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Standing on the elevated driveway, I stare out at the ocean bordered by the rainforest. There is something magical about this place. There’s an energy surrounding us, pulling us closer to the rainforest’s heart. A similar sensation I felt in Ulara with Samuel.
Maybe it’s calling to him.
To us.
Amy’s phone call highlights the important people I’ll be leaving. Can I leave my family and friends?
57
SAMUEL
After an extensive tour of the grounds, Kerry and Dana retreat to their room, leaving Samuel alone with Eden. Eden unpacks their case and smiles at him.
“It’s certainly a beautiful place. Almost enchanting.” She moves her case aside, and he senses her watching him.
“Enchanted, yes. I felt something similar on the indigenous tour… a magnetic energy drawing me to the forest.”
Her eyes widen. “You enjoyed it?”
He takes a deep breath. “I resonated more than I thought possible. Even from the beginning, there was a smoking ceremony, and we focused on leaving bad thoughts outside the forest.”
Eden sits on the bed and gazes at him. “Tell me about it.”
“The poisonous plants appear the same as the non-poisonous varieties, including figs. And creeper vines… if you touch them, you can break out in blisters. I’ll be educating you in your own country,” he jokes.
“Now you’re showing off.” She pats the space beside her on the bed. “Would you remember the plants if you saw them again?”
“Maybe some. The more I think about it, the more I’d like to learn the ways of the forest up here.”
“What are you saying? Do you want to have a holiday house here?”
He’s aware of how much Eden wants him to like this place as she sees it as the answer to him not taking ayahuasca. He’s not convinced. Yet. “I’ll let you know after a few days.” Samuel takes her face in his hands and kisses her gently. “Thank you for bringing me here.”
“It wasn’t all for you.” Eden winks at him. “I also wanted to come and visit Dana. Anyway, what was your favorite part of the tour?”
“The edible wild fruits and medicinal plants. Some of the kernels can be ground to a flour consistency to make bread.” He shakes his head as though he’s clearing his thoughts. “Even the sap of certain trees can be used to treat fever. I’d enjoy a night walk to observe the bioluminescence of the fungi growing on the plants. It might transport me to some happier times.” He places a hand on my thigh and squeezes it. “Although I’d want to check out a path first to ensure there were no harmful plants in the area. The guide mentioned fine hairs on one of the heart-shaped leaves stinging plants having the effect of glass, and the pain can last from weeks to months.” Hearing his own words, he has resonated with the Daintree rainforest more than he lets on.
“Oh.” Eden averts her gaze. “I’d have to be watching Rose twenty-four-seven.”
“Eden.” He waits for her to meet his gaze. “If we were here, I’d do routine checks to ensure the forest around us was relatively safe.”
She bites her lip. “Apart from the creatures because you can’t control them.”
He looks out the window to the sky-blue ocean. “Or Mother Nature, and we’d have a rainy season of different proportions here.”
“Meaning?”
“Cyclones. There’s no evading Mother Nature even in paradise.”
A storm Samuel has weathered before.
He can’t deny the energy swirling inside him, ready to meet his problems with new insight he has gained from the tour. Not only about the medicinal plants but how to use the strength of his mind when dreaming and to think about his memories in a different light before falling asleep.
To reset his brain and way of thinking through memories in his dreams.
The brain is powerful.
If his new friend is right, maybe he has the force to not only weather the storm but to become the storm.
