moons of being under his mother’s harsh yet overly watchful eye. The once small thin and bony
little boy has grown into a powerful warrior, a tribe leader. Though he was brave yet angry, strong
yet heartless. For all these years, Batu still remained in his place, refusing the forgive Narulaan.
Narulaan, whom lucky enough not to be sent to exile by Batu, had tried anything possible
to regain the trust the tribe had once gave him, doing the dirtiest jobs nobody enjoyed to do, or
helping and contributing for the tribe as much as possible. After his terrible mistake, the tribe’s
trust towards him dropped like a stone thrown into the well.
The sun gradually sank into the horizon, for so many years, it has remained unchanged. So
dangerous yet so beautiful. Narulaan spots Batu sitting on a sand dune, gazing into the darkening
horizon, his coat ends flapping in the wind. It was autumn. Narulaan cautiously steps closer
towards him.
“What?” Batu always addressed him this way. It reminded Narulaan of the time when Batu’s
father was tribe leader back then, whenever he was stressed by the lack of food for the tribe, he
had addressed him this way as well, it was strikingly familiar.
Narulaan, bringing himself together, he gulped down the deep remorse and guilt building up
in his throat, “I – I know you never forgave me, but I – I – I’m sorry.”
Batu sighed deeply and turned to see the depths of Narulaan’s eyes, they were brown like the
bark of the Saxaul tree. Narulaan stared hard into Batu’s grey ones, listen to the music of the
desert, the music of forgiveness, the music of peace Narulaan tried to tell him. As if he had said it
out loud, Batu closed his eyes, breathing in the musty tang of the desert.
“Listen.” Narulaan sat down next to him and mumbled, his voice cracking.
“Listen to the music of this desert.”
Batu stretched his ears, listening.
He heard the wind gently sway around him; he heard rustle of the sand.
Whoosh. Whoosh. Russa. Russa
He heard the faint snorts and groans of the horses and mustangs.
He waited and listened to the calming silence that fell in upon the desert.
“Listen further.” Narulaan urged.
Batu calmed himself once more, and yet, for a few moments, he heard a voice, a voice so
familiar, so full of warmth and love.
I will wait for you forever my son, I am so proud of you.
Batu gasped, tears streaming down his cheeks. His eyes flew open and gave Narulaan a look
of forgiveness and understanding, Narulaan smiled back which was filled with both gratitude and
unspeakable grief.
“Your father never left you for all this time you know.”
They sit with their legs dangling over the gorge, the very gorge his father had fallen all those
years ago. Batu tells a joke while the Narulaan laughs languorously; they watch the white blazing
sun set into the horizon.
“People always expect to seek for the truth, but in the end, they refuse to hear them, because
the truth is often not what they are expecting.” Narulaan tells him, squinting at Batu, his pale
silver hair shimmering in the dying light.
Batu chuckles and looks down into the gorge. He does not flinch, knowing it is for the best.
***
