After returning to the village, Arlan decided to stay longer. He felt that there was still a part of this story that had not been fully revealed. In the middle of the quiet night, Mak Inah suddenly knocked on his door.
"I forgot one thing," Mak Inah said in a hoarse voice. She brought an old envelope that looked almost destroyed by time. "This was found in Salsabila's house after she died. But I never knew who to give it to."
Arlan accepted the envelope carefully. The writing on the front of the envelope stunned him: "For Basri, if you ever come back."
Mak Inah looked at him with a hopeful gaze. "Maybe you can find it in the letter."
With trembling hands, Arlan opened the letter and began to read it under the light of an oil lamp.
---
To Basri, my beloved sailor,
So much time has passed, and I know the chances of you reading this are slim. But I must write this, because the words I hold are too painful to keep to myself.
Basri, I love you, but I also know you carry a secret you never told me. I know that your debt and responsibility to your people are the reason you never returned.
I am not angry, Basri. I just want you to know that I have never stopped loving you. I hope that one day we can meet again, although I know that hope grows smaller every day. If you never return, remember that my heart is always with you.
Forever yours,
Salsabila
---
Arlan's eyes felt hot as he finished reading the letter. There was a deep sense of emotion, but also new questions. If Salsabila knew the reason her father did not return, why did she choose to wait in sadness? And who told Salsabila about her father's sacrifice?
Mak Inah, who saw the confusion on Arlan's face, said, "There is one other person you might need to meet. He is Salsabila's distant cousin, his name is Pak Johan. He lives at the end of the village and often came here in his youth. He probably knows more than I do."