First Descent by Pam Withers

Author:Pam Withers
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Latin America, Action & Adventure, Juvenile Fiction, Sports & Recreation, General, Caribbean & Latin America, South America, People & Places, Extreme Sports, History
ISBN: 9781770492578
Publisher: Tundra
Published: 2011-01-01T05:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Myriam’s tears dripped into the corn she was grinding, but she kept her head low so no one could tell. The men were gathered around the fire pit, discussing Alberto’s defection. The women, as always, were tending to the children and chores.

“He has been wanting to join the guerillas for a long time,” Papá was saying, shaking his head sadly. “The spraying that caused this food shortage was the last straw for him. He thinks the money he can send us will help.”

No! Myriam wanted to scream. It’s my fault because I refused to marry him. The two of them had argued about his desire to join up numerous times. She’d always stopped him by promising to break up if he did. Then she’d refused his proposal. That had angered and humiliated him – and left him no reason not to join. What will be his fate now? He’ll be killed in some battle. I’ll never see him again. Even if I don’t want to marry him, I care about him. We’ve grown up together. This is all my fault, and no one even knows it.

“His joining will keep the guerillas from returning to ask us for a vacuna,” she overheard one elder say.

“But it will anger the paramilitaries if they hear about it,” another replied. “They might use it as an excuse to take our land for a coca field.”

“But that’s illegal,” a young boy piped up. The others looked at him. Their silence was his answer.

The fire crackled as dark closed in. “We need to double the number on guard duty,” Papá ruled in a deep voice.

“We’ll never get our crops cleaned, fertilized, and watered if we do that,” an equally deep voice protested.

“Maybe someone can sneak into the guerilla camp and tell Alberto to come back?” the young boy suggested.

There were only grunts from around the fire.

“When are the kayakers returning?” someone asked softly, trying to ensure Myriam wouldn’t overhear.

“Rex will return tonight, if he doesn’t change his mind or get lost or attacked on the way,” Papá replied. “The Brazilians said their thank-yous and farewells. Their packs were full. They won’t be returning.”

Myriam turned her head just enough to see Papá peer at the sky, watching darkness descend. She’d worried all day about Rex’s safety, about Alberto sending him and his friends on such a dangerous errand, but she didn’t dare say anything. She’d noticed the sleeping bags strapped onto Henrique’s and Tiago’s packs and heard them tell her father good-bye. But Rex’s had been empty. So he plans to return – doesn’t he?

“Tell Myriam to charge the white boy more money,” someone suggested.

“She has already negotiated a very high price. Leave her be,” Papá said.

Myriam hung her head. Yes, she’d negotiated a high price. The villagers had been impressed. But she hadn’t told anyone that a second payment was coming when he finished the river. She was toying with the idea of keeping that for herself, for her bus trip to campus. Now guilt enveloped her.

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