The Covenant - Chapter Thirteen

“I don’t like these kinds of roads!  It feels like we’re about to fall off the edge!” excitedly Lauren peers through the large side window and tugging on her seat belt to make sure that it is still secure.

Sitting next to Annie who is gripping the vinyl bench seat on each side of her, Ben Wick can feel the color drain from his face as they hit another bump in the road.   The van swerves to recover its steady grasp on the winding dirt path.

Trying to focus her mind on something else, reluctantly Annie nervously recalls a conversation she had with the post master about some driving facts she learned while applying for her international driver’s license.  The cautious kind man at the post office warned her that in Peru an accident occurs every 15 minutes with a fatal accident every 40 minutes, so he didn’t recommend driving in the country but thought taxis and buses might be a better solution for travel.   As the reality of this pointed thought sinks in, Annie feels her heart palpitating against her chest and prays that she will not be counted as another statistic today.

Noisily the community van lets out another bank from its exhaust pipe and climbs purposely up the steep hill.  Without warning, it nervously dips into the curves making the passengers feel as if they are free falling into thin air before catching their breath again. 

As her heads hits the ceiling of the van as it crashes into a pot hole created from a past mud slide, Annie lets out an alarming whelp.  For a second Rick takes a break from his intent focus on the road to make sure that she is all right, but quickly moves his glance back to the front window to watch a car coming directly towards them on the narrow passageway.

As the old grey Nissan station wagon narrowly misses them choosing to move closer to them rather than the rocky edge Lauren anticipates a crash and lets out an impulsive verbal warning “Watch out! He’s going to hit us!”  She grabs Rick’s hand into both of her own refusing to let go.  Rick is pleased that Lauren is looking to him for strength, but a little distressed that the one holding his hand is somehow not the one he envisioned holding it while on the journey up the mountain.

In an effort to comfort his own fear, Ben moves his hand towards Annie and lays it on top of her frozen white knuckles firmly attached to the seat.  The back end of the van sachets as it slips on the loose dirt beneath the tires kicking up billowing clouds of misty brown dust that hover and cling to the van.  The volunteer tour guide is able to quickly recover his pace while still maneuvering the steering wheel and turning back to the rest of the van portrays a mock smile that everything is all right. 

Looking to the road ahead without returning the driver’s assuring gaze, they prepare for yet another gut wrenching moment as the van twists and turns its way up to their chosen destination.

As the van slowly comes to a halt, the passengers fill their lungs with deep breaths of cool air before moving out of their now plastered seats.  They share quick wide-eyed stolen glances with a convoluted mixture of anxiety and relief.

“We made it!” joyfully shouts Lauren while kissing her hand and then playfully stooping to touch the ground with it.

Not too far from her, Ben places his hands on his hips and stretches as far back as he can looking into the sky grateful that he can see it once more.

While the others adjust to their new surroundings, Annie climbs back into the van grabbing a backpack of supplies that she brought with her.  It holds a variety of products such as a tour guide with a map, a large bottle of water, a flashlight, a few band-aids, and other odds and ends of possible needs for the mountain hike that she prepared the night before.  She ties her hair back into a pony tail and then smoothes some aloe sunscreen on her arms offering more of the tube to anyone who is interested.

“It’s not hot, only in the 70s.  I don’t think that I’ll need any sunscreen.  Thanks anyway” shrugs Lauren not wanting to mess up any of her makeup which she carefully re-applied a few minutes earlier.

“I’ll take some, Annie.  The UV rays can be bad at this altitude and the sun can bear down at times here” explains Ben Wick taking a rather large blob of white cream and applying it on his tanned face and arms.

Talking with the tour guide, Rick seems rather unusually animated in his conversation.  The driver is smiling but shaking his head and waving his hand as if he is trying to explain something in regards to an opposite opinion.  Rick bends his head trying to create eye contact and sincerity with his body language. The tour guide makes a face and squints into the sun while pursing his lips as if to consider a deeper thought.  He finally shakes his head towards the ground in reluctant agreement.

The air feels thinner as they start to walk along the trail of masonry stone embedded into the ground of all shapes and sides to create a path along the mountainside.  Annie stops to catch her breath and observes the hunter green, dark tourquoise, and purple shaded mountains hovering majestically along the landscape.  The area is luscious with plenty of foliage as a blanket of beauty across the skies.  Wild ferns line the narrow path against the mossy rocks.

The first stop is the Funery Rock Hut where the Incas mummified their nobility in a similar fashion to the Egyptians in ancient days. The misty fog envelopes the group for a few moments as the cloudy moisture dances on their skin.

“Hey look!  You can see some real llamas and alpacas walking around the place, just like deer back at home!” exclaims Lauren tugging on Rick’s arm and then grabbing his hand pulling him closer to the edge of the precipice.  Rick slowly unwinds himself from her grasp giving the appearance of attempting to look for his camera in his knapsack.

“Lauren, you might not want to get to close to the edge.  You can easily lose your balance” kindly warns Ben Wick having been here many times before over the years. 

“I’m not worried.  I’m not afraid.  I can take care of myself” firmly responds Lauren slightly moving her chin in the air in defiance that she would need to be told what to do even in friendly advice.

Noticing her smirk, Ben Wick smiles and shakes his head taking another look at the guide map deciding what the next best place to see might be.  The group heads towards the Sacred Plazas which held the most important buildings of the Inca community.

“It’s interesting that the Incas were able to build these magnificent building that managed to still stand after so many years of earthquakes and natural decay without using any mortar.  They cut precise stones to keep everything knitted together as if making a puzzle” surprised at the ingenuity states Rick “I wonder if this is where the idea of puzzles came from?”

“I don’t get it” frankly confirms Lauren “But I can’t imagine how long it took them to figure out how to put this all together.  It would be like playing a life size game of Tetris.”

“I like how they created stone windows so they could still have a beautiful view of the mountains each morning.   I would love to wake up to this view every day!” exclaims Annie overwhelmed by the intricate splendor in front of her that confirms God’s hand in the design of nature surrounding her.

“It is lovely” affirms Rick moving closer by Annie to see the same outlook from her vantage point and then smiling at her with the mountains cascading in the background “I think this might be the most beautiful view I’ve ever seen”.

“Take a look over here!  I think this is an even better view!” interrupts Lauren pointing them in the opposite direction and then posing for special effect handing her phone to Rick, “Here, take my picture!  I want to remember this place forever!”

“Did you ever notice?  Lauren seems quite good at posing as if she was meant to be in a magazine” pleasantly observes Ben Wick taking out his camera to capture a few snaps as well.

Quietly Annie murmurs to herself taking photos of her favorite location instead, “I wonder how many hours she spends practicing at home in front of the mirror for just the right moment to share her skillful technique”.

After a few minutes embracing the landscape, the groups moves on along the guided terrain.  They find the Intiwatana where the Incas use to observe the stars.

“According to the tour book, they were advanced astronomists especially influenced by the winter and summer solstice which held significant rites and celebrations.  Around June 21 which was the winter solstice, the Inca high priest would rope a golden disc around the Intiwana, which is that rock pillar with the four corners oriented toward the cardinal points, to capture the sun and bring it back to earth to begin the seasons again” reads Ben Wick out of his internationally famous tour guide book.

“Didn’t they know that the seasons happened anyway regardless of what they did?  You would think they could have figured that out considering they were so smart in everything else they did” sarcastically remarks Lauren taking another gulp of soda that she bought at the gift shop.

“It’s interesting to me that that many consider this location a magnetic focal point and having some sort of spiritual connection to the environment” considers Annie “I wonder as in many places, stones such as Lime have this same effect.  It is fortunate that the Spanish conquerors didn’t destroy it liked they tried to with everything else that relates to the Inca religion.”

“I think that stuff is all nonsense”, smirks Lauren wanting some attention but not sure how to add anything to the conversation of the others.  “I’m a if-I-can-see-it-and-touch-it-then-it’s-real sort-of person, all that other stuff is just made-up fairytales.  Don’t you think so?” rhetorically asks Lauren looking towards Rick for a affirming responsive to her opinion.

“I think there are many things that we don’t understand in life but that doesn’t mean that they are not just as real even though we can’t see or touch them.   Love, faith, hope, all exist and are experienced even though they are not tangible items on a shelf” thoughtfully considers Rick before pausing as he continues “I think God is much bigger than our imaginations and how He chooses to work isn’t always for us to understand but it doesn’t change the fact that He is still at work with us in mind.”

“The last stop is the Condor Temple which is just ahead” informs Ben Wick studying the map.  It isn’t too much further from here.  Afterwards we can get some dinner together.

As they are walking away from the area, a man dressed in Khakis and white short sleeved hunting shirt, catches up with them “I think you might have dropped this” handing a unopened water bottle to Annie who appears to be slightly flushed.

“Oh, no.  It wasn’t mine.  Someone else must have dropped it” reluctantly Annie confesses wishing that such a bottle would appear out of nowhere.

“Actually, it is one of mine” smiles the stranger in a friendly manner “I’ve been watching your group for most of the afternoon and I heard all of you talking and realized that you were also Americans.  I’ve been over here for awhile and it is nice to hear a familiar dialect.  I wanted to find a way to say “hello” to a fellow countryman.”

“Well, “Hello”.  What did you think of the tour so far?” asks Annie not sure what to say.

“I think it is fantastic!  I find the Inca culture fascinating.  How about you?” encouragingly asks the handsome stranger.

“I do too.  It’s one thing to read about their history and quite another to actually be in the place where it was experienced by them” offers Annie enjoying his company.

“By the way, go ahead and keep the bottle of water.  You might need it later” offers the man taking out another bottle of water from his well-outfitted backpack that has obviously been used quite a lot.

“Thanks!  I really appreciated it.  I was getting a bit thirsty!” warmly smiles Annie opening the cap and taking a sip.

“I’ll probably see you later down at the bottom of the hill.  I have to catch up with some friends who have already moved on ahead of me.  I hope you have a great day!” as he waves goodbye and jogs on ahead.

Hearing the conversation Rick waits for Annie to meet him where he standing waiting “Who was that?  Do you know him?”

“No, I just met him.  I don’t know who he is.  I forgot to ask his name” surprised at herself Annie explains “He offered me a bottle of water because evidently I looked a little hot.”

Feeling slightly jealous, Rick narrows his eyes “You really need to be careful who you talk to.  There are all sorts of people and some may have a motive to be much more friendlier than others.”

“He was fine.  The bottle of water isn’t poison and I appreciate it being offered to me” frankly states Annie certainly not appreciating that he thought she couldn’t discern when to speak to people who approach her in a foreign country. “He’s from the States.  So how harmful can he be?”

After dinner all together at the hotel at the edge of the mountain,  while walking to her room Annie sees the stranger walking across the lobby, he catches her attention and waves with a warm smile.  She finds herself waving back rather pleased to have a found a new friend.   Rick is coming towards her from the opposite direction with Lauren trailing behind him trying to fix her sandal and hoping along to keep up.

In a rather short tone, Rick quickly snaps “Ben and Lauren would like to go for a walk so they can capture some pictures of the mountain at sunset.  I was wondering if you would like to join us?”

“Sure!  Let me just grab my camera and backpack, I’ll be right down in a few minutes” agrees Annie excited to capture some lovely moments for posterity.

“I’ll ride up with you.  I forgot my wallet” lies Rick not exactly sure of his own motive other than wanting to spend a few minutes alone with her.

“Okay, hurry up.  I’m holding the door for you” states Annie not sure why Rick is being so snippy with her .  Not wanting him to know that she remembers his room number from when they registered at the hotel, she asks “What floor are you on again?”

“Fourth floor, room 407” states Rick glaring at her for a moment “You’re on the same floor too just the next door down from me in room 409.  I’m surprised you couldn’t hear me.”

“No, I like listening to my music and have a tendency to fade all other noise out while I get lost in my own thoughts.  But here, I seem to get lost in the beauty just from the balcony…” explains Annie wanting to sooth some waters between them “What are your favorite moments so far?”

“I think riding in the van.  I prayed quite a lot during that time” sincerely jokes Rick with a laugh not wanting to experience the same thing again “I’ll wait for you before we go down again to meet the others.”

“It was a bit scary! Okay, it will just take a second for me and I’ll be right back” smiles Annie fumbling in her pocket to find the card to open the door to her room.  Rick gives a quick hand wave before entering his room.  Annie smiles to herself but sadly wondering why he can’t recognize how much she has missed him and how much he still means to her now.

A few minutes later Rick asks while waiting for the elevator “Are you ready?”

“Yes” smiles Annie looking up at him while putting the backpack on. Without asking Rick helps her with the second strap around her shoulder “I think that I have everything.  Probably too much, but I don’t like being unprepared.”

“I definitely remember that.  Your purse seemed to be a bottomless pit of anything that would ever possibly be needed”, jokes Rick wondering for a second if he said too much.

“Yes, you’re right.  It still is that way.  I haven’t changed” giggles Annie remembering finding a coupon last week that actually expired six months before then.

He politely waits for her to enter the elevator while holding his hand up to hold the door.   He follows in behind her wishing that they would have more moments alone together to talk.  He misses the many hours they use to sit and talk about every subject under the sun and never grow tired of their conversations.  His heart aches recalling the sweet memories that last only for a few seconds.

The doors open with Lauren greeting them “What took you so long?  I thought you were never coming!”  Pushing herself, Lauren moves very close to Rick and touches him while pretending a couple moving on the other side of the hallway with their  luggage are coming too close, forcing her to overreact and bump into him where she lingers a minute or two longer than necessary.

Noticing her unsolicited behavior, Rick backs up and pretends to wipe away lint from his shirt. He tucks at his shirt to make sure everything has returned to the right place.  He disappointedly looks over to Annie who is already been redirected from her annoyance into a conversation with Ben Wick.