G. E. O. — Robert Ray

For a short while, they made their way up the river in silence, until she stopped, and turned toward the jungle. Looking around, she plucked a small plant from the ground, and then walked up to him. “They are quite rare, and I call them Happiness,” she said, as she handed it to him. “You have to look carefully to find them.” Glancing down at it, he saw that it was a small bunch of thin leaves, attached to a thin root, that was about three inches in length. Raising it to his nose, he was delighted by the scent. It was sweet, yet earthy, and had the slightest hint of a vanilla smell to it. Now, he found himself looking forward to dinner, even more. She certainly seemed to know what she was doing. “It won't just come to you,” she said with a playful grin, as she continued to search around. “You have to find it yourself.” He smiled back at her, wondering if she was teaching him how to gather herbs, or teaching him zen. Either way, he was quite impressed, and joined her in the search.