After putting the questionable combination in, Chris was absolutely gobsmacked!
'This, this... burst of flavour! It's truly unique!'
Colette watched as his eyes widened with surprise before he began to gobble down the food. She smirked to herself thinking 'As expected, the way to a person's heart is their stomach!'
...
After finishing dinner, Chris had awkwardly followed Colette around attempting to help her pack away the cooking utensils and tableware.
The pair walked to the stream, Chris was instructed to carry the stuff as Colette had prepared the meal, she led the way with a seemingly solemn expression.
Upon reaching the stream, Chris closed his eyes and took in a deep breath of air, exhaling relaxedly. He felt the tension leaving his body and it was replaced with the vigour of life.
Somehow the air near moving water just seemed fresher. The subtle sound of water running relaxed his body while the sounds of birds calling and the trees swaying brought him an indescribable sense of peace.
As he opened his eyes, he squinted slightly trying to adjust his eyes to the bright sun from the delicate baby blue sky. Taking in the sight around him, Chris had yet again felt that he was in another world, so different from the modern city, packed with people.
It seemed that she had led him to another part of the stream earlier on.
First, Colette approached a nearby plant and stripped the stalk of half the leaves, then brought the leaves to a rock with an indent in it. Placing the leaves in she took a small rock and started to bash the leaves, creating a mush. He can see that the leaves have excreted a slime
'Why does she need leaves?' Thought a confused Chris, silently watching as Colette took a coconut shell lying around to scoop some water. Intrigued, Chris takes a few steps closer to observe her actions.
Colette pours the water into the indent and starts to swish the water and dark leafy mush around. To his surprise, bubbles had started to form!
Totally mesmerised he squats down next to the rock, plopping the utensils and tableware down next to him.
Colette stops abruptly and looks around briefly, before getting up and walking to a nearby tree and pulling a cream coloured thing. It looked like a bunch of knotted strings from afar and a little dirty too.
Seeing Chris's curious eyes she explains to him.
"This is a luffa and what I've been mashing up are the leaves of a plant called Bouncing Bet. It makes soap." With that brief explanation, Colette gets right to cleaning the things they used before while Chris nods and simply watches in wonder.
'He's like a kid. How cute.' Colette thought as she kept a neutral expression.
...
After Colette had finished washing the dishes, she taught Chris how to recognise the plant and asked him to gather a few leaves. She then let Chris crush the leaves as she did before but on a different rock. It was an interesting rock. The rock looked like there was a small rock pool on top connected to a slide, running down. It was really just an indent in the rock and a crack
Once the leaves had been crushed finely enough, the crushed leaf and slime would run down the crack and into a coconut shell that Colette had placed down. For Chris, it was a novel experience, though he was confused about why she needed more of this soap.
"I'm sure it has been a while since you last felt clean, the liquid you just made will be your shampoo. I'll take you to the bathing area"
"Yeah, it has been a while hahaha thanks!" Commented Chris embarrassedly after realising that he was filthy.
'No bath in days and I've been sweating like crazy too! I hope I don't smell like B.O...' thought Chris as he sighed.
Colette started leading Chris downstream, where the water collected and was a little deeper. Amongst the awkward silence, he chose to strike a conversation.
"Wow, this plant is pretty cool huh, I can't believe it can be used as dishwasher liquid and shampoo!!"
"Un. It doesn't have any chemicals." Colette replied while city boy Chris was embarrassed because he didn't use his logic to work that out himself. Flustered, he switched the topic to something else.
'Gosh, how could I embarrass myself like that. What if she thinks I'm an idiot now.'
"*Cough Ahem. Right!! Haha why didn't I think of that hahaha!! Well, uh ... have you washed yet? How about you go first then me." Trying to be considerate he offered her to go first but then he realised Colette stopped walking and just looked back at him. She looked like she was staring into the depths of his soul, trying to figure out his meaning.
Really, Colette stopped because she almost forgot about taking one herself!
Intimidated by her stare, Chris mentally bashes himself.
'Stupid!! How could you ask her that, you sound like a perv!!' Welp, humans tend to freak out a little when in the presence of someone they admire.
Her reply: "Don't worry about me, I'll take one somewhere else."
Her thoughts: 'Hehehe he cares about me!!'
... Walking downslope allowed them to get to their location pretty fast.
Upon approaching Chris saw Colette moving some vines to the side before entering the area, it seemed like an entrance. And it was one.
Unlike the upper part of the stream where the surroundings looked like a fresh green, this area was a deep green fantasy with all the rocks covered in moss. Shocked by the scenery yet again his jaw dropped.
"Here, these are some clothes that washed ashore." Before he had time to take in the scenery, Colette pulled out some clothes and handed them to him.
Baffled Chris asked.
"Hey, Colette where did you get the clothes from? I mean it just felt like you pulled them from out of nowhere haha." Actually, he had been wondering for a while now it always seems like whatever she needs suddenly appears but he doesn't know whether it's because she is very organised and knows where everything is or ...
"?? Bobo brought it to me from over here." With a confused glance, Colette gestured Chris to step closer to have a look.
Gobsmacked - an expression of shock
bouncing bet - a plant that makes soap, also known as Saponaria officinalis.
(fun fact: Yucca (another plant) can also make soap! I'm sure there are many others that make soap too, but yucca was my other contender hehe).