Chapter 5 : White Flower

Bina lay back to her bed and stare at the ceiling for several hours until her stomach growling. She pick up a big bowl that have a burnt meat. She stares at it, this new world is underdevelopment. They were leaving peacefully but they don't have skills economically. Twice a week, her mother job as a hunt will collect as many animals that they can to serve 100 population people in this tribe. People who can hunt is most respectable in this era. They even called them a warrior.

The food is divided fairly at how people working for their tribe, mostly the warrior will have a bigger meat and there are also working as plant seeker. They will collect fruit, herbs and vegetable. People who are not working will only being called as a trash, like herself.

Bina still looking at black meat that had been cooked by her mother, she had been greedily eat this before but somehow, this month, she doesn't want to eat it anymore even if she was hungry. She wonder and recalled one of her memory in her past life.

"I almost vomit eating these preserved meat and oats every day. I pray that tomorrow will be raining a creamy noodle with fresh broccoli and grill fish with dessert. How great it will be, right!?" One of her comrade drooling look up above the sky.

"Hahaha. Let's just eat this while imagine our favorite food." Jason who is their captain in the group said.

"Is the taste of food is important?" Luna who had been silently watching them asked.

Jason smile at Luna with a glimpsed of a sadness in his eyes. "The most important is the nutrient in the food but with different kind of taste of food its give us joy and increase our appetite in eating."

"What is your favorite food, Captain Jason?" Luna asked again.

"I like meat the most, If this meat can taste like a meatball, that would be great." Jason eat his part of meat with smiling face.

"Searching for a meatball. Chopped garlic and spring onion. Sprinkle salt and pepper for seasoning, mixed it with ground beef. To have a rich flavor, put in a tablespoon of tomato puree, chili pepper and parsley. Rolled the meat into a size of golf ball with the palms of your hand and fry the meatball until it turns brown and slightly crisp."

"Hahahahaha. Even though you sound like a robot, I can smell already all of it from your descriptions!" Jason laugh with a tears in his eyes.

"Yes. I can taste the meatball in this preserved meat! Can you describe garlic butter fish next?!"

Bina eat her meat and wonder if she mixed all the ingredient, will it be more appetizing? She look around in her mother store food. There were only salt and preserved meat in the store. She went back to her sit before and finished her meat and lay back to the bed.

Far from the cave, in the forest, there were 5 human cover with a mud. They were hiding between bushes and trees. Not far from them, there were a group of deer eating berries and grass. Their eyes target on 3 deer that have bigger size than others. One of them, a man with beefy body signaling them on their target. As they had understand their planned, the beefy body run towards the biggest deer while changing his body into a big tiger and a woman follow him and turn into cheetah. With a one bite in the neck, the deer fall, while cheetah hold the deer legs so that it can't struggle or jump out.

At the same time there were 2 grey wolves chasing a deer, blocking it from running away. Seeing the deer look hesitate, one of the wolf bite its neck and another bite its body. While another one is a big brown bear. With his big bear body, he can easily capture his prey without any struggle.

After successfully captured their prey, they turn back into human form. As their group has a woman, they quickly wear their hide. The cheetah change to herself far from them and return back with them.

"Look at our prey! Its so big!" A twin with smaller size happily drags his prey with greedy eyes.

"We will have a feast today." His twin reply, they both are youngest in the group with wolves animal form.

"What is that, aunty Celia?" the smaller twin asked the woman.

She smile and look at her hand. There were 2 white flowers in her hand, it size as big as her right hand and the petals are big and in the middle of it had a touch of pink color. "It's a flower. Its remind me of my daughter."

"It's beautiful! Is there more? I want to give it to my daughter too." A beefy body said named Dhor. He has very big body that can carry the deer on his shoulder.

"You can take one of this." She said.

"Hey brother Leon! Why I can sense you are not in good mood?" The smaller twin named Will asked. He is the chattiest person in the group and he also love gossip. While his brother, West, who is taller than him is quiet and more matured than him.

Leon who was a big bear before don't have big body like Dhor but he has tall and had well built body. Even though his face was black with mud, his straight edge nose and strong jaws shows the handsomeness. He curled up his mouth. "I am just tired."

"You had been hunting everyday right for these weeks? Are your house already well equipped?" Dhor ask him.

"Oh! You are getting married right? How can I forget!?" The chatty ask again, he love gossips the most. "Future sister in law is the prettiest woman in the village! Lucky you! Are you preparing for the house? Is there a lot to prepare?"

Leon smile helplessly at his chatty mouth. "I'm waiting for my bed and few clothes than all will be done."

After few hours, they arrived at their tribe area, many groups of hunt already submit their preys, before the chief of their tribe divide their meat, all of them washed themselves at near stream.

"Food distribution!" A loud voice call people to take their meat.

Celia group had been divided fairly by the chief village, everyone brings part of meat in their hands. Soon everyone left to their house. Celia and Leon walking side by side as their house is near to each other. Leon look at Celia left hand. A beautiful white flower still blooming radiantly and Celia who aged almost 40's look healthier. When her daughter had been sleep for 5 years, Celia became a gloomy person. She didn't talk too much and never shows any smile again. Now, she looks much alive than before.

"How is your daughter now?" Leon asked.

Celia had a big smile on her face. "She is now stronger day by day."

Leon nod with a smile too. When people call Celia crazy because she had kept her daughter that look like a corpse for 5 years, Leon never criticize her like others. However, it makes Leon respect her. Leon always wanted a faithful and harmony family but, in this tribe, only when they turn old they settle down. Marriage in this tribe is very rare, because they believe when they get married they can't change partner anymore. They also mostly will abandon or kill their child if they were born handicapped or useless.

"I never thanked you before. You are the one who found and safe her 5 years back. Thank you, Leon. If I lost her, I don't think I am still here, alive." Celia said sincerely.

Leon remember 5 years back, he was only 12 years old, he went to a lake to wash himself. He saw and heard a group of girl laughing and shouting, he thought they were playing but when he came nearer, he saw a girl was gasping and desperately try to swim out from a lake. Without thinking he turns into bear and help the girl and that little girl is Bina.

Leon smile. "Your welcome."

"Bina!" Celia called with a face full of love, waving at a little girl who is leaning on the mouth of her house. Celia run towards the girl and quickly kiss her forehead. The little girl lips turn up smiling shows her little dimple. Then Celia give her a flower and her eyes glistening looking at the flower in her hand. The white flower match with Bina who had white skin with a pink tone, it really like Celia said, the flower did match her little daughter.

"Brother Leon…" A gentle lady voice called his name.

Leon turn to look at the voice. "Mia?" It his fiancée. His heart warm looking at her beauty, she is soon to be his wife and he wanted them to have happy and harmony life forever.

Their father was a best friend. When his father became a chief village, his friend wanted his daughter to marry his son. He was just 5 years old when his father asked him to take care of Mia as she is his future wife, so Leon take care of her until now. When he turns 15 years old, his father dies because of an attacker from other tribe. However, he noticed Mia had changed.

Leon come towards her that near his house.

Mia look at Leon with complicated face. "Brother Leon, I want to talk something."

Leon let down his meat in front of his door. It already turns dark, and the cave have a firewood lighten the cave. Mia face looks orange and red because of the light.

After some heavy silent she said, "Let's not get married."

Leon feel his heart torn into pieces. "What? What did you say?"

"I don't want to get married." Mia look into his face. She looks guilty but at the same time, her face shows she was serious.

"I had asked you last year and you agreed with this. How can you suddenly change your mind? We had another 2 months before our ceremony."

"Father was sick back then. Now he had completely healed and… and I had fall in love with someone else." Mia said with low voice.

"Who?" Leon was angry. He hold her wrist tightly. Every people in this tribe knows they were engaged. No one can interfere their relationship. When he was holding her, he smell something on her body. He get angrier. "PHILL?" His face turns dark, he wanted to kill the man who touch his woman! He let go his hand and angrily walk away from Mia.

"No! Stop! Leon!" Mia pull his hand with panic but Leon push her hand and Mia fell.

Leon stop his step and look back at Mia. Looking at Mia crying face his heart shrunk afraid that he hurt her. Leon squat wanted to check her injuries but he stop after he smell a mix of scent on her body.

"Brother Leon! Please don't be angry. I am the one who choose him." Mia plead him.

Leon look at Mia with heart broken and anger. "Do you really want to break of this engagement?"

Mia nod with pleading eyes.

"Ok. Go back to your house." Leon stand up and walk towards his house.

"Brother Leon… Father…" Mia already stand up by herself.

"I will meet him tomorrow." Leon said with cold voice.