📸 Photo

Tomorrow we still have a few more hours to walk.
We have to get there early, before the plane comes.
‘Good night, my love.’

At the break of dawn a heavy rain began pouring down. My prayers and pleas were to no avail. She was awakened by the first drops.

‘Today is the big day, the last day,’ I told her.
‘We aren’t going to let a little rain stop us. Don’t let it get you down. It’s not so bad. When we get to Jaguar Beach, I’ll build you a strong shelter.
You’ll be able to rest, to sleep, until the helicopter comes.

‘You’re hungry? Yes, I know you’re hungry, but we don’t have anything left for breakfast. Don’t worry, I’ll find something to eat in the jungle. You can count on me.’

I couldn’t stand. My feet were soft and mushy, as if a skinless mass of raw, bloody flesh had been poured into my shoes. I couldn’t take a single step, but I knew that my only chance for survival was to walk. I had to get to the shore. If I stayed in the jungle, no one would ever find me. I stumbled forward like a zombie. I discovered traces of the path, but it vanished after a while.

Walking through the dense growth was like marching through hell. I tried to stay as much as possible on soft, muddy ground, to ease the pain of every step I took. I tried to keep my weight on my trusty walking stick and often pulled myself forward by clutching at bushes and branches.