Loved Brondong Online

56. Lost in the Forest (5)

“Since my uncle loves to read ancient trust books.  I didn't know Uncle studied the Kabbalah.  Uncle pursued a special way of life and had certain eating habits, never to see a doctor, and refused to take any medication.  Whenever you feel unwell, you fast one or two days until your health improves.”

“Uncle has no children, but I'm close to him like a son.  When I was eighteen, Uncle asked me to meet him.  He sits up straight.  His head was full of white hair, his eyes were sharp.  He was eighty-three years old.  Uncle took out a small book from his wallet.  Very petite book, thin, the pages are yellow because of age.”

“This book I carry in my pocket for life, said Uncle.  This book of special powers has always taken care of me.  I'm old, and you'll soon be going to Asia.  More protection than I do.  Take it and take good care.  Don't get separated from you.  This book will take care of you.”

“I thank you, kiss Uncle, go home, thinking all his words are nonsense.  Arriving home, I found my mother crying.”

“Uncle Nissim has a heart attack.”

“I rushed to the hospital.  My uncle was unconscious.  I'm sending this little book to Auntie.  Aunt slipped the book under Uncle's pillow.  Upon awakening, Uncle asked Aunt to return it to me because she no longer needed it.  Uncle died in hospital.”

“Wah, the story..” said Lili.

“Maybe it's just a coincidence, maybe Uncle feels the time has come, but this book I always bring just in case.  A year ago I climbed a mountain.  I deviated from the road and reached a dangerous role.”

“The stone I wear to survive is loose.  I fell, but my jeans got stuck in a jagged reef.  I also survived.”

“At that time this book was in my pants pocket.  It may be a coincidence, who knows?  Still, this book makes me feel safe.  Sometimes I think, as long as I bring this book, I can't get hurt.  Later if my son enlisted in the military, I'm not too sure I want to give him this book or not.”

“Haha, you don't have any children yet.  But, just give it to him when you are eighty-three years old,” suggested Lili.

Lili's legs are still sore because the rash isn't cleared.  Kiki told her to dry her feet as carefully as possible and take good care of her.  Lilies apply even more oil and bask in the sun.  However, flies and mosquitoes fly around her bare feet.  He had to cover his legs with a thin cloth.

That night the customary elder told them that his neighbor was willing to help make the raft.  Tomorrow they will cut down some trees and bring them to the village by floating them in the river.  The customary elder said the raft would be completed in three-four days, depending on the weather.

The trunk of the tree must be completely dry before it can be used.  It was late November, the rainy season came.  They hoped there would be some hot days for the logs to dry.

Kiki and Lili gave those people a wage.  They also intend to buy food from traditional elders, rice, meat, fruits, vegetables, during their stay in the village.  If his wife is willing, they also want to pay him to prepare food.  They will pay the price of food at the same time.  The elders agreed.

“So now you can hotel with complete facilities,” said the customary elder.

It was nice to sleep on that fancy straw mat that night.  The village is peaceful.  The inhabitants sleep very quickly.  The horses grazed among the rickety huts, their figures presenting long shadows on the dewy grass.

The sheep sleep under the papaya tree.  The pigs that wallowed in the mud looked like they were dreaming, writhing fretfully in their sleep.  The dogs are too lazy to bark.

At dawn Kiki had gone with the villagers to look for the tree to be cut down.  On returning home to the hut during the day, he found Lili lying on a mat.  Lily did nothing.  Kiki also told him that he had chosen seven large trees.  At the same time the traditional elder and his friends were splitting the trees.

It is hot outside, so they prefer to lie inside a cool dark room.  Kiki, who was not at home, kept quiet, watching a beautiful work of art, fretfully circulating his eyes looking for what could be done.

He collected shoes whose soles were about to come off, took a hammer and a number of nails, then diligently perforated the upper skin of the shoes and rubber soles.  Once the hole is enough, Kiki inserts a wire to hold the two pieces together, pulling them together neatly and tightly, just like sewing.

Finished working on this, he noticed his own footwear, the two soles of which had long since disappeared in the forest.  Kiki goes to the village to look for skins that she can use to make new soles.

Some time Kiki bargained for the price and finally exchanged the deer skin of the residents with a stone knife that he had been carrying around.  He cut the deer skin to exactly the size of the shoe shape, perforated it around the edge of the skin, and finally stitched the skin onto the footwear with a fishing line.

“Virtually nothing can't be done with my two hands,” so Kiki boasted.  “You never know when it takes a certain skill.”

Kiki spent the afternoon with the family of the indigenous elders, questioning him closely about the existence of resources in the region.  The old man answered Kiki's question patiently.  Kiki heard the elder brother accidentally found a lump of gold on the side of the river.  Following up on the discovery, residents went to pan for gold there, but the results were disappointing.

Kiki returned to the hut excitedly and urged to depart.  He told her the news he heard and prepared to make plans.

“Village residents do not use complex mining techniques.  They could not assess the potential this region might have.  Tomorrow I'll see for myself.  If the gold that was talked about was true, I would bring back an automatic reinforcement machine.  All that is needed can be bought and I bring it here.”

“Must burn the engine later I bring it too.  What a great advantage there is in this village, so I can settle down and buy food here.  The impact on this village must be good.  Bring a little prosperity.  I can hire some officers.  The traveling salesmen will start to arrive, bringing their things here.  Villagers can also sell farm produce on them.”

Within five minutes Kiki had become a millionaire and turned the village into a busy metropolis.  In response to Kiki's story, Lili continued her activities.

The next morning as dawn broke, they headed for the customary elder's house located on the other side of the village, an hour's walk from the hut.  They carried one backpack containing gifts for residents there.  On the way they barter some hook eyes, fishing ropes, whistles, knives, with coffee, fresh eggs and chili peppers.