by E. A. West
As everyone prepared to leave the table and get back to work on their various tasks, Carlos cleared his throat. “Since the children’s home is so close to completion, and our American volunteers have worked so hard to make the renovation happen, I think they deserve the afternoon off to see some of Bogotá’s beauty.”
“We came down here to fix up the children’s home,” Kayla said, giving the pastor an endearing smile. “We don’t mind skipping sightseeing in order to finish it.”
“My dear Kayla, there is nothing for you to do on the house this afternoon. A group of church members and some of the teens are going to finish the painting and clean up. Your job is complete. Now you may rest and enjoy our city before you leave.” Carlos shifted his gaze to Mateo. “I have made arrangements for you to drive some of the children and volunteers to Simón Bolívar Park for the afternoon. You deserve a break as well, and I know you enjoy taking the children there.”
“Yes, it is a refreshing place to visit.” Mateo had fallen in love with the sprawling Simón Bolívar Metropolitan Park the first time he saw it. The wide open spaces, verdant lawns, trees, and lake provided him with a sense of peace and perfection of God’s creation he was hard pressed to find in the dirty, worn neighborhood where he lived and worked.
“So,” Carlos said, his attention returning to the Americans, “where would you like to go this afternoon? There are many wonderful attractions you might like to visit. Maria and I will be happy to take you wherever you would like to go.”
“I would love to see the La Candelaria neighborhood,” Angie said. “I’ve heard the architecture is beautiful.”
“It has a couple of museums I’d be interested in visiting,” Paul added, and then turned to Kayla. “What do you say, fearless leader? Shall we visit La Candelaria?”
“Actually, I was thinking an afternoon at the park sounds fun.” She met Mateo’s gaze, and his heart skipped a beat under the warmth he saw there.
“What do you think, Mateo Luis?” Carlos said. “You want to take her along with you and the others?”
“I would be happy to.” He had a feeling the pastor knew he wouldn’t pass up a chance to spend more time with Kayla, especially in a place where they could both relax and feel safe. He also didn’t miss the looks Paul and Angie exchanged. From the way Kayla’s cheeks colored, she caught them as well.
After helping Maria clean the kitchen, everyone headed out to the parking lot. Mateo, Kayla, and Claudia loaded into the bus and headed for the nearby occupied children’s home. Several orphans and a handful of adult chaperones boarded the bus, and then Mateo drove toward the huge park in the middle of the city. Young voices singing children’s Bible songs provided joyous background noise as he navigated the crowded city streets, and some of his tension eased. Glancing in the mirror, he found Claudia singing along as she leaned against Kayla. The smile on Kayla’s face melted Mateo’s heart, and he knew he couldn’t let her go without a fight.
By the time he pulled into the parking lot southeast of the lake, the children had stopped singing and were chattering in excited voices about the things they wanted to do. Mateo knew from past trips that most of the plans would fall apart as soon as they were out of the bus. They either would play chasing games or fútbol or examine every plant and bug they saw. He preferred walking along the lake and finding peace in the shimmering water.
Everyone piled out of the bus, and the adult chaperones herded the orphans into the grass. Only Claudia remained behind, holding tightly to Kayla’s hand. Mateo knelt and looked into the girl’s anxious eyes.
“Why don’t you go play with the other children?”
Her lower lip quivered. “Will you take me back with you when you leave?”
“Of course we will!” Mateo wrapped her in a hug, wishing he could heal her fear of abandonment with the simple act. But he knew that healing would take much longer and require the love and stability of adoptive parents. “I will not take you somewhere and abandon you to the streets.”
She sniffled and nodded, then stepped back. “And Kayla will go back with us, too?”
“Yes, she will go back to the mission with us. You don’t have to worry, little one. No one will be left behind.”
“I guess I could go play, then.”
“I’m sure you will enjoy it.” Mateo reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out an ever-present piece of candy. “Here, maybe this will help you remember that you can trust me.”
Claudia’s eyes lit up, and she grinned as she took the green-and-yellow wrapped hard candy. “I can trust you to always have Supercoco.”
She ran off to join the other children, and Mateo chuckled as he stood. The child had such a sweet, vibrant personality. If she was ever adopted, her new parents might have their hands full, but they wouldn’t have a problem loving the child.
“What was that all about?” Kayla said as she walked beside him toward the lake.
“She has abandonment issues.” He took Kayla’s hand, struggling with his own concern about losing her when she went back to the United States. “She was afraid that if she went to play with the others, we might leave her here.”
“Poor kid.” Kayla covered their hands with her free one. “I’m glad she has you to remind her that she’s loved and wanted.”
“Yes, but she needs parents.” He glanced at Kayla and wished the two of them could become Claudia’s parents. But they would have to marry first, and he had no idea how Kayla would feel about that. Then there was the dilemma of them having separate lives on different continents. One of them would have to give up everything if they married.
He sighed, and Kayla glanced at him. “You OK?”
“Yes, I just have a lot on my mind.” And she was involved in most of his thoughts, but he wasn’t brave enough to admit it.
“Do you want to talk about it?”
“You leave the day after tomorrow, and I am going to miss you.”
“I’m going to miss you, too.” She sighed and laid her head on his shoulder. “When I first planned to come down here, I thought two weeks would feel like forever. But now that I’m here, two weeks isn’t nearly long enough. There’s so much more I want to do and see. And I want to spend more time with you.”
“Well, tomorrow is Sunday, and Carlos insists I refrain from working unless there is an emergency.” Mateo stopped and turned toward Kayla. “Would you like to spend the day with me? We can go to the early worship service, and then spend the day however you want.”
“That would be wonderful.” Her eyes sparkled, and he desperately wanted to kiss her. The only thing that prevented him from doing it was the sound of young voices nearby. He wasn’t ready for the children, especially Claudia, to know how much he cared for this woman.
They continued along the path paralleling the lake shore. Possibilities for the next day remained a constant flow in Mateo’s mind, but he kept them to himself. Tomorrow would be for Kayla, whatever she wanted. He wanted her to choose the day’s plans based on her own desires, not his. Since it would be her last day in Colombia, he planned to make it as perfect for her as he could so she would have fond memories to take home with her.
As they turned to head back to where the children played, Kayla glanced at him. “What do you think we should do tomorrow?”
“Whatever you want to do.” He smiled and rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb. “It will be your opportunity to do or see some of the things you would like to but have not had opportunity to yet.”
She laughed lightly. “I don’t know what I want to do. You’re the one who lives here and probably knows all the best places to go in Bogotá.”
“There are many places you would love.” He considered which she might enjoy most. “As someone who renovates old buildings, you would enjoy visiting La Candelaria. As Angie mentioned at lunch, the architecture is beautiful.”
“That does sound nice, but I don’t know if I want to spend my last day with you looking at old buildings. What would you like to do
?”
He couldn’t shake the way she’d worded it, my last day with you. The phrase had a finality to it that cut his heart like a machete. Did she plan to go home and forget him despite everything she’d said that indicated otherwise?
“Mateo?” Her questioning tone held a hint of concern and brought his gaze to her.
He smiled and lifted their joined hands, kissing the back of hers. “Just thinking about you.”
“It didn’t look like they were particularly pleasant thoughts.”
“You are leaving the day after tomorrow,” he said with a shrug, hoping to downplay just how much the thought hurt. “I wish you weren’t, but I understand. You must go back to your job and your family. Your life in los Estados Unidos.”
A veil of moisture made her eyes even more luminous, and she blinked several times before she spoke softly. “I’m beginning to wonder if my life there is as important as I thought it was two weeks ago.”
Joy skipped through him, lifting his heart with evidence she was dreading her impending departure as much as he was. But it was tempered by his inability to shake the feeling she deserved a better life than he could offer. He couldn’t ask her to stay, no matter how desperately he wanted to. “Perhaps God is telling you something.”
“Maybe.” She released a deep sigh then glanced at him again. “We still need to figure out what we’re doing tomorrow.”
Making a quick decision, he said, “We should visit Monserrate.”
“And what is Monserrate?” she asked, lifting an eyebrow. “I vaguely remember you mentioning it, but I can’t remember what it is.”
Mateo turned her so she faced southeast. “You see that mountain with a big white building at the top?”
“Yes...”
“That is Monserrate. The white building is the Santuario de Monserrate—the Monserrate Sanctuary. It is a beautiful place, and the view...there is nothing else like it in Bogotá.”
“With a view like that, we have to go. It seems appropriate to visit a church on a Sunday anyway.”
“They have several Masses on Sundays. We could attend one while we are there, if you would like.”
“If we’re there at the right time, we should go.” Kayla gave him a wry smile. “But you have to promise to tell me after the service what they said.”
“Still not fluent en Español?” Mateo chuckled and kissed her cheek, enjoying the blush as he straightened. “Of course I will tell you. You should be thankful I am fluent in both Spanish and English.”
“Oh, I am. Just think how awkward our conversations would be if you didn’t speak English.”
The temptation to tease her was too great. He looked her in the eye and, with a straight face, said in Spanish, “You want to understand what I tell you? Where’s the fun in that?”
She stared for a moment before rolling her eyes with a smile. “Thank you for proving my point, Mr. Smarty Pants. Now, would you please be so kind as to tell me what you just said?”
He repeated it in English. The warmth in her laughter and the way she hooked her arm through his as they continued on made him wonder if he really could let her go without telling her how much he wanted her to stay.
****
Kayla kicked the soccer ball to one of her young team members, laughing as the child propelled it with much more grace toward the makeshift goal. Feeling someone watching her, she scanned the grassy area and spotted Mateo. He gave her a big smile and thumbs up, then turned to jog after a member of his team.
She still couldn’t figure out how they’d gotten drawn into the soccer game—or fútbol, as Mateo and the children called it. One minute they were walking along discussing their plans for the following day, and then a cluster of adorable begging, pleading children surrounded them, tugging their hands and pulling toward the open area until they agreed to join the game. Claudia had insisted Kayla play on her team; a little boy with a mischievous grin claimed Mateo for the other team. No one appeared to be keeping score, and the older children helped the younger kids as they played.
As the younger kids wore down, the adults declared the game over and both teams winners. One of the chaperones produced snacks for the kids, and they all flopped onto the grass to eat. One of the women handed Kayla two bottles of water and said, “Para tú y Mateo Luis.”
“Thank you,” Kayla said, then decided to attempt a little of the Spanish she’d picked up in the last two weeks. “Gracias.”
“De nada.” A broad smile lit up the woman’s face, and she patted Kayla’s arm.
Feeling a little like a child who has been rewarded for correctly answering the teacher’s question, Kayla headed for where Mateo sat in the grass. She sat beside him and handed him a bottle of water. “As I was told, this water is ‘para tú y Mateo Luis.’”
He chuckled as he twisted off the cap. “Your accent isn’t too bad.”
“I blame it on listening to you so much.” She took a sip of her water. “By the way, what does de nada mean?”
“Literally? It means ‘it’s nothing.’ It is a way to say, ‘you’re welcome.’” He gave her a curious look. “Why do you ask?”
“Because that’s what I was told when I thanked the woman who gave me the water.” Kayla bumped her shoulder against Mateo’s. “You’ll be happy to know I thanked her in Spanish.”
“You see? I’m rubbing off on you. If you stay in Colombia much longer, you’re likely to become fluent.”
“Somehow I don’t think that will happen before my flight leaves Monday.” She leaned back, bracing her elbows on the ground behind her and enjoying the warmth of the sun streaming down. “Maybe I should invest in Spanish lessons when I go home. Then the next time I come down here, I won’t need you to translate everything for me.”
“I don’t mind translating for you.” Mateo studied her for a moment, the familiar intensity in his eyes sending a shiver through her. “You are planning to come back to Bogotá?”
“I’d like to come back someday. This is a beautiful city, and I’ve gotten kind of attached to the mission.” She grinned, wanting to keep the conversation light. “Besides, I found out this place isn’t nearly as scary as I thought it would be.”
“It is no worse than any other large city. I only worry about your safety because of the neighborhood the mission is in.”
“Which is perfectly understandable.” She sat up and touched his arm. “I appreciate your concern, by the way. You could have just ignored my ignorance and hoped for the best.”
“No, I couldn’t. My heart wouldn’t allow me to do that.” He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and trailed his finger along her jaw. “You are a special woman, Kayla.”
Her heart did a little tap dance under the warmth of his gaze. If only he knew how badly she wanted to stay here with him instead of going home to a lonely house with a pair of goldfish for company. But did he want her to stay? Yes, he had admitted to caring about her and claimed he would miss her when she left, but he hadn’t asked her to consider moving to Colombia so she could be close to him. Perhaps if she admitted to wanting to be with him, wherever God told them to live, he would ask her to stay.
Claudia ran up with a big grin, a feather clutched in each hand. “Kayla, look!”
“Wow! Those are beautiful feathers.” Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Mateo watching with a sad smile. Did he, too, worry about how Claudia would fare after she returned home?
“Me.” The little girl held out the black feather. Then she held out the white one in her other hand. “You. Both pretty. Not the same.”
Kayla’s heart melted. The girl had come up with a wonderful comparison. Where Kayla was light, Claudia was dark, yet they were equally pretty. She reached out, encouraged Claudia to sit in her lap, and then gave the girl a big hug. “Yes, we’re both pretty just like the feathers. And just like the feathers, we don’t look the same, do we?”
The girl glanced at Mateo, and he gave a quick translation. Claudia’s dark brown, almost black eyes lit up, an
d she twisted to wrap her arms around Kayla’s neck. Kayla held her close, wishing more than ever that she could become the girl’s mother, but taking her out of Colombia didn’t feel right. Neither did becoming a single mom.
Claudia talked about the feathers a bit more, as well as the other things she had seen at the park. Kayla was surprised by how much she understood of the child’s descriptions, but she still relied on Mateo’s translation skills. Although she’d been joking about hiring someone to teach her Spanish, she might go ahead and do it after she got settled at home. Thinking about how surprised Claudia and Mateo would be if she spoke Spanish the next time she saw them brought a smile to her lips. It quickly faded, however, with the thought that she might not see them again.
The chaperones rounded up the kids, and Kayla walked between Claudia and Mateo back to the bus. The ride back to the children’s home was much quieter than the trip to the park. Some of the children fell asleep, and the rest seemed content to look out the windows. Claudia remained sound asleep, curled against Kayla’s side, all the way back to the mission.
That evening, as Kayla sat on her bed with her laptop and composed an email to her father detailing the soccer game with the orphans and the meaning Claudia had given the feathers she’d found, a knock sounded on the door. She looked up from the screen as Angie opened the door and stepped inside.
“How was the park?” Angie asked as she shut the door with a quiet click.
“Fun. Beautiful. Relaxing.” Kayla saved the message and closed her computer. “How was La Candelaria?”
“Amazing. I think Paul may be considering learning how to do more than slap paint on walls and put in plumbing.” Angie laughed as she plopped onto the foot of the bed. “You should have seen the way he studied the façade of each building like it was a precious jewel.”
