The coarse sand of the beach made the going difficult, but the two tan-skinned children managed to climb to the top of a dune. Now at its crest, they had a full view of the shore. From their perch, they spotted a strange object near the water, most likely debris from a stranded ship. Eager to investigate, they slid down, sending a cascade of sand raining down in their wake. They ran quickly to the water's edge, not knowing what to expect. Upon arriving, they froze, momentarily unable to comprehend what they were seeing. Lying face up on the sand, his feet still in the water and his eyes closed, was a man. He was breathing.
Vincent awoke, tasting salt and feeling sore. He opened his eyes, and gasped. He was alive, and in strange surroundings. The native people, alerted by the two children had taken him into a home and had cared for him; bandaging his wounds and helping him recover from being carried through the ocean. He had lain unconscious for three days, and the people were afraid he wouldn't wake up, but on the fourth day, he regained consciousness, wondering where he was and how he had gotten there. He was in bed that felt of leather, and the walls of the room looked like bamboo. Some light came in through the thatched roof, splashing the wooden floor with speckles of light. Vincent realized he had been undressed, and felt bandages wrapped around his body. He didn't dare remove the blanket covering him for fear of how battered his body would appear.
Someone approached from outside, and Vincent turned his head, gasping in pain because of a wrenched neck muscle. A woman stood in the entryway, looking at him in a concerned, motherly way. She spoke, but Vincent didn't understand what she said; it was in a foreign language that he had never heard before. He tried to speak to her, "Hello. My name is Vincent. Where is this place?" But the woman cocked her head, stared at him for a moment, then left. Vincent lay down again, disappointed. He was stuck in a place where he wouldn't be able to understand anyone, and he didn't even know where this place was!
The woman appeared again, this time followed by a man. "Hello, there." He said to Vincent, whose eyes widened in surprise. "Um, hello, sir. You speak English?" "Well, of course I do. How else would you be able to understand me?" the man asked, smiling. "Where am I? How did I get here? Who are you?" Vincent asked, desperate for answers. "Calm down; your questions will be answered. I'm not going anywhere. "The man assured. "Firstly, I would like to welcome you to Malaysia." "Malaysia?!" Vincent cried incredulously. "Yes, Malaysia. My homeland." "But, you speak English…" Vincent trailed off. "My name is Aban Corson. I was a student in the United States for some time. I returned here to practice medicine." "So… you're the one who restored me to health?" Vincent asked. "Yes. You were lucky the people found you on the shore when they did. You were near death and needed immediate treatment. You were unconscious for three days." Vincent remained silent; amazed that he had survived the storm. "Were any others found?" he asked quietly. "No, you were the only one." Vincent wondered whether or not it was a good thing he had been the only one to end up here. "So, what is your name?" the doctor asked. Vincent turned, despite the pain, and looked directly at the man before answering, "My name is Vincent… Vincent Chadworth."
Days passed, and Vincent's wounds healed steadily under the care of Doctor Corson. With his help, Vincent started to learn the Malaysian language, and became friends with most of the people in the village. Though he was affable and well behaved, the coldness and obscurity he had lived with for so long had merely been pushed aside, lying dormant for another time…
Restored to complete health, Vincent felt more alive than he had in the years past. He lived now like a native, burned tan by the sun, his hair long and brown, his mustache and beard unshaven. He learned new skills from the men, mainly hunting techniques with spears and bowie knives. He was taught how to meld with shadows, how to sense his prey, and how to track animals in the night. For nearly two years, Vincent lived contentedly in this new environment, but the winds of change arrived with a small airplane…
The noisy craft touched down on a flat stretch of land, throwing up sand and grass pollen. Vincent, along with several other people, ran towards it, wondering what it could mean. The buzz of the engine died down to silence, and two people exited the vehicle, stepping quickly down the small stairs. The present group swarmed them, asking what was happening. "We need Doctor Corson," the men said. Vincent understood, thought the men spoke in Malaysian. "Aban!" Vincent called to his friend, who stepped out from the throng. "Yes?" "These men came for you." The two men approached them. "We need you, Doctor. On the mainland, there is sickness going around, probably brought by the Americans. We thought you could stop it." "I can make no promises, but I can try," Aban replied. "When must we leave?" "Right now, if possible." Aban glanced over to Vincent, who looked questioningly back. "Can my friend come as well? I would like to show him the mainland…" "Yes, yes," the men said impatiently. "Come, now, we must hurry!" Aban beckoned to Vincent, who nervously followed him into the plane. "What about our things?" he asked. "We could always get more," Aban replied distractedly. Once everyone was seated, the plane lifted off, propelling the people toward the main island of Malaysia.
The plane began its landing pattern, and Vincent only stared in awe out the window. "Welcome to Borneo, my friend." Aban said, patting him on the back. Below was a large city; Vincent could see houses, markets, and people. It had been quite a while since he had been in a place so greatly populated; he absently wondered what he would do while Aban did his job and diagnosed the epidemic.
"Here, take this," Aban told Vincent, as he handed him a pouch of money. "Go buy some souvenirs from the market, and some lunch as well." "What about you?" Vincent asked anxiously. "Do you honestly think these people would let the most learned doctor on the island go hungry?" Aban asked. Vincent laughed. "I guess not." "Now go. I will see you soon." Vincent bid his friend goodbye and walked into the bustling crowds of Borneo.