SURVIVORS
Chapter 52's. Less Salt
The stiff atmosphere at breakfast made the small team's appetite disappear. Widuri still puts a war face on Dean even though Dean clearly seems to be avoiding him.
The scent of war began to diminish after Dean, Alan and Sunil exited the cave first. Dewi and Nastiti who finally look at each other confused to say what, because Widuri looks like a time bomb that is ready to explode at any time if misused. Finally they both decided to go out of the cave looking for food in the garden.
"Where are you going?" ask Widuri at last.
He was exiled because of Dean. And that made him more disturbed and unhappy.
"Finding food," the Goddess replied.
"Not bring me?" Widuri asked doubtfully.
"We're a team, why wait to be invited? If you want to come, just come along" Nastiti tried to melt the atmosphere.
They went out together. Widuri was very happy when she arrived at the vegetable garden. The garden looks cleaner after 2 days of cleaning. They went back to cleaning and picking some vegetables and herbs to cook. Not far from there a flock of sheep ate the prepared leaves.
Widuri sat quietly not far from the pile of grass and leaves that were cleaned from the vegetable garden. A sheep approached the delicious-looking pile of food in fear. Widuri flinched and just looked at it with a smile on her face.
The fat sheep gradually got closer to Widuri when he saw that Widuri was not reacting. The beast eats with vigilance. Long enough to see no meaningful movement from Widuri, the sheep began to look calm. He eats with gourmand. His attitude made another sheep also approach the place of Widuri.
"Look at that, the sheep wasn't even afraid to eat grass from Widuri's hands." Nastiti was stunned to see it.
"Flatest." Dewi added.
"How could he easily get close to a wild animal, but keep fighting with Dean?" The goddess was astonished.
"Oh, we don't know what he's been through in his life. Life experiences can shape a person's character." Nastiti answered.
The goddess understood.
"Maybe he's been hurt by men, so subconsciously behave fiercely. Uh, but as I recall, Widuri was never mean to Sunil or Alan. He just sniffed at Dean." The goddess tried to remember.
"Love is weird." Nastiti's small laughter made Widuri turn towards them and throw a smile.
"This one has begun to tame," cried Widuri who was hugging and stroking the fat sheep.
Nastiti and Goddess saw him with their mouths agape in disbelief.
"Can we go there?" ask Goddess.
"Try slowly here. Don't be sober" replied Widuri who had now embraced the other sheep.
Dewi and Nastiti approached with slow steps to not surprise the two animals. They sat quietly for the two sheep to get used to his presence.
The goddess slowly followed in the footsteps of Widuri, trying to thrust her hands full of grass towards the sheep that were being petted Widuri. One of the sheep looked at her for a moment and then ignored the hand of the Goddess.
"Haha.." Nastiti laughed back and forth to see the Goddess who was diced by a sheep.
"Don't be heartbroken if your love is rejected, there are still many other sheep that can be shot," led by Nastiti who was joined by the laughter of Widuri.
They looked happy while the Goddess put on a sullen face. They sat in the open enjoying the warm morning sun.
"Hmmm, it's comfortable." The goddess laid her body on the grass. Eyes closed.
"If we don't find our way home, I'm willing to stay here. This place is very peaceful and quiet, in contrast to the hustle and bustle of the big city," said Dewi.
"Yeah.. It would be more convenient to stay here with a husband. Have a cute child and live a simple life from the garden and livestock." Nastiti followed her dreams.
"alright.. You're with Sunil, I'm with Alan." The goddess answered the promptings that greeted Nastiti's laughter.
Widuri looked at her two friends who could still laugh when saying such a thing. 'What a surprise' he thought.
"What do you mean?" Widuri really does not understand the mind path of the two.
"Buddy, better learn to think openly. Trying to accept even the most impossible possibilities. We're stranded in a strange place, so try to think in an unusual way. Forget your current logic" suggested Nastiti.
"Rubber. If we don't find a way out, then we should be able to make peace and stay here forever. And enjoy it." Dewi added Nastiti's explanation.
"How can we find a way out if we don't move out of the cave?"
Widuri's high-pitched voice shocked all the sheep there. The two tails he was handling also moved away. It makes Widuri regret.
"You always explode like a firecracker" said Nastiti.
Widuri..
"I'm not so!" High level of self-defense.
"It just exploded again." The goddess laughed loudly while Nastiti smiled obliquely.
"Nobody hates you. You yourself have put a hostile attitude on him. I think you have a misunderstanding with him. And that's all you can handle on your own, because only you know the root of the problem." Nastiti's Advice.
"Yup. When you fell into the cave, Dean thoughtlessly sacrificed himself to come down to take care of you. Then we came down also because we believed it. So don't start dividing the team with that attitude of yours." Goddess reminded.
Widuri was not happy to be blamed that way. So he asked rudely.
"So you guys think it's me?!"
"Yes!" answer Dewi and Nastiti compact.
It made Widuri speechless and dumbstruck, trying to examine his attitude all this time to Dean.
"Did Sunil and Alan think the same?" muttered Widuri sadly.
"They're men, they don't talk much and they don't really understand women's attitudes. But if you really want to know, just ask." Nastiti remains relaxed enjoying the sun.
"Hey, what are you doing there?" alan shouted that came dragging something behind him.
Widuri turned her head towards Alan who was walking towards them. Alan's innards looked heavy.
"What did you bring?" ask Widuri.
"It's clay soil," Alan then stopped not far from Widuri and spilled his luggage.
"I went back again to pick up the others," said Alan turning to leave.
"Has the wheat crop been harvested?" Widuri wants to come if it can still be harvested.
"Yet. We made this furnace first so that we can immediately make tools and weapons, so we can quickly continue the journey" said Alan as he passed.
Widuri doubts whether to go with Alan to the wheat garden that will definitely meet Dean there. Widuri still can't make peace with Dean and herself. He didn't want to spark a new fight with Dean. So he didn't follow Alan.
"It's noon, let's go back to the cave and pick some fruit for the night," asked Widuri to her two female friends who are still relaxing sunbathing like being on the beach alone.
"Bad.. This comfort must be enjoyed slowly," said Dewi while rising from the grass.
"Come, we should also check for traps in the forest near the cave." The goddess took Nastiti's arm and broke her dream.
Nastiti followed the two with a frown. But it soon becomes happy again when it finds ripe blueberries along the path they head home. He walked while chewing the fruit he got.
"You're this. Save a little to make drinks and bread jam. Don't eat them all."
The goddess grumbled at Nastiti who continued to tease her by putting a handful of blueberries into her mouth and chewing with her cheeks bulging fullness. His eyes were witty and seemed to be laughing.
"Basic greed." The goddess followed him by putting a handful of blueberries he picked into his mouth.
"I can too. Huh." The goddess taunted Nastiti with her mouth full until the purple liquid came out from the corner of her lips.
"Yes.you can.. Until ngences." Nastiti laughed happily teasing the Goddess who was chasing after him with anxiety.
Widuri left the blueberry clump and followed her two friends who were now embracing while laughing.
*
Dean, Alan and Sunil had been digging the clay with spears since morning. It's not an easy thing to work without the right equipment. But they continued to work with their hands dredging the loosened clay. Before the sun is high, there is enough soft clay to move. They work until the sun is slightly tilted from the top of the head. No complaining of anchoring the clays under the scorching sun.
When Dean felt that it was enough, they stopped and cleaned their hands of the remnants of mud under the shower. They walk back to where the clay was collected.
"Ahh, I feel hungry. For a moment I picked up some apples and pears in the garden for a wedge of stomach" Alan said, leaving his two friends in the shade under the trees.
Dean and Sunil lay weary in the grass under the shade of a huge lemon tree. A gentle breeze made the two of them nearly lulled into a dream, as Alan's voice entered the ear space.
"Dean, Sunil, this is our lunch." Alan thrust apples and pears at both. Alan took a seat looking at the green pasture that was still filled with some cool sheep grazing.
"To be honest with Dean, I also thought that life here was not bad. This place doesn't lack anything to live for." Alan broke the silence.
"This place is lacking one thing" Dean said
"What's that?" ask Sunil to know.
"Lack of salt" said Dean calmly.
"When we're in the snow forest, we don't have salt, we're fine" Alan said.
"At that time we eat more often the meat of prey that in its own blood contains salt. After all it was the early days we were stranded. Our bodies can tolerate. But if we choose to stay here, then we have to find a source of salt, or our bodies will weaken over time" Dean said.
***