How long has it been since I've slept? The island has changed so much. Kame (pronounced like "ka-may", Japanese for Turtle) and I have been woken by the sound of earth moving.
The island, which has been our home for many years, have completely been stripped. New plants (pines, maples, evergreens and azaleas) were standing firmly at the edge of the small island. I flex my wings, craning my head to stare at a bunch of humans hustling around, spreading moist, black earth onto the dry flaking ground. Weeks earlier, a huge metal machine came through, gouging out the hard, clay-like soil here. How different it looks, with the warm damp smell of rich earth in the steadily falling rain. It feels as if this island itself is slowly coming back to life after years of sleeping silently. It will be good to see smiling faces of adults and children here again; good to see our rocky island become a place for relaxation.
