I had awoken not from an alarm, not from my mother, not even from the brute we call Claire but from Tawny. The smell of the jungle was the only scent I had caught onto. Not mother's perfumes, herbs, or the gun powder along Claire's morning practice shots. All of it was gone as I opened my eyes to see Tawny looking down at me. Honestly my hands fled to my chest like I was a women baring her bosom.
"Tawny...you scared me." I turned to look at my mother. Oh mother, how you never surprise me. She was sitting up like a gorilla in her bed, eyes locked on Tawny. Tawny didn't seem to mind. All I could was smile at the two of them and jump at Claire's snoring. Such a lady...
When I was allowed to get out of my sheets for the day ahead without Tawny gazing at me and what I was doing I had immediately gone to my desk. While I was eating I could allow her to flip through some books. By flip I didn't mean tare or throw which she hadn't obviously understood. No breakfast for me or tea even given books were scattered everywhere.
"Let's approach this differently, it seems you're as a stranger like me." With that in mind my eyes had caught onto the lantern.
"Ooh- ooh! Mommy! Grab the slides from the crates!" Given it wasn't night, we had to improvise with the tents.
I set the box over the lantern as Tawny traced her finger along the light on the screen. I probably should've given her some warning...somehow that the picture would appear. She jumped back not in fear or anger but curiosity. Her eyes fed on the images like Claire with sweets.
"Jack darling, fetch the bike!" Why we brought a bike into the jungle? I had no idea. Of course however once Claire and I put it together and Tawny was finished studying the man with his top hat on the bike she tried it out. She caught it quicker then I did and let's just say I was able to eat my breakfast of fruit and bread.
My frantic mother ran around wildly when Tawny chased after her with the bike, scooped her up, and made her way back up into the trees on wheels. All I could do was freeze, stare with mouth open, and pray it doesn't happen to me no matter if that was the most extraordinary thing! Oh how I wish I could freeze time to sketch these events. I rarely ever found anytime for myself however.
In the month we had been gazing at stars, showing more slides, teaching her about our life back in London, explaining things, and reading to her Claire had taken teaching up for one day. The entire day was centered on yelling to the point Tawny had hid behind me. Shoving a map and portrait of a gorilla in Tawny's face was no way for anyone to successfully earn an education, no matter the age.
There was no shortage of glances that I would earn myself from Tawny. A few times I had successfully been able to draw her in fact. Claire was getting more and more irritated as days past. Each day Tawny would await for me to awaken by sitting on my bed staring at me, I would read with her, drink some tea, show more slides, have a meal with her, draw, lend her the bike, teach her new words, explain grammar, talk about science, maybe count some fingers, and even allow her to try on mothers hats before we ate another meal and she would disappear. A few times however her and I would take field trips. The last occasion she took me to a beach all day but hadn't thought to bring me back.
Today however I was off duty and my mother was teaching Tawny how to make tea. Of course she cared nothing about her looks so about three minutes was spent on trying to bathe Tawny...it ended very quickly once she got soap in her eyes.
I glanced up to see Tawny trotting over to me. I set my sketchbook down when I practicing leaves of a particular plant that decided to grow under my bed.
"Follow." Was all she said. I smiled up at her happy at any progress and stood and nodded. Once we left the camp, I was in her world. I was the student and she was the teacher. I had thought I had mastered telling a vine from a snake but apparently not.
Very rarely did she denies me a smile when I slip on a vine though.
"Hold." She placed my hands onto her and all I could do was agree. Not much odder than a grown man wrapping his arms around a women who has never made it to a society. I however never stop blushing like the grown man I am.
She climbed up a thick green vine and I can't seem to remember that when I look away she gives me the most worried of looks possible. When she set me onto a thick branch covered in moss and illuminating sunlight she held my hand. Getting smacked in the face by a branch however is very normal. Not a word was spoken afterwards simply out of amazement.
Not even a crying baby could erase the smile from my lips. Blue blooming flowers speckled the canopy the birds called home. Beautiful vibrant yellow birds with dark green wings and tails along with a blood red head and orange beak was the only sign of movement. A cool breeze ruffled feathers, sunlight had caused them to look down and notice us, and all they could do was call to each other in worry and curiosity. Such a curious world full of life and wonder. It was amazing seeing this world that was untouched by all but one caring women. Mother Nature herself practically, Tawny.