Kuro was slithering to the left and to the right anxiously while observing the duo working a bit too close to his liking on the ingredients just beside the campfire. The bird and the fish could see a faint uneasiness in his eyes. They bewilderingly looked at each other as their heads were filled with the same question; what is wrong with the snake?
As Kuro slithered everywhere around the cave, he didn't breach Hana and Shiro's working area. While Shiro worked on the coconut flesh diligently, Hana was taking her time cleaning up the other ingredients on the plate one by one; peeling the onions, scraping the unsightly parts of the turmeric and galangal tubers, bruising the lemongrasses, salvaging a few pieces of asam keping and discarding the rotten parts. Once all ingredients were processed, she washed them slightly and then sliced them thinly. She then piled them back on her tava plate neatly, differentiating each ingredient.
Ara couldn't stand Kuro's aimless slithering and bubbled out her dissatisfaction, "What is wrong with you?! Sit tight at the side and watch calmly, won't you?! Your movements make my head spin!"
The bird at the side nodded eagerly, indicating she totally agreed with the newfound acquaintance. The short moment of meeting each other in the cave was not spent in vain. They had chatted with one another and found that they were quite taken with the other; an unlikely pair of kindred spirits. This was the first time both parties befriended a few differing species at one go. It felt good to gang up on the notorious snake and they knew he cannot do a thing to them.
Unintentionally, Hana's presence had upset the balance of the rainforest ecosystem. Predators and preys intermingled with each other to establish friendly connections. Although currently the connections were rather strained and insincere, it could've never happened in normal circumstances. Both Ara and Markisah would've been eaten on the spot without question.
Kuro glared at Ara menacingly. "Busybody!" He spat the words at the fish angrily.
Ara rolled her eyes upwards, unperturbed. She knew the snake won't dare to hurt her due to Hana's verbal protection earlier today. It felt good to be on the superior side. She could totally boast to her clan members for three days and three nights about this. She sniggered inwardly with a disdainful gaze aimed at the snake.
Kuro was extremely unhappy with how the fish behaved. He could practically read her insolent thoughts. In addition to that, Hana still didn't ask him for help and only used Shiro. He felt that his position in Hana's heart had been threatened; downgraded even.
Kuro was not aware that it was out of consideration that Hana didn't ask him to help out for the time being as he had toiled hard to get the coconuts for Hana. However, not doing anything had made him felt useless.
If Hana knew what he was thinking, she would feel so exasperated! Kuro, you're thinking too much again!
The aunty was peeking at the three animals while doing her work once a while. When she found that her beloved snake pet couldn't take it anymore, she sighed and call him over. Only some work will appease this hardworking little one.
"Kuro, come over." She gestured for Kuro to come to her side.
Delighted, Kuro sprang and landed on his mistress lap happily. Mommy, I thought you would never call for me. Kuro widened his eyes and made an absolutely adorable but sad look. I can do that too. He turned towards the fox and gestured with his snout. You just put in all those white things inside my mouth, and I can make it happen faster than that fox. Really! His bad habit of sibling rivalry flared up again.
Hana blinked her eyes a few times to rid of Kuro's over-the-top cuteness attack while sweated, "Err, no thank you, sweetie. I'm good." There's no way she's going to let the coconut milk to be laced with snake saliva! Hana tickled his neck dotingly just the way she would please a cat before gesturing towards a football sized boulder at the far side of the cave. "Can you see that small blackish boulder at that side? The one that is just a bit bigger than a coconut?"
Kuro nodded vigorously.
"I don't care how you do it, turn it into a mortar and a pestle. (1)" She sent over the image of the traditional kitchen utensil via telepathy. At the same time, she made a rough sketch with size approximation on the spot on her notepad and pass it to her favorite pet. "Make sure that the circular part inside must be smooth just like the texture of your skin."
She left the snake with the task, not bothering if he managed to make the item or not. She just wanted Kuro to feel useful. Common practice in making the turmeric coconut soup, one must pound all of the spices together with a mortar and pestle. However, Hana's mother-in-law had a habit to chuck everything in. It turned out just as fine and delicious. The key was to make sure to use ample amount of fresh coconut milk and not skimp.
Hana didn't even plan to pound the ingredients at all. However, if the mortar and pestle were done, she would have an additional kitchen utensil to use in the future!
Mom, I'm done. Is this how you want it to be? Shiro showed a pasty white fine mesh to his mistress.
Hana's mouth made a big 'O' for a few seconds. The mesh was so fine like it was being pureed! Too efficient! Once she recovered, she gave a thumb's up to the white bushy fox. "Excellent job!"
Now, it's time to sieve it! After a few seconds of hesitation, Hana took out the baby napkin she used daily as a towel and sighed. I can only use this for the time being.
Hana poured the white watery paste on to a big heart-shaped leaf carefully. Sweat beaded her forehead as her nervous heart beat a pace faster. If she wasn't careful, everything could fall on the floor. She can't afford for that to happen! At the moment, she felt a little regret for not making more than one pot for cooking. It was an oversight on her part.
Phew, thank God it didn't spill! She rejoiced in her heart once it was done.
After making sure the watery coconut paste containing leaf was secured, she rinsed the insides of the censer-shaped pot with clean water haphazardly to rid of any dirt and coconut shavings. After that, she placed her towel lightly on top of the pot to everyone's confusion. Even Kuro stopped doing his job to observe his mistress’ peculiar actions.
Why is she placing the cloth she used to rub her own body on the cooking pot? Is she going to dry the pot too? All their heads tilted to the left in synchronization.
Noticing everyone's attention on her, Hana gave them a toothy grin and spoke in a clear voice. Their attention had effectively sparked 'Teacher Hana' mode. "For mature coconut flesh, we can harvest the milk by squeezing this mesh out using a piece of cloth. Any kind of cloth can do as long as the liquid can pass through and the leftovers stays inside. Later, a white and thick liquid will come out of the cloth. That is the coconut milk. (2) It is inherently different than coconut juice. You can make a lot of things with this."
In another time and place, what Hana did was so disgusting that it will spark a huge rejection from everyone who saw it! They won't even have the appetite to eat her cooking! Nobody would ever use the same piece of cloth one used to wipe one’s own body in the kitchen! However, these kids before her didn't have the concept of hygiene. At least not at the standard of a normal human being. They were just curious little creatures!
A resounding chirp made Hana looked at Markisah. Kuro helpfully interpreted, she wanted to ask a question, Mommy.
Hana nodded, "After this, anyone who wanted to ask a question must raise their hand.." Hana paused after pushing her spectacle up on to the bridge of her sweaty nose using her index finger and cleared her throat. She looked at the snake, fox, bird and fish and chuckled lightly at her strange 'students'. "fin, paw, wings, whatever you have actually."
A wing was raised high. Hana pointed at Markisah and said, "Yes! Student Markisah! Speak!"
"Chirp chirpppp chirppppppp chirp!" Hana sweated after pausing. Kuro helpfully whispered, Can I have the leftover clear water from the coconut? Markisah had aimed for the clear water from the very beginning. Markisah’s friends at her hometown had never shared some with her, only telling tales to whet her desire. Hana had poured whatever she could get inside her pannikin and left it just like that. So, she thought it should be alright as long as she asked for it.
Hana sighed. That's not a question related to coconut milk. "Sure, you can."
The fish flapped her pectoral fins a second later to grab the aunty's attention. However, only a lot of air bubbles came out.
"Yes, Ara." What did she say just now? Shiro answered telepathically, If you don't plan to eat the white things after whatever you're doing, can you give it to me to try? It smelled good.
Hana face-palmed internally. "Yep, you can try if you like. But you need to know that it'll be tasteless since I've extracted all flavors by milking out all the liquid inside."
Ara made a back-flip within her suspended water bubble happily. Hana is so accommodating! I really like her! She didn't even charge me this time!
Hana longed for an intelligent question from the crowd and looked hopefully at her two boys. The hope of a mother shone through her eyes, sending obvious signals saying ‘Ask me, ask me’. Shiro looked at Kuro while Kuro blinked back at Shiro. The black snake then sprang up and down. After all he didn't have any limbs to be raised up. Mommy, I have a question!
Delighted, Hana nodded with expectation, "Shoot!" She knew that her beloved little snake would've focused well on her preparation and was dying to ask a constructive question to deepen his understanding.
Can I drink the white milk from the coconut once you're done?! Kuro asked eagerly with great expectation. Since the fish could get the residue, he's intelligent enough to know that the good stuff will be inside the white liquid expressed.
Dark clouds loomed over Hana's head. She shouldn't have hoped too much for a bunch of five-year olds, "No!"
Author’s Notes:
(1) mortar and a pestle = a thick bowl-shaped container (mortar), usually made from either stone or wood, and it comes with a pestle, a heavy, blunt-ended tool made of the same matching material. The pestle is used to crush or grind things inside the bowl-shaped mortar. Essentially, it’s a traditional version of a dry blender. We in Malaysia usually used it to make thick sambal belacan dip all the time (it is considered an extra effort since the widespread use of blender for a more watery version of sambal belacan)
(2) coconut milk = not to be confused with the colorless coconut water present inside the coconut. It is the essence from a mature coconut meat. The method to extract coconut milk is real, it can be used just like in the novel (if you’re so lazy, you can just use a strainer and squeeze the coconut puree with your palm after you blend).
