Beyond the Horizon

Chapter 11

Hiking into the rainforest the next day they struggled along a trail through thick undergrowth. Overhanging branches from the trees seemed to press in on them and the tropical heat felt suffocating. Both Florence and Jean felt nervous, it was creepy. The snap of a branch made them jump - were these the strange people they had heard about watching them.
“Can we go back?” Jean said, “I feel scared.”
“We’ll just go a little bit further,” Ron said. Just then a tiny figure appeared in front of them wielding a spear and wearing nothing but a loincloth made of bark. They all froze.
“Stand still and don’t speak…” Ron said under his breath. He held out his hands palms upward hoping that they would understand that they meant no harm and carried no weapons. The little man beckoned toward the trees making a strange grunting sound and silently some women and children started to emerge and the women were even smaller than the little man standing only about three feet tall. Apart from a string of beads around their necks they were bare breasted and wearing a similar loincloth to the men. Children looking like little dolls were clinging to their breasts or hiding behind their legs. Florence and Jean stared in utter shock and amazement. Were these the fabled pygmies who originated from the first hunter gatherers known to man?
They didn't appear to be threatening and chattered to their Chief who suddenly sent them back into the dense trees. Turning towards Ron he pointed his spear towards him making it obvious that he wanted them to follow him.
“We’d better go,” Ron said, “although he is small I’m sure he is really accurate with that spear and it may be tipped with poison." Florence and Jean clung together too frightened to do anything other than just follow along. Several yards in they came to a clearing which appeared to be a small village surrounded by mud huts. A fire was burning in the center of a circle and as they approached the sound of drums started as the villagers all gathered around. A woman came and took their hands and led them to a place on the ground to sit. Once again the rhythmic beat of the drums raised their already heightened senses. A wooden bowl was passed around and they were urged to drink. It was a foul-tasting liquid, but fortunately they only had a small sip as the bowl was so tiny. They began to feel ethereal and very relaxed. The drums slowly went silent as a Witch doctor stepped into the middle of the circle. He was much smaller, but similar to the Witch doctor that Jean remembered from the marketplace. He sat down opening his bag spilling the contents of bones, feathers, and his shaman herbal remedies onto the ground. Arranging the bones as they fell he then moved around the circle chanting incantations over each person until he came to them. He waved feathers over them shouting in a loud and aggressive way and pointing a bony finger at each of them he made some grunting noises.
They stayed completely silent as they sensed a cloud of darkness swirling around them.
He suddenly stopped pointing at them and held out his hand, "He wants us to give him something," Ron muttered quietly under his breath. "Give him your bracelet, Florence, and anything you have in your pocket, Jean.” Ron gave him some money as Florence slipped off her bracelet and handed it to him. Jean dug through her pocket and found a Saint Christopher medallion that she carried round with her. A friend had given this to her to take with her whenever she traveled. Saint Christopher was the patron Saint of travelers and supposed to keep her safe. Reluctantly she handed it over to this frightening little man. He grabbed it and then let out a howling scream and flung it on the ground. Stepping backwards he turned and ran. Jean picked it up as all the people turned away and melted into the forest and they were left on their own.
“Let’s get out of here fast,” said Ron as they stumbled through the brush and back onto the trail. None of them spoke until they got back into the truck. It seemed like a bad dream.
"Do you think that God kept us safe?" Florence said. "It does seem as if there were supernatural powers at work. That Witch doctor was an evil man and certainly felt the power of goodness when he took the medallion in his hand. There is so much we don’t understand.” Jean nodded, but once again she went back to all the questions she still had after her church experience at school so many years ago.