Page 54 of Beautifully Wild

Wings take flight in his stomach, and he pushes through the excitement to find reason. What does a few more days achieve? She cannot stay—wouldn’twantto stay. And he can’tbewith her. Unmarried and sleeping together, he’d risk banishment.

Scarlet, hyacinth blue, and yellow feathers of the macaw point up to the heavens, secured by an embroidered band around the chief’s crown. Red paint slashes his cheeks and dots his nose and chin. The dotting art continues along his bare arms, chest, and midriff.

Trophies in the form of teeth hang around his neck. There are several strands, including some from caiman and jaguar. The size of the incisors indicates a larger breed. Samuel has no doubt the chief himself won a battle with each.

What surprises him is the shaman’s support. He senses fear, as with any outsider, there’s the risk of disease, including yellow fever. Any virus is a threat when there is no built-up immunity in a community. The Ularans avoided the Spanish invasion and associated diseases. The original village resided deeper in the jungle. The decision to migrate was made because of tribal war before the shaman was born. The newer community remaining untouched thanks to the mountains and the hidden waterways behind the village to hide. In southeast Venezuela, myths of their folklore hold warning, and fear has kept intruders out.

Samuel rises to his feet and brushes dirt from his knees and then from his hands. The shaman watches him with intrigue. Since his arrival, and after proving his worth in a useful element to the shaman, Samuel has emphasized the importance of clean hands and wound care. His ways still fascinate the shaman. One scratch from a vine has infection potential. The Ularans have a plant for almost every ailment, except the common cold, a virus that could kill many.

The thought takes Samuel back to Eden in quarantine. He can’t see her tonight with the first of many celebrations in preparation for their upcoming expedition. A special dinner and sacrifice to ask the gods for a safe passage and return and to find the plant Samuel seeks. The journey will begin in several days on the next full moon phase to light the jungle at night.

The shaman gives Samuel a knowing look. Samuel bows his head to both the shaman and the chief before following the shaman to the outskirts of the village and into the rainforest, keeping a safe distance between them.

They walk a short distance before vines, trees, and low vegetation engulf every space. To an outsider, it’s a jungle requiring a machete to make a path. To the shaman, it’s a medicine cabinet where every plant is beneficial to his people.

Today the shaman’s entire face is painted white. The horizontal lines over his chest remind Samuel of an x-ray exposing ribs. The shaman’s long thin fingers reach out and touch a vine growing abundantly among the trees, the vine, the mother of all healing plants.

To the Ularans, ayahuasca is a plant that heals the body and cleanses the blood. In order to heal, the mind must be open and cleansed of past traumas and emotions to allow the body and mind to work in unison in healing. For this to happen, the third-eye chakra needs to be open, to experience a celestial realm. Ayahuasca is controversial in the Western world, and yet it’s part of the Ularan existence.

Samuel refused the ceremony ayahuasca for many months. A scientist and non-believer, he tried other healing plants on himself and on the younger children with good effect. When a child in his care nearly died, and the shaman introduced the same medicinal plants with the help of ayahuasca, he witnessed a miracle—an understanding as to how it opens the body’s energy for other medicinal plants to have a purer effect.

Tonight, the warriors will drink the brew made from the vine. Samuel’s body remainspoisonedby the Western society foods after his trip to see his friends, and he needs to detoxify before drinking it in a shamanic ceremony.

The shaman cuts the ayahuasca vine and the chacruna plant and sings a harmonic tune in words Samuel is yet to understand. He comprehends words of gratitude and hope, and Samuel quietly thanks the vine. The spiritual power astounds Samuel, and over the years accepts that some things can’t be explained.

The rumbling of a motor carries through the trees. The shaman gives Samuel a nod, and he dashes toward the river, surmising Asoo has returned to check on Eden. When he reaches the forest edge, he remains behind a rubber tree and listens to their conversation before making his presence known.

“Did you spend night here?”

Eden stands near the boat. Her backpack remains under the shelter. He lets go of the air in his chest.

“I did. Not as scary as it sounds.”

Asoo chuckles. “You’re acquainted with the jungle.”

“Not really. I’m to wait here for Samuel.”

“For how long?”

She shrugs. “We haven’t had much of a chance to speak. I guess I can go with him soon.”

“Where?”

“To the village where he works.”

Asoo shakes his head vehemently. “Ulara no place for you. Come to Canaima.” He holds out his hand for her to climb aboard.

Panic tightens Samuel’s chest, so he steps out from the trees.

“Eden. Wait.”

29

Eden

“She’llbesafeherewith me.” Samuel gives Asoo a stern look. Something passes between them—a silent warning.

“Why wouldn’t I be safe?” I ask Asoo.

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