sayuti smiled kindly.

The Aceh chieftain had indeed never seen the book before and did not know the hidden mysteries. Only with a lust for power, he tried to be arrogant by having the book, but actually his heart could not lie to the sanctity of the book that held miracles for him. Only people who are chosen and get a clue. That's why in front of so many people, the Aceh chieftain swallowed deep shame.

"You have embarrassed me in front of everyone." The Aceh chieftain accused him of being guilty. "Prison Shaykh Sayuti on the floor of hell."

The Aceh chieftain who made the decision immediately threw Sheikh Sayuti to the floor of hell that morning. Everyone who heard it was astonished, as well as the children who thought their teacher was a parent as a role model, cried out involuntarily. But the Aceh chieftain words are laws that must be obeyed, no one can refute or oppose them.

Before he was taken away by members of the defence, Shaykh Sayuti asked permission to be met with two of his students and bid them farewell. Sandanu and Mutia did not accept the treatment of their teacher. They promised to find the country of Galau and establish justice in the world.

The teacher whispered in a language that Sandanu did not understand. Even if he doesn't understand the words his teacher whispers, Sandanu will continue to remember them to find his own identity. "Galuh galeuhna galih."

After that, the Aceh chieftain burned a gold-bound book in front of the Kubah Emas tower which was witnessed by many Acehnese residents, as well as the closing of the Kubah Emas tower to the public. The book he got from the boy who first found it under the shelf, the child was sentenced to prison.

The Aceh chieftain tried to believe because the Galuh country, which was considered victorious, could manifest itself in Aceh with the book and he could become a king like the title of leader before the first world war which changed its status to a Tanah Negeri with a leader as a chieftain, also defeated by the Tanah Melayu that built it, one of the five great country after the end of the second world war. And the Tanah Aceh became part of the Tirta country.

The floor of hell is a dungeon and the prisoners are deprived of food and supervision. Shaykh Sayuti just sat quietly among the bones that did not emit a bad smell, but a holy soul that was full of regret. He also contemplated all the mistakes until his body no longer moved. No one would ever be able to get out of the prison floor of hell and it was reported a few days later that Shaykh Sayuti had died.

The inhabitants of the Tanah Aceh got the news from the prison supervisor and the news spread until it was heard by Sandanu and Mutia. Those who could not see their teacher's departure made an empty tomb with their teacher's name on a hill.

In the afternoon, accompanied by the wind that shook the grass until they prostrated themselves, they said goodbye to the teacher to travel far to a faraway land with the belief that their search would not be in vain.

"We will return to the front of the teacher here after our journey is over." Sandanu stood up straight holding back tears.

He remembered all the messages from his teacher. Sandanu will find the land of Galuh and protect Mutia forever. Sandanu also looked at Mutia's back, he knew the girl's feelings.

Mutia wept sadly on the empty tomb they made to commemorate her teacher's services. She also put a bunch of flowers as a gift to scent the soul of the teacher in the realm of eternity. "I will always pray for the teacher. On the way, I will present the teacher in my heart."

Together with evening clouds on the western horizon and swallows adorning the sky in red, Rakeyan Sandanu and Cut Mutia begin their long journey to find the land of the middle of nowhere, Galuh, which they believe exists somewhere in this world. []