Thanksgiving Time

Its sundown when they reached Kabang and he informed the soldiers on duty that his wife is in his place. Magee have readied some books she brought, pillow, blanket, oil lamp and placed them on a mat. The daffodils from a small spring from the outside passes by inside then goes out and smoothly flowed towards Malapague, inside Kabang. Its her only source of air and a water to drink is possible. After a while, she removed her 'balabad' and smiled.

" Its like in the waterfalls, its too cold and she'd pressed her own shoulders and closely placed the oil lamp beside her.

" Amazing! this place is totally locked but I could breath well. If I put something, it echoes right away. Everything inside here is a souvenir. Oh! what's this, wow! a snail, so I have a companion here. Hmm...how is that guy claiming I'm his wife, when he spoke it my goosebumps appear. But I liked him." She smiled while funnily talking to the snail.

" Oh, I feel homey in this place then she decided to sleep first before starting to read some books. When she was about to close her eyes, she felt the rocky door facing inside has slowly moved. Her heart beat grew faster, her pulses crumble and her blood started to rise. The strange person who slowly came in sat behind him and put something on the floor. It seems there's a porcelain plate and stainless spoon and it smelled like viand. She flipped her body facing the intruder and found him smiling - its George.

" Hah! I was so scared. You should have made a noise to warn me."

" Don't worry, times like this, I readied myself to really protect my body from your stabs, haha."

" Its not funny, next time you should at least call me, ha."

" What are these..Ina! Wow...thank you, they're all delicious George." She smirked and tapped his shoulder.

"You eat now and I'll stay here for a while. You have no one to talk to." She already started her first bite with the fried fish when she smiled and spoke.

" No, you're wrong. I have a cute companion around."

George's eyes were as big as a rugged stone and looked around angrily."

" Hey, what are you doin', you're scaring the snail."

George bent his body and bowed his head.

" Huh! I thought its one of my men around. I warned them not to get inside so hearing what you said made me angry. I know Baldur and Albrecht could not come since they're busy with the brief bible sharing. By the way, where is that snail, haha...let me bring that out."

" No. Leave it here, haha. You're jealous to a snail?"

" Absolutely!" Then he smiled while wiping his sweats on the face.

" You sweat a lot. Okay, you're time has come. You go back and join with them.

"I won't go out." He stood up and looked at the ceiling.

"Now...I need my dagger visible. Get out!" She smiled and pushed him outside. But he turned his head and told her Baldur might fetch him and bring her an army uniform that Baldur manually repaired for her fit.

"You have to wear it when you go to the ancestral house to disguise. The locals must not find you. You'll sleep there and I will return you back in this hideout tomorrow morning.

" By the way, we already started drinking 'tuba.' It's very sweet and I don't know if how Baldur processed it. Its one of a kind. Hmm... I just wonder why it hit me so badly, but I told Baldur to fetch you when I can't anymore do it, okay?"

" Yeah. Copy. You may go out now, they're dying to see you back." She smiled, got back to the mat and sighed.

" I was totally nervous. Whew! Dear Lord, always protect me. He's almost drunk, good that he still listen. I, I was very scared...he was not anymore the George I know when he's drunk. But when I funnily yelled at him to get out he seems afraid." She smiled.

"Oh, where is the snail? Come..."

While she's on the mat lying, she's looking at the snail from crawling till she fell asleep.

After an hour, the same door has opened again and she never knew he returned without Baldur. Both Albrecht and Baldur were drunk to death.

He was very silent and squat on the ground beside the door and barely opens his eyes, he's almost out of balance while looking at her - deeply sleeping. After a minute, he decided to sleep while leaning his body on the rocky door. The silence was deafening.

At dawn, Magee woke up and she was astounded by looking at him sleeping while leaning on the door. She'd like to pee so she decided to open the rocky door facing outside and slowly pushed it sideward. She heard the bird they usually set as alarm whenever its 4 o'clock. Interestingly, It was foggy and very cold but she was determined to take a bath and get done with her personal necessities before sunrise and actually brought her malong and outfit outside. She dug the sandy ground with her dagger and found a crystal clear water.

"Thank you Lord!" She whispered to herself, smiling.

Despite the cold water, she enjoyed it a lot while uncontrollably trembling and her breath camouflaged with the fogs around. She used the 'gogo,' its equivalent to shampoo nowadays. Its an extracted bubbly fluid from a certain jungle crop. So with so much vibrance and energy she had finished satisfactorily and get dressed.

" She returned inside, lighted the oil lamp, combed her long hair and continually dried it with the malong.

He was already awake and silently looking at her with his half-opened eyes.

But he was shocked when she spoke without looking at him.

" You're too drunk and can't even tell me that you're already here. Tell me what happened." She softly asked.

" Hmm...Albrecht and Baldur were very drunk so I just decided to get you with this uniform (on his lap) but I was so helpless to fall asleep. "He properly sat on the ground and shook his head.

" Ah, I see. You you go and take a bath now, so you may go back to the house. Have some warm water to bath and drink 'salabat' afterwards."

" O...okay. Anything you wanted me to bring here?" He awkwardly said.

" No, thanks. I'll eat the remaining food you brought me last night. I covered them properly so don't worry."

" But its cold already."

Then she took out the small army uniform from his lap then smiled at him.

" I'll use this when I really need to." She said.

" But be careful, you don't have a hat. Anyone can easily recognize you. Hmm..don't worry I'll get you one."

He got out smiling to the soldiers on duty and winked an eye to them.