Remembrance of Eve *NANOWRIMO13*

Chapter 3

Adam opened his clear blue eyes and looked into mine. “We do not have to gather food this morning, thanks to your little invention. We are truly blessed.”

I brought our baskets to the nest. He walked to a bush near us with small white flowers. He brought a small bunch back, and tucked it behind my ear, smiling.

We ate next to it. Once again, I found an oak leaf on which to place our fruits. The bananas had a few brown spots on them, but were good. The blackberries were slightly crushed, and were not as good as when they were freshly picked, but they were still good to eat.

The other fruit was sweet and good to eat. The large fruit we had picked from the ground had not been yet tasted. There was a tough, light colored rind on it, and I had no clue how we could get to the fruit inside. Adam found a rock with a sharp edge and pulled the edge across the face of the fruit. It fell apart into two almost equal pieces. Inside was a pale orange colored flesh with seeds in the center. He found a twig and scraped out the seeds, cut each half into smaller slices, and handed me two slices which I placed on my leaf.

I brought the fruit to my lips, and took a taste.

“This is good. It is mild, yet sweet. I like this. What is it? How did you know what to do to find the fruit?”

“I found this cantaloupe, and others similar to it growing on the vines. I did not know how to find the part to eat. One dropped, and broke open. I have tasted several of these. This one I call cantaloupe.”

“But when did you think to use a sharp rock? How could you know how to so deftly cut it to be so easily eaten?” I questioned as I began on my second slice.

“A few days ago, before you came, I found this rock. It is thinner on one side, do you see?”

I looked at it, black and wide on one side, yet very thin on the other edge.

“I seemed to just know that if I used that very thin edge, it would help to open the fruits. I tried, and it worked.” I have kept this one near that tree, so that I would not lose it.”

“What do you call this?”

“A knife.”

“You have discovered a way to make things easy. So inventive, so smart. I am glad that you have learned so much while you were alone. It brings me joy.”

“I wonder. . . Would this help to cut those grasses we used last night?” Without waiting for an answer, he moved to the grass and sliced through it. “This will make it easier to gather grasses.

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“I have been thinking that we must find a way to prevent the animals from taking our bedding. The grass we used last night was warmer, it did a better job of keeping the night breezes off us. But, I woke during the night to rearrange them, some had slipped, and I was cold.” I said.

“I, too, woke with a cold breeze and realized that the leaves had slipped with our moving. But what can we do?”

“I do not know, just yet, but I want to work with the grass to see what can be done. Would you help, or do you have another task this day?”

“There are things we have not yet seen, but this is important. I think we should work together. You are my help-meet. I am here for you. I will stay here in the glen with you. I can help gather more grass.”

We walked arm in arm back to the glen. Some of the grass from the previous night had already been raided. I think the gorillas took them, for I saw a gray back slip into the trees as we drew near. We did need to do something.