Performing his pencak silat by a stream, Onays depleted all the negativity from his body and remained calmed. He swayed his hands and focused entirely on his keen motions. The musical gurgle of the water relaxed his thoughts, the cool air refreshed him too. As he opened his eyes, he saw a family of proboscis monkeys hanging by the branches as the mother fed its infant. A flock of hornbill birds flew across the sky.

Onays wandered around the stream until he saw an elegant girl bathing by the waterfall. She only wore a kain batik where she was having her berkemban. She rinsed her long-black hair and let water flow through her smooth-silk like skin. As the girl turned to Onays, he soon realized who she was. Onays blushed, his lips were shivering and his eyes were bursting wide.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know you where here.” Apologized Onays in a timid voice.

“Please stay.” Said Anissa seductively.

“No, I have to practice, the White Men could come any second.”

Anissa tied her hair and serenely walked towards Onays. Onays was developing a sense of… allurement in his heart. He had never felt it much stronger than his crush back at school.

“Let’s take a walk around the stream.” Anissa invited.

“Um, so I’ve learnt a lot of tricks and silat skills. I can jump and swing my foot and I could somersault and chop!” boasted Onays.

“Wow, but can you dodge this!” said Anissa rapidly, as Onays successfully grabbed her attacking hand. “Not bad at all. The first time I met you, you liked to whine and cry like a baby a lot.” Anissa continued with a giggle.

“Hey, that was a long time ago okay. Now I can protect myself and… beat Ratna!”

“You’re just bragging. You just ran away and luckily for you he tripped!”

“Yeah, yeah.” Onays finally gave up. “You come to this stream often?”

“I enjoy it, I used to play around here with Ratna. I never knew he would grow up being such a bossy, nosy person… don’t you think?”

“True, I never understand why he’s that grumpy all the time. I also want to… apologize for getting him arrested.”

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“He should be arrested though. I never liked him and I’m glad that I won’t be wedded with him.” Said Anissa mirthfully.

“That’s great. I’m glad for you too Anissa.”

“Hey, that’s the first time you ever said my name Mawang. You called me with such names like crazy, idiot and such.”

“Maybe you’re not the person I used to know.” Affirmed Onays. He goggled up and saw a tall tree“Have you ever wondered why those tropical trees are tall, have canopies and have these big roots?”

“Why?” said Anissa.

“Well, I like to learn about plants in my Biology class. I may suck at Add Maths and I do suck at Biology, but this topic is what I find interesting. The rest I can’t really relate though.” Said Onays frankly. “The taller the trees, the more sunlight they can get, so it’s a competition. The larger the branches, the better the photosynthesis and the large roots are for them to clasp into the ground. I think it’s because of the chlorophyll in the chloroplast where it releases ATP. I’m terrible at memorizing.”

“What is ATP?” asked Anissa. “What is biyologee and kelorfeel?”

“For that, I don’t know. But that’s the reason.” Replied Onays almost letting out a laugh.

Anissa gave a playful slap on Onays’ back. “You mean, that tallest tree is the winner of the competition?”

“I guess so…” said Onays dubiously. Oh crud, what am I saying? It sounds like the tallest tree is the sperm and the sunlight is the ovum because of competition. I hope she won’t realize it… thought Onays.

“Hey, when you say that, it sounds fishy…” said Anissa, estranged.

There goes my cover. She’s going to think that I’m a weirdo. Thought Onays again.

“In a proverb, the tallest tree is the most greedy you know?” said Anissa with a broad smile.

“Oh really, but well. If I was among the tree, I want to reach for the sun. That warm, shining sun! Those smaller trees are my bullies at school, who makes fun of me!” extolled Onays to himself.

The both of them stopped and glanced at the tallest tree that stood 116 meters tall, a combined length of four blue whales. The surrounding turned into the hushing sounds of the stream and the peaceful chirps of birds again.

“Now that Ratna is gone, I feel lonely inside. Isolated and dim. I feel free but without a person by my side.” Whispered Anissa as she let her beautiful eyes upon Onays’. “But now, I have someone new in my life.” Onays stood firm, his heart pounded fast as his eyes were locked on her. His lips shivered again.

“I want to ask you something Mawang.” Anissa’s smile was breathtaking.

“Yes…yes.” Replied Onays stuttering.

“Now that you are good in silat, then what is your purpose of having it?”

“Um, with the silat now I can defeat the White Men and get your golden crocodile as promised. After that, I can return home and have a normal life.”

“That is all that you can think of possessing the silat?”

“Yeah, I don’t know.”

Anissa was disappointed, she was expecting a different answer from Onays. She turned away and took her clothings from the waterfall. Onays was awfully pinned. The numbness made his brain empty and so he sped away into the forest, regretting of what he had said to Anissa.