My Sister's Fiance

Chapter forty --- encamped

Sweat are already prickling in her forehead but Cassandra had just ignore it. She was too engrossed making fire in a traditional way, in fact in a very- -verrrryy traditional way.

"It'll be ages before you can start that fire Cattey. .why not use the flint instead?" Jem asked as he stood there waiting for her to finish her so called fire, she was using dried stones and woods and bamboos to make fire. A very renowned method of fire making in the old days in the Philippines. The older boyscouts learned this way as an heritage of the early settlers and cavemen of this archipelic country. This way of fire making takes a pound of patience as you need to create a whole in a dried bamboo then put some dried leaves or something in it whatsoever then constantly rub the other bamboo to create heat and friction and voila a fire, but it was just easy in theories and very hard on practice, in fact Cassandra is just learning that fact.

Patiently, Jem look over and see her progress which to both his dismay and amusement is no where anywhere being a fire. Surpressing a grin and a tease he just stood there covering his mouth with his right hand. She was just a sight with all her seriousness all over her like a child puzzling over her new toy.

"Ugggghhh! Fire! Fire!" Cassandra mutters as her ounce of patience is slowly drifting away. In her thoughts were sheer determination of making a traditional fire by her own hands but her skill being plain and limited had disallowed her of her small dreams. Now she sees it isn't small at all but rather a big and fancy one.

"Fine!" she finally said at the last attempt of putting friction to make a fire didn't succeed. "Do you have a flint?" She knows he had stocked fuels, gases or even other sorts of materials to start a fire. She could also just use it and lit a match and then boom fire, but no, she wants a traditional stubborn way of a fire, if she can't make it by bamboos or dried old stones, then hell she'll make it with a flint. Its still camping and survival style, just not very traditional.

Jeremy bend and kneel one of his knee beside her as he handled her the flint she was asking. Amused how her 2 hours of patience had held on her until she finally succumb to use the flint.

He silently smile at her.

Cassandra started the flint and causes a friction, by just a minute or so fire was already made, finally atlast.

She grinned satisfied but groaned in protest. She had made long hours to make a fire that seeing it makes her so happy but dismayed by how easy a flint is and how damn hard old ways are.

Jem however just smile broadly at her as the fire dances in front of them, they have not eaten breakfast yet because they were awaiting for the fire to start. They have just eaten crackers and a hot tsokolate (A chocolate drink made from dried cocoa seeds itself, brewed with coconut essence added) to warm their stomach and now that 2 hours had already passed Jeremy's hungry are already increasing, his stomach is growling wild but had contained it and had it almost forgotten as he was amused on Cassandra's determination to start a fire, he didn't pressure her about his hunger and just let her do her thing, even though it almost take her forever.

Love, it really makes you the weirdest.

* * * * * *

The sun was already high but Cassandra's spirit were no where near being slack. She was so overwhelmed. The forest was full of life thus after their breakfast Jeremy had started fishing. Much to her amazement there is a a river just a little west their location and a small falls northwest which Jeremy promised for a swim later in the after noon. He said it was just waist deep so it was pretty safe for her for a dip besides the water in a 'ballere' [Ba-li-re] as natives called it were cool and for a tropical country like ours, a dip to such nature is a blessing. It wasn't cold to death but cold just fine to balance the heat of our environment, its refreshing and very relaxing infact.