The Snake's Best Friend

The Snake's Best Friend

South America, Brazil

Amazon Rain Forest, October 6th 2012

The mist gradually rolled over the slopes and across the trees coating the Amazon with a blinding cloud of cold fog. Julian's brown leather boots sunk in the mud and saturated the tips of his toes beneath his socks. He trekked through the wilderness ignoring his cramping feet and soggy sores. His long grey track pants were drenched at his ankles leaving a splash of rain water behind to tickle his calves. He just hiked through a shallow swamp and his yellow short-sleeve shirt was sticky with several cobwebs latching around his arms. He was fifteen years old, fairly thin and only five-foot tall. Julian was tired, he scratched his short brown hair and wiped the sweat off his pale skinned bony cheeks and acne covered forehead. He was surrounded by dozens of twenty feet high attalea speciose trees, Annona montanas, purple flowers, giant water lilies and slippery logs resting flat across the Earth. He gasped, removed the water bottle from his pocket and opened the lid. He stared up at the dark, cloudy sky and sighed. Julian filled his throat with warm liquid and closed his eyes as the fluid slowly travelled through his body replenishing his spirit. He finished the bottle, closed the lid and placed it back in his pocket. It was humid, the moist air latched onto Julian's skin causing his muscles to tingle with a sharp stabbing pain piercing his bones. He ignored the Amazon's irritating burdens, marched forward and noticed a six-foot green anaconda planted by a log. He flinched, took a cautious step until he found a gash over its eyes and an opened wound below its jaw. He crouched down, rubbed his fingers across its dry scaly skin and observed the injury. Julian chuckled, he noticed the snake's nostrils above its snout contracting and cracked a faint smile over his sweaty face. He said, "Strong little one aren't ya... And jus a baby too! I'm glad to see that ya still holdin on." 

Julian ran his nails down its body, gently placed his right hand under its head and slowly picked up the reptile. His knee stumbled, the anaconda's weight proved its might by causing a pinch in his lower back. Julian breathed out, lifted the snake up to his chest and wrapped it around his shoulders keeping the serpent safe within his arms. "Wowzas, ya'llz pretty heavy for a little one... Let's jus hope I can getcha back home so we can patch ya up."

***

Several hours passed and Julian had taken rest under a grove of century old astrocaryum jauari trees. It was chilly, the dirt was dry with little to no grass on the Earth's damp surface. The sun had fallen and the darkest hour of the night had taken life. He had several logs placed in a pyramid before him burning hot and the ember from below glowed a fiery red. The heat's pressure pushed him back creating life in Julian's face. He skinned the scales off a chunk of a surubim, poked through the fish's flesh and placed it in the blaze's centre. The snake wrapped itself next to Julian in a ball and he sat back basking the heat. He wiped his forehead and gazed back at the injured reptile. Julian sighed, placed a steel rusty mug beside the creature and filled it with water. "I dunno if ya'll snakes drink or not, but jus in case ya thirsty."

He picked up the stick, held the fish up high and slowly swerved it back and forth. "Drink up little one, to be honest wit cha I don really feel like restin for too long in these woods. The night... It gives ma bones tha chills. Anyway, we gots about another hour's hike or two before we reach the shack. Until then... I've jus gotta come up with a name for ya."

Julian pulled the stick back and observed the crispy fish. Smoke slowly rose from the surubim staining the air and the sweet warm scent of ash went up into his nose. He blew on his dinner and felt a chilly breeze run across his arms. Julian bit his lip and glanced at the serpent. He said, "Lucy! That's what I'll call ya, Lucy... Let's jus hope that ya'llz a girl."