Forest of the Pygmies (Large Print)
By Isabel Allende
Rebound by Sagebrush
Copyright © 2005
Isabel Allende
All right reserved.
ISBN: 9781417701919
Chapter One
The Market Fortune-teller
At an order from the guide, Michael Mushaha, the elephant caravan came to
a stop. The suffocating heat of midday was beginning, when the creatures
of the vast nature preserve rested. Life paused for a few hours as the
African earth became an inferno of burning lava, and even hyenas and
vultures sought the shade. Alexander Cold and Nadia Santos were riding a
willful bull elephant named Kobi. The animal had taken a liking to Nadia,
because during their time together she had made an effort to learn the
basics of the elephant's language in order to communicate with him. During
their long treks, she told him about her country, Brazil, a distant land
that had no creature as large as he, other than some ancient, legendary
beasts hidden deep in the heart of South America's mountains. Kobi
appreciated Nadia as much as he detested Alexander, and he never lost an
opportunity to demonstrate both sentiments.
Kobi's five tons of muscle and fat shivered to a halt in a small oasis
beneath dusty trees kept alive by a pool of water the color of milky tea.
Alexander had developed his own style of jumping to the ground from his
nine-foot-high perch without mauling himself too badly, since in the five
days of their safari he still had not gained the animal's cooperation. He
was not aware that this time Kobi had positioned himself in such a way
that when Alex jumped down, he landed in a puddle of water up to his
knees. Boroba, Nadia's small black monkey, then jumped on top of him. As
Alex struggled to pry the monkey off his head, he lost his balance and
plopped down on his seat. He cursed to himself, shook off Boroba, and only
with difficulty regained his footing because he couldn't see through his
glasses, which were dripping filthy water. As he was looking for a clean
corner of his T-shirt to wipe the lenses, the elephant thumped him on the
back with his trunk, a blow that propelled him face first into the puddle.
Kobi waited for Alex to pull himself up, then turned his monumental rear
end and unleashed a Pantagruelian blast in his face. The other members of
the safari greeted the prank with a chorus of guffaws.
Nadia was in no hurry to get down; she waited for Kobi to help her
dismount in a more dignified manner. She stepped upon the knee he offered
her, steadied herself on his trunk, and then leaped to the ground with the
grace of a ballerina. The elephant was not that considerate with anyone
else, not even Mushaha, for whom he had respect but not affection. Kobi
was an elephant with clear principles. It was one thing to transport
tourists on his back, a job like any other, for which he was rewarded with
excellent food and mud baths. It was something entirely different to
perform circus tricks for a handful of peanuts. He liked peanuts, he
couldn't deny that, but he received much more pleasure from tormenting
people like Alexander. Why did the American get under his skin? The animal
wasn't sure, it was a matter of chemistry. He didn't like the fact that
Alex was always hanging around Nadia. There were thirteen elephants in the
caravan, but he had to ride with the girl. It was very inconsiderate of
Alex to get between Nadia and him that way. Didn't he realize that they
needed privacy for their conversations? A good whack with the trunk and
occasionally breaking wind in Alex's face were just what that young man
deserved. Kobi trumpeted loudly once Nadia was down and had thanked him by
planting a big kiss on his trunk. The girl had good manners; she would
never humiliate him by offering him peanuts.
"That elephant is infatuated with Nadia," joked Alexander's grandmother,
Kate Cold.
Boroba didn't like the turn Kobi's relationship with his mistress had
taken. He had observed them with some worry. Nadia's interest in learning
the language of the pachyderms could have dangerous consequences for him.
She couldn't be thinking of getting a different pet, could she? Perhaps
the moment had come for him to feign some illness in order to gain his
mistress's total attention, but he was afraid she would leave him in camp
and he would miss the wonderful outings around the preserve. This was his
only chance to see the wild animals and, in addition, he wanted to keep a
close eye on his rival. He installed himself on Nadia's shoulder, claiming
that position as his right, and from there shook his fist at the elephant.
"And this silly monkey is jealous," Kate added.
She was used to Boroba's shift of moods, because she had lived under the
same roof with him for nearly two years. It was like having a freakish,
furry little man in her apartment. And it had been that way from the
beginning, because Nadia had agreed to come to New York to study and live
with Kate only if she could bring Boroba. They were never apart. They were
so inseparable that they had obtained special permission for the monkey to
go to school with her. Boroba was the only monkey in the history of the
city's education system to attend classes regularly. It wouldn't have
surprised Kate to learn that the creature knew how to read. She had
nightmares in which Boroba, sitting on the sofa wearing glasses and
sipping a glass of brandy, was reading the financial section of the Times.
Kate had observed the strange trio formed of Alexander, Nadia, and Boroba
for some time. The monkey, who was jealous of anyone who came too near his
mistress, had at first accepted Alexander as an inevitable evil, but with
time had become fond of the young man. Perhaps he realized that in this
instance it was not a good idea for him to offer Nadia the ultimatum of
"it's him or me," as he usually did. Who knows which of the two she would
have chosen? Kate realized that both young people had changed a lot during
the past year. Nadia would soon be fifteen and her grandson eighteen; they
already had the physical appearance and seriousness of adults.
Continues...
Excerpted from Forest of the Pygmies (Large Print)
by Isabel Allende
Copyright © 2005 by Isabel Allende.
Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
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