Like I said, the climb up to Mount Rinjani sparked the beginning of a new friendship, a new relationship with two of the most humble souls we had met in Lombok. It also marked the beginning of my love and my knowledge for Mount Rinjani and for those who love her with all their hearts and who have appreciated the many flora and fauna that she houses in her majestic domain. We reached the end of our mountain adventure at about 10a.m. .
After the climb, part of the program was to visit a waterfall before we headed o
ff to Sembalun Lawang, where we were to camp for the night. As excited as we were to head to the waterfall, especially when we were all hot and sweaty from descending the mountain, we were dead beat and our bodies were aching from the over-stretching of all our muscles and the cold on the mountain top. Our legs suffered the most torture, considering Mokhs and I had not had any physical preparation (training) before pushing ourselves to the limit in Lombok. So...it did not help when we discovered that we had to descend a number of steep steps in order to get to the much-talked-about waterfall. UUURRRRGGGGHHHH!!! My legs felt like it was going to give up on me. You know how it feels, after exercising like crazy, especially when you have not exercised for like a decade, then you go to sleep and the freakin' aches you get in your muscles when you wake up? Yah ok, it felt like that and the fact that our muscles had to endure more
going down of steps and going up of steps, not only were we internally screaming for mercy, I think our muscles were hating us every second we took a step. Of course the waterfall was a comfort. It was in some way like a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. I mean, I cannot deny that it was situated in the most beautiful site. The water dropped from an extremely high elevation and the water temperature was so low it chilled every bone in my body! The waterfall looked like it was almost right smack in the middle of a valley.
ff to Sembalun Lawang, where we were to camp for the night. As excited as we were to head to the waterfall, especially when we were all hot and sweaty from descending the mountain, we were dead beat and our bodies were aching from the over-stretching of all our muscles and the cold on the mountain top. Our legs suffered the most torture, considering Mokhs and I had not had any physical preparation (training) before pushing ourselves to the limit in Lombok. So...it did not help when we discovered that we had to descend a number of steep steps in order to get to the much-talked-about waterfall. UUURRRRGGGGHHHH!!! My legs felt like it was going to give up on me. You know how it feels, after exercising like crazy, especially when you have not exercised for like a decade, then you go to sleep and the freakin' aches you get in your muscles when you wake up? Yah ok, it felt like that and the fact that our muscles had to endure more
going down of steps and going up of steps, not only were we internally screaming for mercy, I think our muscles were hating us every second we took a step. Of course the waterfall was a comfort. It was in some way like a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. I mean, I cannot deny that it was situated in the most beautiful site. The water dropped from an extremely high elevation and the water temperature was so low it chilled every bone in my body! The waterfall looked like it was almost right smack in the middle of a valley. Then after clicking away on the camera and enjoying the 'pot of gold at the end of our rainbow', all of a sudden, our 'gold' vanished and a dark and heavy cloud hovered above us. It was time to go up the steps that took us down to the waterfall. I felt sorry for my muscles. But what could I do. In our situation, what came down had to go back up. We summoned whatever strength and energy that was left in us and pushed ourselves back up till we slammed our overworked bodies in the van that was to take us to Sembalun Lawang. Ladies and gentlemen, THAT, was our final limit!
Along the way, we passed by vast hills and paddy terraces. It was nothing but beautiful pastures and greenery. It was a pleasant drive and we were more than happy to rest our tired bodies in the van.
I cannot remember how long the journey was. By the time we reached Sembalu
n the sun was almost setting. Tuti brought us to an empty campsite and we set up camp. It was a gorgeous sight because we had Mount Rinjani as our backdrop. It was just amazing. The air was cool but it started to get really chilly once the sun made its way down magically behind the mountain. Then before Tuti retired to his kitchen to prepare dinner, he sprang a wonderful surprise on me. He unzipped his backpack and took out a bunch of Edelweiss and presented it to me! I was lost for words and then emotions overcame me. I remember mentioning to him about Edelweiss when we were climbing and Tuti told me that Mount Rinjani had her very own Edelweiss. He also shared with Mokhs and I that in Bahasa Indonesia, Edelweiss is called 'Bunga 
Abadi'. It means a flower that will last forever. Indeed it is true. Till today my bunch of Edelweiss rests beautifully in a vase at home, looking like it was just plucked from the hills of Mount Rinjani. Nothing could describe how touched I was by the gesture. I asked him when he had the time to get the blossoms for me. He reminded us that there was one point when he told us to climb ahead without him as he had to chop some wood for fire. And that was when he took the time to pick the flowers for me. And that was during our climb up! So he had the Edelweiss all the time until we descended the mountain, until we were done with our frolicking in the waterfall and until that unfrogettable momet when he gave me the 
flowers with the silhouette of Mount Rinjani behind our tent in Sembalun Lawang. Mokhs was equally touched by the gesture.
n the sun was almost setting. Tuti brought us to an empty campsite and we set up camp. It was a gorgeous sight because we had Mount Rinjani as our backdrop. It was just amazing. The air was cool but it started to get really chilly once the sun made its way down magically behind the mountain. Then before Tuti retired to his kitchen to prepare dinner, he sprang a wonderful surprise on me. He unzipped his backpack and took out a bunch of Edelweiss and presented it to me! I was lost for words and then emotions overcame me. I remember mentioning to him about Edelweiss when we were climbing and Tuti told me that Mount Rinjani had her very own Edelweiss. He also shared with Mokhs and I that in Bahasa Indonesia, Edelweiss is called 'Bunga 
Abadi'. It means a flower that will last forever. Indeed it is true. Till today my bunch of Edelweiss rests beautifully in a vase at home, looking like it was just plucked from the hills of Mount Rinjani. Nothing could describe how touched I was by the gesture. I asked him when he had the time to get the blossoms for me. He reminded us that there was one point when he told us to climb ahead without him as he had to chop some wood for fire. And that was when he took the time to pick the flowers for me. And that was during our climb up! So he had the Edelweiss all the time until we descended the mountain, until we were done with our frolicking in the waterfall and until that unfrogettable momet when he gave me the 
flowers with the silhouette of Mount Rinjani behind our tent in Sembalun Lawang. Mokhs was equally touched by the gesture. 
The bond between Tuti, Eddy and us was getting stronger every minute. After dinner. the four of us and another friend of Tuti's chatted around the campfire. Tuti shared with us his amusing and experience-filled stories of being a guide. We chatted like there was no tomorrow. We chatted as if we had known one another for centuries. It was a bond strongly formed, a friendship strongly forged, a humbleness increasingly forming in Mokhs and I for our lives were a thousand times better than our beloved Tuti and Eddy. As our surroundings started to drown deeper into the darkness, we said our goodnights and retired to bed. As I closed my eyes, I dreaded to face the day when we would have to say goodbye to our new friend and brother in faith, Tuti.
We were greeted by the fresh morning air of Sembalun Lawang the next day.
It was our last day with Tuti. I was already feeling that pang of dread and sadness. But I allowed myself to enjoy whatever was left of our time together. Tuti brought us on a tour around Sembalun Lawang. We visited the little kampungs, bamboo fields, rice fields, tomato, capsicum, onion fields etc. Everyone was busy and happily working in the fields. As I stood from a hilltop, watching the peaceful activity going on in the fields, for a moment, I felt like Heidi in one of my storybooks. The feeling was phenomenal. More phenomenal than when I was on Mount Rinjani.
It was our last day with Tuti. I was already feeling that pang of dread and sadness. But I allowed myself to enjoy whatever was left of our time together. Tuti brought us on a tour around Sembalun Lawang. We visited the little kampungs, bamboo fields, rice fields, tomato, capsicum, onion fields etc. Everyone was busy and happily working in the fields. As I stood from a hilltop, watching the peaceful activity going on in the fields, for a moment, I felt like Heidi in one of my storybooks. The feeling was phenomenal. More phenomenal than when I was on Mount Rinjani. 
The people of Sembalun Lawang brings this village to life with simpleness and a serene spirituality cannot help but exists amongst one another. The hands that work, the hearts that unite for a survival of a people, the souls that bind one and all together to achieve the tightness 
of family-hood. In a way, to me, Mount Rinjani symbolises her people who
work around her. A majestic mountain that stands tall but humbled by other giants like Fuji and the Himalayas. A majestic mountain that rejoices because of the hands that care for her, the hearts that love her and at that time, I was humbled and honoured that I got to know one such heart. Tuti's heart.
Evening was nearing. Dinner was a good spread at Tuti's very own home. The clocked ticked on with every second, signalling our time to bid farewell. It was time to part. We got into our vehicle and with that growing ache in our chests and that lump in my throat, we said our goodbyes, waved our goodbyes and promised to keep in touch.
Even now, as I recall that moment, I cannot keep my emotions stable and intact. I miss Mount Rinjani, I miss Sembalun Lawang, I miss her beautiful people and most of all, I miss Tuti. I thank God for blessing Mokhs and I with such a valuable and honourable friend. Without God's Will, we would have never met, our paths would have never crossed and today, I would have never written my book, 'Tuti And I'. I thank Allah first and last for without His Mercy, nothing is possible and nothing is blessed.
All praise and thanks be to Allah, My Lord. - Jaslina Yassin
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