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‘Can you hear that?’ Jabuti said hearing the distant screams.
‘Yes, Mapi,’ replied. ‘We must hurry, Wanadi is in trouble.’
‘Men, be on your guard,’ Esteban warned them.
Alerted by the screams, they doubled their pace and began to run.
After some time, Rapau turned to Esteban and said, ‘They have left.’
‘Who?’ Esteban panted.
‘The head-hunters.’
‘They’ve got what they need,’ Jabuti said. ‘Quick, there’s no time to waste.’
No sooner had he uttered those words they rounded a bend, and he fell backwards as he ran into a solid object.
‘Jabuti?’
‘Wanadi?’ Jabuti spluttered as he caught his breath.
‘I can’t believe it. I thought I’d never see you again,’ Wanadi said holding out his hand to help Jabuti up.
But Jabuti just sat there and looked up at his friend and then began to laugh. Soon he was laughing hysterically, and Wanadi looked around in confusion. Despite himself, Wanadi joined in along with everyone else.
Shaking his head as the merriment died down, he said, ‘What’s so funny?’
‘Nothing. I’m just so glad to see you,’ he said taking Wanadi’s hand.
As he pulled him up, they both embraced.
‘Was that the governor’s screams?’ Jabuti said.
‘Yes.’
‘Is it over?’
‘I think it is.’
‘I can’t believe we all made it,’ Jabuti said as Mapi joined them.
‘I’m so pleased for you,’ Esteban said.
‘Sir, I am Baltasar, captain of the governor’s ship. Punish me as you see fit.’
‘This is Jabuti’s land,’ Esteban said. ‘It is up to him.’
‘I think we all want to go home,’ Jabuti simply stated.
‘There we have it. You can take Giraldo and Manuel with you,’ Esteban said. ‘You may return home upon your ship. I will send one of my men with you with my written orders.’
After their unexpected reunion, the three friends began catching up with each other once more. With so much tension being a staple of their lives until recently the laughter rang from the treetops. They would have stood there talking all day were it not for Esteban interrupting them.
‘I’m sorry to ask, but can you take us to the gold now?’ he said.
‘Of course, come,’ Jabuti laughed. ‘You and your men must be rewarded.’
‘Hernando, Luis, will you return to the village with the captain and his men?’
‘Of course, Esteban,’ Hernando replied.
‘I have your word that you will cause no more trouble?’ Esteban said to Baltasar.
‘No, sir. I am keen to return home; the ship is reward enough.’ Turning to Jabuti he said, ‘I promise that I will make no mention of your land and the treasures that it holds, you have my word.’
The three friends bade their farewells to the priests as they returned to their village.
‘Come, Jabuti. Let us make haste, you must be keen to return to your family,’ Esteban said.
‘Family,’ Jabuti repeated. ‘That is a strange word to me.’
‘But you do have one, Jabuti. It is true,’ Mapi said.
Jabuti smiled. ‘I feel nervous, I’ve been away for so long.’
‘Do not worry, you know you will be welcome,’ Wanadi said. ‘Let us lead our friends to the gold.’
With that being said the group began trekking through the rainforest towards their destination. Several back-breaking days later they reached their goal. Several of the men let out whistles as they saw the temple rising up in front of them. Others gasped and just stood in awe at the spectacle.
The men looked on in amazement at the most amazing structure they had ever seen. Their eyes rested upon an immense, ancient structure that rose high above them and up into the forest canopy. Symmetrical on each of its three sides, it had small steps around the sides of the structure and larger ones rising up through the middle. Perched high upon the object was a flat-roofed building with spaces in the walls and a large entrance. It held grotesque carvings of men’s faces, sculpted in various states of terror and intense pain. The haunting figures were balanced though, by beautiful swirls and intricate markings etched into the stone. It seemed, however, that the forest resented the building’s intrusion into its world, as it slowly reclaimed its territory with vines and creepers exploring every nook and crevice.
‘This really is a magnificent sight,’ Esteban said.
‘When I first saw it, I could not believe that men built it,’ Jabuti said. ‘But after all that I have seen...’
‘Quite a journey, eh?’
Jabuti nodded.
‘Men, we shall camp here for the night,’ Esteban said. ‘Lorenzo, see to it that the men are fed and well rested.’
‘Yes, sir.’
‘I’ll leave you three to talk,’ Esteban said to the friends.
‘I just can’t get rid of you two, can I?’ Wanadi said.
They laughed easily and then began chatting, often talking over each other, such were the momentous happenings over the last few years.
‘If you had known what was going to happen, would you have left?’ Mapi asked of Jabuti.
‘Yes. I was lost before, but now...’ he said becoming lost in his thoughts.
‘Yes?’
‘It’s like the rain has stopped.’
Wanadi and Mapi looked around them and exchanged curious looks.
‘I’m not going crazy,’ he smiled, seeing their expressions. ‘It’s as if the clouds have parted.’
‘What are you talking about?’ Wanadi said.
‘I’m happy.’
‘Why didn’t you just say that?’ Wanadi laughed.