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I plucked myself up out of the mud and very gently helped her up. Tears still poured down her cheeks.

'The plane didn't see us. It just went by,' she wailed.

'Don't worry, my love. It will surely be back this way. It didn't see us through the jungle trees. We can't be seen from the air. If we could get a fire going, the smoke might be spotted.'

But everything was soaking wet.

When I heard the drone of the plane's engine once again, I knew we had no hope of being found that day.

I had made it back to the Tuichi, but there was no bank. I stood on the bluff, about twenty feet above the river, its rapids tumbling beneath me. I took out the poncho and waved it frantically, but I knew there was no chance of being spotted through the trees. The plane was flying too high and too fast. I watched it go past with longing eyes.

She looked up at me forlornly.

'Don't worry. They'll be back tomorrow,' I promised. 'Look, we were almost saved today. I'm sure that that's Kevin up there. It has to be Kevin. I just know it is. He must have gone to my embassy for help.'

I still did not recognise her: where she was from, why she was here. I just kept comforting her.

'They knew they'd have a hard time finding us today since the weather is so cloudy, but I'm sure