She looked around but did not see anyone else.
A small indent in the wall seemed to serve as a fireplace. There was even a beat-up metal teakettle resting on a hook next to it, close enough to keep the water warm. A slow wisp of steam rose from the spout. On another small table there were a few plates, mugs, and kitchen essentials stacked neatly. In the center of the table stood a three-foot-tall stainless steel cylinder with a spout at the bottom; though she could not figure out what purpose it served.
Robert saw her looking at it . “Water purifier. It works by gravity. You just pour a few liters into the top at night, and by morning, the base is filled with fresh, clean water.”
“Ah .”
“The British Army has been using those things in the field forever”
It was definitely a hint of a British accent Abby had detected.
“So you live here?” Eric asked.
“This is where I call home, yes.”
“And where is here, exactly?” Abby asked.
He laughed. “You don’t know where you are, do you?”
Abby looked around . “No, no we do not. It might sound funny to you, but we really need to get some answers.”
Robert took on a serious look . “Alright, well, this is an island.”
“Obviously .”
“Let me finish. It i s a very small island in the Philippine archipelago. There are roughly seven thousand islands. This particular one does not have a name, I have just always called it home.”
Eric and Abby exchanged a confused look.
“My geography is a little rough,” Eric said. “How far are we from Texas?”
Robert laughed. “Oh, pretty far I would say. We are in the South China Sea, a few thousand kilometers south of Japan.” Robert saw the confused look on Eric’s face and translated for the American, “About two thousand miles.”
A bit overwhelmed, Eric sat down on one of the unsteady chairs. “Two thousand miles south of Japan?”
“How did we get here?” Abby wondered aloud, not so much looking for an answer. She just had to put a voice to the thought in her head.
“That I do not know,” Robert said. “I saw you for the first time when you were on the mountaintop earlier. How long have you been here?”
Abby tried to do some math, but was feeling very fuzzy, and a bit faint . “I’m really not sure.” She gave Eric a confused look. “A couple days, I guess.”
He nodded his head in agreement.
Robert was suddenly struck by a thought. “Are the two of you hungry? Would you like something to eat? I’m sure I have something around here.”
“I know I haven’t eaten in a day or so,” Abby said, “but I’m not real hungry.”
Robert took the teakettle and poured some hot water into two mugs, mixing in some dried leaves. He handed them each a mug. “Peppermint tea,” he said.
“ You both look awful. Have a drink and get some rest. In the morning you will have some food, whether you are hungry or not, and I will tell you what little I know. I am going to sit up for awhile and make sure we do not get any visitors.” He looked at Abby and gave her a warm familiar smile, like she was an old friend and he was happy that she had stopped by.
She watched as Robert disappeared out of the opening and into the darkness beyond. Maybe it was his accent, or his soft-spoken voice. Maybe it was the fact that he had just saved her life. Whatever it was, Abby felt very at ease with this man, Robert. He was both familiar and comforting, even though they had just met. She needed precious little encouragement, and lay down on the surprisingly comfortable bed after downing her warm minty tea. Eric finished his and stretched out on the stone floor next to the bed.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“Getting comfortable.”
“Get up here,” she said, patting the canvass next to her. “There is plenty of room.”
He did not need to be asked twice and quickly settled into a spot next to her. They lay there
A small indent in the wall seemed to serve as a fireplace. There was even a beat-up metal teakettle resting on a hook next to it, close enough to keep the water warm. A slow wisp of steam rose from the spout. On another small table there were a few plates, mugs, and kitchen essentials stacked neatly. In the center of the table stood a three-foot-tall stainless steel cylinder with a spout at the bottom; though she could not figure out what purpose it served.
Robert saw her looking at it . “Water purifier. It works by gravity. You just pour a few liters into the top at night, and by morning, the base is filled with fresh, clean water.”
“Ah .”
“The British Army has been using those things in the field forever”
It was definitely a hint of a British accent Abby had detected.
“So you live here?” Eric asked.
“This is where I call home, yes.”
“And where is here, exactly?” Abby asked.
He laughed. “You don’t know where you are, do you?”
Abby looked around . “No, no we do not. It might sound funny to you, but we really need to get some answers.”
Robert took on a serious look . “Alright, well, this is an island.”
“Obviously .”
“Let me finish. It i s a very small island in the Philippine archipelago. There are roughly seven thousand islands. This particular one does not have a name, I have just always called it home.”
Eric and Abby exchanged a confused look.
“My geography is a little rough,” Eric said. “How far are we from Texas?”
Robert laughed. “Oh, pretty far I would say. We are in the South China Sea, a few thousand kilometers south of Japan.” Robert saw the confused look on Eric’s face and translated for the American, “About two thousand miles.”
A bit overwhelmed, Eric sat down on one of the unsteady chairs. “Two thousand miles south of Japan?”
“How did we get here?” Abby wondered aloud, not so much looking for an answer. She just had to put a voice to the thought in her head.
“That I do not know,” Robert said. “I saw you for the first time when you were on the mountaintop earlier. How long have you been here?”
Abby tried to do some math, but was feeling very fuzzy, and a bit faint . “I’m really not sure.” She gave Eric a confused look. “A couple days, I guess.”
He nodded his head in agreement.
Robert was suddenly struck by a thought. “Are the two of you hungry? Would you like something to eat? I’m sure I have something around here.”
“I know I haven’t eaten in a day or so,” Abby said, “but I’m not real hungry.”
Robert took the teakettle and poured some hot water into two mugs, mixing in some dried leaves. He handed them each a mug. “Peppermint tea,” he said.
“ You both look awful. Have a drink and get some rest. In the morning you will have some food, whether you are hungry or not, and I will tell you what little I know. I am going to sit up for awhile and make sure we do not get any visitors.” He looked at Abby and gave her a warm familiar smile, like she was an old friend and he was happy that she had stopped by.
She watched as Robert disappeared out of the opening and into the darkness beyond. Maybe it was his accent, or his soft-spoken voice. Maybe it was the fact that he had just saved her life. Whatever it was, Abby felt very at ease with this man, Robert. He was both familiar and comforting, even though they had just met. She needed precious little encouragement, and lay down on the surprisingly comfortable bed after downing her warm minty tea. Eric finished his and stretched out on the stone floor next to the bed.
“What are you doing?” she asked.
“Getting comfortable.”
“Get up here,” she said, patting the canvass next to her. “There is plenty of room.”
He did not need to be asked twice and quickly settled into a spot next to her. They lay there
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