The sky grew darker as Marlina, Meisha, and Kelabu continued their journey through the dense forest. Marlina carefully held a bottle containing three climbing perch fish while carrying her backpack, whereas Meisha walked slowly beside her, also carrying a small rucksack filled with documents, clothes, and food. Their footsteps were silent, accompanied only by the sound of leaves crunching beneath them.
Marlina pondered the right words to start a conversation with Meisha, the child of Orena and Merilton.
"Meisha," Marlina began gently, "Call me Mum from now on. Mum wants to know… what was your life like before? What have you been through?"
Meisha looked at Marlina with sorrowful eyes. She bit her lip, as if trying to hold back tears.
"Can I tell you? But please don't get angry…"
"I won't be angry, my dear. Tell me. I want to listen," Marlina replied, stroking Meisha's head lovingly.
"When I was little," Meisha started, her voice trembling, "Mum always left me alone. Sometimes, I had nothing to eat. And even if I did, it was just scraps from the table."
Marlina gripped Meisha’s hand tightly, her eyes welling up upon hearing the heart-wrenching story.
"When I was three, Mum started locking me in a cat cage. She said I was naughty. The cage was tiny, Mum. I couldn’t even lie down properly. Sometimes, I had to sleep sitting up. If I cried, she’d get angry and not give me any food at all."
Tears began to stream down Marlina’s face, but she tried to hide them from Meisha.
"Why did your mum do that? What did you do wrong?"
"I don’t know, Mum," Meisha replied, shaking her head. "When I turned five, she stopped using the cat cage. But after that, every time she left the house, she locked me in the basement. It was dark, cold, and smelled awful. Sometimes, I heard rats scurrying around. When she was home, she locked me in a cramped, dark storeroom," she continued.
Marlina stopped walking for a moment. She turned to Meisha and hugged her tightly. This was the moment to execute her plan. The journey ahead was long, but it would surely succeed, she thought.
"My love… I’m so sorry you had to go through all that. I never imagined someone could treat their own child this way."
Meisha continued her story.
"One time, Mum left the house for two months. I didn’t know what to do. I only drank water from a tiny pipe in the room. There was no food. I had to nibble on biscuits I found in a plastic bag. I only ate a little each day… because I was afraid, I’d run out."
Marlina could no longer hold back her emotions. She sobbed, holding Meisha as if she would never let go.
"But do you know something, Mum?" Meisha said softly, with a small smile. "A cat used to come to the basement. Sometimes, it brought fried fish. I ate the fish. That cat always fed me."
Marlina was startled. "A cat? What did it look like?"
"I couldn’t see its fur colour because it was too dark. But it was a bit chubby and had a lot of chains around its neck. It always came into the basement," Meisha explained.
Marlina froze. "That… that was Kelabu! My cat!"
Meisha looked at Kelabu, who was walking ahead of them. "This cat, Mum?"
"Yes, my dear. It used to disappear all the time. Back then, I didn’t know where he went. Turns out, he was looking for you and helping you."
Marlina recalled how Kelabu often stole fish from Tenuksia’s kitchen. He even went missing after being given fried fish by Marlina. So, he had been taking the fish to Meisha all along. However, she had never seen footage of Meisha on Grey’s GoPro camera. Perhaps it was too dark to capture anything.
Then, something else came to Marlina’s mind.
"When Kelabu came back last time, he suddenly fell seriously ill. I took him to the forest to heal him. Turns out, he was cursed by Tenuksia, our neighbour. Maybe because Kelabu kept stealing fish from her kitchen. The fish Kelabu brought to you were actually stolen ones."
Meisha smiled faintly. "But that fish kept me alive, Mum. I’m so grateful for Kelabu."
Marlina stroked Grey’s head affectionately. "Thank you, Kelabu. If it weren’t for you, Meisha might not have survived."
"Meisha, from today onwards, I am your real mother."
"Remember, your birth mother’s name is Misara Jordy. Your name is Mia Jordy. You are six years old. You were born in Switzerland. You followed me here when you were six," Marlina began executing her plan. Since she had stolen treasure before, why not go further? This time, she would "steal" Merilton and Orena’s child. It might come in handy in the future, she thought to herself.
"Repeat what I just said, Mia…"
"My name is Mia Jordy. I am six years old. My mother’s name is Misara Jordy. I was born in Switzerland. I followed my mother here when I was six," Meisha repeated fluently.
She repeated the sentences over and over as they continued their journey through the forest. Meisha smiled meaningfully.
The night deepened. Marlina decided to stop and rest in a large hollow within an ancient tree trunk. The space was big enough to shelter them from wild animals.
"We’ll sleep here tonight," Marlina said, laying down a cloth as a mat. Meisha nodded and sat close to Marlina, still hugging her small backpack.
"Mum," Meisha called softly. "Can we go back to Switzerland one day? Where Mia was born?"
Marlina gently caressed Meisha’s soft cheeks.
"Of course, my love. But before we go back, you need to hear my stories about us in Switzerland. Once we get home, we’ll wait until you’re healthy, learn to read, write, and count, then we’ll go to your birthplace."
Marlina’s plan was progressing smoothly. The child’s mind was now filled with Marlina’s narrative.
Meisha hugged Marlina tightly and whispered, "Thank you, Mum. Mia loves you."
"I love you too, Mia," Marlina replied, stroking the child’s hair. "From now on, I promise to take care of you. We’ll start a new life together. Forget everything."
That night, the three of them fell into a deep sleep, exhausted from their long journey. In her sleep, Meisha kept murmuring the sentences Marlina had taught her.
Marlina smiled…