Crystal Banaba - 5

Rachel went back to her dorm room, took a shower, and changed. She sat down to write all her conflicting thoughts in the pilot journal she used as a diary. Finishing a second page, she heard a knock on her door. It was Laura.

“Since you’re stuck here anyway, would you like to help out in the garden? We can always use a pair of extra hands,” she said.

It’s amazing how normally she’s behaving, as if there’s nothing strange about everything here.

“Sure,” Rachel said, “I love gardening.”

In the garden, there were about twenty people tending to plants, clearing out the weeds, and harvesting ripe vegetables and fruits.

Rachel noticed an older woman working on an empty raised bed and decided to join her, “May I help you?”

“Sure, sweetheart,” the woman answered with a big smile. “Rachel, right? I remember from dinner last night. I’m Linda.”

“Nice to meet you, Linda. What are we planting?”

“Oh, this is Native American classics: corn in the middle with squash and beans on each side.”

“Ah, the Three Sisters! Beans fertilize the soil and use the corn stalk to climb, while squash spreads around on the ground, retaining moisture.”

“You know your gardening!” Linda smiled. They quickly learned how to work together, with Rachel digging the holes and Linda putting the seeds in. After some talk about climate and weather patterns on the island, Rachel finally asked, “How long have you been here, Linda?”

“Oh, this is my third year.”

“Are you here alone?”

“Yes. My husband died six years ago, and we had no kids. My younger sister and her husband will be moving here soon.”

“Oh, no!” Rachel exclaimed involuntarily, covering her mouth.

“They are actually looking forward to it!”

“To be turned into diamonds?”

“Crystals, yes, eventually.”