“Yes, Luke, but I promised Joyce I would come back soon, if that’s alright with you.”
Luke looked at her with tenderness in his eyes as he took her hand in his. “Jessica, I want you come back soon too. Since you’ve been here, I’ve seen how much the children love you. And I was hoping that you might consider living here permanently.”
“What are you asking of me, Luke?” Jessica asked, seeing how serious he had suddenly become.
“Well, Jessica, if you must know, I’m asking you to marry me?”
Jessica could not believe what she was hearing. “But, Luke, we hardly know each other. I need some time to think about it. And there is a friend back home who I need to think about as well.”
“So is this person, a friend or a boyfriend, Jessica?” Luke asked, looking concerned.
“Well, we are very close friends. I need to make sure that there is nothing more than friendship there before I can give you an answer.”
“Jessica, Jessica, if you were my friend I would never let you go. Please consider my proposal, sort out your affairs back home, and then when you come back, give me an answer. I need to know.”
“Of course, Luke. It’s just such a delicate and complex situation, but I’ll know when I see my friend, Ryan, again whether there’s anything more than friendship there or not.”
“Thank you for your honesty, Jessica. I’ll be waiting for your reply.”
“Well, I will be leaving here in a few days’ time and I know that Joyce will be very upset. She is calling me Mommy now. Can you promise me you will take special care of her until I return?”
“Of course I will Jessica. There is nothing I wouldn’t do for you. I love you.”
***
The flight back to New York took almost fifteen hours. Butterflies flew around in her stomach as she thought of Ryan waiting to pick her up from the airport and take her home. She had missed him every day, and now she felt torn between the humility of her life in Uganda, and the opulence of her wealthy lifestyle in Manhattan. Reflecting back on the last few weeks, Jessica remembered how happy the orphans were with very little. She suddenly felt sickened and saddened by the wealth of so many Americans who always wanted more and were still searching for a glimpse of happiness. She was also torn between the idea of living in Uganda permanently or staying in Manhattan just to be near Ryan. The thought of life without him terrified her. Oh, Ryan, if only you loved me the way that Luke does! And if only you could come to know God the way I do now, and realize how much He loves us.
*****
Ryan’s face lit up as soon as he saw Jessica step from the plane. There was something different about his demeanor, thought Jessica, as he embraced her. Something calmer and more mature.
“I’ve missed you, Jessica,” he said softly. “And I have some interesting news. It appears that your detective has found a couple in Mexico who he believes are Adele and my brother, Adam. He called me yesterday saying he was pretty sure it was them. And he has given me an address. He believes that they have been living together all these years.”
“Oh, Ryan, I am so sorry, so sorry to hear that. Living together? What can that mean?”
Sadly, Ryan spoke. “It can only mean one thing, Jessica. They ran off together to be with each other. I have to make sure that it is them. I haven’t said anything to the folks until I am positively sure. So I’m going to Mexico tomorrow. But you’re coming with me, okay.”
Jessica tried to process what she was hearing thinking how difficult this must be for Ryan. “Are you okay with this, Ryan?” she asked, certain that he must be hurting about the possibility that he had been betrayed by his wife and brother.
“Jessica, I’m okay with it because while you were away I did a lot of thinking. I saw how much you had changed recently, and how happy you’ve been since you met Annie and become a Christian. So out of curiosity I went down to your little church aptly named Reaching the Unreachable, and I did something I have never done before in the last ten years. I prayed to God to find Adele and my brother. And my prayers have been answered. God found them. I’m sure of it. And I have found strength in God to forgive them and to cope with their deception and disappearance. It’s been like a miracle in my life since you left.”
Jessica was astounded. “God is powerful, Ryan, and He does listen and answer our prayers. I am so happy that you have found God, and now, hopefully Adele and Adam and some closure.”
***
The flight from New York to Mexico took around five hours and forty minutes. Jessica slept for a few hours, still feeling jet lagged from her trip back from Uganda. Ryan tried to relax by reading some magazines, but he was still on edge. He’d organized a rental car from the airport so that he could drive to Juarez Avenue, which was the address that Dave had given him.
“Apparently, this couple who resemble your wife and brother, run a little café there called Tortillas and Tacos. The woman calls herself Adelia, and her partner is known to the locals as Tom.”
“It has to be them,” Ryan had said to Dave, shaking his head in disbelief. “Tom is my brothers’ middle name, well actually it’s Thomas. And Adele and Adelia, how close can you get to her real name?”
“I’m sorry,” Dave had said. “But I hope this helps solve the mystery of what happened to them, once and for all. If it is them, it looks as though they planned this disappearance together all along.”
“I can’t believe that Adam could do this to me and the folks. And as for Adele…she was the love of my life. I had no idea that anything could have been going on between them.”
“Well, unfortunately, passion makes people do crazy things.”
“Yes, and what hurts me the most is that once upon a time she had that passion for me.”
“It’s a terrible and unfortunate situation,” Dave had said. “But I do hope you find them and find some way of handling and accepting the truth of what they have done.”
Jessica awoke with a start as they landed in Mexico City. “Are we here, already?” she said, trying to stifle a yawn.
“Yes, we are Jessica. And very soon we’ll know the truth about Adele and Adam.”
“What if it’s not them, Ryan? What if Dave made a mistake?”
“No, there’s too much coincidence there with their names and looks. I’m sure it will be them.”
“Then I pray that you really have been able to forgive them, and finally find a way to move on.”
“I guess I’ll have no choice other than to move on. If she has run off with Adam, I won’t want her back. Especially not after what she and Adam have put me and the folks through for ten years.”
Jessica squeezed Ryan’s hand gently. “I’m here for you, Ryan.”
“I know Jessica, I know that you’re there for me. I am so glad that you are my friend. I couldn’t have done this on my own.”
The café Tortillas and Tacos was busy with diners and people drinking coffee or tequilas. Ryan and Jessica found a table and ordered some cold drinks. No-one who resembled Adele or Adam was anywhere in sight.
“Are you sure this is the right place?” Jessica asked sipping on an icy, alcohol free marguerita.
“Well, this is the address that Dave gave me.”
“Why don’t you show their photo to one of the waitresses? Ask someone if they know them?”
“Well, Dave said that they own this joint. So you’re right. A waitress should recognize them if they do work here.”
A rather large, buxom woman approached them to take an order for their next round of drinks. Pulling out the photos from his jacket, Ryan asked the waitress, “Have you seen these people here? I was told that they own this place.”
The waitress took a long look at the photos. “Si, si. This man looks like Tom, the boss man here. But the lady, his wife, she has blonde hair, not black, like in this photo. But, si, maybe this is the same lady. Just a different hair color.”
Ryan couldn’t believe what the waitress had said. Wife? If Adele was married to his
brother then they had committed bigamy. She had never divorced him.
“Oh, thank you for that information. So, tell me, are they working here today?”
“Oh, no, they are busy opening up their new café down town near the Alameda Central. They will be there all this week.”
Putting the photo back in his pocket, he thanked the waitress and then turned to Jessica. “Let’s get out of here. We need to find them!”
*****
Alameda Central was not far from Juarez Avenue, and it was known as a favorite old park for tourists and locals who came to relax there.
“This is beautiful, Ryan. So where is this new café?”
“I think that the waitress said it was just across the road from this park. She said we couldn’t miss it as it had a sign saying New Owners, Jezebel Café, Opening Soon.
“Jezebel Café!” Jessica exclaimed. “How appropriate. If Adele really has run off with your brother then she is a Jezebel, the most dangerous seductress in the Bible.”
“I hate to admit it, but sadly you are right. And my gut instinct tells me she is. I never really saw that side of her until now. But she always was a little temptress. I guess being young and having someone like Adele chasing me at high school was irresistible to me at the time. But she did charm me into marrying her. And now she’s obviously charmed my brother into running off down here and starting a new life.”
“I think we need to pray, Ryan, before we find her. We need God’s strength to deal with all of this.”
“You’re right, Jessica. And you are so real and so different to Adele. Let’s pray.”
They prayed together in the park on a park bench under a majestic old tree. It was a warm, sunny day with barely a whisper of cloud in the sky.
“I feel so connected to God here, Ryan. Just sitting amongst these beautiful trees and flowers makes me thankful for God’s beautiful creation.”
Feeling calm and at peace from praying, Ryan nodded in agreement. “Yes, I feel the same way. And I also feel ready to face whatever is coming now. I guess in a way it is true. The truth does set you free.”
Jessica put her arms around Ryan letting him know that she understood and that she was there for him. For a moment she felt him respond as he held her gently in his arms. Oh, Ryan, does this mean you can finally let go, and move on? Oh, God, I hope so!
It was late afternoon when Ryan and Jessica finally found the Jezebel Café. The construction crew were busy inside, putting the finishing touches to the interior renovations.
“Come on Jessica, let’s go inside. It’s time to face my demons.”
***
A slim and sultry blonde woman was at the bar, stocking up the fridge with drinks and other refreshments. For a minute she didn’t notice the unexpected visitors who stood there fixated on her, and then when she turned towards Ryan, and saw him face to face, she froze.
“Hello, Adele,” said Ryan, instantly recognizing his wife despite the change in her hair color. “It’s been a long time. Where’s Adam?”
“Ryan!” she gasped, turning as pale as the ice cubes in her glass. “Ryan, how did you find us?”
“Well, thanks to my friend, Jessica, here I was given your address by her detective. So, you haven’t answered my question. Where is Adam?”
A deep male voice spoke from behind him. “I’m right here Ryan. Please, let’s all sit down and talk.”
“Yes, maybe that’s a good idea. You both owe me an explanation. And as for what you put our folks through, Adam… it nearly killed Mom when you disappeared. So, let’s talk!”
Adam led his brother and Jessica to a back room with a table and chairs and a view over the park. “Look, Ryan, there is a lot more to this than you think.”
“I’ll bet there is,” Ryan said, trying to stop the bitterness creep into his voice.
“Let me explain,” Adele said, trying to stay calm and composed. “Ryan, remember when I got depressed and you were too busy working to even talk to me, well I started to tell Adam how I felt. Ryan, you were so engrossed in your job at the bank, I felt left out. Anyway, Adam had time for me. He listened and suddenly we realized that we were falling in love. But then when I went to the doctor for some anti-depressants, and the results of some tests they had run, he told me I had breast cancer. I tried to tell you about it, but that night after I found out, you were working late. You weren’t there, so I told Adam instead. I was devastated with the news about my cancer and I wasn’t coping emotionally. So Adam and I decided to come here and get treatment for it.”
“Well, Adele had to have a double mastectomy and breast reconstruction. On top of that, I guess we just couldn’t face you or the folks with the truth or the news that we had fallen for each other,” Adam said with tears in his eyes. “We never wanted to hurt anyone. And we were all so young. I think we’ve all made mistakes here.”
Ryan was speechless. That was over ten years ago, and it was true that he had been self-absorbed in getting his career going. But it had all been for Adele. Everything he had worked for was so that they could have a better life and some financial security.
“I know you just wanted a better life for us, Ryan, and that’s why you worked so hard,” Adele said as if reading his mind. “But in my depressed state I felt that you were married to your job, and not to me! Things just got out of control, especially after the doctor diagnosed me with cancer. I truly am sorry for the pain I’ve caused you. But I was in pain too!”
Ryan realized now that unwittingly he had played a part in the demise of his marriage. But, he had been so young, and so immature believing that financial security was more important than Adele’s feelings.
“I’m sorry too, Adele. I realize now that I made some mistakes. We all have, but now we need to let the folks know you are alive. Mom never gave up on finding you Adam. And if it means anything, Adele, I did love you. I just should have been there for you and I wasn’t. I’m really sorry.”
*****
The trip back home to Manhattan was quiet and uneventful. Jessica and Ryan slept most of the way home as if recovering from their emotional battle wounds. The empathy that Jessica felt for Ryan enabled her to feel, share and experience his pain about discovering the awful truth.
“Don’t blame yourself, Ryan. You were very young and did what you thought best at the time.”
“But I lost her because I shut her out,” Ryan moaned.
“Yes, but it was never intentional. It’s time to put the past where it belongs… in the past. You need to move on.”
“You know, this whole experience makes me question everything, Jess. I have worked so hard all my life believing that money would bring me happiness and security. But it hasn’t. And now the only real thing in my life that brings me happiness is knowing God, and being with you.”
“Ryan, we both made that mistake. I believed that if I had money, nothing would hurt me again. I built a wall around myself. I got called ice queen by my staff at work. But God has finally melted the ice queen and now I have a light shining inside of me that only God could have put there.”
“You are a light shining in Manhattan, Jess. If it wasn’t for you, I wouldn’t have found God.”
“If it wasn’t for you, Ryan, I wouldn’t have either, because I would never have gone to see that detective or have met Annie next door to him. Inadvertently, God used both of us to find Him.”
“So where do we go from here, my dearest, dearest friend?” Ryan asked as he gazed into Jessica’s eyes.
“That’s up to you Ryan. As you know, I am heading back to Uganda next week. There is a little girl there called Joyce who has kind of adopted me as her mommy. I miss her terribly and all the other children. And there is something I’ve been meaning to tell you but with the whole Adele thing I haven’t found the right moment.”
“Tell me what?” asked Ryan inquisitively. “Did something else happen in Uganda?”
“Well, Ryan I have fallen in love with the place and am thinking of moving there per
manently. I met Annie’s brother over there. He runs the orphanage and the school where I teach English. And before I left he asked me to marry him.”
Was Jessica imagining it or had Ryan suddenly turned pale?
“He wants to marry you?”
“Yes, his name is Luke and he is a pastor. He wants me to move to Uganda permanently and help run the school.”
“Oh,” was all Ryan could manage to say. “So when are you leaving again?”
“Next week, Ryan. I’m leaving next week.”
“Well, I’ll drive you to the airport, then. I can’t let you go without saying goodbye, now, can I?”
***
The trip back to Uganda seemed to last forever. Jessica cried as she remembered saying goodbye to Ryan at the airport. He had seemed quiet and deep in thought. Well, you have closure now Ryan, but I guess you still don’t want me as anything more than a friend. Goodbye my darling. And then the tears came. A new life was waiting for her in Uganda. A new life without Ryan.
“Mommy! Mommy!” screeched Joyce, as Jessica found her way to Manuel’s car.
“Oh, Joyce,” she said, cradling her tiny bundle of joy in her arms. “I missed you so much! And I missed Uganda!”
The drive back to the orphanage looked oh so familiar with the clucking chickens, children playing happily in the red dirt that stained their little feet, and the lake shining in the distance.
Luke was busy teaching a class when they arrived at his house. She remembered her tiny room at the back of the house, realizing how much happier she had been here than in her mansion in Manhattan. This is where God had sent her to find herself. If only Ryan could find himself, she thought.
It was late evening when Luke came bursting into the house happy to see Jessica’s smiling face.
“Well, have you sorted things out with your friend over there yet?”
Suddenly a deep, male voice spoke behind him. “Yes, I think we have sorted things out, Luke. I just can’t let Jessica go. I made that mistake once with someone else a long time ago, but now I know what I want and who I want.”
Sunlight and Shadows Page 37
