Divided Loyalties (Serialized Novel in 2 Parts - 12 Chapters Each)

Chapter 8 - Life Goes On

Tomas and Ophelia plunged into adult life, both eyes closed by adversity. But then, there was never anything like adversity to spark changes. Remarkably, Ophelia still trusted her judgment but had found out the hard way that life was full of unexpected surprises. Tomas' behavior had confirmed Ophelia's mother's estimation of his character. As if on a Casanova's script, he disappeared after their tryst and rumor had it that he was chasing Consuela in the jungle as she went about her first year of studying howler monkeys. The Don had contrived a situation where she read about Dian Fossey in Africa in the National Geographic Magazine and decided she would follow in her footsteps.

Everyone under the volcano thought she was mad but when Consuela made her mind up, no one could change it. Her nickname at school was buro. Her teachers told her she would come to no good because a young woman should listen to her elders and follow the path suggested by them. For Consuela, only the howler monkeys mattered.

One Sunday morning at church about a month after Ophelia's tryst and Tomas's disappearance, Consuela rushed after Ophelia to tell her about one of her monkeys.

"Ophelita, I'm so happy. Do you know what I learned this week in the jungle?"

Ophelia flushed, turned around without waiting for Consuela to continue and stomped away. A tear struggled to her eye, but she squelched her emotions. Consuela grabbed Ophelia's arm from behind and forced her to turn around.

"What's wrong with you?"

"You have to ask?"

"Ophelia, what did I do to hurt you? Don't walk away like that. Just talk to me," said Consuela.

The tone of Consuela's voice communicated her concern and broke the barriers Ophelia had built up to contain her disappointment with Tomas. Tears flooded out, but Ophelia's change of heart was short-lived. She turned around and left without saying a word. Consuela was left standing in the morning sun, upset but uncomprehending. She knew with each passing month why she loved the monkeys and felt confused when she dealt with people. She shouted after Ophelia.

"What you see is never what you get with you."

Then Consuela's peripheral vision caught Tomas waving at her and she turned to avoid his puppy-dog looks and cloying behavior. Only Pedro is normal after all that happened. Then she picked up speed and plunged into the jungle before Tomas could see where she had entered the undergrowth. She ignored him when heard him calling out her name.

"Consuela, Consuela. Where are you?"

Consuela stopped and toyed with the idea of answering back but then thought better of it. Her friendship with Ophelia meant more to her than a thousand flirtations.

Can't she see I'm not interested in her precious Tomas? Consuela picked up her pace along a little used animal trail in the undergrowth.

Tomas gave up his search behind her. Then she heard a monkey howl close by and she stayed silent. It howled again. This time closer. She bent down, foraging like a monkey in the jungle.

"Patience, patience, girl," she whispered to herself.

She crossed her toes and fingers when the calls appeared to be right on top of her. The memory of monkey pee pouring down on her when she had approached them to aggressively, tried too hard to get close quickly, tempered her movements. Consuela controlled her breathing and calmed down, the ritual of her movements grounding her. The silence of the forest was deafening. They didn't pee this time. They let her stay there not looking at them. One of them howled in a way that she knew they used to encourage others in their group to keep up.