I wake up in my ruffled costume, a young aborigine offers me a bowl. Taking up a job in South America seemed like a good idea, but after the boat capsized, I find myself lost here, incapable of locating any hint of civilization. All that is left with me are these useless accounting books that my young friend lugged out of the water along with me.
“I go”, I say to my companion yet another morning.
“Go”, he says finally this time.
He signals me to follow. He puts my belongings into two bags before entering the jungle. I hesitate, but the we part without a word.
We walk together until we arrive at a river where a canoe awaits us. He signals me to board the canoe and we leave. Perhaps he is going to bring me back to civilization. Our progress is slow and perilous, We risk another capsize due to the logs floating in the water, but my guide avoids them expertly. He suddenly cries to warn me of something but I do not understand. Too late, our canoe collides with a huge log despite the big push my guide makes with the oar. Its not until it opens with its mouth that it hits me – a crocodile! We are a few meters from the bank, my companion jumps and I follow suit instinctively. I land in mud and I heave myself hut on to solid ground just in time to watch the crocodile snap the canoe and our belongings to pieces. A least we are still alive, but now we have to continue on feet.
I miss home, and my predictable, peaceful life.. Why would I want to leave it behind…the monotony of my life back at home seem a blessing in comparison as we walk through the jungle covered in mud, holding on to dear life. My friend is nervous, which is unlike him….what could he be afraid of?
At the turn of the trail, he stops abruptly, facing two aborigines bearing spears. I do not dare to move. They push us down the trail, my companion seems worried. Upon arriving at their village, they separate us. My friend gives me one last glance while they take him away. I find myself enclosed inside a small hut. I can see nothing apart from a pile of strangely familiar bones at the middle of it.
What are they going to do to us…I could give anything to not have left my cabin this morning.
A group of villagers enter my hut, my friend is with them and an old man extends a bunch of printed documents towards me, some sort of contracts it seems to me.
“You, help us, give-take”, he says with a big smile. And starting there I became a business negotiator, eventually handling the interests for a few amazonian tribes. An exceptional life awaited me just around the corner – I just needed the courage to go there.
