by Collen Houck
ahead. I turned my flashlight to him and saw prickly undergrowth scratching at his silvery white fur. He responded to the thorns by roughly shoving the plants aside with his body, almost as if he were making a path for me.
After walking for a long time, he finally pulled me near a copse of bamboo that was growing near a large
teak tree. He stuck his nose up in the air smelling for who-knows-what and then wandered over to a grassy area and lay down. “Well, I guess that means this is where we sleep for the night.” I shrugged out of my backpacks while grousing, “Great…it’s a lovely choice. I’d give it four stars if it included a mint.”
First, I untied the rope from Dhiren’s collar, figuring that my keeping him from running away was moot at
this point, then crouched down and unzipped my bag. Pulling out a long-sleeved shirt, I tied it around my
waist and got out two water bottles and three energy bars. I unwrapped two of the energy bars and held them out to Ren.
He carefully took one out of my hand and gulped it down. “Should a tiger eat energy bars? You probably need something with more protein, and the only thing around here with protein is me, so don’t even think about it. I tasteterrible .”
He quirked his head at me as if seriously considering it, then quickly swallowed the second energy bar.
I
opened the third and slowly nibbled on it. Unzipping another pocket, I found the lighter and decided to make a fire. Searching by flashlight, I was surprised to find a good amount of wood close by.
Remembering my Girl Scout days, I repeated to myself the “recipe” for a fire, which was cookie, kiddy cone, carton, and waffle cone. I cleared an area, surrounded it with rocks,cookie , then placed dry leaves and small twigs in the middle, and built a teepee out of small kindling,kiddy cone . I made the bigger brushwood into a box,carton , to surround the wooden cone and covered the top of the box with more medium-sized branches. Next, I took a small stem with dried leaves, lit it, and poked it through the holes. The wind blew it out the first two times, but the third time it took, making a nice little crackling fire.
After it had burned for a few minutes and the medium-sized sticks were glowing, I added some larger ones, teepee-style, which was thewaffle cone .
Satisfied with my work and setting aside larger logs to add later, I moved over to the backpacks and hauled them closer to the fire. Finding a plastic bag in the pack, I picked up a large curved piece of bark, shoved small chunks of wood on the ends, and lined the inside with the bag. I poured a bottle of water into it and carried my makeshift bowl over to Ren. He lapped it all up and kept licking the bag, so I poured in another bottle for him, which he also drank greedily.
I walked back to the fire and was startled when I heard an ominous howl nearby. Ren jumped up at once and rushed off in a whirl, disappearing into the darkness. I heard a deep growling and then an incensed and vicious snarl. I stared gravely into the darkness between the trees where Ren had disappeared, but he soon returned unharmed and began rubbing his side on the teak tree. Satisfied with that tree, he moved on to another one, and another one, until he’d rubbed up against every tree that surrounded us.
“Gee, Ren…that must be some itch.” Leaving him to his scratching, I plumped the softer bag with my clothes in it to use for a pillow and slipped my sweatshirt over my head. I pulled out my quilt, hating to get it dirty but desperately needing the warmth and comfort it offered, and spread it out over my legs.
Then I eased onto my side, tucked my hand under my cheek, stared at the fire, and felt fat tears slide down my face.
I started listening to the sounds around me. I heard clicks, whistles, pops, and cracks everywhere. I started to imagine creepy crawly things burrowing in my hair and down into my socks. I shivered and sat
up to tuck the blanket around me snugly, so that it covered every part of my body, and settled to the ground again wrapped up mummy-style.
That was much better, but then I started to imagine animals creeping up behind me while my body was turned to the fire. Just as I was deciding to lie on my back instead of my side, Ren came over and lay down right next to me, snuggled his back against mine, and began to purr.
Grateful, I wiped the tears off my cheeks and was able to tune out the night sounds by listening to Ren’s purr, which later changed into deep, rhythmic breathing. I inched a little closer to his back and was surprised to find that I could sleep in the jungle after all.
A bright ray of sun hit my closed eyelids, and I slowly cracked them open. Not remembering where I was for a minute, I stretched my arms up over my head and then cringed in pain as my back reminded me that I was on the hard ground. There was a heavy weight on my leg, and I looked down to see Ren, eyes squeezed tightly shut in sleep, with his head and one paw draped over my leg.
I whispered, “Ren…wake up…my leg is asleep.” He wasn’t budging. I sat up and shoved his body lightly. “Come on, Ren… move!” He growled softly but stayed right there. “Ren! I mean it!Mooove !” I shook my leg and shoved him harder. He finally blinked open his eyes and yawned a giant, toothy tiger yawn, then rolled off my leg and onto his side.
Standing up, I shook out my blanket, folded it, and tucked it into the bag. I also stamped out the ashes from the fire to make sure nothing was still burning and then warned Ren to stay while I used the ladies’
room. I complained loudly while I noisily shoved bushes aside.
“Just so you know…I hate camping! I’m not so much appreciating the fact that there’s no bathroom out here. ‘Nature calls’ while walking in nature is on my list of least favorite things. You tigers, and men in general, have it so much easier than us girls.”
I hurried, nervous that Ren would try to take off without me, but when I returned he was in the same spot. I gathered up the empty bottles and wrappers and put them in the pack. The last thing I picked up was the yellow rope. Ren just sat there observing me. I decided to give up the pretense that I was the one leading him and stowed the rope away in the pack.
“Okay, Ren. I’m ready. Where are we heading off to today?” Turning, he stalked off into the jungle again. He weaved his way around trees and undergrowth, over rocks and across small streams. He didn’t seem to be in a hurry, and he even stopped to break every once in a while, as if knowing I needed one. Now that the sun was out, it was becoming steamy, so I took off my sweatshirt and tied it around my waist.
The jungle was very green and had a peppery kind of fragrance, much different than the forests of Oregon. The large trees were more sparse, they were deciduous, and had graceful, willowy branches.
The leaves were an olive green color rather than the deep evergreen I was used to. The bark was dark gray and rough to the touch; it had cracks that peeled away and sloughed off in thin flaky layers.
Flying squirrels leapt from tree to tree, and we often startled grazing deer. Smelling a tiger, they quickly bounced away on springy legs. I watched Ren to see his reaction, but he ignored them. Another common tree that was moderate in size had a papery bark, but there was a sticky, gummy resin dripping from the splits in the bark that gave off a strong fragrance. I leaned against one to pick a rock out of my shoe and spent the next hour trying to peel the goo off my fingers.
I’d just gotten it off when we weaved through a particularly dense undergrowth of tall grasses and bamboo and sent a flock of colorful birds into flight. I was so startled that I backed into another sap tree and got it all over my upper arm.
Ren stopped at a small stream for water. I pulled out a bottle of water and drank it all down. It was nice to have less weight in the backpack, but I was concerned about where I would get water after I ran out.
I supposed I could drink at the same stream as Ren, but I would put that off for as long as possible, knowing that my body wouldn’t handle it as well as his.
I sat down on a rock and pulled out another energy bar. I ate half of one and gave Ren the other half, plus another one. I knew I could survive on that man
y calories, but I was pretty sure Ren couldn’t. He’d have to hunt soon.
Opening a pocket of Mr. Kadam’s backpack, I found the compass that I’d forgotten. I pushed it into the pocket of my jeans. There was still money, the traveling papers, more water bottles, a first aid kit, bug spray, a candle, and a pocketknife, but no cell phone, and my personal cell phone was missing.
Strange. The idea that Mr. Kadam would pack things needed in an emergency was implausible.Could he
have knownthat I would be led into the jungle? I thought about the man who looked like Mr. Kadam standing by the truck right before it was stolen and wondered aloud, “Did hewant me to get lost in the jungle?”
Ren wandered over to me and sat down. “No. That doesn’t make any sense either. What reason could he possibly have for flying me all the way to India just to get lost in the jungle? He couldn’t have known you would lead me in here or that I’d follow you. He’s not the type to deceive anyway.”
Ren looked at the ground as I stroked his head as ifhe felt guilty. “I guess Mr. Kadam is just a really well-prepared Boy Scout.”
After a brief rest, Ren got up again, walked off a few paces, and turned to wait for me. I dragged myself off the rock, complaining, and followed along behind him. Pulling out the bug spray, I gave my limbs a good spritz and squirted some on Dhiren for good measure. I laughed when he wrinkled his nose and a big tiger sneeze shook his body.
“So, Ren, where are we going? You act like you have a destination in mind. Personally, I’d like to get back to civilization. So if you could find us a town, I’d be most appreciative.” He continued to lead me on a trail that only he could see for the rest of the morning and into the early afternoon.
I checked my compass often and figured out that we were traveling westward. I was trying to calculate how many miles we’d walked when Ren burrowed between some bushes. I followed him, and we came out into a small clearing.
With great relief, I saw a small hut that sat right in the middle of the glade. Its curved roof was covered with rows of canes tied close together that draped over the top of the structure like a blanket. Stringy fibers, tied in intricate knots, lashed large bamboo poles together to make walls, and the cracks were thatched with dried grasses and clay.
The hut was surrounded by a barrier of loose stones piled on top of each other to create a short wall about two feet high. The stones were covered in thick, verdant moss. In front of the hut, thin panels of stone were affixed to the wall and were painted with an indecipherable assortment of symbols and shapes. The shelter’s doorway was so tiny that an average-sized person would have to bend over to enter. There was a line of clothing flapping in the wind, and a small flourishing garden was planted on the
side of the home.
We approached the rock wall, and just as I was stepping over, Ren leapt over the barrier next to me.
“Ren! You scared the stuffing out of me! Make a noise first or something, would you?”It’s funny how you pick up things from your parents. My mom always said ‘scared the stuffing out of me’ and now I say
it. Thinking of her made me smile.
We approached the small hut, and I steeled myself to knock on the tiny door, but then I hesitated, looking at Ren. “We need to do something about you first.” I took the yellow rope out of my backpack and walked over to a tree on the side of the yard. He followed me haltingly. I beckoned him closer.
When he was finally close enough, I slipped the rope through his collar and tied the other end to a tree.
He was not happy.
“I’m sorry, Ren, but we can’t have you loose. It would scare the family. I promise I’ll be back as soon as I can.” I turned and began walking over to the small house, but then froze in my tracks when I heard a quiet male voice behind me say, “Is thisreally necessary?”
CHAPTER 8
Islowly turned around and saw a handsome young man standing behind me. In fact, he was thesame handsome young man I’d seen by the truck before it disappeared. He approached me slowly with his hands splayed out in front of him. It was odd, but the first thing I noticed about him was that he wasn’t wearing shoes.
“Kelsey…it’s me…Ren.”
He didn’t appear fearsome, but my body tightened in apprehension nonetheless. Confused, I held my hand out in front of me in a futile attempt to halt his progress. “What? What did you say?”
He came closer, put his hand on his chest, and spoke slowly. “Kelsey, don’t run. It’s me…Ren…the tiger.”
He turned over his hand to show me Ren’s collar and the yellow rope coiled about his fingers. I looked behind him and, sure enough, Ren was missing. I took a few steps back from the man. He saw my movement and immediately froze. The back of my knees hit the stone barrier. I stopped and blinked my eyes several times, not understanding what he was telling me.
“Where’s Ren? I don’t understand. Did youdo something to him?”
“No, Kelsey.”
He carefully began to approach me again, slowly, while I shook my head.
“No. Youcan’t be.”
I tried to take another step back and almost fell backward over the wall. He reached me in the blink of an eye and caught my waist. He took my hand and steadied me.
“Are you alright?”
“No!”
He was still holding my hand. I stared at it, imagining the tiger’s paws.
“Kelsey?”
I looked up into his startling blue eyes.
“Iam Dhiren.”
I whispered, “No. No! It’s not possible. How couldyou be my tiger?”
His quiet voice was soothing as he said, “Please, come inside the house. The owner is not at home right now. You can sit down and relax, and I will attempt to explain what is happening.”
I was too stunned to argue, so I allowed him to guide me toward the hut. As he led me toward the house, he clutched my fingers in his as if afraid that I would run back into the jungle. I didn’t usually follow strange men around, but something about him made me feel…safe. I knew with certainty that he wouldn’t harm me. It was the same strong feeling I experienced with the tiger.
He bowed his head to get through the door and walked into the small shelter, pulling me along behind him. I ducked my head and entered the hut. It was a one-room shelter with a small bed in one corner, a tiny window on the side wall, and a table with two chairs in another corner. A curtain was pulled back to reveal a small bathtub. The kitchen was just a sink with a water pump, a short counter, and some shelves with various canned food products and spices. Above our heads, the ceiling was strung with a hanging assortment of dried herbs and plants that filled the room with a sweet fragrance. He gestured that I should sit on the bed as he moved over near the window.
He leaned against a wall and waited quietly for me to settle myself. Recovering from my initial shock, I snapped out of my daze and began to assess my situation.He …was Ren. He wasRen . He was Ren,the tiger . We stared at each other for a moment, and Iknew he was telling the truth. The eyes were the same. I felt the fear in my body drain away while a new emotion rushed forward to fill the void…anger.
Despite all the time I’d spent with him, he’d chosen not to share this secret with me. He’d led me through
the jungle, apparently on purpose, and allowed me to believe that I was lost, in a foreign country, in the wilderness, alone.
But, I knew he’d never hurt me. Ren was a…friend, and I trusted him. But why hadn’t he trustedme ?
There’d been plenty of opportunities for him to share this peculiar reality. But he hadn’t.
Looking at him with suspicion, I irritably asked, “So…whatare you? Are you a man who became a tiger or atiger that turned into a man? Or are you like a werewolf? If you bite me, do I turn into a tiger too?”
He tilted his head with a puzzled expression on his face, but he didn’t answer me right away. He watched me with the same intense blue eyes as the tiger. It was…disconcerting. “Uh…Ren? I think I’d feel more c
omfortable if you moved a little farther away from me while we discuss this.”
He sighed, padded calmly over to the corner, sat on a chair, then leaned back against the wall, balancing himself on the two back legs of the chair. “Kelsey, I will answerall of your questions. Just be patient with
me and give me time to explain.”
“Alright. Explain.”
As he gathered his thoughts, I scrutinized his appearance. I couldn’t believe that this was Dhiren. That the tiger I cared about was this…man. He didn’t look very tiger-like, other than the eyes. He seemed young. I’d guess he was in his early twenties. He was taller than me by a head, with a strong, well-developed body, trim, but with obvious muscle. He was clothed in loose white cotton garments. His long-sleeved shirt was untucked and carelessly buttoned, revealing a smooth, well-built golden bronze chest. His lightweight pants were rolled at the ankles, emphasizing his bare feet. Glossy black hair swept away from his face and curled slightly at the nape of his neck. He had full lips, a square jaw, and an aristocratic nose. He didn’t look Indian like the other men I’d seen in this country, at least not fully. His skin was lighter in color and his features different.He seemed different. I couldn’t place it, but there was something else…something,cultured about him. He exuded confidence, strength, even nobility.
Even barefoot with nondescript clothing, I felt like I was looking at someone…regal, powerful. Even if he weren’t good looking—and hewas …extremelygood looking—I still would have been drawn to him.
Maybe that was the tiger part of him. Tigers always seemed regal to me. They captured my attention.
His
eyes, though, were what riveted me the most. They were my tiger’s eyes—the same deep cobalt blue.