All of the windows in the bus were opened or broken out. A slight breeze came in as they moved along, but it was hot, humid air and didn't do much to cool Sheila. The bus slowly climbed a series of switch backs in the highway until it reached a ridge and was able to travel on a somewhat level surface. For a while, Sheila and Jorge rode along in silence because her face was turned toward the window and the fabulous view. The Cordillera Central reminded her of the Rocky Mountains in Colorado, born of violent collisions of continental masses and young in mountain years. Its very high peaks stood jagged against the blue sky. The valley below, beyond the city, was divided into contiguous rectangles of all sizes and shades of green and golden yellows. Houses and copses dotted the landscape. Narrow, dirt roads connected them one to another. Shadows of clouds passed swiftly over the landscape.
Jorge took out some papers from his duffel and read them, making notes here and there on the pages. Not wanting to disturb him, she kept her attention of the scenery for quite some time. All below had grown noticeably smaller. The bus entered a dense forest. Screams of animals and cries of birds filled the air. When passing by a deep crevasse, Sheila saw at least a hundred mc caws hanging on the steep cliffs. She turned to Jorge and said, "It's magical."
He put his papers away. They began to chat. Jorge worked for a coffee grower with distributors in Medellin and Cali. Sheila told him the story of the Chapel of the Miracle of Our Lady of the Andes and that her brother was the priest there. He had heard of the story and knew the chapel, but he didn't work for the coffee company founded by Robert Bermudez. Jorge had five children ranging in age from eleven to six months. She told him about having to move and how expensive houses were in southern California.
The bus lurched to a halt. The passengers groaned and shouted. Shouting also came from men who had surrounded the bus. Sheila turned to Jorge, "Thieves?"
He nodded, "Do exactly as they say. Do not speak. If they discover you are North American, they may kidnap you."
A woman in front of them passed a big, black lace mantia back over the seat to Sheila. She took it and whispered, "Gracias." When she stood up to get off the bus, as Jorge said they were ordered to do, she wrapped herself in the mantia. It covered her from her head down to her knees, hiding both her purse and the medicine bag. She stood in line with the others. Her head down. Jorge standing beside her. All of the bandits carried weapons. Some had old looking rifles and pistols. Others had what she believed were uzis. Minus the weapons, they looked like very young street thugs that had grown up in the poor neighborhoods found in most cities of the U.S. Babies and children in the line cried. Their mothers tried to quiet them.
One of the thieves approached each person in line and searched them, taking all of their valuables and money. When they came to Sheila, she held out her purse. They took her money and credit cards. Their leader used the tip of his uzi to open the mantia. When he saw the backpack, she ripped the the mantia from her and grabbed the bag. He pulled it from her and was about to open it.
"No!" she shouted.
Jorge said, "Por favor," to her.
She turned to him and said, "Tell him I'm a scientist carrying samples to the University of Cacao."
"Senorita," Jorge begged.
But Sheila had prepared a story just in case they might be robbed. "Tell him," she hissed.
Jorge spoke to the lead thief, throwing lots of respects, and beg your pardons, and por favors.
"Tell him the samples are of germs. If he touches them, he'll get a very bad disease."
Jorge gave her an incredulous look, but he repeated what Sheila had said. The two of them exchanged a few words and then Jorge turned to Sheila, "He wants to know what disease."
"Ebola," Sheila said resolutely.
"Ebola," Jorge repeated.
The bandits and the people in line picked up the word and passed it along. The leader said something.
Jorge said, "He doesn't believe you."
The leader found the tab for pulling open the zipper, "No!" Many people in line, Sheila included, shouted. The thief pulled the zipper and the bag started to come undone. Everyone screamed, "Ebola! Ebola!" But he kept pulling the zipper.
Sheila couldn't let another supply of drugs slip through her hands. She charged the bandit and caught hold of the bag. She amazed herself with her strength. A real tug of war ensued. The other thieves held everyone back by pointing their weapons at them. Sheila had a death grip on the pack and wasn't going to let go. Then another thief with an uzi stepped forward and pointed his weapon at both of them. They stopped struggling, but each kept their hands on the bag.
The second bandit looked at Sheila and said, "Ebola?"
She said, "Si."
He took the bag from both of them. With a mighty swing, he tossed it over the cliff. It arched up, hung in the air for a moment, and then plummeted down until it disappeared below the ridge line.
Sheila Was too shocked to cry. She walked back and took her place in line. She managed to stand there while the bandits took whatever they wanted from the defenseless passengers, including a wicker cage that had three chickens in it. When they were allowed to get back on the bus, she felt like a zombie walking to her seat and sitting in it as the bus rolled on toward Mateo.
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