The Old Lady's River

'Survive my One'

Since I was a child, my mother rarely called me by my name. She always called me "my One" or "my Dearest One." Perhaps because I am her only daughter or maybe because I resemble her, unlike my six brothers. Based on this fact, I concluded that the engraving on the strange box is done by my dear mother.

From time to time, I would glance at the box, hoping to understand it, but even time did not help solve the mystery of the situation or the words on the strange wood.

'When you think you're ready, open the box. And you might learn something.'

What is that supposed to mean? Ready for what? How would I know if I'm ready for something I don't know? Am I supposed to guess? And what is there to learn? Should I open the box to learn what I'm supposed to learn? And what's with the "might"?

These are just the questions that accompanied my reading of the message. Without mentioning the questions that accompanied the situation in general. Where did she find this type of brown wood? How did she know the day I would leave? When did she prepare all this? Why did she prepare all this? What is her goal in all this?

There are many mysteries surrounding my dear mother, but I am sure she is doing this for my benefit, despite the strangeness of the method. She said it herself, "You might learn something." So the goal, in the end, was for me to learn, and there is nothing we learned from our mother that caused a negative reaction. So I was reassured in this regard.

But when should I open the box? I want to follow my mother's words, but their strangeness makes it difficult. So I decided not to rush to open it. I am curious about its contents, but for some reason, I don't feel like opening it now. Maybe I just don't want to regret it later when I learn about its contents, or maybe I just don't think I'm ready for this. Despite everything, I decided not to open it now, but in the near future.

***

The sun was blazing with its golden color in the middle of the clear blue sky. This hot weather would have been a challenge if it weren't for the rainforest acting as a natural protection. I was still following the stream that is supposed to lead me to the Old Lady's River. The leaves were swaying in the gentle breeze. Whenever I felt thirsty or tired, I drank from the cold stream water. Its surface reflected my red features, creating a strange synchronization with the forest itself.

But luckily, my father's old horse was always with me to remind me of myself. Whenever I stopped to drink water, he did the exact same thing, always making sure to stay as close as possible. They say horses are intelligent creatures, but I think he does it just to get back at me for dragging him on this journey considering his age. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the company, even though it would end soon.

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I pushed these thoughts out of my mind, tried not to think this way, and focused on my path. As time passed, the flow of the stream became stronger and faster. This was a good thing and a sign that I was close to my destination, but the bad thing was that the path itself became more rugged, steep, and rocky. Sometimes I had no choice but to make a big detour while keeping the general direction, but these kinds of detours only wasted time. But complaining wouldn't fix the rough path, so I kept my mouth shut and continued my way patiently.

I stopped counting the seconds as I carefully made my way through the trees and dangerous rocky slopes. My father's old horse showed his expertise in this type of terrain, so I didn't have much trouble leading him to my destination. Most of the time, he chose the safest path and walked on it alone. Time passed quietly with a bit of nervousness and caution, and before I knew it, the sound of the flowing water grew louder with a powerful roar, evoking a sense of awe and grandeur.

I contained my excitement and made my way through the dense trees. What appeared before my eyes was a breathtaking scene.

The water in front of me shimmered with a faint glow, reflecting the colors of the surrounding trees that were ablaze with red. The river wound between the trees like a silver snake, its clear waters revealing a bed covered with smooth rocks and red algae.

I took a deep breath; the air here was pure and refreshing, carrying the unique scent of the rainforest. A small smile formed on my lips as I couldn't contain my excitement, so I patted my father's old horse firmly under his puzzled gaze.

A strange feeling of accomplishment grew inside my chest, just from this act of finding the river. I know this is very small compared to what I want to achieve, and that reaching the river doesn't necessarily mean an easy path to the rivers mouth town. But that didn't stop me from fluttering with joy at this small achievement.

Although this feeling is sweet and intoxicating, I can't indulge in it. The part of the river I found runs through the forest, so there is still work to be done, at least for today. First, I need to find a bank where the current isn't strong, to camp for the night, bathe, and do other things.

This wasn't a big problem because now I could just move forward. The only challenge was, would I find a bank before sunset? Even if I didn't, there was always the next day.

So I made my way along the Old Lady's River. The further I went, the more I felt like I was diving into the heart of the rainforest. The scene before me lifted my spirits, as the forest and the river combined to form a picture of serene beauty.

I didn't feel the passage of time as I lightly wandered through the heart of the rainforest, the Old Lady's River on my left, and in the distance, my destination and camp for the night. I quickened my steps towards the riverbank in my sight.

On this bank, smooth rocks scattered over the thin grass, while tall red grasses, leans towards the flowing water. The nearby trees shaded the place with their wide branches, and their red leaves danced with the breeze, adding a touch of tranquility to this place.

The water flowed gently, reflecting the sunset light that cast its glow on the quiet forest, creating a magical painting where the colors of the sunset and the calm of nature harmonized.

As I stood on the quiet riverbank, I felt a cool breeze touch my face, carrying the scent of damp earth and gently swaying red leaves. Beside me stood my father's old horse, his shiny coat reflecting the golden sunset light, and his wide eyes watching the scene with curiosity and anticipation.