The pleasantries didn"t last long."The G.o.ds are good to us on this voyage. They had allowed us to meet the healer" the leader of the canoe, known as Baruk, declared.
" Agree. Agree" the rest of the tribesmen said in unison. Their words have given Xhemin a sense of warm welcome yet she was still afraid for the fact that they had been branded as the most hostile tribe in the world.
"The healer is a young girl with a brilliant mind" one of tribesmen commented, he perhaps was the oldest person in the group, having nothing on his head but its baldness and a white long beard that had been braided down his chin. "Interesting"
"Xhem, this is Iloi Apo" Professor Owens introduced." He is one of the most respected elders in the island.
"Iloi Apo?" Xhemin repeated the name as a question. She thought the name was quite ridiculous but never dared to mock it. She don"t want to add another slip ups to her previous act of spying, that would be the most dumb thing to do at the moment.
"Come here child" The old tribesman called on her.
Xhemin did hesitate in heading the old man"s request, yet Professor Owens encouraged her to do so by pus.h.i.+ng her gently to where the old man was standing. When she was near the latter, Xhemin realized that his eyes were closed, but it seemed that he can see everything. When she was standing close to him, the old man smiled gently, still eyes closed.
"You are such a beauty" he continued as his smile went bigger "And such beauty deserves a gift" the old man went on and suddenly, just like magic, the old man"s previous empty hand become full. He then raised his hands, levelling Xhemin"s eye and opened it. There Xhemin saw a glittering stone of yellow, it was wrapped into something that resembled to a small braided rope. The entire look of the thing shows that it was meant to be a necklace, the stone as its pendant.
"What is this?" Amazed by the stone"s beauty, Xhemin gasped.
"Your pa.s.ses..." He said.
"Pa.s.ses?"
"In case you need to seek refuge, show this to any islander and you will be spared" the strange old man explained and gave her a tight smile.
"It is beautiful"
"It is, so are you"
"Thank you Iloi Apo"
"My pleasure healer"
"This stone is rare in the island" Professor Owens explained as he touched the stone that was on Xhemin"s palm "Thus every piece of them is important and of great value"
"What do you guys call it?"
"Sun stone" The old man answered "Because its color imitates the rays of the sun"
Just after the gift giving, Xhemin and the rest had discussed a couple of things more—all were about the island, the tribe and the medicines. Unexpectedly, Xhemin enjoyed everyone"s company and so the stories they had with them. However, their meeting had to be cut short because of the rising sun. The tribesmen had to leave before the sun rose up from the sky for an easy sail without any threatening interruptions. So they each bid farewell to each other.
"Dr. Dugmoch, thank you for all of these" The Baruk of the canoe gave his appreciation to the doctor before he turned to Xhemin "I"m glad to have met the healer"
"I"m glad to have met you too" Xhemin answered politely. "I hope to see you soon"
"Me too healer. Me too" He exclaimed.
"May the G.o.ds be with you" Illoi Apo blessed the doctor and her grandfather before he mounted back to their sail.
"May the G.o.ds be with you too" Dr. Ducgmoch said the same blessings to the group.
Xhemin bid her farewell to his professor and so did her grandfather before they send them off. Just a few minutes after and the grandpa and granddaughter tandem were left in the shallow loch waving their hands to the departing new friends.
Now that the group had left, Xhemin was left with the dilemma of how to explain to her grandfather her previous act of stalking him.
"Come now child let"s leave" For the first time that night, her grandfather spoke to her. However it was obvious from his voice that he wasn"t at all pleased with the girl"s action that night.
Dr. Dugmoch went on his way without waiting for the girl and didn"t even spend time to scold her and by this, Xhemin knew his grandfather was terribly mad.
"Grandpa" She called when the doctor started leaving, however Dr. Dugmoch didn"t heed her call and just continued walking as if he was with n.o.body.
"Grandpa wait" Xhemin called again and went on to follow her grandfather"s tracks "I know I"m wrong.. please I"m sorry!"
"Grandpa please!" She called a couple of times, the forest were full of her pleas which Dr. Dugmoch ultimately ignored but not for long, because by the time they successfully went out the forest and back to the Richmond Ranch field, the doctor stopped walking and waited for the girl who was following at his back.
"Child" he turned to her and looked at the girl eye to eye. The sun will soon rise any moment evident by the cracked of yellow and orangey lights beaming at the back of the mountains.
The moment her grandfather called, Xhemin stopped just in front of him to hear him off. The old doctor gave her nothing but a serious expression and his eyes was telling the girl that what he was about to say was something big that shouldn"t be taken lightly.
"Yes grandpa?" She answered gently when it took long for the doctor to speak.
"What you have seen and everything that you have heard in the forest…" The doctor let go of a tight breathe "Just leave it there. I don"t want to hear any stories or questions about it. Do you understand?"
"Yes grandpa" the girl replied although the instruction was not in favour of her nosy mouth. She understands her grandfather"s intentions fully and she knew the secret of the Manggan Tribe should be left untold for good. If not, it would raise so much interest world-wide and such might not be healthy for the latter.
"Get back to the cottage now and rest." The doctor dismissed her completely and went on his way hurriedly to the east barn leaving Xhemin gazing at her own thoughts.
Her grandfather.
Professor Owens.
The Manggan trbe.
Their dialect.
Everything seemed like a dream but the sun stone hanging in her neck proved it otherwise.