Marlina knew time was running out. In the dark and cramped basement, she held her cat, Kelabu, tightly as it stirred restlessly. The secret passage connected to the basement was their only way out. A few months ago, Marlina had accidentally discovered the tunnel while searching for a way to save Kelabu, whom she suspected had been poisoned by Tenuksia. She and Kelabu had once used the tunnel to sneak into Tenuksia’s house to steal money and gold before escaping into the forest in search of a cure for Kelabu. Today, that same tunnel would be their savior once again.
Marlina stood up and placed her bag in the corner of the cave wall. She intended to return to the basement—not to rob Tenuksia again, but to go to Orena’s house.
The tunnel was dark and narrow, illuminated only by the small flashlight Marlina carried. The echoes of her breath, footsteps, and Kelabu’s tiny paws filled the passage. After a few minutes, she arrived at the secret door that led to the basement of Orena’s house. Carefully, she opened it and slipped inside.
Marlina’s gaze landed on a frail little girl lying weakly on an old mattress. Her small body looked thin and unkempt, with tangled hair and a face full of sorrow. Marlina was stunned to see the child there.
"Who are you?" Marlina asked softly, trying not to startle the child.
The little girl looked at Marlina with fearful eyes. "I’m Meisha," she said in a barely audible voice. "I’m the daughter of Orena and… Merilton."
Marlina froze. That information struck her like lightning. Merilton’s child? She had never known about Meisha’s existence. Her heart burned with anger, yet at the same time, she felt sympathy for the child.
"Why are you here?" Marlina asked again.
"Mama says I have to stay here every time she leaves. Mama says I can’t come out until she returns," Meisha answered quietly, her eyes beginning to well up. Marlina could sense the deep fear hidden in that tiny voice.
"How old are you, sweetheart?" Marlina asked, gently pulling the child into an embrace.
"Five," Meisha replied, clinging tightly to Marlina’s body.
"Alright, you’re very brave. How about you wait here while I get you some food and drink, okay?" Meisha quickly nodded at Marlina’s request.
Marlina pressed her ear against the door, listening carefully. Orena wasn’t home, this was her chance. She tried the door, shocked to find it unlocked, though it was far too heavy for a frail five year old to push open. Without hesitation, Marlina made her decision.
She lifted Meisha into her arms and carried her out of the basement and up the stairs. Kelabu followed them cautiously. Marlina placed Meisha gently on a kitchen chair and opened the refrigerator. There was bread and milk inside. She heated the milk and poured it into a cup.
"Meisha, eat this so you’ll have energy. You need to clean yourself up before we escape from Orena and Merilton." Marlina watched as Meisha ate and drank as if she had never seen food before. It was clear that her original skin colour was hidden under layers of dirt and dust.
"Meisha, have you ever taken a bath?" Marlina asked.
"No… Mama never let me. I’ve never seen my own face in a mirror. Mama and Papa never really look at me," Meisha said, finishing her last bite of bread.
After tidying up, Marlina carried Meisha and went straight to Orena’s bedroom. She removed the burlap sack that had been Meisha’s clothing and stuffed it into a plastic bag. She then began bathing Meisha with warm water. Slowly, the grime and dust peeled away, revealing a pale white child, signs of a severe lack of sunlight and vitamin D from being locked away for so long. Her face was beautiful, faintly resembling Orena, though the resemblance wasn’t striking. Marlina took a pair of scissors and trimmed Meisha’s long hair to shoulder length. Finally, she cleaned up the bathroom to erase any traces of what they had done in case Orena and Merilton returned.
Marlina searched every bedroom but couldn’t find any children’s clothes, more specifically, Meisha’s clothes. Eventually, she decided to check Orena’s room. Maybe she’d find something there. She opened Orena’s wardrobe and finally found children’s clothes inside a shopping basket, untouched. She picked out a T-shirt and jeans, pairing them with a thick jacket for Meisha. The child quickly dressed herself in the clothes Marlina handed her.
Opening the bottom drawer of the wardrobe, Marlina discovered a set of unnamed maternity medical documents. She searched further but found no birth certificate or any record of Meisha’s existence. It was clear, Orena and Merilton didn’t want anyone to know about their child.
"This is important," Marlina whispered to herself. She slipped the documents into a backpack she found behind the wardrobe. She also packed a few sets of Meisha’s clothes, shoes, and some food from the kitchen. Leaving Meisha here was no longer an option, her suffering would only continue. Marlina had a better plan for her.
Before they left the house, Marlina flung Orena’s bedroom window wide open, pulled out every drawer, and scattered the contents of the jewellery boxes. "Let Buyung take his prize," she muttered.
She also opened the kitchen window and left the basement door ajar. She even left the refrigerator door open and tossed its contents around. Lastly, she placed the burlap sack that had been Meisha’s clothing in plain sight but took the cut hair with her. She wanted to make it look like Meisha had run away on her own.
Once everything was set, Marlina carried Meisha while Kelabu followed closely. They slipped back into the tunnel behind the basement wall.
They made their way back to the basement of Merilton’s house. There, Marlina and Meisha worked swiftly to eliminate any trace of their presence. With a calm expression, Marlina retrieved a skeleton she had hidden under the stairs two months ago. She placed it on the mattress where she had once slept while imprisoned.
"This looks real enough," Meisha murmured. They arranged the skeleton as best they could, dressing it in a satin gown and adorning it with Marlina’s jewellery, then covering it with the thin blanket Marlina had used.
Satisfied, Marlina carried Meisha, and together with Kelabu, they exited through a nearly invisible secret door. They took another tunnel that led straight into the forest. Marlina knew this journey would be dangerous, especially with a weak child in tow, but she had no other choice.