Caveman

Chapter twenty two

It's been several days since Fara and Cato left; I was still practically bedridden while Nero spent all his time hunting and Arak usually tended to me. Guilt had started to weigh heavy on my shoulders.

I didn't feel bad about banishing the women who tried to kill me, but I did feel bad for putting Arak in an uncomfortable position. As much as I hated Fara, I couldn't help but think that maybe I was the one who should have left.

It was too late now; what's done was done. But I still couldn't shake the regret that rested heavy in my bones.

Arak never left my side; often times I would wake up and he would just be staring at the entrance of our shelter on high alert.

He always stayed within earshot of me as well. I couldn't say it didn't bring me comfort to know I had a bodyguard, but it wasn't healthy, and I worried for him. In my time confined to my bed, I talked to Arak.

There was nothing better to do other than talk. With no TV and no WiFi, I figured I might as well ask him everything there is to know. I had asked him silly questions at first, like what his favorite color was, and he had said brown, like my eyes, which made my face flame until I resembled a tomato.

Then I asked where his mom and dad were; I had found out that he and the others had wondered off during the night right before the whole tribe was moving north. They had become lost in the forest and didn't find their way back until the tribe had already left.

Lost and abandoned, they relied on each other and survived all alone for years. He said he remembered his father to be a cruel man and his mother soft.

He said despite the harsh treatment his father would spur on him, his mother would often times turn the other cheek and ignore his father's abusive behaviors.

Talking with him made my heart soften. I couldn't understand why he never tried to rejoin another tribe, but perhaps he was scared.

If his old tribe let such abuse go unchecked, then who's to say another tribe would be any different? I didn't know if trauma was the reason for his refusal to join, but I suspected it was.

Arak in turn asked me all the same questions, which I answered fully, omitting major details. When he asked about my favorite color, I said pink, like the petal of roses that grew in my grandmother's garden growing up.

When he asked about my family and where they were, I said I got separated from them accidentally. I told him all about growing up. I felt bad telling him about how wonderful my previous life was when his was so unfortunate.

But he seemed to encourage me with a smile plastered across his face, showing his perfectly aligned teeth. This went on for several hours of us just mindlessly talking about nothing and everything all at once.

When I would get stuck on a word or mispronounce something, he would always help me figure out how to say it. I would sometimes amuse myself by wondering what Arak would be in my timeline; I thought he would make an excellent teacher. He was patient and smart, but also stern when he had to be.

I had managed to ask Arak what to do about my period; heat rose from my chest to my cheeks, and he had explained what he had seen Fara do in the past. She would use animal skin for her period and take some weird herb to help the symptoms. Admittedly, the animal skin felt better than moss, but nothing could beat a pad and midol.

Sitting up in bed my stomach growled in hunger, I had told Arak about my wish to make food from my "tribe". I couldn't tell him the truth; there's no way he would ever believe me about being from the future, but that didn't mean I couldn't still share something as simple as food.

Grabbing the crutches that Arak had widdled for me, I go outside towards the fire. Arak was already in front of the crackling heat, peeling some unknown fruit. "I would like to make some food. Could you get me the stuff when your done eating, please?" I asked, sitting down beside him.

Plopping the fruit into his mouth, he got to his feet and scurried around the camp searching for all the ingredients I would need. The previous night I had tried to describe to him what a hamburger was; it was difficult, but he seemed to get the gist.

The hardest part would be making the bread, but surprisingly, Arak had told me he had something similar to flour. He also knew of a large population of wild goats nearby that Nero said he would milk for me.

Smiling, I grab the flour, sea salt, eggs, animal fat, and milk and mix it into a bowl. Once thoroughly mixed, I placed a small portion onto the stone that was placed in the fire.

For my buns, I was making fry bread; my grandmother had often made these for me, they were a Native American cuisine and a childhood favorite. After finishing my bread, I turned to my meat; describing exactly the contents of a burger patty was very difficult, but Arak brought me the closest thing he could find.

Sadly, I didn't have a meat grinder here, so I had to tenderize the meat with a big rock and try to cut it up as tiny as possible. Once satisfied with the result, I grabbed the seasoning herbs Arak had left out for me.

Placing the patties on the hot rock, my stomach growled as they began to cook. I had attempted to make mayonnaise by combining animal fat and eggs in a bowl and whisking it, with a stick, but it came out weird and clumpy.

Arak had watched over my shoulder the whole time, thoroughly intrigued by all the unnecessary steps I was taking. Once I was finished cooking the patties, I assembled a burger for Arak.

I had decided to use the mayonnaise since I didn't have any other options, but I still felt quite defeated about the result for it. Placing the burger on a leaf, I handed it to Arak.

I waited in bated breath as he slowly chewed it. "This is wonderful; I have never had anything like it!" He exclaimed, taking another bite.

Nero had tried one as well; his reaction was almost the same as Araks. I was happy to make them a meal; in a way, it was like a small thank you for repeatedly saving my life. Although deep down I knew I would never truly be able to repay my debt.