Miguel smiled with a mouthful of white, glistening teeth and waved to Anna, ignoring Buck’s glower.
The three friends were enjoying breakfast, and it was a real treat—handmade tortillas, eggs and beans topped with cream. The hotel’s small dining room was packed with weekend tourists. All the freshly squeezed papaya and pineapple juice were consumed quickly.
“Man, I still can’t believe you won’t try the granadia fruit,” Buck ribbed Nick.
“I don’t eat anything that looks like brains,” Nick teased back.
“I think it must be similar to passion fruit, but it’s tasty. The girl at the front desk told me they call it booger fruit because of the mucus-like texture,” Buck laughed.
“Even more reason not to try it.”
The meal finished, they piled into Miguel’s van, and much to their guide’s chagrin, Buck claimed the front passenger seat again.
“Our pilots pick us up at four this afternoon,” Buck said. “I figure that gives us plenty of time to look around, but keeps us from flying at night.”
“I think I’d rather walk back,” Nick said as he looked at the cloudless sky. “Let’s hope it stays like this.”
“So then it’s home tomorrow, Dr. Hart?” Anna asked without enthusiasm.
“I feel the same way, Anna. I’m not sure I’m ready to head back to the ol’ salt mine.” He smiled at her.
“So, are we headed to El Zapote?” Miguel asked, starting up the van. “The zapote fruit is coming into season so maybe you can try one there.”
“Just so they don’t look like a body part,” Nick put in.
Miguel looked at him curiously in the rearview mirror.
“They tried to get me to eat some slimy fruit today,” Nick explained.
“I understand. The fruta de mocos, I bet.”
They all laughed.
“Can I ask why you want to go to El Zapote?” Miguel asked. “There is not very much to see there, I could show you more ruins up north,” he added enthusiastically. “I will even buy you a zapote here in town.”
“Thanks, Miguel, but we want go to El Zapote. I have a long-lost cousin that I want to visit there.” Buck told him.
“Really?” Miguel asked.
“Do I look Guatemalan?” Buck said sarcastically.
“Geez, Buck, give the boy a break. You remember being twenty-five, don’t you?” Nick punched his shoulder.
I’m watching you. Making the universal sign, Buck put his fingers to his eyes and then pointed at Miguel, and they all laughed.
* * *
Suk and his comrades were getting a late start, and he was frustrated. Hwang and Cho had drunk themselves into a stupor again last night, and they took their own sweet time preparing the vehicle and trailer with the sprayer.
Suk glanced at his watch. Finally, Hwang and Cho, still reeking of alcohol, piled into the SUV. The drive to Melcho de Mencos was more than an hour. They would arrive by 9:15, plenty of time to spray and return to Flores before the DHL office closed at noon. The limited hours on Saturday were a hassle, but Suk could hardly wait to share the good news with Professor Kwon—the success of the aerosolization.
* * *
The El Zapote village chief was surprised to see the Americans. Very few ventured this far from the Maya ruins. The community reminded Nick of Isabella’s village with a central well and gathering spot. Mud and thatched roof homes were scattered around.
The chief was even more surprised when he heard they were friends of Dr. John. Welcoming them to his village, he explained that the good doctor had visited them a number of times and had fixed his wife’s nagging hernia at the Hope Center three years ago. They were both extremely grateful to Dr. John.
The village appeared to have no electricity, so when the man invited them into his home, their eyes took a moment to adjust from the bright sun outside.
The chief encouraged them to sit at a handmade wooden table in the center of the room. Anna interpreted for the group. She had thought ahead to stop at a local bakery and gifted the man with a large sack of bread.
The man handed the bag to his wife, who shuffled to a corner to slice the loaf. She returned quickly with a plate of sliced bread and a small jar of jelly. She also brought a pitcher of juice covered with a towel to keep the buzzing flies from the sweet nectar.
Nick saw there was no refrigeration and decided to skip the jelly, but it would be rude to refuse the juice.
“The chief thanks you for coming, but asks why you have come this far? He also asks about Dr. John,” Anna translated.
“He doesn’t know?” Nick looked at the toothless elder’s smile and then at Anna.
“It doesn’t look that way. A lot of these villages are pretty isolated.”
When Nick looked into the old man’s eyes, the elder’s smile left as he read Nick’s face. The news was not good. “I’m afraid Dr. John was killed,” Nick said. “He is no longer with us.” Nick hoped that Anna would help in the translation.
The old man made the sign of the cross over his face, and his wife gasped.
“I cannot believe this,” the man said.
The woman cried.
Nick was glad Anna told them the story and he didn’t have to repeat it.
Finally, the old man put his hand on top of Nick’s. “I am so sorry for your loss.”
Nick realized that Anna must have told the chief that he and John were best friends.
“Gracias, gracias,” Nick replied. “I’m sorry that you had to hear this news from us. You had not heard anything about this?”
“No, no, we have not. Dr. John was a saint of a man, this I know. Whoever did this awful thing to him will rot in hell. That you can be assured.”
“Thank you for your kindness, but I have to ask you a question.”
“Certainly, anything.”
“When we were going through Dr. John’s things, we found a map and a journal. It said that a number of villages in the area were without recent births—that these villages have gone a number of months without any new pregnancies or babies. The journal entry was close to a year ago. I wanted to come out here to see for myself and to check if there is any possible connection to John’s death.”
As Anna translated, Nick could tell he had hit on a great sadness for both the chief and his wife. The woman wiped her tears.
The man took a small sip from his juice glass and cleared his throat. “I am afraid that you talk about a great shame that is over my village.” He looked at his wife and back to Nick. “I do not like to talk about this.” He lowered his voice. “But because you are friends with Dr. John, I will make an exception.”
“I’m sorry to bring you more pain.”
“We have known Dr. and Mrs. John for a number of years now. There had been no babies born to our young people for over six months. We tried everything. We went to the Priest in San Benito and even let the witchdoctor chant over us. It was like a powerful dark spirit had fallen over our village.”
He glanced at his wife for confirmation. She nodded.
“We sent word to the Hope Center and were thrilled when Dr. John came all this way to see us. He examined all the young people and found nothing—everyone was perfectly healthy—something we have always prided ourselves on. He prayed with us over our village. He warned us not to see the witchdoctor again and told me about the spiritual world, the world of good and evil. He even reassured me that God loves us and does not hold any malice against us. He was so kind. We never heard anything more from him. Now I know why, and I’m afraid that God really is mad at us.”
Nick could tell that Anna was reassuring him that this was not the case, that there must be some explanation. But Nick could also tell the man’s heart was hardened to the truth. Nick had one more question. “I’m sorry to pry, but have there been any new pregnancies or children born in the village since then?”
The chief looked at his wife and back at Nick. “No, not one.”
* * *
They stood outside their vehicle parked at the well, saying their goodbyes. Anna prayed over the village, and Nick promised they would look into this problem.
“Uh, before we go, I need to find the latrine.” Miguel held his stomach, and the elder pointed down the hill to the outhouse. Miguel quickly trotted off.
“Woozy stomach,” Buck elbowed Anna. “Must be because he ate zapote fruit.”
“Give him a break, Buck. He’s a pretty nice guy,” Anna reproved him. “And no, I’m not interested,” she said, more firmly than she meant.
Just then they were distracted by a white SUV pulling a trailer coming toward them.
The SUV slowed as its three Asian male passengers stared at Buck, Anna, and Nick. The only exit was around the well and back the way they’d come. The SUV turned, sped up, and took off, churning a storm of dust in its wake.
Nick was frozen in disbelief. He recognized the FOCO logo on the side of the SUV. The letters sat in the middle of a large orange star, just like the image he had seen the other day on their website. He tried to speak and move.
Buck didn’t hesitate. He threw open the door of the van and jumped into the driver’s seat. “Crap.” He slammed his fist on the dashboard. “Miguel has the keys.” He leaned out the door and shouted in the direction of the latrine. “Miguel, get your butt back up here.”
But all they could do was wait.