Bogota Blessings

by E. A. West

  She looked toward the horizon, past buildings taller than the one she stood on. In the near distance, a large dark form rose up to touch the sky. “A mountain?”

  “Yes, that is Monserrate. There is a church at the top that many people visit each year. I have been there myself, and the view from the top of the mountain is incredible.”

  “Maybe I’ll be able to go up there before I leave.”

  “You would not regret it.” Mateo lifted his hands from her shoulders, and she immediately missed the gentle pressure. “We should go inside. It is late and there is much work to do tomorrow.”

  “You’re probably right.” Kayla sighed and headed for the door, wishing they could stay on the roof and talk longer. “Thank you for bringing me up here.”

  “It was my pleasure.” He held the door as she passed through. “Perhaps we could come up here another time to admire God’s work.”

  “That sounds fun.” A little thrill raced through her at evidence that Mateo wanted to spend more time with her. She barely knew anything about him, and she wanted to know so much more.

  Once in the second-floor hallway, Kayla handed him his jacket. He pulled it on, his gaze never leaving hers. “Remember not to go out in the streets alone again, especially at night. I would hate to see anything happen to you.”

  “I’ll remember. Goodnight.” She turned toward her door to hide the heat creeping into her cheeks. He cared that much about her? She tried to convince herself that he would show the same concern for Angie or Paul, but her heart didn’t want to listen.

  As his footsteps retreated down the hall, she opened the door to her room. Before she could close it behind her, Angie came in.

  “Tell me everything,” she said, closing the door and leaning back against it.

  Kayla sat down on the edge of her bed and kicked off her sneakers. “Everything about what?”

  “Why I saw you and Mateo in the hall. What you were doing wearing his jacket.” Angie lifted an eyebrow. “Why he warned you not to go out alone again.”

  “I stepped outside for a breath of fresh air,” Kayla said with a laugh, her heart warming at the memory of Mateo’s concern for her safety. “He saw me and took me to the roof to look at the stars because it’s safer up there than down on the street. I was wearing his jacket because he’s a gentleman, and I was cold. Does that cover everything?”

  “Almost.” Angie crossed the tiny space and sat beside Kayla. “Why are you blushing?”

  The heat in Kayla’s face renewed, but she refused to acknowledge it. “I’m not. That wind is cold. Anyone who’d been in it would look like they’re blushing.”

  “Uh-uh, I don’t think so.” A teasing glint sprang to life in Angie’s eyes, and Kayla knew there would be no stopping her friend’s speculation now. “Mateo’s face didn’t look the least bit red.”

  “That’s because his complexion is darker than mine. Now, do you mind if I go to bed? I’m tired, and tomorrow promises to be a long day.”

  “Fine. I’ll let you off the hook...for now.” Angie moved to the door. “Night, Kayla.”

  “See you in the morning,” she responded as Angie left the room.

  As she turned out the light and climbed into bed a few minutes later, Kayla wondered if there was a possibility for romance in Bogotá. She’d come down here to serve God by helping fix up a house for orphans, but could God have plans to fix her up with a certain scarred Colombian?

  3

  Mateo fought the urge to chuckle as he watched the Americans study the bowls of changua that Maria placed in front of them. None of them seemed familiar with the common breakfast soup of milk, scallions, and eggs, but he hoped they wouldn’t be as picky as some foreign volunteers. Like many who had grown up in Bogotá, he had eaten changua as a child, and now considered it a comfort food. For the purposes of the mission, it was a cheap, nutritious way to feed a large group.

  After Carlos blessed the meal, Mateo picked up his spoon and began to eat. The other Colombians at the table did the same. The Americans seemed a little hesitant, but they soon took their first tastes of a food he knew they would see often during their stay. Many mornings, Maria prepared either changua or caldo de papas, a soup made with potatoes.

  Kayla turned to Maria. “This is very good. What do you call it?”

  “Changua.” Maria’s face lit up. “Not all American volunteers like it at first. They say it is very different from their breakfasts at home.”

  “It is quite a change, but it’s delicious.” Kayla ate another bite, and then shifted her attention to Carlos. “My father mentioned you have been in contact with the local office of Shaw Restoration about the necessary supplies and tools to renovate the house.”

  “Yes, they said to contact them when we know specifically what we need, and they will see that we receive it.” Carlos smiled warmly. “Your father has been very generous in his company’s donations.”

  “Yeah. Dad likes to help where he can.”

  The question that had been burning in Mateo’s mind since last night refused to be ignored any longer. He focused on Kayla, hoping she could finally lay it to rest. “I’m curious. Shaw Restoration has an office here, yet instead of sending us someone local, the company sent you three from America. Is there a special reason for that?”

  “Not really, although the Bogotá office has been busy lately,” Kayla said.

  “We volunteered to come,” Paul added. “The company took care of the details to get us here, but we all wanted to be here for this project.”

  Mateo nodded, his mind racing. Kayla’s family was wealthy, yet she had volunteered to come to a poverty-stricken neighborhood to help children many in the city wished would just vanish?

  A hint of color highlighted her cheeks under his gaze. “My family’s church donates to the mission, so they received the update about the house and the work it needs. When I told Angie and Paul about it, we all knew we had to come help.”

  Angie laughed. “Kayla can be very persuasive.”

  “Yeah,” Paul chimed in, grinning. “Just ask everyone she talked into giving up their evenings and weekends to build Habitat houses last summer.”

  “Hey, everyone had fun.” The light in Kayla’s eyes showed her feelings on the project. “Besides, you saw the owners of those houses when they received the keys. Enabling their dreams of having a safe place of their own to live was worth giving up all my free time.”

  “I think we all feel that way,” Angie said.

  The conversation moved on to the upcoming renovation, but Mateo couldn’t concentrate on it. His thoughts kept drifting to what he’d just learned about the woman seated across from him. Kayla had a deep compassion for the poor and a desire to provide them with safe housing. Combined with his desire to give the street children the best chance for the future he could, they could make a formidable team in working to improve the living conditions for these children and their families.

  But would she ever consider moving to Colombia to work with the mission full time? How could he even consider suggesting such a thing? The neighborhood the mission worked in was far from good. Trash, raw sewage, drugs, and gangs were all too common, making it unsafe for anyone. But for an American woman who didn’t appear to have the innate wariness so characteristic among the city’s impoverished, it could be downright dangerous.

  Oh, Lord, guide me. Grant me the wisdom to see Your will.

  Praying was the best way to figure out what he should do, if anything, but he longed to share the burden for street children that had weighed heavy on his heart since he accepted Christ. While the Ramírezes and the other local volunteers knew of it, he dreamed of the day God would provide him with a woman who could be a helpmeet, who would share his life and the work he had dedicated himself to. Kayla likely wasn’t that woman, but she had reawakened the dream he’d tried so hard to ignore, a dream that he had concluded long ago would probably never come true.

  ****

  “Yes, of course. I’d be happy
to come into the office to meet with you.” Kayla met Paul’s questioning gaze with a shrug. “I’ll be there as soon as I can so we can get started.”

  She ended the call and sighed. Angie looked up from the notes she was making about the order in which she wanted to do the electrical work. “What’s up?”

  “They want to see me in person.” Kayla shoved her cell phone in the pocket of her jeans, catching Mateo’s worried look. “They’re perfectly willing to provide us with whatever materials and tools we need, but since I’m down here, the guy in charge wants to meet me.”

  Paul chuckled. “I take it they don’t often get to impress the big boss by showing his daughter how wonderfully they run the office?”

  “Since this is my first time in Colombia, no.” Kayla rolled her eyes and turned to Mateo. He’d shaved this morning, revealing a strong jaw and undeniable good looks previously hidden. “So, think I can get a ride to Shaw Restoration’s office?”

  “Of course. I need to speak with Carlos about who will drive you, but we will get you there.”

  “Thank you.” Once he’d left the office, Kayla focused on the rest of the team. “So, do you guys want to tag along on what’s sure to be a boring trip to give them our list in person, or would you rather stay here and see what the mission can round up in the way of volunteers?”

  “I think I’ll stay here,” Paul said. “Carlos showed me the tool closet yesterday evening, and there’s enough in there to allow me to get started.”

  “All right.” Kayla turned to Angie. “How about you?”

  “I think I’ll see if I can round up a few volunteers for the project. I’ve heard there are several teens who visit the mission regularly. Maybe I can talk some of them into helping out. You know, give them some kind of work experience that might help them get out of this neighborhood.”

  Kayla nodded, a memory coming to mind. “Kind of like what Mateo is hoping we can do for that Eduardo kid he mentioned yesterday.”

  “Right.” Angie bit her lip as she studied Kayla. “Are you sure you’ll be OK going alone? Maybe I should go with you instead.”

  “I’ll be fine. Besides, I won’t be alone. Someone from the mission will be with me.”

  Angie rose from her seat by the desk and moved to Kayla’s side to whisper, “What if that someone is Mateo?”

  “Then he’s the one I go with.” Kayla put her arm around Angie’s shoulders. “He’s a nice guy with a passion for helping street kids. There’s nothing to worry about.”

  “What happened to ‘scary beyond imagination’?”

  “I got to know him better and paid attention to what his actions were telling me.” Kayla picked up the sheaf of papers she’d laid on the desk. “Now, let’s go over this list one last time to make sure everything we need is on it.”

  They were on the last page when Carlos stepped into the office, followed by Mateo. The pastor wore a cheerful expression that Kayla was beginning to think might be permanent.

  “I hear your company wants to see you in person,” Carlos said.

  Kayla nodded and restacked the materials list. “That’s right. They want to meet me whenever I can get there.”

  “Well, Mateo Luis will provide transportation. My wife will go along, since she needs to stop at the supermarket.” Carlos smiled and shrugged. “We try to combine trips as much as possible to cut down on transportation costs.”

  “Makes sense to me.” Kayla turned to Angie and Paul. “Do you need anything that’s not on the list?”

  “Only some helpers,” Angie said, and Paul nodded his agreement.

  “Eduardo should be here today,” Mateo said, “although I don’t know when. His brother promised to have him come.”

  “I’ll gladly put him to work whenever he arrives,” Paul said. “With any luck, he’ll be easier to get along with from the beginning than some apprentices I’ve worked with.”

  Carlos chuckled. “Eduardo may be easy to work with; he may not. He is a teenage boy, and the difficult life he has lived so far has made his moods even more unpredictable.”

  “Ah, I’m sure we’ll get along just fine.” Paul moved to the door. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go get started.”

  As he left the office, Angie turned to Carlos. “Pastor, I’m hoping you can help me round up some volunteers for the renovation while Kayla’s gone.”

  “Of course. If you do not mind working with children and teenagers, you will have an almost endless supply of helpers. If you want only adults, however, you will have fewer options.”

  “I can find something for the kids and teens to do, although a little extra adult help to keep them in line would be good.”

  “Come with me, and we will go talk to the children who are here.” Carlos lifted his hand toward the door then met Mateo’s gaze. “We will see you when you return.”

  Once Kayla and Mateo were alone, she raised an eyebrow. “Is Maria ready to go?”

  “Yes, she will meet us at the car.” Mateo stepped back and motioned to the door. “After you.”

  They went out the back door and stepped into the sun-drenched parking lot. The golden warmth did an amazing job of warding off the coolness of the air, but Kayla was still thankful for the heavy sweatshirt she wore. Hopefully the people at the company’s office didn’t expect her to arrive in business attire. She hadn’t brought any with her.

  Maria stood beside a black car that looked slightly newer and in a little better shape than the bus. A mesh bag hung from her arm, and she smiled as Mateo and Kayla approached. Before any of them could speak, a little girl with tangled hair and a big grin on her dirty face ran across the parking lot.

  “Mateo!” she said, running straight to him.

  He knelt to her level, and they had a conversation in rapid-fire Spanish. Kayla took in the child’s ragged clothes that were a size too big and looked like they’d never seen a washing machine, and her heart broke at the obvious neglect the girl suffered. Were all the street children in such desperate need of care?

  Mateo rose and motioned Kayla closer with a smile. “This little one is Claudia. She has something she wants to tell you.”

  Kayla focused on the waif and was rewarded with a beaming smile. Claudia took her hand and kissed the back. “You are pretty.”

  The heavily accented, uncertain English melted Kayla’s heart. “Why, thank you, Claudia! You’re very pretty, too.”

  Claudia gave her a hug and then spun toward Maria, asking something in pleading Spanish. As the pastor’s wife responded, Mateo said to Kayla, “Claudia is asking if she can come with us.”

  Kayla didn’t even have to think about it. “I don’t mind if she tags along, as long as you and Maria don’t mind.”

  Maria graced her with a warm smile, then said something to Claudia that had the little girl hopping up and down. Claudia grabbed Kayla’s hand and pulled her toward the door of the mission, and Maria spoke before Kayla could protest.

  “I told her we must wash her face before we go. I hope you don’t mind the delay in our departure.”

  “Of course I don’t mind. Caring for Claudia is more important than meeting with a businessman.” Kayla swung the hand the child held. “We’ll make you so pretty Mateo won’t recognize you.”

  The smile Claudia gave her outshone the sun.

  ****

  Mateo leaned back against the car, the sunlight warming his shoulders as he waited for the women to return. A smile lifted the corners of his mouth as he remembered the warmth shining in Kayla’s eyes as she interacted with Claudia. It mirrored the feeling he had whenever the girl was around. If he could, he would adopt Claudia and her brother. But he knew they needed a mother as well as a father, which was something he couldn’t give them. Then there was the matter of the children continuing to claim to live with relatives.

  He could understand their fear of what would happen if anyone discovered they were orphans. He’d seen the same fear in the eyes of too many other children. But if they would just all
ow the mission to place them in one of its homes, they could be so much happier. They would also have the opportunity to be adopted, either by a Colombian couple or a couple from another country. Mateo had a feeling it was the fear of being adopted internationally that caused the kids to maintain the story of relatives.

  Juan Miguel ran into the parking lot with Jorge, and both boys headed straight for Mateo. The worry in their eyes caused him to straighten, his pulse increasing.

  “Have you seen Claudia?” Juan Miguel said, scanning the parking lot. “She said she wanted to come to the mission to see you, but no one has seen her.”

  Mateo relaxed and smiled. “She’s inside with Maria and one of the American volunteers. They’re cleaning her up a bit, and then she’s going to run a few errands with us.”

  The tension left Juan Miguel’s body, and Jorge laid a hand on the younger boy’s shoulder. After a moment, Juan Miguel straightened and met Mateo’s gaze, looking much older than his nine years. “You will keep her safe?”

  “Of course. You know I would never let anything happen to your sister while she is in my care.” Mateo wished he could convince the boy to bring his sister and come live at the mission full time, but he knew Juan Miguel wouldn’t agree to it.

  “If you don’t mind keeping her with you today, I will go work with Jorge,” Juan Miguel said.

  “I would be happy to take care of her until you return.” Inspiration struck, and Mateo included both boys in his smile. “If you would like to help with renovating the new children’s home, I know they would be glad to have you.”

  The boys exchanged a glance, then Jorge asked, “How much does it pay?”

  “Three meals a day, plus construction experience.” Mateo prayed the boys would accept the offer. He knew Maria wouldn’t mind having the extra mouths to feed. She always tried to feed as many of the street children as she could, since everyone at the mission knew they never had enough to eat.