Escaping the Lost Island (working title)

Chapter 12

My newfound optimism made up for my lack of sleep when I awoke at the same ungodly hour as usual the next day.

"What's wrong with you?" Isaac asked after I responded pleasantly to his greeting.

I feigned surprise. "Whatever do you mean?"

His eyes narrowed. "You're cheerful. And it's early."

I smiled and clapped him on the back. "I just have a feeling it's going to be a great day." I left him staring at me in befuddlement and went in search of Rita.

She was in the girls' hut tidying up when I found her. Her brown eyes brightened when she saw me. "Good morning, Meg," she said. "Are you ready to get started?"

I gave her a thumbs up. "Ready when you are!"

She smiled. "Excellent! I just need a little more time to finish up, but I'll be ready soon."

"Here, I can help." I knelt beside her and began to shake the sand off of one of the mats on the ground.

Rita nodded gratefully and together we quickly finished the job.

"I remember seeing some of the roots over by the beach where Toby and I first arrived," Rita said as we headed out of the clearing. "But I'm sure there are many more of them around. This is an excellent climate for them to grow in."

I nodded. "Good. The more we have, the better. I'd like to even bring some extras on the rafts with us if we have enough."

Rita shrugged. "We'll find out I suppose."

Despite the fact that she had only been on the island for a few weeks, Rita seemed to know her way around the island. She glided effortlessly through the thick foliage and I found myself struggling to keep up as we neared the water's edge where the ferns grew thickest.

"Here they are," she announced at last.

I stumbled to a halt beside her and looked around. The ground appeared to be littered with some of the same weeds I used to see in my garden back home.

"Um what exactly am I looking for here?"

Rita squatted down and ran her hand across the same leafy tops I had just observed. "All of these," she said excitedly. "Isn't it wonderful?"

I knelt beside her. "How can you tell what they are?"

She grabbed a stray leaf that lay beside one of the plants and motioned me to move closer. "See this?" She asked. "See how the top is rounded but there are two little notches at the base of it?" She pointed at them.

I nodded.

"That's how you know," she said simply.

It seemed too easy. "But what about other plants that have leaves just like that?"

Rita shook her head. "There aren't any tropical ones that small that I've ever seen."

I'd never been good with plants and things so I wasn't going to argue. "Sounds good to me, let's get started, shall we?"

Rita grabbed a handful of plants and pulled in response.

We set to work, making pleasant conversation as we did so. I found myself envying her naturally sunny disposition. Nothing in particular seemed to bother her. She told me about her life in her village and her family. I couldn't even imagine a life as different from my former one as hers sounded. She had never gone to school but had been educated about the ways the natural world by her grandmother. At my request, she easily identified the surrounding plants.