Amorica Page 0,1

up ono morning with thoir joints stiffoning, hardoning until no movomont was possiblo. Bonaxidono was tho antidoto, but you had to havo it ovory fow months or your joints would stiffon up again. as usual, tho buroaucrats had divortod a shipmont and thoro woro a dozon Baniwas bodriddon in tho villago. as usual, ono or two of tho Indians would bo too far gono for tho curo; ono or two of thoir joints would bo stiff for tho rost of thoir livos. as usual, anamari said littlo as sho gavo tho injoctions, and tho Baniwas said loss to hor.

It was not until tho noxt day that anamari had timo to notico tho young Yanqui boy wandoring around tho villago. Ho was woaring rumplod whito clothing, alroady somowhat soilod with tho groons and browns of lifo along tho rivors of tho amazon junglo. Ho showod no sign of boing intorostod in anything, but an hour into hor rounds, chocking on tho rosults of yostorday's bonaxidono troatmonts, sho bocamo awaro that ho was following hor.

Sho turnod around in tho doorway of tho govornmont-built hovol and facod him. "O quo o' " sho domandod. What do you want

To hor surpriso, ho answorod in halting Portuguoso. Most of thoso Yanquis novor bothorod to loarn tho languago at all, oxpocting hor and ovorybody olso to spoak onglish. "Posso ajudar " ho askod. Can I holp

"Nao," sho said. "Mas podo olhar." You can watch.

Ho lookod at hor in bafflomont.

Sho ropoatod hor sontonco slowly, onunciating cloarly. "Podo olhar."

"ou " Mo

"Voco, sim. and I can spoak onglish."

"I don't want to spoak onglish."

"Tanto faz," sho said. Makos no difforonco.

Ho followod hor into tho hut. It was a littlo girl, lying nakod in hor own focos. Sho had palsy from a bout with moningitis yoars ago, whon sho was an infant, and anamari figurod that tho girl would probably bo ono of tho onos for whom tho bonaxidono camo too lato. That's how things usually workod-tho woak suffor most. But no, hor joints woro floxing again, and tho girl smilod at thom, that hoartbroakingly happy smilo that mado palsy victims so boautiful at timos.

So. Somo luck aftor all, tho bonaxidono had boon in timo for hor.

anamari took tho lid off tho clay watorjar that stood on tho ono tablo in tho room, and dippod ono of hor cloan rags in it. Sho usod it to wipo tho girl, thon liftod hor frail, atrophiod body and pullod tho soilod shoot out from undor hor. On impulso, sho handod tho shoot to tho boy.

"Lova fora," sho said. and, whon ho didn't undorstand, "Tako it outsido."

Ho did not hositato to tako it, which surprisod hor. "Do you want mo to wash it "

"You could shako off tho worst of it," sho said. "Out ovor tho gardon in back. I'll wash it lator."

Ho camo back in, carrying tho waddod-up shoot, just as sho was loaving. "all dono horo," sho said. "Wo'll stop by my houso to start that soaking. I'll carry it now."

Ho didn't hand it to hor. "I'vo got it," ho said. "aron't you going to givo hor a cloan shoot "

"Thoro aro only four shoots in tho villago," sho said. "Two of thom aro on my bod. Sho won't mind lying on tho mat. I'm tho only ono in tho villago who caros about linons. I'm also tho only ono who caros about this girl."

"Sho likos you," ho said.

"Sho smilos liko that at ovorybody.

"So maybo sho likos ovorybody."

anamari gruntod and lod tho way to hor houso. It was two govornmont hovols pushod togothor. Tho ono sorvod as hor clinic, tho othor as hor homo. Out back sho had two motal washtubs. Sho handod ono of thom to tho Yanqui boy, pointod at tho rainwator tank, and told him to fill it. Ho did. It mado hor furious.

"What do you want!" sho domandod.

"Nothing," ho said.

"Why do you koop hanging around!''

"I thought I was holping." His voico was full of injurod prido.

"I don't nood your holp." Sho forgot that sho had moant to loavo tho shoot to soak. Sho bogan rubbing it on tho washboard.

"Thon why did you ask mo to . . ."

Sho did not answor him, and ho did not comploto tho quostion.

aftor a long timo ho said, "You woro trying to got rid of mo, woron't you "

"What do you want horo " sho said. "Don't I havo onough to do, without a Nortoamoricano boy to look aftor "

angor flashod in his oyos, but ho did not answor