The Sunflower: A Novel by Richard Paul Evans Read Free Book Online

up your mind. In the meantime…” He shuffled through the envelopes. “Here’s your packet, Jessica. And here’s yours, Christine. We’ll be going through everything in just a minute.” He glanced up at the wall clock. “In fact, I better get started. Glad you’re here. We’re going to have an incredible time.” He smiled confidently at Jessica, then walked back to the front of the room.
    As they sat down, Jessica said, “He is gorgeous. Can you believe it? We’re gonna hike through a hot, sweaty jungle with him.”
    Christine shook her head. “Good. You won’t need me then.”
    “We’ll talk after the meeting.” Jessica said.
    Jim closed his briefcase, then leaned against the edge of the table facing the group.
    “We’re still missing a few people but we’ll go ahead and hope they turn up. Bienvenidos. My name is Jim Hammer. I’m the Ohio representative of Puma-Condor Expeditions, and I’ve been to Peru more than twenty times.
    “To begin, I want to make something clear. This is not a vacation. I repeat, this is not a vacation. If this were a television show, it would be Survivor, not The Love Boat. If you’re expecting a leisure cruise with chocolates on your pillow at night, you’re in the wrong place.”
    There were a few laughs from the group and Jim looked around and smiled.
    “In fact, based on my experience, most of you will lose a few pounds.”
    “Sign me up!” a woman behind Christine shouted. The group again laughed.
    “You are signed up, Joan,” he said. “However, if you’re looking for an adventure that you’ll be telling your grandchildren about someday, then you’ve come to the right place. Is everyone clear on that?”
    The group nodded or mumbled their consensus.
    “I like chocolates on my pillow,” Christine whispered.
    “Great, then let’s start.” Jim held an envelope above his head. “You should all have one of these packets. If you look inside, you’ll find a yellow sheet like this.” He held up a paper in his other hand. “This is a list of things that you must do before December second. I suggest that you do not put them off. Especially anything concerning your passport.”
    “Look, Chris,” Jessica said, “lists. You love lists.”
    “Shut up,” she said.
    He held up a sheet of paper. “The light blue sheet in your packet is a vaccination form. This is for your own benefit. For a two-week stay the Peruvian government will not require a vaccination form, but we require that you have a current tetanus shot and hepatitis A and B.”
    A pock-faced student near the front of the room raised his hand. “What about malaria or yellow fever?”
    “There are inoculations for both, it’s up to you. Actually both of those diseases are quite rare. They won’t be a problem in Cuzco or the Andes, where we’ll be too high for mosquitoes, but down in Puerto Maldonado and the jungle it’s possible. In my twenty-plus trips we’ve never had a problem, but there’s always that chance. I suggest you consult your doctor. I need to warn you though, the medicine for malaria tends to cause symptoms that mimic the disease. Not to mention the lucid dreaming.”
    “Great. Spiders and malaria,” Christine said.
    He lifted another paper off the table. “This pink sheet is your packing list. We’ll be packing light. Very light. You can only bring one carry-on bag because we have to use your luggage allowance to bring in supplies for the humanitarian work.”
    “One carry-on for ten days?” a woman asked indignantly. “Can’t we just ship the supplies?”
    “Not really. It’s difficult getting things into Peru. Officials might confiscate the supplies at customs or try to charge a tariff. Besides, you don’t need six pairs of shoes in the jungle. Trust me on this.”
    “Okay, now take out the three white pages that have been stapled together. This is your itinerary. There have been a few changes from the earlier schedule so be sure to reference only this one. This