The Wood : Part 3

Continued from The Wood : Part 1 and The Wood : Part 2

   Now, how can I climb the tree? I didn't think, I just jumped and something propelled me up and forward. Lo and behold, I was up in the air! I honestly didn't know I could do that. Something prompted me. The small voice? Instinct? It's just as though I knew that it was possible. What a great feeling, being able to fly. I felt that my body was as light as feather!

   It was already fully night time by the time I settled down in the medium-sized tree house. I lied in it, snug and comfortable although I bumped my forehead while trying to scramble in just now. The branches that formed the floor were surprisingly soft. I didn't need a mattress or a blanket. The air was quite warm. The full moon gave sufficient light for me to see everything around me. Not everything, really. But I did get startled when I saw an owl on the tree across, blinking its round eyes. Then I was lulled into a deep slumber by the seemingly never ending lullaby of the forest...

   When I woke up, the sun had not yet risen fully. I sat on the edge of the tree house with my feet dangling, listening to the cheerful morning sound. Then I jumped to the ground. More like floated, actually. I still marveled at the way I half flew just now when I started my journey again. I knew that eventually I would reach a place that would be the end of my journey and the place would surely be the most magical of all the things that I had encountered. The eagerness made me feel like bursting with energy. I was practically skipping along the path. After about half an hour walking, I was overcame with hunger. I realized that I haven't eaten since yesterday evening! And not a single drop of water had entered my mouth either.

   While walking I looked around, looking for something to eat. I saw some berries, but I dared not eat them for fear that they were poisonous. I was hungrier and thirstier by each passing minute. At last I couldn't stand it anymore and stopped to rest under a shady tree. I fell asleep soon after, dreaming about food.

   I had no idea how long I slept. I woke up when I felt something tickling my face. When I opened my eyes, what a shock I got! A weird tiger-like creature was sniffing my face! It has white fur with grey stripes. I froze in fear, thinking that I was finished. I am some animal's dinner now and it would serve me right for being overly adventurous! But no, the beast didn't hurt me or eat me. It just sat there staring at me. I stared back. For a long time we just looked at each other. It seemed like eternity before I decided that maybe, just maybe, the animal was tame. It seemed to be...it's acting like a pet cat. Course, it was some kind of cat! Err... really huge cat, though...

- To Be Continued -

Continued in The Wood : Part 4

Battle With Betrayal

 The pain of betrayal

Grips like hellfire

Endless tears in your heart

Silent words nobody hears

The darkness of night pulls you down

And alone you drown

The sun saves you each day

But forever it can never stay

Deep inside you could hear a sound

A faint cry for help

But no one is around

And lies come after lies

All you've seen and believe in

Illusions made for you

They shatters, and your little world crumbles

Truth does make you stronger

But it also makes you colder

Why wouldn't it be

When you lost something you protected with such ferocity

Something you thought would never leave you

Even when the whole world walks out on you

You kneel in desperation

Grasping blindly for fragments of truth

Piercing your numb fingers mercilessly

You look up at the sky

Hoping to see the sun

Just to realize that the storm is coming

In defeat you lay on the ground

Washed in sorrow

Helplessly uttering no sound

No sound at all.

Dialogue of Hansel And Gretel : Tragic Version

 

Gretel was forced to obey the evil witch's orders. She didn't have the courage to escape nor fight. She's helpless, she couldn't help Hansel. She felt that she had failed him and could only watch, pleading in vain as the witch, who had clear eye vision and was very hard to fool, fatten Hansel up for her big feast!

Gretel :   On this chilly night I'm missing you.
                Such a beautiful yet tragic piece of my life.
                What's in order for us to live this way?
Hansel :  I wonder.
                Are you going to be someone
                Who's not gonna be there during my final days?
Gretel :   Will you be leaving much, much sooner than that?
Hansel :  Counting your tears now.
Gretel :   Your expectations need someone better to fit them.
                Your happiness is out of reach for me.
                You deserve a fantasy, cos the reality that I gave you broke your heart.
Hansel :  The basket of smiles I made you were quick to go with the wind.
Gretel :   Bad storm never loses our scent.
               A small drop of our happiness to it
               Is like a small drop of blood to a shark
Hansel :  How are you going to put up with this your entire life?
Gretel :   I will be watching our time now
               Cos I won't be doing much of that when you're gone
               For now, I will still be watching time, etched with what we had make of us..

Ya adik-adik, ini kisah Hansel dan Gretel versi tragis yang manggis di mana Gretel tidak mampu menyelamatkan Hansel dari dimakan oleh ahli sihir tua yang jahat. Dialogue di atas jika disatukan sebenarnya adalah sesuatu yang A.Samad Said tulis dengan tidak terkira banyaknya : sajak. 

Amaran (huh?)/Disclaimer : Tiada niat ingin menyaingi tokoh sasterawan agung ini, jauh sekali berlakon di depan cermin dengan janggut putih sambil mengungkapkan sajak-sajaknya.

Dialog itu secara meleret-leretnya adalah sebenarnya ini :-

Gayah   :  Di malam yang dingin dan sunyi ini aku merindui kamu.
                  Kehadiran kamu dalam hidup aku adalah sesuatu yang indah tapi tragik.
                  Apakah sebabnya hidup kita begini?
Herman :  Aku terpikir...
                  Adakah kamu akan jadi salah seorang yang tidak di sisi aku
                  Dalam hari-hari akhir aku?
                  (Mungkin kerana telah pergi jauh, atau pergi selama-lamanya.)
Gayah   :  Adakah kamu akan pergi lebih awal dari saat tibanya hari-hari seperti itu?
                  (Tidak sempat hidup lama untuk menunggu.)
                  *mengalirkan air mata yang berkilauan di bawah cahaya rembulan*
                  *lolongan serigala*
Herman :  Aku mengira butir airmata kamu, Gayah.
                   (Telah banyak kamu menangis untuk aku.)
Gayah   :  Kamu perlukan seorang yang lebih baik, Herman.
                  Seseorang yang mampu menyelamatkan kamu.
                  Aku tidak mampu menggapai kebahagiaan untuk kamu.
                  Kamu perlukan sebuah fantasi yang tidak menyakitkan...
                  Kerana realiti yang aku berikan melukakan hati kamu.
Herman :  Aku memujuk dan buatkan kamu tersenyum sebakul banyaknya, Gayah.
                  Tapi sekejap sahaja sudah hilang dibawa angin.
Gayah   :  Mendung ribut mengejar kita bagaikan anjing polis membau penjenayah.
                  Secebis kegembiraan yang kita rasai kepadanya
                  Adalah seperti setitis darah pada jerung di lautan.
                  Sekejap sahaja terkesan, sepantas kilat dibaham mangsanya.
Herman :  Mampukah kamu hidup dengan semua ini sepanjang hayat kamu?
Gayah   :  Aku akan mengawasi masa sekarang.
                  Kerana aku tidak akan berbuat begitu lagi setelah kamu pergi.
                  Buat masa yang kita ada sekarang, aku akan terus memerhati
                  Masa mengukir kenangan dengan apa yang kita ada.

                  *Ahli sihir datang*
                  *Tengok Herman atas bawah, atas bawah sambil angguk-angguk*
                  *Tuang kicap, tabur bawang goreng, makan*
                  *Gayah meraung-raung*
                  *Ahli sihir berpaling, dengan mata merah menyala
                     Menuding jari berkuku panjang sedepa
                     Sambil berkata...*
             
                  "YOU'RE NEXT, Gayah!"