LUP TRL

Lup’s decision to join the adventure is harder to understand but then, Lup is very hard to understand full stop! Lup is different from the other islanders and truth be told, no-one knows if Lup is male or female. Lup is very guarded so it’s not easy to get a full picture, but this is what they have told me. Lup, an only child, lived with their parents on the remote side of the island. Their parents were artists with Lup’s father carving beautiful sculptures from driftwood and their mother making exquisite pottery, both functional and decorative. But they lived a very solitary life. Before Lup was born, they lived in the village but decided on a tree change when Lup came along. I think Lup may have suspicions that it had something to do with themself, but their parents have never said.

Lup’s childhood involved the obligatory home-schooling but also, the freedom to run wild in the forest, to climb the trees, to learn the tastes of wild-grown berries and other fruits and indigenous spices. And as they grew, Lup increasingly took on the role of food preparation, as artists are well known to become so absorbed in their creative endeavours that sometimes entirely miss meals.

Lup especially loved to bake, using the ingredients they sourced in the forest. And their cakes were divine. Lup’s parents died when Lup was a young adult. Lup surprised the village people by moving into a house in the village and it’s fair to say that they generated a lot of discussion. People didn’t know what to make of Lup and generally, kept their distance. Then the baking started. The divine aromas wafting from Lup’s house drew a crowd and Lup set up a table and placed cakes and pies and biscuits on it. From that day on, Lup became the village baker, moving into the old bakery, which hadn’t been used since the previous baker had died.

When I asked them why they wanted to accompany me on the boat, Lup’s answer was as enigmatic as they are, responding “Just because”. I’m not sure but I think Axl being aboard may have something to do with it (I hope so) or maybe it’s because they want to explore new spices and baking techniques.

Whatever the reason, I’m glad to have Lup aboard and I hope they find what they are looking for.