Missing Rose Trace (Part 1)

Written by : Linda Herliantina
Translated in English by : DS. Utomo
Published by : Mizan Publishing House, Bandung, Indonesia


By dawn in one morning of the dry season, the air was cold. The sky above was still black-grey dark sprinkled with a few stars fading soon. On the eastern horizon swallowed up the orange reddish light The sound of azan echoed dawn just around the fishing village of Muara Legi, where the Four Teens Gang live on the beach.

Iqbal, a teenager with a high body figure, big and strong like an athlete, was awake. He is a member of the gang. Actually on the first day of this holiday he wants to wake up later . But because he’s used to get up early everyday, Iqbal’s eyes were not willing to compromise to get lazy in bed. Moreover, he was deliberately to get up as early as possible. There's something that should be immediately communicated to the other three friends of the group. Last night he received a message that uncle Jatomo , his father's brother, invited him to have a vacation in uncle's home there far on the mountain.

"Bal, you know uncle Jatomo , don’t you ...?" said his father last night.
"Is my Uncle who lives there on the mountain ...?"
"That’s right. Last night he called me and said that he’ll be glad if you have a vacation this year in his home ... .. "
"There, at a place far in the mountain ...?" interrupted Iqbal.

He immediately thought of how far the location of the uncle's house that located even in a remote village on the mountain.
"Well, it’s so far away ... ... ...." he said with inner doubt.
"If you want to go there, you can invite your friends too, because according to your uncle you might have a very challenging adventure ... .."

Then his father explains what uncle’s challenging invitation. Hearing this explanation , Iqbal’s heart suddenly jumps up for joy. His doubted feeling that had hung heavy in the chest, now vanished. He thought that Aryo, Jalu and Dul, the fat boy, will surely agree with the holidays on the mountain ....

It would be a great vacation ! And how nice to breathe the clean, cool and fresh mountain air ... .. Therefore, he wanted to transfer good news immediately to his colleagues, So this early morning, after dawn prayers in the mosque, Iqbal hurried to leave to pick up three friends.

Firstly he run into Aryo’s house which situated not far from his home.
Aryo, a teenager with curly black hair, is the leader of the Four Teens Gang. He was seen jogging this morning in the front yard of the house.

"Yo, there's a good news ....," said Iqbal from a distance.
"'What’s it, Bal.?" asked Aryo, while he still on tiptoe quietly in place.
"My uncle has invited us ..."
"Your uncle ? Which one ?"
"That’s uncle Jatomo who lives far away on the mountain ... .. ."
"Are we going to talk about this invitation together with other friends now?"

Aryo looked thoughtful for a moment, thinking. But not long after he answered .
"Okay, I agree," he said.

Both teens then rushed off to the houses of Jalu and Dul. Incidentally they also have waken up.
They agreed to discuss the invitation from uncle Jatomo at their secret base which is a small cave located in the hills of the coast, where usually the Four Teens Gang hold a discussion meeting to discuss any problems they encounter ..

The secret cave locates some land that juts into hilly. The way is rather difficult and dangerous to reach this cave. They have to walk through a winding path, slippery, rocky and slightly uphill. Its location is hidden behind the hills. That’s why nobody knows it except them who often come here…….

(To be continued)