I tossed and turned,
tossed, and turned.
Flipped my body, tilt my head.
Did that and repeat.
It was a reoccurring phenomenon where I found myself unable to sleep.
I recalled the conversation I had with that mysterious young man who seemed to look favored by the Saman.
According to him, his name was Argus.
But I noticed that when I tried calling him Argus, he would first pace out a few moments before actually answering my call.
Before we got to introduce ourselves, during the journey towards the Saman's residence—Kanya.
I was too afraid and worried all this time.
My father told me that my grandmother stays here in this particular place.
So we set sail and journeyed through the rivers and seas.
All in the quest to find my Mother's ancestral origins!
We came from Asuda, what the world had known it to be, as the west of Raba—A state colony of Aghora.
What greeted me was the countless islands, each having different tribes of their own.
Some had welcomed us with open arms, some looked at us with great curiosity.
It must have been because of my azure eyes that are foreign to them and my pale skin that is also different from them.
One day as we were asking a tribe after our successful trade with the Nakar's Tribe, a group of savage people suddenly assaulted our boat.
In their banners, an intricate figure of a snake was displayed in gold trimmings.
They claimed to be the Elapidi's Tribe!
Then one by one, my male companions were killed until a sizable amount was left.
What remained was my four male cousins and three of my father's servants.
We were taken somewhere. I am not entirely sure which place it was.
But I knew it was never good.
Then I realized, we were sold as a slave by the Elapidi's Tribe to the Lumin's Tribe.
These brown people suddenly called me Alipin.
It was never my name!
But tonight, a young man finally called my name.
.
.
.
...
"Do you also want a name?"
He said while charmingly smiling.
Different from the people here, his nose is sharper and his skin was still brown but lighter in shade.
He had a different aura to him like his bearing or demeanor felt peculiarly different.
But one thing is certain, I feel curious about him in a mysterious way.
That must be the reason why I answered his question.
"No, I have one..." I struggled to speak their dialect.
It has been a few months since my arrival here that I tried my hardest to learn their language.
Although a bit rugged, now I can successfully utter a word that can be understood by the natives of this land.
"What is your name then?"
Suddenly, this young man in front of me surprised me with his words!
It was the sound which is both familiar and I longed to hear again.
Those are the words from my native land!
"How could—"
My heart is racing fast as numerous thoughts flashed through my mind...
"How could that be?" I thought deeply.
"Was it a coincidence? Does he know me?"
"No! That's impossible. If he knew, he won't be asking my name..."
My mind is screaming questions, one after the other.
Then the young man slowly approached me and patted my shoulders.
Strangely enough, it somehow calmed me.
"Relax, we are one here. Starting today I am your fellow Sulgo. We should at least learn how we can communicate together, right?" The young man politely explained with a light grin in his mouth.
I didn't know how I should respond, all I could muster up was a forced smile.
But amidst my trembling knees, he was still calm awaiting for a chance to speak.
"May I ask you what is your name?" He repeated his question in the same dialect.
This time, I was perfectly calm. I did not ask how he knew how to speak our tongue.
Just for tonight, I'll allow myself to let my guard down and speak with some stranger...
"The name given by my father is Amaya..."
And I don't know why but it felt comfortable to speak and unknowingly I shared why I was named Amaya.
[23] "My father really liked eating the maya-maya fish found near my mother's native land, the Village of my grandfather which most of the tribesmen called their Banwa.
And as a tribute to my grandmother, he named me Amaya taken from the word maya-maya."
There, I blurted out!
Which in return the young man's mouth curled widely.
He flashed a smile, more charming than before!
"The name is Argus. A former Ranoan, pleased to meet you."
Then, another shock is given to me by this young man.
For me, it felt like it happened so fast, but it is actually slow.
The young man held my hands gently as delicate as a precious pearl.
He kissed my hands with his mouth.
And I melted!
[24], [25] It was a form of greeting commonly widespread among distinguished people of the tribe, made by a Ginoo to a Binibini.
I could not help but have my cheeks red.
It was a greeting that my mother was so proud to have experienced.
Now I just experienced it with my bare hands!
I cleared my throat and smiled back with a friendly gesture.
It was a sign I have given him which signifies that I had acknowledged, that he meant no harm.
Then, that was the start of my numerous journeys with him!