Chapter 6: The Same Door

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As the plane descended from thirty thousand feet, Luuk's mind was running its own commentary: Seriously, all I wanted to do was be a lending arm, but now I've got this guy abusing my shoulder like it owes him money. His gaze shifted from the gradually descending aircraft to the slumbering form of Jona beside him, and a faint distaste settled on his tongue. The extended body contact made him feel like he'd lost his virginity.

Personal space was his holy grail. Family was the exception, they were allowed into the coveted territory of his bubble. But letting strangers touch him? That was like admitting the boogeyman lived under his bed.

Some folks might think he had a severe case of germophobia, fearing that one brush against another human might result in contracting some nefarious disease. But truth be told, he was just a guy who would rather take a swim in a pool of sharks than let a stranger extend a helping hand.

No obligations, no debts, no harm (unless you count the possibility of dying). He let Jona assist him a few days ago—yeah, it was a one-time deal, but it felt like the guy's memory was living on repeat. Humiliation has a way of taking root, unlike dignity which tends to just wander off. And now, the whole mess with sharing his shoulder space. Great.

As his thoughts swirled throughout the journey, day segued into night, and they reached Brazil. The delegates had set up camp for the first night in Manaus, in a somewhat affordable neoclassical-styled hotel.

Morning light spilled in, and they were up at the crack of dawn. It was nearly six o'clock, and the white van they were packed into jostled its way through the early-rising throngs, making a beeline for the port that would transition them into the Amazon jungle. Air conditioning did its best to fend off the heat, but Jona was letting a sliver of outside air in through the window. The occasional warm gust blew in Luuk's direction, a far cry from California's sun-soaked climate.

"Hey, thanks for yesterday," Jona's voice intruded, but there was a dreamlike quality to his tone, like he was floating in and out of reality. "Had an accident a few months back. Since then, I'm just not great with... vehicles. Especially big ones.. That plane ride yesterday was my second attempt. Technically, my first one since I passed out the first time."

So this guy's not a total nitwit, Luuk thought.

"You make it sound like I pulled you from a war zone," he replied, dry.

"Felt pretty close to it on my end." Jona leaned slightly out of the open window, the wind ruffling his hair. "You ever been here before?"

Shuffling his weight to find a more comfortable position, Luuk pivoted his attention from the scenery outside to Ethan, who was passing a camera around. "First time in Manaus for me. Though I've visited the University of Brazil a few times," he replied.

"The locals here remind me of my childhood," he said, his voice a mere whisper, barely audible over the road's clamor. He stole a glance at Luuk. "Are we actually surrounded by the jungle?" A mixture of awe and trepidation crossed his expression. "Is that... the ocean?"

Luuk turned to glance. Down by the docks, oceangoing vessels were getting loaded with containers. "This city nestles in the Amazon basin. That 'ocean' is actually the Negro River, which feeds into the Amazon River roughly ten miles from here. That, in turn, flows into the Atlantic Ocean, a solid thousand miles away. Those lush trails of green?" He pointed out the window towards a cluster of exuberant Asian tourists, gesticulating wildly beneath a massive, gnarled tree. "Many of them aren't here for the city itself; they're using it as a launchpad into the forest."

"So, pretty much what we're doing?"

"Exactly."

A small smile danced on Jona's lips. "Seeing this city makes it hard to believe my ancestors used to colonize this place."

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