Selaka Finds His Way Home (First of my Many Short Story )

 

Selaka Finds His Way Home.

(A story for me little sister Mikha: in hope that you will try new things more as I did)

 

Morea Waai Photo by My dad, Simon Matakupan

        Once upon a time, in a place called Kepala Air, in Waai, Maluku, Indonesia. There lived a family of Moray eels. Kepala Air was a place where children can swim and jump from the bridge, and a place where Families can feed the fish, and there was also a place where mothers and grandmothers can wash their clothes. 

        Moray eels lived in holes in the riverbank of Kepala Air which are commonly found in the place where the grandmothers and mothers wash their clothes and the place families can feed fish. Among the many Moray eels, the Moray eel I am particularly talking about, is an eel called Selaka. He had 2 older siblings. One was a girl called Kepla and the other was a boy called Wair. They liked to tease Selaka continually. Because Selaka was not the best at any class and would turn up in the wrong place at the wrong time and was very clumsy at hunting.

        Selaka scared away his prey before he could catch it and would end up in a tangled mess with the teacher Professor Sloon. But Selaka was kind and fair and would always do the right thing no matter what. So, everyone liked him and would teas him in a friendly way. Selaka really liked an eel called Riu who looked almost exactly like him except that he has black dots on his underbelly and Selaka does not. So Selaka led quite a very great life. I say quite because there was an incident (as you may call it) that tested Selaka’s Bravery, Kindness, And Determination. 

        It began on a typical day, Selaka just came home from school and had had some telling of from professor Molo because he had done “a history of Kepala Air” test rock (I say test rock because paper cannot survive underwater. So, they use flat rocks) while the others had done the “Angles of coral reefs” test rock.  And how he got the test Rock was beyond Professor Molo. Anyway, when he arrived back home, His mom, his dad, Kepla, And Wair were packing supplies into eel-sized waterproof suitcases. 

“What in the underwater world is happening?” Asked Selaka. 

“Haven’t you heard the sea radio?” Said Kepla in her usual domineering way. 

“Kepala Air is going to be drained tomorrow. And the sea snakes are designing a special underwater train that will take us tomorrow at 8 o’clock sharp.” Added Wair. 

“So go pack your things!” Said his mother “we want to be ready in the morning” 

“Have you seen my pebble pouch?” asked Selaka’s dad (a pebble pouch is vitally important. Eels pay with pebbles and sea snakes pay with shells so please leave any shells or pebbles you find when swimming.) 

“No” said everyone in unison. “Selaka had it” 

“oh good” said his father “where did you put it?” 

“Uuuuuuuuummm” murmured Selaka “I think I put it in my bedroom.” 

So, began a very thorough search for the pebble pouch. But it wasn’t in the bedroom. 

“It’s not here!” cried Kepla crossly “where did you really put it?” 

“Hmmmmmmmm…. I think I put in the kitchen.” 

When the pebble pouch was finally found, everything was alright again. 

        The next morning, Kepla woke with a yawn that created an enormous bubble. She glanced at the clock and was shocked that the time was 20 minutes to eight! They had overslept! There was a real hustle and bustle and, in the confusion, Selaka was forgotten. It was only until the last minute that Wair finally remembered him and commented about it. 

“Has anyone seen Selaka?” asked Wair anxiously. 

Kepla looked around-apparently, Riu just happened to be passing by at the moment and Kepla said “Oh there you are Selaka. Next time don’t run of like that.” 

        But alas, Riu didn’t hear what Kepla said. But where was the real Selaka at that moment? He was in his room, giving little contented snores, dreaming of another version of himself that was best at all subjects and hunting. And when he finally woke up, it took him a few minutes for him to notice the eerie silence that was all around him. And then he remembered that this was the day Kepala Air would have been drained. And he couldn’t believe his family left without him. 

        Then he started to sort things out, “If I stay here, then Kepala Air would drain and I wouldn’t stand a chance.” He thought to himself, “But on the other hand, I don’t know where to go. but anything is better than to sit here and wait for the end to come” 

        So he packed his things and went outside. The water was already started to be drained. He took one last look at his home and set out. “This is it!” He whispered to himself “There is no going back.” 

        After a few minutes of going downstream, He came to a natural tunnel. As he wriggled through it, his body brushed against something soft, he brought it with him to investigate on the other side. It turned out that he had brushed against a handkerchief, beautifully made, with waves and seashells lining the sides, and embroidered on it was the name Kepla. He knew at once he was on the right track and he had other clues that he could follow such as a hair tie his mother often used, a piece of leather from his father’s pebble pouch, and a bunch of straw from a straw hat that Wair liked to wear. 

        Then, when he got to a place where lots of ferns grew.  He heard the sound of someone sobbing. He looked more carefully and saw it was a Basilisk, who can run on water, but this one was not running, her left leg was bleeding and she was sitting on a rock that jutted up from the water. She suddenly realized that Selaka was watching her and she made haste to dry her tears and look dignified. 

“What are you staring at?” She asked, angry that someone had caught her crying. 

“I’m not looking at anything” Began Selaka in a soothing voice “except that your leg is bleeding. Let me help you.” 

        This little act of kindness made the basilisk burst into tears again but she nodded. Selaka promptly plucked a long fern and spread some dew drops on it, then, he carefully wrapped it around the still crying basilisk’s leg. After Selaka had done that, the basilisk calmed down and gave him a smile that was shinier than any pearl. And then she introduced herself, her name was Bena and she had been running around getting some exercise until her leg scraped against a sharp rock and she had been crying here ever since. Then she thanked Selaka politely and she ran off to her house. 

        Selaka then continued on his journey. He then came to a place where there was a lot of rocks. This was the place where the river water and the sea water met. Selaka was a freshwater Moray eel, so he couldn’t swim in the sea. But then he saw a starfish in the sea, so he talked to him. 

“Hello” he said. 

“Hullo” said the starfish in a bored voice. 

“Do you know where my family went?” asked Selaka “they are Moray eels too.” 

“Yes, I have seen them” Said the starfish still in that bored voice “they went into this special underwater train that has fresh water in it and they were headed right to the other side of the ocean” 

“WHAT!?” Cried Selaka, shocked “THE OTHER SIDE OF THE OCEAN?!” Selaka felt like all the hope he had set out with had been drained out of him. He sank to the riverbed in despair. Then strange thoughts whispered themselves into his mind “this was it” the thoughts whispered to him “it’s hopeless. The water will drain and I won’t stand a chance.” But he fought those thoughts and kept thinking positively. “there has got to be a way” he assured himself “there’s just got to be.” 

        So, he started to look around, trying to find a way. the starfish was not helping, he was taunting Selaka mercilessly. 

“There is no way you can get to the other side of the ocean” Taunted the starfish “you might as well give up”. 

But Selaka was not listening, he just kept reassuring himself that there will be a way. Then, out of the corner of his eye, he saw a pair of eyes peering at him through a hole in the rocks. 

It was Bena the basilisk. she gave Selaka an encouraging smile and said “I’ve been listening to your conversation with Loleng the starfish here” she said “and I am proud of you” 

“why?” asked Selaka “Because even though Loleng kept telling you that you should give up, you didn’t” replied Bena.

 Then she said “And that means you have great determination.” 

Then she said. “Look, I know every part of these rocks, so I think I can show you a tunnel from here to a river on the other side of the ocean where your family is” 

“Really?” said Selaka his eyes bright with astonishment and delight 

“Yup” said Bena and put on a Ravishing smile that, to Selaka, looked more beautiful than ever. After Bena led him through the tunnel, he met with his family again, he and Bena became firm friends, and Loleng still sit’s in that rocky place to this day, sad that he was not kind to Selaka. So, all in all, everyone lived happily ever after.

THE END

 

                         Moral: What you learn from this story is that you should never give up and you should try and try again. Also, you learn it is good to be kind and caring. I have a task for you: Before you close this story, discuss with a parent what you learn from this story and how it can help you in real life.