The following day, Jake, along with Oma, put in a call to company headquarters and debriefed his boss on the developments. The call went well and based on the information presented the executive made the commitment to establish a deal team. They would start looking at required documentation but everyone agreed it was not yet time to approach the government. For that, they needed to know what the tribes required for their support which remained open. Before the call ended, Jake's boss told him he was going to immediately speak with the CEO and then reiterated to him that if things changed, he had the power to pull the plug.
"Clearly, they have great faith in your judgment," Oma said when they had finished.
Indeed, Jake felt proud about his boss' message, but modestly replied, "A long way to go."
An hour later, he put in a call to his wife and informed her of the situation. They decided on the timing of her visit and then Jake told her to contact his boss' admin who would arrange the travel to the capital. Oma would take care of things from there which would follow the same itinerary they used. Putting down the phone, he realized that in just over two weeks, his new wife would be sharing his tent, and a shiver went up his back as he realized how close she would be to his cheating.
The two oil men characterized the chief's agreement as an "acceptance in principle" and this launched a series of meeting between them, Chief Tiajuwu and Uvusera. Sometimes, Kozo would join, but never did the tribal leader discuss the project without his eldest wife present. Although Jake had enjoyed her intimately, she showed no deference towards him and spent most of the time listening intently to every word. Never did she ask a question, and both men thought it likely that after every meeting, outside the presence of others, husband and wife went through every detail.
"I believe she what's called in English an enigma," Oma chuckled one evening as they sat at their camp.
"Yes...yes, I think that's a perfect description," Jake agreed.
"Since you've shared with her do you have insight?" the local advisor laughed.
Since the man rarely joked and had never been so bold, it caught the young American off guard, and he paused for a moment before replying, "Not funny!"
"You made a great sacrifice," he responded.
At first, Jake thought he was still trying to tease him but when he saw the African man's expression, he knew he was being sincere. Regardless, it made his thoughts return to the night in the hut, and he recalled the way the woman's pussy had locked onto his dick. Then, his thoughts went to Sualala and how she had responded. He knew that if he was being completely honest that despite the cheating aspects, he had enjoyed the encounters.
"We'll see if it proves worthwhile," he answered, forcing a serious look.
When Kozo disappeared from the village one day and no one knew where he went, they speculated that the chief might have sent him on a mission to discuss the project with the other tribal leaders. They discussed making a visit to the villages themselves but with Helen's arrival rapidly approaching, they decided to wait until they received directions from Chief Tiajuwu.
"Should we say something to...uhhh...the people...about Helen...not talking about it?" Jake asked his advisor the day before she was due.
His question put Oma into thought and some time went by before he answered, "Perhaps not...not yet. I'm afraid they wouldn't fully understand as it's so common in their custom. It may come across as too...theoretical. My suggestion is to wait and intercede if necessary."
Although it felt risky, the young husband nodded, and said, "I see your point."
Jake spotted the dust plume of the approaching vehicle carrying his wife from several miles away. It took the SUV twenty-odd minutes to traverse the open ground and he was standing by their small camp when she jumped out as soon as it came to a stop.
"Wow! I feel like an explorer," she declared excitedly as they embraced.
After several hugs and a deep kiss, the couple turned to Oma who was standing a respectable distance away, and beckoned him for introductions. When they had finished, Jake noticed that a small group of villagers had moved their way, apparently intrigued by the blonde newcomer.
The young husband quickly showed his wife around the small camp and then unloaded her belongings from the SUV so it could depart. He pulled her into the tent, dropped the flap, pulled her into a deep kiss, and despite the others close by he couldn't help but fondle her body.
"Separate beds?" she asked breathlessly when they finally broke.
"Yes, baby...his and hers cots," he laughed.
"Show me around," she demanded, eager to see the village.
Jake stepped back to fully take in his wife's appearance and noted she looked like she had just stepped out of an REI catalog. On her feet were new hiking boots, and with them, she wore light nylon pants, a long-sleeved shirt, and a sleeveless vest. She had her shoulder-length blonde hair pulled into a ponytail and her sunglasses rested on her head. He knew her sudden appearance would create a stir, and now that she stood before him looking lovely, he guessed it would be significant.
"Oma, would you mind walking with us?" he asked when they stepped out of the tent.
Guessing they would need to utilize his translating skills, he wanted him nearby in case something unexpected occurred.
"Of course," the black man responded, and his leering gaze directed towards his wife didn't go unnoticed.
The trio set off and they had barely entered the village when a group of five women approached them with big smiles.
"Honey?" she called out nervously as they surrounded her.
"Don't worry. They aren't going to hurt you," Jake responded with a chuckle
"Think of yourself as a celebrity," Oma offered.
The tribal women's laughter helped diffuse things and within seconds, she had relaxed and allowed their exploring hands. They carried on a lively banter that made it impossible to decipher every word but Oma managed to convey that they had a keen interest in her pale skin, blonde hair, red lipstick, and painted nails. The inspection continued for a bit but then Oma said something and slowly they backed away.
"What did you tell them?" Helen asked.
"I said that if they let us look around for a few minutes, you'd return and spend some time with them," he explained.
"Okay," she replied excitedly, and then after a pause added, "This is wild."
They continued their walk around the village, including the cattle pens, and although several times villagers approached, alone or in small groups, they avoided stopping and twenty minutes later returned to the tents.
"What do you think," Jake asked as they sat under the tarps.
"It's not a huge place. Do you know everyone?" she asked.
"No," he chuckled, and then continued with, "I mean I recognize many but the language forces a distance."
"I could see that," she agreed.
