Chapter 22: Handover of the tunnel

Friday 25.10.2019

On that clear, sunny day, we finally caught sight of the familiar view of our valley. After our trip around the world, it felt wonderful to be home again. However, the nature reserve no longer looked the same. From afar, we could see large clouds of dust rising above the huge construction site. Instead of the usual birdsong and parrot-cries, the only sound we could hear was the noise and roar of machinery.

Our friendly deliverer, Imran, took us back home. He laboriously made his way through the bustling construction site and the ever-growing piles of rubble. We arrived at the Casa to be greeted. Here, the air was clean and pleasant again. A steady wind from the Tiso Canyon was driving the stifling air towards the waterfall. My spirits were high. Finally, the scent of blooming wildflowers filled my senses once more. Spring in October in the southern hemisphere had a special charm. The landscape was awash with green and bursting with colour, while a small forest nestled at the base of a steep slope was awash with the vivid hues of the Indian summer. This interplay of colours, a mixture of the seasons, could probably only be found in a few high valleys of the Andes.

The fields behind our guesthouse were green and lush, and the gardens were in full bloom. Nearby, Willka was playing with the older children. Their joyful laughter and cheers filled my heart with joy. Olivia’s family and the two young Indio women, Lucia and Kantu, welcomed us warmly. Everyone had been hard at work. The new plants in the gardens had been carefully planted and, with the help of our construction workers, the guesthouse’ residents had even built a small playground for the children. Seeing how much love and dedication had gone into all these projects was overwhelming.

Although we were warmly welcomed, everyone looked expectantly at Nguyen, and then back at me. While I was still trying to think of the right words, Priya blurted out, “Don’t stare at him like that. His name is Nguyen, and he’s going to be my husband, aren’t you, Ngu?”

“Hello everyone, my name is Linh Nguyen. I’m from Philadelphia, where I work as an IT specialist. Hey, great! I wasn’t prepared for so much beauty.”

Priya looked slightly offended as her lover examined the attractive indigenous women. Even the heavily pregnant Kantu resembled an Inca ruler’s wife with her jet-black hair, elegant features and graceful, erotic smile.

Nguyen greeted Olivia, Lucia, and Kantu with a handshake. Olivia was great. “Welcome to us, Ngu ... ergh, Nguyen. I’m happy for you. Make our Priya happy.”

Then she hugged her friend Priya and whispered a few kind words in her ear. Yes, they had been a couple, but they had recently decided to find men of their own.

The ‘older’ children, none of whom were three years old, swirled around us, full of energy and zest for life. Eventually, I had a bunch of children in my arms. Everyone called out “Daddy!” even Olivia’s Michi, whose real father was Rus, but whom he thankfully didn’t know. Again, Ngu watched in amazement as the children greeted me.

Imran took us to the palazzo. Some young women greeted us at the gate. As we got out, they surrounded us, hugged us, and celebrated. Nguyen was greeted as a matter of course. Priya had made it clear to everyone with a kiss that he belonged to her. This was cheered, although I sensed a certain uncertainty and curiosity. Did Priya now have a husband? Everyone seemed to be wondering.

Ramona and Luisa greeted him just as warmly. They wished Priya good luck and gave her a big hug. Then it was my turn. After Ramona and Luisa had hugged and kissed me lovingly, all the young women wanted cuddles and kind words. The flurry of affectionate comments and hugs showed me how sweet everyone was and how happy they were about our safe return.

Those were moments of happiness and gratitude. I had returned to my beloved valley, surrounded by people I cared about deeply. The journey had been exhausting. It had transformed me, leaving me with a wealth of wonderful memories and opening up new perspectives. But here, in my valley and surrounded by so much love and security, I wanted to be happy forever. One thing I knew for sure was that this was my homeland, my home: incredibly beautiful, with all my loved ones, hopefully forever.

“Come on, Ngu, let’s go and see my children!” Priya called, pulling her boyfriend along with her. I followed them to the sandpit behind the guesthouse. When we saw the happy faces beaming at us, all traces of tiredness from the journey vanished. Priya’s one-and-a-half-year-old twins, Yin and Yang, came tottering up to us with unsteady steps. It was a beautiful moment as they hugged and kissed their mother. What joy that their mother was finally back. Nguyen picked up Yin, but the little girl wanted to go to her mother and cried out in protest at the stranger. Priya comforted her daughter and took the twins back to the kindergarten group.

When we arrived at our home, the Palazzo, Amira was teaching the sixth formers in the large hall. A spectacle of cheers and wild shouts erupted as we entered. Everyone finally rapped on the table in joy. Teaching was out of the question. Amira asked for quiet, and shortly afterwards began singing our song. The students sang ‘The Song of Paradise’, and we all joined in. Impressed by the singing, Ngu introduced himself as Priya’s boyfriend and future husband. He offered to help anyone who had problems with the tablet or the Internet.

While Priya was surrounded by her friends, who bombarded her with questions, I took Nguyen into my bathroom. He hesitated and looked bashful while I showered. It was then that I realised he wasn’t used to being naked in front of others. Of course, I discreetly withdrew, respecting his modesty.

Later, I took him to see Ramona, our doctor. Nguyen agreed to an HIV test immediately, understood my concern for our health and thanked me again for the opportunity to stay with us, shaking my hand as he did so.

Priya, Zarina, and I went up to the roof. The new staircase had been completed and was very comfortable. The roof exit was sheltered from the rain. They both looked at me uncertainly as they didn’t know why we had come up to the roof. I asked Zarina first if she still wanted to marry the Chinese construction worker, Yu Yuan. After she nodded vigorously, I simply said, “Then you both need your own apartment. Look, the three rooms are already finished. We’re building three equally sized rooms into the large room at the front. At the end of the corridor, we’re setting up a beautiful kitchen for you. However, you’ll have to shower outside at the water tank, and probably often with only cold water. Of course, you can also use the showers upstairs. Okay?”

At first, they looked at each other uncertainly and whispered to each other. Then, their unexpected happiness burst forth. I could hardly contain their exuberance and savoured their gratitude to the fullest. The two Asian women would soon have their own apartments, and thus a good starting point for their future families. Rather than feeling like I was losing two of the most beautiful women in our community as partners, they showed me that I had won their hearts forever and were looking forward to starting a family of their own.

In the early evening, I asked construction manager Li to show me how far work on the tunnel had progressed. He drove Antonio and me deeper and deeper into the tunnel in a jeep. He stopped the car at the ‘1500’ marker. The only way to go further was on foot. The tunnel-boring machine had been switched off. It was currently being converted. Excavation work had reached the end of the existing mining tunnel, which was 1.7 kilometres long. Core drilling was due to begin here shortly. I was impressed by what had already been achieved. The tunnel boring machine, a true engineering masterpiece, stood proudly in the centre of the tunnel. Surrounding it were the hardworking operatives preparing the machine for the most challenging phase of the excavation, the final 300 metres to the breakthrough.

Li explained the impending problems. The granite ended here. Another type of rock called andesite followed behind it. Andesite is also a very hard rock, but, unlike granite, it often contains limestone and minerals. Mining had therefore stopped here, with ore extraction continuing in side tunnels. Li was somewhat concerned and instructed the workers to drill carefully and secure the tunnel walls. With andesite, there was a risk of encountering cavities or even rock falls.

Then the drilling began. The noise of the TBM was almost unbearable, but I was pleased with how evenly it was cutting through the rock. We wanted to turn back, but Li wanted to check how quickly the tunnelling was progressing first. Satisfied with the results, he showed them to us. The machine had taken just twelve minutes to drill half a metre. Li hoped for an even faster advance. Currently, it was drilling at a rate of 2.5 metres per hour.

Suddenly and without warning, I heard the roar of the TBM. The mountain seemed to vibrate, accompanied by a loud bang. My heart stopped as I saw the ceiling crack where the drilling site had been. Rocks rained down and water poured into the tunnel. It was as if the mountain was turning against us. I saw the tunnel-boring machine partially buried, and panic spread through me. The water poured inexorably into the tunnel, beginning to flood it.

The workers around us reacted quickly, but it was a chaotic situation. They tried to channel the water into the side tunnels, but this proved extremely challenging. Despite two pumps running at full speed, the water seemed unstoppable. Although we were almost 100 metres behind the machine, the water was already ankle-deep and rising. Everyone did their best to get the situation under control, but it seemed hopeless. I would have preferred to evacuate the tunnel, but Li kept issuing new orders.

It was a race against time. I felt powerless as I watched the water level continue to rise. At that moment, I realised just how vulnerable we humans were deep underground. I admired the courage and determination of the Chinese and Peruvian workers around me. They showed no fear, cheering each other on as they waded through waist-deep water.

The gradient created by the former mine meant that water accumulated particularly high at the drilling rig. Antonio and I walked towards our jeep until we reached dry ground. Fortunately, the water was no longer rushing into the tunnel. All we could hear were the pumps. The conveyor belts were running, but they weren’t transporting any rock at that moment. This changed a few minutes later, however. A rock drill broke up the rock, which several workers then shovelled onto the conveyor belt. This gradually exposed the TBM. Li came to us. He was soaked and covered in caked dirt, as if he had bathed in mud.

Just as we were about to head back, I spotted some shimmering purple stones on the conveyor belt. They were stunning crystals, embedded in a crust of hard rock. Li was amazed. “Those are amethysts, a popular and valuable quartz gemstone. That’s good. A kilogram fetches between 100 and 150 dollars. The workers outside have to sort them out.”

Finally, back in the daylight, I let my find sparkle in the sunshine. Li showed me a few other stones. They were a deep shade of purple, making them particularly valuable. There were also some shimmering red rubies. Li had a large tarpaulin put up and instructed the workers which stones should be discarded. The accident actually had a pleasant side effect, but Li was worried about how badly the drilling machine had been damaged. However, we were lucky. Drilling could resume that evening. Li ordered steel beams and timber to secure the collapsed tunnel later. We could only hope that a similar collapse would not interrupt the tunnelling work again. Thankfully, that was the only incident. After six days, we finally achieved the breakthrough into the neighbouring valley. But more on that later.

The following Saturday, the time had come. Priya and Nguyen hosted an inauguration ceremony for their new attic apartment in the Palazzo. By the Sunday after we returned, they had cleared and cleaned the three large rooms that were originally intended for the building’s security guards. Nguyen had set up a makeshift sleeping area on one of the beds at the radio station, where he planned to continue working as an IT consultant. Meanwhile, our five construction workers had interrupted their work on the kindergarten and toiled all week to make the attic area habitable. They created window openings in the previously windowless rooms and added two additional exits to the roof. Even Zarina’s future apartment was finished.

On the Monday after our return, I went to Trujillo with Zarina, Priya, and Nguyen to buy furniture. They had everything your heart could desire, but most of it was only available on pre-order. Finally, we found a beautiful living room set at the ‘Fabellas’ furniture store, which could be delivered and assembled on Friday. At ‘SOFARI HOME’, we bought a complete bedroom set, including delivery and assembly. Zarina ordered almost the same furniture for her future apartment, which could be delivered within four weeks. The two women had excellent taste. Zarina demonstrated her talent for interior design, purchasing decorative curtains, drapes, vases, and other traditional Chinese decorations such as drawings, calligraphy wall hangings, and lanterns for both apartments.

Oh, and something else special happened! Since we had to spend the night in the hotel, I booked the only suite for the four of us. That night, Zarina and I could hear Priya experiencing her first night of love with Nguyen. I wasn’t sure whether the love was really as passionate as it sounded through the two closed doors or if Priya just wanted us to share in her joy. Either way, we didn’t get any rest until after midnight. Unfortunately, Zarina was on her period, but she pleasured me orally, our senses totally stimulated by the amorous sounds from the other bedroom.

Shortly after six the next morning, we were awakened again by the wild sounds of love. While using the shared bathroom, I was captivated by the lustful sounds. Zarina came to me and pulled me into the shower. The sound of the water drowned out everything else. My Chinese partner helped me relax again with wild kisses. Finally, Priya joined us in the bathroom, beaming with joy. She countered our mocking remarks, saying, “You have no idea how beautiful it was. Only now does Ngu know what love can do. We’ll never forget this night.”

We met Nguyen at breakfast on the outdoor terrace. He looked tired and a little tense. He sat down next to us uncertainly. We greeted him with a “Good morning!” Zarina gave him a thumbs-up, but he barely reacted, turning bright red with embarrassment.

Zarina persisted. “Ngu, my dear, please look at me. Thank you. You made my friend Priya happy. Be happy, be proud. Love is so beautiful. Enjoy life with Priya.”

Priya publicly expressed her feelings with a tender kiss. Once again, her future husband seemed unsettled, but our applause and cheers drew the attention of the other guests and staff. I handed Nguyen a ring that I had secretly bought the previous day and whispered in his ear, “Ask her to marry you. Go for it.”

As if in a trance, Ngu rose, knelt before his beloved, and asked in a timid voice, “Priya Thi Anh Vien, my love. I love you. Would you like to be my wife?”

“Yes, very much. I love you, Nguyen Linh, with all my heart.”

After the young couple’s engagement kiss, Zarina and Priya cried in each other’s arms. Suddenly, the chef rushed over with a guitar and sang a Spanish love song in a deep bass voice. He sang ‘Sueña’, a song about a man’s dreams of his true love. It couldn’t have been more beautiful. All the guests and many hotel employees swayed to the music and congratulated the newly engaged couple. It was simply wonderful!

But let’s get back to the rooftop party. The atmosphere was exuberant and cheerful from the outset. Every now and then, I sensed a hint of envy among some of the women, which was a good thing. Having their own apartment filled with wonderful new furniture should inspire everyone to start looking for a man. Unfortunately, there were too few opportunities for that in the valley. However, most of the young mothers were only sixteen and would certainly have plenty more opportunities in the future.

However, the sixth-grade students saw things differently. They discussed with our doctor and me how they could gain experience in matters of the heart. They longed to meet boys. I had to laugh internally at this, but I reiterated our decision: no sex and no secret meetings before the age of 14. Everyone looked at Udine, who turned bright red. Had I missed something? But I wanted to wait until tomorrow to clarify. Today was a celebration.

From the roof, we enjoyed a breathtaking view of the lush greenery of the fertile valley stretching out before us. In the distance, the monumental mountain range’s ice-covered peaks towered majestically into the sky, providing an impressive backdrop for the celebration. The way the mountains glittered in the evening sun, taking on a reddish hue, was simply fantastic.

The mood became increasingly exuberant. A particularly moving moment came when Nguyen and Priya thanked the construction workers and all the other people who had helped. Without their efforts, this attic apartment would not have become their new home so quickly.

The final highlight of the evening came when the young people began singing their anthem, the ‘Hymn of Paradise in the Mountains’. The melody echoed across the terrace, uniting everyone present in a sense of community and joy.

The next morning, Priya and Ngu came into my office, holding hands, while I was compiling data from Asian banks. They wanted to thank me for the new apartment and the beautiful furniture. Nguyen gave me a quick hug and told me how happy and joyful he was to be living with us. Priya was full of energy, her eyes shining like stars. She hugged me and kissed me on the cheek. “Thank you, Michael. It’s like a dream living in our new apartment. Thank you for all the money you spent on us.”

“Priya, this isn’t just my money; it’s all our money, and I used it to pay for everything. It belonged to the criminal Rus. Now, we’re using it to improve the lives of as many people as possible. Look here. This is the account in Saigon. The balance this morning was many billions of dong, the equivalent of more than four million dollars. However, we can’t access it until the tax returns for the past four years have been completed. But we don’t need the money. As you know, we were only permitted to donate $3,000 and to spend $400 on your mother’s and uncle’s rent. Later, I would like to increase the donations tenfold to support other worthwhile projects in Saigon. I believe this will benefit the poor in Vietnam. But we will vote on how the money is used.”

When Priya hugged me again, I noticed Nguyen trying to take in as much as possible of the documents on my desk. Was he just curious, or was there more to it? Was he trying to steal from us, or was he even a spy? Maybe the encounter with Priya in New York hadn’t been a coincidence, but a set-up. Why was he in transit for so long when he could have arrived right at the departure? Suddenly, I knew I had to be more careful. I didn’t want strangers to find out about our wealth. Then I remembered how closely Ngu had examined my South African passport when I entered London. Damn! That hadn’t been a smart move. I suddenly felt suspicious and annoyed at my naivety.

After escorting them both to the door, I locked my study and compiled all the important data in a spreadsheet. Under the name ‘Ferdinand Grant’, we had access to almost immeasurable sums of money and investments.

In Asia alone, we held nearly nine million dollars across four different bank accounts. Additionally, our investments totaled nineteen million dollars. Russia had invested $60 million in over twenty companies, generating over $2 million in annual profit. It was unbelievable, a modern-day fairy tale, but this is how incredibly wealthy financial oligarchs in Eastern Europe accumulate their wealth.

Later, I wanted to create a similar overview of Rus’s inheritance. However, I was missing some important banking information that could only be obtained with a certificate of inheritance. In any case, the sums involved were in the tens of millions. It was unbelievable how much wealth the criminal had amassed, and where he had hidden it all.

There was a knock at the door. Olivia told me that the tunnel was about to break through. “Li asked if you wanted to witness the final metre of drilling,” she said.

Of course I did! Ramona wanted to film it, so she came with me. I had fetched the last six bottles of Crimean sparkling wine from the cellar. Luisa handed me two boxes of glasses for us to toast with. Li and Antonio were standing in front of the tunnel. We drove to the ‘2000’ marker. The air was quite clean. The conveyor belts were stationary. The enormous tunnel-boring machine was adorned with laurel branches and blossom. The breakthrough had been in preparation for a few hours. We climbed onto the back of the machine. At Li’s command, the machine began to shake and the cutterhead slowly started to rotate. Bit by bit, the machine ate its way into the rock. The Chinese operators responded with joyful shouts. The first light shone through a crevice in the rock. The dust clouds cleared. The tunnel created a powerful air current, like a chimney. The last stones rattled into the neighbouring valley and the drill head rotated freely. It was finished. We could see the sun.

The construction manager, Li, hugged Antonio, and me. Then, as is customary at the victory celebration after a Formula 1 race, I sprayed champagne over the happily smiling workers. While Ramona and Antonio filled their glasses, I cautiously peered through the newly created opening. The tunnel’s exit was located at a point where the mountainside dropped quite steeply. Venturing too far would be life-threatening.

Li gave a short thank-you speech to his workers in Chinese. We all raised our glasses. I shook each worker’s hand gratefully. My “Xièxie!” certainly didn’t sound like proper Mandarin, but it came from the heart. I invited all the workers to a celebration the following evening. They had earned a big party and a bonus with their hard work.

Unfortunately, I was unable to attend the celebration. Something much more important was going on. Kira was in labour, giving birth to her second baby. Of course, I stayed with her. Ramona, Esther, and Inca were there to help with the birth. After a few hours, the young woman finally made it. Surprisingly fair-skinned compared to her mother, her baby girl, Irena, had cried loudly at first, but then quickly calmed down as she lay on her mother’s bare chest. We were so lucky! At first glance, the baby was perfectly healthy, and the happy mother had no complications either. Kira’s eyes sparkled with joy and pride as she looked at me. As I kissed her, she whispered in my ear, “Thank you, my love.”

“Kira, you were amazing! You made me so happy! Please thank our doctor and her assistants. They did much more than I did.”

Then I grabbed my shoulder bag with a small packet of dollars from the study and hurried to the tunnel entrance. It was raining lightly, but that wasn’t a problem. We could celebrate in the shelter of the tunnel. Almost the entire village was gathered there, along with most of the young women and girls. When I shared the good news about Kira’s safe delivery with her friends, there was great jubilation. Mayari immediately ran to congratulate her friend.

It took me a while to greet everyone personally. Then I asked the eight Chinese workers to step forward. Zarina translated my words of thanks and appreciation. They were surprised when I gave each of them a $300 bonus. Afterwards, Antonio thanked the twenty Peruvian workers who had done most of the physically demanding work. When I gave the foreman the same amount as the Chinese specialists, he looked incredulously at the almost freshly printed bills. It felt unusual to hear a murmur of appreciation every time I gave one of the Indios the same amount as the Spanish immigrants’ descendants. Olivia later told me that the Indios were not just happy about the amount, but also about the feeling of equal treatment, which they had missed so much in their homeland.

Then I noticed Yu Yuan, the blue-eyed Chinese man, tenderly holding Zarina in his arms. They were in love. It was obvious at first sight. I should ask the construction manager, Li, if Yu could stay with us in the valley.

“No, that’s not possible. He’s our employee and he has to work for us until the new port is finished. But he’ll be producing gravel for your road through the tunnel for a few more days. After that, he’ll be back at the port project in Chancay. He’s one of our best workers.”

“Hm. OK,” I said glumly, but I was determined to prevent Yu from having to leave Zarina. Perhaps I could arrange this with the head of the immigration office in Trujillo. Leon Ruiz had helped us out before, so why wouldn’t he help us now?

Then Olivia introduced me to one of the Peruvian workers. “This is Junior Huerto,” she said. He might be my future husband. He’s only 22, but he’s very nice.”

Junior was half Indio; his mother was indigenous; his father was a mestizo. All of this was happening too fast for me. I had just watched Udine kiss Marc, Enzo’s fifteen-year-old son, lovingly. What was wrong with us and this valley? Everyone wanted to mate; everyone wanted love. Added to that was the incredible fertility of the people and animals alike. So far, everything had gone much better than I had expected. But we could hardly handle any more children.

I spoke to our doctor. “Don’t worry, Micha. Olivia, Zarina, Priya, and Udine are safe and protected from pregnancy.”

“You knew about Udine, Madame? She’s only 13. I don’t like that at all.”

“I’d rather help with contraception than allow unwanted pregnancies to occur. Nature is unstoppable. You know that better than I do.” she said, smiling.

“Moni, you’ve studied Coca. Should we cut down on drinking Coca tea?”

“We have to do that anyway. There aren’t enough Coca leaves for everyone anymore. But there’s more to it than that. This valley has a special trait: heightened feelings of desire and a natural urge to reproduce. The animals are reproducing much more than usual, too. If we’re not careful, lots more women and girls will get pregnant very quickly. I spoke to Liam’s wife. I gave Mila the pill. Since she arrived in the valley, she’s been obsessed with sex; she’s completely different to how she was before. And she doesn’t drink Coca tea.”

Our doctor seemed to be right. This was consistent with my experiences over the past few years. But could such a thing exist, a place with an almost unbridled urge to reproduce? I’d never heard of it. In any case, we should be aware of it and take appropriate precautions.

The next day, Zhang, the port project manager, arrived. He was concerned about payment for the work and the removal of the tunnel-boring machine. While he was inspecting the tunnel with Li and Antonio, I retrieved the suitcase containing the remaining two million dollars from its concrete bed. The money was sealed in plastic packets of $100,000 each and looked like it had just been printed. According to the agreement, we were to pay Zhang $2.3 million for the tunnel. I later had to pay an additional $200,000 to complete the asphalt road through the tunnel, as well as a $100,000 bonus upon the project’s successful completion. I didn’t have that many dollars left, but I could fall back on the second suitcase containing €4.5 million.

In my study, I placed the bundles of dollars on my desk and prepared a receipt from Zhang, stating that today’s payment fulfilled all obligations for payment for the tunnel construction. Payment for the road construction would be made separately upon completion. I put the small gold bars, valuable coins and seven bags of diamonds from Boguruski’s suitcase in the office safe.

Mrs Liebknecht and Babette were present to witness the handover of the money. Ramona was amazed by the wealth on my desk. She played with the bundles of dollars and counted the total. “Incredible! I’ve never seen this much money before. But the new tunnel is definitely worth it.”

The payment wasn’t exactly ceremonial. Zhang counted the money into the empty suitcase, thanked us briefly, and declined to join us for a drink. He simply said, “Thank you, Mr Berthier. I knew I could rely on you.”

We shook hands. He explained that part of the newly created tunnel opening would have to be blasted away to allow the tunnel-boring machine to be picked up by helicopter. The construction machinery would be removed gradually over the next few days, and the asphalt road through the tunnel would be completed within ten days at the latest.

“Perfect, Mr Zhang. Thank you for your hard work. Today’s payment has used up our dollars. The remaining payment can only be made in euros. The current exchange rate is 1 euro to 1.12 dollars. That would be approximately €268,000. I will hand over 270,000 euros upon completion. Okay?”