Which One is Your Time?

Chapter VI - Desire

He showed Lucas a leather bag that Lucas did not know what the inside. He then put his hand into the bag and when he took his hand, Lucas could see transparent sticky liquid covered Lopo's hand. Then that big guy put his hand into the water.

Lucas was so curious about the liquid and he walked towards Lopo to see what will happen to his hand. Just in few minutes, a fish stopped by his hand and looks like it sniffing Lopo's hand.

Lopo did not move his hand and let that fish keep sniffing until it moved to his palm. Lopo looks like a statue that Lucas thought he was tried to hold the tickles from that fish. But, suddenly with a quick move, Lopo grab the fish with his hand and quickly take it out from the water. Lucas saw the fish still floundering to free itself from the catch. Lopo show him his freshly catch.

“Look, this is how you catch a fish!” he said with proud.

Lucas let his mouth open widely in amazed. He never saw someone catch a fish with easily. He then quickly looked at the leather bag.

“What's that?”

“Oh, it's a tree sap. The taste is sweet for the fish. They like it,” he answered.

Lucas never saw a tree sap could be a bait for fish. He frowning his forehead in confuse, “A tree sap? I never know that fish eat tree sap too.”

“It's not a usual tree sap. A kind of tree has this sweet sap for bait. The tree called Similan. You can find it easily in here,” Lopo pointed at some trees near them.

Lucas could see that the tree has unique trunk. It was not like an ordinary gnarled tree trunk. The trunk is very smooth and looks slippery. Because this country in the middle of winter, Lucas could not see how the Similan tree in full shape. There even not left any leaf.

He then stands up and walking towards the Similan tree. He touched the trunk and feel it was so slippery like this tree was being coating by some plastic.

“You can cut them if you want to get the sap,”

Without he realizes it, Zuonn already standing beside him. He lends him his ax and Lucas hold it. When he wants to cut the trunk, Zuonn gave him some advice.

“Don't cut it too hard, you will cut your own legs. Do it with carefully,”

Lucas understand what Zuonn means. This slippery trunk could make his ax missed it target and instead cut the trunk, he will cut his leg. He cut it carefully and from the cut the sap came out slowly. Lucas looked at that transparent clean sap with amazed.

“You can taste it.”

Lucas turned his head into Zuonn with widened eyes. He never tasted tree sap before. But, he looked Zuonn nod to him. His doubts quickly disappeared. He poked the sap of the tree and tasted it.

Just in a few seconds, Lucas quickly looked back to Zuonn with amazed again. The taste like a honey. The texture also same as honey even it was not colored like honey. He poked again the sap to taste it better. The sap gave a feeling that he never satisfied to eat it.

“Don't eat too much. Your tongue will numb later. That's why we used it as fish bait,” Zuonn warned him and he pointed at the fish that has been caught by Lopo.

Lucas saw the fish that still breathing but did not move at all. He then surprised and stop himself to taste the sap again. He did not want to end up like that fish.

He then covered his hand with the sap and back to his ice hole. His heart bumping so fast as he tried to brave himself to put his hand inside the super freezing water.

Lucas submerged his hand to the water and he twitched from the cold. His hand almost felt numb but he did not want to take it out. He wants to show Lopo and the others that he could do the same thing as them. He was right, those men were watching his effort. They then nodded in agreement and give him thumbs up. Lucas really feel that they supported him.

He waiting for the fish to approaching his hand. He already got used to the cold of the water. Lucas keeps his eyes looking at his hand hoping that fish will coming to him. He did not know how long he has been waiting there. He was getting tired squatting in front of the hole. Lopo told him that he must keep his body to not move so much, fish will get away. If he keeps his position, the fish will think it was a wood or rock.

Lucas almost feel so disappointed that he could not catch the fish as fast as Lopo did. But, he then realizes that he was an amateur at fishing and he still need more experiences to become an expert of this. His gaze stopped at his hand and suddenly he realizes something.

He has seen some old man fishing at the lake and they make their bait moved slowly or shake it a bit to make the fish interested. The fish will think that the bait was alive. That means fresh food for them.

He wants to try it.

That feeling never appear at his heart. He was a man with no desire at all. But, this time he wants to introduced these ancient men about this method if it works. Lucas then waved a bit his hand pretended like he was a little worm. His movement like a writhing worm. Lopo take a look at him and he frowned his forehead.

“You didn't listen to me. Don't move so much or you will scare the fish!” he told him again. Lucas ignored him because he wants to tried what he had seen.