SURVIVORS
Chaptre 49. Plague
Until the afternoon of Robert, doctors Chandra and Marianne managed to make 2 flat containers that did not look like plates at all, an abstract stool and 2 long spoons. They seem happy with the achievement.
"Wahh very cool," cried Indra.
"Well, good for a beginner. Now let it dry first. May it not rain. Tomorrow we burn it to use." Robert smiled in anguish.
"Let's relax this afternoon, I go take a shower first. Do you want to come with the doc?" ask Robert as it passes.
"Ah yes.me too," said Dr. Chandra quickly.
"You guys don't want to take a shower? Bauuu," Marianne's taunts made the men misbehave.
Finally at the shelter there are only women who are busy preparing dinner. They chatted happily because the sky looked bright, unlike the day before.
As always, the dinner atmosphere is filled with discussions and plans for tomorrow's activities.
"I think our shelter is more adequate. So tomorrow maybe I'll go check around the beach and the cliffs over there." Robert relays his plan.
"Well, who do you want to go with? How long?" ask Indra.
"I'll just take Gilang. Anyhow it takes enough men to protect our team. And my plan, will run for 2 days a new trip back. But if there are other circumstances, it may be a little longer. So it's about 5 days" replied Robert.
"OK," said Gilang.
"Then what about the pottery we made earlier?" Marianne wants to know.
"It must be dried under the sun first just burned with a big fire. While you can make some equipment and dried first. I'll be back to burn at once." Robert gave a suggestion.
"Maybe we can also make bricks so that the shelter wall is stronger," Baras gave another idea.
"Yes, that's a smart idea." Silvia's eyes sparkled brilliantly in the light of the fireplace.
"With bricks, we'll have a better shelter." Niken added.
"Yes.you can do that. But it is not necessary for everyone to make pottery and bricks. Try Laras and Silvia tomorrow to make a salt supply. It's important to preserve the fish and cook it" advises Dr Chandra.
"good. We'll make salt tomorrow. How make? Is it necessary to be dried under the sun by the sea?" ask Silvia.
"Drying does look easy. But you still have to make a pond in the sand of the beach and fill it with sea water. After that wait a few days until the water evaporates. But the most difficult is when taking salt crystals that may be mixed with beach sand" explained Liam.
"What's good about it?" ask Laras.
"Just cook it in the pot over the fireplace. If the water is reduced, fill it again with sea water, cook until you get as much salt as you need. That's much more practical" Liam replied.
"True you said that. Make as many needs as possible. Next time do it again if it's less," Marianne nodded.
The discussion is completed after dividing the respective work tasks. They rested quietly under the light of the stars.
*
The morning after breakfast Robert and Gilang prepared to leave to check their location. They only carry spears and 2 smoked fish for supplies on the trip.
"Indra, if you see a ship approaching the coast, do not immediately appear. Pay attention to whether they are good people or not" Robert advises.
"Yes, I know. In my opinion, if this is Indonesia, there can be no beach and the sea is so beautiful without a human being living here. So my guess is, we're on a remote island. So there will likely be pirates leaning in search of water or supplies" Indra replied.
"Okay, we're leaving." Robert patted Indra's shoulder and passed followed by Gilang.
The night when it was his turn to stand guard, Robert had already made some new spears and sharpened the others for the team's defensive tools. 'If only it could make arrows, it would be better. But there's not enough time for that now. So must be satisfied with the existing' inner.
Robert felt a faint unease with this trip plan. Will the trip be dangerous? Robert doesn't know. But Robert was willing to face any possibility so they could find their way home.
*
Laras and Silvia were busy making salt. They 3 times up and down the cliff take sea water to cook. And they are happy with the result. Clean and sand-free salt.
Marianne washed the skins of rabbits and wolves in the river, and she dried them out in the open. It was a hunted skin while in the snow forest. Robert gathered and kept it neatly. Earlier this morning asked Marianne to wash it clean so it could be used later.
"What do you want it to do?" ask Niken to know.
"We don't have enough tools to make our skin smooth. So we can make this rough skin into a wall coating that is anti-rain or others. But I wanted to make some leather straps Robert ordered first" Marianne replied.
Indra and Liam took and collected the clay and smoothed it. They print enough bricks until noon and leave them under the sun.
Finished printing bricks, Indra and Liam lamjut collected fish from the bubu in the river and the waterfall pond and cleaned and handed it to Laras and Silvia.
Angel was interested in trying to make pottery while seeing the work of Indra and Liam. There were a lot of ideas popping into his head, so give it a try. And the work is pretty good. Angel is confident to make more. After all, they did need eating and drinking equipment.
"Niken, here. Let's make dinner plates. It's not too difficult either. Just have to feel alone to make it," Angel smiled broadly showing the results of his work.
Niken approached Angel and took a seat next to her.
"So easy for him?" ask Niken not to believe it.
Actually Niken refused to play mud. But of all the team members, only he was unemployed. That makes him feel bad. He wanted to help Marianne, but it turned out that the skin had just been dried. He couldn't possibly insist on staying there.
"Yes. You can follow my way," Angel took the new clay dough and placed it on the surface of the stone.
Niken followed Angel's steps. "Lookin?" tanyanya did not understand.
"Yes, then do it like this. Use feelings when shaping so that the results are good and smooth," Angel shows how.
Niken watched Angel's hand movements carefully and tried as well. Do it carefully. Finally, Niken unwittingly drowned in his evil. He enjoyed playing mud which he had previously always considered dirty and disgusting.
"Yeayyy, I made it," cried Niken happily.
"What I said. It's not hard right," Angel smiled looking at the very happy Niken.
They still made some more pottery before afternoon arrived. Toni and Leon had already returned with quite a lot of firewood and 2 corn bundles that they had placed on top of the pile of wood on their backs.
"You found corn? Where's?" ask Indra curiously.
"Well, we ate big today. Haha.." Liam's laughter was happy.
"We are looking for wood further than ever before. Then stop at the sight of some corn trees growing wild. We saw the fruit, so picked it up and brought it home. After that I just collected firewood" Leon replied.
"Marianne, these are some flowers similar to the ones you picked up yesterday. I picked up some, maybe useful," Toni handed me a bunch of white and yellow flowers.
"Ah, thank you Toni. Tonight we can enjoy a delicious and fragrant tea." Marianne was so happy. Toni nodded and left.
That afternoon Marianne made flower tea in a teapot that was enough for everything. They enjoy the sunset quietly while waiting for dinner to ripen.
*
Meanwhile, Robert and Gilang's journey is not as smooth as hope. Until the afternoon, they did not find the beach sloping. They continue to be on the rocky cliff. The ocean edge is very steep. There were also no rivers and springs, but there were quite a number of coconut trees and other trees here. Gilang climbed a coconut tree, made a step ladder with Robert's knife and plucked enough supplies of coconuts.
That night they slept on the edge of a rock cliff. Make a simple shelter with a wall of coconut leaves as a windbreak. Then light a fire to drive away the cold. That night they ate the fish brought in this morning and drank coconut water.
Robert had already set up some traps that afternoon when Gilang plucked the coconuts. He hoped something would work. So they can continue the journey after filling the stomach tomorrow morning.
The sound of birdsong woke Robert up. The sky is still golden with blue and white which is very beautiful. Robert immediately rose to drive away the feeling of laziness and fatigue. He went to check the traps the previous afternoon. Of the 3 traps, only one succeeded. A poor squirrel trapped. Robert immediately cleaned it on the spot, then washed it with coconut water before burning it in the fireplace.
The smell of grilled meat woke Gilang. He immediately sat down in a daze.
"Let's have breakfast, just continue the journey." Robert thrust half of the roast into Gilang.
They ate quietly and continued their journey.
***