Observing the city lights just about all my life, the people always in a rush, subways, cars, filled the city. I guess that was New York my home, my grandmother lived in a tiny wooden house in the rainforest of Colombia. Last year, she went to visit the tiny house that she own, just to check if it was fine meaning that nothing was stolen or damaged. Then, my mom received a call that now she had fell in love with the place and urge to stay because she was tired of the city, and she wanted to grow old there with no one bothering her. I think I understood, she had nothing to do here, I guess she wanted to take a break and go back to her country and to be honest she didn’t seem happy in New York.
“Karen!” My bossy mom called from the kitchen, I walked into the kitchen “ Yes mother” I responded with a unpleasant lackluster tone . “ You are going to go visit your grandmother, this summer it’s only two weeks out of the two months you have free! You are going to be delighted about it young lady, no discussion end of story ” she order as if I was a type of doll , as if she could control me, as if it was a requirement. I rolled my eyes “ mom! You can’t do this, I’m sixteen and able to do my own decisions, don’t you think?” strongly I screamed “you can’t make me do this!”
As soon as I knew it, I was sitting on the window side going on the airplane to the rainforest alone. “Isn’t this great?” I sarcastically said to myself. At least the airplane wasn’t that filled no one sat next to me. I watched the fluffy, marsh mellows, clouds pass by me, seeing the city lights seem as stars shining in the sky when the airplane got higher, and being bored out of my mind for four hours.
As soon as the airplane’s wheels harshly pressed down to finally land, I almost jumped out of my seat. When the airplane finally stop moving, they made us do a line so then everyone could go out. As I walk off the airplane I began to read a sigh that said “ bienvenidos a aeropuerto de Colombia” ( welcome to the airport of Colombia”) and above it their she was my grandma. “ Hi sweetie, how was the airplane?” she greeted me in her strong accent . “ Muy bien” ( very good) I responded with my American accent we both laughed. Even thought I lied about the airplane being great and not boring at all I couldn’t wait to go to a bed and sleep. “ it’s a long way my deer, we have to take 5 buses since we are in the capital ” she said in a funny way “ are you joking?” not trying to be sarcastic I asked serious. “ What do you think? That theirs airports in the rainforest and buildings?” she questioned me as she laughed.
As we walked out of the airport I saw millions of people on the street rushing and lots of beautiful constructed buildings just like New York. Me and my grandma walked as we both a carry one bag of what I had bought for two week I was going to be here. I looked down in the ground and then as I began to look up I saw a breath taking, beautiful, unexplainable, pure white, statues of angels around a huge constructed, wide buildings with all of the angels having a different structure, the brown vintage, dark brown doors opened as I gazed hoping I would see the inside but it barley opened and then closed again as the wind put harshly the door back in its place. I could tell it was a church by the cross on top of its roof. “ Grandma what is this?” I ask her as I pointed my finger to the church. Her eyes turned flaming red and one tear slipped from her face and then others came rushing. I stared at her with curiosity, worried I didn’t say anything wrong. “ this is the church your grandpa and I got married, 1973 I could remember that as if it was yesterday” she gave a half smile. “Me with my father by my side walking the ail and your grandfather’s chocolate brownie eyes looking into mines as he watch me walk towards him.”Grandpa died from lung cancer five years ago, it was a slow and painful death physically and mentally I thought to only myself. Since, my grandma had been heartless.
We walked to a bus stop and as we waited shortly a green bus, pass by. When the bus approach us to stop at the bus stop my grandma hardly grabbed my hand and pulled me in the bus. As the bus shook I tried to find a place to sit, but all of them were completely filed I had to stand up besides my grandma. The shacking got worst every time, by the third bus I felt as if the world had flipped into my back. Standing with the annoying vibration for the last 5 hours was a challenge and my head kept giving a thousand circles every time I moved. I couldn’t understand how was that the sits were always filled in every bus we took!
“ honey we’re here” she stated , I exhale “ finally” I responded. When we got out of the bus we had to walk for quite a while, the sound of leaves touching one another as they all waved me a welcome, the waterfall running towards the piece of water downwards, the mysterious noise that sound it like a clock we’re the perfect melody to my ears. The breeze that seek through my hair softly, the fresh wind I exhaled, the different rare birds flying through the tall trees that had no limit towards their height, the mysterious woods that held secrets or creatures waited to be found, gave me a sense of calmness, curiosity. There it was a small wooden house with two windows opened on the front wall. “ welcome” my grandma said in a soothing voice as she opened the wooden light brown door, I smiled and but my two bags on her dark green sofa. There was a small wooden table with a red rose on top that held water in its container and a small stove, a white fridge that had three pictures of my 2 year old self, and two pictures of my grandpa.
The next morning, I couldn’t help but notice a humongous sigh next to four trees outside the room that urge to say “Boa’s close caution!” It was curious on how people saw this creatures my grandma described them as demons. To me nothing that had to do with demons, monsters or ghost never scared me not even when I was a child. So, I became interested why was this stupid snake so scary what did it do or what could it possibly do? “Grandma, may I go to the waterfall?” I asked “ ok, promise you are going to come back at exactly 20 minutes. If not am looking for you” she commanded me “ok promise” I responded.
I exhale and walked down to the waterfall, noises began to fill my surroundings, thoughts became to run through my head that maybe I wasn’t alone anymore. On the right corner leaves touched each other harshly, I heard footsteps coming closer and my heart kept beating like drums beating faster. Then, I noticed another sign that clearly stated that there were Boas nearby . I felt that my heart kept going so fast my whole body vibrated and as seconds pass it made me feel as if my whole body had exploded inside of me with the loud beat of my heart. All I could think was that I should of brought a weapon with me.
Before a blink of an eye, Boa appeared out of the right corner bushes incredibly long, with dark spots and it skin was all bold green with scales all over him or her . I was froze I couldn’t do, or scream anything, I could only observed that was my reaction. I was scared by all the rumors that surround Boa. She directly looked at me with him or her eye strange, football shaped pupil and I gently observed him or her as well. Boa lift him or her head and took out his or her long narrow tongue and made a soft high pitch sound and left. I gasped as soon as Boa left, as I walked back to my grandma’s , my head kept give circles on why didn’t that supposedly demon kill me?
When I opened the door and stepped into the house my grandma came rushing “ you gave me a heart attack I was about to go look for you” she said in a worried tone. I didn’t want to worry her much, and I knew what she thought about them , I mean I was still safe. “ sorry grandma, I guess times flies” I said smiling . She raised her eyebrows and nodded her head and left to the kitchen. I sat on the couch and couldn’t help but wonder, maybe they weren’t demons.
As the hours passed all I desired was to go to the waterfall and see, observed them. The next day I finally had made my decision , I was going to go look for them. Maybe I could explore, sense on what I didn’t in New York, having a little excitement for once and have an experience I would never forget. In my book bag I tooked a clock and a little sharp knife just in case and it made my feel safe.” Grandma” I called from the kitchen , “ yes, honey” she said in a gentle voice “may I please go to the waterfall, porfavor (please) I promise I will be here until whatever time you want” I said in a convincing tone .
She looked at me in directly in the eye “ok, come back in a hour!” she said. I walk out of the door and waved my hand goodbye. When I approach the waterfall I sat, on a rock and waited . Until 50 minutes passed when I just about to go a Boa crossed my way. I stopped and didn’t make a move and I observed it carefully a she or him did. I was no longer scared. I sat on the rock behind me and she or him followed me . “hey there” in a cheerful tone I said. “ Must be tired, for your nickname to be demon? I laughed. Am going to call you “Lupe” I stated.
As Lupe was next to me I observed the waterfall fall harshly. I close my eyes and I heard gunshot I rapidly opened my eyes and my grandma was close by, I could see from the distant she had gun. I stared down and saw Lupe dead. A sense of hot began to run through my body, I began to scream “why?” and felt tears falling down one by one as each second pass. My grandma slowly approach me with a worried look on her face. “It was for the best it would of probably kill you, you understand that right?” she said with steal wearing a worried look on her face. “No I don’t understand, she or him never tried to kill me, how can you label a name on someone without first knowing how they are.” I didn’t talk to my grandma and with the little service this place has I beg my mom for a ticket back home as soon as possible.
On my way back to New York from being in the rainforest a week I was happy I was on my airplane seat. I began to think how Boas were misunderstood, also how other things as well. We label things by their appearance or the rumors that pass by . Without knowing them or how they are, their story. I’m still mad at my grandma, this is for sure something I would never forget.