And then, as if that weren’t bad enough, the vehicle he showed up with was cause for serious concern. It was an ancient looking Jeep, the sides eaten by rust and the tires so smooth they looked like you could go ice-skating with them. What kind of grip could tires like that have on the road? Ridge was of a mind to call a halt to the whole expedition but Lani was so bent on going that he didn’t have the heart to burst her bubble.
The day still shrouded in darkness, they left the city and drove mile after mile until they were deep into the rural regions of Amazonas state. Because they stopped in Manacupuru for more supplies they didn’t get to Igarape until late morning and by that time Ridge was starving. Lani and her guide, on the other hand, looked like they were surviving on fresh air. While he sat in the backseat, his stomach growling, they were in the front, busy chatting away. Finally, when it looked like they had no intention of pulling over for either a food or bathroom break, Ridge decided he had to speak up.
“Guys, what say we pull over the next chance we get? We must be low on gas by now.”
Lani was the first to chirp up. “Oh, no. I’m good. And we’ve got lots of gas. Maybe half a tank.”
It took Aurelio to come to the rescue. The elderly man glanced in the rearview mirror and must have seen the discomfort on Ridge’s face because he nodded and gave him an understanding smile. “We will stop in fifteen minutes,” he said, ignoring Lani and her bid to keep going. “ An eating spot is just up ahead.”
“Thank you.” Ridge gave him a nod of gratitude. He seemed to have found some sympathy in Aurelio. Thank God for that.
An hour later, after a hearty meal of Feijado black bean stew and deep fried Pasteis filled with cod fish, the party set off again, this time with Ridge sitting up front beside Aurelio. It had taken the big meal for Lani to realize how tuckered out she was. When they got back to the Jeep she immediately claimed the backseat where she sprawled out. Within minutes she was fast asleep.
It was a good thing, too, because Ridge didn’t know if her heart would have been able to take the rest of the journey. Although much of the terrain had been flat, this time Aurelio took them up a hill and along a winding dirt road so narrow that if they’d met another vehicle coming in the opposite direction he didn’t know what they would have done. It didn't help that on one side of the road was the mountain wall and on the other was a steep precipice. As tough as he was – or used to think he was – his heart jumped into his throat and he gripped the seat so hard he thought his fingers would pop through the leather. He couldn’t believe he’d lived thirty-four years on earth to come to this hellish place to meet his end.
It was an exhausted, drained and sweat-drenched Ridge who dragged himself out of the Jeep hours later. They’d come to a remote settlement, too tiny to even be called a village, and by this time it was pitch-black night. The few shacks that circled the clearing were in darkness and there was not a soul to be seen.
Lani, who’d woken up a couple of hours earlier, was the first to speak. “Where are we?” she whispered, like she thought her voice would be enough to wake the community.
“This is where we will camp tonight,” Aurelio said, shutting off the engine. “Tomorrow we continue the journey on foot.”
“Oh.”
All of a sudden Lani didn’t sound quite so excited. Just the opposite. There was a hint of fear in her voice, a rare show of vulnerability that made her seem almost childlike. Maybe it was the solid darkness that was doing her in. Whatever it was, it felt good to have her sidle close to him and reach for his hand.
When she slid her hand into his it reminded him of how tiny she was and he felt a surge of protectiveness flow through him. Even after that brutal journey he was glad he’d insisted on making the trip with her. She was a tough little cookie and an independent soul but that didn’t mean she didn’t need protecting. She was his wife and it was his duty to ensure her safety. It was a responsibility he took seriously.
When Aurelio went around to the back of the Jeep and began off-loading their gear Lani moved closer to whisper in Ridge’s ear. “I wonder where everybody is? The place looks so deserted.”
“This is probably just a camp ground for hikers,” he speculated. “Maybe it’s empty except when travelers pass through.”
“You’re probably right,” she whispered back. “I’m going to guess we’re the only ones here.” There was a pause as she looked around, peering through the darkness. “Kind of scary-looking, too.”
“As long as we’re the only ones here,” he said, giving her hand a squeeze, “we’ll be all right.”
Ridge soon had to leave Lani by the Jeep and go over to help Aurelio set up the tents. Within minutes of leaving her Lani was again by his side.
“Let me help,” she said. “I’ll hold the flashlight.”
It may have been because she wanted to be helpful or it may have been because she didn’t want to be too far away but Ridge didn’t care. He was glad to have her close. It hadn’t been easy, working on the tent and having to glance back at the Jeep every few seconds to make sure she was okay. Now, with her just an arm's length away, he could work much faster.
Within the hour they’d set up both tents and secured their gear. Aurelio bid them a cheerful goodnight then disappeared inside his tent, leaving Ridge and Lani to their own devices. With the most logical next move being bed and sleep they rolled out their sleeping bags inside the tent that had seemed fairly spacious until they had to fit two sleeping bags in it with all their stuff. It ended up being a tight squeeze but they made it work. At one point Ridge thought of suggesting that they share just one sleeping bag but then he ditched the idea. The last thing he wanted was to trigger a fight. He could imagine they would have a happy spectator in Aurelio.
In the end none of that mattered because they were so exhausted that they both crashed on top of the bags, boots and backpacks and bottles of water scattered all around them. Ridge didn’t know himself until next morning after the sun had come up and Lani had already slipped out of the tent.
He sat up, his back aching from his firm bed of solid ground. Rubbing his eyes, he yawned then pushed forward onto his knees and crawled out of the tent. When he peered out it was to see Lani and Aurelio already in hiking gear, looking like they were ready to head out.
“Hey,” he called out, “are you guys leaving? Without me?”