Saving Fish from Drowning - Heal Burma

SAVING FISH FROM DROWNING
he zoomed out of the reaches of his consciousness. Sometimes people
told him later that he had taken on a zombie stare and had repeatedly
fiddled with his shirt buttons, while murmuring, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry.”
Hearing these reports, Bennie would flush and say, “Oh, I’m sorry.”
More recently, the roller-coaster ride had become prelude to a
grand mal. That usually happened when he was tired or had inad­
vertently missed a dose. Since the dosage had been increased, he had
not had a really bad seizure in more than a year. He would be fine off
his medications for a day or two. This thought took him back to his
original dilemma. How would they get out? What if they were stuck
for two more days? Don’t stress out, he reminded himself; that’s
what always triggered his seizures. He wondered if this tribe—the
Jalamees or Lajamees, whatever they were called—might possibly
have coffee. Coffee beans grew in the mountains, didn’t they? If he
did not have his daily ration, he would have an intractable headache
by noon. Now, that would be stressful.
Heidi sat down next to Bennie on the log. “How’s it going?” For
her, the night had passed without incident. She had loved the cocoon
of her thatched shelter, the sounds of the jungle, the novel idea that
she was experiencing an adventure rather than a catastrophe. She
had slept soundly, coated in bug repellent and her Space blanket,
proof that she had handled the newness of everything well. No one was
more amazed than she. Here she was in the jungle, and there was no
imagining danger, no fearing it would reveal its hideous self. Danger
was a given in a place without locks, lights, hot water, or fire alarms, in
a habitat teeming with poisonous creatures. And the others—look at
them—their haggard faces, their eyes darting about. They now felt
as she had these past ten years, always on guard, in anticipation of
unknown danger, confused, and fearful of what might befall them,
while she had been prepared. She felt—what was the sensation?—
free. Yes, she was free, out of an invisible prison. It was like the days
before the murder, when she could go anywhere and do anything
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