Page 66 of Beautifully Wild

Consequences are understood.

The shaman asks Samuel to wait outside the chief’s hut until a decision is made.

Samuel does so, and elevated voices carry through the village. It’s not the usual calm way the Ularans communicate.

White fluffy clouds roll overhead and block out the sun. The sun breaks through momentarily before clouds shut it out again. It’s Samuel’s only way of knowing, at this moment, time is passing by.

Kaikare mimics his pose, sitting cross-legged beside him, mere feet from the chief’s doorway.

She nods to the river and, in her language, tells him the children saw his Tamu’ne Akare.

He holds back a smile at the name the children have given Eden—White Tortoise. He assumed her white hair—like his—would garner attention. And after the warriors watched over her those few nights, they thought her to be a slow learner of their ways.

Kaikare’s name is a combination of a jaguar and a tortoise, and he wonders if, in her younger days, she was also a slow learner of the Ularan way. Or someone they wanted to protect like the tortoise when it came time to lay its eggs in the sand on the riverbank. The jaguar part he didn’t question for it’s the most feared animal in the jungle.

The rattle of beads and bones on a walking stick indicates movement. Samuel rises to his knees. Kaikare is a little stiffer than he remembers. She ambles to her feet. He considers her to be in her late fifties. He’d thought arthritis restricted her movement at first, yet it’s not a condition he often sees with the forest offering herbs as treatment. She hobbles away when larger mud-coated feet come into his vision. Cracked nails require taming. A bang on the ground and a rattle of animal teeth and beads demand his attention.

With his head bowed, he listens to the chief’s disapproval of an outsider. His obligation is to protect his people, the location of the village, and how they have lived without the influence of outsiders to keep the spirits happy—no new sickness, no evil weapons, or their forests burned down. More importantly, no evil spirits known as Kanaima have entered the village in many moons. The stone mountains are satisfied.

Samuel’s thoughts drift to the tepuis—the stone mountains—and to his upcoming journey where warriors will also accompany him to the base as they venture out on their hunt.

Samuel realizes his mistake.

Eden isn’t welcome.

He’ll be away from the village for possibly weeks. He nods, thoughts racing. His gut aches, torn between respecting their law and fulfilling his own selfish thoughts.

His demeanor is weak. His time here is waning. He nods, and before he signals obligation, the shaman speaks for him and places Eden on trial.

“Kapeá töuking enya.”Five full moons.

Five months.

The shaman’s lenience surprises him.

She can only stay weeks with the government’s rule on visas, but now isn’t the time to explain the outside world restriction.

The chief thumps his stick. “Uarati.”Man.

Samuel is fully aware of his place here and his duty as aman. His initiation into the community established his manhood and a responsibility to be a better person.

The chief dismisses him, and the shaman motions for Samuel to follow.

They approach the women preparing the yuca and stop for the shaman to wave his stick at Kaikare. All three walk into the forest. The shaman takes Kaikare’s hand and juts her swollen finger joints toward Samuel.

Samuel asks her if she has suffered any fever over the past weeks like the young girl he had treated—dengue fever, yellow fever, malaria, Mayaro virus, ross river, swine, zika. So many viruses come to mind and none should have made their way into the village. It gives him cause for concern.

“Pupai?”Head. He indicates pain in his expression like a headache.

Again, she shakes her head.

He glances down to her abdomen. Beyond the paint and dirt, there’s no hint of a rash.

The shaman is a healer beyond Samuel’s explanation. Yet there are times he seeks out Samuel’s guidance. When it comes to Kaikare, his daughter and apprentice, Samuel understands her importance to continue his work. He thinks the shaman to be around his mid-seventies and expects he’ll make the century.

The shaman and Samuel walk further toward the unruly vines. Samuel points to plants, and the shaman snaps leaves and flowers from a variety of plants. Samuel is careful not to touch anything and maintains a safe distance from his friends. He tells the shaman to give the leaves to Kaikare to boil and drink in tea. It will purify the blood and has an anti-inflammatory effect.

With gratitude, the shaman informs Samuel that Kaikare will look out for his Tamu’ne Akare. So, this is now Eden’s name.

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