“I
can show you. I’ve trained it.” The girl held a finger out and looked
back toward the direction from where she’d come. A moment later, a large
insect landed, its tiny legs tickling the hairs of her finger. It was
blue from some angles and green from others, with four wings and four
eyes. A purple diamond dominated its back as its wings tucked in.
The
men sat in shock, both admiring the bug as it rested on Angela’s
finger. Carolas moved his eyes to Sacha for a second before looking back
to the girl’s visitor. “Sacha, tell me, do you recognize this insect?”
“We have all manner of wildlife in Bolivia, but this is new to me. I do not believe I have seen anything like this before.”
“Angela,” Carolas asked, “how did you train this insect?”
“I don’t know. It just comes when I want it to.”
“May
I?” Carolas reached a finger out, gentle and slow. He placed it in
front of the bug, nudging it as one might a bird trying to get it to
change hands. The insect didn’t move.
“It just likes me,” she said.
He
pushed harder and the bug flew up to Angela’s shoulder. The French man
let out a belly laugh and pulled his hand away, causing Sacha to break
into a smile. “In a million years I could not have guessed my
introduction to Bolivia’s insects. Tell me, Angela, how long did it take
you to train your pet?”
The
girl leaned her head in toward the bug. “I don’t know. It followed me
around and one day I just held out my finger and it landed on it.”
“Remarkable.
Absolutely remarkable.” Carolas’ eyes squinted and he raised a fist to
his lips. “Do you think you would be willing to donate your little
insect to science?”
Angela shook her head no.
“I really didn’t think so. Would I be able to buy it from you?”
“No. It’s not for sale.”
Carolas
knew how much low wage workers made in Bolivia. And he had more money
available to him than she could imagine. “Angela, what if I offered you
five boliviano?”
The
amount was more than her parents would see if they sold all of their
meat at the market for the day, still the girl wouldn’t budge.
“Ten?”
She could not look the man in the face anymore. She shook her head no.
“Twenty, I cannot go any higher.”
Angela
reached a finger up to her shoulder and the insect hopped on it. The
man was offering more than her family would make in a month. At this
point, her parents would have her doing chores for the rest of her life
if she turned down the offer. She hesitated.
“Twenty-five,”
said Carolas. He retrieved several bills from his wallet and presented
them to her. “You’re a shrewd businesswoman.”
She closed her eyes and moved her finger toward the French man.
“Wonderful!
Your parents have raised a smart little girl.” He produced his
briefcase and opened the lid. “It will be okay in here until I can find
it a suitable home.”
The girl nudged the insect into the case and Carolas shut the lid.
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