The next day came quick. The sun shone directly at the hideout, brightening the whole place. Alphi was feeling energized; she hadn't had a good night's rest in a while. She got up from the sofa and stretched a little. Her hands were no longer sore from the tree climbing.
She walked to the entrance of the hideout. She stood there and admired the beauty of the forest and nature as a whole. The view was lovely. The early morning breeze blew through the leaves; the wind felt so good on her face. She loosened the scarf on her head. The breeze blew through her hair; the scent of early morning wind was comforting.
Alphi had never been so at peace with herself before. There was just something about the place that calmed and comforted her. She yawned, stretching her hands in the air, then she said, "I think I like it here."
She walked into the house. The place was a mess—it reminded her of her father's house. The sofa was torn up; the place had obviously not been cleaned for a long time. The plates in the kitchen were unorganized.
She noticed another door which she had not seen yesterday. She was not sure where the door would lead.
Alphi walked to the door and turned the handle. The door opened. A gust of air blew directly at her face, and she was amazed by what she saw.
It was a backdoor. It showed a beautiful view—it showed the view of the town. Alphi was amazed. The town was so beautiful and colorful; the view was stunning.
There was a wooden slide that would enable her to slide down the hideout easily without having to climb the pineapple tree. She was amazed. It was the first time she saw a slide, and it was her first look at the town.
She wondered what life in the city was like and how she was going to be able to mix with the people of the town, or how she would find the answers she was looking for. She wondered if her father's parents lived in the same town.
Then her focus returned back to the slide.
"I've never seen one of those," she said to herself. "I think it's for going down the hideout."
Alphi got on the slide and made her way down. She was stunned and happy; the breeze blew at her as she went down the slide. She reached the ground smiling.
"That was fun," she said to herself.
As she smiled in joy and wonder like a child, she suddenly realized,
"Oh no, how am I going to get up again?"A look of despair on her face.
"Don't tell me that I have to climb the tree again. Nooooo, I don't want to climb the tree again," she said, folding her hands like an angry child as she looked up to the hideout.
She decided to get some pineapples while she was down; there were so many pineapples everywhere that she would never run out of pineapples for her whole life. She took the pineapples on the small tree; she gathered about five pineapples, sat on the grass, and used a sharp stone to remove the back before eating it.
Alphi enjoyed the pineapples as she sat on the grass with the wind blowing gently at her.
As she sat there in the silence, she heard the sound of flowing water. She wondered what could be responsible for the sound, so she traced it. The sound led her to a small stream. The water was crystal clear and beautiful; it was so clear that she could clearly see the fishes moving in the water. The fishes were sizeable, but she had no idea how to catch the fish or what to use to catch it.
Alphi sat by the stream, putting her hands in the water and playing with it. She got thirsty, so she bent down and drank a little. The birds in the sky sang; she admired the pretty birds.
If only life was as peaceful as this forest, I wouldn't have to worry about a thing, she thought.
Well, it's time to head back to the hideout. I need to clean the place and maybe also have a good shower.
She went back to the secret hideout. It took some time to climb the tree. It was already noon when she began a thorough clean-up. She found some brooms and mops in the kitchen table cabinet, and there was an apron hanging on the wall in the kitchen.
Alphi put the apron on and began to clean. She dusted the shelf, washed the dishes and arranged them neatly on the shelf, cleaned the pots and kettles that were in the cabinet, dusted the sofa, swept the hideout, and mopped it. She dusted the windows, cleaned the toilet, and then washed the apron.
The place was spotless. It was so clean that one wouldn't even recognize it. Alphi was proud of her work. She stared at the hideout in silence and smiled at how clean the place was—a whole contrast from when she arrived. The bathroom, which was once dirty and stuffy, was now clean. She had cleaned out the small windows on the wall to let air into the place. The wind blew through the windows, adding a natural scent that she liked.
There was a small water reservoir in the kitchen. Luckily, the water in it was still clean. She grabbed the only bucket in the hideout, filled it with water, and headed to the bathroom for a well-deserved bath.
The water was cold—freezing even—and the wind made it even more chilly, but Alphi didn't mind. She was so happy with her work that nothing could bother her at the moment.
She took off her clothes, which were a little dirty from the work, and took her shower. The wind blew on her bare skin. She poured the water on her hair and gently washed her clear and flawless skin. Her long red hair was soaked. She enjoyed the cold feel the water left behind.
She smiled and said,
"Welcome to your new life, Alphi."