Jungle Fever (ENG Version)

Chapter 19

"Dear Jamsie, my holiday ends here again. Death overtook me prematurely. Give my regards to our fellow students," Kit whispered to the sky and was about to close his eyes when he imagined he had received an answer. He didn't understand the words if they were words at all. Kit listened up. Had he just imagined it? Hallucinations of all kinds were quite normal before the approach of death. Then he heard the voice again, this time it was closer. Suddenly a head moved into his field of vision. Large brown eyes looked at him with amusement. A child, perhaps 14 years old, stood leaning over him. It wore subtle red face paint and had short fringes. It reminded Kit a little of Shell. No, not Shell, but Yuan. Kit thought of the photo that he had defended with his life. The child spoke to him, but Kit couldn't recognise the language. It crouched down on the ground with him and interpreted his silence as severe exhaustion. It pulled something to eat from a small bag and held it out to Kit. It seemed to ask a question and when it again got no answer, it put the food aside and heaved Kit's head into its lap. A pouch appeared before Kit's eyes and was placed against his lips. Water flowed down his throat and burned like fire, his throat was so dry. He coughed. Then the child picked up the food again, a kind of bread, and tore off a small chunk. He spoke to Kit and demonstrated with his teeth that he should chew well. Kit nodded. The child then put the food in his mouth and Kit did his best to chew. He was enthusiastic and clapped in motivation when Kit managed to swallow the bread. Then he shouted something in his own language in an indeterminate direction and a soft murmur was followed by three more children who joined them. They had probably stayed hidden in case Kit posed a threat. I wonder if they had been watching him. They formed a circle around Kit's head and put all their water supplies together to feed him. They all had the same black hair with short fringes, just different lengths. Not all the faces were painted, one girl, who was considerably older than the other children, wore gold earrings and feathers in her hair. She touched Kit's forehead curiously and brushed a strand of hair to one side. To Kit's amazement, they weren't shy or scared. The girl giggled and then reached for Kit's hand. She felt his pulse and Kit saw how pale he was compared to her. His skin seemed almost transparent. His veins stood out and his knuckles were reddish in colour. She then lovingly placed his hand in her lap and continued to hold it while the others continued to help him drink and occasionally put some bread in his mouth. The legs Kit was lying on were still warm from the day's sun and therefore pleasantly cozy and soft, as was the girl's hand. Kit wondered whether he had perhaps been blessed with time after all and had been rewarded for all his disappointments and wasted efforts with peace and quiet. As he was about to close his eyes, the children were suddenly alarmed. They talked to him and tried to get the stranger to his feet. They pulled on him and encouraged him to stand up. Kit found it difficult to be motivated to stand on his own two feet. But the bread and water mobilised hidden reserves of strength so that he could let the children guide him. Only now did he realise that they were more or less naked. The younger ones wore scanty bast skirts and the two older ones wore a kind of loincloth or short skirt. Kit, who had got used to seeing naked children around him by now, was fine with it and didn't mind. Excitedly, they led him to the rocks and from there, past the palm trees and bushes into the thicket of the forest.

They followed a small path. It got darker with every step, which was because the sun was getting lower and lower and the canopy of leaves was getting thicker and thicker. Kit paid close attention to where the children were going and did the same. They went deeper and deeper into the forest and after a while were accompanied by fireflies and soft rustling on the ground. Kit would have been worried if the children hadn't been with him. They led him safely over the uneven ground to a clearing. When Kit emerged from between the trees, he was suddenly wide awake. A small valley stretched out before him, enclosed by two small mountains. They were approaching a marketplace with small stalls and houses. The path was lit with small fire bowls and torches, many houses were decorated and hung with colourful fabrics. The path of the main street was paved with stones and led down to a temple that had been built like a pyramid. In front of it was a large fireplace and all around it were houses and dwellings, some of which had been carved into the rocks. The village was small, yet there was no lack of splendour and beauty. Kit couldn't stop marvelling and looked around with interest. The ornaments and living quarters carved in stone were certainly several thousand years old. He could hardly imagine that he had just been wandering around on the beach and now it seemed as if he was in the deepest rainforest and at the same time in the lofty heights of the mountains. Kit knew nothing about nature research, but he knew about art and he could see how lovingly the old had been preserved and how skilfully the new had been inserted into the picture. If a waterfall appeared out of nowhere, Kit would not be surprised. This place was picturesque. He barely noticed the few people on the street, so mesmerised was he by the buildings around him. For the first time, Shell could understand why he wanted to be here rather than at home in London. The children took him to the fireplace and set him down on a step. The fireplace was set into the ground and steps had been built in a circle around it in the shape of a terrace. It reminded Kit a little of a theatre. They said something to him and indicated to Kit that he should stay seated. Then they walked off quickly and Kit was left alone.

"Thank you!" he called after them, even though they probably didn't understand him anyway.

Dear Jamsie, false alarm. I'm still alive, even though I've come to a place that looks like heaven. Do you remember the play A Midsummer Night's Dream? Imagine if it had been set in the jungle and I had more talent as a set designer, Kit added mentally as a note. If he'd had a cold beer now, the evening would have been particularly successful, despite all the circumstances. He suddenly heard quick footsteps behind him and when Kit turned round, he saw an older man in plain, traditional clothing accompanied by a familiar face. The red hair was adorned with blue and green feathers and had never matched his surroundings so well. The area around his eyes was painted a reddish colour and he had changed his clothes for a skirt. A few pieces of jewellery also caught Kit's eye. 'So that's what you really look like,' he thought as he scrutinised Shell. The children followed the two of them, talking excitedly in their own language. With his arms folded, the man stopped in front of Kit and glanced at Shell with a critical eye. Meanwhile, the older girl with the earrings had hooked onto Shell and was speaking to him in a low voice. Shell nodded and stepped close to Kit so that he slowly stood up. For a moment, they looked at each other in silence. Then Shell smiled vaguely and Kit returned it timidly.

"I thought it was over for me. I must say, I'm really glad to see you," Kit confessed and toyed with the idea of hugging Shell, but the boy demonstratively took a step back.

"I've never seen this man before, you can capture him and eat him," Shell commented dryly and turned away from Kit.