Abigail | Putri Marin

Chapter 4

   It was now lunchtime and the whole family is gathered around the dinner table to feast on our lunch, it was no other than rice and fried corn with a few leftovers from dinner last night. The food is made out of none other, but my Mother herself. We've said our prayers and start eating the meals in front of us.

   "Eat slowly Michael, you don't want to choke before your new performance tonight.", Sharen reminded gently while wiping the rice from Michael's lips and Michael look at her with excitement in his eyes and started talking about his performance. "It's going to be one of the best performances ever! I can't wait to perform it in front of Father and Uncles and Petra when they come back!", Michael said with cheerfulness visible in the air around us.

   "Abigail came to my room last night to tell me about this-", Michael said but was cut off as Abigail is now covering his mouth with her palm to stop him from saying any more details. "Zip it Michael you don't want to spoil it for everyone.", I whispered to Michael thought I'm pretty sure everyone at the table could hear it. "Oh you're right!", Michale said giggling afterward at his clumsiness.

   I sigh at that child's clumsiness and brought my attention to Ruth's. We both nod and I say to Aunt Erika, "Aunty! Are you planning on working on another project?", I asked curiously. Everyone's attention was now on her, she gave me a soft smile and said, "Well, I don't have good ideas right now", she pause, "But if you and Ruth have any ideas, it could be a wonderful help", She said with a smirk looking back and forth between me and Ruth.

   Both me and Ruth smiled at each other and started explaining to her about the painting ideas we had in mind. We were chatting back and forth the whole lunch, either its talks about the new painting ideas or just small talks. Us as a family, being the only people we talk to each other with every day, we never really ran out of topics to talk about. That just proves how strong our bonds are.

   After lunch, everyone's energy was now refiled. Mother is now cleaning the dishes while Ruth is reading a book to grandma. Sharen is playing her piano practicing. The boys went on their little adventure by the riverside and I came along with them.

   We were walking belong side the river not walking too far in proximity to the house, so we don't get lost. We were singing our summer camp song. When Father, Uncles, and Petra was home we will go summer camping during the summer and we made this song called "I Am Walking Down This Rail", with the chord C Am F and G. I strummed my fingers through the ukelele Uncle Reuben had crafted and start playing the intro song, "I am walking down this rail, to a new land I will soon discover. We shall see, we shall learn to the new land this rail leads. I am walking down this rail to a new adventure, to a long-lasting memory. We shall see, we shall learn to a new adventure this rail leads.", the boys sang along the tune of the ukelele.

   "Through rains and sunlight, we shall revisit this rail. Oh, this rail, I am walking down this rail!", The boys finish off. "Again!", I said as I strum the song's chord from the start once again. At that moment, I knew I could do this for hours endlessly and it won't be boring even a little bit. We were at it for so long we started to lose track of the house, and when we notice it was too late.

   "Wait, where are we...?", I questioned worriedly as I look the surroundings to see unfamiliar trees and rocks. Joshua who was leading the way turns around absurdly as he started to panic. That causes William and Michael to panic as well. "We're lost!", Michael screamed as he put up his defenses from everything around him, unused to the unexplored area. William was now hugging Michael and Michael did not doubt to hug him back from fear.

   These boys never really went that far from home, even for Petra it took a while to get him ready for being a hunter. As the oldest I calmed them down, "Hey! Hey, relax we can just follow the river back to the house. That's the whole point of following beside the river.", I said trying to stop the boys from panicking even more. "Abby is right, we have to calm down and head home before sunset. It is our new quest!", Joshua said as he understands what I was trying to do.

   The boys calm down and we started walking back from our trail. I try to play the ukelele to brighten the air surrounding us as to neither Joshua, William, or Michael had been in this situation while I had been here many times before. "I am walking down this rail to our dear safe home, one we always come back to.", I started the song and the rest of the boys sing along. The air was lighter than before, we started singing once again on the way home. But turned out we had walked far away from home.

   The sun is setting and the sky turned into a shadier color. The air around gets colder as there is no more sunlight to be seen, the boys seemed to be frightened as our house was nowhere in sight. I was freaking out myself, as to how late it was and how Mother will be so mad at me for bringing the boys home at this hour. I stopped playing my ukelele, the air getting thicker as moments pass by.

   Snap... there was a sound. William gasps and I cover his mouth from making any other noise. The sound of footsteps comes closer, the adrenaline rushes through my body. We are in the middle of a forest, at night time, and a footstep is closing by to us as time goes by. We were frozen, I stand up in front of the boys ready to attack whatever creature is coming closer to us with my ukelele. I had hoped it is what I thought it is.