“This is so bad. I’m so dead!” Onays was unable to sleep the whole night and by morning, the RTB news had briefed out that there was a theft at the Malay Technology Museum as the guards had depicted the theft to be a skinny, pimpled face, bowl haircut and that he only wore a pair of boxers and tank top. The Sharia Court section in an ethical article states that the person accused will face trials. Onays gulped, he wished he would not get his hand chopped off. Nevertheless, he had faith that he did not steal it but would face other demeaning consequences. This is all because of Anissa! Onays fathomed.

Knocking on the door, Uncle Tariq and Khairina were going to provide him breakfast. Onays switched his clothes to casual, his normal sweater and track pants. Checking the mirror, he saw that there was a slight bruise on his cheeks. He applied powder on his face to cover it up and then, he proceeded to the door.

“Onays, here’s some Nasi Katok for you. Pack up all your clothings, we are leaving by this afternoon.” Khairina said.

“Really?” Onays smiled jovially. This is it, I can escape this country without being caught.

“Don’t get too happy Onays, you’ve caused so much trouble for us. We’re never going to take you on trips anymore, understood?” Tariq declared, his eyes somber, fuelled with disappointment.

“You know what, I think you’re right. I’m very sorry for everything.” Onays apologized.

“Sorry is not enough.” Hooted Tariq. “Be careful, there is a theft out there. He’d attempted to rob the museum we went yesterday. Today’s Borneo Times newspaper, The Royal Brunei Police are currently hunting him them down. With that I mean with MP5 sub-machine gun! I saw a truck, full of them around the roads just now.

“Are you kidding me?” Onays snapped.

Uncle Tariq glanced at him, astounded. “Woah, you’re talking like as if you’re the theft. By the way, that’s too much face powder you’re wearing.”

Onays nodded, he took the package of Nasi Katok and the pair of spouse left locking the door. Onays savored his Nasi Katok, perhaps the last. The meal consisted of rice with fried chicken and a very luscious-sweet texture of sambal. There were no vegetables which Onays found pleasing. Minutes later, gorging the last spoon, a screeching siren from outside was causing speculation.

As Onays peered toward the window, a convoy of police had arrived at the front lobby, fully equipped with sophisticated weaponry and gadgets. Onays was about to meet catastrophe. He scrambled his bed, trying to find the feather. No sign of it. His heart was pulsating intensely, his head blotched with coldness. He pulled out the drawer, but there were only hangers and bathroom robe. He crawled under the coffee table, but there was no sign of it.

His last option, the window. He yet again peeked outside, and saw a heap of dried leaves and one long vine that went to the surface. Something that Anissa had prepared. Jutting his leg out, the door was banging loudly, it shook the whole room. “Freeze, you are under arrest!” a SWAT troop stammered, aiming his MP5 at Onays. Uncle Tariq and Aunt Khairina were being strangled by the other personnel.

The troop then sprinted at top speed, with intention to seize his target. Onays was completely haunted. Nervous, Onays fidgeted too much and he fell down on the dried leaves. He immediately abseiled down the vine as he heard the SWAT team bickering at each other, ordering to rebound back to the lobby.

“Hurry, we don’t have much time.” Said Anissa rapidly, as she pulled Onays. A car had almost collided with the pair as they were hastening across the road. A bullet pierced through Onays’ leg and he was unable to bear the vehement pain. He limped as Anissa carried him with his arm over her neck. As she brought him over to the parking lot they went last night, she placed a new feather on Onays’ palm. The police were marching in, not that far away from them accompanied with barks. This time, they brought K9 dogs.

“Mawang, do as what I do. I want you to imagine yourself being in that building.” Anissa set things out.

“The one with the dome, we’re going there?” Onays muttered.

Anissa nodded. “Imagine yourself being in a large hall with spears. Do that. Concentrate. You don’t have to dance?”

“What?”

“Just do it okay.”

“Blaargh!” Onays squealed aloud, the razor edges of a K9 dog’s teeth was tearing through his meat.

“Now Mawang, now!” demanded Anissa.

At an instant, Onays teleported himself into a new domain. There, he was lying on marble floor with high ceilings with rows of spears and shields adorning the entirety of the hall. Anissa warped beside him, but Onays was unable to get back on his knees. Anissa gently carried him to a nearby bench, applied traditional medicine from a fat but petite sized bottle onto his wounds and wrapped it around with cloth. The process felt vehement for Onays, but he was astounded that the bullet popped out from his leg and the dog bite disappeared like magic!

“Wicked!” said Onays impressed.

“Wicked, but hard to make. It is made out of frog blood, mixed with a cow’s mucus and the pee of a monkey.”

Onays almost vomited. “So, why are we even here?” Onays observed the surrounding and at the entrance bore the heading. The Royal Regalia Museum. A golden chariot could be seen at the centre, with red plush carpets leading toward it.

“They moved the golden crocodile here. I reckon it to be inside a heavily-guarded seal within this museum.”

“No can do missy. I’m not going to be doing your dirty work anymore. Because of you, I’m in a heap of trouble!”

“Keep your voice down, the woman at the counter is staring at you.”

Onays rubbed his face and sighed. “What if you make a promise for me. Tell your father to give me amnesty and I’ll be on my way back to Shah Alam, release my uncle and aunt and we’ll forget that this had ever happened.”

“What are you blabbing about silly boy?” replied Anissa with a flirty voice.

“Stop fooling me around. Please, I don’t want my hands chopped off. I just want to get back home. Please, please…”

“Fine, right after you get my golden crocodile. Then, I’ll make everything back to normal for you.”

Onays obeyed, adhering to every order given by Anissa. The both of them went off to a gallery. Walking off, the woman at the counter removed the phone from the ring and dialed the police. “Yes, he is here…”

Touring the gallery, there innumerable exhibitions ranging from miniature mosques, to army uniforms and documents that Onays had learnt so much from as they were in pursuit of the golden crocodile. Reading through the walls, Onays discovered that Sabah and Sarawak was once part of the Bruneian Sultanate. The Sultanate went into decline when the Brooke family had entered and purchased the land piece by piece in Sarawak whereas the North British Trade Company took the rights for Sabah.

It was because Tuan Muda Hashim who had failed to obsolete a rebellion between the races had soon acquiesced support from James Brooke who the latter became the White Rajah. The Brooke family ruled for three generations until they seceded it to the British Empire. Brunei favored of joining Malaysia before the year 1963, but turned down when there existed the TNKU uprising to oppose the merger and to form the North Kalimantan nation as proposed by the leftist, A.M Azahari.

Finally, with the constitution drafted and completed, Brunei achieved their independence by 1st January 1984 and is a vast, expanding oil producing country with roughly around 400,000 citizens. There was too much to read, so Onays snapped a picture of the illustrated info on the walls.

“Have you found the golden crocodile yet?” Onays questioned.

Anissa gave a frown. “Nope, better keep on looking.”

“I want to ask you one good question. I’ve been thinking about it ever since.” Said Onays curious.

“Yes?” Anissa replied.

“How can I see you when everyone can’t. How can you walk through walls. How were you able to put leaves on the roof and leave behind a vine?”

“That question, I will answer later.”

Onays grunted, trying to control his patience. “Ehm, next question. Where do you live?”

“None of your business.”

“Grrrr, how old are you?”

“Still… you will know one day.” Anissa giggled.

“Why do you want the golden crocodile so much!”

“Shhh, quiet please. Remember, we’re in a museum.”

Onays was totally annoyed.