After yesterday’s incident, after I was bathed by Mr. Ujang,

 

he asked me to stay at his house for the night together with the travel driver.
I was confused, because my money was starting to run low —
but I decided to follow his advice.
What mattered most in my mind was that my life and safety were secure.

To make a long story short, at 2 a.m., Mr. Ujang woke me up and bathed me again
behind his house.
Imagine taking a bath in the middle of the night,
with freezing water that came directly from the mountain.
The cold pierced straight through my bones —
but strangely, while I was being bathed,
there was one spot in my body that felt a burst of heat,
deep into my bones.
It defied logic.

After the bath, while I was still shivering, Mr. Ujang handed me two objects:
something that looked like a small sickle,
and a piece of small stone.

He said, “Keep these safe. From now on, you must be wiser and better
in all aspects of your life — especially in your words.”

Until now, I still keep those items from Mr. Ujang
as a reminder of my past mistake,
and of his kindness and the message he left me.