THE LONG JOURNEY TO YOU
THE MISSING CHILD
Byur!!!
Deon tried to fall into the cold sea water and tried to swim with all his might towards the land. Damnit damnit!! Deon swore in his mind, facing his current situation. This wretch why keep coming to me?? Deon complained while forcing his hands and feet to swim towards the beach.
Byur!!!!
Deon kept trying to swim towards the beach, unfortunately the sea waves were stronger than he expected and continued to roll Deon away from the beach. Damnit damnit!! Deon complained again.
Blub, blub!! Uhuk, uhuk!!! Deon's mouth and nose began to enter the sea water because of the waves. Damnit damnit!! Why am I so fucking unlucky??? Deon complained again when his respiratory tract began to be unable to survive in the cold sea water. It's so dark! Will I die here and no one will find me?? Deon's gaze began to blur as his body increasingly fell into the depths of the ocean. The algiz! Just before Deon lost his consciousness, Deon remembered with Algiz and his promise to meet tonight. Deon regrets the promise he made because it looks like Deon will not be able to keep that promise.
Byur!!!
Uhuk, uhuk!!
Something pulled Deon's hand.
“Hey here there is a child!!”
“What?? Child??”
“Ya!!”
“Is he still alive??”
Deon felt the breath of someone nearby along with the person's body temperature that felt warm.
“Yes, she's alive.”
Seeing that someone seemed to have managed to save him, Deon who was still feeling tired and shivering from struggling against the harshness of the ocean finally closed his eyes with a feeling of relief. I survived!
“Hey, Son!! Wake up!! You have to fill that stomach of yours!”
Son?? Deon had wanted to sleep longer because of the warmth he felt, but the shock in his body made Deon finally forced to open his eyes.
“Ehm??” Deon woke up from his sleep, rubbing his eyes.
“Eat this first, Son! You have to fill your stomach because your stomach is empty!!”
Deon nodded his head to receive a tray of food given by an elderly woman in her 60s. Deon should have eaten quietly, but when he saw the size of his own hand, Deon was shocked not to play. Whatisthis? Why are my hands so small??
“Feed that porridge first, son! Then change your clothes with this shirt!! It just so happens that Grandpa and grandma have grandchildren your age so there are clothes you can wear!”
As soon as the woman's figure went to another room, Deon looked up at the mirror in his small room and found her charming face no longer looking mesmerizing. All the good looks she was proud of turned into her cute face. This is my face when I was six!
Deon tried to get up from his bed, but his body did not heed the commands from his brain and instead ate the porridge in front of him quietly. Whatisthis?? For a moment Deon felt confused and attempted to process his current situation. Don't-don't-don't this .. Deon remembered well there was only one situation where he always failed to control his own body: his dream with Madaharsa.
Whatisthis?? What dream is this?? The question came to Deon's mind, but Deon couldn't do anything in his mind to find the answer he wanted. Deon could only follow his own moving body and follow the groove of his dream this time around.
“What's your name, Son?”
“Acmana.”
“Where are you from? Grandpa and Grandma will try to return you to your home.”
Deon's head shook his head as a sign that he currently did not know where he came from.
“If you don't remember where you came from, would you like to live here as a grandson of Grandpa and Grandma?”
This time Deon's head nodded as a sign of agreement. The dream moved quickly and then Deon's body, which had looked like a 6-year-old child, turned into an adult Deon. The first thing Deon does when a dream moves quickly is to be grateful. Thank goodness my good looks and charm are still there.
“Hey, Akmana!!”
“Sister Ian, long time no see.”
Deon looked around him and this time the scenery around him had already changed. If previously Deon saw a simple house near the beach, this time Deon saw a large building that is believed to be a college in ancient times.
“How about your studies? Are you ready to finish??”
“Yes, Brother. My side is done, I just have to wait for graduation.”
The man named Ian embraced Deon's body as if their relationship was close. That closeness, made Deon wonder in his mind, what relationship does Akmana have with this man??
“Too so grandpa and granny did not waste raising you, Akmana! Studies that should take four years, you can complete in 3.5 years. This is a pretty great achievement.”
“Thank you for the compliment, Kak.”
“Padahat once Father and Mother were so against you because they thought grandfather and grandmother were too old to take care of and support a child. But who would have thought, you're a good, hard-working kid. My father and mother should regret seeing your achievements!”
Deon wanted to furrow his brows because he felt confused and did not understand what Ian was saying. But then again, Deon's body did not respond to the commands from his brain at this time.
“So's sister is too complimentary. I just happened to be found by my grandparents. They were kind enough to give me a home and it was only natural that I would repay their kindness.”
“I came here because I wanted to offer you a job, do you want to hear it, Akmana??”
In his mind, Deon felt that Ian's speech sounded unpleasant. Deon, who has been in acting for several years, knows exactly what acting is. And the last sentence spoken by Ian was one that had no sincerity. Ian's voice trembled slightly and made Deon aware, what Ian said was probably something that might have bad intentions.
“I have friends. They are members of the expedition team. Because you happen to be also taking an archaeological study, they want to take you. Do you want??”
“Why would they offer me? I am still a new kid.” Deon agreed with the question. Right, this is suspicious! Don't take it for granted!
“I told them you were the best kid this year. So they were curious and since one of them was also from the same college as you, they wanted to recruit you.”
“When will they do the expedition?” Deon's mouth asked without command from him while Deon's brain nagged. Don't take it, you fool!!
“Three months left. How's it?? You want to come??”
“I'm coming, Brother. That's an interesting offer!!”
Damnit damnit! Deon cursed realizing his current body actually had a stupid brain.
Deon's eyes darkened for a while and made Deon panic half to death. Why this?? Why did I suddenly see nothing??
“You did it, Ian??”
As soon as he heard the voice, Deon's vision disappeared again. Deon wanted to walk closer to the sound, but when he saw his own body, Deon realized something was wrong with him. What's with my body?? Deon found his body translucent like a hologram.
“Yes, I managed to convince Akmana. But why do you want to invite my foster brother to participate in your expedition?? Why didn't I just go??”
Deon saw Ian talking to a man. Deon recognized the man. The man Ian was talking to right now was one of four men who came with him to the village where Madaharsa was.
“You won't be useful.”
“Why not me? Am I smarter and more experienced than I?? Explain to me, Sadana!!”
“Although you are smart and experienced even once, all that will not be useful because all that can make us find the village is only Akmana. The sea where your Grandpa and Grandma found Akmana was the sea behind the mountain that I believed to be the village in my grandfather's story. Unfortunately because of the punishment given to my bloodline, I will never be able to find that village. But that doesn't apply to Akmana! He will definitely be able to lead me there because that's where he should go home.”
