Page 56 of Beautifully Wild

A muscle ticks in his jaw. He looks to the river. “It’s not that simple.” He bends to pick up a long stick with an attached line lying in the dirt under the shelter. He unravels the line, muscles contracting in his forearms. “Come.”

I follow him down to the river. “Why are you showing me this. You’re going to be with me, right?”

“In the jungle, everyone needs to be capable and self-sufficient. You need to know what it takes to survive.” He points to where I slept the night. “I weaved the hammock where you sleep. I constructed the shelter that protects you, started the fire, and chopped the wood to burn. There is an abundance of fruit to pick. The river provides a source of protein, and the forest a source of water. I’ll teach you how to get both.”

I gape at him. Is this how he lives?

I’m not sure what I expected, but it wasn’t this. Not luxury but hell, he’s talking about survival tactics. “You told Asoo I’d be safe,” I rasp.

“And you will be. You need to learn how to stay safe.”

“You’re talking as though I’ll be alone again tonight.”

“I keep a few things here.” Samuel unhooks some netting from one of the bamboo poles and focuses on attaching it to the line. He walks a short distance to some shrubs and grabs some sort of large beetle. Eww. He traps it in the net and throws it out into the water. I watch in curiosity before realizing what his silence means.

“Are you bloody serious?”

“There are rules I need to explain after I show you how to catch your food.”

I want to scream at him and ask him why he wanted me to stay. Instead, I stomp up the sand to the shelter, grab my bag, and secure the strap over my shoulder. Samuel watches me for a few seconds before turning his focus to the water.

A ball of frustration grows inside me with him ignoring my little spit by continuing to fish.

We both know I’m incapable of going anywhere.

Dropping my backpack, I sit on a log by the fire. There’s barely a flame. Only hot embers smoke. After finding a smaller branch, I place it on top of the others, watch the flame build as blue fingers wrap around the wood, and smoke dances and twirls toward the sky. The longer I watch, the slower my breathing becomes.

What did I expect?

Admittedly, I had no expectation—only to find Samuel.

Naïveandstupid, really.

Dammit. I shouldn’t have devoured all the fruit. I need a restroom without an audience.

I stride forward to stand beside him and look out to the river to where his gaze lands.

“What were you saying about the restroom services here?”

He gives me a sideways glance and points down river. “Follow the river for thirty yards. You’ll find the same plants growing there I showed you, and you’re screened more so than here.”

I nod and scurry off, picking some of the wide, soft leaves on my way.

Removing my shorts, underwear, socks, and shoes, I wade into the shallows and squat, all while focusing on the trees before me and checking behind me for anything untoward in the river. Nerves could slow the process, so I praise the jungle garden.

The leaves are soft, I muse before tossing each one into the river.

Finding the foaming plant, I pick a few and wander back to wash my hands.

I hear giggling and freeze. Thankfully, it’s not at me. Two children frolic in the water, splashing each other in the shallows. I take a few steps closer and hide behind a bush to dress.

Black hair is cut around their mocha faces, which are dotted with red paint. Naked, the kids play without concern. I smile, hearing their excitement, and yet I’m unable to comprehend a single word they say. Nevertheless, their smiles and laughter tell all.

I push through the low foliage along the embankment to Samuel standing by the fire. Tiny fish on the palm leaves are cooking in the embers.

He smiles without looking at me. “Found the way okay?”

“I did. And saw some children playing in the river.”

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