From the Beginning: The Old World Read online

  “It is hard to feel successful when Eddie is around,” Roan tried to comfort me. “He just outshines everyone. But, I never had to marry him…” he used his grade A humor again, hinting with a smile. “There is no point in picking at old wounds. There are enough wounds here that need healing. Let’s try to get some sleep,” he concluded his words, turned off his flashlight and lay down on Eddie’s other side, close enough to assist immediately should the need arise.

  “You know, Roan,” I whispered to him in the dark, “A true leader is one who knows well the people standing at his side and who cherishes their presence in his life. Eddie always knew his best friends were with him,” I returned my gratitude and lay down my head. After many sleepless nights, I finally dove into a deep sweet sleep…

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  Chapter 7

  A pleasant light came through the shades.

  Golden rays of sun left glowing streaks on the sheets wrapped and tangled around my body. The sound of the running water in the shower first captured my attention, even before I opened my eyes. Seconds later the water flow stopped, or maybe it was just muffled. Still sleepy, I could smell the odor of fresh soap making its way to my nostrils. I smiled like a pampered kitten, knowing that it would be petted soon.

  “Hmmm…hey beautiful,” a seductive whisper was blown on my ear and made me quiver. A beloved familiar hand sensually stroked my curves. Soft lips kissed my forehead, my eyes, moving on to my neck and shoulder. I hummed and stretched, my senses awakening to the velvety tantalizing touch. I turned over onto my side, bringing my lips to those of Eddie’s, extending my arms to return a caress, reacting wholly to the guaranteed session of love making. My hands were gently flowing on his body, his chest, his waist and… “Ahaa!!!” Eddie’s cry of pain when I touched his ribs woke me abruptly from the sweet dream of a golden morning to the harsh and painful reality of the cave.

  Morning was indeed here, and the light that penetrated the cave from its two openings was just as real. The rustle of the waters I heard in my dream was the sound of the rippling waves from outside—but Eddie’s pain was utterly real. Something else was very real and clear to see—Eddie had regained full consciousness!! I felt bad for causing him pain but at the same time, I was filled with great joy.

  “Eddie! Eddie! You’re alive! You came back to us!” I cried out happily kissing his face with excitement, showering him with little happy kisses from his forehead to his chin.

  “Gently…please my lovely…gently,” he tried to mumble between kisses. Although in pain, he could not hide his smile.

  “We were so worried about you! I already thought that…” I lost my words again tears glistening in my eyes.

  “Don’t cry, Grace. Did you really think I would leave you? I made you a promise, didn’t I? I vowed never to leave you again—so don’t you put any more silly ideas into that pretty head of yours!” he smiled, and with his healthy hand, he caressed my face and kissed me. A determined kiss, like the one he gave me in the harbor when he found me on the brink of despair and brought me back to life.

  “I feel like Princess Bride,” I giggled embarrassedly. The whole scene reminded me of one of the most famous scenes from my favorite movie.

  “It is because you are truly a princess!” Eddie deeply kissed me again, ignoring his pain and the reality around us.

  “A hmmm, a hmmm…” a polite clearing of the throat was heard next to us.

  “I think we’re not alone!” my face was turning bright red.

  “You are definitely not alone!” Roan’s voice was heard when he appeared behind Eddie, from the spot he spent the night in.

  “Roan! My brother! You are here!” Eddie tried to turn over on his side, moaning with pain.

  “Don’t move Eddie. You have been through quite a shock–shocking us as well!” Roan placed his large hand on Eddie’s arm in a loving, friendly gesture, expressing his closeness and loyalty to his friend.

  Other people, awakened by Eddie’s cries of pain, gathered around us. They all joyfully greeted Eddie and were even happier than yesterday.

  “It’s a miracle you came out of this alive!” they unanimously agreed. Another miracle was Eddie’s physical condition—ultimately he was almost unharmed. One broken leg that we managed to improvise a splint for, a sprained arm that we set using a triangle made of cloth on his neck, the rest of his injuries were dry bumps and bruises. Obviously, some of his ribs cracked slightly, but there was nothing more that we could do here, just to keep him lying down, resting and recuperating, just as one of the members of the group suggested the night before. We provided for all of Eddie’s needs so he didn’t have to move a muscle. In the pre-existing conditions we had, there was no telling when he would be able to stand on his broken leg again.

  During the following days, the water levels kept going down. Although it wasn’t as rapidly as it did that first day, but with every feet level that was reduced, the anxiety levels dropped too. We calculated the food rations and supplies at our disposal very carefully, dividing it all into small, measured portions. If we did not see some fish shortly, very soon we would have had to deal with another calamity. We quenched our thirst with sea water. Their saltiness was hardly felt due to the rising levels. The water tasted bland, but at least it was drinkable. We pulled the two remaining boats onto the entrance of the cave and dismantled them. From the piling lumber, we tried making tools and props that would make our lives a little more efficient. We did it all with the guiding help of Eddie, who sat there frustrated by his physical handicap…

  At night, we made do with huddling together to keep warm. As it was, we had nothing to make fire with, and we preferred to keep the lumber from the boats for other uses. But, the more the water levels reduced, the winds blowing at the summit of our little island grew stronger and colder. On the other hand, the island’s surface widened. More and more rocky mountain terrain was revealed before us. My sense of curiosity and adventure, which had burned inside me since childhood, was awakening, firing up my imagination. I recalled all of my childhood books about adventure, islands and treasures, and the great surviving sub-human conditions stories were all coming back to me. The group decided not to take any risks at this point and not to descend to the lower levels until we were sure that the ground was dry and solid, so I snuck out to tour the area when no one was looking. The ground was more solid than they thought, but I dared not bring this fact to them so they wouldn’t realize I was out on my own risking myself.

  Plants, appearing and sprouting all over, grabbed my attention. I assumed that the alluvial soil accumulated on the rocks was carried away by the waters and had settled on the slopes, allowing the seeds and plants to take root and re-grow. I was always fond of “Herbology” and had planted many herbs and medicinal plants in my own garden. I never stopped to examine the vast knowledge I had on the subject. But now, when the survival instinct was guiding me, a blurry sensation was coming forth, one that grew stronger as days passed and my research excursions increased. It was the same weird feeling I had at the harbor’s control booth when I realized I had an ancient knowledge I didn’t know its meaning.

  I spent many hours studying the plants I had found, checking their leaves, roots and blossoms. The more I advanced down the slopes of the island, the plants changed. Their roots grew longer and narrower, and their leaves were wider and thinner. Even their flora changed their size and color in accordance with the different altitudes in which they were blossoming. As opposed to them, the plants near the cave, higher up the island, were spread widely, their leaves were round and fleshy and their roots short and thick. I started tagging the plants, categorizing them according to their different species, checking their texture, color, smell, and taste.

  That special sensation soon turned into a driving force. Each day, as soon as first light penetrated the cave, I was on my way to my plants. It was very clear to me that should the food supply run out, we would have no recourse but to switch to a vegetarian diet.

 
No fish were seen in the water, and I had to double the quantity of edible plants fit for consumption. Should we arrive at that, the plants supply on the island would be enough for one week at best, and that too was doubtful. Everything depended on the time it would take me to successfully enrich the vegetation. I began cultivating plants, filling every exposed piece of land with edible plants. I was guided from dawn till dusk by “Herbology” or the “ancient knowledge” as I called it since I had never studied agriculture or biology.

  Members of the group started noticing my prolonged daily absence, but my status as Eddie’s partner spared me the investigative questions, giving me freedom to fulfill my task.

  I then had a brilliant idea! In some of the supply crates we managed to salvage, there were a few big sacks of rice and wheat, which we divided into measured portions—why shouldn’t I try to sow rice and wheat as well?! We had plenty of water, especially for growing rice, and as I said before, the saltiness of the water was greatly diminished since the flooding of the world. It meant that this attempt might have been a significant breakthrough in terms of nutrition sources—in fact, it was what would determine if we would survive or not.

  At this point, I knew I had to bring the group in on my discoveries. Eddie himself was becoming suspicious and frustrated by my daily disappearance because he had to just sit there alone doing nothing when everyone around him was busy doing one thing or another. While he was sitting there, frustrated by his slow recovery, Roan acted as his right-hand man. Soon it was clear to all that we were blessed with another leader that we could count on.

  Time was pressing on. Each day the food supply decreased, and I was still waiting for the right moment to reveal my findings.

  The right timing came about four weeks after Eddie’s injury. A member of the group gave him a pair of improvised crutches as a gift, which he made from leftover beams of wood from the life boats. Now that his sprained arm was healed, there was no stopping Eddie. He started hopping around on the crutches, giving his share of work other than just instructing and guiding. The great respect showed to him by everyone embarrassed Eddie to no end. His sense of physical handicap was somewhat diminished, and he longed to rid himself from the splinting on his body.

  Another exciting detail revealed to me, which told me that it was the time to let my friends know my findings, the exposure of several tree tops in the water. Although it was going to be a while before the trees were fully exposed and the trunks and branches dry so we could make use of them somehow–but the excitement that filled me at the sight of the tree tops left no room for doubt in my heart!!

  It was noon when I climbed to the top of the island as fast as my legs could carry me. The group was busy preparing the meager lunch, gathered together outside the cave in the shadow of one of the small cliffs.

  “You all have to come down to the island’s hillside with me!” I called out panting and excited. “Now!!” I added, almost breathless, eyes gleaming and my heart pounding. I was shaking all over from excitement and the exertion of the climb. “Our lives are about to change!”

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  Chapter 8

  They all froze in their tracks looking at me with surprise, not entirely comprehending where my determined request came from.

  “Who are you waiting for?! Come!! You have to check this out for yourselves! It’s simply a miracle!!” I urged on with the same enthusiasm. “In fact, there are two miracles…” I corrected myself smiling mischievously. They looked at me hesitantly, and then at Eddie to see if he would approve this blatant breaking of the rules. Eddie was staring at me, his eyes filled with anger for breaching the group’s directive, angry that I put myself in harm’s way, angry that I did not include him in my actions.

  “Come on, Eddie! This is not the time to go all ‘parental’ on me and scold me. I realize I wasn’t supposed to be lurking around there by myself, but once you see what’s down there, you will understand why we need to go down.”

  The sense of rebellion rose in me at Eddie’s prolonged silence. I recalled how suspicious and jealous he was of me, and how he narrowed my stride with his overwhelming sense of responsibility that smothered me, in spite of the great love we had for one another. “Eddie—Don’t go there!” I cautioned him, after interpreting the expression on his face. “I saw tree tops exposed in the water!” I decided to ignore him and excite the group. After all, occasionally Eddie suffered from conservatism. “I saw not only trees. There are many plants I examined and studied in the past few weeks, and I managed to cultivate them. Some of these plants are fit for human consumption. We can now plant rice and wheat, and we will have our own food!! But most importantly—the ground is very solid!! Although I did not explore all of it, I did see a few more cave openings, which means that we will be able to settle in them since it is getting colder up here…” I looked at my friends’ faces, and could see how excitement had awakened in them, their eyes widening at the sound of the works “solid ground” and “trees,” but still, no one dared to move and defy Eddie’s instructions. Eddie just kept on giving me his angry look without saying a word. He must be upset about the fact I dared to go against him as well.

  “We have no choice friends, sometimes we need to take chances.

  If we want to survive and stay alive, you must come with me!” I felt like a defendant in court, trying to convince the jury of her innocence, and righteousness.

  “Come on! Let’s go! Nothing will happen if we eat a little later, we will remain hungry either way,” Roan joked and came to my aid, all excited to break the silence, even if it meant undermining Eddie’s undisputed leadership.

  To be truthful, everyone wanted to come. They were just waiting for the sign giving them the permission to descend and see all the discoveries I told them I had made. I did not need more than that. Cheerfully skipping, I started leading the group down the island’s slope. After a few dozen feet I suddenly stopped in my tracks. A weird sensation tickled the back of my neck. I turned back. Eddie was standing there, in the same spot, his eyes piercing me like daggers, only now it was pain that was reflecting from his eyes—and all of a sudden it hit me that perhaps I misread his angry looks. Eddie was unable to join us! How would he come down on his crutches? He was upset as I showed no sensitivity to his predicament, as I forgot he was handicapped and could not descend on his own.

  Maybe he can’t go down on his own, I thought to myself, examining the situation; but—we could help him, we can carry him! I had no doubt in my mind that everyone would be willing to undertake this task. Deep inside, I wanted to make him proud; I wanted him to know that I am not as worthless as he once knew me to be, or as I perceived myself to be in his or his family’s eyes.

  With a quick glance in Rowan’s direction, I nodded in Eddie’s direction adding a gesture of putting my hands on my shoulders, signaling him to carry his friend on his shoulders.

  Roan understood immediately, retraced his steps climbing towards Eddie. “Go ahead. Jump on!” and he gestured to Eddie to climb on his back and extended his hand to Eddie. At that moment, Eddie realized mine and Roan’s little scheme.

  “No! No! Hell no!!” He was furious. “There is a limit to how much humiliation I am willing to take in one day!” he added angrily and tried to pull away from Roan. Roan gave me a swift look, and I signaled him to not give up and bring Eddie.

  “Save your ego games for another time. You and I have been in much more embarrassing and humiliating situations than that, and I have no intention of letting you off the hook. You are simply coming—there is no debate on the matter!” Big boned Roan playfully “threatened” his best friend lifting him on his back like a wounded soldier on the battlefield.

  “O.K! O.K! At least give me a piggyback and don’t carry me like a cripple!” Eddie cried out while trying to salvage something of his lost dignity.

  “Eddie, when will you understand that there is nothing you can do that will make anyone think less of you?!” Roan put him down and helped him jump on his b
road back, starting the joint journey down the path.

  “I can’t believe this is happening to me…” Eddie mumbled with embarrassment, but the smiles and giggles around him made it clear to him that not only was the situation not humiliating, but it was joyful and funny, and his presence was most welcome.

  Everyone rejoiced at the sight of the lower, green and blooming part of the island. I described all my actions to my friends, detailing all the different kinds of plants and what each type of plant was used for. I showed them where I thought to place the rice and wheat plots, and they all expressed their appreciation and how impressed they were. I could see a slither of hope sparkling again in their eyes with the knowledge that our survival chances were considerably higher. I then turned their attention to the tree tops I had discovered earlier, which were swaying slowly in the water as if a silent wind was blowing through them. This sight was without a doubt very moving. Just like the excitement that I had felt when I first saw it, I was thrilled to see my friends were reacting just like I did, and I was excited all over again.

  All this time, when my friends were busy scouting the lower part of the island and checking my work with the plants, I dared not look up. I could feel Eddie’s gaze upon me, not leaving me for one second, following me around, piercing me. What will his eyes reflect when I meet them? Will he still be mad? Will he still resent me for the shame I caused him? Will he still love me, in spite of the fact I betrayed his trust? Slowly, I turned my gaze to where he was standing. A lump of worry slid down my throat when his eyes embedded into mine, and I breathed heavily. This is how much his opinion of me mattered. But most of all, I sadly discovered how much I still needed his approval and appreciation.