The Covenant - Chapter Sixteen

“Can I help you carry anything?” politely asks Rick heading toward her suitcase and aiming at her backpack.

“No thanks,  I have it” softly replies Annie looking straight ahead feeling a mixture of emotions having to leave the country that she has come to love a week earlier than expected “The suitcase is on wheels and my backpack is fine.”

Feeling a bit frustrated by Annie’s reticence this morning, Rick attempts once more “How was your morning? Were you able to say all your goodbyes to the team, Harriet and the children?  They will certainly miss you.  I saw the stack of pictures the kids painted for you on the table in the school room.”

“Yes, I have wonderful personal keepsakes from the children that I’m taking home with me.  I want to frame a few of them and the others will go into a scrapbook which Alice Hammer has offered to make for me” with waves sadness and love Annie continues “I will miss this.  It has been a great summer and one that I will never forget.  Maybe I’ll have the chance to come back some day.  But if not, I’ll keep praying for all of them.  I know God keeps us in His hands, much better than in our own”.

“You would like to come back? For a short or long term?” curiously asks Rick seriously contemplating his future that might include her.

“Whatever became available to me when it seems like I should go.  God has a way of working things out in spite of ourselves” shares Annie remembering how even on this trip the opportunity came to be for her to participate.

“How would you feel about being a missionary?” sincerely asks Rick wondering what exactly her feelings are on the subject.

“I would go if I were asked and if it seemed like the best time for my family.  If I stay single, it would definitely be something I would consider” replies Annie have contemplated this possibility many times.

“What if you were to marry, which is likely to happen? Would you still go then?” asks Rick pushing a little further to understand her viewpoint better.

“Only if my husband, if that ever happens, would sincerely want to go as well, then I would go” reflects Annie and then thinking about the possibility of Lauren and Rick together “I don’t think it’s a smart idea to push people you love into places where they do not want to be just because you feel ‘lead’ to be there without considering how they would feel and how much it would change their life too.”

“Oh no, I would never do that.  I’ve been living overseas for years now and from what I’ve observed, it has to be an entire family effort to adapt to the culture and make the best of what is available to them” honestly replies Rick having witnessed many hardships during his time of service “Or, it can become a very heavy and draining experience to be so far away from other family members or things that they are use to”.

“If you were to chose to be with someone who wanted to be a missionary, then would you go?” asks Rick feeling a bit encouraged by the conversation “Years ago, the thought seemed to scare you some.”

“Definitely, I’ve grown up a lot since then” frankly responds Annie pulling out some chapstick from her bag to moisturize her lips from the sunburn caused by the hike the other day “I think that I was fearful of things that I didn’t know about yet and that somehow I would get ‘lost’ in another culture and not know who I was anymore. Do you know what I mean?”

“I guess change does affect some people that way” Observes Rick but not wanting to feel defeated “But change can be quite a good thing.  You discover so many wonderful and exciting new things that way.”

“I totally agree. I know who I am now. I’m beginning to like change.  Every moment has definitely been rather exciting around here” agrees Annie “I’ve tried a lot of new things, been to a lot of great places, and met a lot of terrific people.  Every second has been worth stepping out of my comfort zone even in the less than pleasant moments when I was ready to kill a team member or two when they became a little too cranky for my tolerance level.”

“People are the same all over the world.  The language and traditions change some, but the character of people never really changes no matter where you are” reflects Rick adjusting himself to a more comfortable position in the orange plastic chair at the airport terminal while waiting for the plane to arrive “We breathe the same air and are hearts are the same.”

“After this is over, do you know yet if you will be receiving an assignment in the states or going overseas again for missionary service?” asks Annie taking another bite from her Peruvian dessert that she just bought at the airport cafe “When I asked last week, it sounded like you still weren’t sure what was going to happen.”

“They’ve offered me a position which I am considering” returns Rick and then more daringly as he feels the temperature rise in his face “I would like to bring someone with me this time.  It becomes very lonely without having someone to share your life with.”

“Oh …” sadly with a sigh responds Annie feeling as if Rick by now staying in Peru might end up with Lauren after all but fumbles over what to say next as her heart aches “I understand, having a companion would make things much easier and enjoyable together.”

“Yes it would!” delighted states Rick suddenly feeling a fresh burst of air into his lungs “There are so many more wonderful things about this place that would make raising a family here a rather exciting adventure.”

“Oh, yes that’s very true,” Knotting her brow, agrees Annie but hurting from the idea that he might have this wonderful life with someone else but trying to keep her composure. “Peru is such a beautiful and fascinating place”.

“I’m glad you like it too!” muses Rick suddenly inspired to give some root to his hopes “There are so many places here that I haven’t discovered yet and that I would like to share.” 

“Would you like some of my alfajores?” asks Annie wanting to change the subject before he delves into how much he is in love with Lauren which at the moment she can’t bear to hear,  “It’s delicious with the chocolate cake and peanut butter, sprinkled with the coconut.  It was worth coming here just for this!”

“I’ll take some.  Thank you” happily replies Rick taking a rather large cupcake from her box “These are really good!  I’ve been trying to bake all different kinds of desserts from here, but I haven't attempted this one yet.  This will be the next one on my list!”

Looking out of the oversized windows and concentrating on the plane that will take them back to the world that they know, Annie weakly smiles back at him, sadly realizing this may be one of the last days she will be able to spend time alone talking with him and that the private conversations will have to come to an end once he chooses to be with Lauren.

“I’ve enjoyed spending the summer here and getting reacquainted” remarks Annie “I’m glad that we are friends again.”

“Friends?” considers Rick to himself “Doesn’t she realize how much she means to me?”.  Confused he smiles back to her meeting her gaze and then replies out loud, “I wouldn’t have wanted anything to be any different.  You are a wonderful person, Annie.  I need to tell you…”

The loud speaker interrupts their conversation before Rick can continue what he has wanted to say to her all summer.  An announcer gives them information of their departing flight in three different languages.

In response, Annie quickly bends down and grabs her backpack not wanting to hear the 'I-think-you’re-great-but-I’m-not-interested' quote from Rick.  “It looks like the plane is here, we better get in line.”

“Yes, you’re right.  I’ve got to find my passport again which I threw into my satchel” explains Rick unnerved that he lost the opportunity once again to tell Annie how he really feels about her. “Hopefully, we’ll  be able to sit next to each other on the plane.”

The seat assignments are given as they board the plane.  Disappointed Rick ends up across the aisle from Annie. He helps her put her backpack into the overhead compartment bin after she secures her music and book for the ride home. As they settle into their seats, Annie closes her eyes trying to absorb their past conversation and to force herself to accept that his heart is with Lauren now.

As the plane ascends, Rick observes Annie resting in the seat across the aisle from him.  His heart aches as he realizes how much he will miss not being with her every day to enjoy all of their intriging conversations together and wondering if he can even manage for a few short weeks without her.  He is sadly disappointed that he has to return to Peru without her but hopes that their separation won’t be any longer than necessary.  He promises to himself that he will only stay away until arrangements are secured for Lauren to return to the states with her family.  He takes one last look at Annie peacefully resting as her open paperback falls gently down beside her before closing his eyes for the eight hour flight home and dreams of things to come.

 

 

The Covenant - Chapter Fifteen

“This is such an amazing view! What do you think?  Have you ever seen anything so beautiful at sunset?” in awe asks Lauren eagerly looking towards Rick “This has to be one of the most exquisite landscapes that I have ever seen!”

Sitting on a rock and absorbing the panoramic scene before him, Ben Wick quotes “Dusk is just an illusion because the sun is either above the horizon or below it. And that means the day and night are linked in a way that few things that are, there cannot be one without the other yet they cannot exist at the same time.  How would it feel I remember wondering to be always together yet forever apart?”

“What poet said that?” curiously asks Lauren feeling the longing in his comment and wondering who would have ever penned something so beautiful.

“Actually, it was Nicolas Sparks in The Notebook” remarks Ben Wick pleased that Lauren’s sudden interest in his favorite poetry quotes.

“I use quotes from the book and movie all the time for my twitter page!” exclaims Lauren feeling grateful to find another thing they share in common and an unexpected attraction to him “I’ll have to show you some of my favorite quotes that I’ve tweeted sometime!”

“I’d like to see them.  Hey, Annie that reminds me I haven’t heard your quote from Tennyson for today” smiling Ben Wick looks up at the sky letting the auburn and amber shadows of the mountain move his feelings to something deeper than just the moment before him.

“Let’s see.  I’ll have to think for a minute” stumbles Annie having been awaken from her own lost thoughts of a sweet moment she shared many years ago with Rick as they sat by the lake as the rays of the sunset reflected in the beveled  crystal water. Sincerely sharing their hearts, they made promises but with ultimate sadness she was regretfully unable to keep.

Not far from her, Rick concentrates on each feature of the mountains wanting to encase this moment in his memory forever.

“How about this one?” rhetorically asks Annie “Words, like nature, half reveal and half conceal the soul within.”

“I like that one, but there is another that I like more” offers Rick having spent the last afternoon looking up quotes to add to the conversation and to impress Annie while looking directly at her begins “Who loves not a false-imagining, an unreal character in us; but looking through all the rubbish of our imperfections, loves in us the divine ideal of our natures – not the man that we are, but the angel we may be.”

Interrupting the quiet moment as the others are attempting to absorb what he said, Lauren steps in front of Rick and enthusiastically asks “What exactly does that mean? Are you saying I’m an angel?”

“Not exactly” intercedes Ben Wick busting a twig in half “He’s saying that when you love someone, you love all of them - the good and the bad.  But even though some things that you might not like exist, you positively focus on all the wonderful things about them that they possess and love them anyway.”

“Oh …” after a moment of consideration Lauren counters “I’d rather believe it means that someone believes I’m their special angel!”

Not wanting to encourage her fantasies anymore than necessary, Annie giggles distracting herself by digging in her backpack for a bottle of water that the stranger gave to her earlier in the day.

“You as an angel might be something interesting to see …” states Ben Wick letting his imagination wander as he ponders that possibility.

“I need to think of a name.  It would have to be something ethereal like Athena or Deidra” suggests Lauren intensely walking back and forth in deep thought across the uneven rocks and then stopping in front of Rick “What about Ariana or Elyse?”

“The only ones I know by name are Michael or Gabriel, you probably need to ask someone else for a suggestion” states Rick clearly not sure how to respond to this rather random train of thought.

“What do you think Annie?” curiously asks Lauren searching for a possible nickname to use for the rest of the summer to remind Rick that she is his chosen angel once they return home.

“Uh, I don’t know.  How about Oriana or Lilian?” suggests Annie not sure what to offer to make her happy.

“How about Oracle or Lilipad?” jokes the stranger walking by heading towards the trail with a couple of his friends.

Lauren passes him a scornful look “I don’t think so!” while her other teammates quietly grin to themselves. Lauren wistfully adds “It needs to be something much more majestic and heavenly …”

“I’m just joking!” warmly the stranger waves goodbye to them and then looking over at Annie in particular “Hope you have a great evening! Maybe I’ll see you around later.”

“That would be nice, all of us are still here for another day.” returns Annie not sure what to say while Rick tightens his lips and glares at her with his hands resting on his hips.  Annie observes Rick and shrugs her shoulders while raising her eyebrows, slightly shaking her head unsure of how she should have responded instead that would have pleased Rick more.

“Come on Lilipad, the trail is just up this way where we can all get a better view of the sunset” disgruntled Rick keeps his steady pace of walking three steps in front of Lauren, slowly followed by Ben and Annie in tandem behind them.

As the group hikes at a comfortable pace up the trail, Lauren teasingly throws tiny pebbles at Rick trying to get his attention however he seems lost in his own thoughts. Noticing that the small stones are not making any difference, she runs up beside him and bumps into him. 

Roughly knocking a few rocks along the path with his boot, Rick laughs for a second but returns to his own cavern of memories from years ago …

“My heart belongs to you, Annie.  Why are you leaving me?” Rick pleads feeling as if his heart is being ripped from his soul “Were you playing some type of game with me?  Don’t you know how I feel about you?”

“I do know and I deeply love you too.  But it wouldn’t be right to be together now.  You want to be an officer.  I want to finish school.  It isn’t the right time for me to go to training, and you wouldn’t want to be tied down to a wife or family either” fumbles Annie trying to construct her thoughts and excuses when her heart only wants to accept the advisedly impossible and to be with him instead “You have a lot you want to do and although you won’t admit it, you wouldn’t have time for me and I would eventually resent that.”

“Nonsense, you could be with me if you wanted to.  Is there someone else?” jealously Rick asks aware that others are interested in her but whom she hasn’t seemed to notice “If there is someone else, you need to tell me”.

“No, you are the only one that I ever think of” confirms Annie as hot tears start to gingerly fall down her cheeks “You will be so much happier without me.”

“It’s your family isn’t it?  I’m not good enough for you!” angrily snaps Rick “That Lydia Russell has wickedly burrowed her own ideas into your head and filled you with these delusions!”

“It isn’t Lydia Russell’s idea” defends Annie but not too convincingly “I’ve made the decision.”

“When are you going to grow up, Annie?” rebukes Rick “You can’t act like a child forever.”

Annie’s eyes angrily flare at his painful words as she walks away unable to find words to express the hurt that she feels from his callous words and also from the reality that she will be losing him to an unknown fate.

Sadly Rick remembers watching her walk away from him confused and hurt by her unexpected change of heart vowing to never give himself so entirely to anyone else again.

The sound of another voice crashes into the air disrupting his memories, “Hey, did you hear me?” shouts Lauren having run up a second path reaching just above his waste level and then in a mocking tone “Catch me! I’m falling!”

Shocked out of his private thoughts, Rick raises his arms to catch the ‘falling’ Lauren.  She giggles as he by instinct protectively grasps each side of her shoulders as she leans towards him.

“Let’s try it again!” Lauren calls out as she runs up the path again to a slightly higher level.

“Really, that’s probably not a good idea” suggests Ben Wick squinting into the sun resting a hand above his eyes for shading “Be careful.”

“I’m fine.  I’m just testing his manly skills at catching a falling damsel in distress!” jokes Lauren oblivious that anything could possibly happen to hurt her shouting just before leaping “O Captain, my Captain!  Here I come!”

Lauren lands very close to Rick gently falling against his chest and pauses while smiling up at him.

“Really, Lauren that’s quite enough.  I’m not up to this” not wanting to hurt her feelings while Lauren runs up the hill yet again, Rick adds behind her, “Why don’t you walk next to me instead and we can talk about whatever you want to?”

“You’re so strong.  I know you can catch me.  See, I’m going to jump from here now and it will be so easy for you” exclaims Lauren leaping with all her might hoping to accidently fall into Rick making her fully aware of her presence and interest in him.

Carefully, Annie observes Lauren setting herself to jump but noticing that the rock on the edge of the pathway is loose and muddy.  She watches as Lauren’s foot slips and she clumsily fall with all her might awkwardly tilts and lands two feet away from Rick’s angry outstretched arms while he shouts “Don’t!”

She dangerously lands with a loud thud as the dirt shifts below her body scratching the ground with the weight of its new canopy.  Trickles of crimson blood flow in tiny rivers from the whipped tresses of her hair soaking the ground beneath her.

“Lauren!” Gasps Ben Wick running and kneeling next to her as Annie kneels and opens her backpack with her abundance of supplies for an emergency such as this.  Dumbfounded, Rick stands next to Lauren horrified of his inability to catch her.

“She needs help” frankly states Annie “Rick, call the lobby of the hotel and see if they can contact an ambulance”.

“I can’t get any bars on my phone!” panicked Rick replies bending down to touch Lauren’s unresponsive arm.

“Ben, run down to the security area at the last station that we passed and see if they can call an ambulance” firmly instructs Annie not wanting to move Lauren if the situation ends up to be more serious than expected.  “Rick, see if any of the other visitors have a phone that we can borrow or if there is a doctor somewhere in the area.  I’ll stay her with Lauren until you find someone and help arrives”.

Within minutes, a crew of caregivers arrive to help the unconscious Lauren onto a stretcher to make her way to the local hospital.

A few hours later, Ben Wick, Rick, and Annie congregate in the lobby of the hospital while doctors attend to Lauren in surgery. 

“I’ve talked with her parents and territorial headquarters.  This morning I am going to the embassy to explain Lauren’s condition and also for my permission to stay longer in the country” explains Rick feeling guilty that he was unable to save Lauren from getting hurt, “I’ll be flying back to the states with the team so I can meet with her parents before returning to Peru to take care of Lauren until she recovers.”

“I can stay here too if you would like” offers Annie “She’s practically a sister to me.”

“That is a very sweet offer” kindly states Rick knowing that Annie would be a very good nurse “Actually, I’ve already made that suggestion to her family but your sister has insisted that you return to take care of her children. S he’s already purchased a flight for Charles and her to come down in place of her parents who feel unable to travel at this time due to their health”.

“Oh, I see …” Annie’s voice trails off into silence acutely aware that time and distance will make it unlikely for any reconciliation to continue especially with another clearly available and willing for his affection.

Not reading Annie entirely Ben Wick explains “Don’t worry about Lauren.  I’m staying as well and will be able to keep my eye on her recovery.  I can write and let you know how she is progressing.  I’ve agreed to take a position as a youth worker at Harriet’s corps.”

“That’s great!’ responds Annie grateful for a few words of good news in the midst of disappointing events “You’ll be wonderful!  The kids are already attached to you and this is such a fantastic opportunity for you too!”

There is a buzz on Rick’s phone after reading it, he pauses before responding “Unfortunately Annie, I’ve just received a text from territorial headquarters and we will be leaving early in the morning.  The rest of the team will be taking their flight home back to the States at the end of the week.  Ben, you will be responsible for the team until then.”

Disappointed realizing that a week has now just been shorted to less than 24 hours, Annie’s heart sinks as she compliantly nods her head in understanding and acceptance of the situation and the loss that it entails.

The Covenant - Chapter Fourteen

Heading towards the oversize front doors leading from the hotel’s lobby to the outside , Annie feels a buzzing sound coming from the hidden pocket of her rustic backpack.

“I’ll be there in a minute… I’ll catch up with you!” yells Annie bending on one knee attempting to open the tied drawstrings of her backpack which have now turned into a knot as the phone continues to buzz.

Looking behind him, Rick notices Annie and tells the others, “We’ll wait outside the doors for her.  It isn’t a good idea for anyone to go off wandering on their own even if it is just a block or two away.”

“Hello?” frantically asks Annie into the receiver afraid that she might have missed the call while searching to find her phone.

“Hello? Hello? Hey, Alice, can you figure this out?” requests a familiar voice on the other end of the line. 

Annie hears some shuffling and asks again “Hello?”

“Hello!” exuberantly greets Alice Hammer and then Annie can hear Jennings jumping in “I think you need to hit that button!”

The phone goes completely silent and still, Annie asks again “Hello? Is anyone there? Hello?”

“Ahhh … yes, we’re finally here!  Jennings hit the mute button instead of the speaker so we could both talk to you at once” delightfully explains Alice Hammer “We are actually speaking to you in Peru!  How exciting!”

“Can you hear us? How do we sound? Are we clear enough?” inquires Jennings in tones of a crescendo and decrescendo while fidgeting with the phone in an attempt to turn up the volume.  

“Do we sound any different? Do you have an accent yet?” curiously asks Alice Hammer anticipating an affirmative answer “I always wanted a Spanish accent when I talked.  I thought it would be terribly romantic, just like Zorro”.

“Oh course she doesn’t! She’s only been there a couple of months!” snaps Jennings wondering where her best friend comes up with these ideas and then mumbling not directly into the phone “Zorro please … “

“Well, how about maybe someone that has been in “Evita” perhaps like Antonio Banderas or Salma Hayek … But that was Argentina, not Peru” considers Alice Hammer meandering through her random thought tangent.  “I always liked that song ‘Don’t Cry for me Argentina’ when Madonna sang it.  I’d like to sing like her but definitely not wear her costumes.”

“At least you are agreeing not to expose yourself too much, now that would be a scary sight to behold” mockingly states Jennings clearing her throat with a moment of compromise  “At least you got the right continent of South America instead of the country of Spain which is now considered to be in Europe.”

Missing her friends but attempting to bring the conversation back to something she can join in on, Annie giggles “No, not really… but I can teach you a little Spanish when we get back. How does that sound?”

“Wonderful! I’ve been practicing a little on the postman.  I’ve been saying to him “ Moo-cha-chas Grass-see-ahs” when he hands me the mail.  He seems quite pleased”

“As you can tell, she still needs a little help” sarcastically replies Jennings “She found a book about learning to speak Spanish in seven days, but I think she needs something more like Rosetta Stone that she can listen to”.

“Also, when I’ve run in to my favorite clerk from Shop-mart I’ve asked her “Comma estates you stead is’” speaking really slowly so Annie can understand her “I’m not sure I’m saying it right, but at least she smiles back at me! Last week she even patted my hand after I showed her the lovely blouse I bought and I replied “Mooey bandana.”

Annie can hear a ‘ughhh’ sound on the other end of the line and then asks “What? I didn’t quite get that.”

 After a sigh Jennings remarks blandly “Annie, don’t strain yourself, if you can’t figure it out, Alice meant to say ‘muchos bonita’ - not quite the same thing…”

“So, how about you?  What kind-of things have you been doing?” cheerfully inquires Alice Hammer taking another bite of her cookie.

“We’ve been doing daily children’s worship services as well as a vacation Bible School type thing but instead of one week it has ran for eight.  We’ve also did a few ‘open airs’ on the street corners with drama and sacred dance using a small brass ensemble , Bible Studies at senior care facilities, helped paint the bunk beds in the Children’s Home and also the walls with lots of fun designs.  Let’s see, some of the guys painted the outside of the building and planted a few seeds and trimmed the yard work” states Annie trying to recall just a few things that they were able to participate “Also, we served meals to the community during the week for lunch, and in the evening we either lead worship or planned family activities for those who attend the corps”

“You sound very busy” frankly confirms Jennings “I wish that I were young again and could go on a mission trip.  The service trips are some of the highlights of my time as an officer before I retired.”

“Are you getting enough rest?” asks Alice Hammer concerned for her friend who’s voice sounds a little weak on the phone.

“I take some time for myself, everyone has to in order to recover some of those who don’t make it a little tougher on the rest of us because they don’t always make the best decisions when they are exhausted, and to be blunt are more difficult to get along with while they continue to run on little or no sleep” explains Annie have witnessed and experienced some exhaustion from other teammates over the last few weeks. “Even though at times each of us has been tired, it has definitely been worth every moment being here.”

“We sent you a care package.  One box is for the school with a few extra supplies.  The box for the team includes candy, tissues, some eye drops and aspirin, band-aids, cough drops, microwave popcorn, chapstick, toothpaste, stickers for the kids, money to buy postcards and stamps” explains Jennings running through the list in her mind “oh yes, some children and adult  praise and worship CDS which are always beneficial.”

“Thank you so much!  It will be very helpful!” gratefully shares Annie watching as Rick walks towards her “A group of us are going out for a walk tonight.”

“How romantic! Are you going with Captain Wentworth?  He’s so handsome!  He’s a good match for you, Annie.  I saw him noticing you quite a bit before all of you left town.  Have you made him your boyfriend yet?” curiously asks Alice Hammer hopeful that they have connected in an unfamiliar place.

“No” giggles Annie “We’re just friends. However, I think that he might be interested in someone else on the team.  At least she is making every attempt to make him be.”

“Oh, that’s too bad.  If things are meant to be they will eventually work out.  But if not, then your future is elsewhere” offering words of encouragement Jennings continues “ Just keep a smile on your face and find happiness in what you are doing, then when the right person comes along it will be the best time for you.”

“Well, I have to go now.  I’m sending quite a few postcards you way.  Have any of them arrived yet?” asks Annie flipping her backpack over her shoulder while still clinging to the phone in order not to keep her friends waiting any longer than necessary.

“Oh yes.  I have them all over the refrigerator!  I’m thinking of making a scrapbook for you once your trip is done!” offers Alice Hammer suddenly inspired with a few ideas that involve glitter, paint, and a little flair.

“Sounds wonderful! I can hardly wait to see it!” smiles Annie treasuring already the future gift of her friends.

“Well, see you.  Make sure you take lots of pictures so we can look at all the places you went to!” orders Jennings “We miss you Annie.  Have a great time!  Bye!”

Looking down at her phone already missing her dear friends, Annie sighs as she clicks ‘end’.  Rick places a kind hand on her shoulder bending his head towards her, “Is everything all right, back at home?”

“Oh yeah, everything is great.  I’m just missing home a bit, that’s all” reflects Annie gently moving away from Rick and taking a few steps towards the front door “I’m sorry that I kept everyone waiting.  I’m ready to go now.”

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.