Finally together

Important decision

Can POV

Despite two nights spent almost without sleep, I could not sleep. The hotel was too stuffy, I was simply out of breath, so I decided to pack up and go to the reserve. By the time I get there, a new day was beginning. Leaving an envelope with instructions and assignments for Derya, I loaded the equipment into the car and left. Ahead of me lay several days of loneliness, which I had been dreaming about since yesterday.

I was driving along an empty highway, not seeing anything around. Only black silhouettes of houses and trees against the backdrop of the pre-dawn twilight. The scorched area stretched along the entire road, and I was even glad that I didn't see all of it. The incredible stuffiness followed me, so I stopped the car and, lowering the windows, listened to the cool silence. It was as if everything around had frozen, lurking in anticipation of something new and good.

After a couple of kilometers, the navigator reported arrival at the location. Having taxied into the territory of the reserve, I stopped near the parking lot and, having shown the permission to film to the guards, began to study the first of seven squares into which the entire territory was divided.

Against the background of the gray sky, the reserve seemed like an enchanted forest from children's fairy tales. Bare trunks stretched upward and rested their sharp crowns on the clouds. Within a few minutes, my throat was sore from the smell of burning. Neither time nor flooding with rain could wash away this ingrained smell.

In some places there was still ash, which flew up and swirled in the air with every step I took, so I had to put on a respirator so as not to swallow dust and soot. I was so busy exploring the area that I didn't notice the sunrise. It crept up on me quietly and unnoticed, and a new day fell from above with a scorching sun. It was clear from everything that today was expected to be a very hot day. But neither the heat, nor the sun, nor the new day... nothing made me happy, because I was wandering through a dead reserve.

It turned out that there is no particular difference between the night and day views. Only the background changed, from dark gray to white, but the trees remained black and burnt, reminiscent of a silhouette picture. Not a single tree remained from the eucalyptus forest. I returned to the car and drove to the second square, hoping that the situation there would be better, but I couldn't stay there for long either. The picture hasn't changed.

Ahead stretched kilometers of emptiness, darkness and hopelessness. Instead of a nature reserve densely overgrown with eucalyptus trees, I saw ashes.

I remembered Sanem's words: "In Australia, eucalyptus is called the tree of life because it gives the inhabitants food, medicine, and building material. Under its shade, people and animals can hide from the scorching sun; under it the air is always fresh and pleasant. And for the koala it is the center of the universe, the whole world, the meaning of life. Because without it she will die..."

Yesterday, looking at the unfortunate animals, I could not fully understand what happened to them. Only standing here, among the burnt reserve, I realized that for the koalas their world was lost, their center of the universe had shifted so much that it was unknown whether they would be able to find it again... Suddenly, I heard a quiet cry ahead, more likely a child's, and someone's calm voice. I followed the sound.

Seeing two young people near a huge burnt tree, I slowed down. These were the workers of the reserve, at least their clothes said so, so I began to quietly approach them, trying to understand what was happening. Hearing footsteps, they turned around and I found myself face to face with two young employees, as I had expected, who were supporting a koala hugging a burnt trunk with outstretched arms. The animal's paws were protected by something resembling mittens.

"Good afternoon. Are you the same photographer?" the young man greeted me. "I'm Steve."

"Hi, I'm Can," I shook the outstretched hand and nodded to the girl, who smiled at me.