There Really is a Cave

"WHAT HAVE I TOLD YOU PEOPLE LAST TIME?!"

Inside the most secluded haya, far from the villagers, six old men sat on the floor while looking down at their toes with pale faces, shivering in fear. They were in front of Tok Batin Silihan, currently on the receiving end of a harsh scolding after their most successful descendant returned, and their most celebrated guest made an excuse to retire early ten minutes ago.

The Tok Batin was brimming with anger and staring daggers at them. If a glare could kill, all of them had died already. Although he wasn't shouting, his voice contained a menacing tone. They felt like being sliced with a sharp knife with every sentence. A trace of blood flowed at the corner of their mouths, as if they were the receiving end of a beating and had sustained internal injuries. They were still unaware of what they did wrong this time. However, this level of anger was unprecedented. Usually, if the Spiritual Healer was in a foul mood, he would just torment the younger generation and spared them to give them some face.

They peeked at each other in confusion, not knowing heads or tails about the matter that irked the Tok Batin so much. Elder Jaya seemed to know something, but he too couldn't grasp the root cause. If it was about not helping the 'golden child' enough, they felt that they had gone above and beyond this time. There was simply no reason to fly up like this.

Tok Batin Silihan looked at their faces, realizing their confusion was genuine and sighed. He retracted his powerful internal energy immediately, lest he could unintentionally kill his kin. He was too embroiled with emotion that he had unknowingly injured them with an internal energy blast.

"You people really didn't know? There really is a cave at the location the boy's lady disappeared in!"

"Excuse this humble one, Tok Batin. What do you mean? There is plenty of caves around the area." The youngest Elder, Elder Lilitan(1), asked cautiously while wiping sweat over his forehead in fear. He had been an Elder for many years, but only after the Tok Batin took off about fifteen years ago. Hence, he had no direct contact with the Spiritual Healer of the clan like now. This was actually his first, and it truly wasn't easy confronting someone so domineering.

"Pang!" A slap made the pitiful Elder rolled and knocked the haya's bamboo wall. The haya shook as if it was going to collapse. The other villagers who were fifty meters away whimpered and shook like a leaf. They knew their Elders were being 'schooled' harshly by the capricious Tok Batin. They have gotten instruction by the Elders not to approach the said haya until all the Elders came out later.

"This little one dared to ask?! You people didn't even tell him? I told you before, the region to the west must be cordon off as a forbidden region before I leave, right? Why is there a big modern town over there?! Who did this?! I will hex that person to his death!"

They looked at each other with a knowing glance filled with bitterness, but all of them zipped their mouth. If they really spilled the beans, they won't know what would happen to Ramlee.

"DO YOU KNOW OR NOT?!" Looking at the meek Elders really ticked Tok Batin Silihan off! They dared to defy his instructions!

"We… We're not sure. However, after you left, a new express highway was built not far from the region. A small town soon developed. We couldn't interfere with the works of the government." Elder Jaya only spoke half of the truth. He had to, with this level of severity. The Spiritual Healer never told any of them why the areas had been labelled as a forbidden region where they couldn't hunt or forage. He only vaguely remembered a very old story saying that some of their clansmen had gone missing before in that same region.

"Humph! These people are seeking death. Now, the boy's lady is truly gone! I don't even know how to help her! And this is because of you people for not warning those foreigners about the land!" Tok Silihan rambled on and on while pulling his twig-like hair in anguish. He walked to and fro again and again while mumbling under his breath under the unbelievable stares of the six Elders. It really looked like the Tok Batin was really trying hard to help their guest, but couldn't find the solution and was agonizing over it. They lamented deeply, why did this foreigner get this level of care and devotion!

He fed milk to a baby monkey while disregarded his real flesh and blood baby at home!

So mystifying!

It was so apparent, especially when Ramlee and Arash were together with the Tok Batin before.

Many (weird) things were brewing in each of their minds, but they kept quiet and just bow low, afraid to make eye contact with the Spiritual Healer. While the Tok Batin walked to and fro, he was stomping the haya in disgruntlement. The haya shook heavily. Most probably, the foundation of the haya was jeopardized. They needed to inspect the haya carefully for repair tomorrow.

…

Arash tossed and turned while starring at the single lightbulb hanging in the middle of the haya, unable to sleep. He unlocked his smartphone and tried to find the sound file his beloved wife made for him. Although it sounded weird, it was the only thing that could appease his saddened heart at the moment. He wasn't sure why he even came here in the first place.

He had wasted his time and everyone else's time. He shamelessly burdened Tok Silihan and his people and abandoned his children when they need him the most for a wild goose chase.

Where is she?

How can I help her?

God, help me.

He wept in silence while listening to the strange new age song his wife enthusiastically sang. She sounded so lovely yet serious, as if she was having the time of her life. Listening to it hundreds of times in these two weeks made him able to hum along with it, albeit just slightly. Though if someone else heard him, they would say he sounded very off-key.

"What's with the long face? Want to poop?"

Arash jumped to the back in fright! Gosh, this old man! Make a sound first before entering someone else's sleeping quarter!

"Tokkkk! If you keep on doing this, my heart couldn't take it! I might die from a heart attack one of these days!"

Arash patted his chest while whining unhappily. He was just lightening up his mood with the help of his wife's beautiful voice. Lo and behold, the Elder came to disturb like a lamp post. He didn't know that his own off-key voice was the one offsetting the effect of the modified Soul Cultivation Chant. If not, Tok Silihan couldn't even enter the haya!

"Make me a cup of the brown beverage. Thirsty." Tok Silihan ignored Arash's grumble and casually asked for a cup of 3-in-1 cocoa malt warm drink he once made for the Elder before. He swaggered over Arash's sleeping mat and casually took over the place. The scrawny old man half lying down while supporting his head with his left hand. The other hand was busy strumming the mat while waiting impatiently.

Arash sighed exasperatedly after he blinked his eyes in speechlessness. This ancestor was being too familiar! He shook his head while smiling, his hand automatically reached out to open a compartment in his hiking bag before taking out a green sachet with 'MILO' written over it (2). He poured the content in a metal cup first. Then, he poured water from his thermos gently. Out of his expectation, no gentle steam wafted out from the cup. He blinked his eyes and held the bottom of the cup helplessly.

It was cold.

It seemed that it has been too long. The boiling hot water had cooled off and become tepid water only.

"Oh… I don't have boiling water…" Tok Silihan held the bottom part of the metal mug casually as the beverage automatically bubbled and release heat!

Arash, "O________O"

He had forgotten that Tok Silihan was a hidden expert. Of course, he could boil water just by touching the cup. Arash nodded knowingly. It occurred a lot in novels as well. Talking about novels, he didn't have the time to indulge anymore. He missed those OP brothers who win in life and get all the girls. It made his life facing his ex-boss a little less stressful previously. Arash passed the cup to Tok Silihan absentmindedly.

"Hey, hey. Focus, Boy. This old man is here, wanting to talk to you and spend time with you." Tok Silihan flicked Arash's head multiple times softly. That fair forehead immediately turned red. What fragile skin! It made Tok Silihan speechless. This boy really need a good bronzing 'treatment'. His slightly bronzed-up skin due to the sun exposure was long gone after not meeting for two weeks!

"Adoi, adoi!(3) Stop it, Tok Silihan. I think my brain matter decreased by a lot everytime you did this! I need it for my job!"

"By the way, what was that sorcery you had been hearing all this time?" Tok Silihan tried to ask while acting nonchalant. He now knew the 'demonic whisperings' before was just a recording from Arash's mobile phone! Thank goodness the boy didn't wake up while he was fighting with his life to obtain freedom from being mind-controlled! He would lose so much face!

"Ah! That's my wife. Doesn't she have the sweetest voice?" Arash added cheerfully. After a while, his mood turned cloudy. He remembered today's outcome and felt depressed again. He sighed deeply as he missed Tok Silihan's bulging eyes and dried-up lips.

"Tok… Is there really no way to detect where my wife is? She's alive. I believe she is really lost. She won't leave me and acted like this. She's loyal to a fault. She loved me and the kids very much. There's no reason to act this way because she is the kind who will dump painful truth over one's face without regard. She never lied to me for the past ten years we're married. So, there is a very slim chance for her to lie to me about something as important as this. Please help me, Tok. Please."

Without other people present, Arash's poker face crumbled away, revealing his true feelings. His eyes turned red and teary. He even sniffed a little as his fair cheek flushed from being too emotional. Hana had been his biggest moral support to let him keep going with a calm smile over his face. She had sacrificed so much for the family. Although she was a very childish person, she was actually highly educated and had big aspirations. Everything was cut short once she lay her eyes over their firstborn. She told him she didn't want to be a researcher anymore, and wished to be a full-time housewife to witness the little one's first smile, first giggle, first step… His mother-in-law had been very upset about this matter until now. He was deeply touched by his wife's decision until today and had vowed to protect her all his life.

Because of this, Arash was able to suppress his emotions at home and at work. He rarely let loose his negative emotions, especially in front of the kids. He always exuded confidence and maintained an air of calmness. Colleagues liked him for his qualities apart from the light jokes and cheerfulness. However, this time, his level of stress was at its peak.

"Calm down, Boy. Calm down." Tok Silihan used his bony fingers to pat Arash's shoulder as he sighed deeply. "There's really a cave, this is the biggest clue. From now on, this old man would like to tell you a story. A story told by this old man's late Master."

Authors' Note:

1) Elder Lilitan = There are six Elders in the Bateq community (as Mrs Mooncat remembers, correct us if we're wrong), and this is the second elder that is given a name. Lilitan comes from 'lilit', it means 'wrap around or coil around', an action made by snakes or vines. Hence Elder Lilitan is considered to be named after 'creeping vines', another type of vegetation.

2) …green sachet with 'MILO'... = popular malt-cocoa beverage drank in our country

3) Adoi = ouch