by Steve Wardrip
By: Steve Wardrip
Tags: Travel, Subterranean, Caves, Paradise, Underground

by Steve Wardrip

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Falling through a hole in the ground to discover a cavern that connected to dozens of other tunnels, caves and passageways was the start of a new life for Temei Pu. This is not new. It has existed many thousands of years and were used for shelter, refuge, hideouts, manufacturing and hospital facilities. Spiritual healings and purifications were performed here and still are.

Temei Pu is a soldier. A missing in action AWOL Soldier. Absent without leave. His commander only knows he disappeared one day while on patrol. The area was thoroughly searched and they concluded he must have deserted. There was no sign of foul play. A missing person's report was filed and the base and local authorities are still seeking answers in their investigation. That’s been twenty-three years ago. They don’t search much anymore and the entrance has never been discovered but Temei and his family are safe underground in their cozy home. The first few years he was alone with the general population of several hundreds of inhabitants. (Which he later realized was actually a small branch of thousands and thousands of subterranean in the tribe.) As he showed his loyalty to their governmental system, he was granted admission into the inner workings of the underground cities. There, he found love, married and had four children with Sansu Tamal. She was also Filipino(From ancient subterranean Filipino descent.) She was born and raised in the cave. She loved to listen to Temei tell stories of the above world she never knew. He was a good teacher and he left out much of the pain and misery details for he knew it was too much for her to bear. This society was a kinder, gentler breed that focused on happiness which left little room for gloom and doom. He tried to bring only happiness into his family's life, but they knew that he was from above and history had shown that troubles and trials came with those from above. Perhaps this civilization had evolved just for that reason, trying to get away from turmoil.

Most days started with a Grandmother singing a happy song, designed to last all day, complimented with giggles, laughs and chuckles. Happy eyes and happy feet make everything in between happy. You could always tell when Grandmother was awake because she would always stoke the fire in the oven which heated the small shared bedroom. You could smell the smoke and it would get warm quickly. The living room(leanna-translated meaning loving room) where the family congregated was about twenty five by twenty five feet, square with animal hide covers over the arched doors, full of comfortable and intricately carved furniture, torches and sparkling crystals. The constant stone cave temperature was always fifty-two degrees fahrenheit. Grandmother would get it up around eighty degrees and laugh at everyone for sweating, always the first one up about four in the morning. She would cook. Fish, bread, soup, delicacies only known within the cave systems. They ate differently from above. They had greenhouses where they grew plants in areas of the cave that had cracks from the surface, letting in light. They also ate lichen and moss species that grew in the cave system, but mostly, their staple was fish which was abundant throughout an extensive underground river. The fish were plentiful as well as other seafood. They made wine, tea, sweet desserts and delicious fruits and vegetables. They ate well in the cave. The had a vented area they used as a communal bathroom. They took turns and had privacy. Usually a quick trip behind the animal hide covers were sufficient for minimum discomfort. Holding your nose worked best. The smoke from the fire that was always burning the human waste was safely vented to a remote area in the jungle which was inaccessible by man on foot and remained hidden and undetected for centuries. That river was named the “Smoky River” thousands of years ago because of the smell of smoke that was always present but no one knew where it came from.

Hundreds of feet under the stone bedrock of Smoky River lived the Keebos (translated to covered life) and coveted as a superior race. The Keebos were a tribe with a chief who would always appoint successors. Hand picked assistants manned the government. People were appointed according to their skill. Those with developing skills were appointed as helper apprentices. Everyone did something to benefit the tribe and when citizens had troubles or special needs, they were attended to by those most capable. Spiritually they worshipped the one creator by fire rituals compete with music and refreshments, offerings of food and the burning of special herbs and spices. Joyous celebrations of thanksgiving were commonplace and it made everyone happy in the village. There were different levels of security and even a prison. The prison was used as a last resort to out of control people for their own safety as well as others. The Keebos were self governed and if anyone had a complaint, it could be brought before the council in a weekly meeting.

Temei and Sansu are mat weavers. They take reed grass from the surface at night, bring it into the cave and make floor and wall coverings by weaving the reeds together. They work as a team assembly line, laughing and challenging each other. They do superior work and are rewarded accordingly. They do very well as a family providing much needed comfort for the whole village. Soon, they hope to advance to weaving flexible fabrics from newfound plant materials near the secret cave entrance. They also use metal pieces they find on the ground. They have adapted them as tools to cook and build with. The woodworking throughout the cave is incredible. Men and women have been carving hallways, floors and ceilings out of wood for thousands of years. There is furniture made in ancient times and it is preserved by the constant humidity and stable atmosphere in the cave. There are hot springs water where they bath and get their drinking water. The cave is a paradise with sacred areas they use for meditation and healing. Sick people are often cured by the miracle minerals found deep below the surface of the earth. Fires have been kept going for centuries and there are always hot coals to start a fire with but they have also retained their knowledge of how to start fires with sticks and stones. They have perfected many ways to live and take care of themselves. There are crystal caverns that go for miles where miracles take place. The upper world does not know about the Keebos except for Temie and he is not about to leave or expose them. He is in love. Life is good for the Keebos.

For Temie and Sansu Pu, let’s hope it stays that way, undetected by the upper world, a secret paradise for fortunate few.