1 Into The Mountain

"Ikki, wake up! The sun already high you know!" a woman voice entering my ears

"Five minutes later mom", I reply her lazily.

"That's what you said ten minutes ago when I wake you up"

"Blame dad for that mom, he keeps me in his workshop until late night"

"Your dad and grandpa already wake up hours ago, your little sister also already wake, don't you feel shame? You're the only one who still sleeps in this house. Just because you're on vacation doesn't mean you can sleep all day. Get up quickly!" and my quilt was pulled from my body.

Sluggishly, I try to wake up and get up from the bed. I rub my eyes to remove drowsiness from there. My mother stands in front of me with her hands on the waist. Oh no, this is her lecturing style, I must listen to her long speech before I can get out of my room.

"Listen, young man! You're no longer a kid, you should wake up on your own without your mother must wake you up every morning. Your dream becomes a chef, but you should know before the restaurant open, the chef already in the kitchen a long time before to prepare the ingredient for the dish. If you can't wake up early, how you can be a good chef?"

"I know that mom"

I'm Ikki Isaku, a high schooler in a vocation high school that specialized in culinary education. In that school, I learn to be a chef in the future. Right now I'm on vacation and return to my home, a village on a mountain slope called Hidan village. My father works as a blacksmith and my grandpa is a farmer. My mother just ordinary housewives that take care of the house cores and sometimes help his father (my grandpa) in the field, especially during the harvest time.

"If you know that, what you waiting for? Take a bath and have breakfast. Don't you say you want to find the ingredients in the mountain? I do not forbid you from going there, but you must return before dark. Don't forget to stop by at your dad workshop and say bye"

Oh shit, I almost forget that. I'm already planning to go to the mountain today to find cooking ingredients. In this summer there would be many wild mushrooms, forest fruits, and others. I can also put some traps to catch wild hares there.

"Damn! Almost forget that. Thanks for the reminder, mom, I'll go immediately"

With a jump I get down from the bed and run to the bathroom, his mother only shakes her head watching her son does.

After taking a bath and have breakfast, I'm back to my room to check his gears before going to the mountain. Since I want to spend the whole days on the mountain, I also bring some cooking utensils, some spices, lighter, water, some snacks etc. I also brings my smartphone that has solar panel recharging. I always carry that phone because I'm saved many recipes that he downloaded from the internet there. After all preparation ready and put on my backpack, I said goodbye to my mother and leave the house. I'm not forgetting my mother order to stop by at my father workshop.

When I arrived at his father workshop, I can hear the sound of the hammer hitting the iron from the inside workshop. After opening the door I can see my father doing some tempering on an iron lath.

"Good morning dad!"

"Morning Ikki. You're going to mountain now?"

"Yes dad, I come to say hello"

"Oh okay, wait a minute, I have something for you"

His father takes a box from the shelf and gives it to me.

"Here, take this"

"What is this dad?"

"Open it and see yourself" his dad reply with a smile

I'm opening the box, and when I see the content in the box, I can't hold my joy

"Wow, this is for me, dad?"

"Yes, that's knives set is for you Ikki"

"Thank you dad"

"Take care that knives carefully Ikki, knives for a cook like a sword for a warrior. It's a weapon for your battle. You must know it's not easy to become a good chef, and these knives set is your weapon for your struggle. I made that especially for you, you can't buy those knives in the shop hahaha"

"I will treasure this dad. I promise after I return from the mountain I will cook a delicious dish for you"

"Hahaha, I'll wait for that. Be careful on the mountain Ikki"

"I will dad, bye"

After putting the knives set in my backpack, I continues my trip to the mountain.

The mountain near his village is not far, after walking about one-hour I already reach the forest on the mountain slope. Ikki takes a rest for a while. I'm sitting on a tree stump nearby and watches the forest. The fresh air and birds chirping make a peaceful atmosphere here. After taking a gulp from the water bottle that I brought in my backpack, I continues my journey to the forest.