Episode 079: We Tenriengka Dan Kematian Yang Mengharukan
by I La Galigo
Adapted Version
The air in the palace felt heavy, a silent witness to the secrets it held. As Ila Paseweng returned from his journey, he remained blissfully unaware of the profound betrayal that had taken root in his absence.
Ila Paseweng, weary from his long journey, stepped into his palace. The atmosphere, however, was not one of welcome but of unspoken strain. He found We White in her chambers, frail upon the bed. La Galigo, hidden, watched with a secretive smile.
La Galigo, emerging from the shadows, regarded We White with a possessive gaze. He felt a surge of triumph, convinced his plan to replace Ila Paseweng and claim his position was almost complete. His selfish desire blinded him to any sorrow.
A cold dread gripped We White as Ila Paseweng's footsteps drew nearer. "Please, you must go!" she whispered, panicked, desperate to avert disaster. Yet, La Galigo remained, a defiant smirk on his lips, eager for the revelation.
Ila Paseweng entered, his face softening as he embraced We White. "My love, you seem unwell," he murmured, unaware of the true reason for her distress.
Before leaving, La Galigo purposely placed his keris—a traditional dagger—on a nearby table, a clear sign of his presence. Soon after, Ila Paseweng noticed the ornate dagger. His eyes widened in shock, then narrowed in fury. He recognized it as La Galigo's. "Whose keris is this, We White?" he demanded, his voice sharp with betrayal. "Has La Galigo been here?"
We White's heart pounded. "It's not what you think, my love! It must belong to We Nyili' Timo," she cried, her voice trembling. But Ila Paseweng's face hardened. He saw no chance of her innocence, blinded by his rage. His honor felt shattered. The betrayal was too great to bear. "I cannot live with this dishonor," he declared, his voice cold and final. "I divorce you, We White."
We White stared, heartbroken. "How could you do this?" she whispered, tears streaming down her face. But his decision was fixed, and the divorce was carried out. A deep sorrow consumed We White. The thought of life without Ila Paseweng, without her home, felt too much. Her will to live began to fade.
La Galigo, hearing of the divorce, smiled. His clever scheme had worked, or so he thought, unaware of the tragedy to come. We White's health quickly worsened. Her spirit broken, her body followed. She died shortly after, a victim of despair.
News of her death struck La Galigo like a blow. His triumph turned to horror. He saw his own fault clearly, realizing his actions had led to her end. Outside the palace, Ila Paseweng heard the news. He wept openly, lamenting the bitter end to their love, a consequence of his hasty judgment.
Both men were left with immense sorrow and guilt, burdened by their roles in We White's tragic death. Their lives were forever marked by her passing, a sad result of their selfish desires and wounded pride.
Original Story
Episode 079: We Tenriengka Dan Kematian Yang Mengharukan
Keesokan harinya, suasana di istana Ale Cina tampak tegang. Ila Paseweng baru saja pulang dari perjalanan panjang. Ia segera menuju kamar istrinya, We White, yang terlihat terbaring lemah. La Galigo, yang berada di samping We White, tampak tenang, tetapi dalam hatinya mengungkapkan kebahagiaan tersendiri.
"Dia sudah pulih dari guna-guna. Kenapa aku harus pergi?" tanya We White, terbangun dan melihat La Galigo tersenyum manis.
"Karena saatnya aku menggantikan posisi suamimu," kata La Galigo, penuh percaya diri, sambil memandang We White dengan tatapan penuh harapan.
Kekhawatiran menyelimuti We White. "Apa kamu tidak takut akan konsekuensinya?"
Belum sempat La Galigo menjawab, suara langkah kaki Ila Paseweng semakin mendekat. We White panik. "Cepat, pergi dari sini!" teriaknya. Namun, La Galigo malah bersikap santai, "Aku ingin menikmati momen ketika dia mengetahui hubungan kita."
Ila Paseweng tiba dan menyambut We White dengan mesra. "Bagaimana keadaanmu, sayang? Kau tampak tidak sehat."
"Ah, hanya sedikit lelah," jawab We White sambil berusaha tersenyum, tetapi dia tahu penampilannya tidak bisa disembunyikan.
Sementara itu, La Galigo berpikir jahat. Dia meninggalkan keris pusakanya di kamar sebagai jebakan untuk Ila Paseweng. Dia yakin ini akan membuat hubungan mereka berantakan.
Ketika Ila Paseweng masuk dan menemukan keris tersebut, amarah langsung meluap. "Kau selingkuh dengan La Galigo!" teriaknya, mengeluarkan emosi yang terpendam.
"Tidak! Itu keris yang dipinjam We Nyili' Timo!" bantah We White, tetapi tidak ada yang mendengarkannya.
Ila Paseweng, yang hatinya sudah terluka, memutuskan untuk menceraikan We White. "Harga diri dan kehormatan diriku ada di atas cinta ini! Aku tidak akan membiarkan La Galigo merusak segalanya!"
We White terdiam. Air mata jatuh, tetapi cintanya terhadap Ila Paseweng tak dapat diselamatkan. "Bagaimana kau bisa melakukan ini?" hanya bisa ia ucapkan, suaranya bergetar.
Setelah perdebatan panjang, Ila Paseweng memutuskan. "Ceraikan aku!" ucapnya sambil berpegang pada hatinya yang hancur.
Hari-hari berikutnya, We White berduka. Ia tahu perjalanan hidupnya yang indah kini telah menghadapi ujian terberat.
"Dapatkah aku bertahan tanpa cinta sejatiku, Ila Paseweng?" tanyanya pada dirinya sendiri.
Setelah kabar perceraian menyebar, La Galigo merasakan kemenangannya. "Rencanaku hampir berhasil sepenuhnya," gumamnya bahagia.
Namun, tak lama kemudian, We White jatuh sakit. Dalam keheningan, tubuhnya terkulai di tempat tidur. "We White, bangunlah! Aku akan menikahimu!" seru La Galigo tetapi tak ada jawaban.
Keesokan harinya, kabar duka datang. We White telah pergi selamanya.
La Galigo terkejut, merasa dunia sekelilingnya runtuh. "Tidak! Ini semua salahku!" Sebuah kesedihan mendalam melanda dirinya.
Beberapa saat kemudian, Ila Paseweng, yang berada di luar istana, hanya bisa menangis. "Apa yang telah terjadi? Mengapa semua ini harus berakhir dengan cara pahit?"
Akhirnya, dalam kesedihan mendalam, baik La Galigo dan Ila Paseweng merasakan beban kesalahan yang harus mereka tanggung. Kini, keduanya harus hidup dengan kenangan yang menyakitkan dan rasa kehilangan yang tak terobati.
Story DNA
Moral
The pursuit of selfish desires and manipulation can lead to tragic and irreversible consequences for all involved.
Plot Summary
Upon Ila Paseweng's return, his lover La Galigo, who has been with his wife We White, plants his dagger to frame her. Ila Paseweng discovers the dagger, accuses We White of infidelity, and despite her pleas, divorces her, prioritizing his honor. Heartbroken, We White falls ill and dies, leaving both La Galigo and Ila Paseweng consumed by profound guilt and sorrow over their roles in her tragic demise.
Themes
Emotional Arc
tension to despair to profound grief
Writing Style
Narrative Elements
Cultural Context
The Bugis people have a rich oral tradition and epic poetry, such as 'La Galigo,' which this story seems to draw from or be a specific episode within. The names 'La Galigo' and 'Ila Paseweng' are prominent in Bugis mythology and history, suggesting a connection to a broader narrative universe.
Plot Beats (15)
- Ila Paseweng returns to his palace and finds his wife, We White, looking unwell, with La Galigo secretly present.
- La Galigo expresses his intent to replace Ila Paseweng, revealing his affair with We White.
- We White, fearful of discovery, urges La Galigo to leave, but he defiantly stays, wanting to be caught.
- Ila Paseweng greets We White, who tries to hide her distress.
- La Galigo deliberately leaves his keris (dagger) in the room as a trap for Ila Paseweng.
- Ila Paseweng discovers the keris and, enraged, accuses We White of infidelity with La Galigo.
- We White denies the accusation, claiming the keris belongs to We Nyili' Timo, but Ila Paseweng refuses to believe her.
- Ila Paseweng, feeling his honor betrayed, decides to divorce We White.
- We White is heartbroken and questions how Ila Paseweng could do this, but the divorce proceeds.
- We White falls into deep sorrow and questions her ability to live without Ila Paseweng.
- La Galigo, upon hearing of the divorce, feels triumphant, believing his plan is succeeding.
- We White falls critically ill and dies shortly after.
- La Galigo is shocked and overwhelmed with guilt, realizing his actions led to her death.
- Ila Paseweng, outside the palace, also weeps upon hearing the news, lamenting the bitter end.
- Both men are left with immense sorrow, guilt, and the burden of their roles in We White's tragic death.
Characters
★
We White
Appears weak and unwell after recovering from a spell, later described as 'terkulai di tempat tidur' (collapsed on the bed) due to illness.
Attire: Traditional Bugis attire, likely a 'baju bodo' or similar, suitable for a noblewoman within an istana (palace) setting.
Loyal, loving, easily panicked, distressed by conflict, ultimately heartbroken and fragile.
⚔
La Galigo
No specific physical traits mentioned, but carries a 'keris pusaka' (heirloom dagger).
Attire: Traditional Bugis noble attire, likely including a 'sarong' and 'baju koko' or similar, befitting his status and confidence.
Manipulative, confident, cunning, selfish, later filled with deep regret and sorrow.
Ila Paseweng
No specific physical traits mentioned, but described as having just returned from a long journey.
Attire: Traditional Bugis noble attire, possibly showing signs of travel upon his return, then formal palace wear.
Loving, easily angered, proud, heartbroken, filled with regret.
We Nyili' Timo
Not described.
Attire: Not described.
Not described, only mentioned as the borrower of the keris.
Locations
Istana Ale Cina
Suasana tegang menyelimuti istana. Ila Paseweng baru saja pulang dari perjalanan panjang.
Mood: Tense, anxious, later sorrowful
Ila Paseweng returns, the initial tension of the story is set here.
Kamar We White
We White terbaring lemah di tempat tidur. La Galigo berada di sampingnya, tersenyum manis. Kemudian, Ila Paseweng menemukan keris pusaka di sini.
Mood: Intimate, deceptive, later angry and sorrowful
The confrontation between Ila Paseweng, We White, and La Galigo occurs here, leading to the divorce. We White later dies here.