Page 95 of Beautifully Wild

The door opens, and a middle-aged nun in a traditional long, white dress with a white veil concealing her hair and part of her face steps forward. “You welcome to stay, boat can take you in morning. We have beds for you,” she manages in English, her Spanish tongue thick. “Young man can sleep in other room. No see ladies with ring.”

“Is there a doctor here?” I ask her when my friends leave to find their room. “My friend has a sore throat, and I’d like him to take a look.”

“Yes, child. He go to you after dinner,” she says in her broken English.

“Thank you. We appreciate your kind hospitality.”

“Would you like some tea?”

Knowing Yasmine is safe with Amy, I take a chair at the table. “Do you mind telling me about your work here, Sister?”

She opens a tin to reveal cookies inside. “You like Alfajore? You call them shortbread.”

I smile, my mouth already watering. “I would very much. Thank you.”

It’s something to sweeten my thoughts before I question Michael.

The following morning, I tap gently on Yasmine’s bedroom door. “Can I come in?”

“Not if you’re going to lecture me,” she groans.

I open the door and peek in. Yasmine is still in bed. “Hey.” I stride to her side and sit on the single wooden bed, lean in, and hug her. “It’s not a lecture,” I whisper.

“You’re lucky I’m too sick to yell at you because I told you my plans in Ilhéus,” she starts.

“I know. And I respect that. Only he wasn’t the right shaman for you. I know what Michael said…” I add quickly when she opens her mouth to interject, “… because I’ve also experienced the tea.”

“You have?” Her eyes round, and she pushes up onto her elbows. “With Samuel in the jungle?”

I nod slowly and not in an excited way. “It was part of my journey, and the ceremony wasn’t with Samuel.”

“What did you see and feel?” Her words come out fast.

“All our experiences are different, which is why I want you to benefit from it and not fall sick.” I slide tight, dark ringlets away from her face and smile at her. “How is your throat?”

“A little better. The antibiotics are helping some.”

“There’ll be another time for you, I promise, and it won’t be with Paulo. As for Michael, I’ll be questioning him because things could’ve turned out far worse if you went ahead.”

“Why did he want Samuel to come?” she asks, her hand resting on the base of her neck.

“I’m not sure. It’s another thing I’ll be discussing with him. Right now, we need to get you up and showered, so we can catch the next boat back to Iquitos.”

47

Samuel

Theplanedescends,andthe Amazon River widens far more than the one he calls home. His eyes are fixed on the window, and he looks below as the plane approaches the runway. He should’ve relaxed more on the flights to regain his energy. The thought of not seeing Eden for many months caused his chest to tighten, and he couldn’t breathe. He closes his eyes when the wheels screech, his shoulders less heavy. The voice over the speaker talks in Spanish. He listens to directions and waits for the time to be mentioned—6:31 p.m.

He rushes through customs, the first in the line, and takes the first tuk-tuk he sees into the city, praying he has not missed her.

His exploration was a success, despite him not eating anything substantial for days. His critical thinking directed him to what needed to be done. He pushed through hunger, hiked miles with only acai berries to eat, found water amongst the plants with flowering plants in his pack.

The down trip was harder. His thoughts went to her. She was the best and worst distraction. The image of her ingrained in his brain guided himhome,knowing she was waiting for him.

He was weak and tired, but it didn’t matter, but then he found her backpack missing. Kaikare filled him in. He’d missed her by a day. Asoo came by the next morning, mentioned Paulo, and Samuel has since been on plane after plane.

He hopes she’s at the same hotel that she mentioned in a text to Asoo. If not, he doubts he’ll find her in a city of half a million people or if she’s in one of the water villages dotting the river.

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