Page 53 of Beautifully Wild

“I know,” he says, stroking my hair.

“Iwoi.”Snake. The indigenous man appears wearing the reptile wrapped around his shoulders like a necklace and a wide smile.

“I see you’ve met Wayara. He watched over you all night.”

I cringe knowing there were times I had to pee, and unaccustomed to bush squatting, I removed my shorts to do so. “Where did you go?”

He takes my hand and leads me to the place I slept, and Wayara follows. He points to the fire, and Wayara throws the snake in the cinders.

“First, we eat.”

“The snake?”

“You’ll be surprised by the taste.”

My hand rises to my mouth. If I ever considered being a vegetarian, now is the time to speak up. In perfect time, my stomach grumbles.

“Pretend it’s chicken. You’ll need the energy.”

Hunger can provide the mental strength of visualization of what I wouldn’t even attempt under normal circumstances. Choosing an alternative on a menu isn’t an option here, so tricking my mind into believing I’m eating chicken is easier than I thought.

Sharing a meal of smoked snake with Wayara and Samuel, dirt on my face, my rear on a log, is far from any version of glamping I had previously imagined.

Wayara stands, and Samuel nods. “He needs to return to the village,” Samuel tells me.

For a brief moment, I anticipate we’ll have some time together to talk.

“I have to go with him, explain to the chief that Wayara has been in contact with you, although not closer than five feet. And I need to check on someone.”

I glance down at my crinkled clothing. His words startle me as though I’m dirty and contagious. The men stand, and I do the same with only the fire dividing us.

“Please don’t leave me again?” I plead.

He stops, and his brow furrows. “I’ll be back soon. Does it help to know someone is always watching?”

I look toward the trees. “In a way…” I’m confused and have no idea what I’m doing.

“Did you bring repellent?”

“Yes, and I’ve enough Doxycycline to last me a while.”

“Good.”

It’s his final word before both men run into the forest and disappear beyond the skyscraper trees.

“Wait. Why do you want to know?” I call out. High in the trees, the monkeys shriek and drone out my voice. “What am I supposed to do now?” I shout to the forest and then plonk my rear back on the piece of log with a huff.

28

Samuel

“OkoWeju.”Two suns.

On bent knees, Samuel closes his eyes and quietly thanks the universe.

The chief has granted her another two days but no contact with the Ularans.

Samuel lifts his chin and meets the chief’s gaze. Deep wrinkles exacerbate the scowl in his expression. His reasons for not wanting Eden to stay are understandable. For anyone else, he’d send them away.

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