He has fallen countless times. But he keeps finding the resolution to get back up. His clothes already look so seedy with dirt, and wet with sweat.
There are so many small cuts on his hands and legs, injured from breaking through the bushes. However, due to the mounting anger, no matter hunger and thirst, he ignores everything.
Barefoot, this little boy keeps running through the forest without knowing the way home. Ultimately, he finds a simple hut in the middle of a garden, surrounded by a wooden fence, and an old man busy cutting firewood in the yard.
"Excuse me! Sir! Can I have some water?"
He calls from afar, but his voice is too weak for the old man to hear. So he continues to limp toward the old man. Upon reaching his limit, his vision starts to blur, and…
Blug!
He stumbles again. And this time, he doesn't get back up, having completely fainted from exhaustion.
Fortunately, an old woman has just come out of the hut and notices Adanu Raksa's appearance just before he collapses.
"What was that?" she mumbles.
It catches the husband's attention. "Dear! What is it?"
But the old lady doesn't say anything. She slowly approaches Adanu Raksa with great curiosity, looking so alert and awry.
Her residence is quite remote, and she lives there only with her husband. She has all the reasons to be scared. But…
"It's just a kid?" The old lady mutters by covering her mouth.
She looks around, but there's no one else in sight. Soon, her husband comes from behind and rubs her shoulder to calm her anxiety.
"He might have gotten lost! Let's take him inside! It's going to get dark soon," the husband invites.
They take Adanu Raksa to their hut and put him on a bamboo woven recliner in the living room. They both then sit in front of him, examining his condition intently with great curiosity.
Seeing how young Adanu Raksa is, and how pitiful his condition at the moment, the old lady begins to feel sorry.
"Dear! Don't you see it? He looks just like Tole!"
The husband sighs. "He does seem to be Tole's age. But his face is too smooth for a child of peasants like us. Judging from his clothes, I'm sure he comes from a noble family."
Moments later, Adanu Raksa slowly opens his eyes and startles. He then looks around with a confused face. "Where am I? How did I get here?"
"We also want to know that," says the old lady. "How did you get here? In fact, this place is quite far from the nearest village."
"Who are you?" Adanu Raksa asks.
"My name is Barja," replies the old man. "And this is my wife, Ratih!"
Either he is listening or not, Adanu Raksa keeps glancing around every corner of the hut. The old lady notices him gulping. Immediately, she rushes to the kitchen and returns with a bamboo cup.
"You must be thirsty! Here! Have a drink!"
Due to his extreme thirst, Adanu Raksa downs it in one gulp. It seems that it is not enough, but he still shows gratitude nonetheless.
"Thank you! You are such a life saver, Ma'am!"
As if unable to hold back her sorrow, the old woman rushes to her room to let out her tears. The husband follows her, and then strokes the wife's back lovingly.
"Oh, Dear! Look at him! He is too young! Maybe, just maybe, God sent him to answer my prayer!"
The husband understands quite well why the wife cries. They once had a child before, but was lost some decades ago and has never come home.
"You need to understand! He is not our Tole," Barja reasons.
"We could just take care of him here, couldn't we?" Ratih persuades.
The truth is, Adanu Raksa can clearly follow their conversation. He looks gloomy, but still, he really needs to get back home.
"Excuse me!" He calls from the living room.
The old lady immediately wipes her tears and comes out of her room. She approaches Adanu Raksa, and strokes his head with so much affection.
"Le! Are you hungry? If you like, I can prepare grilled chicken for you." Somehow, the old woman has really grown fond of him.
Adanu Raksa says nothing. He knows what the old lady is currently expecting by calling him with "Le". But he can't fulfill her wish and simply shakes his head unsurely.
"My name is Adanu Raksa, son of General Rangkabhumi from Talang Asri," he explains.
"Talang Asri?" The old lady mumbles. She looks disappointed, realizing that Adanu Raksa actually has a place to come home to.
"Yes! I live in Talang Asri," Adanu Raksa affirms. "I need to get back home immediately to save save my mom!"
"What happened to your mom?" asks the old man Barja.
"There was an impudent man hurting her. He was actually my teacher. I just didn't know that he actually worked for the devil!"
Adanu Raksa explains it with so much resentment, with a face painted by rage. The old couple glances at each other, looking baffled with great curiosity.
"Then how did you get here?" asks Barja.
Adanu Raksa ignores the old man's curiosity. "Please, Sir! Can you show me the way to Talang Asri?"
"Son! Talang Asri is still so far away in the eastern border of Chakradwipa! It will take more than a day's journey to get you there!" Old man Barja explains it by pointing in a certain direction.
That's enough for Adanu Raksa to know where he needs to go. "Thank you, Sir! Ma'am! I'm grateful to have met good people like you."
But the old man looks objected and immediately holds him down. "Kid! It's going to get dark soon! Stay here with us for the night. I promise to take you to Talang Asri tomorrow!"
"But I really have to leave! My mom is in danger!" Adanu Raksa insists trying to get up.
Too bad, his vision suddenly becomes blurry. After staggering for a moment, he loses balance and falls on Barja's hands.
"He fainted again!"
Feeling sorry, old Barja takes Adanu Raksa into his bedroom and lets him lie on the only bed he has in the house.
"Barja! Let me take care of him! We've grown too old to have a child. I know he's not Tole! But he could be our son!"
"Dear! He still has a mother waiting for his return at home. I know you miss Tole so much. But you should understand what the kid's mother is feeling right now."
"But I…"
"You can still see him as your grandson if you would. But we have to take him back to his mother tomorrow!"
Barja invites the wife to get out of the room, letting Adanu Raksa get some rest. Without them knowing, there is great danger deep in the woods slowly approaching his simple hut.