Page 51 of Beautifully Wild

I stand, pace, glance to the river, and allow reality to set in.

I found him. No matter what joy and accomplishment I feel, I acknowledge this is his place of work.

The place he tried to keep a secret.

Going by his lack of clothes and the strange man’s tribal headgear, this isn’t one of the Pemón communities Asoo had mentioned.

Asoo. My gut tightens remembering his hasty exit and how overwhelmed I was with finding Samuel to care.

Sticks snap, and I look beyond the trees.

“Who’s there?” I shout.

Did I expect anyone to answer?

Visibility is poor through the maze of green and failing light. I kneel behind the small fire, peer through the smoke, and add a few more pieces of wood, not wanting the flame to burn out.

My chest tightens.

Don’t be scared. You are fine. Samuel knows you’re here. You’re not alone.My thoughts steamroll like a checklist accounting for my actions.Shit. There was no kiss. In my head, I deliberated how I’d react when I saw him and contemplated the million questions I had. Mostly, I imagined the kiss.

What if he doesn’t return?

And what was with him falling to his knees bowing to the strange man like he was some kind of god?

I turn to the hammock. Is this where he’s been sleeping?

I reach for my water bottle. My hand trembles, and water dribbles from the side of my mouth as I gulp down mouthfuls, trying to swallow the dry lump in the back of my throat.

Yes, I found him, and he’s disappeared, again.

The reality is night is falling, and I’malonein the middle of the damn jungle.

26

Samuel

Ulara

Beyondthehut,Samuellooks to the leaves glistening under the moonlight shining through the tree canopy. Trapped droplets from the rain shine like tiny diamonds, the rainforest’s unique jewelry store. His surroundings have always calmed him, only tonight he feels something else.

Samuel places a gloved hand on the young girl’s forehead. She groans and rolls over crinkling the twine mat beneath her as she does. Her fever is easing. The shaman had spent hours grinding plants for her medicine and placing wet palms on her body. Occasionally, their medicine fails, and that’s when the shaman asks for Samuel’s help. A seizure caused the shaman to panic. His niece’s daughter has never suffered seizures in the past.

A simple over-the-counter Western medication eases her temperature. It doesn’t help with knowing the cause, though. He expects a bad gastric virus, hopes it’s not measles as it would mean community transmission. The latter is of concern because the village is hidden from the rest of the world.

Until he speaks further with her family to account for the past week’s activities, he can only treat her symptoms.

Samuel stands when one of the Ularan warriors approaches his hut. He creeps out and nods to the young man. He has estimated his age to be around twenty, and he’s yet to find a wife. Rare, as most men here find a partner after initiation—a celebration when a boy becomes a man. Samuel assumes Tïmenneng wants to learn from the shaman. He hopes he doesn’t take a page from Samuel’s book—thirty-two years and no partner. The shaman has no partner, a pattern of devotion. And yet, the shaman has a daughter. Samuel has never asked about her mother. Asking is taboo. One day he expects the shaman will tell him the story, like many other stories he’s privileged to hear.

Samuel speaks to him in the language the Ularans understand, a dialect similar to Pemón.

“Safe?” he asks in their native tongue. The dialect is clear even with the mask covering his mouth and nose for their protection. He couldn’t be more thankful for a bright moon, knowing Eden is alone.

Tïmenneng tells him Eden sleeps. The other warrior, Wayara, remains on watch, hiding in the rainforest, a request by Samuel to the chief after the shaman requested the girl to remain.

He didn’t expect it. He’d been overwhelmed at the moment. His heart had been torn, wanting to speak to her and ask her to leave, for she didn’t belong. No matter how he feels about Eden, the latter is the truth. The shaman had surprised him by permitting her to spend a few days but only on the outskirts of their community. Maybe the shaman sensed what she meant to him or if he rewarded Samuel for returning and required his immediate help. Could the shaman’s dealing with Eden’s arrival be a rash decision? He didn’t believe it. The shaman never acted on impulse.

“Is she afraid?” he asks.

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