13 1.13: Spiritual Master

Daybreak came and the rooster perched itself on a post and crowed with its majestic voice...

"Cock-adoodle-dooooo! .....Cock-adoodle-dooooo!! ..... Errkk!!"

I guess the rooster chocked on its saliva or maybe a grain that got stuck along the way in its throat.

I stirred myself and found that somewhere during the night Ani had shifted her position and now she was sleeping with her face buried in my chest. I slowly removed my arm and found that it had gotten stiff by not moving for a few hours. Her wraparound 'sarong' was also hitched up and exposed her thigh that was sprawled across mine. I slowly moved her thighs out of the way in order not to make too much movement.

I find it all strange. She was my 'sister' after all. When I sat up I started to discover from the first day that this place had not been influenced by religion or any faith and the acceptance of the residents here were hillbilly type where cousins can marry their cousins and sisters can marry their own brothers as well. I shook my head to rid off the wildest imagination and rubbed my eyes. Ani stirred and sat up. "Abang, you want coffee and bread?".

"Sure if it's not too much trouble for you, "I replied. We both stood up and I went ahead for my morning affairs. The rain last night had left massive puddles and children were awaken one by one. Upon seeing the puddles of water, some of them ran and laughed gleefully and jumped in feet first; making splashes around them while laughing and running about from one puddle to another.

I looked at the simple joys in life. If the children were from my time, I am sure their mothers would have fainted at the sight of their children dirtying themselves with the puddles of water. God knows what kind of contamination those puddles held.

In a few moments, I was back at the house enjoying a cup of black coffee and a freshly baked bread. Ani was quite efficient to whip up the bread and coffee even though when I was gone for about less than 15minutes. Its as if her 'dirty kitchen' was equipped with a gas stove!

From a distance, I saw the three brothers approaching and was walking about to avoid the puddles of water. All three of them were wearing their 'sarongs' that they had halved and tied at their waist till the height above their knees instead of slinging it diagonally from their shoulders.

I chugged my coffee and bread down hurriedly; took the keris and slipped it at the small of my back; called out to Ani that I was leaving. Ani sent me off from the front of the house at the top of the stairs. Soon, the four of us were walking out of the settlement towards the path that led towards the small trail.

About roughly walking about close to two hours, we reached a clearing of another settlement. This time, it had circular houses made from stones and clay with a thatched roof made from the long grass that grew in abundance around the village. Upon reaching the center courtyard, I could see the similar long sticks and mortar that was used to pound the grains.

A small open furnace was in the middle of three mortars; presumably to make baked bread by the masses. Closeby I could see a small shelter where there were a few men sitting on a log and was tinkering with spears and other hunting tools.

A granary and a small shed for sheltered animals was also nearby. I counted and discovered that there were about 12 circular rock and clay houses which were big enough to fit 4 adults.

We waved and nodded to the residents that were about performing their usual daily affairs before we reached the end of the clearing before we met with another path. I saw children emerging from the outskirts and were carrying firewood in their arms;while some were ferrying stones and meat presumably from accompanying the hunters.

One child was holding up a dead rabbit in triumphant and was smiling gleefully as we walked towards them.I felt as though I had stepped into another dimension altogether.

"What is this settlement called again?" I asked and uses the term 'again' under the pretense that I had forgotten its name before. "Oh....this is called Stone Village" replied Cheng as we walked on the path heading towards our destined settlement. "What's their main trade?" I asked curiously since the settlement was a tad too far away from the beach and was surely not the same trade as the brothers'.

"Furs and tanned leather," replied Dong nonchalantly.

"These furs mainly come from rabbits and an occasionally ram or sheep although rams are more common than sheep."

"Whereas leather may come from mountain bison or other animals such as the wildebeest. These animals were ferocious and only their true warriors are suited to hunt them down. It would take about 2 to 5 days to hunt and kill one and normally 2 children would accompany the hunters in carrying their daily necessities." narrated Eun knowledgeably.

After some minutes they decided to take a break after the long exhaustive walk. One of the brothers went into the coconut plantation and soon came back with a cluster of yellow coconuts. We quickly rehydrate by drinking 2 coconuts each and after we had rested a bit while the 3 brothers smoked their rolled tobacco; we stood up and continued our journey.

Slightly over 2 hours later, we had reached yet another clearing and a settlement soon emerged.

"Welcome to New Hope Village."

From afar this settlement looked more lively than the other one back then. There was an archway built at the path with bamboo fences around the perimeter. The houses were built from stones and it looked to be somewhat a mini bungalow type of design.

Near the gate, there was a small makeshift stall where residents could display their homemade wares for exchange in food or other staples. Besides the small stall, there were workshops such as a tailor, a weaver, blacksmith, wood yard to provide firewood, a wood mill to grind grains..... the works.

It's like a totally different era with tech that was sophisticated and resourceful during that time. I wished I was transmigrated here instead of 2 settlements back then, but I am sure there was not another Ani as my sister around here.

Heading towards a brick house with a small gazebo beside it, I assumed that it should be the Master's house as there wasn't any gazebo around. The octagonal sized gazebo was as large as three-quarters of a basketball court.

Cheng asked me and the rest of the brothers to wait at the gazebo while he went to the Master's House and called out to him. A few moments later, a frail-looking man about 1.2meters tall walking with a stoop and walking with a walking stick. He was a bald-headed and long white mustache and beard appeared from the house. Cheng bent and touched the old man's feet and gestured towards us who were fanning ourselves with the sarong.

The frail old man walked along with Cheng and as soon as he arrived, the rest of the brothers stood up and bent over and touched the old man's feet. I copied their actions as to not to be caught unawares.

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"This is the man I was mentioning about," said Cheng as he pointed to me. The old man gestured all of us to the gazebo and sat down at the edge while we all sat cross-legged in the middle facing him.

The old man sized me up for some time before he spoke in a hoarse voice." From here you do not come. Suffer once in your life, and answers you do seek...."

His mannerism of arranging the words gave me the SHOCK of my life especially after I comprehend what he was trying to say. The 3 brothers looked at me in bewilderment and wondered what the old man was sputtering nonsense at this time.

"I..... I... Mm.... Master.... I....Eeerrr..." I muttered convulsively as I tried to form comprehensive words but......