36 Coconut, Cotton and Coal (2/2)
”This…..this is a cave?” Chief Harvard look amazed with what appear in front of him
”No, chief, look carefully. The entrance is made symmetrical, this is not a cave but a mine, an abandoned mine to be correctly”
”A mine? What mined in here?”
”I don't know chief, but my best guess is coal mine. The coal pile we saw before maybe the remains from this mine from long time ago”
”Hahaha! We surely lucky today master Ikki, we don't have to dig to build tunnel, God already provided for us here”
Chief Harvard laugh with excited expression. Well, he deserved to be happy.
”Ah yes, but unfortunately, we don't have time to explore it today chief”
”Right, but doesn't matter, we will return and check this mine again with more people with us”
”Um. That's good idea. Shall we continue our way back to village chief?”
'Yes, yes. Let's go before the day become dark”
We ride our horse again and leave the hill and back to the village. We take another route to return to the village and when we passing a valley, something caught my attention again.
”Chief hold on a minute, can we take detour and enter this valley”
”Sure, but don't waste much time here master Ikki, the sun already shift on west horizon”
”Not take long time, chief, just pass and checking something that interest me”
”Okay, let's go!”
We enter the valley and I check the white things that I saw from above before passing the valley. And when I saw what that white thing is, it actually cotton plants!
”Master Ikki, what fruit is this?”
I don't have chance to answer when chief Harvard already pick one and bite it
”Pah! Pah! Pah! What the hell is this?”
I have difficulties to hold my laughter and so did Silvie. She smile wide showing her white teeth to me.
”Silvie! Are you laughing at me?” chief Harvard stare her daughter with sharp glance.
”No father! I'm not” she hides her face by buried it in my chest.
”Chief, that's not to eat but to make cloth, and called cotton”
”Eh, cloth? From this? Really?”
”Do you have someone that can make cloth in village, chief?”
”Yes, there's one in the village. But he doesn't have many fibers to make a cloth-like a hemp. So every day he just farming in a field like the others”
”Great, let's bring some and show to him. Maybe he can make cloth from this”
”Good idea!”
Chief Harvard take some cotton and put it in his bag. After that, we leave the valley, back to village. I scrutinize the vegetation in this valley and see some plant that also have value to improve living like rosella (Hibiscus sabdariffa), kapok, and several other vegetation that grow in this valley.
We continue our trip and arrive at the village at dusk. After dropping me and Silvie at his house, chief Harvard go to stable to returning the horse. I'm very satisfied with today bounty and feel there will be many things I can do in the future.