SURVIVORS
Chaptre 72. Peace
The sky began to meet reddish yellow orange when Robert returned. Laras immediately rebuked him.
"Why are your clothes all wet? Later get the flu," Laras nagging with a fierce face.
"Yes, I'll change my clothes soon."
Robert quickly walked into the man's cabin to change clothes. There was a doctor Chandra sitting next to Indra.
"How is Indra dok?" robert asked as he picked up the bag containing his clothes.
"The medicine you prepared is really good. He no longer groaned like a baby. So you can get enough rest." Doctor Chandra stands up.
"Then why are you wet? Do you also know the cure if you get the flu?" joking doctor Chandra with a big smile.
"Hahaha, we only need to make ginger tea if it's the flu" Robert laughed.
"Or take a warm bath to make the body more comfortable. Like I did." Robert smiled mysteriously.
"You mean, you've had a warm bath? With clothes on?" doctor Chandra asked in wonder.
Robert finished wearing his trousers first.. "Eheum," her smile was witty as she nodded.
"Don't riddle with me. I am lazy to think hard right now. Let's just tell you what," doctor Chandra glanced at him.
Robert laughed happily at being able to tease the old man.
"I'm going to dry my clothes first" Robert shouted with a laugh and walked out of the cabin.
Doctor Chandra nodded with a calm smile then walked out. His heart was light, as Robert looked relaxed and was no longer burdened by Silvia's attitude this afternoon.
In the courtyard were gathered the men. Waiting for dinner to be served, they began chatting while picking oat grains brought home by Robert and Liam. Liam showed me how to pluck the feathers and peel the skin as Robert showed when they first found the plant.
The copper-red sunset sky warms the familiar and relaxed atmosphere of the team members working together.
Doctor Chandra joins and helps. The oats are collected in a tightly packed willow basket. They still have to dry it tomorrow so that the oats are more durable. Robert returned after finishing drying clothes.
"Well, now tell me, don't keep on making me curious" said Dr. Chandra, turning to Robert.
"Don't you wait for everyone to gather? I'm lazy to tell you this over and over again" Robert.
"Yeahh okay. Then teach me how to make beeswax. Look at a lot of unused beehives." Leon showed me a bowl of honeycomb that no longer mixes.
"That's easy. Just need to put in a cloth bag, then boil with water until the entire wax dissolves. Cool until frozen, remove the remaining water from the wax solids. If the wax is not clean enough, repeat defrosting again, strain with a tight filter so that all dirt is not followed again. After that let it freeze," said Robert at length.
"You, you're very good at explaining it. I used to do it" Liam said.
"My ex-wife likes to make beeswax aroma therapy candles for sale. Sometimes I help him in some process." Robert reasoned.
"Have he memorized outside the head. Hahaha," Gilang laughed.
"That means making candles can also dong." Leon added.
"That's easier than the first process. Just need to melt the clean candle and print, give essential oil and wick. Let the cold freeze before use" replied Robert.
"Print where? ask Gilang.
"Yes any print. Shells, coconut shells, wooden holes or make small earthenware bowls specifically for candles. Or dip the wick repeatedly into the hot wax liquid, until it is sufficiently thick" Robert said.
"You're absolutely right. We use what we can still use. Like this!" Doctor Chandra shows one pearl oyster to Robert.
"Wow, is this real pearl oyster?" asked Robert in admiration. Doctor Chandra nodded arrogantly.
"We're rich! Ahahaa.." Liam laughed happily.
Doctor Chandra thrust the oyster at Liam.. "Open up."
Liam tried to open it with his hand, but it was hard. Robert handed over the knife to use.
Liam quickly thrust out a knife and opened the oyster shell. They found a large ivory-white pearl there. Some are also small and medium sized.
"Well, the meat is eaten, the pearl is kept, and the shell becomes a wax print. Nothing is wasted anymore" doctor Chandra nodded.
Leon and Liam are confused. They were still focused on the pearl, why suddenly switch the topic to the candle again? Robert who saw that smiled to himself.
"Take where this pearl is?" Leon is curious.
"Beach. The road further to the right, there will be a small niche where sea water is trapped. There were many large and small oysters there. Earlier Indra and I had taken some big ones. All that for the women, if you want, tomorrow morning we take it again while taking the shells and crabs on the beach," said Chandra's doctor calmed Leon, Liam and Gilang who had not been part of the pearl.
"okay! Ahaha.."
"Tomorrow we hunt sea pearls."
"We'll be rich soon. Go home and find a wife" Leon, Liam and Gilang's words make everyone laugh.
"Alright, let's be more excited to laugh, then you have to eat first," said Laras while putting some food containers on the table.
The red light in the sky had long since disappeared. There's no moon tonight. But the flickering stars dotted the sky above.
While down here, the fireplace and some torches of dried coconut leaves enlivened the warm dinner. Especially since the dispute between Silvi and Robert had been resolved well. Peace is re-created.
'He really is a big hearted man. Smart but always humble' thought Laras amazed.
Then Robert told me about the warm water pool and the maple hall he found this afternoon.
"So you were in warm water? Wahh very good, I also want dong," cried Laras.
"okay.. Later we will go there to soak in warm water and see the beauty of the place," promised Robert.
"Yes. But we're going to the beach tomorrow morning, right?" Liam ensure.
"Yes. Picking up a crab that is late to go home should be early in the morning. Xixixii," Angel is in the mix.
"Silvi, our Angel tomorrow filters out the beeswax first, so that the afternoon can make candles for lighting in the hut," said Laras.
"OK," Silvi and Angel said.
"What do I do?" ask Niken.
"Your job is to take care of Indra, boil the medicine, and prepare the meal" Laras replied firmly.
"The medicine for tonight are you ready?" ask Laras again.
"He was still sleeping when I wanted to feed him. After this I went there again" answered Niken. Laras nodded in satisfaction.
After dinner, Leon and Silvi decide to boil the beehive right then and there to correct Robert if something goes wrong.
Robert again made a bow for the women in his spare time. He carried several willow trunks with other types from across the river. The trunk is stronger, straight and supple. It is suitable to be made into an arrow even though it is small in diameter. The thickness and flexibility of the arc can be tricked by adding more willow rods. 3 willow ties that each bond contains 3 rods, united with a distance of an inch from each end of the bond.
Robert worked so seriously that he didn't realize that Chandra's doctor had been watching him tie and twist the rope until his work was done by trying to shoot a fast-flowing arrow.
"remarkable. Despite seeing you repeatedly making bows and arrows, I always felt it looked easy. But not necessarily I can make it, even though it has been paying attention for a long time."
Doctor Chandra approached Robert and tried to lift the arrow and pulled the stretched bowstring.
"Try the doc," Robert bargained as he handed him the arrow.
"Okay, let me try," doctor Chandra smiled happily.
He mounted an arrow and then pulled the bow firmly and released it.
Tueing.
"Well, how far is that?" doctor Chandra was disappointed.
That night spent Robert accompanying Chandra's doctor practicing archery until the torch flame was extinguished. They are also ready to pick up dreams.
***