“Do you need me to come back?” Nadirah would have returned if the woman she loved more than anything asked.
“To do what?” Nenek asked. “The insurance people have been contacted. Nothing we can really do until they process the claim.”
“You’re sure you’ll be okay?”
“Yes. Now go help that handsome tiger.” To which Nenek added a most shocking, “Lucky girl. If I was a few decades younger…”
“Nenek!”
The conversation ended on laughter and left Nadirah feeling less guilty about her adventure.
The muggy airmoistened the skin the moment they began their trek. Despite having lived in Malaysia her whole life, Nadirah had never actually visited a jungle before, nor had she ever gone camping. Most of her outdoor time was spent either at the playground when young, or the zoo as her fascination with tigers grew. The most jungle-y adventure she’d ever experienced had been her visit to the Royal Zoo to visit the tigers. Those safe excursions never prepared her for the reality.
Hot. Humid. Kind of scary. Every time an animal barked, or a branch cracked, her head whipped. But Phoenix, despite being a Canadian and used to harsh winters, seemed quite at home here. He strode along nonchalantly in his cheap sneakers, shoulders back, head up, and very much aware of their surroundings. More than once he reassured her.
Just a bird. That noise was a rodent. Whatever roared is miles away from us.
Because their cellphone didn’t get signal in the wild, he resorted to using a compass, holding it up every so often to keep them pointed in the right direction.
It would have probably been easier to try to locate the track the archeologists used. However, Phoenix assumed—more than likely rightly so—that it would be guarded against casual intrusion. Rather than draw attention and get escorted out of the park, he chose to cut across the green and treacherous expanse. And by treacherous, she didn’t mean predators, but rather, the terrain that seemed determined to twist her ankle.
She stumbled quite often, unlike the nimble-footed Phoenix, enough she found herself asking, “Were you always this graceful?”
“Graceful?” he snorted. “I ain’t no ballerina.”
“I mean in the sense that you never stumble. You barely make any noise. Unlike me. I’m like a clomping elephant.”
He chuckled. “Guess it comes naturally.”
“So you were always this stealthy?”
His lips pursed. “You know, now that you mention it, I don’t think so. The military taught us how to survive in the bush as part of our training, but sneaking through the forest? Not a skill we had to learn. I should note, I never really spent much time in nature previously, unless being on deployment counts. But that was mostly sand, rock, and dirt. Gotta say, I am not sure what’s worse. Dry heat or moist.” He grimaced, pulling his damp shirt away from his flesh.
“Do some of your tiger attributes transmute to the man?” Her curiosity and a need for distraction from her throbbing feet had her asking.
“Yes.” He gave a nod. “Better hearing. Like, way better. Sense of smell is much more acute, as well. My taste buds have slightly changed, too. Flavors hit harder, and while I will still eat just about anything, I enjoy meat most.”
“Seems normal, given your carnivore side.”
He turned his head to eye her. “You work with tigers. What can you tell me about them that’s not common knowledge?”
“I take it you’ve done your research and know the basics.”
“Biggest of the wild cats. They can’t purr but do swim and don’t mind water. Mostly nocturnal.”
At the mentioned facts, she nodded and added, “The smell of their urine is often compared to buttered popcorn.”
That made him laugh. “No way.”
She smiled. “Yes, way. Oh, and their saliva can act as an antiseptic on wounds.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really.”
“Why did you choose to work with tigers?”
“Because they’re amazing,” she exclaimed, only to laugh. “I’ve always loved them since I first saw them in the zoo. Nenek saw how much they enthralled me and bought me a stuffed one, which I dragged around everywhere.” She still had it in a memory box, tattered and barely recognizable, but she couldn’t get rid of her childhood best friend. Thankfully, that box was stored in her great aunt’s attic since they’d lacked the space.
