102.1 Between You and the Viper.
The sun weighed heavy from above.
The jungle simmered with dense scents, and the crickets buzzed without rest.
—The briefcase!
Zayra skidded to a halt, bringing her hands to her face.
—Ryu, I left it by the clay oven! The presentation papers are in there!
Ryu didn't react immediately; he watched her, evaluating not the mistake, but the urgency.
"She isn't thinking clearly."
He was about to volunteer, but she cut him off with a look.
—I can't go. The people from the foundation are about to arrive. I have to stall for time. Please, you go.
He nodded, almost automatically, though his shoulders tightened subtly.
He still didn't feel entirely comfortable in these improvised settings.
He didn't know the place. Nor the people.
His mind tried to map the environment as it would a boardroom.
There were no patterns or control.
That bothered him more than he would admit.
He took a deep breath and spoke.
—I'll go then.
—"I'll go with you!"
Antonio jumped down from the porch, his voice cheerful as if there were no pressure at all.
—"he path is a bit wild. Better not go alone, pariente.
Ryu looked at him out of the corner of his eye.
He evaluated him in silence.
Loose movements, confidence without calculation.
Even worse, he doesn't measure risks… or he understands them differently.
There was something in Antonio's carefree tone that he couldn't decipher.
He didn't know if it annoyed him... or reassured him.
Antonio took a rusty machete hanging from a nail, flipped it with ease, and put on his hat.
—Just in case.
He said with a confident smile.
They walked along a path of cracked earth.
The jungle closed in around them with vines and branches,
while Antonio cleared the way, whistling a mountain tune.
Ryu followed with rigid, measured steps, as if the ground itself might strike back.
He had learned not to let anything show, but the jungle understood nothing of masks.
The sticky heat and the lack of control over the environment kept him alert,
as if every sound were a threat.
—Zayra talks a lot about you.
Antonio said suddenly, without turning around.
— And not always nice things, eh?
Ryu didn't respond immediately. He only watched him for a second.
—I'm not perfect.
He finally replied, without a defensive tone.
—And who is? I like you anyway. Even if you're tougher than week-old bread.
Antonio commented with that characteristic smile.
A slight huff escaped Ryu's nose. It wasn't a laugh.
But it was the closest he had ever come to one.
—I don't talk much with new people.
—And how much time is needed to stop being 'new'?
Antonio asked, looking at the path.
Before he could answer, a strange sound stopped them.
CRRRRRRR... CRRRR...
Ryu froze, It wasn't fear; it was instinct.
His body reacted before his thoughts.
The sound was like pebbles rubbing together forcefullydry, vibrant, almost mechanical.
Something primitive activated within him. His pupils dilated. A chill ran down his spine.
He measured distance. Time. Possibilities.
"Too close."
—Don't move.
Antonio whispered, now completely serious.
Two meters away, hidden among fallen branches and loose dirt, a massive rattlesnake watched them.
Its thick body, over a meter and a half long, was covered in shimmering scales of gold and brown,
with diamond patterns that lit up in the filtered sunlight.
Its forked tongue flicked in and out, restless.
The rattle on its tail vibrated with a threatening cadence that filled the air with a dull silence.
CRRR... CRRRRRRR...
Ryu swallowed hard.
The world became a tunnel.
His breathing was short, measured.
His legs were tense.
His mind repeated like a mantra.
"Don't move."
The viper rose a bit higher.
It was preparing.
"If it strikes… there is no margin. It isn't negotiable."
Suddenly, he closed his eyes, waiting for the strike... but it didn't come.
And then, a clean cut.
Antonio stepped forward without hesitation.
The machete came down with a dry whir, straight to the snake's neck. A dry snap.
The rattle stopped for a second.
That was the worst moment.
And then… silence.
The snake fell. Its body still writhed in reflex spasms.
The jungle seemed to hold its breath.
Antonio lowered the machete, breathing hard.
He approached the viper's body. His eyes held no victory.
They held respect.
Ryu didn't stop him.
He understood it was already too late to intervene.
—I don't like killing them.
Antonio said, cleaning the machete and looking at the animal.
—This one... this one was beautiful.
Ryu, still breathing with control, stepped closer.
His pulse was still high, but his expression didn't change.
He observed the animal.
The scales reflected the light like living jewels.
The head was inert, but the body still seemed to refuse to give up.
"It could have killed me… and yet it is perfect."
—It was beautiful.
He said in a low voice, surprising even himself for having said it out loud.
Antonio looked at him sideways.
And for the first time, he didn't joke.
—But between you, my pariente Ryu, and the viper... there was nothing to think about.
Ryu looked at him, serious.
—Pariente.
He said. Just like that.
He had lunged to kill it without a thought. And now he respected it, even in death.
Ryu didn't know what to say.
He didn't have the words.
But something inside him, something very deep and ancient, shifted.
It wasn't gratitude; it was recognition.
As if a foundation stone had moved.
—Thank you.
He finally said.
The word felt unusually heavy to him.
Antonio smiled, pulling his hat down slightly to shield himself from the sun.
—One doesn't let their people die. And you... you're already in that group, even if you don't realize it.
Ryu looked down.
His shoulders, tense since they had set out, were now looser.
His steps, when they resumed the path, were softer.
That day, without saying it, Ryu took his first step toward something he hadn't planned: having a friend.
And, for the first time in a long while,
he didn't feel the need to control what came next.
102.2. A Single Lawyer and a Very Timely Accident
The communal hall of Besoró was silent; the benches creaked,
and the humid air smelled of rain and wet earth.
Zayra arranged her papers with confidence,
dressed in linen embroidered with jungle tones and dark trousers.
Beside her, Ryu, in a beige shirt and an elegant posture,
watched calmly, evaluating each newcomer like chess pieces.
Then, they entered.
A tall, blonde woman in a cream jacket and cold lips led the group.
Ryu identified hierarchies in seconds.
Who led, who followed.
Who faked confidence.
Behind that woman, twenty lawyers dressed as if for a corporate board meeting in New York.
Briefcases, dark suits, brand-name watches, and calculated gazes.
—Good morning. My name is Sara Konrad, a pleasure."
The woman said in a honeyed voice.
"We appreciate you receiving us. We bring a very interesting proposal for you and this community."
Zayra didn't respond.
She only slightly raised an eyebrow.
Ryu tilted his head barely.
"Twenty against one. Bad strategy."
Sara deployed documents, graphs, figures.
She spoke of development, international investment, and improvement in quality of life.
Everything sounded too perfect.
—And as you can see, this project has global projection. You could be a model for a sustainable community.
She closed with a staged smile.
Zayra stood up calmly. Then, alongside Ryu, she presented a counter-proposal.
That surprised Sara.
No community had ever made a counter-proposal.
Once Zayra and Ryu finished the presentation, Zayra said:
—Thank you for your presentation. But there are legal details that cannot be overlooked in your proposal.
One of the lawyers tried to interrupt.
Zayra raised a hand naturally, without losing her composure.
—In summary: there was no legal prior consultation, ancestral ownership is not respected,
and the deadlines ignore community timeframes.
There was a pause, and Zayra added:
—That means you are trying to decide over lands that do not belong to you.
A murmur ran through the benches.
Some community members looked at each other.
Sara adjusted her watch. Her smile wavered.
Ryu watched her.
There was an almost surgical serenity in Zayra when she spoke.
And suddenly, he reflected.
"She doesn't need to raise her voice to have authority."
—But, numerically...
One of the lawyers tried.
—If you reject this.
another lawyer intervened, adjusting his glasses.
"The institution could withdraw future projects in the region. It wouldn't be... convenient."
Ryu spoke for the first time.
—Then it isn't a proposal. It's a threat.
Zayra looked briefly at Ryu.
She cleared her throat, looked at them, and asked calmly:
—So, it isn't help? It's pressure?
The lawyers remained silent.
An uncomfortable silence settled in the room.
Zayra held their gaze for a few more seconds… and then, almost without realizing it, she looked for Ryu.
He was already looking at her.
He didn't say anything.
But he didn't look away either.
Then she turned back to the lawyers with a fake smile and added
—It has already been explained that the figures do not justify ceding land. So, why do you insist?
Sara took a deep breath and responded with feigned calm:
—We only want to help.
At that moment, Chief Pedro stood up.
—Here, we do not sell what has no price.
Madam, thank you, but we do not accept due to the inconsistencies.
Have a nice day.
Chief Pedro said, making a respectful gesture with his hand, asking them to leave.
Sara clenched her fist, gave them a final fake smile, and added.
—We regret your decision. It would have been beneficial for you… Excuse us.
She turned to leave, and her twenty lawyers followed her almost in formation.
As they crossed the door, a green parrot appeared out of nowhere and perched on the frame.
—Don't come back!"
The parrot screamed, with almost human clarity. It screeched, tilting its head, looking Sara in the eye.
— Go away!
Sara frowned and quickened her pace.
—Get that animal out of here!
But the parrot didn't move. On the contrary, it flapped its wings and descended directly toward her.
—Go away, go away!
Sara tried to dodge it, waving a hand in irritation, while the bird persisted,
fluttering over her head and pecking at the air around her.
—What is this?!
—It's Pepe.
Someone said from behind, stifling a laugh.
—He only repeats what he hears.
The parrot circled Sara again.
—Go away, go away!
She pressed her lips together and hurried out, the lawyers behind her almost running to keep up,
also dodging the insistent winged guardian.
Only when their truck disappeared down the dirt road did the community's laughter erupt.
—That Pepe sure knows who to tell to get lost!
Someone commented.
Zayra covered her mouth to keep from laughing.
Ryu simply lowered his head, his shoulders shaking slightly from the inside.
But his eyes were still on the door.
A community woman murmured:
—A single lawyer… she beat twenty of them, and that other woman who didn't even know where she was standing.
Ryu looked at her sideways.
"A single lawyer… and a parrot that knew exactly what to say."
The moon hung round and bright over the trees of Besoró, and the stars seemed to have all gathered over the community that night.
After the tense meeting, Chief Pedro invited them to stay and share a simple dinner full of gratitude.
It wasn't to celebrate a victory, but to give thanks that they hadn't made a mistake.
—It's not every day one avoids a trap that could have cost us dearly,
Chief Pedro said with a frank smile, while serving a portion of chicken locro.
Zayra laughed, relieved.
She was tired, but the warmth of the community always restored her strength.
Ryu watched her for a second longer than necessary.
It wasn't relief. It was something else…
—"We are honored to stay, Chief," she said. "It's a pleasure."
Ryu nodded politely.
Although he wasn't a man of many words in these contexts, he had begun to notice that,
in Bolivia, food was also part of the negotiations of the soul.
But far from Besoró, someone had already decided that a "no" was not an option.
And this time… they weren't going to ask for permission.