A Thousand Flowers
Chapters 11. Introductions

The moonlight glow that struck the trees presented an elongated black shadow like a gray graded dark painting and looked terrifying. The sound of nocturnal creatures is earthy, making the atmosphere even more gripping.

Izzah kept running, through the thickets. He was so scared. He didn't care about his body being scratched in the wild. He ignored his torn clothes because he was stuck in the moment he continued to run. All he thought about was running and running to save himself from the masked criminals who kept chasing him. I don't know how long he ran. Breathing gasps. His sight began to star.

“Yaa Salaam .. save me!” izzah screams at heart. His breath is hunting. His sight was getting blurred.

GREPS!

Suddenly a pair of hands pulled Izzah from behind the bushes just before he lost consciousness.

“Sial! Very fast run the girl,” maki masked criminals when losing track of the girl he hunted. He turned around, returning to the middle of the Prohibition Forest.

***

When Izzah opened his eyes, he found himself in a white room. He tried to get up, but came back down. His body is very weak. The whole joint feels painful. He remembered what had happened.

A middle-aged woman entered the room, carrying a bowl filled with herbs. He smiled when Izzah woke up.

“It's nice to see you've come to your senses, Miss,” a friendly smile.

“Whose aunt? How can I be here?” ask Izzah.

“I Naimah. Ki Daud brought Miss here two days ago.”

Izzah was shocked, not expecting that he had fainted for that long.

“Where is Ki Daud now?”

Izzah wanted to thank the man who saved him. Without Ki Daud's help he may now have lost his honor or even his life. He tried to get back up. The woman prevented it.

“Stay lying down, Miss! I'll treat your wounds,” ask the woman.

Izzah according. The woman cleaned the wound and the dried herbal remains with a wet cloth. Touching Izzah gently and patiently. The warm feeling makes Izzah feel comfortable. Sometimes he grimaces to hold the pain.

“Honestly your body is almost covered with wounds, even some deep enough. How can this happen?” ask the woman to know. While his hands continue to work to treat the injuries on Izzah's body.

After introducing himself, Izzah recounted all the events he had experienced. The woman listened without even cutting her words.

“How about Mr Jumali?” Izzah asked worriedly as soon as he ended the story.

“He lost a lot of blood, but can still be saved.”

“Thank God then.” Izzah was relieved.

Naimah has finished cleaning and treating Izzah's wounds. He stood up, picking up a bowl on a small table beside the bed.

“Now rest, Izzah! I'll get you some porridge,” said Naimah, then walk out of the room.

“Yes, Bi. Thank you for taking care of me,” reply Izzah politely.

Naimah smiled, “Sama-sama, Izzah,” she replied before disappearing behind the door.

After Naimah died, Izzah tried hard to get up. He sat on his feet, watching the wounds on his body. Some have started mongering. However, the wound on his left arm was still quite severe.

“This wound is quite large, it should get some stitches. If you only rely on herbal ingredients installed by Bi Naimah, it looks like this wound takes longer to recover,” Izzah said to himself while observing the wound more thoroughly.

Izzah put his hand on the wound. He closed his eyes, and tried to channel the power he had gained from Syifa.

***

In a neat and clean room, a middle-aged man sat on a chair in the corner of the room while sharpening an arrowhead.

“What girl is up, Bi?” ask the man who is usually called Ki Daud. He knew the woman named Naimah had just come out of Izzah's room.

“Already, Sir,” replied Naimah respectfully.

“How are his injuries?”

“Most of it has dried up, Sir. But, the wound on his left arm is quite severe.”

“Ya, Mr.” Naimah immediately passed into the kitchen.

Ki Daud placed an arrow on the table, then went to the room inhabited by Izzah. He pushed the door slowly so that the creaking sound of the door did not startle Izzah who was probably asleep after Naimah had treated his wound.

Just as Ki Daud was bending his head in the opening of the door slightly opened, he suddenly stepped back. Mouth open. He could not believe what he saw in the room.

“Cannot be. How can?” he said many times while shaking his head. He rushed back to his seat.

Naimah came out of the kitchen with a bowl of chicken porridge to give to Izzah. He looked at the strange behavior of Ki Daud who did not enter the room Izzah.

“What's up, Mister?” ask Naimah curious.

Ki Daud was shocked. He was unaware of Naimah's presence.

“Nothing,” replied Ki Daud briefly.

He took the arrow from the table and raised it. Naimah. He left Ki Daud and stepped into Izzah's room.

***

Ki Daud entered his room, looking for something. Dismantle the wardrobe and check it every corner. He also checked the top and bottom. When he could not find what he was looking for, he opened the desk drawer. Again he was disappointed.

“Where ya?” Ki Daud tried to remember where he kept the thing he was looking for.

“Ah!” his screeches.

Soon he went to bed, uncovered the dangling sheets, and pulled a small box from under the bed.

Ki Daud smiled. Blow the dust attached to the box, then put it on a table in the corner of the room. Slowly he opened it, taking out a piece of old-fashioned photo. However, the writing on the back of the photo is still clearly read.

M. David Hashim and Aisha Rahmi

July 21, 1997

Ki Daud flipped over the photo, looking closely at the couple who were smiling happily. He breathed heavily. His mind glared, imagining the happy moments of two people who were drunk in love.

Geck! Geck! Geck!

Someone knocked on Ki Daud's room door. He quickly put the photo in his hand into the box, closed it and put it back under the bed.

“Lunch is ready, Mister!” call Naimah. The sound of footsteps away. Ki Daud is out.

“Izzah and Jumali where?” ki Daud asked when he did not see Izzah and Jumali at the dinner table. They usually sit around waiting for Ki Daud.

“They are archery practice, Sir,” replied Naimah.

“Hem .…” Ki Daud just muttered. He finished his lunch faster.

“Please get me my bow, Bi! I'll catch up with them,” Ki Daud's orders as soon as he finishes drying his hands.

“Good, Mr.” Naimah rushed to the tool room.

Ki Daud sat on the porch of the house honing his favorite dagger. Naimah came with the bow that Ki Daud asked for.

“This is the bow, Mr.” Naimah handed the bow to Ki Daud.

“Thank you, Bi.”

Ki Daud received a bow from Naimah's hand and placed it on the floor. He kept his dagger, then cleaned the bow. Naimah did not leave immediately. He stood watching Ki David work.

“Tuan ...,” Naimah stopped her speech as soon as she saw Ki Daud already holding his bow and preparing to leave.

“Be careful at home, Bi!” ki Daud's message, then left, leaving Naimah sighing with a million questions.

***