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Chapter 10

For almost a week I've been here, I don't think I've thought about my home in Awa’atlu village for quite some time now. I've forgotten that my family might be worrying about me now. I love my family, so much, but I'm needed here. I can't just go back without finishing my job here then just return whenever I want to, risking Enid's place.

But now that my job of curing the forest is coming to an end, I've realize how I've been longing for my former home in the forest. I thought that someday I'd treat the ocean as my real home, turns out I'm still missing the trees.

Worse, is the realization that I've experienced to be taken care of with just the right amount. And I'm afraid that I'll get used to it and I'll look for it once I get home knowing that I need to get back sooner or later.

I stared at Enid sleeping at my thigh just in front of the Soul Tree. I was sitting on the ground where the roots are with my back leaning on the trunk of the sacred tree. Her eyes moved until it finally opened welcoming by my smile.

"Hey." I greeted. I think she was shock with how we get into our position and the place we're in. She didn't respond but she rose up to sit.

"I'm sorry." she apologized talking about her falling asleep on my lap. If only she knows how much I enjoyed the solemnity of it.

"It's fine. You were tired."

I noticed how she avoided my gaze. I figured she'd be shy after last night and seeing her blushing tickles my heart. "We have to go back. We've got more work to do." she said standing up and cleaning her clothes.

"Yea, definitely" I also stood up.

Oh how my skin missed her proximity near me.

Without even facing me, she crossed the stones away from the tree. I'd like to think that she's just shy with everything that happened which is completely okay with me and I'd like to respect that. As much as possible-- as much I wanted to ask her about last night, I did not.

I just followed her behind, staring at her back, memorizing every action she makes. She never had these effects to me before and it's making me question about myself.

"The cure, we're on the last step." I didn't realize that we already arrive there. We faced the machine which already stopped working.

"We're gonna spray that now, you mean now?" I asked. "Not that I'm complaining or anything but aren't you tired about what we did last night-- that sounds weird." shit. "I mean, you must be tired and hungry, don't you want to have breakfast first?"

Finally, she stared at me. I can't read her emotions, they were blank, as if we came back to being stranger. "I'm not hungry. This cure must be prioritize first."

I bit my lip. Did I do something wrong? "Yes, of course, silly me."

After that, she didn't reply back. From the side of the barren were two big sprayers, big enough for me and small enough for her. I was the one who filled the sprayers with the liquid from the barren while Enid went back to the lab to get her black mask, afraid that she might run out of her air.

I keep wondering why she's acting like this with me. It's probably not her morning mood. Was I too clingy? Pushy? Did I ask too much about her? Did I cross the line? But no matter what that is, I should apologize.

"Enid, I--" I started as soon as she came back with new clothes and mask on.

"I'm gonna get us some direhorse." she cut me out then she whistled loudly, making me purse my lips to shut myself up. I can't help but stare at her in awe. She's treating me differently. And it's worse than having to get my thigh punched. But I got to respect her.