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Hey, Samuel, good to hear from you, ‘mate.’ I’m looking forward to coming to Australia and catching up with you. It’s been a long time, and I know I must rectify the crap decisions I made in the past. Yasmine has forgiven me, and I see her as the chick I want to be with. Something about her makes me want to be a better guy. Man, that sucks about your health. I’m surprised they haven’t found answers after all these months. As for Santino, we had a good experience with him, and the brew was light, which I insisted on for Yasmine’s benefit. Maybe it’s best to seek out Juan. He’s more experienced and knows you. I have Santino’s contact number. As you know, he only gets coverage on his cell when he travels closer to Iquitos. His resort is five hours by boat on a tributary river. We fly to Argentina tomorrow and stay a night before flying out to Australia the following day. Sorry I can’t be of any more help.
Samuel contemplates his next reply.
Send me his cell details so I can contact him before booking a flight. Safe travels.
A few moments later, Michael sends through the information.
“Samuel McMahon.”
Samuel looks up to a nurse. He follows the nurse into a room where she has numerous vials ready to take his blood. She reads the form, and when their eyes meet, he senses the curiosity.
He prepares himself for a barrage of questions.
* * *
Later in the afternoon, Samuel is resting on the couch. Out of curiosity, he opens the browser window on his iPad and searches for flights to South America.
How quickly could he plan a return trip in the new year?
He checks Eden is still preoccupied with Rose.
She picks up the television remote. “Want to watchThe Wiggles?” Rose nods her head, and the way she does it is slow and exaggerated as though it’s a new thing and dang cute.
The Wigglesdancing and singing on the television could keep their daughter amused for hours.
“Okay. Mummy is going to rest now.”
“Mommy,” Samuel corrects and then receives an eye roll.
Eden turns on the lounge and places her feet on Samuel’s lap before rearranging the pillows behind her head.
She opens Ivy’s journal.
The last time she read, she closed it quickly before she became upset.
At least he knows and is prepared to comfort her if she needs it. Yet part of him would like to also understand Ivy’s journey. He didn’t know her, yet he feels connected to her. Not only through Eden but through their Ularan spirits.
He wonders if his next ayahuasca ceremony could bring her closer to him.
49
IVY
December 1964
I’m writing this entry while lying in a hospital bed.
Much has happened in the past few weeks.
After the last ceremony when I drank the tea, I became weaker, not stronger.
The good news is Dawn came out of the fever, although it was a close call as some days she was limp in my arms. I expected her to get sick since she’s now crawling in the dirt and often putting things in her mouth before I stop her. It’s what children her age do. Only the thought of losing her scared me.
In a turn of events, I had been vomiting for days, sweating profusely and extremely dehydrated. At first, I assumed I caught a stomach bug. Only the pain was different, like a knife in my lower gut, twisting and slicing. If it was an infection or a parasite feeding inside me, in the back of my mind, I understood if it turned to sepsis, I wouldn’t survive.
Then I hallucinated, and in my dreams, I saw my death.
That morning, I strapped Rose to my back, then grabbed my journal. I stumbled to the river. Like I was possessed, I had to get to the water and get there any way I could. I collapsed before I made it and crawled the rest of the way.
