Taken
The following day I got up early.
I couldn't get a wink of sleep last night, the day couldn't come soon enough for me. My deal with Peter haunts my mind, a fire burns in me, I want to prove to my new friend that I am not that fragile, good-for-nothing city woman. Something inside me drives me to take on this competition, I'm so sure I will beat both men. I don't know what it is, but my senses are running full speed, I'm in for the hunt.
Standing outside the house, I see Perpetua already stirring a pot.
By the looks of it, everyone here gets up very early and there is always something to do. "Saray," my hostess calls to me, all smiles. "Peter has already heated the water for you to bathe. He is very cheerful today, wringing his hands and muttering something over a bet he made with you." Questioningly, she nods at me. "Yep. He cleans up the whole catch if I bring more prey than him. I'm going hunting with him, you haven't forgotten," I tell her proudly. Her eyebrows go up. "So, it's true. Ooohh, baby. Do you really think you can beat him? Peter's been going hunting with his dad since his first steps. And you're obviously not used to much hard work in the wild. Why did you make such a bet, for God's sake!" she exclaims in despair.
I glare at the woman.
"Do you underestimate me too, Perpetua? I thought I could count on your support. Women power, remember?" I lecture her tightly. If I thought she'd regret her words, I'm sorely mistaken. "Listen, I support you. Really, I do. But if you haven't succeeded, I'll help you clean the animals," she offers. She is not even aware of how insulting her words sound. I roll my eyes and rush past her to the bathroom. When I get there, the water in the tub seems warmer than last night. I suspect Peter wants to make a statement here, reminding me that I'm just a whiny creature who can't stand hard circumstances. Well, Peter has another thing coming.
Quickly I take my bath and wear the jeans and sweater Perpetua laid out for me again.
If I stay here another week, the woman probably won't have anything left to wear herself. I hope my family finds me soon so I can reimburse these wonderful people. It all becomes too much, they provide me with food and clothing. I may try extra hard today and find a lot of meat. How to do that is a wonder, as I stand here now, I don't even know how to hold a shotgun.
After helping Perpetua set the table, I take a seat on the bench.
"Saray, make sure you eat well. You will need your energy. The beasts in the forest can run fast and sometimes they also swing from tree to tree," Peter jokes. The table bursts into laughter, even a grin appears on Magda's face. I scowl at the young man but do not answer him.
Silently I continue eating and walk out with the men when we are all finished.
Esau lends me a shotgun and gives me brief instructions on how to use it. It doesn't seem very difficult and I'm able to aim straight at the target after just two exercises. The men look at me in awe but keep their cool. And then we hit the road. We follow an old path and after a few kilometers, Esau halts. "Saray, we are each going in a different direction. In two hours, we will meet again at this point. Then bring your loot here," Esau explains while Peter chuckles behind his back. I ignore the young man and nod to Esau. "Agreed," I declare confidently.
Esau leaves north while Peter and I walk east and west of the intersection. When I have walked for a while, I come along a large rock. I lean against it and look at the shotgun. And then a warm glow comes over me; it is as if a superpower takes over my being. I close my eyes and fall into a deep hole, unaware of my surroundings. When I manage to open my eyes again, I find myself at the appointed intersection. Slowly I look around, somewhere near I hear rustling. The men return.
Their eyes are round like saucers when they stand before me, their mouths open.
"Saray!" exclaims Esau, looking at the ground in front of me. I bow my head and to my amazement, I notice three deers, eight rabbits, a wild pig and four large birds. In a leaf, there are eight eggs, carefully and unscathed together.
"What - how is this even possible?" exclaims Peter. "Who helped you do this? You could never have put this together by yourself. It takes us at least three days to encounter so many animals, let alone kill them. This is unbelievable!" Angry, I walk up to him with my hands at my sides. "Somebody is a sore loser," I remark venomously. "Do you see anyone here who could have helped me? This is your island, I don't know anyone here. I just arrived here yesterday, remember?" ready to pounce at him.
Esau hurries between us.
"Easy, easy. Let's inspect the animals. Saray, you know that if you cheat, your loot will be confiscated," he taught me. I raise my eyebrows and look around. "I don't see any police or wildlife keeper here. This is my loot, whoever has a problem solves it themselves. What a troublesome loser that son of yours is now that he has a lot of work back home," I taunt Peter still.
Looking at the men's catch, I see Peter brought two small birds and Esau collected only forest fruits. "Is this all you guys brought? What a shame!". They inspect my catch. "This is unreal. Not a single gunshot on the animals. Then how did you kill them?" demands Esau now. "To you, a mystery, to me a fact that this is my catch. And now, let's hurry home, I'm so hungry, I can easily devour a whole pig right now," I bite to them. It is now my turn to make a run at them.
Sighing, they pick up the dead animals and together, we carry them to the house where the women are waiting....
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