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The rains have showed signs of easing. We have more sunny days, and it’s a good sign.
Over the past couple of months, Weju has helped me to understand their language. I can comprehend the important things and talk with the other women.
I’m finally being accepted and considered equal.
Weju and I are closer than ever.
More surprising is his time with the shaman. I’m so proud of him and how the community respects him. He and the shaman work together most days, even their songs to the rainforest relax me. It’s a beautiful harmonic tune with strange phonics. It doesn’t always make sense. They repeat what the rainforest is telling them. Weju believes the trees whisper how to heal their people.
After my science training, I find it hard to comprehend, yet I wonder how they find the knowledge of what plants heal certain diseases and the process of using the plants for medicine. Boiled. Crushed. Drained and drank as tea. How did they know what to do when they have no contact with the outside world or with other indigenous communities?
Their spiritual world is fascinating, and I’m beginning to understand and respect their values as long as it doesn’t affect Dawn and me.
I must stop calling her Dawn in private. I can’t allow her to answer to the name I gave her. I don’t want to upset anyone here when I’m making progress on friendship and my own happiness.
I stopped writing as Weju returned from the forest, so I hid my journal. He was a man on a mission, and we made love twice and in the middle of the day! The man knows how to make me feel alive. He told me it’s what the spirits want.
I’m not going to argue.
It’s only been a few weeks since my last post, but I have to write what happened today. Weju saved my life.
After bathing in the stream, I almost reached the village before being bitten on the leg by a snake. I guessed by its striped markings it was poisonous. I screamed loud and hard and fell to the ground with Dawn rolling from my back.
In seconds, Weju was by my side. After seeing the bite marks, he pulled a piranha tooth from his pouch and sliced the puncture wounds on my skin. One warrior cared for Dawn while another gave him twine, and he wrapped it below my knee like a tourniquet. He then sucked and spat. Sucked and spat. He drained most of the poison from my blood in a quick response I believe saved me.
I almost passed out during it all. I have been vomiting. I’m not sure if it’s from the special tea the women have prepared for me or the poultice on the markings on my leg. I didn’t have the energy to assess their treatment.
I only hope it works.
In hindsight, I needed to write this in case something happens and I don’t make it.
If I do, it’s because Weju saved my life.
Approximately October 1964
My life is good.
I had to write words of my contentment as I’m not sure how often I’ll make new entries.
Weju and I are very happy. My old life now sits at the back of my mind because I need to think and behave like a Ularan.
My entries have been about remembering my old life and holding out hope to return home.
I can no longer visualize a life beyond the jungle walls.
I have accepted this is my future, and I’m now bonded to Weju for the rest of my days. We have a beautiful family, and considering how often we make love, I expect our family to grow very quickly.
I could even be pregnant now.
If the gods want me to be, I will be. It’s only a matter of time before my stomach will swell. Until then, I’ll enjoy every minute practicing with my amazing lover.
Approximately November 1964
I didn’t expect to be writing another entry so soon after my last one.
Only I wanted to document that something is wrong with Dawn. She keeps crying and has endured a fever for days. Whatever medicine the shaman is providing isn’t working, and I wish to hell I could take her to my practitioner because it could be any number of viruses or bacterial infections. I don’t want her to be another statistic like many children in the jungle by lack of advanced medical help.
Weju said I need to drink the ayahuasca tea again so I can help her. Does he not realize I could be pregnant again?
