SURVIVORS
Chaptre 67. My name is A
Widuri returned and gave a paracetamol to Alan who was filling a stone cup with water droplets from the wall. Dean was still lying down and seemed to be asleep again.
"Dean, take this medicine first. It might ease your headache."
Alan helps Dean sit up and puts a drug in Dean's mouth. But Dean was still clenching his mouth.
"Just paracetamol Dean. Drink up," persuaded Alan again.
Dean took the medicine and took a cup and drank it to the end. He still looks a little confused.
"Are you okay? If you're not feeling well, work at the cottage could be postponed tomorrow. Rest." Alan spoke softly.
"We should have breakfast first so that your body will recover soon. Nastiti is preparing it. Come on, I'll help you." Alan said Dean walked out of the room.
"What room is that?" dean asked looking towards the empty space at his right.
"So, we haven't checked it yet. Did you know anything before you fainted?" ask Alan.
Dean shakes. But without realizing it, his hand shook towards the door. And the door closed instantly. Not only Alan and Widuri, Dean was no less surprised. He looked at his hands carefully. There's nothing weird about it. How could the door close after he shook his hand? Dean tried to shake his hand again, but nothing happened. That door won't open again.
Alan was astonished too. 'Is that hand just to close the door? How do I open it? We haven't even checked into her inner' yet. But the three walked out again.
In that large cave chamber, Dean was more silent and thoughtful. He felt something was strange, but he didn't know what was strange.
Others did not comment much either. After Sunil returned, he told her what happened to Dewi and Nastiti. It made the two women choose not to talk much. The breakfast was awkward.
"Hey, if you're done with breakfast, let's see what we can do in the cottage." Alan broke a silence that felt terrible this morning.
"Come on. I want to check my vegetable garden," said Dewi quickly. He wants to get out of there quickly.
"Sunil, let's try to make the cottage door. Bring the nail we set up last night." Alan took command this morning to keep things going as usual.
"Yes, I'll help you. But I have to bring some stones to melt the iron seeds first" Sunil replied.
"Okay, let's take it." Alan followed Sunil out.
"Widuri, help me get those nail prints. We have to make a few more," Nastiti got up and prepared her needs with the help of Widuri.
Dean looked at all his friends who were back on the move. He followed Alan and Sunil, carrying rocks already collected at the mouth of the cave. They walked through the forest, towards the grassland where the sheep had already enjoyed the fresh grass there.
"This morning, he was like Dean, but more reserved," whispered Nastiti to Widuri who was walking beside him.
"Yes. He looked like a dazed Dean. I usually like to provoke emotions." Widuri takes it seriously but it makes Nastiti laugh out loud.
"Haha.. So, are you glad that Dean is so dazed or that he likes to be emotional?" fashion Nastiti.
"You have, early in the morning, made enemies." Widuri chased after Nastiti who ran in front of her while continuing to laugh.
"Huh, thank goodness. This morning is back to normal" muttered Sunil who saw the laughter of his two friends.
The three men were still going back and forth lifting up the stockpile of coal and iron ore. Piled it up near the furnace and let Sunil and Nastiti work on it. Widuri and Dewi walked through the flock to a wheat field that had not yet been harvested.
"Where are you?" ask Dean.
"Take the wheat" answered the Goddess.
Dean nodded and followed from behind. Alan also finally caught up with the three. Before long they arrived and saw quite a lot of wheat stems that had fallen because they had not been harvested for too long.
"It has to be harvested all, before it is rotten," Alan said seeing the miserable state of the wheat fields.
"Let's work" said Widuri.
But the three stopped stepping when they saw the wheat rods floating in the air and piled up not far from where they stood. Dean seemed busy swinging his hands in front of the field.
They were stunned to see how easily Dean cut through the grain trunks in the fields with his hands slashed from a distance.
"Does he have wind science?" mummy Goddess does not believe.
It took only 10 minutes, the wheat harvest was done by Dean alone.
"Yeah, thanks for the help Dean. Our work is done quickly. Now we just need to transport it to the cave. If only you could also help bring her along," the Goddess smiled widely.
"My name is A." Dean was serious.
Then his hand was flung again. So the barbs of wheat gathered and bound with the vines which Dean pulled from the bushes. Now there are 10 big bundles of wheat harvest ready to be lifted.
Alan, Dewi and Widuri looked at it with astonished looks.
"Dean's hand is magical" Alan muttered.
"Ssttt, Dean said, his name's A. What kind of name is that?" whiskey Widuri.
Unfinished they digested the name change and marveled at the result of that neat straw bond, all of a sudden those bonds floated in the air. Dean raised his hand up and walked back towards the hut.
After coming to their senses from the shock, the three caught up with Dean. Dean stopped at a short distance from Sunil and Nastiti who were gawking at the floated and neatly stacked wheat bonds near the vegetable garden.
"It's a shame" said Nastiti lirih.
"His eyes could also shine golden last night" Sunil replied.
"Waaa.. Dean, you're great. Thank you." Thank you." The goddess smiled widely and patted Dean on the shoulder with a delighted expression.
Dean nodded, "but my name is A, not Dean."
"Well, I'm not used to that name. But anyway, you hitched a ride on Dean's body, so I didn't get the wrong call either" the Goddess reasoned.
Dean looks unhappy. He stared at the Goddess intently.
"Well, since the harvest is over, it's time we make the door" Alan said, overcoming the tense atmosphere. He pulled Dean into the cottage.
Widuri stepped towards the vegetable garden to do their duty. The goddess followed with a grunt.
Sunil assisted Nastiti who was still confused also returned busy, as if nothing had happened. That's what they did so Dean wouldn't feel awkward and feel weird. They decided to accept Dean for who he was. As long as the spirit that controlled Dean did not harm the team members, then he remained their friend.
Dean helps Alan with the cottage's door. He could cut trees and split wood into neat pieces with just his hands. Alan was absolutely amazed.
"Deans. Uh, A. seeing this skill of yours, I wonder if you also carved that stone cave?" ask Alan while he works.
"Not all." Dean answered briefly.
"So where are you really from?" Alan asked full of questions.
"I was assigned headquarters to guard this small world," Dean replied.
"You who? How did it get here? You're weak, not like the humans I came from."
Dean's straightforward words struck Alan's heart, 'huft.. weak he said, making Alan's inner heartache.
"Our world is called the earth. We're from Indonesia, and Dean, whose body you're in, is from Canada," Alan's finger pointed at Dean's chest.
"What's your world name then? If you are in charge of guarding this world, then this world is in the power of your world? Are your friends coming here? Do you know how to get out of here? We've all been stuck here for over a month. We want to go home, but we don't know how."
Alan then recounted their journey from the beginning until then. A also tells his story.
"Hey, it's noon. Let's rest first" cried the Goddess calling Dean and Alan.
"Yes, we're going there" Alan replied.
"Let's tell them your story. After all, they deserve to know who's occupying Dean's body" Alan said.
Dean nodded and followed Alan's steps.
***