Chapter 20 - the culture experience in Long Pasia

Day 1 in the village, my cousin is getting married my mom ask us all to be involved, Clark ask us to wear the traditional dress as part of the wedding ceremony that will start soon. Mariam, Hana and Sylvia help the villager preparing the place while me and Amin help in the construction of the wedding stage. Its a simple wedding ceremony where people have started to gather already. Mariam, Sylvia and Hana had become the flower girl for the ceremony. Me and Amin wore the formal dress of the Lun Bawang.

“How do I look ?” - Mariam

“Part of the tribe…😁…” - mom

“Darling…..” She does look cute in that dress.

“Big brother….” Hana look really cute in that dress

“We the girls to be part of the dance in-front of the bride…Mariam, Sylvia and Hana please be part of it”

“Got it, this is really fun!!!”

“Not sure if I could do this…”

“Ah don’t worry, I seen how they do it just now, lets practice then”

“Alex is best meet your cousin Miranda, she is waiting for you”

“Got it”

“Amin I need your as well to be the dance as well”

“Eh!!? Not sure about dancing but playing music I’m much more confident”

“The music shall be played by the locals here, but if you interested maybe Clark will help you he is part of the music troupe”

“That I’ll do it, rather than take part of the dance….”

“Alex, Miranda is waiting for you!!”

“Ah ok!!” I run off to meet the bridegroom where the long house inside, its already filled with people. I know most of them speak lun bawang

“May I know where is Miranda?” (In Lun Bawang)

“She is waiting for you Alex” (in Lun Bawang)

I entered the room, where Miranda is preparing her dress, she suddenly hugged me

“Alex!! Oh dear you finally here, my little brother is back!!” Its been years but she is the one that always followed me when I was little even playing together with Frederica.

“are you ok now?”

“Yeah…I visit her grave…”

Miranda started to cry

“Be strong okay….I could not believed it that you manage to overcome it that loss, because you are the only one that have not yet accept it….”

“Yeah, but Miranda congrats you are going to become a bride…”

“Yeah…Aunt Mas always talk about you but seems you manage to get a future bride eh…”

MOM!! What the hell you trying to prove here!!!? I have not yet know the details between mom and Natalie

“Aunt Mas showed me her picture, she is beautiful and I also believed she is a native american right?”

“Yeah…”

“When you getting married don’t forget to invite me…”

“Ah..hahaha.. its still early to said that….”

“Well, if god wanted you to be with her then it will be….”

“Ah..hahahaha….I’m not sure about that since mom is planning something behind my back…seems it never ends”😅

“Hehehe….that is all the candidate for the future daughter-in-law…..”

“eh…is too early…”

“You really change….must a lot you’ve gone through to be like this…”

“yeah but you sis you’re getting beautiful”

“as a bride still the same reckless big sister like before…but at least someone is looking after me, he is the cousin of the late Frederica’s cousin…”

“Ah…”

“I’m pretty sure he will be extremely happy to meet you…”

“Maybe…”

“But tell me Alex, among all of the candidates you do have someone that you have taken note to”

“ugh….” I’m pretty sure Miranda will share this to mom

“Still keeping it eh, if you in the past you just shout it out, like a monkey!! Hehehe” its embarrassing Miranda I ain’t going to confess like that

“fine…is just that all of them always remind me of Frederica..”

“Gee….Frederica’s filter eh…but I’m pretty sure someone there is…come on just tell me!!”

“Miranda, stop moving around!! We are trying to make you a beautiful bride here!!”

“Eh…just 1 day why do I need to make up like this!!?”

“You are the bride why can’t you get to your head!!!”

“Ouch, fine….Alex you have not answered it to me…you know that I’m not going to stop…”

She is persistent but I’m not going to lay out all of it.

“There is only one that drawn me…though among all the girls I’ve met. She is crazy, out of the box, she loved music and she is also smart, right now she’s now a university student…so she is the one…”

“Pretty sure that she is the one, don’t forget to bring her to me, at least I could interview her to see she is suitable for you, I’m not to give my little brother that easily. A handsome guy like you is now the talk of the village, you soon going to see what I mean…”

What is really going on here…?

“ugh…Is there anyway I could avoid that?”

“Nope….but I want you to do something for me..”

“What with that be ?”

“A dance…performed it for Frederica…she could wanted it you to be her representative for her cousin…”

A dance, I could not…but I remember when we played together, she did a dance in the pond before we dance yeah…but is that even traditional is just something out of random things she did.

“Not sure about that but, let me practice it before show it to them…”

“Then….you have to wear a traditional dress for the warriors, but it has to be solo”

“Eh…” some of them carried me and instantly change me to the warriors dress like a Lun Bawang. A loincloth and a vest made from a tree bark, they asked me

“What do you think?”

“Uh…like a warrior?”

“Yes!!!” He look familiar is Uncle Kelvin!!

“Uncle Kelvin?”

“Finally remember me?”

“Yeah but you look different than before…”

“I’m already old, but you getting handsome like grandpa and grandma wishes you still remember?”

“eh..”

“Yeah were just a baby at that time” of course I don’t remember!!

“Ah…”

“They told us that this child is like a bird that will never sit down in one place to another”

“Really mom never told me about that…”

“Ok then you better be ready…because the wedding is about to start you are her entourage”

“Ah could you give me time for me because I need to practice something…”

“Ah practice?”

Miranda called Uncle Kelvin

“Just let him!!”

“Got it!!its your problem then!!”

“Go ahead”

I head behind where there is no one’s there, I tried to remember the things that related to the dance with her. Slowly I close my eyes, and dance like I remember before.

“That’s not how you dance stupid!! Turn around!!”

“There here is!! And turn!!”

“Like a bird flapping its wings”

“Like this?” Young Alex flapping like a bird in a comedic way. She knock my head

“Be serious for once!! If we going to be partners in a dance, just follow the flow!!” - Frederica

“Turn..and again!!”

“Ouch this is silly!!”

“Just do it!!”

“I called it the dance of the birds”

“You just naming it!!”

“Hurry up, we are going to performed this in the future!! You and me as dance partners”

“Huh!!? We are going to stupid!!”

“No way!! If you acting like one!!”

I could not imagine the dance partner with but suddenly imagine Natalie is with me dancing together. I get this feeling that Natalie and Frederica is like a reflection of a mirror. Ah forget it, never mind, just go with the flow. Remember her instruction of the dance, countless times.

“Turn!!”

“Lower the body!!”

“And turn”

In almost 30 mins, they called me to get ready. Seems I’m late. But I manage to meet Miranda

“You ready?”

“Yeah…”

I meet the male bride and he saw and he start to shed tears. Hold it idiot, this your wedding. But Miranda is laughing.

“That idiot….hehehe…”

We reach there and Mariam, Hana and Sylvia is there along with mom, celebrating with them, Amin is part of the music troupe. The pastor have arrived and give blessing to their marriage, when they kissed mom is happy, congrats Miranda and Tomal.

Sylvia sing her hymn for the christian faith, everyone is mesmerise. Never knew that she is that good. Mariam look at me

“That is a pretty good voice…I’m pretty sure if Nat see this, she going to start her own musical. Hehehe wait till I tell her” oh please don’t

“Mariam’s turn to the dance along with Hana and Sylvia. They dance the traditional dance of the Lun Bawang for the wedding, Mariam and Hana manage to handle it well, including Sylvia. Amin really well adapted with the musical a sape. A type of a string instrument. Mariam is also learning and adapting to the dance. Hana is really cute in her dance. After their performance, one of the announcer called

“This dance is a special request by the Bride, and one of them will perform the dance for the bride”

I entered the stage in front of the bride. I slowly dance as the entrance like what Frederice would want with a shield and slowly step into the stage. Usually I has to have a partner but I just imagine dance with Frederica. Slowly I dance like what she like it. Like a gentle bird flying together in the skies.

Everyone is silent, when I see Miranda and Tomal they started to cry. Everyone look at the dance, knowing that this is from Frederica. But in my views I saw Frederica wear a traditional dress, in a glance is Natalie is with me. Do I look Natalie as I look at Frederica? But I continued to dance. The dance is only a few minutes performance after it ended. Frederica parents and the others cried. I bowed to them and the bride and entered.

“Hey Frederica looks like we did it…” I know that she is with me, she flows through me. But I did not cried nor sad just happy that I manage to fulfilled her wishes. Hana and Mom hugged said to me

“Big brother that is amazing, you could dance…”

“Alex…is that what she wanted to ?”

“yeah….that is one of her wish…she called it the dance of the birds..”

“Dance is also telling a story Alex…that dance is not just you but her story to them, that is why they cried….”

I didn’t want to show them that I cried. I have to look to them with a smile.

“yeah…”

“You have grown…Alex…”

“Thanks mom…”

My friends approach me

“Yo Alex I didn’t know you could dance…?” - Amin

“That is beautiful, I never knew that you had it in you…” - Mariam

“I started to cry to see that dance, as if you want to be free…” Sylvia, she is spot on, I knew that Frederica wanted to be free from the shackles of her own fate. But she could not, only a dance that show her wishes.

Miranda and Tomal meet me and she look at me

“Thank you Alex, for performing….that is beautiful….”

“Alex….uuu….my cousin wishes came true…through you….”

“She is with me…right here…in my heart…”

“Yes…she is…”

“You finally accepted her passing…I know in my heart she will be at peace”

“Yes…” I started to get sentimental again. What hidden within me had finally release from me the shackles of that memories is finally come back to my memories that was once sealed.

We had feast together with the family, Mariam and Amin learning the cultures there. Hana is with Sam playing with the children there. Kinda nostalgic looking at them. Just like I played before. Sylvia hold my arm.

“Hey Darling….”

“Sylvia come on follow me…”

“Alex…”

We walk together to a place that me and Frederica sat there, the small hill that overlook the village and the paddy fields. I sit there with Sylvia.

“You know Sylvia…”

“Yeah…”

“thanks….”

“You’re welcome, what is going on with you..?”

“If you guys weren’t here, I could not overcome this…”

“That is what friends for…”

“Yeah…”

“You’re much stronger than me, I always admire you about that…”

“Just a muscle brain…”

“nope…” she points my chest

“This part…you have a strong heart….that is what I admire about you…”

“Uh…” this is getting embarrassing, she is something, but I’m really comfortable talking to her something serious with her.

“This part of my body is not just me alone…”

“Yes….she did that for you….so you could lived a life like she wanted to…”

“Yeah…” we look at the hills together like I used to be playing with Frederica.

“Alex…”

“Yeah?”

“I’m glad that I could be of a help, at least I’m not someone that you put aside…”

“Why should I? You already a friend to me…”

“Yeah but to me is much more than that….”

She suddenly kiss me to my cheek, and said to me

“I’m not going to give up…because I’ve fallen for you…I’m not going to lose to her…I don’t want it…end like this…”

“You know….you also something…crazy enough to hang around with me….”

“That is your fault…”

“Huh?”

“Its your fault that make me wanted you more…”

“Ugh…come on….let me lived a enjoyable life in school…”

“I’m willing to give you my all…” geh!!🥶 she is really trying to get aggressive here. Oh shit!! What have I done!!!

“Hey that’s not funny!!”

“Hey Alex….I’m going to make you not to look at anyone but me…..”

“Hey!! Stay still….and don’t get crazy…..okay this is far from home…”

“The farther the better since no one is here….”

“ugh….hey!! Sylvia stop it…you scaring me…”

“Darling….” She suddenly seducing me and hugging me. I tried to pull her off, and I heard a shout from them and Hana including Mariam is there.

“Ah!! There he is, oho….what are you two doing!?” 🤩

“He propose to me!!” No!!! Don’t make it worst!!! You twisting the truth!!!😱

“Hey!! She lied you know, hey Sylvia!!! Stop making stories!!!”

Amin, Mariam and including Hana is there.

“Big brother…..you are getting very naughty, here is some medicine for you!!”

She is charging at me, I tried to run away I could see she is trying to kill me.

“Kukuku…another gossip for Natalie….” 😈 she is really going to tell her, I’m dead!!

“Hey Mar could you help me pull away from this!!”

“Bleh!! 😛 its your problem, I’m not going to your girl trouble again. we going to get a popcorn while watching this!!” Fuck you🖕🏼💢 bitch is that what is the three musketeer is all about?, I’m taking the hit of all of this.

“I can’t back you up, is all on you!!” Bastard Amin!!

“When I get my hands on you both!!!” While running away from Hana that she holding a large stick.

“When a naughty children is always going to get a whip!!” Who teach you that!!!

“That is from mom and Natalie for being naughty!!” Hey!!! Thats not funny!!

I could feel death behind me, dying from embarrassment. Sylvia suddenly holding me.

“Not letting you go!!” Get off me you just makes it worst!!

“Hey Hana!! Chill will ya!!”

“Not a chance!!! Stupid big brother!!!!👹”

A strong knock to the head, and I just got knock out cold by Hana really strong grip. She is really strong when is all about me into girl trouble.

Dear Natalie…in my heart, you still be the one that I loved..when watching the marriage ceremony, how I could wish that day to happen while I’m trying to avoid all this girl trouble. 

Dear Frederica….thank you, but is about time to let go all of that deep emotions that lingering deep within my heart. It's seem that I had a lot handle with this girl trouble again.

The next morning Mom brought us to the research centre, which Miranda is one of the researcher. She is one of mom subordinate in the research centre. This research centre is combination of culture and biological science in researching in the plants that grow here, for the purpose of medical breakthrough. Miranda is a trainee biologist that studied at UPM a local university in Malaysia. She is our tour guide and mentor for the site visit. Seems that Mr Rahman wanted to collaborate the green tech that Miranda devise. A eco library that used only the power of nature.

“Mr Rahman wanted to design that school a high tech school but ecological friendly institution that powered only with nature. Solar powered, rain and moisture collection for water and a natural water treatment plant in creating an environment for that school. Mr Rahman also wanted to plant native plants in the school to represent Borneo flora. We already approved some of the design and tried to install it. You guys need to learn how it works when you back you need to present this.”

“Uhhh we’re kids..how the hell we suppose to represent something this big?” - Mariam

“Well Puan Mas believed you people could pull off this project…”

“Uhh…fine then but don’t get you hopes up”

“Its okay….Alex?”

“uh….this method will increasing the efficiency in the selection and use of materials and energy sources control of impacts on ecosystems development while permanent improvement of cleaner processes and products eco-marketing introducing environmental management systems in the production and services sectors development of activities for increasing awareness of the need for environmental protection and promotion of sustainable development by the general public….”

“Umm Alex….you okay?”

“ah….sorry got lost in the moment…”

“Since when you learn all this….”

“uh….I had life before this, let keep it at that..”

“bullshit….”

“Yeah I’m serious!!

Actually I learn it with Mr Hawk, when Natalie talking about natural environment but it doesn’t make sense to me at that time. But now I felt it does. We were shown the type of plants. Sylvia were interested in the plants while Mariam and Amin is interested in the building design. I’m interested with the culture here.

“Did you know that this culture had heritage of the original natives of Borneo?”

“Yeah..”

We manage to enter one of the forest reserved that Tomal had to explore for natural resources. All of us visited the place, but realise that not all of the place were allowed to visit. Its because of safety and Tomal explain that they are still nomadic tribe that still have not contact with the modern world.

“Right, so we head to a place where all of the research for plants that needed for the school will be here…”

“Got it..”

I pick the plants that needed while Sylvia and Mariam with mom headed to another place. Amin wanted to join them and Tomal allowed them. Hana and me followed Tomal to another place. I have been used to the jungle life where all the wild animals is a normal thing for but for Hana she still need to adapt to the environment. Tomal showed me survival jungle skill in the forest.

“You seems had a knack in the jungle eh?”

“Yeah…seem so….but I had to look after Hana”

“Don’t worry big brother, I will be fine…”

Tomal got a radio call that there is a thunderstorm will head to Long Pasia and its advisable to return back.

“This is not good we have to head back, with the rain, it will cause land slides. Let me call them”

Tomal is calling mom to return back but the signal was weak.

“I had to call them but how…”

“Alex I got they returning now but its still dangerous”

Thunder heard from the above and we hurried back to the research centre. Its already pouring in the jungle. Only to hear a thundering sound and Tomal shouted

“LANDSLIDE!!!”

Hana was at the running point of the landslide I carried her but its too late for both of us, Tomal throw a rope at us. Water came out from the land. I manage to tie a rope to Hana and shouted at Tomal

“Pull!!!”

“Big brother!!!”

“Don’t worry about me!!! Just get out of here!!!!”

The ground began to crumble and its a landslide, I fell down but I manage to push Hana out of safety. I fell down while struggling to get out of the landslide. I heard from Tomal

“Get this rope!!!”

I could not reach it, and I was push aside by the landslide. My vision become darker. I know that I fell down with a landslide.