The Neighbourhood Chapter 4.

Chapter 1. Was the beginning. Sparked off from the mind of @bashadow for a contest in the @ifc discord group Chapter 2. Chapter 3.

To expect there to be conflict on the first contact is representative of the society built up around us, a hundred centuries from now. To me, they are a wonder, how they survive in this wilderness. For them, they maybe wonder how the hell we got here.
Though I had not felt stressed since arriving, the chores needing doing keeping the mind pre-occupied. When those roars from the monkey came, the stress levels must have shot up. I sure could feel the stress relief now. Sheree and Laura have gone off somewhere, probably down to the stream. I would follow them down but I get bitched at for perving them if they are bathing.

Laura is a bit young for me to look at in that manner, she is a young girl of early 20's now and my introduction to Sheree. It was Kyrgen who introduced me to Laura. Kyrgen was a pound dog, the only dog who did not get up and start barking as I walked along the kennel. He just lay there at the back, Looked up and placed his head back on his paw's. Well, that's a different story in another time now, I won't bore you with how we met.

Think I will go hunt down a sip of rum for my decanter, take a stroll for the morning through the forest. We know our local forest pretty well on the north side where the stream begins to curl around us, Leads up to a beautiful set of four waterfalls. Aptly named Four Falls by Laura.
"WTF" "Hold n a minute" I was sure I had a couple of rum bottles left back here, I had only used one bottle so far. Under the cabin, I have a dozen bottles under there. "FFS" this stress-free day is not turning out so free of stress. Skip the rum grab a doobie, now there's a plan.
Beneath a few rocks behind the solar panels, opening the plastic sealant releasing the imprisoned fragrance of the buds, I took a few buds a pipe and a zippo from the bag placed the buds to my pouch and wrapped up and secured my treasure. I left an arrow made of stones indicating I went out into the forest. I took along a bow too, though my walk was not intended for hunting.

A half hour's walk into the forest, this particular spot I had not been to before. There was a small meadow, rainbowed with flowers of all colours. In from the meadow, I sat on a fallen tree trunk and began to fill my pipe. Ready to light a spark to the pipe I decided the truck was not comfortable enough. I moved to the edge of the meadow and sat in the shade of overhanging branches.
With an inner smile, I chugged inhaled held it held it held it exhaled. Twenty minutes later, I was drifting through new thoughts I had never had before. Resting my back against the tree trunk of the shade I sat in. I watched the tall grass sway and imagined myself being passed across the tips of swaying blades.
"Holy Sweet Mother a Jeazues." "WTF?" my heart nearly popped out my eyeballs as I jumped. A hand had touched my arm from around the tree. Followed by a whisper of "YutyutclikYutghawah" As soon as I head the Yutyut I relaxed, Yutyut seemed to be my name and used when addressing me. I have been reborn a Yutyut Pointing at me and waving his other hand to the distance, repeating in a low voice "Yutyutclikghawah ghawah*clik."
I wanted to use names like Kevin Derek or Adam to name our neighbours, though once Adam got mentioned the religious aspects came to light and no names we already acquaint to people in our past future would we use. Even the girls have begun to call me Yutyut.

I had thought we were going back to my encampment, this area was new I had not been in this area before. Making our way over fallen tree trunks or under them at times. Wondering where we were headed, not too concerned in my pipe fuelled mellow state. I pointed to myself and said "Yutyut" repeated this a couple of times and then pointed to my companion shrugging my shoulders in question to his name. A few laughs came out and then a realisation it seemed to my question. "Shuwaaabaclik" as he pointed to himself "Shuwaaabaclik" I have no idea how long we were talking walking, I felt great in learning his name though Shuwaaabaclik thinking to myself I wonder what it means?
Shuwaaabaclik and Yutyut, sounds a bit like a tv series.
I perched myself on a fallen tree trunk and began to fill a pipe. "Shuwaby" I called out as my new friend walked ahead and corrected myself "Shuwaaaba*clik" as I beckoned him to sit for a spell. Returning to where I sat, his exclamation "Ghawah" while pointing behind him in the direction we were going. I sparked chugged and began to top up the pipe with some bud. I gave no thought to the zippo, and this little marvel held his attention. I held the small pipe out in offering to Shuwaaaba, his uncertainty could be seen, I thought to myself I am creating a nation of potheads. unsure about the zippo he knew only too well what a pipe was. We both had our chug of the 21st-century weed and took up our hike once again. Two people walk along speaking a language the other does not understand, yet laughter and stories are shared. Maybe, it was just the weed.
Ever get that feeling you are being watched. That feeling crept up the back of my neck and paranoia was setting in, this new part of the forest did not look as welcoming as before. Something just felt off. Looking back over my shoulder. My paranoia was not wrong, we were being watched. A couple of wolves were following us at a distance. As I looked back I stumbled and fell. Laughter first erupted from Shuwaaaba and then a hand clasped over his mouth. Taking my arm to raise me up he ushered me forward gesturing to be low and quiet. I was not sure why and doubted it was because of the wolves which panicked me and Shuwaaaba just ignored. For about 2 minutes we hunkered while we walked. Emerging from the forest we had a steep hill to climb, he better know where the hell we are going cause I am lost.
Paranoia again he is taking me to be cooked in a big pot with carrots and other vegs.
Shuwaaaba turned and passed me back the pipe he had emptied and indicated toward my pouch. I topped up the pipe and we both took a couple of chugs before we began our climb.

We climbed our hill, on reaching the top, we entered into a different world it seemed. We seemed to have entered an orchard of sorts. Fruit tree's abundant, this was astonishing. we walked through this orchard of varying fruits, at one point I went to pluck an apple from a tree or what I thought was an apple. Shuwaaabaclik halted my hand as I reached out. what he said then was nothing more than Blah Blah Blah to me. I left the apple walked on but now I was getting the munchies. This walk was beginning to seem like forever with no end when we emerged to an open space. This placed was packed with people. Thinking I will have to remember how to get here, to show the girls this place, I noticed they were already there.
There were hundreds of people here and they were celebrating something. Sheree and Laura were having their faces painted. It seemed everyone was having some face paint done. I had only sat beside the girls, ready to ask them what was going on when I got attacked by paint to my face. Still high from the pipe, I sat back and let the face paint happen. Beverages and some fruit were brought over too. The beverage was like a beer, flat but with a sweet taste. I could get used to this pampering.
The face painting complete. We were ushered off in different directions. Moving from a gathering of people to another. I began to get the impression I was being introduced to the different tribes who used this land. Understanding what was being said, was impossible, them understanding me just as impossible. ShuwaaabaClik tried to be an interpreter. I am unsure how much he did. I did understand one part where he was miming smoking the pipe. Other than this everything else was over my head.
The day turned dark as night approached and fires were lit.
Shuwaabaclik and a few others from different tribes. gathered around me. Everyone sat silent, Shuwaaabaclick broke the silence and the intention of the visit, when he mimicked the zippo and lighting the pipe. I loaded the pipe as my audience looked on flicked and lit the zippo. Our circle expanded as they all jumped back from their seating, then moved back in to get a closer look at how the zippo worked. After my chug, I passed the pipe to Shuwaaabaclik along with the zippo. By the time the pipe got half way around our circle. a few more had joined us wondering what was going on, The pipe needed filling a few times.

Much more of that night I do not remember.

The morning after, Damn my head pounded.
I'm never drinking beer again, I will stick with my rum, when I find it. Looking around, there were still a few people around. None that any of us recognized, so we decided to head on back to our own plot. Sheree and Laura were lost as to which way they came from to get here. I could remember the day just not the night. We headed for the fruit orchard to make our way home. Both Sheree and Laura were in awe of the fruit orchard. Both said together in synchronicity. This could feed us all year long/round.
Crunch', I looked back to see the girls biting into an apple. "Girls, I am not sure those are safe to eat, Shuwaby stopped me from eating those on the way up."
"They taste okay to me," Sheree said.
"Taste just like an apple," said Laura.
"I don't know, Shuwaby was definetely telling me not to eat those on the way up"
"OMG! its an apple for christ sake" "we had these back in 2023 too you know"
For the next infinity, I was blasted, oh so if it ain't meat you won't eat? You know what they say, and apple a day. Constant puns and verbal jabs at me for not eating an apple. Eventually, I took a bite from one and choked on it as it got stuck in my throat. Teary eyes and a dripping nose later from coughing convulsions, I was right again, and we made our way down the hill through the forest and home to our plot.
As we entered through the gate, I suggested they share with me one of my bottles of rum and they both agreed.

As we sat taking our cure for the night before. Laura asked, "didn't you say we would be in the Texas area?" "not to put a spanner in your works but this, yea, I don't think this is Texas".
"Huh. what? how do you know that" enquiring, unable to know how anyone would know where we are.
"The beards," Laura said. "Many of the men in the tribes have beards.
"

Picture sources:

Image 1 marco microbi reckmann. freeimages.com Image 2. Jose Luis Navarro. Freeimages.com Image 3. Nicola Romano. Freeimages.com Image 4. Zsolt Zatrok Dr. freeimages.com Image 5. Orkida Erik. freeimages.com