Tattooed Baby Secret

Cipo is angry with the indiscriminate Israeli army attacks in the Gaza Strip, Palestine. The victims of civilians are very many, both children and the elderly. More than a thousand people died, while tens of thousands were injured. Not to mention the victims in the form of infrastructure such as: schools, hospitals, offices, and others. The world's citizens condemned the attack and took the initiative to help, both morally and materially. Everywhere people raise funds for Palestine. Not to be missed at the Cipo school, an art performance was even held with the theme "Solidarity for Palestine".

But before the funds were sent, there was news of an earthquake from Manokwari, Papua, Indonesia. "How is this Master? We want to send aid to Palestine, but in our own country there is a disaster?" asked Sona, the chairman of the committee, to Mr. Bonet, their teacher.

Before Mr. Bonet answered, Cipo spoke up, "That's easy. Divided it in two. Half for Manokwari and half for Palestine."

"But so become little," said Sona, glumly.

Mr. Bonet said, "Cipo is right. Divided by two. The number is getting smaller, that's okay. What matters is that our intentions are sincere. Even though we are few, God willing, there will also be help from other places so that the number will be large."

Why has the Palestinian-Israeli conflict never abated? The history of the conflict between the two nations is very long. After Prophet Musa survived the army of Pharaoh, he brought the people of Israel to the promised land appointed by God. Where is the promised land? Across the Jordan River, which is now the territory of Palestine and Israel in the Middle East. However, Prophet Moses did not cross the Jordan River because it was not permitted by God. The Israelites, then, were led by Yusha son of Nun.

But in the promised land there were already Palistines who still worshiped idols so that the arrival of the Israelites met resistance, but the Israelites won. However, thousands of years later, the people of Israel left the promised land and scattered all over the world. The abandoned land was re-inhabited by the Palestinians. After World War II ended, the US and Britain promised their own state for the Jewish nation. They were asked to choose a new place, in Africa or the Middle East, then their ancestral land was chosen. Sponsored by the US and Britain, in the early 1960s, the current state of Israel was established by seizing the land of the Palestinian people. Arab countries are not standing still, they are attacking Israel. But in the Three-Day Battle in 1967, they lost basically against the US and the UK. And the Palestinians continue to fight Israel to this day. ***

Sunday morning, Cipo, Ndul-ndul, Jalu, and Aci looked for the shy princess or the surprise plant. They searched the sides of the road, through the grass. The shy princess plant grows wild on the side of the road, a wild plant. Today it is considered a wild plant, but it is possible that one day the plant will be cultivated because it has certain uses. Why does the shy princess plant shrivel up when touched?

"Because it's surprise," said Jalu. Jalu's answer is not scientific, just perfunctory.

According to research, at each base of the leaves of the shy princess there is a part that becomes a bag of fluid. If the shy princess to be touched, the bag of liquid is deflated so that the leaf of the shy princess closes. After that, the liquid slowly filled the pouch again so that the leaves bloomed again. Cipo and his friends are scrambling to find the shy princess plant that is blooming. If you find it, touch it to fall asleep.

"How come you don't see the tattooed baby?" Bi Kedipi exclaimed, while guiding her bicycle which was full of groceries. Bi Kedipi just got home from shopping from the market. "People in the market are excited about that strange baby."

Ndul-ndul asked, "Bi Kedipi, does the baby also have a piercing on his nostril?"

Bi Kedipi was annoyed, "You don't believe it, do you? But that's how it is now in the market. Everyone is talking about the miracle baby from Jambe Hamlet. I'll be there to see it later."

When they came home, the people in front of Bi Kedipi's stall were busy talking about tattooed babies. Bi Kedipi often brings strange news after returning from the market. In fact, once brought news of the money thief ghost who was tied to a pole in someone's house, but when it was proven it turned out to be just bullshit. Cipo's mother, who came home from shopping for vegetables from Bi Kedipi's stall, smiled at the story.

"Why are you smiling, Mom? You must have heard strange stories from the stalls," said Cipo. His mother agreed. "Do you believe there is a baby with tattoos?"

His mother said, "It doesn't make sense. They said the baby had a tattoo on his forehead that read 'Jibril' in Arabic script. On his right and left shoulders are the same tattoos, which bear the names of the angels 'Rakib' and 'Atid'. On the palm of his hand there is also a tattoo that reads 'Muhammad'. Strange, why are there so many tattoos?"

"Would you believe if he got a little tattoo?" asked Cipo.

His mother laughed. "In the past there was a shocking incident, not a baby with tattoos, but a baby in the stomach who could talk. People who are pregnant with the miracle baby are often guests of important people. The secret is revealed, the sound of the baby in the stomach is just a trick with the recorder hidden behind a cloth which wrapped around stomach. Indeed, at that time recorders were still very rare."

If so, is it true that the tattooed baby exists? Before he had time to think further, Jalu came to his house and told him that he had just returned from Jambe Hamlet, seeing a tattooed baby. "That's right, the baby has a tattoo," said Jalu. The ndul-ndul who came later were jealous of Jalu, wanting to see a strange baby too. "You have to bring money."

"Are there a lot of people selling snacks there?" asked Cipo.

"Not for snacks. The person who look at him has to put the money in the box," said Jalu.

So, the tattooed baby is for money? Exploiting the odd to earn money is common in the world. Wasn't the circus at first only selling oddities, both oddities obtained from animal and human disabilities. For example, in ancient times, conjoined twins were used as the main merchandise of a very popular circus. Basically, people like weirdness so that horror films are also selling well in the market.

"Jalu, how much money did you put in the box?" asked Cipo.

"Voluntary, as we like," said Jalu. Cipo is curious. He wanted to investigate if the baby was really tattooed. Cipo invited Ndul-ndul because Jalu had been there before. "I want to go there again, I'm not satisfied to see it. I'll show you the house later," said Jalu.

***

Cipo is ready to go to the magical baby's house. He took a pocket camera, who knows the magazine Kriminol will publish it. They go by bicycle. On the road, they often ran into people coming home from seeing tattooed babies, caught by their chatter. Arriving at the village, it was indeed crowded, there was even a group from Surabaya who came to charter a bus. People said the tattooed baby had been on TV once so the news spread everywhere.

"Bicycle storage service! bicycle storage service!" exclaimed the young people. Many motorbikes and bicycles have been deposited at a cost of one thousand rupiah.

"The house, which has brick walls," said Jalu. "We have to queue."

"No photography," said one of the line guards.

"Someone stumbled when he was trying to take pictures, the camera broke," said another guard.

You know, haven't you ever been on TV? Then the TV station's camera broke too? Cipo smiled wryly. They are queuing up to see the miracle baby. In order for the queue to be orderly, it was made lengthwise with yellow raffia rope boundaries. Many are also queuing up, to the point of jostling. But after a while, they arrived at the house. The baby was put to sleep in a small bed made of wood.

The baby sleeps and occasionally squirms. Not bothered by people queuing who are often noisy. Maybe you're used to that kind of crowd. Yes, there is a tattoo that says 'Jibril' on his forehead. Tattoos on the left and right shoulders are not visible because it is covered by clothes. His mother opened his palm, showing a tattoo of the Arabic writing 'Muhammad'.

There are lots of roses around. Many people consider it a sacred baby so they spread roses. Maybe, later someone will burn incense. After witnessing the miracle baby, many whispered, "When grows up the baby child will become a holy person."

But there are also those who feel sorry, "Poor child is made a spectacle."

The baby was named Arsid Abhimanyu, his father was Singo Terong who worked as a mason, and his mother was Tumini. "My son is very strange, my wife is not pregnant, but gave birth to a baby," said Singo Terong to everyone who came. Singo Terong spoke again, as if by rote, "One night my wife had a dream that a man and a woman dressed in white had come. Instead, the couple told us to put a camera near our baby. Strangely, the camera was missing without a trace, we looked everywhere and couldn't find it. Suddenly, the camera appeared by itself. The strange thing is, after I took the camera to the photo studio and printed it out, there were photos of the man and woman in my wife's dream."

"They said to leave their child," said Bu Tumini, adding to her husband's story. "The person's photo is next door," added Bu Tumini.

People went into the next room to see the photo of the baby's invisible parents. Some of the photos have been enlarged to a size of 100 cm x 50 cm, but the picture is not very clear and is displayed on the wall. While the photo size 10R, the picture is quite clear. Without wasting any chance, Cipo took out his camera and took the photo, "Pret!".

"Hey... little kids... no photos taken," cried a line guard, furious.

Cipo argued, "Sorry! I thought it was just not okay to take pictures of the baby."

The person didn't mind anymore, but grumbled, "If you stumble, pay the consequences yourself!"

After seeing the tattooed baby, Cipo did not go home immediately. He asked one of the residents if there was a midwife in the village. Cipo is looking for a midwife, what for? Cipo received information that in Hamlet Jambe there was a midwife named Aminah. Cipo looked for the midwife's house. It's quite easy to find it because there is a nameplate in front of the house. The midwife's house also doubles as a birthing clinic. This means that people who give birth can stay at their homes. After meeting, Cipo asked about the tattooed baby. "Miss Aminah, was the baby born here?"

Mrs. Aminah was confused by Cipo's question, "Which baby, son?"

"Baby by tattoos."

"Not here. I don't know about other midwives. They say it's a miracle baby, maybe it's born miraculously," said Mrs. Aminah, laughing a little. "So far, Mrs. Tumini has never had her pregnancy checked."

Is it true that Mrs. Tumini gave birth miraculously? "It's a miracle baby, so getting pregnant is also a miracle," someone said.

***

Arriving at home, Cipo told his parent about the tattooed baby. "I saw it up close. But the audience is not allowed to take pictures," said Cipo.

His father took a deep breath, then said, "There are often cases of pregnant people who suddenly become pregnant and the womb is lost. It's not magical. It happened because of a false pregnancy, the medical term for 'wine pregnant". So named because it is due to the presence of a cyst that is shaped like a bunch of grapes. It was not a real pregnancy, but because of illness, only because at that time the world of medicine was not very advanced. When the cyst healed, people say as a miracle, the baby was taken by a supernatural being."

"But this baby is really there, even tattooed," said Cipo.

His father said, "Use your common sense. Don't forget, you're the little journalist, who shouldn't just believe something weird. You should check it out, is that right, or, what's behind this tattooed baby."

Cipo believed in his father's words. Moreover, his father is a senior journalist. "But can't Allah do everything, Dad. Everything is easy for Allah."

"Father believes in that. However, do we just believe what people tell us? There could be a certain purpose and purpose with the tattooed baby," said his father.

Cipo himself has proven a lot that many people commit crimes under the guise of occult things. Cipo remembered his pocket camera. Immediately he transferred the photo to the computer and printed it. He looked at the photo of a man and a woman in white who were said to be the baby's invisible parents with tattoos. "Apparently, this is an old photo that was reprinted," Cipo whispered to himself, "Or is it really like this in the supernatural world so that the nuances are black and white?"

Cipo got the impression that it was an ancient photo, from the 1950s era. Cipo often sees photo exhibitions so he can compare. Out of curiosity, Cipo went to the police station. Incidentally there is Brigadier Andi. Cipo asked whether Brigadier Andi believed in tattooed babies.

"How could I just believe that. It's just that I'm still wondering, what is the motive behind the appearance of this tattooed baby. There are two possibilities. First, economic motives because they use the baby to collect money from visitors. Didn't you put the money in the box? If it's a sane parent, they're more likely to keep it a secret so the child won't be disturbed. Babies can be stressed too, you know."

"What's the second motive?"

Brigadier Andi laughed, "He said that she was pregnant and was born miraculously. Maybe, it's just a possibility yes, that person is hiding something, or it's not her own baby. After that, try to think for yourself."

Cipo was surprised, so far he had not thought that far. "Other people's children?" whispered Cipo. How long can a mother be pregnant? Nine months and ten days. That is if the birth is normal. There are also less or more from that era, but that's just the case.

***

Cipo took Jalu and Ndul-ndul to Jambe Hamlet. Not to see the baby, but to confirm Mrs. Tumini's pregnancy. In fact, she had heard many times, that Mrs. Tumini was pregnant with an unseen thing that gave birth to a magical baby. There are still many people who come to see the miracle baby. That's right, even now there is a smell of frankincense.

"Mrs, when did Mrs Tumini look pregnant?" asked Cipo to the woman selling ice, while sipping his ice.

"There are no signs of pregnancy. They have been married for fifteen years, but they have no children. This is called sustenance, let alone giving birth to a magical baby," answered the ice seller.

"Where has Mr. Singo Terong been working as a mason?"

"Working in Solo, joining the contractor who built the shophouse there."

"Does Mr. Singo Terong know that his wife is giving birth, waiting for the birth of his child?"

"Yes, he was the one who informed the neighbors that his wife gave birth. At first people didn't believe it, they just didn't get pregnant, why did they give birth to children. It is also possible to give birth with the help of a magical midwife."

From the conversation with the ice seller, Cipo concluded that it was when Mr. Singo Terong returned from Solo that Mrs. Tumini gave birth. It could be, when he came home from Solo that the man brought a baby. But why get the baby tattooed? What's the motive? Cipo remembers, if there is a birth in Java, then there is a grave of the placenta. Is there an umbilical grave? Cipo tried to inquire about the whereabouts of the placenta's grave. Usually near the house and marked with an oil lamp or other.

"Mr, where is the placenta of the miracle baby planted?" Cipo asked the bicycle caretaker.

"Well, I don't know myself. Yes or no, because he was born in a supernatural way," said the bicycle caretaker. Instead, he asked his friend, "Did you see the tomb of her placenta, Cung?"

His friend shook his head, "I never thought of that! Nothing, because the baby is magical."

In development, Cipo received news that the tattooed baby was sick, had an infection. His body was hot and he was taken to Midwife Aminah. Is it her belly button that's infected? Turns out it wasn't her belly button that had an infection, but his tattoo was blistered. If the tattoo is there from birth, it will not blister. Many people are born with congenital signs, some are black, brown, some even have white stripes. But birthmarks have never been a problem, except in terms of appearance.

"If the baby's tattoo is an infection, it could be an artificial tattoo," said Cipo to himself.

"Babies' skin is still very sensitive so they are easily allergic, especially if they are exposed to chemicals," said Pak Guru Bonet, when telling that the baby's tattoo was infected. "If it's an artificial tattoo, it could be due to allergies," continued Pak Guru Bonet again.

***

But how to track it down if he is not Mr. Singo Terong's baby? "If someone loses their baby, it's in the newspapers, right?" said Brigadier Andi.

Oh, yes, but of course the newspaper is no longer there because it happened half a month ago. "Internet!" said Brigadier Andi, "You search it in the internet. Earlier this month, not long ago. Now, every newspaper is also online, you look for the local Solo newspaper." Cipo wasted no time, he immediately went to an internet cafe. He opened an online newspaper published in Solo. In the Solo Post dated May 1, there was news of a pregnant woman who had escaped from the city's mental hospital. A day later, on May 2, the woman was found, but she was no longer pregnant, meaning that she had given birth. Surprisingly, the baby was never found. Logically, if the baby is born, whether alive or dead, of course, the baby will be found. But there are no reports of finding babies or reports of finding bodies of babies.

"On these dates the news of tattooed babies was released," said Cipo to Brigadier Andi. "Mr. Singo Terong works in Solo. It could be that he found the baby and secretly brought the baby back to his house. Is my estimate reasonable?"

To further confirm Cipo's theory, First Brigadier Andi called the mental hospital, asking about when the woman who had gone gave birth. Got an answer that the estimated baby was born in early May. "Your theory could be right, the distance between the appearance of the tattooed baby and the baby girl is very close."

Finally, Mr. Singo Terong was called to come to the police station. "Frankly, sir. Where did the baby get?" asked Brigadier Andi. However, Singo Terong insisted that the baby was born miraculously. He shows a photo of an invisible parent to dispel the suspicions of the police.

"There is photographic evidence that these are the real parents of the baby. My wife was only used as an intermediary by the magical person," said Mr. Singo Terong.

"But when we tracked down the Solo newspaper on the internet, there were reports that a pregnant woman had left a mental hospital. She is expected to give birth to her baby in early May, this month. Then, in the first week of this month, Mr. Singo also stated that he had a child magically. We know Mr. Singo is working on a project in the city of Solo," said Brigadier Andi. "Did Mr. Singo find the baby and take him home?"

Cipo spoke up, "Mr. Singo Terong, frankly, we don't believe that the baby has been tattooed since birth. The tattoo isn't a birthmark, it's an artificial one."

"Impossible! You're the one making it up!" said Mr. Singo, angry.

"The midwife said Aminah said the tattoo had an infection. If it's been there since birth, it won't be infected," Cipo said.

"Mr. Singo, if the baby wants to be adopted, he can be adopted. So legally, the child is legally the son of Mr. Singo and Mrs. Tumini. There's no need to make weird stories," said First Brigadier Sanusi.

"If you want to adopt, we will help you," said Brigadier Anwar.

Brigadier Andi said, "Did Mr. Singo take the baby from his mother?"

After a while, Singo Terong's heart opened, he admitted that he found the baby in the city of Solo. "That's right, I lied, I found the baby on a deserted street. There is no one nearby, the road is far from settlements."

Mr. Singo Terong told, on that night he was going back to Yogyakarta, around ten o'clock at night. Coming out of the project bed, approximately 200 meters, on a very quiet road, he heard the very soft cry of a baby. He thought it was a genie's son. But after observing, it turns out that the baby is still red, the umbilical cord has not been cut. He remembered his wife who wanted to have a baby, they had been waiting for fifteen years. Next, he took the baby home.

"At that time I was about to stop the bus. Then I covered the baby with the clothes I took out of the bag. When there is a bus to Yogya, I get on. The bus was empty of passengers. The bus conductor asked about the baby, I said I would take him to Sardjito Hospital, Yogya. When I got home, when I found out I had a baby, my wife was very happy. We take care of him."

"Then, to cover up that the baby was found, Mr. Singo made up a story as if the baby was born supernaturally. To strengthen the evidence, then the baby is tattooed, right? That way people will not ask about the origin of the baby," said Brigadier Andi. "Then how was the tattoo made?"

Mr. Singo Terong managed to hold back a laugh before replying, "With special ink. The ink is durable, does not wash off, similar to tattoo ink. Well, I tattooed the baby with that ink."

Now, their happiness is gone, because Mr. Singo Terong and his wife have to deal with the police. They have broken the law. First, they did not report that they found the baby on the street and instead took it for their own benefit. Second, they had lied about the miracle baby. So, who has the idea to make money by showing the baby? Not Mr. Singo Terong, but the neighbors. But it happened because the neighbors were consumed by the magical baby stories they told.

"If we reject the proposal, we are afraid that they will think we are lying. In fact, we did lie. We mean, by being heralded as a miracle baby, people will believe that he is really our baby."

"Mr. Singo, then whose photo is said to be the baby's unseen parent?" asked Cipo.

"That's a photo of my wife's late grandfather. I accidentally reproduced myself. Prior to masonry, I once opened a street-level photo printing service near Tugu Station. It was easy for me," answered Mr. Singo. What will happen to the tattooed baby when the husband and wife are serving their sentence? The baby was brought to Solo and cared for by an orphanage. But after serving their sentence, Mr. Singo Terong and his wife were allowed to adopt the baby, on the condition that the baby should not be tattooed. Cipo wrote the story of a tattooed baby in the magazine Kriminol. (*)