The hug was tight. Very tight. The hug of a husband and wife who had held back their longing for each other for three weeks.
Anissa buried her face in Elias's chest. His sweaty shoulder, which smelled of sun and wood, was the smell of home. To Anissa, it was the smell of home. The smell she missed from her air-conditioned apartment in Jakarta.

"I miss you... I miss you so much, Mas..." Anissa whispered softly, her voice trembling as she held back tears. Her hands were wrapped tightly around Elias's back, refusing to let go.

Elias hugged his wife back, no less tightly. One arm wrapped around Anissa's waist, the other caressing the back of her large backpack.
He bent down, kissed the top of Anissa's head, his wife's hair looked a little messy.

"I've arrived... I'm here," Elias said in his thick Papuan accent, his voice low but deep. "I've been waiting since morning."
They stood for quite a while in the wind as the helicopter was still spinning slowly, until the pilot signaled that they had to take off again.
Elias finally broke the hug, but his hand remained tightly gripping Anissa's. With his other hand, he lifted the heavy silver suitcase onto his shoulder—as if it were just a sack of sweet potatoes.

"Come on, let's go home. Mama and Maria are waiting at home. Mama's cooking papeda," Elias said with a smile, a smile of relief that had just appeared that day. Anissa nodded, wiping away tears with the back of her hand. She held her husband's arm tightly.

(The two of them walked down from Helipad Hill, along the slippery red dirt path. Elias was in front carrying his suitcase, Anissa was behind with her backpack, her hand never leaving the hem of Elias's shirt. From a distance, the smoke from the stove from the zinc-roofed house could already be seen billowing — a sign that Mama Dorince was waiting.)

1. Young Farmer - 23 Years Old

Name: Elias Kocu Malaseme
Age: 23 Years
Personal Status: Married. Wife from Jakarta (temporarily living separately in Jakarta for family reasons).
Social Status:

• The young head of the family after the father's death. The main backbone of the family.
• Subsistence farmer. Cultivates family gardens (sweet potatoes, sweet potatoes, vegetables, and a little dryland rice) around the Sorong hinterland.
• Respected in the neighborhood as a diligent and responsible young man. Member of the farmer youth organization.
  Attitude: Quiet, hardworking, doesn't talk much but acts decisively. Very protective of his mother and younger sibling. Precocious due to having to take over his father's role.
  True Traits: Honest, tenacious, loyal, and highly respectful of elders and traditions. A bit stubborn when certain of a decision. A natural leader—the type who's heard speaking at village gatherings.
  Final education: only graduated from high school

2. Younger Sister - 20 Years Old

Name: Maria Kocu Malaseme
Age: 20 Years
Personal Status: Unmarried / Single.
Social Status:

• The youngest daughter
• Helping mother at home and helping her older sister sell garden produce at a small market.
• Active in church as a member of the youth choir.
  Attitude: Cheerful, outgoing, and easy to get along with. In contrast to her quiet older sister.
  Original Character: Cheerful, loving, intelligent, and brave.
  Last Education: Public High School - Grade 12. Graduated in 2023. Currently not continuing college, focusing on helping the family economy while taking sewing courses at the village hall.

3. Their Mother - 48 Years Old

Name: Mama Dorince Kocu
Age: 48 Years
Personal Status: Widow. Husband (the late Mr. Petrus Malaseme) died 4 years ago.
Social Status:

• Housewife and senior farmer. Owner of a family inherited garden plot.
• A place for village mothers to share their feelings.
• Source of indigenous knowledge about traditional medicines from the forest.
  Attitude: patient, motherly, and loving. Always puts children before herself.