3 Secret Rooms

 

Part 1

We just arrived to our new house, a big house in Batam, one of industrial city in Indonesia. Ali, my husband decided to move to Batam, because he works in Batam.

“Daddy, this house is too big for us. Are you sure that we’ll happy stay and live here?” Zaki our 13 years son asked his father. He is a student in Junior High School the second grade. Last time when we lived in Jakarta, Zaki had many friends, and now he has to find new friends here.

“I’m sure we’ll happy live in our new home. Believe in me, my son. I have decided the best for you and your Mom.” Said Zaki’s father.

“I trust you completely, Hun!” I responded his decision happily, “hey my son, please help me to bring this carrier bag!”

This morning, we were very busy to manage our new home. This house has many rooms, 5 bedrooms, 2 spare rooms, 3 bathrooms, a big kitchen, a large library, and 2 back rooms.
When Zaki was busy to choose his room, I talked to my husband about the house, “masha’Allah Hubby, this house is too big. It has many rooms, I’m confused to select the room for us, he..he!”

“Ha..ha..ha, follow me to select our room!” Ali invited me to see all rooms. After a half hour, we find our room, “I like this room, what do you think, Hubby?”

“I follow you, lovely! Let’s see our son!”

“Daddy! Mommy! I found my room! Look at here! It’s beautiful room for me, indeed! I can see the people outside from my room clearly. I can take the beautiful picture of that beach from my room too.” Zaki told his room.

“Wonderful! Now, clean and manage your room, okay! If you need our helps just call us!”

We continued to clean and snug up our home.

***

Only two weeks we lived in our new home together, today my husband had to attend the meeting in Surabaya. We understood about his work, and we didn’t complain about it to him. Before he went to Surabaya, he searched servants to help us and rent the security too, to keep us.
Zaki didn’t go to school today, he had several days to prepare the exams. I decided to check and observe the rooms. I asked Zaki to accompany me and he agreed with me. For the first time, we entered the library on the second floor. It was a large library, I admired its room and books were arranged beautifully. We read the titles of the books randomly. Unluckily, I saw the thick dust on the cupboard and stacks. I took the feather duster to clean them. When I touched the stacks, I felt the floor moved, and we were thrown to other side of the stacks. We were very confused. It happened too fast. It was a dark room. I touched the floor and searched the button to open the stacks.

“Where are us now, Mom? It is so dark! Can we find the way to back to the library?”

“I don’t know, Zaki. We must find something to open the stacks.”
We tried and tried, but we failed. Finally, Zaki found a hole in the corner of the room. With the light of his phone, he was searching the function of that hole.

“I guess, it is a way to other room of this house. Will we try this way, Mom?” Zaki offered his opinion. I didn’t have idea, except to follow his mind. That hole had a ladder at its bottom. We were going down along the ladder carefully.

“At our bottom isn’t the floor, Mom. It’s water. I think it’s a cave!” Zaki told about the condition at the bottom.

“Water?! Cave!? How could there is water at the bottom of our house. Are you sure, it’s the way to other room?” I felt very confused with that.

“I don’t know, Mom! Be careful, Mom! It’s like a cave, we can’t walk normally here.”

“Masha’Allah, I can’t believe it, Zaki! Am I dreaming?” I pinched my cheeks.

“No, you aren’t dreaming, Mom! It’s real. We are falling into the cave, because we don’t find yet the way to back to the library. Keep calm, Mom! I’ll try to find the way!”

We walked and walked hard to find the way. It was a real cave. There were many questions those I couldn’t find the answers. I didn’t know how many hours we had walked. There were many forks in the cave, I remembered our route. Luckily, there were some lamps on the walls of cave. I didn’t know who had put those lamps there. I only believed someone had made this intentionally for special purpose, but what purpose.

“Mommy, I see the light! We did it! Come on we walk to that way!” Zaki asked me to walk fast.
I was grateful for that. Zaki used his phone to see the way. He arrived there in few time.

“What place is it? Mom, see it! There is a house there! I see many men there. Be careful, my feeling isn’t good to see this. I guess…………”

Suddenly, we heard the voice, “Hey! What are you doing there? Catch them!”
We were shocked to hear that, we didn’t do anything for a while. Then my hand held Zaki’s hand with reflex-action.

“Run, Zaki! Run! We run to the room again!” We ran back to the room. We ran… and ran to keep ourselves. We believe those people weren’t good people. They seem were doing illegal business. But, we didn’t know their business, we didn’t have times to observe it. I fell many times in the cave, and so did my son. But, we didn’t stop our run. I didn’t let of Zaki’s hand.

“Dear, where is its ladder? Is my route right?” I was so panicked that I didn’t find the ladder.

“Wait…! Wait! , I think it isn’t its way. We are wrong, Mom! We have to hide there, Mom. I heard they ran towards us!” Zaki gave the idea calmly. He is great boy, indeed!

“I’m afraid, dear if they’ll find us here.”
Zaki put his index finger on his mouth gave me sign to keep silent. He switched off his phone. We heard the voice of some men. They were so near to our hiding place. We hid behind the big stone.

“I don’t see them, Boss! I think they have gone! Should we hunt them again?” a tall man asked a big man, I guessed his leader.

“We back now, we don’t have much times to find them. They’re villagers I think. They aren’t the police. Let’s go!”

We didn’t move at all, until those men moved far from us. Zaki and I tried hard to find the way to the library.

“We got it, Mom! I’m sure it’s the way to our library. Maybe we can find the way there. I hope there is button to open the stacks. You’re first Mom!”

“Masha’Allah, my son! What’s adventure we had today! We are safe here. Oh, I’m so tired, Zaki! We should take rest first before hunting the button. Give me your phone!”

“I prefer sitting in the dark room than running in the cave!” Zaki laughed loudly.

“Trust me, we’ll back to the library soon. What’s time now?”

“I heard prayer calling just now, Mom! So, we have spent many hours just now. I remembered we entered the library on eight fifteen.”

“Masha’Allah, dear! Insha’Allah we’ll find the way.”

“Yes, insha’Allah Mom.” Zaki and I sat behind the stacks and our backs touched them, and we felt the stacks moved fast, when we opened our eyes, we were in the library again. We saw our clothes, our body were wet and very dirty. Our feet had mad muddied the library.

“We have to clean this room, Mom! We can’t ask the servants to help us, right?”

“You’re very true. It’s our secret. Don’t say to your dad, okay! It’s our adventure. I guess, every room has its secret.”

“Wow! I like it, Mom! When will we check other rooms?”

“Be patient, okay! Its time will come.” I smiled at him widely.

“Nice adventure, Yes!”

 

to be continued