Page 55 of Beautifully Wild

“Will she stay with you?” Asoo asks Samuel.

Samuel frowns at him. “I’ll look after her.”

Asoo nods. “Then I return tomorrow.”

“Thank you, Asoo. I appreciate it,” I say quickly.

It will give me time with Samuel before returning to Canaima and contacting my friends to check in before making alternative arrangements to travel to Peru.

I remain on the bank and watch Asoo’s curiara sail away. I’m not sure I made the right decision, but I didn’t come all this way not to discussuswith him. Turning to Samuel, I ask, “Am I safe here?”

“As long as you follow the rules.”

Rules?

“You left me alone. How did you know I was safe? And don’t say you had those men watching me. They don’t understand English, so how could they know if I was in trouble?”

“They have eyes and ears, Eden.”

I dig my fists into my hips. “Oh, please. They don’t know what I’m feeling. Or how scared I am. What if I ate the wrong thing and was poisoned? Or a snake or spider snuck into my shelter? They are too far away to see it. I don’t want to be here alone.”

He leads me into the rainforest to the place I picked the passion fruit. He points to several trees bearing berries and fruit. “You can eat these. It’s safe to wander here.”

Stepping over mangled tree roots, I follow him to a vine choking a tree.

“This is poisonous.” He points to a shoot dangling from the branches high in the canopy, searching for another host. “The spikes can make you ill within minutes. Even the tiniest scratch can cause severe vomiting and diarrhea. Please watch where you’re walking.”

I want to plead my case. This is a reason not to leave me alone, but it raises another concern—the lack of bathrooms. Pee squats are fine, only the day is ticking on. “And if I were to become sick?” I cough. “As in requiring extra assistance in hygiene…”

His lips curl up. “The jungle garden has everything you need.”

We backtrack toward the river and then off to the side, and he points out two plants growing near the bank. “This one.” He picks a leaf and hands it to me. It’s soft and wide enough to use like paper. “You can squat in the river downstream or find a rock to dig a hole.”

“What?”

“I usually pick a few leaves and have them ready, so I don’t need to go searching.”

I cringe, ignoring his smirk.

“This plant.” He picks a leaf, and I follow him into the shallows. “Wet your hands and rub it between your palms.”

The leaf foams, my hands filling with a forest fragrance. “Amazing,” I say before washing the foam from my hands.

He heads toward my shelter, and I’m quick to follow. I watch as he adds another log to the fire. “Keep the fire burning at all times.”

I nod.

“And keep up your repellent spray and malaria meds.”

I nod again.

“Can you fish?”

I tilt my head at him.

“I’ll teach you.”

“What? No. Not now. I just want to be with you. Talk to you. Why aren’t you taking me to your village where you work?”

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