Captain's Log - Day 5 974

Captain's Log - Day 5 974
26 June 2014

The natives are restless again.  When will I ever be free of this island?

Before the sun was up this morning, the short ones were stirring.  Well two of them, at least – the shortest ones at that.  I was very relieved when they finally left for a different part of the island, called “school”.

I enjoy these brief respites.  It allows me more time to forage.  And get my work done.  As well as affording me an opportunity to reflect in wonder.

I dream of one day reminiscing over idle times.  Lying in my hammock.  Admiring the sunsets, and sunrises.  Sipping on coconuts, while being fanned with palm tree leaves.

But for now there is no such relief.  The natives are extremely demanding.  A foreign species they are.  Not human.  Though not entirely alien either.

In their physical form, they resemble humans, or man.  But their growth rate is alarming.  Forcing me to consider their exact species type.  I have kept a careful and meticulous log of their growth.  And have never witnessed anything like it before in my travels.

Hunger forms a huge part of their daily existence.  As well as their constant need to satisfy that hunger.  It is clearly a driving force.  I am pleased by their delight in fresh fruits.  However keeping a constant supply ever at the ready, means that I have to go to the island called, “grocery store” on a daily basis.  It is a long and arduous journey.  With many potential pitfalls along the way.  I wish they had a more sophisticated bartering system in place on this mainland.  I would happily exchange smooth pebbles for goods.  Or even bright shards of sea glass.  Still the grocery store natives insist on pieces of paper with funny pictures on them.  Round shiny discs too.  I have offered to bring them unique paper, with pictures I’ll hand draw on my own.  I’m not all that artistic, but I’m fairly good at colouring in.  But they have declined my offer.  I have noted this in my log, and frown upon their lack of flexibility.  My paper would surely have a higher trade value for goods.  It would be unique after all.  I’ve even offered to copy their funny pictures on mine.  But alas, their chief would not accept it.  I have been slighted.  But prefer not to dwell on this insult.  Especially as I have to visit their island daily.  And a breakdown in friendly relations, and lack of trading, would mean that the hungry natives on my island, might become rebellious.  I have found from experience that it is best to keep them well fed.  I certainly can’t afford to incite them to mutiny.

With regards to the short natives on my island, I have witnessed a few things.  Depending on the particular phase of their growth cycle, I have noticed, that in between gorging themselves on the goods I have acquired, they have very different behavioural patterns.  The shorter they are, the more active they are.  The shortest one in particular shows immense enjoyment from interacting with the life form, they refer to as “dog”.  We have two of them on our part of the island.  This brings me great relief.  As it keeps the shortest and busiest native occupied.  On occasion for extensive periods of time.

The middle sized native, stares aimlessly at a box.  With moving life-like images.  I fail to understand how they get all of those creatures in the talking box.  How did they shrink?  Is it some sort of primitive ritual they performed on the talking-box-creatures to make them fit it?  Some resemble my natives exactly.  Others look even more strange.  At times the middle size native makes the box stop talking and moving.  What happens to the people inside the box then?  Do they sleep?  Where do they go?  When do they eat?  I’ve never seen them come out of there before.  It is truly baffling.  And I keep daily track of this oddity.  At certain times, all of the natives watch this box together.  The two tallest ones, like to watch it when there is lots of active movement on the box.  It looks as if there are whole groups of little people in the box, kicking a funny black and white coconut around on a stretch of green grass.  They wear the same attire.  Well to be accurate, two different types of attire, actually.  The ones wearing the same clothes, stay on one side together.  And the other’s on the other side.  It is possible that they form teams?  But of this I am not sure.  It looks as if they are trying to kick the coconut into a fishing net.  I don’t understand this at all.  There is no water.  Why the fishing net?  And is the coconut not already captive?  Why trap it in a net.  Unless they are trying to tire it out before consuming it.  Personally, I was taught not to play with my food.  Why do the little people in the box not rather eat the unique black and white coconut?  Or perhaps the process of kicking it around, is a preparation ritual, to soften the fruit.  Ah, yes.  That makes more sense.  It is a pity that we never get to witness the black and white coconut eating feast after the kicking.  But perhaps they don’t eat in public.  And only do so once the box stops talking and moving.  In their private time.

In addition to being the only civilised person on this island, I find myself being reduced to cooking for these natives.  Daily.  I hardly see the point.  Surely we could live off fruits alone?  They have a certain fondness for meat.  And I am surprised that the two “dogs” have survived this long.  I have never before seen such a manner of kinship with a different food form.  Perhaps they are but merely fattening these dogs for an approaching feast.  I suspect that in time, all shall be revealed.

I first came to this strange and foreign land on the 16^th of February 1998.  Exactly 5 974 days ago.  My arrival on foreign soil, coincided with the appearance of a small creature from my belly, through a rather interesting portal.  He was the first of the short ones.  I was deeply disappointed, because sadly he was not fully developed yet.  No noticeable language skills.  Nor motor movement abilities either.  And I am grateful for the daily record I’ve kept of my observations and experiences here.  It has done much to increase my grasp and understanding of this island and her people.

My time has been made bearable by the friendship and camaraderie I have developed with one of the local inhabitants.  He has no hair.  But alas, it does not distract from his kind face.  I have a sense that he is romantically interested in me.  And I have noticed that he gets excitable when I disrobe.  For now I am keeping a watchful eye on his behaviour.  And will report back if anything untoward happens in my dealings with him.  I am grateful for his partnership.  He helps me with the short ones.  And occasionally brings me pre-prepared food offerings.  This really pushes him up higher in my estimation.

And to be perfectly honest, he does make my mortal heart flutter.  Most especially when he disrobes too.

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Personally I think my hand drawn paper is very attractive and a rather accurate likeness to the paper that traders prefer to use at the grocery store island. It is a real pity that my great artistic talents will lay wasted on this island.