章 17: Sleeping With Her

Amaya did not think much about what Marx said. She did not understand what he meant by the volcano waking up.

"Come, I'll bring you to a place so you can take a bath. The water there should help you heal."

Marx became conscious again. Did he stink? He smelled his underarms and was relieved that he was not that smelly.

They arrived at a part of the forest where vegetation was not so dense. Marx saw another tree house bigger than the one they slept in last night.

"This is my favorite vacation spot inside the forest. This is my second home and I stay here for a week each month. This is a safe place. The animals here are gentle and they are my friends." She explained.

Amaya pulled his hands and led him to the other side of the tree.

Marx was amazed at what he saw. It was a three-layer cascading pool surrounded by beautiful fauna.

"You can soak in the pool. I'll prepare lunch." She got something from the tree house and passed a clay jar to him.

"Soap." She said then left.

Marx took off his clothes and get into the pool. It was a hot spring and bubbles were coming from underground. It was just like a natural sauna. He reached out for the jar that Amaya gave him. He half expected the smell to be that of fragrant flowers but to his surprise, it has a musky scent on it.

He removed his boxers, washed them with soap, carefully wrung out excess water, and put it on top of a nearby plant to dry.

Aryana hunted for birds and managed to kill one silver pheasant. She boiled water and soaked the bird in the pot, then she started plucking the feathers. Once cleaned, she cut the pheasant into pieces and put them in a clay pot. She threw in eight pieces of unripe bananas, a green-looking sour fruit, some dried herbs, and a pinch of salt and poured over fresh coconut milk.

She made a makeshift oven and used charcoal for fuel so the fire was very low. She then covered the pot. She climbed the tree house and got a tunic and headed to the pool.

Marx had his eyes closed and seemed to be enjoying the water. Amaya took his clothes and replaced them with her Dad's tunic. Marx felt a sudden presence beside the pool. He opened his eyes and saw Amaya picking up his clothes.

"What are you doing? " Marx asked.

"I'm going to wash them there. They are heavily soiled and have blood stains. " She pointed to the pool at the lowest level.

"I'll wash them myself." Marx protested.

"Don't worry. I used to wash Daddy's clothes." She gave him an impish smile.

Marx was helpless so he let her be. Amaya was done washing in no time. She placed the clean trousers and shirt on top of a rock where a ray of sunlight seeped through.

Marx decided to end his bath. He picked up the tunic that Amaya placed on top of the rock beside the pool and put it on. The hem reached a little below his knees. He was naked underneath. He went to the other side of the pool to retrieve his boxers when a hairy hand beat him into them.

"Hey, give that back to me!" He shouted to the ape.

The ape grinned at him and studied the piece of cloth in his hand. He stretched it, twisted it, and finally put it on his head.

Marx was fuming. He approached the ape and tried to grab his boxers but the ape was fast and he hurriedly climbed the tree house.

"Hey, you! Give it back!" Marx said in a loud commanding voice. He was hoping that with his voice, the ape will obediently follow his bidding.

Marx's panicked voice caught Amaya's attention. She laughed hard when she saw Kong twirling a black piece of cloth in his hand. Marx was flustered.

"Kong, give it back!" Amaya said using a strange sound.

Kong jumped from the tree house and landed straight in front of Marx. He opened his mouth and showed Marx his big yellow teeth before handing him his boxers.

Marx was relieved. However, when he remembered the way the ape played with his underwear, he did not want to wear it anymore. He washed it again, squeezed out the water, and placed them beside his other clothes that Amaya washed.

"The food is still cooking. Let me put fresh medicine on your wound." She took a wooden bowl from the tree house, plucked some green leaves nearby, and pounded them on the bowl. He let Marx sit on a rock whose top was smoothened.

She held the hem of the tunic and rolled it upwards to expose the wound on Marx's thigh. Marx's breathing hitched.

Amaya placed the salve on his wound. Her fingertips were like feathers caressing the skin on his thigh. Marx stiffened. He felt his crotch bulge. He instinctively covered it with his hands.

"Your wound is healing beautifully." She said in her small voice. Her hand moved to the wound on his forehead. She brushed it lightly with her thumb before applying the salve. She took his handkerchief and tied it around his forehead.

Her face was too close. Marx felt her breath on his face. His gaze fell on her luscious lips but before he can take a closer look, Amaya withdraw her face. She was done binding the wound.

"How are the cuts and the bruises on your body?" Amaya asked.

"They are already healed. They are just small cuts." He answered hoarsely.

A pleasant aroma filled the air. Marx's stomach grumbled. He was hungry.

"The food is ready. Let's have lunch." Aryana scooped some food and placed it in a wooden bowl and handed them to Marx. Marx accepted it with one hand while ensuring that his other hand covered the tent that protruded through the tunic.

He pretended that he was waiting for the food to cool down. After some time he finally relaxed and started eating using a wooden spoon. He was surprised when he tasted the food. It tasted sweet and sour at the same time and has a tangy aftertaste.

"This is really delicious," Marx explained. It was indeed the most delicious meal he tasted since he crashed on the island.

"Good that you like it. This will also be our supper later. We can spend the night here and go back to the cabin tomorrow morning."

Marx smiled to himself. He was looking forward to sleeping beside her tonight.