Chapter 009 Mutual Understanding
''You're back!'' Anindira shouted, welcoming the young man happily.
''You're so happy to see me bring food...'' the young man replied, seeing Anindira's wide smile with sparkling eyes looking at the package in her hand.
Between being happy because the young man came immediately before she dared to go down because she was bored and also the package that Anindira guessed was food to fill her rumbling stomach because she could smell the sweet aroma of fruit from it.
''This is for me?'' Anindira asked politely.
''Eat it!'' the young man exclaimed, handing it over.
''E-at..." said Anindira, repeating what the young man said, pausing each syllable.
''Eum...'' the young man nodded, ''E-at,'' the young man said again, repeating his words.
''Thank you,'' Anindira answered with her sweet smile and started eating the fruits, ''I'm very hungry... Thank you again,'' Anindira added while stuffing each bite of the fruit she ate.
''Last night you were sobbing. But look now... you're eating so heartily.''
''Hm?!'' Anindira replied with her mouth still filled with food.
''Slowly,'' the young man replied with a smile, ''If it's still not enough, I'll find some more for you.''
Anindira was quite depressed about the situation she was in. But after she vented her emotions last night. The heavy burden on her heart felt lighter now. Her current situation was something she couldn't avoid. There was nothing that could be done by her now except to remain enthusiastic about surviving in a world she did not know.
''You seem to really like those fruits, but you did not even glance at the rabbit I brought.''
Anindira again showed the same reaction as before, because she did not understand what the young man said. Inevitably, only a stupid face could be shown by Anindira to show her feelings.
''You...'' called the young man slowly, ''Not...'' continued the young man again, ''Eat this?'' asked the young man while pointing at the rabbit in front of him when he finished his sentence.
It turned out that he deliberately said word by word, intermittently, as if he was dictating to Anindira.
''Hmm?'' Anindira raised an eyebrow at the young man, but she then immediately smiled, ''You mean eating that?!''
Anindira emphasized it in a funny way. She was also quite happy because it turned out that she could figure out what the young man meant even though she had to stutter.
''Um,'' nodded the young man in response to Anindira.
''How do I eat it?'' Anindira asked then, ''It's still raw?!''
Anindira and the young man were both patient in order to understand each other's intentions. They talked while occasionally demonstrating as best they could.
''How do you eat a rabbit that's still full of fur?'' Anindira asked in surprise.
Anindira frowned while making a disgusted look at the dead rabbit in the young man's hand.
The young man reached into the leather pouch on his waist, then took out a flat stone. Immediately after that, he began to tear and skin the rabbit very deftly.
Anindira, who was used to helping her mother and grandmother in the kitchen, did not feel disgusted at all seeing the young man skillfully mutilating the rabbit's stomach and then reaching in and taking out its innards. Anindira herself also often processed squirrels that were hunted along with her grandfather. Therefore, even though the hands of the young man in front of her were covered in blood, it did not interfere with her appetite at all.
''I've cleaned it, you can eat it now.''
After finishing processing the rabbit, the young man handed it to Anindira.
''Ha?!'' Anindira shouted with a disgusted expression, ''This is going to be eaten raw?!''
Seeing Anindira's reaction like that, the young man misunderstood her, he then wanted to throw away the rabbit in his hand.
''WHAT?! WAIT!!'' Anindira shouted, her hand reflexively moving quickly to stop the young man's hand that almost threw the game in his hand, ''What's wrong with you?'' Anindira asked next with a slightly angry face.
Anindira stared firmly at the young man. She didn't like seeing the treatment that wasted food.
''What's wrong with you?'' asked the young man, confused by Anindira's actions, ''I did it for you, I don't want your appetite to be disturbed!''
He was confused. Why did Anindira hold his hand? Even so, Anindira was also very brave because she looked directly into his eyes.
''Don't throw it away!'' Anindira exclaimed, ''Why did you catch it and process it if you were going to throw it away?! You catch it, and that means you want to eat it. You won't give me something that you didn't eat, right?!''
Anindira felt annoyed by the young man's behavior for throwing away the food so easily, especially if it was still fresh and of good quality.
Both of them restrained themselves. They patiently tried to be wise in response to the situation.
''Sir,'' called Anindira, who was the first to give in, ''I don't eat raw meat.''
Anindira gently tried to explain. She didn't want the misunderstanding to continue and would make the two of them, who had difficulty communicating, even more awkward.
''Aahh!'' Anindira screamed excitedly, ''FIRE!''
Awkward, but this time she really tried hard and sincerely so that the young man would understand her meaning.
''FIRE!'' the young man shouted in a flat tone.
His eyebrows raised, he felt happy when he finally understood Anindira's meaning.
Just like Anindira, he also wanted them to be able to understand each other even though communication did not go smoothly, but at least they could both be comfortable.
Again the young man took out two stones from his pocket. This time they were lumps, not flat. The young man stomped the two stones together. From the slamming of the two stones, sparks were then seen.
''YES!'' Anindira shouted with a wide smile and sparkling eyes, ''Hehehe...'' a strange laugh appeared again on her already silly face, ''Sir, you're smart...'' Anindira said smiling happily because her point was conveyed, while raising a thumb that was sticky because of the sweet fruit juice that was smeared on her hand.
''I'm sorry,'' the young man said with dull eyes looking sadly at Anindira, ''During the trip, we men just wanted to save time by eating it raw...''
''Sir, what are you saying?''
''Hm,'' the young man smiled in response to Anindira's pitiful face, ''I also prefer to eat cooked meat.''
''Sir, I don't understand what you're saying at all...''
''Don't think about it, wait... here!''
The young man spoke again in a dictating manner while holding Anindira's shoulder, signaling her to wait.
Agile and nimble, the young man climbed down the tree, and again he left Anindira in the tree. But, a few minutes later, he climbed up and brought Anindira down.
It turned out that the young man had come down to prepare a campfire.
When he brought Anindira down, the fire was ready below. He then took two rabbit meat wrapped in broad leaves similar to teak leaves and skewered them on the wood and started to burn them.
While waiting for the rabbit meat to be ready to eat, they chatted and decided to get to know each other and continue talking more.
''Halvir...'' said the young man while pointing at himself, ''Halvir... I-am... Halvir...'' said the young man repeating it, then pointing at Anindira.
''Hal... Vir?!''
Anindira answered, then pointed at the young man.
''Eum...'' the young man nodded, ''You?!'' exclaimed Halvir, asking. He then pointed at Anindira.
''Anindira... A-nin-di-ra...'' said Anindira while pointing at herself.