With sharp eyes and ears, Marna listened to every sound following the pressure on the wooden floorboards. Although she felt uncomfortable, there was a mix of nervousness and fear. She considered two possibilities: was it a person, or could it be an animal like a sun bear, orangutan, or monkey climbing onto her roof? However, it was unlikely to be an orangutan since they are not nocturnal animals. Maybe it was a sun bear?
Marna was determined to find out. For some reason, her curiosity that night overcame her fear. It was unusual for her to encounter something strange at night, especially since it was not that late.
Marna lifted the door bar blocking the door. It was positioned in the middle, with one end meeting the door frame. The door bar was as thick as twice an adult's wrist.
The door bar of her house was made of ironwood, measuring 6x9 centimeters and 1 meter long. It was used to lock the main door, making it hard for anyone to break in from the outside.
Was this door bar effective in preventing someone from entering the house? As for its strength, it was unquestionable. The ironwood door bar, over a meter long, was incredibly sturdy. Once installed in the middle of the door, even three people with normal strength couldn't open or break it. Ironwood is one of the strongest woods in the world. In several countries, it is nicknamed ironwood. What's more, this wood only grows on the island of Borneo and nowhere else in the world.
The wood is solid, smooth, and beautiful. Even after being submerged in water for hundreds of years, it becomes stronger, not deteriorating or rotting. On the contrary, it becomes tougher and sturdier. Similarly, if left underground for years or exposed to sunlight, it remains strong.
With the door bar open, Marna carried it for her defense. She now had two weapons ready to protect herself from any attack.
The betang house was quite tall, almost 6 meters from the ground to the roof's peak.
Marna crept out of the house, circling the terrace. Despite the fear swelling in her chest, she carefully observed her surroundings. To her surprise, a woman was sitting casually on her roof.
Once she was sure there was someone on her roof, she found a better vantage point. To her relief, it was Nenek Lahei, the woman who had come that morning asking for coffee.
Marna smiled to herself and addressed the old woman.
"What are you doing up there, Nenek?"
"Nini was passing by and smelled some delicious food. So, I decided to stop by."
Marna also climbed up to her roof and sat right next to Nenek Lahei.
"Why didn't you knock, Ni?"
Nenek Lahei just shook her head. "I was busy eating this," she said, her perfectly intact teeth eagerly chewing the food Marna had set aside earlier.
"Marna, just come inside, Ni. This was made for...," Marna started to say, but Lahei quickly interrupted.
"No need, I'm full. Don't take from your food supplies at home. What you gave me earlier is enough for Nini."
Nenek Lahei took bite after bite of the rice. Seeing Nenek Lahei enjoying the meal, Marna decided to go down and get some water.
"Where are you going?"
"Downstairs, Ni."
"To get some drinking water?"
"Yes, Ni."
"Don't!" Lahei signaled with her hand and then rummaged through her lanjung. "Nini already has her own drink."
Nenek Lahei's drinking water was packaged in a sugar plastic bag. It wasn't in a bottle, just a thin, transparent plastic bag.
The old woman poked a hole in the plastic and opened her mouth, letting the water flow directly down her throat.
The bright moonlight, adorned with countless stars, allowed Marna to see Lahei's face very clearly. The old, wrinkled face with lines under her eyes and the rough skin of her hands reminded Marna of her own grandmother.
"Thank you, my dear! That was delicious. It's been a long time since Nini had roasted shrimp paste," Lahei said, her eyes gazing at the perfectly round moon. Its bright light made the whole world glow a light purple.
"What makes you come back home? Isn't it more comfortable in the city?"
Marna smiled. If she had to explain, the city was indeed more comfortable. However, there was a calling in her heart that made her feel at peace living in the village. She could take care of the ancestral home, and the graves of her father, mother, and other family members. If she moved to the city like when she went to school, she wondered who would look after her family's graves. Moreover, as a widow without children, Marna felt she wanted to spend the rest of her life in the village where she was born and raised.
"Before you moved here, Nini often visited and stopped by this house. Your mother used to give Nini coffee. She said her child in the city often sent coffee. Nini often stopped by here, your family was very kind."
Marna smiled. There was a sense of happiness hearing others praise her late family.
"But everyone was shocked to learn that your entire family in this house passed away simultaneously. There was no one left to make Nini coffee. But now that you are here, Nini can drink coffee again."
Marna's eyes welled up. Nini's stories about her family made her miss her mother. It had been a month since the death of her extended family, more than 12 people, all living in this house. It was a tremendous shock when she came home to find her entire family gone.
"Nini is puzzled by the evil people who destroy the preservation and life of the forest, which is our refuge. The forest is a big home for Nini. The people and animals in it are the inhabitants of this big home, and their lives directly depend on the forest."
The sound of a motorcycle engine could be faintly heard in the distance. Nenek Lahei stopped talking and listened to where the sound was coming from.
Understanding Lahei's gesture to be quiet, Marna followed suit. She also wanted to know if the motorcycle was heading towards the house.
In the past few days, Marna had often heard the sound of motorcycles passing by near her home, which was about 30 meters from the road. The noise was very familiar because of the loud and numerous engines revving in unison.