Abandoned in the Amazon

Chapter six

I woke up in someone's arms. Looking up at the face I recognized it as the white man by the fire. He smiled dangerously, then dropped me in water, and I fell deeper and deeper to the bottom, losing air. The ice cold water was freezing my bones.

  I awakened again, but this time I was laying in a cocoon, a warm cocoon. Shivering, I looked around, seeing the man staring at me. I whimpered, trying to back away.

He said in a very soothing voice, "I am not going to hurt you" but of course I didn't understand his language. He walked up to me and did the Marubo greeting. I did it back weakly, and he smiled.

I was confused. Where were his weapons and meanness? Why was he dressed like an Amazonian? Where were the rest of his people? And why did he look so familiar?      

The stranger healed me for two sun-ups. After that I could walk again. I thanked him in my language which he seemed to understand and left.

At Tayope's village, my tribe was gone. I ran to Lexis and hugged him."Your people tried to stay and wait for you in case you came back, but they had to leave before another rainstorm hits."

I explained my story to him, but he didn't believe me.

"White men are vile creatures that kill for no reason."

"That's not true. Look at us, we are white and we aren't like that! And if he hadn't cured me would I have this?" I pointed at my leg. There was a bandage with herbal ointment on it covering where the poisonous plant poked me.

Lexis sighed. "I saw him that night, I wasn't that tired. He looked like...Dad..."