8 1.8: To The Sea

My heart suddenly leaped into my mouth and I was suddenly unable to move or control my limbs. My breath was stopped halfway and choked in between swallowing my saliva and exhaling at the same time. "What was that just now??!! Is that part of a figment of my imagination?!" I frantically thought aloud to myself and nearly lost my footing on the 1st wood step of the stairs.

I looked back again and tried to peer through the darkness of the wooded area and found nothing amiss at all. The surrounding which was partly illuminated by the moon looked normal with no signs of intrusion and the wooded area had no sign of being bashed through. "Was that a wolf I had seen earlier? Why was there no signs of alarm from the guards at all?" I thought to myself and find that if there was a line wolf lurking around in the settlements I am pretty sure that some fowls would be caught under its teeth. Furthermore, if there were signs of predators in the settlement, surely the Chief Village would step up with the security measures around the settlement.

I climbed the staircase slowly, half expecting a wolf would immediately pounce on my back and bared its teeth at the nape of my neck, snapping it into two. The thought itself made me shiver involuntarily and I nearly crawled back in the interior of the house. I slowly made myself back to the tatami mat and tried to close my eyes as I laid myself down. The rush of thoughts about the shadowy wolf made me hard to fall back into slumber and I could feel cold sweat dripping on my back as I tossed and turned on the floor. As dawn was nearly breaking, I fell asleep.....

"Cock-adoodle-dooo.....! Cock-adoodle-dooooooo.....!!" the sound of a rooster perched on top of some clothesline was loudly crowing right at the break of dawn, indicating the beginning of another day in the sleepy settlement. The rooster seemed adamant to wake up the whole settlement until its voice went raw and hoarse throguth incessitant crowing. Slowly the settlement stirred into life as one by one awoke and went about their early morning affairs.

"Urrghhh..... Was it a dream earlier?" I sat up on the tatami mat and slowly rubbed both hands on my sleepy eyes. I looked over my side and found that Ani too had woken up as well. "Good morning Abang, you don't look to sleep well yesterday?" she remarked and pointed at the bags under my eyes. "Yeah, I cannot sleep well earlier. Maybe I was thinking too much." I replied and I avoided the encounter the matter of last night from her. Perhaps I could probe some answers from the three brothers later on in the day.

"Abang, the brothers had gone to collect the 'treasures' before the sun was up earlier." remarked Ani."Why don't Abang freshen first before heading down to your spot to wait for their return? I am sure they would not be back before lunch hour."Ani said to me while spreading her hands."Yes, might as well I go and freshen up while waiting for you to prepare breakfast,amIright?" I said solemnly while heading towards the door, eyeing the previous 'sarong' that had worn for my quick shower the night before. Ani then handed me a piece of stick with frayed ends and told me not to lose this again. I wondered in the back of my mind on the main purpose of this stick as I ambled my way to grab the 'sarong' from the clothesline and head towards the common well for my shower.

I can't help my eyes from wandering towards the Chief Village's house as I calculated that the Shadow that I had seen last night was heading not towards the house, but rather away from it.

My queries for the stick that was handed by Ani earlier were answered as I entered the partially fenced up 'washing area'. A few men nodded in my direction and were holding on to the sticks in their mouth to clean their teeth using them. Unlike our modern toothbrush where we held the ends diagonally to our teeth and gums, the stick was however used in a direct front approach towards the teeth.

Finding it weird the first time using the stick with the awkward manner of brushing the teeth sort of like a "picking" type of movement. However, after some time, I find it quite methodical to use the stick and with some pros and cons to using it. Unless one can tilt the head back and open the mouth at 180 degrees, then I am sure the insides of the teeth could be brushed and cleaned as well.

I didn't dare to take a shower like last night but I just pulled up a bucket of water and washed my face and wetted my hair instead. This way I could avoid the unnecessary chill, unlike the other day. I thought that I could save the showering in the later part of the evening.

I hurriedly wrapped the 'sarong' around my shoulders and not forgetting the stick that was given by Ani and straight went to the house. I stretched the 'sarong' that I had earlier used to wipe my face and rubbed my hair back on the clothesline. I was welcomed by the distinctively smell of coffee that I had been longing for since arrival at this era.

As soon as I reached upstairs, I noticed a fresh change of clothes in the room like the ones I wore last had been laid carefully on my side of a tatami mat. I heard Ani was stirring up something in the kitchen and quickly removed my 'sarong' and wore my fresh pair of clothes. I saw Ani walking from the 'clean kitchen' with a tray and set it down on the floor of the living hall. Ani summoned me to have breakfast and I packed the room before heading towards where Ani was serving a cup of black coffee for myself.

I saw a few slices of fried tapioca slices on a banana leaf. I looked up at her and saw that she had earlier went for a shower at the ladies' common well. Her shoulder-length hair looked partially wet but not dripping and was looking jovial at the same time I met her last night. Her face was flawless without a single scratch or pockmark except for two dimples at the sides of her cheek whenever she smiled. Her hands I noticed was not coarse but rather smooth as if she had not worked manually before.

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I added a spoonful of honey into my black coffee and stirred. As I brought the cup to my lips,I could smell the thick aroma just as the ones freshly blended from Starbucks or CBTL. I let out a sigh of satisfaction as the coffee ran down my throat and filled me with warmth. "Oh...! It feels great to be alive....!!" I thought to myself while smiling deeply within. The warm slice of fried tapioca was crispy at the edges and chewy in the middle. Its sure was a great companion with black coffee anytime. I poured myself another cup when I had drained the first one.

The shadowy figure of the wolf had been forgotten after the simple yet fulfilling meal.

I bade Ani as I head towards the door and staircase when I was stopped by her. "Abang, don't forget late Father's keris," she said while taking it our near the house entrance and passed it to me. I smiled and thanked her and slipped the 'keris' at the small of my back.

I soon headed towards the path that I came yesterday and walked along with it, the pond on my right-hand side until I reached a small trail that leads through the dense coconut plantation. After walking along the small trail I reached the small clearing amidst the pine trees and saw a white sandy beach and the deep blue sea yonder. Some twenty meters out in the ocean, my eyes picked up three shallow rowboats and 3 fishermen's head bobbing about in the water.

I whistled at them and the trio waved back.......