Abigail | Putri Marin

Chapter 2

   The morning was bright, with the sound of the children playing around the house, grandma is on a rocking chair Uncle Reuben had crafted for her, Mother is drying the laundry, Aunty Erika and Sharen also helped out with the cleaning, Abigail is playing by the riverside as always, and Ruth is in the porch next to grandma writing a letter.

   Mother told us the story about what had happened decades ago when her grandmother survived the meteor crashed and our family barely survived with no food and no water, they survived because they have this basement that's quite deep where they hide when the crash happened. Thanks to the basement, they have enough food and water to survive for a couple of months before finding the source of water and food.

   Our family work for years to provide our generation food and water, we've been living beside the lake ever since our great-grandparents were children. Thanks to our family who lived before us, we now have access to clean water and fresh food, such as mushrooms, rice, potatoes, onions, and other plants we've planted and farmed over the years.

   Our fathers and uncles also brothers -when they've reached a certain age- will go on a hunt and come months after, most of the times they come home empty-handed, while sometimes, and I mean rarely, they'll come home with good stuff such as books, food, or once jewelry.

   Their actual goal is to find more food and more living things to bring home -we planned on making a farm for animals, but since there is a smallish amount left and they have limited food and water, usually they'll find no animals or the animals will die midway home and become dinner-, but Petra, my oldest brother, was more interested in finding the other side. Our family has been searching for it for generations and still couldn't find a clue how to get there. Our only choice, for now, is to settle down and make our population on this side of Earth.

   But back to the meat topic, meat is rarely to be found around here since most species extinct after the crash. But there are still dead animals found lying around that sometimes we eat for dinner as to there is no other meat around. That's exactly why I was here once again, next to the river trying to find Joy.

   Usually, on normal days I would go to the river to wait for the male members of my family. They follow the river because as they say, the river leads you to a bigger river or as we call it, the ocean. Ruth sat next to me and we both stare at the nature in front of us. "Did you write another letter?", I asked my cousin who is sitting next to me. "Yes, it worked last time. Let's hope luck is on our side for this one.", Ruth said as she sighs watching the ways the river flows.

   "What did you write about this time?", I asked curiously looking at the paper she's holding. "A thank you for the book they brought last time. Also saying how we all are doing fine and waiting for their return. The same as usual.", Ruth explained in detail. "Did you write one of your poems this time?", I asked now standing up from the ground and helping her up as well.

   "I did.", "Can I hear it please?", "That will be for another time, I'm sorry Abby.", Ruth said smiling apologetically as she is now fully standing up. I nod in understanding as she is not too confident yet with her writings and only lets Aunty Erika judge them. She opened the glass bottle and put the paper inside of it, I hold her hand as she bend down and put the bottle in the river. Watching as it swims to where ever the river is taking it.

   Our family always believed that everyone should be well educated since we're kids Mother teaches us how to write and read. Our great-grandparents left us numerous books to read, but yet Ruth had read them all. Every time Uncle Samuel came back home, he'll bring a new book for Ruth to read, usually, he'll write those books himself -he turned leaves into papers and uses black pigment as the ink, since both Uncle Samuel and Ruth share the same passion in writing and reading we have loads of ink and papers supplied in our house- or sometimes when he's lucky he'll found a stranded basement that has loads of books in it, since back then and till now education is important.

   Back in the time lots of people kept their valuables inside a basement but were now stranded soon after the accident and both our Fathers would find some of that basement in the past years. One time they brought back 5 new books for us and a few jewelry for Mother and Aunty Erika. Mother never let go of that necklace ever since.

   Our family tree is quite large you may say, despite being the only family on the destructed side of this Earth -we still don't know if there are other people on this side of Earth so far- our family tree consists of first our great-grandparents, the Wiliams and the Browns. When they first survive the meteor crash they were a family of 4 each. Our great-grandparents were still young when it happened, the Williams had 2 children at the moment, and the Browns had an 8 years old boy and a newborn baby, who is now our grandma.

   My full name is Abigail William Browns, same as Ruth's and every other of my cousins and siblings. Mother has 2 brothers that are currently hunting right now, Uncle Reuben and Uncle Samuel -Ruth's Father-. Aunty Dorothy has 1 brother, which is my Father. Mother married Father and had my older brother Petra who is 18 years old, my older sister Sharen who is 17 years old, and me, Abigail, I am 14 years old. Aunty Erika married Uncle Samuel and had Ruth who is 14 years old, Joshua who is 12, William who is 10, and Michael who is 8 and is the youngest.