Hana was physically and mentally exhausted when she began experimenting on making fire.
[It was totally nonsense to make a fire using a spectacle during night time. Fortunately, Arash had also supplied me with the traditional method of starting fire.]
The first step is to make an indentation on a piece of dried wood with a sharp stone. Second, use another dried stick and placed it on top of the indentation. and the last step is to rub both hands away in a front-back motion which will result in the rapid twirling of the stick. After a while, the friction will create some heat and sparks which will then turn into fire.
Hana could visualize the step-by-step method since she had seen something like it on tv a couple of times. As the scene keep playing in her mind, she ultimately developed an aversion towards it.
Why? Of course, because it was real hard work with actual muscle needed!!
Those people on tv looked so suave and cool, but she knew they must have used a lighter or something when the camera was not rolling!
Furthermore, she didn't know how long actually they took to start a fire primitively.
[It won't be that long right? It seemed quite simple.] Hana tried hard to cheat herself to no avail.
Arash knew his wife wouldn't be able to utilize this method, but he just included it in since it was the most basic method around for reference purpose. He didn't know Hana wasn't able to make fire before night time. She had wasted too much time outside.
How could she have known that she would spend most of her time outside of the cave and fainted on her very first night here?
Slapping her face to recollect her spirits, Hana went to work resolutely.
She gone through all the steps needed and used some dried wood dust she scraped from the same wood as a tinder.
She continued rubbing the tinder front and back until the tinder started to smoke. Eager for success, she immediately placed it on a larger amount of wood fibre and enclosed it in. Slowly, Hana blew on the wood fibre until the smoke got thicker.
"Cough! Cough!"
Her eyes and her nose started to water. It was very painful being seared by the wafting smoke.
Hana patiently fed the smoking wood fire with small number of twigs and kindling. She tried to build it into a bigger fire. However, the small flickering flame extinguished as soon as it appeared.
Hana was distraught with sadness.
After taking a moment to calm herself, she obstinately tried again and again...
....
Few hours later, a fire was lit at the middle of the cave. Hana was so tired; she felt like she couldn't lift a finger with her palms felt sore and chapped.
In the end, her success was all due to her secret weapon, stacks of paper receipts from her shopping spree!!!
Thank goodness she had so much paper receipts in her handbag. As it turned out, making fire was no easy matter at all. She would not manage to do it if not for the paper receipts. In all the web novels she had read before, the fire was built with just a single sentence. Preposterous! Give me back all my spirits stones!!
She dragged the banana leaves she brought back beside the roaring fire and lay down in exhaustion.
[I want to sleep ni..so tired…]
Her eyes were getting cloudy. She was nearly entering the La-la land (1).
The atmosphere was getting quite cozy, just like picnicking beside a campfire. Only short of some grilled marshmallows and sausages. That's what peeps on tv grilled over fire anyway.
"Grumblee...grumblee"
Her not so cute slightly flabby stomach made a loud sound. It asked to be fed.
"Sighhhhh..."
Hana rolled around like a sloth for a few more minutes. She sat down tiredly.
She walked weakly towards her bags and took two bananas and a pack of sausages.
[Even if I don't have marshmallows, I still have some good ol'sausages.]
She pierced two pieces of sausages; each on a single stick she selected from a pile of dried branches she collected before and stabbed the other end of the sticks on the cave floor near the fire, grilling it slightly. She didn't place it inside the fire to prevent it from being charred.
The snake sneakily slithered nearer. Its black beady eyes glowing with anticipation. It even held itself a foot high and swayed left and right.
Hana got a strange feeling that the snake was hungry yet happy. This was really confusing. She couldn't understand why she perceived the snake's action that way.
She sighed, then proceed to pierce another sausage on a stick to be grilled together.
[I'm such a nice aunty!]
It was 2.30 am in the morning when she finally sat on the spot to receive the blessings of internet coverage.
She munched on the bananas and casually swiped open her smartphone. Message after message entered.
Arash has messaged more than 20 times starting from 4.00 pm. Each one was filled with concern and worry. It continued even after she informed him that she was okay at around 10.00 pm just now. It stopped an hour ago though.
[He must have fallen asleep. Pity him.]
She quickly typed her experience of the day in a concise manner in the hopes that they can together find out her location. She also included her conjectures. She still doesn't abandon hope from being rescued by her hubby, just like a real princess.
Hana laughed bashfully.
The little snake tilted its head when it heard Hana's laughter.
[Eh! There's a reply! So soon!]
Papa:
I thought something happened to you ayang. I was very worried.
Mama:
It's alright deary..on my way back I encounter a slight problem. I fainted for quite some time. Thought you're asleep.
Papa:
I am waiting for you lahh..I'm super worried ok..
That was so dangerous! What happened?
Mama:
I encountered a snake when I nearly reached the cave. It's a very weird experience. Don't worry, I'm sure it is not poisonous. Please check for me these characteristics. Shiny black scaly body. Beady black eyes. Ruby-like hexagonal stone in between eyes. Silver horn-like protrusion a little higher from the ruby.
Papa:
Are you kidding? It sounded like a pokemon nihhh
Mama:
I'm not. Actually, I'm considering adopting it.
Papa:
What?! You said it's a snake dowhhh (2)..it's not a dog or a cat. It's dangerous!
Mama:
Already been bitten. Not dangerous. It's the non-venomous kind. This snake followed me everywhere. I think it liked me. I'm just going to treat it like a stray cat.
Arash didn't reply after that. Hana assumed her hubby must have fallen asleep. What she didn't know was that, Arash was too speechless with his wife's easygoing attitude towards an animal who had even attacked her before.
She plucked the sticks of grilled sausages from the fireplace and threw one towards the snake.
It immediately gobbled the sausage fast! Hana was quite amused watching the snake ate. After it finished eating, it coiled and jumped out towards her like a spring!
Hana yelped from surprise again but was not that afraid this time. She covered her face with her free arm while the other was holding the grilled sausage stick. The little snake landed on the wrist of that arm and immediately coiled itself, just like an exotic black bracelet with a ruby on top.
She hesitantly patted the head of the snake. The little one made a cute hissing sound of contentment.
Hana sigh again for the n-th time.
[This cute thing. So clingy... Where does it come from...]
Hana suddenly felt her atmosphere was quite good. It was like camping by a campfire. She even got an instant companion to alleviate her loneliness.
She came to a decision.
"I'm gonna call you Kuro (3)."
Author's Note:
(1) La-la land = dreamland
(2) dowhh = a short form of 'aduh' which means 'ouch'..added for the sake of sound making in local slang..no real use.
(3) Kuro = means 'black' in japanese. Very generic name. Hana, you're so cincai!