Day Sixty-One: New Questions, New Discoveries (Part Two)

That meal left me completely stuffed, my belly protruding. I hadn’t even felt full until I stopped eating… but now I was uncomfortably bloated. As much as I wanted to lie down and rest for a while, I knew it wasn’t good for my body. Under these circumstances, maintaining my health was the highest priority, because in a place like this, falling ill was the greatest danger.

Last time I had a fever, it nearly killed me. If I were to suffer from any other internal ailment, there would be nothing left but to wait for death.

…

Lost in thought, I paced the small courtyard several times. My stomach felt a little better. Next time, I’d have to restrain myself. But honestly, that man was absolutely right—rice mixed with lard was truly delicious! I really wanted another bowl for dinner, but that would be too much of a luxury—perhaps next time.

The smoked fish owed its exquisite flavor entirely to the addition of lemon. Without the tang of lemon, I doubt the taste of the smoked fish would come alive as it did!

The afternoon sun wasn’t too harsh. Maybe it was just a side effect of overeating, but I felt drowsy. If I lay on the bedding now, with the cool breeze drifting into the treehouse, I’d probably fall asleep in no time.

But was it worth it to sleep? Should I waste such fine weather? What if the next bout of wind and rain lasted a week? A fortnight? Or even longer! How would I solve the problem of food then? It was surely better to venture out in weather like this than to brave the rain.

Yet I was so tired. Wasn’t it alright to rest a little? I already had so much dried fish, and several bags of grains. Even if it rained for a month straight, what would it matter? Surely I could hold out.

Two completely opposing thoughts warred inside me once more. But this time, I felt no negativity. I waited quietly for the result. As impulse and reason clashed, all sorts of questions and solutions emerged. For the first time, I realized just how many thoughts I could have…

In the end, reason won out again, depriving me of the right to a nap.

“Sigh, I might as well take advantage of the weather and go have a look.” Even if I found nothing, I would lose nothing. As for my fatigue, I could always rest earlier tonight.

As I pushed open the courtyard gate, Blackie dashed out like a wild horse freed from its reins. If I hadn’t turned back to check and seen nothing unusual, I might have thought something terrifying was chasing it.

That rascal! I shook my head.

I rarely restricted its freedom. To me, it was a survival partner—someone I depended on, an indispensable presence. Without it, I might have gone mad from loneliness.

“Thank goodness for you, Blackie,” I murmured as I watched its shadow disappear into the distance.

Leaving the courtyard, I headed toward the grove where I’d seen the lemons earlier. Perhaps because my mood today was different, I noticed much beauty along the way, and many small creatures.

Though I might have seen some of them before, I’d never truly looked, never paid attention. But today, with this calm state of mind, the island revealed its lovelier side to me.

As I walked, the thick grass swayed. Startled grasshoppers, locusts, and bugs of every color leapt away. One locust in particular caught my eye: its body was striped in grass green and yellow-green, with several black markings. I wasn’t sure if it was a locust after all; aside from its color, it looked much the same.

The other insects weren’t as striking. This familiar shape and unusual coloring made me stop and observe. It was about six centimeters long, and its strong hind legs sent it bounding from the grass to a nearby rock.

Just as I was about to move on, I saw a small lizard dart from a crevice in the rock. In a blink, it snared the locust in its mouth. I knew it must have used its tongue to catch the insect, but it happened so fast I barely saw a thing.

The lizard, at least ten centimeters long, chewed a few times and swallowed the locust, then poked its head out to glance at me before slipping back into the shadows. I did catch a clear look: aside from a few red streaks on its head, like splashes of watercolor, the rest of its body was a dusky blue-gray.

…

This little episode took up more time than I expected, but I realized I was now seeing this place with a sense of wonder—perhaps a change in my own mindset. In the past, I would never have wasted so much time observing such things.

It was as if I had a new perspective; every casual glance revealed something novel. Not far ahead, I spotted a bird I’d never seen before. I didn’t know its name, but its throat and belly were covered by a bulging patch of red skin, featherless and swelling like that of a frog—almost as if inflated. It was strange, and perhaps startled by me, it flew off before I could take a closer look.

…

Along the way, my gaze captured many other odd little creatures, each one etched into my memory.

Soon, I arrived at the lemon tree. It seemed to know how to thrive in favorable circumstances—perhaps seeking shelter from the scorching midday sun by growing beneath a larger tree. Sunbeams filtering through the canopy had curled its leaves from the heat.

Perhaps that’s why the lemon tree chose to grow under the larger one—it must not be very heat-tolerant.

Wild grasses and fruits were abundant along the path. One variety, red in color, tasted somewhat sweet when licked; the others were all either bitter or so astringent they left my tongue numb. None tasted normal. Even the slightly sweet wild fruit had flesh so coarse that chewing it felt like biting into hemp rope—an unbearable texture.

After spitting several times, remnants were still stuck between my teeth—a nightmare! These were certainly not what I was looking for.

I only wanted something edible, with at least a tolerable flavor—ideally, something juicy, sweet, or filling…

But the search was not going smoothly. I had to be wary of poisonous fruit and watch for danger, since wild boar roamed here. Who knew what other large animals might lurk nearby?

“Wait! Could it be?” The plants before me looked remarkably like something I’d seen and eaten before!

Could it really be what I thought?

I couldn’t be certain by sight alone, but if I examined the roots, I’d be eighty percent sure.

Carefully surveying the area to make sure it was safe, I tucked my pistol into my vine belt and took down my axe.

Five minutes later, I finally dug up the roots.

…

“What’s this?”