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As the crimson sunset stretched across the sky, Rock visited the house of his mother's relative named Mamik, who was considered his uncle.
Because of their family bond and close relationship, Rock humbly asked Uncle Mamik for a favor—to take him and Tom to the city free of charge.
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"Uncle, could you help us by taking us to the city?" Rock asked.
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Mamik thought for a moment before replying.
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"Hmm... Alright. I will take you to the city tomorrow, but you must help me with my work in the morning."
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"Then, in the afternoon, I will take both of you to the city. How about it? Do you agree?" said Uncle Mamik.
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In the end, Rock and Tom accepted Uncle Mamik's offer.
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The bright afternoon became a ray of hope in their hearts. The wonderful news turned into a precious memory, for they had received a free ride to the city.
They were overjoyed to have transportation without spending any money, with only one condition: they had to help Uncle Mamik work on his farm the next morning.
In fact, Rock and Tom themselves owned a garden, farmland, and several animals. They had goats and cows as well. However, that very night, they decided to sell all of their livestock. They also decided to sell a piece of their land to the village elder.
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"May you find success in the city, my children," the village elder said after signing the transfer documents.
They realized that they were about to begin a new life in the city. They would leave behind their neighbors and relatives in the village, but above all, their greatest goal was to become wealthy.
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"Hooray! Hooray!"
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The two of them jumped around in excitement.
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After changing into their new clothes, they were seen carrying a large suitcase.
Inside it were many clothes, books, and other necessities.
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They headed toward Uncle Mamik's house because they remembered his promise from the previous afternoon—he had promised to give them a ride to the city.
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The heavy suitcase was carried by both of them. They walked along the road, gasping for breath as they struggled with its weight.
When they arrived at Uncle Mamik's house, Rock and Tom quickly placed their suitcase inside the truck. However, Uncle Mamik suddenly appeared and became angry.
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"Hey! What are you doing? Take that big suitcase out immediately and come help me!"
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Rock and Tom quickly took their suitcase back down. Only then did they remember that they had promised to help Uncle Mamik in his field.
They were instructed to load cabbages and carrots onto the truck.
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"Oh, right! We have to help him!" Tom said.
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"Relax, Tom. We'll finish it together," Rock replied.
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Finally, they placed their large suitcase beside the truck. Their neat, fresh, and shining new clothes now had to endure carrying sacks of cabbages from the field.
Soon, the clothes they wore became dirty. They kept carrying sacks of cabbages and carrots over and over again until they worked continuously from seven in the morning until ten o'clock.
Even though they had arrived at seven in the morning, it was already ten o'clock, and they still had not departed for the city. Time passed quickly, and finally, Uncle Mamik told them to take a break at noon.
They had worked for almost five hours, yet they still had not started their journey. Their special city clothes had to accept becoming dirty and covered with stains of soil.
At first, they wondered why they had not left yet. Now they finally understood the reason. The free ride was not truly free—they had paid for it with their own hard work.
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Uncle Mamik brought them some food and drinks.
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"Eat. This is just a little something to fill your stomachs. Give it a try," Uncle Mamik said.
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The two of them looked extremely hungry and thirsty.
They finally began to eat and devoured the food eagerly.
A few moments later, Uncle Mamik asked for their permission to go to the neighboring village. He said that he needed to get fuel for his truck.
Of course, Rock and Tom agreed. To them, it meant that they would soon finally depart for the city.
Now, the two of them were happily devouring their meal. They no longer cared about their clothes, which were no longer suitable to wear. Their once-proud outfits were now completely covered in dirt.
In the front yard of Uncle Mamik's house, a truck was parked quietly. After finishing their delicious meal, they were greeted by the gentle afternoon breeze. The cool wind softly brushed against them.
It made them feel sleepy, and little by little, they fell asleep. The front yard of Uncle Mamik's house was truly peaceful. It was covered with green grass and surrounded by several old, giant banyan trees.
The place felt incredibly shady and refreshing. Besides the house, there were also wide fields of carrots and cabbages stretching across the land.
Uncle Mamik had a wife named Mrs. Tutuk. Mrs. Tutuk was a kind and friendly turtle. She had been away since yesterday, visiting her parents' home.
The clock hanging on the truck's dashboard showed exactly three o'clock in the afternoon. It gently swayed back and forth as the wind blew.
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That afternoon, Mrs. Tutuk finally returned home.
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She was surprised to see Rock and Tom sleeping on the front porch of her house. She immediately woke them up.
The two of them opened their eyes in surprise.
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Mrs. Tutuk could clearly see how dirty they were. As they woke up, they could only stare blankly at her standing in front of them.
Mrs. Tutuk kindly suggested that they change their clothes. Unfortunately, Rock and Tom did not have any other special outfits.
They only had one set of clothes that they were proud of, but those clothes had become dirty. In the end, they asked for permission to use the bathroom and changed their precious outfits into their ordinary clothes.
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Now, the clock showed three in the afternoon.
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Would Rock and Tom finally make it to the city?
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And what had happened to Uncle Mamik, who had still not returned by this hour?
Were Rock and Tom truly ready to explore the city and live the life of city dwellers?
For now, everything remained uncertain, as the two of them had just changed their clothes.
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