The story will include a glossary at the bottom for the understanding of non-english words used.
The traveller waits in a small muddy clearing in front of what he presumed was the only shop in the village. He stares at the worn down facade of the building, thinking of the many small stores he has encountered during past travels. This shop in particular is not special compared to the vast array he has seen. The battered yellow sign in front reads Víveres Tomás, with the Pilsener logo embedded to it. The building itself is similar to the rest of the village, a makeshift hut made of wood, topped with a rusty iron roof. The front of the shop consists of a rugged porch lifted by two rotting wooden pillars and a barred counter. Behind the bars the traveller spots the products for sale, safely locked away behind the bars.
He turns and looks around, waiting for the right moment to start his spectacle. The traveller observes a few small children sporting tattered clothes, dirty from playing outside.They point and look at him, then run away whispering among themselves.The traveller lays down his pack and heads toward the store.
“Buenas! –Is anyone there?” the traveller asks.
“Voy!” a voice replies from inside the store. Quite shortly, a small man wearing a Pilsener shirt shows up and heads to the counter.
“What do you need?”
The traveller looks around the shop, his gaze landing on the beverages stored in a small freezer behind Tomás. He turns away and shifts his focus on Tomás himself. He peers into two round, black eyes, lazily staring back at him, full of complacency and mediocrity.
“What’s the best non-alcoholic drink you’ve got?”
“I’ve got water, Fanta, Kola Gallito, Coca Cola and Fiora.”
The traveller looks at the beverages again and then back at Tomás.
“Which one do you like the most?
“Kola Gallito, I’ve had it my whole life.”
“I’ll take a Fiora then.”
With that, the traveller grabs his pink drink and heads back to his pack in the clearing. A few villagers arrived at the clearing, curious,who stare intriguingly toward his pack. The traveller smiles and adjusts his worn down fez. He then proceeds to walk toward them. The villagers notice the traveller approaching and wave in greeting.
“Bienvenido to Rio Verde,” one of them says.
The traveller waves back, and nods in acknowledgement. He then walks to the closest villager, a muscular woman wearing a bright blue and yellow dress. The traveller looks down at her and their eyes lock. He fixes his gaze and stares into her soul. Her pale brown eyes reveal kindness and protectiveness underneath, a strong will that no man could ever bend to his will. The traveller blinks and walks away, leaving Marta gasping and in a fit of confusion.
The villagers stand there, silent and alert, as the traveller walks over to the man who greeted him initially. The man tries to speak, fumbles his words and ends up looking straight into the travellers eyes. The traveller opens a door within the man and peeks into his soul. The dark shiny black eyes reveal a mask, a mask the man wears around strangers and familiars alike, that he never removes. He blinks and shakes his head, then leaves Pedro, who is now unbalanced and disoriented.
Presentation
The traveller turns and looks around to see a large group of villagers have assembled around him. He listens to the hushed voices unravelling around him and the kids pointing fingers at him. Swiftly, he takes a large swig of his Fiora and deposits it in his bag. He takes a step away from his pack and takes off his fez and clears his throat. The whole world around him quells its noise and stares intently, waiting for the traveller to reveal his secrets to them.
“Salaam Alaikum. My name is Ahmed. I have travelled across the world collecting the finest animal parts to sell the best products to the best of people.” Ahmed says in a foreign accent. He then bows down and beckons everyone to come closer. Around him the villagers slowly approach him, tense, curiosity lighting their eyes. Ahmed smiles and opens his pack and starts removing items to showcase. First he takes out a slender ivory tusk. The villagers marvel at the odd shape, the glistening white colour. Hands reach out to touch and feel the smooth surface of the tusk.
Ahmed leaves the tusk on the ground and takes a large sheet of crocodile skin. The skin is a mix of soft yellow and pitch black scales, with a symmetrical pattern so perfect that it leaves the villagers awestruck. Again, the villagers reach out for the skin and gently touch it, not wanting to tarnish the impeccable pattern. Ahmed stares down at the villagers, smiling as his merchandise provides the desired attention.
“Which animal does this belong to?”
“Where did you get this giant white tooth?”
“How much for the skin?”
The chorus of the crowds roars passionately with questions, but Ahmed answers none. He has yet to find what he is looking for. Ahmed proceeds to look into the crowd and peer at each villager’s soul. Pairs of eyes after eyes meet his gaze, curiosity, anticipation, excitement, mystery, wonder, boredom, laziness, but none bear what he is looking for. Ahmed frowns, and pulls out one last item from his pack.
Slowly, he takes a long string, blackened from time and repeated use and raises it above his pack. The crowd grows silent as Ahmed slowly lifts the string out, higher and higher. Up and up it goes, until Ahmed has completely outstretched his arm upward. Rapidly he starts spinning the string in his hand and the string keeps coming out of the pack. The villagers watch silently at the strange presentation before them, string spewing out endlessly from the pack. Suddenly, Ahmed stops. His arm is now completely wrapped in string and he now stretches it out in front of him. He resumes his spinning this time however, he spins the string with the utmost care and focus, as a giant spider is revealed from within the pack.
The villagers gasp as the tarantula is raised, dangling from the end of the string. Eight long furry legs stretch out, coloured in bright brown tones. Its lifeless black eyes stare at the villagers gloomily, slowly changing direction as it dangles around on its string. Its long sharp fangs glisten in the daylight.
The villagers stare, wide eyed at the spider and take a step back. Slowly the crowd retreats around Ahmed and everyone becomes tense and alert again. Everyone, except for a young little girl wearing a white dress. The girl’s gaze is locked onto the spider and her eyes sparkle with awe. She is too focused on the spider to notice that she stands alone in front of the traveller. Ahmed smiles. Slowly he walks up to her, dangling the spider with one hand and kneels in front of the girl. The girl snaps out of her trance and looks at Ahmed straight in the eyes. Ahmed locks her gaze and dives into her soul. Her soft hazel eyes reveal passion, curiosity, and most of all, passion. Ahmed stands up and looks at the girl.
“What’s your name, little one?” Ahmed asks.
“Carmen.” she replies. “Can I hold it?”
“Yes. You can.” Ahmed replies as he pulls the string with both hands and breaks it. He then crouches down and hands over the taxidermied spider to Carmen. Ahmed leans in and whispers softly into her ear.
“Want me to teach you how to talk to animals?”
Carmen’s eyes light up and she nods. Ahmed grins. He leaves Carmen with the tarantula and turns around to address the rest of the villagers who overcame their fear and closed in around him again.
“Interested in buying something? I’m ready to answer any and all questions.”
To be continued…
Glossary
Víveres: provisions
Buenas: slang greeting
Voy: coming
Pilsener: Local Ecuadorian beer brand
Kola Gallito: yellow Ecuadorian fizzy drink
Fiora: short for Fioravanti, Ecuadorian fizzy fruity soft drink
Salaam Aleikum: Peace be upon you, an Arabic greeting
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