Into the Jungle: A Novella

Chapter 11

2 days later

Ruby felt a gentle yet strong grasp on her shoulder and immediately jumped out of sleep. It was still dark, but the sun was beginning to rise and cast faint rays into the room. Ruby gasped and held her chest at the sight of her father kneeling over her and smiling. "Daddy?!" she sat up and hugged him tightly, tears of joy drenching her face. "Oh, I can't believe it! We still have you!"

A beam of light shone between their faces.

Osmond stared into her eyes, held her cheeks, and gave her three kisses on the forehead. "That virus," he whispered with a smile, "it was nothing."

Ruby laughed and hugged him again. Then she felt his muscles jiggling and heard him crying. She had heard him cry often, but this sounded different. Tears of joy. Ruby sobbed—it was too unreal! When she opened her blurry eyes, she faintly saw her mother standing near the door, crying at the precious sight.

They were together again!

For two days, Osmond showed signs of improvement. He barely moved the first day, but the second, he was talking—an improved form of mumbling—which Ruby believed was a token of hope he'd returned to normal when she awoke. She was right.

She cried over him for a while and then looked into his eyes again. "I was hoping the medicine worked, and it did."

"Yes. I can vaguely remember something the day you came home and told me to swallow something that tasted like sour water."

"You remember, Daddy?"

"It's a muddy thought, but yeah. You're a hero, so I've heard. I knew you had it in you. Great job."

Ruby didn't know what to say. Those words made her body shiver with joy. Apparently, her mother told him something, or Iris spilled the beans, but it didn't matter. To hear her father call her a hero meant she had proven herself a master of the jungle. And what jungle master could be a hero without Jesus? She knew that now. However, Ruby couldn't tell him that part, or he'd go berserk, even kick her out of the home.

"Thank you," she whispered. "I'm just so glad we're together again." Then Ruby twisted to her bed and shook Iris. "IRIS! IRIS! IRIS!"

Iris awoke and frowned. "Stop yelling!" But when she saw her father, her eyes lit up, and she scrambled from the blanket. She tripped to her knees beside Ruby and gasped. "That toy-toy really did work!"

"What toy-toy?" Osmond asked.

Ruby twitched, but she played it off by joyfully hollering, "Give him a hug!"

Iris stood and hugged him, both of them exchanging kisses and unable to break a stare.

"I remember your lovely poems," Osmond whispered to Iris, but Ruby wasn't sure if that was true. "I'm sorry I couldn't respond the way I really wanted to. But I love you. Something tells me you were a great help to your sister."

How did he know that? Ruby thought. Then she hugged both of them for a while.

Osmond looked at his girls and smiled. "I'd say we celebrate by going hunting."

"Osmond," Viola said, shocked or concerned, "are you really sure you're capable?"

He glanced at her. "I'm standing with heroes. Gotta do what we gotta do."

"But Daddy," Ruby stuttered, "um . . . we kinda lost your blowgun and spear and stuff. Sorry. The trail was rough."

He nodded like it didn't matter. "We'll make another one—the three of us together in the untamed woods." Then he scrubbed their heads and stood.

Ruby stared. Her father's body seemed strong. He didn't wobble. He didn't mumble. He was ready to do what he was used to.

Was it God who healed him or the medicine? Ruby didn't know. Maybe it was both.

Ruby crushed Iris in a loving hug, overjoyed her father was back to normal. And she knew nothing could hold him back from supplying for his family. The way his voice hardened when he said those last words cast a shiver inside her belly.

That was her fearless lion.

That's who she longed to replicate.

Once her parents left the room, Ruby laid her head on her sister's and said, "This all happened because of Jesus, otherwise, we wouldn't be alive to bring the medicine home."

"I told you I wasn't seeing things," Iris replied.

"You weren't. I didn't understand. But seriously, switching what you grew up with isn't easy."

"But I saw—when that snake tried to eat me . . ."

Ruby shook her. "I understand now. But we can't tell our parents or they'll put us out."

"So it'll be like a secret?"

Ruby smiled. "Can you keep a secret, dear?"

"I can keep secrets for as long as I like."

"Well, maybe they will find a book of their own, and then we'll all believe in Jesus."

"You still haven't made that toy-toy!" Iris complained. "I wanted one for two days!"

"We'll get one, I promise." Then Ruby paused to think, a lovely picture of her sister's face filling her mind—all the times she'd made her smile. "Iris, have I ever thanked you for all the help you gave me?"

"Um. I don't think so. You have to say 'thank you' when someone does something kind to you, but sometimes it's easy to forget."

Ruby chuckled. Her sister had repeated something Viola often said. Then she lifted Iris' chin with one finger, and a sunray suddenly illuminated her cute face. "Thank you for finding that book and saving my life. You're the best sister ever." She kissed her on the forehead. "I really-really love you."