Aground (4)
We walked through a break in the tree line and into the forest. It was not as dense as I thought it would be. There was an area along the forest floor that looked like a path. So at least we knew that this island was inhabited, or it was at some point. With the sound of the waves pounding the beach slowly fading into the background, I realized just how quiet it was. I would not lie to you, I was getting a little uncomfortable. We had been on the boat all day, the kid, in hindsight looked like he really didn't have a clue about what he was doing. We might be back on Havelock, but equally we might have crashed a headhunter party on this island.
She must have noticed something. I looked at her and said, now what? She shrugged again and suggested that we could walk down the path and see where it lead. It might lead to civilisation. Or we could just wait on the beach for the kid to come back with help. None of those two suggestions appealed to me. Stay exposed on the beach where anybody could spot us (I heard that these tribals were expert canoeists), so we could have been raided in the dark of the night if we stayed out in the open. On the other hand, their jungle skills were probably better than mine, so we could be ambushed and captured if we stayed in the jungle. I wasn't sure what to do. We could build a shelter or climb a tree and hide there. But I had heard of poisonous tree snakes, so that might not be the best idea either.
As I stood there weighing the different alternatives, she got restless. She said, Look lets just walk down this path. This probably is Havelock and its not a big island, we will find something. I didn't respond, so she just turned around and started walking. Now under normal circumstances, I wouldn't tolerate such insolent behaviour, but I was responsible for her well being. I was the man of the relationship after all. So off we went down the path.
The critters of the night had all come out and were starting their evening symphony. It was getting very dark, very quickly. Something scuttered along the path as we were walking, without any torches or any light. I jumped, it could have been a snake. It was just a frog. Even worse, I hated frogs. She just shook her head and we kept walking. I had this eerie feeilng that we were not alone. I mentioned this to her and she said that there must be millions of bugs and critters in the forest, let alone the birds, so I was indeed showing tremendous foresight in assuming that we were being watched. Funny.
I am not sure how long we walked before we first heard the sound. Time in the jungle took on a strange quality. Also my watch was not working. It was a faint rustle coming some way ahead of us. I stopped, my ears tuned by now to the sounds of this lonely jungle. That sound was made surely by something that was bigger than a frog or a forest floor critter. There, it came again, just across from the bend in the path that we could just about make out in the gathering gloom. I asked her to be quiet, as it might be something very unfriendly. She sugggested that I go up to the bend of the road and have a look. It might be the kid with some help. I wasn't happy about that suggestion. But I didn't want to lose face, especially in front of her. So I asked her to wait and be very still and I crept forward making sure I didn't make any noise.
I must have tripped on a root or something. Eitherway, I fell, and shouted out as I landed on my knee. It had always been a bit sensitive, old sports injury you see. So much for the element of surprise. They knew, whoever they were, that we were here. No point in going ahead and finding out now. Surely they will be on their guard with poison tipped arrows and giant man-sized nets. It was too much of a risk, it was time for a tactical withdrawal to safer territory. I went back to her, and she was laughing. Did you have a bad fall commando Luhar? she asked. I shushed her and grabbed her arm and took her back along the track to where we first entered the forest. We hid behind a little sand mound that protruded from the beach and into the forest. She told me we were being stupid. But I could hear the rustling coming closer.
Now it was unmistakeable, something big was coming down the path. I could see something moving in the gloom ahead on the track. I couldn't quite make out what it was, but it looked menacing. We could go back to the beach, but I didn't want to make any noise at all just in case we were detected. These people didn't have deteriorated hearing or a nicotine reduced sense of smell. These were kings of the jungle, they knew what they were doing.
Suddenly it was upon us, this huge dark silhoutte. I hadn't seen anything like that before, it came down the track, a big black light absorbing hulk moving down the forest track. I wanted to run, but I froze, I couldn't do anything. I heard a somebody, something laugh. It was a high keening sound. Unnatural. Oh my word, I was convinced I was going to die, killed by some unhinged zombie tribal astride his hellish mount right here in the middle of nowhere. I heard murmurs, I couldn't quiet understand what they were saying. It sounded terrible, ominous. I grabbed her hand, and said, be ready to run for it.
She had the, are you serious look in her eyes. Did she not see the resolve in me? I would save her dammit! Or myself atleast, if she wanted to stay here and be taken by these people and their terrible beast, thats her prerogative. I will run and swim all the way back to Chennai if I had to. She laughed out loud. Great, I thought, ready to run now. She laughed again. By this time, I had enough. If she wanted to get herself killed, skewered, eaten with her head shrunken in some shaman's hut, it was her choice. I ran down, out from the path and on to the beach. I kept running.
I heard her shout my name. She said something. It sounded familiar. She shouted it again, eggplant? Did she say eggplant? I hadn't got very far, so she shouted louder. Its the elephant! I stopped.
She ran up to me laughing again. Its the same elephant you had taken photos on yesterday. Remember? They said they have a moonlit elephant ride every other day? Its the elephant from the resort. We are on Havelock, and can't be further than a couple of hundred yards from the resort.
She must have noticed something. I looked at her and said, now what? She shrugged again and suggested that we could walk down the path and see where it lead. It might lead to civilisation. Or we could just wait on the beach for the kid to come back with help. None of those two suggestions appealed to me. Stay exposed on the beach where anybody could spot us (I heard that these tribals were expert canoeists), so we could have been raided in the dark of the night if we stayed out in the open. On the other hand, their jungle skills were probably better than mine, so we could be ambushed and captured if we stayed in the jungle. I wasn't sure what to do. We could build a shelter or climb a tree and hide there. But I had heard of poisonous tree snakes, so that might not be the best idea either.
As I stood there weighing the different alternatives, she got restless. She said, Look lets just walk down this path. This probably is Havelock and its not a big island, we will find something. I didn't respond, so she just turned around and started walking. Now under normal circumstances, I wouldn't tolerate such insolent behaviour, but I was responsible for her well being. I was the man of the relationship after all. So off we went down the path.
The critters of the night had all come out and were starting their evening symphony. It was getting very dark, very quickly. Something scuttered along the path as we were walking, without any torches or any light. I jumped, it could have been a snake. It was just a frog. Even worse, I hated frogs. She just shook her head and we kept walking. I had this eerie feeilng that we were not alone. I mentioned this to her and she said that there must be millions of bugs and critters in the forest, let alone the birds, so I was indeed showing tremendous foresight in assuming that we were being watched. Funny.
I am not sure how long we walked before we first heard the sound. Time in the jungle took on a strange quality. Also my watch was not working. It was a faint rustle coming some way ahead of us. I stopped, my ears tuned by now to the sounds of this lonely jungle. That sound was made surely by something that was bigger than a frog or a forest floor critter. There, it came again, just across from the bend in the path that we could just about make out in the gathering gloom. I asked her to be quiet, as it might be something very unfriendly. She sugggested that I go up to the bend of the road and have a look. It might be the kid with some help. I wasn't happy about that suggestion. But I didn't want to lose face, especially in front of her. So I asked her to wait and be very still and I crept forward making sure I didn't make any noise.
I must have tripped on a root or something. Eitherway, I fell, and shouted out as I landed on my knee. It had always been a bit sensitive, old sports injury you see. So much for the element of surprise. They knew, whoever they were, that we were here. No point in going ahead and finding out now. Surely they will be on their guard with poison tipped arrows and giant man-sized nets. It was too much of a risk, it was time for a tactical withdrawal to safer territory. I went back to her, and she was laughing. Did you have a bad fall commando Luhar? she asked. I shushed her and grabbed her arm and took her back along the track to where we first entered the forest. We hid behind a little sand mound that protruded from the beach and into the forest. She told me we were being stupid. But I could hear the rustling coming closer.
Now it was unmistakeable, something big was coming down the path. I could see something moving in the gloom ahead on the track. I couldn't quite make out what it was, but it looked menacing. We could go back to the beach, but I didn't want to make any noise at all just in case we were detected. These people didn't have deteriorated hearing or a nicotine reduced sense of smell. These were kings of the jungle, they knew what they were doing.
Suddenly it was upon us, this huge dark silhoutte. I hadn't seen anything like that before, it came down the track, a big black light absorbing hulk moving down the forest track. I wanted to run, but I froze, I couldn't do anything. I heard a somebody, something laugh. It was a high keening sound. Unnatural. Oh my word, I was convinced I was going to die, killed by some unhinged zombie tribal astride his hellish mount right here in the middle of nowhere. I heard murmurs, I couldn't quiet understand what they were saying. It sounded terrible, ominous. I grabbed her hand, and said, be ready to run for it.
She had the, are you serious look in her eyes. Did she not see the resolve in me? I would save her dammit! Or myself atleast, if she wanted to stay here and be taken by these people and their terrible beast, thats her prerogative. I will run and swim all the way back to Chennai if I had to. She laughed out loud. Great, I thought, ready to run now. She laughed again. By this time, I had enough. If she wanted to get herself killed, skewered, eaten with her head shrunken in some shaman's hut, it was her choice. I ran down, out from the path and on to the beach. I kept running.
I heard her shout my name. She said something. It sounded familiar. She shouted it again, eggplant? Did she say eggplant? I hadn't got very far, so she shouted louder. Its the elephant! I stopped.
She ran up to me laughing again. Its the same elephant you had taken photos on yesterday. Remember? They said they have a moonlit elephant ride every other day? Its the elephant from the resort. We are on Havelock, and can't be further than a couple of hundred yards from the resort.
