Into the Jungle: A Novella

Epilogue

The same day, Ruby watched intently as her father babbled about how to make a spearhead from a rock. They were in the jungle hoping to find something to eat, but of course, they needed a weapon. Osmond had already spent the morning showing them how to make another blowgun. It wasn't as pretty as the first; not yet, anyway. In fact, he already started that project a while ago but never finished until then. And now he was giving them a 'quick lesson' about the spearhead and what type of rocks to use.

Ruby was attentive, but Iris was bored, sluggishly hitting the ground with a bamboo stick.

They walked beside a big stone, and Osmond stopped, sat on it, and began rubbing two smaller rocks together. "I'm carving. This is what gives the spearhead its shape," he said.

A few weary sighs later, Iris suddenly pointed and whispered, "Ruby . . . look!"

Ruby glanced near the base of the rock but turned her eyes away. "Not, now. I'm trying to listen."

But Iris walked closer, picked something up, and dropped her jaw. "Googoo thinga!"

Ruby's eyes widened when she noticed the girl had found another book. She quickly stepped closer and whispered, "Another one?!"

Then Osmond peeked at the base of the stone. "Found something great over there?"

Ruby snatched the book and hid it behind her. "Sorry, we got distracted." She pointed at a big anthill clustered with swarms of ants. Great distraction.

Osmond saw the anthill and smiled. "I love watching ants. They're great creatures. Good to learn from." Then he went back to work.

The girls shared a peek and sighed. But Ruby couldn't believe what she was holding! And she would doubtlessly get Dr. Andrew to read it for her.

* * *

That night, as the girl snuggled closely in the same bed, Ruby listened to Iris think up wild stories with the new 'toy-toy' she pretended was herself, a weed she pretended was an unnatural creature and a pebble that was a brute. Ruby had a small bamboo stick, pretending it was herself.

They played for a while until the room grew quiet from weariness. Ruby dozed and suddenly had a vision of the radiants she had seen flying that morning. They were so pretty, she couldn't help asking herself: Who made the world? Who would think to make pretty birds and complex animals?

It had to be someone mighty. Someone with the powers of Jesus.

Or maybe . . . maybe . . .Ruby quietly gasped when she remembered what that voice had said to her. Didn't it say someone made something? Ruby carefully grabbed the book from under Iris' arm and opened it to the same spot she had when the voice spoke. It was dark, she couldn't see what was on the page.

But out of nowhere, that male voice came back, echoing around the home. "In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth."

Ruby slammed the book and sat up. It was scary. It was strange. She waited a while to make sure her parents didn't hear him, but everything remained quiet. "Jesus, is that You?" she whispered. "Did You create the world?" It would make sense, besides, He'd saved her from that black lion, and it sounded like He saved someone else from what Dr. Andrew was saying. He sounded mighty.

Ruby opened the book again and listened.

"The earth was without form and void, and darkness was upon the face of the sea. And the spirit of God hovered over the midst of the sea. Then God said, 'Let there be light,' and light appeared."

When she heard footsteps approaching the room, she slipped the book under the blanket. Her mother was probably going to kiss them as she usually did, or she was curious about that voice. But later, Ruby concluded it was the wind blowing grit along the floor. She figured nobody could hear the voice but her. Besides, when it first happened, Iris didn't seem to notice, and if she did, she would have said something.

Ruby held the book for a long time, but the voice didn't say any more than what he already did. If she was going to learn about Jesus, she would have to sneak away to Dr. Andrew because he could answer her lingering questions.

Maybe God sent him to the jungle for her.

A smile manifested as she thought about him—the moment she threw the book away in confusion.

"Andrew, you were right," she whispered to the air. "Thank you."