The Moonstone Girls: Book One

Chapter Seven: The Boat

"We can use tree branches and tie them together with vines." Saskia said. 

"We will need to make walls and a roof for the boat." I reminded her. "We can use the tree branches and vines I gave Tamana." Some delicious food kept Tamana occupied while we worked on the boat. The sun began to set. Saskia was able to shake down some coconuts from the trees so we had plenty of fruit to eat. We made a fire and settled in for the night. 

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The next morning Saskia and I began work on the boat again. I stayed in the cavern underground where it was quiet and watched Tamana as Saskia went to go fetch the vines and branches. Every time she went, she dropped them off with me, and I would tie the wood together and keep an eye on Tamana while she went to get more. Tamana was playing in a fountain that I made using my magic. While I continued to tie the raft together, Saskia brought some fish that she had caught for lunch. Later, I cooked them over a fire.

"I finished the bottom." I told Saskia.

"If we continue to work at this pace we should be done in five days." Saskia said. 

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The next morning, Saskia got up early and left to go get more branches and vines before Tamana and I woke up. By the time Saskia came back, I had prepared a nice breakfast and Tamana was playing with a coconut.

"This time," Saskia said, "I brought all the branches and vines I think will need for the entire day so that I can work with you and we can move faster."

"Good idea, thanks." I replied. We took turns working on the boat. When one of us was working,  the other one would play games with Tamana. She was almost completely fluent in Dari. They kept this routine for four more days. 

"The boat is finished!" I announced. "We will leave for Europe in the morning."

"Yay!" Tamana cried in joy. 

"Saskia, can you go and collect food?" I asked. "We will need coconuts and fruit to last us about a month." Saskia went out to go get the food that we would need for our journey. When she returned late that evening I already had some leftover fish cooking over a fire. While we ate we thought about everything that we had been through together. The magic,  freeing ourselves from a life of abuse, of the attacks of the Taliban, and raising Tammana. We'd shared all those things. I started to reach over to give Saskia a hug.

"You are the sister of my heart." I told her. Saskia hugged me back.

"You are the sister of my heart as well." Saskia said. We held each other and cried. We crawled up to the fire and fell asleep.

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"I can't believe it's finally time to go to Europe!" Tamana said. She was up before both of us and shook Saskia and I awake. Saskia laughed.

"Okay, okay. We're getting up!" She said. "Tamana you and Auntie Jemma get into the boathouse now. I'll push it into the water and then get in that way you don't have to be exposed to the noise Jemma."

"Thank you so much Saskia, but are you sure you can push the boat house with me and Tammana and all of our food supply in it?" I asked.

"No problem. I can do it." Saskia assured me. Tamana and I got in and Saskia pushed us out of the cave, onto the beach, and finally into the ocean. She opened the door and stepped in. She closed it quickly so that no water could get in according to my calculations the wind should blow the sail directly to Europe.