Page 69 of Beautifully Wild

“Focus. You’re safe in the village, only there is danger around you. I’ll teach you to understand the jungle and use it, so your surroundings become a way of survival.”

Monkeys scream from the treetops, and birds squawk as though being attacked—noise pollution replacing the horns and loud V8 motors of my city jungle. In this moment I miss the city—home. Then I watch Samuel dive beneath the water, and a memory jolts my thoughts—my grandma telling me, “Home is never in one place, dear. Home is where your heart is.”

If I cancel the rest of my tour, then for the remaining four weeks, myhomeis here with Samuel.

Ornaments hang from the walls inside Samuel’s hut, reminding me of the beads around my neck.

“I’d feel more comfortable with a few more strands.” I glance down to my exposed breasts, the strands of beads covering less than that of a bikini top. It’s going to take time for me to appear in public wearing my birthday suit like many of the others here chose to do.

“I agree. I’ll ask Kaikare for more strings of beads,” Samuel says.

I nod, thankful for small things, including the two grass skirts around my hips for the extra layer of concealment. I roll my shoulders to ease the weight of the long, beaded threads, especially since some are doubled for a graded appearance from my chest to my waist.

My hair is tied back in a braid, still wet from our swim that was interrupted when the women delivered myclothes.I drip-dried while they dressed me, Samuel watching from the stream. Although by the look in his eye, I was well aware he liked my new adornments.

Every minute, we’re tested to keep our hands off each other. I agreed to it, and even though I’m mildly uncomfortable with my new attire, I’m not afraid to be part of Samuel’s life and to understand why he has chosen to live this way. For me, it’s a matter of sucking it up and not being self-conscious about my body.

I slide into the hammock and stare up past the mosquito net at the peaked thatched roof. This is a special hut with the walls made of clay, not thatched grass like the other huts. The windows are an open space, and there’s an open doorway. It’s more private than others and sectioned into two parts. In the smaller section, I clamber in and sway in a hammock. The larger section is a treatment area. In the corner, a wooden table is piled high with books and notes. On another table some sort of equipment and a microscope. A locked case is on the floor beside a long wooden bed.

“Do many of your patients sleep here?”

He pushes off the wall. “Sometimes. Mainly the children.” He takes a few steps closer to me. “Do you know how euphoric I feel right now, seeing you in my bed as though it’s the most natural thing for you to do?”

The intensity in his eyes warns me we’re stepping on shaky ground. I’m not going to risk anything on my first day, even inhishut. “I wish you could join me on your bed, although I understand it’s not possible, for now.”

“Trust holds power to change,” he says before walking through the doorway.

I scramble out of the hammock and fall on my knees. “Where are you going?” I spring up to my feet and follow him.

“To find Kaikare and ask for more beads.”

Twilight falls early with the jungle blocking eighty percent of the sunlight. Long, dark shadows creep over the village, indicating its dinnertime. Kaikare leads me to the cooking fire in the village center. She demonstrates how to gut a huge fish the men had caught earlier in the day. My stomach turns squeamish, and I want to cover my mouth and nose, so I don’t inhale the stench. But I can’t act like a liability when I’m supposed to be an adult in terms of skill.

Harden up, princess.

A dozen more fish lay on banana palms and are covered in fresh herbs waiting to be cooked. How many do we need to prepare? I finish one without heaving and place it among the others. Every time I glance up, I catch the other women staring oddly at me, or maybe it’s at my technique.

Kaikare smiles at me, one of the few women who seem to believe I’m not here in the form of a bad spirit. She has a different look about her—her skin is a shade lighter, her eyes are a honey color and not the usual black, and her dark brown hair falls over her shoulders in waves and different from the jet-black dead-straight hair of everyone else.

Her body is marked with red paint on her extremities and abdomen, a pattern of Vs lines along the length of her stomach with more dots on her chest. Red, white, and black are the standard colors of embellishment, be it the beads or paintwork, except for the blue and yellow feathers in the crowns of the chief and shaman.

I’m given potatoes to chop. The object I’m handed is a fine, thin stone tied to a thick stick. It takes a few attempts for me to chop one potato, and I miss the ease of a sharp knife. The smiles and nods of other women after I achieve the simple task is strangely gratifying.

“I’m Eden,” I say and jab myself in the chest.

Kaikare says, “Tamu’ne Akare.” She smiles at me and repeats it to the other ladies. I have no idea what it means. I smile and nod as it seems to please them.

More fires ignite from posts around the long hut lighting the cooking area. I wave my hand over the food, although the best repellent is in the form of smoke that wafts our way.

“Shoo.” I wave my hand madly, realizing ants have made a trail toward the fish. I cough out a choke when I inhale the smoke.

The women laugh, enjoying my antics. In bare feet, I squish a few black ants with my heel in a quick action, trying not to get bitten.

Kaikare waves her hands at me to stop.

“No?”

“Besides being a source of protein, they add flavor.” Samuel stands on the other side of the fire, grinning, arms folded, enjoying the entertainment.

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