Up in the north there is another island veiled by a cold harsh wind that only those whose strong enough can reach its shore, or leaving its land ; Kalima Island, occupied by Kalima Tribe. Back on those days, people on Genta and Kalima islands didnt know the existence of each other. Genta people knew nothing about Kalima tribe, and vice versa.
The fate was about to change. But, as we all know, when the fate changed, there would be certain tragedy happened earlier as a reason for the change. For Kalima tribe, a mysterious illness occured. For Genta people, the rain didnt fall, all the crops did not grow, and the famine was about to happen…
"Are you still with me Ivanka?"
Ugh, I hate how time flies so fast when I listened to her stories. I imagined an Eagle, and the egg. How big the egg was? It carried and grew a Ruba. And how did the Ruba eat inside the egg? Was it dark inside?
"Sure, but I have sooo many questions."
"Be patient. I will now, tell you the story of Alma."
"Wait a minute! What about the mountains?"
"You will know, if you listen to my words…carefully…"
**
The smell of a baked tuna lingering around the kitchen. Alma, who were eighteen at that time, hugged her mother. It was noon. The sun sit at the top of her head, and she was tired after washing clothes on the river. All she needed was a good food, and her mother, oh what a loving mother she was, could read her daughter's heart from her own home, prepared her food, and laughed happily when she was getting a hug.
"Did you see your father from your way to home?"
Alma shook her head. She didn't see her father, and she could only care for the food. She grabbed the baked sweet corn, and a piece of the fish, put it on her plate and start to eat. Everything tasted more delicious. Her mother looked at her with a love and understanding that could only come from a mother's eyes. She didn't know why, but she felt like she needed to hug her mother again.
"This is the best, Mom. Your cooking is always the best. Why are you so worry about dad? Is he going to disappear? Come on. He'll be coming home sooner. He must be really hungry now. Time for lunch!"
Karuna tried to hide her fear. Two people died this morning after bleeding out a dark brown blood from their noses. Yesterday, five people died after the same incident. Her husband, Yakota, was going to the house of the dead to help bury them. She was afraid, what if there has been a dark unseen force, black magic, witchcraft, that caused all of this. Any case like this has never happened before. Kalima island has been the safest place. People died in their sleep. Never did she ever hear….
Unless someone place a curse, or playing around with the dark spirit in the air who had been looking to ruin the life in Kalima. But who would do that? The God in the sky protect them, and the goddess of the earth bless them. What happened? And, why? She hadn't created an answer in his mind when her husband arrived.
"Ten people died after we buried the bodies. Do not get any closer to me. Alma, go take your father's clean clothes, and throw it through the window. I will go to the river, clean myself, and sleep in our farm house. If I did not come back in two days, I died. Do not seek for me, do not get any closer to me. Pack your bag, and leave this island. Go to the south. Remember the small boat we hide in our room, under the bed? Use it. It could carry three adults, so you two will be safe."
Karuna knew that her husband is a cold blooded man who put reason above emotions. He did not care about her feelings, and her reactions at all. He did not even look at her eyes when he spoke. Alma threw her father clothes while yelling "you are going to be alive, because I asked God that both of my parents will stay alive for a long…long…long…time."
The optimistic vibe from her daughter's voice warmed his heart. He saw too many deaths in two days, and could not help but thinking that he is going to be the next. On the other hand, he already had a plan… If he alive… He wished he would stay alive. But, he also saw death came really quick to ten people who touched the corpse. He did not touch the corpse, but, there could be… But what was that? He was sure, if it was a curse from the spirits of the island, there is no way but to leave. And, the risk is also death. The harsh wind would kill him and his family. But to stay…would also resulted in death.
He walked in a hurry to the river while his wife, seeing him getting further and smaller in shape, begging God to let him alive, and keep her family safe. She could not imagine leaving the island with Alma. At night, Alma packed her clothes and forcing her mom to pack both of her parents clothes. After midnight, both women took the boat out of the bedroom, and put it near the back door of the house.
"How did you have this, Mom?"
"I was not born here. But, this is not the right time to tell the story. Why did you force me to do this or that?"
"I got feeling… Mom, packed all of the food. I got a very strange feeling that we are going to leave this island before the sun rises. You know how dad has been always…and i mean ALWAYS…got ideas in a very critical situation. I bet he would come and join us to leave this island."
Her mother took a deep breath.
"And how do you know it would happen exactly like that?
"Mom, we have the same braincells. Me and dad, we think alike. Just trust me…"