She can hear her heartbeat echoing as he scoops her body. The sound of whispers can be heard behind them. The ladies have started gossiping as they never see Naki being so close with girls before.
Aria really can’t get used to being this close with the opposite gender.
‘This can’t be good for my heart. I wonder how he keeps a stiff facial expression. Am I that plain looking?”
She pouts her lips and wonders why she would care so much about what Naki thinks of her. Normally she would not give any heed to what others think of her. Her days are normally spent with her nose buried in books.
She realizes that she was the odd one in her school and university years. Never once she enjoys the company of people that is the same age as hers. Aria follows professors around to do their research as assistants.
‘I wonder if Professor Smith would look for me. She must be alarmed since I normally call her before the day ends.’
Professor Smith knows all about Aria’s family and reluctantly lets her meet Marie that day.
‘I should have listened to Professor Smith. Well~ Not that I can change things that have happened anyway. At least I am no longer involved in that rotten family of mine.’
She let out a deep sigh and she can feel her feet touching the ground again.
“Follow mother.”
Naki’s deep voice feels so close to her ear as he puts her down. Before she can say anything, Nana comes and grabs her arms and leads her to the front door of their living space.
“It is getting hotter now, let’s go to the tanju to hang our laundry.”
They walk to the uncovered verandah. Aria realized that it is made with long bamboo that was split half lengthwise. The long bamboo organized closely to each other and tied up with rattan on top of the joist made of Borneo Ironwood.
Creaking noise can be heard when the three of them walk on the tanju. Aria was praying that nothing snaps because she has always been afraid to walk around the tanju when she was visiting her relatives’ longhouse.
“Mother, I’m going out.”
He immediately left after putting down the basket fills with the laundry.
Nana hands over a long bamboo pole that has a clean and polished look. Intuitively, Aria slips the sarong along the bamboo pole. Once the whole length is used, Nana helps to insert the end of the bamboo into the carved hole of two erected poles. Good thing that it was hanged during the daytime otherwise Aria’s white dress will resemble a ghost when it was hanged.
“How did you come up with bamboo joinery like this?”
Aria’s pitch heightened from her excitement. Aria is busy admiring the joinery as she was influenced to fall in love with anthropology by her neighbor, Professor Smith. She has been mentoring Aria since she was a little kid. After knowing how the history of Australia and Borneo island entwined somehow, Aria was hooked to know more about her heritage. The way people come up with a new invention has always blown her mind. Especially in the prehistoric time where you can’t even get any guidance or reference.
“Gonik invented this. He was very passionate about woodworking and spent most of his time studying different types of wood.”
Nana replies while smiling bitterly because if her son is still alive, he will achieve more accomplishment with his unending curiosity.
“Later I will introduce you to the people in the longhouse. I bet the ladies are waiting to hang out with you.”
She covers her mouth with her hands to hide her smile because she heard what the ladies whisper about Naki. Her son is quite a dense one when it comes to reading girl signals, that is why she did not have any daughter-in-law yet.
Aria nods then carries the empty basket following Nana’s footsteps closely from behind.
“We will need to treat your wounds now.”
Nana makes her sit down on the bamboo mat in the middle of the kitchen before disappearing into the attic.
Aria’s eyes wander around the kitchen. The kitchen building seems detached. She can see the space without a roof separating the kitchen and the living space. Wide mouth jars can be seen lining up in an organized manner. The uncovered space gives sunlight to both the living space and the kitchen.
‘What a clever way to brighten up the house.’
Aria thought to herself as she remembers this space was not available in any of the longhouses that she visited previously. But she remembers one longhouse deep in the rural area has a section transparent roof in the living space and kitchen to passively brighten up the room without using electricity.
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