CHAPTER 9 – TENT

I see many birds on the way back from the hill. But I don’t know their names. I don’t know if I can eat them. I kill one bird. But the meat isn’t good. I go back to the raft.

The next day, I want to go back to the ship. I want to take all important things to the island.

The next storm can destroy the ship completely.

I make a small tent near the beach.

I bring the things which can be destroyed by rain to the tent. The night comes.

I lie on the ground. I put two guns near my left shoulder. I also put two guns near my right shoulder. Now, I feel safe.

I am tired. I sleep very soon.

I swim back to the ship the next day. I make a second raft. I put many things on the raft. I am very happy when I find seven new guns and some beds. I take all these things to the beach.

I go to the ship every day. I bring back many good things. For example, I find a lot of candles. I need candles on the island. I also find two big boxes of tea. I make a lot of visits to the ship.

One day, I discover a box which is closed. Under the box, I find a key. When I open the box, I see some money from Europe and Brazil. Money is not important on the island. But I take the money with me.

I also find cards with pictures. They are pictures of the king and the queen. I can play some games. I can have some fun with the cards.

The next day, big dark clouds are in the sky. They are bigger and bigger. The wind is stronger and stronger. I visit the ship. But I don’t make a raft because a storm is near. Rafts can break easily in a storm. I swim back to the beach. The wind is really strong at night. But I am safe inside my little tent.

The ship is gone the next morning. I know that I can stay on the island very long. I want to make a nice place where I can live. I also need to be safe.

I can look for a cave. Or I can make a bigger tent. Maybe, I can do both. I need a place which is near fresh water. The place must be in shadow. It must be easy to protect the place. I also need a view of the sea. I want to see ships.

I find a nice place next to a big hill. I put my tent there. The hill protects me from one side. I build a fence on all the other sides.

The fence has no door. I use a ladder when I go over the fence.

I take all my things inside. I have more plans in my head.

I make two tents. One tent is big. The second tent is small. The smaller tent is inside the bigger tent. The bigger tent protects the gunpowder and the food from rains. I live in the smaller tent.

CHAPTER 10 – CALENDAR

When the tents are finished, I start to make a cave at the bottom of the hill. I want to use the cave for food. I bring stones and earth from the cave to the fence. I make a terrace on the inside of the fence.

I still work on the cave when a storm comes one day. I see lightning during the storm. I think that the lightning can hit my boxes with gunpowder. The explosion can destroy everything. The explosion can also kill me. I am scared. I need to make a change.

After the storm, I open the boxes with the gunpowder. I put the gunpowder in smaller boxes and bags. I hide the boxes and bags in the rocks. I have a lot of gunpowder, so this takes three days.

I also hunt every day. It is a break from the hard work. And I also need some meat.

When I hunt, I also start to know the island more. I discover some goats. I hunt them. Now, I have enough meat.

I am sad sometimes. I think about my wife. I miss her very much. I think about my friends in Brazil. I think about my parents.

I know that travelling by sea can change your life completely. Travelling can be great. But travelling can be horrible too. I know that my friends from the ship are dead. I know that I am the only person alive. I am lucky. I am also lucky because I have all the things like food, guns and clothes. I can’t survive without these things.

I decide to make a big cross. I put the cross on the beach.

I write on the cross the date of my first day on the island. I want to keep information about time.

The cross is my calendar. I make a small cut in the cross every day. Every Sunday, the cut is longer. This cut shows the end of the week. The last day of every month is also a long cut.

One day, I think about my situation. I have negative thoughts. This is not good. I want to change my negative thoughts. I decide to write all good and bad things. First, I write what is bad.

I am alone on this island. I have nobody for a conversation. I have only a small chance that I can see England again.

But I am alive. I am safe. I have my freedom. I have enough food. This is all positive.

I don’t have good clothes, but I don’t need a lot of clothes on this island. I have my dog. He understands some words. He understands when I say, “Sit down. Come here. Bring it. Don’t jump. Don’t do it.”

I see that my situation is not perfect. But I have also some good things in my life.

I need to concentrate on positive things only. I continue to make my place better and better. I make the cave bigger. I have space for many things in the cave. I am happy because my life is now well organized.

CHAPTER 11 – BOOK

I need to make some furniture. I need a chair and a table. I use the wood from my rafts and the ship. It takes five days to make them. Then, I make more furniture for the cave. I put my clothes and guns in the cave too.

I am very happy when my work is finished. The cave is comfortable now. Everything is well organized. I can easily find what I need.

I decide to write a book about my life on the island. I describe my days in the book. I start with my first day on the island. I write everything what I remember.

I also write what I think. It is good when I write my thoughts on paper.

When I start, I write one page every day. But when I get to the present, I write only one page every week. I write only important things.

After some time on the island my life is well organized. But my life is never boring. I have always some work.

Every morning, I walk around the island. Then I work. I have lunch at noon. Then I sleep, but not very long. Then I continue with my work. I relax or I write my book in the evening.

I make my cave bigger and bigger. I want to have a big cave.

The cave is my kitchen, living room and sometimes a bedroom.

When the cave is finished, a lot of earth falls from one side. I am not in the cave when it happens. If a lot of earth falls on me, I can die.