Chapter 16: Then, Koa
Koa bathes in a secret cave, and more
Please don’t forget to ❤️ the post if you’re enjoying WILD GIRL!
WILD GIRL
Chapter 16:
Koa’s back ached by the time she re-entered the kukui grove carrying the heavy pack loaded with butchered pork. She was relieved to see the trap she’d set for the boar was still empty; she didn’t have the energy to deal with another kill so soon, though on the plus side, she was close to home.
She went straight to the smokehouse behind the shack. This six-foot by six-foot tin roofed hut had one custom feature: a section of large diameter metal piping that led from the roof away into the dense undergrowth and trees a distance from Koa’s shack. Mama and Koa had put in this adaptation with chimney pipe that Kimo brought down for them. The wide diameter metal pipe provided resistance to the flow of the smoke, keeping it contained in the hut longer. In addition, holes along the length of the piping provided an outlet where the fumes dissipated into the jungle, helping disguise its source.
Koa slid out of the backpack with a sigh of relief, setting it inside the hut beside the fire ring. She quickly unpacked the meat, laying the slabs and chunks on a grate raised high above the fire. She went outside and fetched the wood, stacked against one wall under the roof’s overhang.
A few minutes later, she had the fire going, then smothered it with green materials harvested close by. These leaves and herbs slowed the burn and created the smoke.
Once she had the fire set and going and the meat seasoned with salt, she took a moment to slice and season the heart and liver. She prepared them to cook on a small grille placed much closer to the fire; added a halved sweet potato, then covered the meal with a metal lid. Her mouth watered at the thought of the rich, nutritious reward for her labors she had in store.
Everything was set. She could bathe, now, and by the time she got back, dinner would be ready.
Keep reading with a 7-day free trial
Subscribe to PASSAGES: Travel the USA and more! to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.