Pertanyaan

Once upon a time, in the eighteenth century, in South Jakarta, there was a beautiful young girl who lived with her parents. Her name was Maryam. She was a very beautiful and cheerful girl. Her parents worked as farmers in a field owned by a Dutch tradesman. He was about 50 years old. One day, their family was in debt. They had no money left. The tradesman decreased their wages, and it was not enough for them to fulfill their daily needs. To break free from this problem, Maryam’s parents decided to set up an arranged marriage for their daughter with the tradesman. However, Maryam refused to do so. She ran away from home. She kept walking until she arrived in North Jakarta. The tradesman searched around for her, and she was found on the side of Ancol Bridge. He forced her to go back to her home, but she refused. He even threatened her with a knife! That knife then became the cause of her death. With that knife, the tradesman killed Maryam right on the Ancol bridge. She has been haunting the place ever since. Why did Maryam’s parents set up an arranged marriage for Maryam and the Dutch tradesman?