SURVIVORS
Chapters 29. Better Than to Die Upset
"You've got food apparently." Dean's sudden voice and appearance, made Widuri aghast.
"Gosh, you surprised me," Widuri rubbed her chest to ease her surprise. "Yes, they've brought food and firewood here. I think it'll be enough until night."
"They asked you too." Widuri added information.
"Is it ripe? I'm so hungry, '" Dean didn't mince his words. He picked up a pot of warm water near the fireplace and gulped down the contents.
"If it's a rabbit, I don't think so, but the yam has. Let's eat yam first. I'm hungry too." Widuri blow-burn yams that are split so that it quickly cools and can be put into the mouth. Dean took the yam and blew a kiss before eating it.
"Dean, forgive my attitude. I was wrong." Widuri spoke while flipping the rabbit meat over the fireplace.
"Hmmm.." Dean just muttered and nodded with his mouth full. Widuri looked and did not bother about it anymore. They continued eating until the rabbit meat was cooked and half of it was gone. The water in the pot is gone. Widuri heats up another snow pan for drinking supplies.
"So how was your trip? Did you find the exit?" Widuri could no longer hold back her curiosity.
"No, yet" Dean took the bag and took out the luminous purple crystal he had taken earlier and showed it to Widuri who was astonished and with a mouth agape at the crystal.
"But I found this." Appoint Dean while stepping in a darker direction for the crystal purple light to be seen more clearly.
"Is that a precious stone? A gem? That big?" The Widuri question is so much. He was so amazed. If it's a gemstone, how big. 'They can be rich when they come home, ' his mind is now filled with greed.
"Where did you find him?" Widuri kept asking because Dean didn't answer either.
"Your questions are many. Confused about answering which one used to be." Dean returned to his seat by the fireplace. The purple crystals simply placed it on the flat rock where they slept last night.
"Not answer the question. Just tell me about your journey," Widuri pressed her tone as she started to get irritated.
'Can't he be non-irritating?' Widuri took a deep breath and exhaled slowly so that his emotions were not easily ignited. 'Why am I so emotional? is it time for pms?'
Dean also realized the tone of voice and attitude Widuri who seemed very trying to restrain herself. He shook his head faintly and decided to tell only plainly what he found. 'There's nothing to add to a woman's aggravation, it'll just end in a fight' Dean's inner self.
*
"Let me see the book you found." Widuri thrust her hand towards Dean. Dean looked at the outstretched hand.
"If you just want to see, you can also see from there. If you want to read, then here. You see I'm reading it too. It's a little dark in your place to read anyway."
Dean thrust out the photo he saw earlier and Widuri received it. There was a black and white photo of a pair of men and women in a wedding dress there. That woman looks beautiful. Widuri saw the back of the photo paper, Mariage d'Eugene et Cerise, le March 12, 1956.
"What language is this?" ask Widuri.
"French" Dean replied as he continued reading.
"You speak French too?" ask Widuri in amazement. Dean just nodded and muttered "hmm."
Widuri was no longer interested in the book. He won't understand what's written there. So just wait for Dean to tell you what it is. Letting Dean read while he held and observed the glowing purple crystal in his hand. Size about 30 cm with a width as big as the palm of the hand. His straight incisions were irregular but not sharp enough to injure the hand when held.
"Be careful not to fall or hit something. It breaks easily into small pieces." Dean raised his head in annoyance to see Widuri rocking the crystal and lifting it up and down.
"Didn't you say there's a mine? We can take enough to light up the entire cave passage." Widuri.
"Yahh, go ahead if you want to mine it." Dean answered the origin. Widuri's face became red because it was very upset but had to hold it. His eyes could only glare at Dean who was fond of reading under the sunlight without caring if his words were not pleasant to hear at all.
'Huh..! Better to wait for dinner. Than to die upset because of him.' Widuri lies down, trying to close her eyes while thinking about everything she has been through in life. Her happiness, suffering, bitter and sweet taste and longing for both parents, put her to sleep curled up with tears in the corner of her eyes.
"Dean! Aye!" The sound of the person above the hole made Widuri wake up. He got up and walked towards the hole.
"Yes, I'm here. Indra, thank goodness you've come." Dean answered enthusiastically.
"I think it's late afternoon." Dean looked at his watch.
"Yes, we just arrived and it turns out there was something like this. I'm straight here. So how's the situation downstairs?" ask Indra again.
"It's too late to discuss the situation here. You better prepare an additional shelter so that all are safely protected. Here we're fine, except about food, water and firewood."
"Well, we'll drop food, firewood and snowballs again in your inventory for the night and the morning." Shouted someone else.
"Yes, Sunil. Thank you for your hard work." Shouted Dean. Sunil dropped a rabbit, some yam, firewood and snowballs.
"Okay, thank you. It's enough here. You need it too. Tomorrow morning we'll discuss this matter." Dean shouted back.
"Ok, don't worry about us upstairs. Everything's fine. We're back, yeah.." Shouted Indra again. Dean waved his hand, then the mouth of the hole was closed from above leaving a small gap for where the fireplace smoke came out.
The cave is back dark. That purple crystal light was enough to help illuminate the sleeping area. Dean looked around the cave. If only he could pry 3 or 4 more crystals of the same size, then the cave would be bright at every corner.
Widuri keeps her supplies of yams and snowballs close together. The cave was cold enough to keep the snowball from melting quickly. But the last dropped rabbit will still be roasted on the fireplace. 'Mature food is much safer. Put it close to the fireplace to avoid decay' Widuri thought.
***
At the shelter after dinner.
"So how's Indra? What do we have to do to get them out?" Alan asked.
"It looks like the hole is quite deep. It is impossible to make a wooden ladder. Can only make rope to lift them up" Indra said.
"Yes, but I think we need to wait for the story of Dean who has been exploring the cave passage and can return safely. From there we can decide the next step," Marianne said.
"But we still need rope to get food down or maybe we need to get down, too, if Dean can find a way out." Leon gave his opinion.
"really. So for a while, tomorrow morning we only need to deliver supply only. After hearing the story, we decided how." Silvia asserted.
"Yes. Alright. While our discussion is like this only. You rest" said Sunil. All return to their respective shelters to rest.
***