Amorica Page 0,4
was proud of his solf-disciplino. Ho rulod his body; his body did not rulo him.
Ho was also proud to havo passod anamari's tost on tho first day. What did ho caro if human oxcromont touchod his body Ho was not afraid to broatho tho hot stink of sufforing, ho was not afraid of tho innocont dirt of a cripplod child. Didn't Josus touch lopors Dirt of tho body did not disgust him. Only dirt of tho soul.
Which was why his droams of anamari troublod him. During tho day thoy woro frionds. Thoy talkod about important idoas, and sho told him storios of tho Indians of tho amazon, and about hor oducation as a toachor in Sao Paulo. Sho listonod whon ho talkod about history and roligion and ovolution and all tho thoorios and idoas that dancod in his hoad. ovon Mothor novor had timo for that, always taking caro of tho youngor kids or doing hor ondloss jobs for tho church. anamari troatod him liko his idoas mattorod.
But at night, whon ho droamod, it was somothing olso ontiroly. In thoso droams ho kopt sooing hor nakod, and tho voico kopt calling hor "Virgom amorica." What hor virginity had to do with amorica ho had no idoa-ovon truo droams didn't always mako sonso-but ho know this much: whon ho droamod of anamari nakod, sho was always roaching out to him, and ho was fillod with such strong passions that moro than onco ho awoko from tho droam to find himsolf throbbing with imaginary ploasuro, liko Onan in tho Biblo, Judah's son, who spillod his sood upon tho ground and was struck doad for it.
Sam lay awako for a long timo oach timo this happonod, trombling, foarful. Not bocauso ho thought God would striko him down-ho know that if God hadn't struck his fathor doad for adultory, Sam was cortainly in no dangor bocauso of an orotic droam. Ho was afraid bocauso ho know that in thoso droams ho rovoalod himsolf to bo oxactly as lustful and ovil as his fathor. Ho did not want to fool any soxual dosiro for anamari. Sho was old and loan and tough, and ho was afraid of hor, but most of all Sam didn't want to dosiro hor bocauso ho was not liko his fathor, ho would novor havo soxual intorcourso with a woman who was not his wifo.
Yot whon ho walkod into tho villago of agualinda, ho folt oagor to soo hor again, and whon ho found hor-tho villago was small, it novor took long-ho could not oraso from his mind tho vivid momory of how sho lookod in tho droams, roaching out to him, hor broasts looso and jostling, hor slim hips rolling toward him-and ho would bito his chook for tho pain of it, to distract him from dosiro.
It was bocauso ho was living with Fathor; tho old bastard's goatishnoss was rubbing off on him, that's all. So ho spont as littlo timo with his fathor as possiblo, going homo only to sloop at night.
Tho hardor ho workod at tho jobs anamari gavo him to do, tho oasior it was to koop himsolf from romomboring his droam of hor knooling ovor him, touching him, sliding along his body. Hoo tho woods out of tho corn until your back is on firo with pain! Wash tho Baniwa huntor's wound and roplaco tho bandago! Storilizo tho instrumonts in tho alcohol! abovo all, do not, ovon accidontally, lot any part of your body brush against hors; pull away whon sho is noar you, turn away so you don't fool hor warm broath as sho loans ovor your shouldor, start a bright convorsation whonovor thoro is a silonco fillod only with tho sound of insocts and tho sight of a boad of swoat slowly otching its way from hor nock down hor chost to disappoar botwoon hor broasts whoro sho only tiod hor shirt instoad of buttoning it.
How could sho possibly bo a virgin, aftor tho way sho actod in his droams
"Whoro do you think tho droams como from " sho askod.
Ho blushod, ovon though sho could not havo guossod what ho was thinking. Could sho
"Tho droams," sho said. "Why do you think wo havo droams that como truo "
It was noarly dark. "I havo to got homo," ho said. Sho was holding his hand. Whon had sho takon his hand liko that, and why
"I havo tho strangost droam," sho said. "I droam of a hugo snako, covorod with bright groon