I was about to close my clinic when my mobile rang. It was from Raeni, my fiancée.
“Khenan,” she said, “are you busy? Can you come to the hotel for dinner?”
“Yes, the last patient has just left. What are you doing?”
“Oh, discussing the cover story with Henry and Edward.”
“I’ll be there in ten minutes,” I said.
While driving to The Jamaica Pegasus Hotel, my thoughts revolved around Henry and Edward. The two young writers from California shot into fame recently with their travel writings. I had known them for more than two years. I liked their writings but hated their flirtatious nature. I observed that their visits to Kingston became more frequent after Raeni joined the hotel as marketing manager. Suddenly, I noticed that I was driving past the hotel. I reversed my car and drove in.
After a few rounds of Flaming Bob Marley, Henry cut funny jokes to impress Raeni. Edward Joined him. That irked me but I tried to keep cool by draining some Flaming Bob Marley.
“Did you ever try writing fiction?” Raeni asked Edward.
“No, but we have plans. We…”
I knew they had no such plans at all. We had more drinks. Henry came to his rescue saying, “You know, some adventurous… I mean … with a forest as a backdrop.”
Edward said, “Yes, like…. life in Amazon.”
“Oh, interesting,” Raeni said.
What is interesting? The topic of the book they are not at all going to write or the way they covered themselves, I thought.
“Will you stay in rain forests to gather material for your forthcoming book?” Raeni asked.
I thought it was enough and put a full stop to this pretension. “Raeni, they can’t stay even for one day in forests.” My head was heavy with boozing, and I noticed that the condition of Henry and Edward was not different.
Henry reacted sharply to my comment. “Can you?”
I was taken aback. I should pretend bold; I thought and said, “Yes.”
Edward said, “I am ready to wage $100,000 if you can stay one month in the Amazon.”
“Are you scared?” Henry laughed.
I was angry and disturbed. I started hating them more and more. I thought that I should take up the challenge and humble them. I said, “I bet I could do that. We will sign an agreement.”
Raeni tried to warn me, but I ignored her.
Edward said, “You should keep away from those areas which tourists regularly visit.”
They tried to hurt me with their comments. “Of course, we can’t ask him to walk into a mountain lion’s den or fight with an anaconda,” Henry said.
“We won’t ask him to jump into a river full of alligators either,” Edward laughed.
I wanted to silence them with a fitting reply, but Raeni pressed my hand softly, signalling me to control myself.
“Raeni should not visit you or communicate with you till the end of the deadline,” Henry said.
***
I didn’t know that my father’s friend, Jimmy Fraser, would give a twist to my plan. The next day, Fraser and Raeni came to my clinic at lunchtime which surprised me.
He said, “Raeni told me about the betting, and she was disturbed. I am a retired army officer and I shouldn’t discourage you if you want to go on an adventurous trip but, if at all you want to go and stay in the Amazon forest you should do it for a noble cause.”
“How do you mean?”
“You know your father died of cancer. He was always longing for herbal treatment. The Amazon is known for its medicinal plants. You can study the plants in their natural surroundings and when you return you can think of starting a cancer research centre here in memory of your father.”
“I like it. Now I’m more determined to go there. I can use the betting money to establish the proposed research centre. At the same time, I can humble those arrogant writers.”
Fraser laughed and said, “I’ll prepare you physically and mentally for your stay in the Amazon.”
***
Fraser gave me a few tips on climbing tall trees and swimming against strong currents. “You may have to stay several hours in a hammock ontop of a tree. Before hanging your hammock, look for formiga de fogo, the stinging fire ants. You need not always climb down the tree to drink water. It rains a lot in the Amazon and the canopy traps potable rainwater. The vine Sipo de auga collects water within. That vine saved many lives in emergencies,” he said.
“I’m scared of wild animals,” Raeni said.
“Yes, you should constantly guard yourself against wild animals.”
“Did you ever have a close encounter with a wild animal?” Raeni asked.
“Yes, In Alaska with a grizzly bear. It was in the early hours of a summer day. I came out of my tent and saw the bear standing very close to my tent along with its sow and a cub,” Fraser said,
“Did you shoot it?” Raeni asked.
“No, I used pepper spray. Grizzly bears are different from other wild animals. You can think of shooting any other wild animal but not a grizzly bear. Those who tried to shoot grizzly bears often had serious injuries and sometimes they were killed. A charging bear can sprint about 44 feet in a second and it can climb up a tree up to 30 feet.”
“Are there grizzly bears in the Amazon Forest,” Raeni asked.
“Now they are an endangered species. We don’t find them in the Amazon Forest. Jaguar is the predator there.”
***
A few days before my departure to Manaus City in Brazil, Raeni gave me a few contact addresses. “Khenan, I packed an emergency medicine kit, a mosquito net, a hammock, a compass, a map, a flashlight, two small lighters, a digital camera, binoculars, two safety belts, a few matchboxes, watertight boots, mosquito repellents, scribbling pads and pens and a pocket dictionary of English Portuguese. Do you want anything else?”
“No. The list is already big.”
She said, “Khenan, from Manaus City, you will travel 62 miles in a jeep to Juma Lodge. There George will meet you.”
“Do you know George?”
“No. Fraser recommended him. He says that we can trust him. We are paying for his services liberally.”
“It’s okay.”
“George will give you a packet. It will contain a Smith & Wesson, a machete, spare ammunition, and pepper spray. He will introduce you to Frederico, a native doctor. From Juma Lodge, you can contact me, but once you move into the forest, there will be no communication between you and me. Your phone won’t be of much use to you.” Tears welled up in her eyes and for the first time, I saw her in low spirits.
***
I felt out of place amidst the tall trees, creepers, and bushes and stood amazed listening to the rustle of the leaves, the chirping of the birds, and the sound of the flowing water in the nearby stream. It started raining and I moved towards the trees for cover. I climbed up a tree, fixed my hammock, and relaxed.
The next morning, I woke up and looked around. The stream was just 30 feet away. Judging by the width, I estimated the stream to be around 150 feet. It surrounded a large piece of land on three sides. On the fourth side, there was a steep hill. There must have been heavy rains in the catchment area as water was gushing into the stream.
I picked up my binoculars, climbed the tree still up, and looked around. I didn’t notice the movements of any wild animals. I touched the small weapon in my pocket, Smith & Wesson, to feel confident and climbed down the tree. I walked two miles and reached the point, where George left me the previous day. There I met Frederico. He was around 40 years old and had a dark complexion. He and four other Mestizos were collecting herbs. Only Federico knew English. Others spoke Portuguese. I noticed that Federico and two others were carrying shotguns.
“We visit this place frequently to collect herbs,” Federico said. “I prefer to hand-pick the herbs myself with the help of my assistants of course.”
“How long have you been practicing medicine?”
“Over twenty years. This is my family profession.”
“So, you knew a lot about medicinal plants.”
“Yes. George told me you are a doctor in modern medicine, and you are interested in herbs?”
“Yes. I think I can move with you while you are collecting herbs. Is it okay?”
“That is fine, sir.”
I spent the whole day with them. His methods of identifying the herbs were simple but effective.
“Will you visit this place again tomorrow?” I asked him.
“Yes, for ten more days, we will collect herbs. Usually, they last for one month.”Every day during the daytime, I moved with them. Federico gave me samples of every herb he collected. He felt happy when I gave him a few bills of Reals. I took photos of the plants, and I noted down their properties.
Extracts of Pata de vaca, Pedra hume caa, stevia, and cashew plants are useful in treating diabetes. Annatta is useful in treating blood pressure and snake bites. Extracts of trumpet trees can efficiently treat respiratory diseases and rheumatism. Clavillia can kill viruses, bacteria, fungi, and parasites. The 50 different varieties of chemicals produced by cocoa trees are useful in treating fever, fatigue, cough, kidney stones, burns, and heart disease, and Lapacho has anti-cancer elements.
Federico told me about vampire bats, weird animals, poisonous dart frogs, anacondas, and about the manatee, the Amazon’s largest animal which would weigh half a ton and measure almost 10 feet in length.
He said, “When you spot a wild animal, stay still, sir. Don’t run. If you run it thinks that you are its prey. We always move in groups. You should be careful, you are alone.”
He told me folk tales that were in circulation among the natives, their lifestyles, and about their children and spouses. He explained to me the dangers they faced and how traders exploited natives.
I continued to visit the places I moved with them for two more days even after they stopped coming hoping that I would meet some natives, but on those days, I could meet only loggers. They all spoke Portuguese. As I didn’t feel like moving with them, I stayed back at my place and concentrated on reorganizing what I had noted down till then.
One night I couldn’t sleep in the hammock as my back was aching. I climbed down the tree, made a fire, and sat before it, checking my notes and redrafting it. I was so involved I didn’t keep the fire burning. After several hours, I noticed that the fire died down though I could feel the heat of the live embers. I pocketed my pen and looked around and was terrified. A jaguar was standing at 50 feet distance. I took out Smith & Wesson and fired. I knew that I was not a sharpshooter and couldn’t hit it, but the jaguar turned around and moved away. However, my relief didn’t last long. When I stood up to shoot, the notes, I prepared for several days fell on the live embers and caught fire. By the time, I could retrieve the papers they turned into ashes.
I felt dejected, climbed up the tree, and stayed there the rest of the day. I thought of giving up. After three days, I could regain my composure. I started working from scratch with the help of the photos I took on the digital camera. It took ten days for me to recollect what I had seen, what I had heard, and what I had discussed with Federico.
I started feeling hungry but that day the weather was very bad. It was raining and there were strong winds. I didn’t feel like looking for fruit. I was tired of eating fruits anyway. I noticed after several days that my mind was not engaged. My thoughts wandered. I thought of Calla loo Patty, the Jamaican recipe. I thought of mingling with children playing the traditional Jamaican ball game Dandy Shandy and shouting in the Jamaican dialect Patois. I thought of Raeni. I thought of Henry and Edward and their attempts to flirt with Raeni. I felt uneasy. Why should I stay in the forest? I questioned myself. I had a strong urge to go back to Kingston. I shouldn’t care for the bet. I should go back, I thought. I put on my rainsuit and started climbing down the tree. Then I heard gunshots at a close range. I looked around and saw two Mestizos in weird dresses and painted faces at the base of the tree. They were wearing goggles. One pointed a rifle towards me and the other showed me a placard with the words, “Leave the forest or else…” He dropped the placard and started cutting the trunk of the tree.
Their strange behaviour puzzled me. “Who are you? Do you want money? Do you speak English?”
They just didn’t care to answer any one of my questions. They fired a few more shots in the air and continued cutting the trunk. That irritated me. I wanted to go back but not because of these two dumb Mestizos.They cut the trunk partially and showed me again the placard. I knew that I wouldn’t have time to reach my gun as they were alert with the rifles. Meanwhile, the half-cut tree swayed this way and that way as the winds were blowing fiercely. Finally, the trunk gave away and with a tremendous noise, the tree started falling on the side of the stream. Amidst the noise, I could hear a voice.
“Edward, run. The tree might fall on us.”
I could instantly recognize them. I climbed up the tree further and held onto the branches hoping that I wouldn’t be crushed under the tree when it hit the ground. With a great thud, the tree fell into the stream. I jumped into the water. The straps of my rucksack were torn as they were entangled in the creepers on the branches of the tree and my bagfell into the stream and drifted away. With great difficulty, I swam across the stream and reached the other bank. I could save the Smith & Wesson, and the small lighter I pocketed in my rain suit. As it was raining hard, I moved towards the hillock. I sat at the base of the hillock under the canopy of a tree. I knew that Henry and Edward couldn’t swim across the stream under these conditions
When it stopped raining, I went in search of fruits but was shocked to find out that there were no fruits. The fruits might have dropped down and drifted away into the stream because of the strong winds and the rain. Mosquitoes started attacking me. I gathered a few twigs and leaves and made a fire. The smoke from the green leaves kept the mosquitoes away.
***
The flood receded after two days. I went to the bank. The stream was again clear and normal. I swam some twenty feet and suddenly noticed that Edward and Henry were trying to cross the stream in an inflatable boat. I swam back and waited for the boat to come into my firing range. After several attempts, I hit the boat and it capsized. They couldn’t defend as they were finding it difficult to balance themselves in that small boat. However, they swam back to the other bank safely. I felt exhausted with no sleep and no food. In addition to these ordeals, I had to constantly watch the movements of Henry and Edward. Once they cross the stream, they would have an upper hand. The firing range of their sophisticated rifles was far superior to my Smith & Wesson and I had no spare ammunition.
One more day passed and again it started raining. The stream flooded within hours. I gave up the idea of crossing the stream, but I might die of hunger or even sleeplessness. Nobody knew that I was trapped here. I couldn’t expect any help. I stopped thinking. I didn’t know how long I was lying down like that. I didn’t know whether I had completed 30 days or not. I was annoyed by the mosquitoes. When the rain stopped, I collected some leaves and twigs and made a fire.
The sound of a mechanized boat alerted me. This time they would cross the stream, I thought. I pulled up myself and picked up my Smith & Wesson. When I aimed, I saw someone standing in the boat, and waving a flag vigorously. I waited for a few more minutes. Now the colours were more visible. I could see the green and black triangles and the diagonal yellow stripes- the Jamaican national flag. Two minutes later, I could identify the man behind the wheel. He was George. He might be bringing a tourist and that tourist must be highly adventurous. Who would like to cross the flooded stream? When the boat reached the bank, Raeni jumped out of it.
“Khenan, you won the bet.”
“But you shouldn’t meet me according to the agreement.”
“The deadline passed a couple of hours ago,” she said.
“How did you locate the spot?” I asked.
“The smoke,” she laughed.
“Why did you cross the stream?” she asked.
I told her about Henry and Edward and the days I spent without food. Raeni gave me some cookies.
***
We crossed the stream and reached the main road. Later, we met Federico. I told him that I lost everything I collected. He was happy to give medicinal plants again in exchange for a few bills. While flying back to Kingston Raeni said, “I sensed danger when Henry and Edward suddenly vacated the hotel rooms.”
“Oh, you kept track of their movements!”
“You know they were supposed to submit an article for our house journal. When I wanted to remind them, I learned they had vacated their rooms.”
“They were greedy but didn’t know how to plan things.”
“I spoke to our in-house travel bureau but for the first time, they didn’t make travel arrangements through our bureau.”
“And they messed up everything,” I said.
“They booked emergency flight tickets to Manaus. The flight was cancelled. Their travel agent rescheduled their tickets on another airline and sent the message to the Hotel. I could guess their motives and was on the next flight to Manaus.”
