3: The Family

Sama

     Yadira visited Asa and me this morning to tell us something astounding: we have a newcomer to the island. A man! And she says he can build. This is wonderful news! Our homes were quickly turning into rubble no matter what I tried. Perhaps he has training which I do not. I look forward to meeting him this morning.
     However, Asa does not appear to have the same thoughts as I.

     We arrive at the new man's camp, and immediately, I watch as Asa's scowl deepens.

     The new man walks up to us and introduces himself as Rohan. His green eyes cover the three of us, them resting on Yadira the longest.
    "Why are you here?" Asa asks, not bothering to hide his animosity.
    I'm not having it. I've already decided he can stay, especially if he has the skills Yadira says he said he has. If nothing else, we could use more... genetic material. I'm most-definitely old enough to have a child, and I'd assumed I would ask Asa to give me one. But I might change my mind...
    "He's already told Yadira why he's here, Asa." Then I look at the man. "Unless you have something to add?"
    He finally looks my way. "I'm not sure what she told you. I can do whatever's necessary to make myself useful. I also have a boat."
    "We don't need a boat," snaps Asa.

     Again, I answer for the newcomer. "A boat might certainly come in handy. I've long been curious about the mainland, and nothing YOU'VE tried to build has kept out the water." There. That should knock him down a peg or two.
    Yadira speaks. "So you want him to stay because of his BOAT?"
    I look at her and smile. I've always loved her on-the-surface way of looking at things. I believe she grounds me while I make her see things in a deeper way. "I was merely pointing out to Asa that a working boat is a good thing."
    Asa mutters, "The mainland is dangerous."
    The new man grabs our attention once again. "About that, I'm afraid I must agree."

     "It is dangerous, but that is one of the reasons I would like to stay. And my knowledge of the mainland could help you."
     "Are there others?" Asa asks.
     I scowl. "Yadira SAID he's left his tribe; wouldn't that mean that there are?"
     Asa won't give up, though. "Yes, okay. So, why DID you leave your tribe?"
     "She didn't tell you?"

     "No, I... left that part out." Something in her expression implies she's laughing at him, but I don't have a moment to ponder why.

     With a very solemn expression, he explains. "I was training a young boy, my apprentice I guess you could say, to fight. He got a little too rambunctious, and before I could stop it, he fell off a cliff. They accused me of murder."
    "Why were you training near a cliff?" Asa refuses to let up.
    All I care about is he said he knows how to fight--and how to train others as well. Something deep within my soul relaxes with this knowledge. We've been here, virtually defenseless, for over a decade. I knew it was only a matter of time--if there were any other survivors--before others found us, and I'd hoped they would be friendly. Thank the gods this one is. That is, if Asa doesn't royally piss him off. "Enough, Asa! I'm sure he had his reasons!" My 'brother' looks over at me with a glare. "I say let's bring it to a vote. I vote he stays."
     Big surprise, Asa has his say next. "I vote he leaves." He quickly pounces on the opportunity to sway Yadira's vote. "Yadira, he's dangerous. Just look at him! And he admitted he's a fighter. We don't need that kind of person here."
    I speak up. "Of COURSE we NEED that kind of person here, Yadira. He has so much to teach us. He can help us in ways we can't help ourselves. He's exactly what this family needs."
    "Yadira, we don't. Please. He'll ruin everything."
    She bites her lip and looks at all of us. "He... he stays."
    Asa covers his face with his hands, and I walk over to Rohan. "Welcome to the family, 'brother.'" I hug him. He smells terrible. We'll have to work on that. I smile when I look at his astounded expression.
    "Thank you." He blinks a few times, probably wondering what to do next. "Wh-why don't you three join me around my fire?" He bites his lips together, and his brow creases.
     Asa storms over, headed to a chair. "Whatever."
     The rest of us follow.

     When I sit down, I can't help but notice how Rohan's garment isn't quite ...covering... enough. Maybe we'll work on that later too.
     "So when do I meet the rest of the tribe?"
     Asa chuckles.
     I hope this animosity doesn't last very long. Asa needs to welcome Rohan, even though him being here means that he's not the only male. "Unfortunately, Rohan, we are it." Did he think only the 'tribal elders' came for a visit? "And, mainly because of that I suppose, we prefer to call ourselves a family."
    Yadira interrupts. "What's that?" She points to the lamp.

     He smiles brightly up at her. "It's a lamp."
     "But... there's no fire, and it's always lit."
     I must admit, I'm curious about the lamp as well.
     "It uses a special stone, we called it glowstone, that sucks up the sun's rays during the day. The light lasts well into the night, as I'm sure you noticed."

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Rohan

     They let me in! I get to stay. Although, belatedly, I realize I could've stayed anyway. With only three of them, it would've been easy. But that's not what I WANT.

     I can't help but feel a bit ridiculous from how I acted last night. In the light of day, I realize she's just a girl, not a goddess. Even if she fecking looks like she should be. It's unreal!

     The other woman, Sama, demands my attention.

     "You see? It's stuff like this, Rohan. Asa and I were very young, even though I was almost a teenager, when the sickness spread. Yadira was maybe two. Everything we've learned, we've gathered from books we've found, but I've never heard of this glowy stone."

     "I think before everything collapsed, it was merely a novelty. People only started using it in this way when the power grid shut down."

     Yadira has a seat--on my bed--and listens to us. I get the feeling she has a thousand more questions, and I would love to take as long as possible in answering them, preferably one-on-one. But it would appear that Sama is the more serious of them. It looks as though I'll answer hers first.

     She wants to know all about my building expertise, so I tell her what I know how to do. She looks pleased enough. And Yadira still sits on my bed. I tell Sama about how my old tribe started as a street gang but that we left the city when the leftover resources ran out. There were about thirteen of us at that time, and we'd quickly realized we would need to learn to hunt if we were to survive. One or two of us died of food poisoning, a hard lesson learning what to and not to eat, which was a real slap in the face for dying like that after surviving the plague. And Yadira still sits on my bed. I regale the story of how we all had to learn to live a primitive lifestyle, and Sama listens with her eyes glowing. She would've made a good addition to the Skeeves because from the little I've met of her, I can tell she's got her head on her shoulders. Yadira (who's still sitting on my bed) and the overly-testosterone-filled manchild sitting next to me probably owe her their lives.

     Speaking of manchild... "Hey, Yadira. There's a stool over here."

     She blinks. "Oh. Okay."

     Smart move, I guess, because now I have to crane my head around to look at her. I do, though.

     Seeing I've turned to her, she happily starts chatting. "So is this where you're going to build your house? We have our own houses. Ooo! I built mine myself. You should see it! Although, it's not very good. I have to live with Sama in the winter. But you said you can build. Could you teach me?"

     Sure enough, a thousand questions. Yes, I'd love nothing more than spending time with you for whatever reason. "Yes, I'd love to." I must look like the veriest cake with this ridiculous grin on my face.

     I can sense the manchild's ire rising. But before he can say anything, Sama calls him over to talk privately.

     "Why don't you take the seat she had so I don't have to crane my head around."

     "Okay." She gets up and moves... again.

     Pausing, she suddenly looks uncomfortable.

     "What?"

     She doesn't answer as she sits down, and she won't look at me.

     "Did I say something wrong?" Is it a culture thing? I wish she'd stop hiding her face. I could look at her face for an eternity. Gods, I'm going mad. But someone should paint it. Could I find the right materials to make paint?

     "It's just... I'm seeing... a bit more than I expected."

     "What?" I look around, wondering what she means. Then I look down. "Oh. That's, uh, that's just where the garment stops, I guess." I grin. I could work this to my advantage. "But just so, I don't have a problem with it." I swallow my laughter. Look your fill, beautiful goddess. "Do you have a problem with the way I'm put together?"

     "Do you have something else you could wear?" She's blushing!

     Now why would I want to do that when this is so much more fun? "I do actually, but I save it for the colder months. The other thing I had got ripped apart by the wolves, so I ripped them apart." I suddenly wonder how much clothing SHE possesses. I have a ruined sail. But there's enough material to piece together a dress...

     She moves her hand, keeping her eyes trained on my face, as she asks, "Wolves?"

     So I tell her the story of my most-recent fight with wolves, how I managed to break the jaw of one after burying and breaking my spear into the other. "Then the two that were left ran off."

     The next words are from Asa, who has stormed back over here. "All right. So there are others. You can stay because we might need your help."
     The other woman speaks to the manchild. "He can stay because we voted him in."

     "I know that. I'm just trying to make the best of it." He huffs and has a seat next to me. "And you can build?"
     "Yes."

      The goddess speaks, "You should come see our houses."

     After dinner at what I'm told is Sama's place, the goddess Yadira eagerly wants to show me her house.
     Most of their settlement is moldering ruins. Glancing around, I already see how I could make improvements. The only question is where to start.

      "This is it!"
      Dear gods, this is a dump! No wonder she said she can't live in her 'house' in winter. My eyes squint the tiniest bit as I think about how Sama and Asa have let her live in this squalor.
      Then she asks me the question I hoped she'd not:

     "So what do you think?"

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