The Starting Line: Friends To Lovers

by Jennifer Hartley

  “All in various stages?”

  “Yes. I have one nearing completion and the other two I expect to wrap up by mid to late summer. We get a lot of college students and volunteer groups during that time, which helps immensely.”

  “Marta said that we’d be going to the World Vision rehabilitation center tomorrow. That’s where defected child soldiers can receive counseling and re-integration training while the program works to find their families, correct?”

  Henrique nods as he cleans out a bowl with a piece of bread. “Yes. We will take you around to several of the areas where there have existing programs so you can see the end product. We’ll also take you to a few more schools and a recently completed community center as well.”

  “Sounds like you’re going to keep us busy,” Hailey smiles, looking forward to all their visits. “Could we stop by one of the Functional Adult Literacy centers, too?”

  Henrique nods, grinning. “I’m pleased you’ve done your research. Yes, but since it is the holiday season, many are spending time with their families. And, once the students arrive, you and Marta will go with them to the site that is nearly complete. We need to finish the walls, install the windows, and paint.”

  “I understand that theft is a big problem. Are there other security issues?”

  Henrique shrugs as he reaches down to rub Dee’s head. “You’re dealing with a population that is more than happy to have a school. However, it is still struggling economically, so theft is not uncommon. Oftentimes, we get funding to construct a school, but not enough for a fence to surround and protect it. It’s not as dangerous as Kenya though.”

  “Do you have teachers lined up for the school?”

  “That is why I went to London. That and to see my sister,” Henrique smiles. “We have three, including a nun that was schooled in Kampala and is a fantastic resource. But she will have nearly 50 children to teach. There is another teacher from Uganda who was on an exchange program in London and is due to graduate in the spring. I wanted to ensure she is still interested in working with us.”

  Hailey nods as she and Henrique rise to return their dishes to the kitchen. “In a lot of my research, I know the women struggle with the cost of sending their children to school. Is there a way to fund the school to ensure children get free access?”

  “We do have a merit-based scholarship program. However, it’s a slippery slope. Part of the reason there is a cost for education is to ensure compliance.” Henrique starts washing their dishes while Hailey dries. “If it’s free, where’s the incentive to keep a parent from sending their child out to work in the fields instead? Many parents do not value education and choose to use their children differently.”

  This hits a sore point with Hailey, and they engage in a discussion over free versus paid education. Marta enters the kitchen to find them quoting journals and literature at each other.

  “Wow, I leave you alone for a few minutes, and you start a fight with my sweetest friend,” Marta says as she walks up to Hailey and slings an arm around her shoulder. “You be nice to this one; she’s my favorite.”

  Henrique rolls his eyes and walks off muttering about going to train Dee for a couple of hours “Ignore him; he is very stubborn and gets very heated over education.”

  Hailey yawns, unfazed. After spending the last few months with John, she feels prepared to verbally fight with anyone. She and Marta talk a bit longer then decide to take a nap before commencing their tour around the countryside.

  Jude goes to breakfast with Cynthia the morning of New Year’s Eve after she returns from Georgia. Her accent is stronger, which he likes and comments on, causing her to roll her eyes in reply. They talk about their families often and find that despite the difference in origin, both of their families are somewhat similar: she also has two older brothers, all in ‘the family business’. Jude’s not sure what that is, but she gets this look like she’s talking about something foul when she refers to it.

  After reviewing respective traditions and some of the ensuing madness, they take a step towards more serious matters: the reason behind her moving away, and why she doesn’t think she’ll ever return home.

  “My parents got divorced when I was a teen, and my mother remarried shortly thereafter. She and I are estranged. My father is a physician in Corden, and he’s the one that suggested I move. My mother… She is an important person in Georgia, and she has a habit of unintentionally making things difficult for me.”

  By the way she holds herself, ramrod straight, hands balled into fists, he can tell this isn’t easy information to share. Jude asks his next question carefully.

  “Do you mind sharing what happened between you two?”

  She gives him a thin smile and shakes her head. “Maybe another day. But you do need to know something… if we’re going to… if this is going to become more. I wanted to tell you before I left, but I chickened out, so…”

  “What’s up?” Jude leans forward in his seat, suddenly anxious.

  “Remember that day you found me in the hall?”

  “Crying but acting like you weren’t? Yes.”

  She rolls her eyes at him. “Yeah, I… I had just signed my divorce paperwork.”

  “Divorce,” Jude repeats the word back to her, surprised.

  “Yes. As in I used to be married, and now I am not.”

  Jude looks at her, dumbstruck. “You were married? For how long?”

  “We were together for three years, married for five and separated for one.”

  Jude does the math in his head. “Wait. How old are you?”

  “How old are you?” She counters.

  “Twenty-eight.

  She raises an eyebrow and shrugs. “I’m twenty-nine.”

  Jude absorbs this knowledge. He knew she was around his age, due to her profession. But he wasn’t expecting the other part. “How’d you meet?”

  “We met during one of those summer-abroad trips after freshman year, volunteering with a non-profit. Stuart and I were the only ones from Georgia, though he went to an all-male college in Virginia. We dated throughout college, got married before med-school, then things started to go south during my internship, and we spent most of my second year of residency separated.”

  Jude raises his eyebrows and lets out a low whistle. “That’s… that’s a lot of information to take in.”

  “Yeah, I figured.” Glancing at her watch, she frowns then grabs her purse and prepares to go. “I’m going to give you a few days to think it over. If you want to grab dinner, give me a call.”

  Before she reaches the door, Jude asks her out for dinner that Friday night. She smiles and agrees to his request.

  “I’ve never seen so many stars before,” Hailey whispers in the darkness. She, Marta, and a couple of other volunteers are sitting on the roof of the school, staring at the sky. The air is thick and heavy, but the sky is surprisingly clear with stars dotting the inky blackness.

  “Me neither,” whispers one of the others. “It’s absolutely gorgeous out here.”

  Hailey listens as the others chat quietly, conversation floating around her. She thinks back over her day, watching a class of adults graduate from the year-long literacy program and sharing in their celebration. They had a grand meal and danced with their families and children as their mentors watched on proudly. This celebration was so similar to the one she had upon her own graduation - the joy and pride of accomplishment, the daunting task of facing the unknown, the excitement of a new beginning.

  Remembering the afternoon before, she visited the orphanage two villages over. She met a young woman, Lily, with a child who’d escaped the LRA. The woman shared how her older brother was forced to kill their parents in front of her and her siblings, and then he was taken in the night. She’d gone to live with her Aunt but was abducted two months later. After spending seven years as a sex-slave, bearing several children, many of whom died, she escaped.

  “How did you know where to go?” Hailey asked gently, avoiding eye c
ontact as is their custom.

  “I heard one of the ‘Come Home’ speeches on the radio. They broadcast all the time. They told me it was safe. That they would take care of me.”

  Hailey glanced around at the solid structure of the orphanage, the colorful murals painted on the wall. “And do you feel safe?”

  “I do.” Lily slid her hand inside Hailey’s, a gesture of friendship. “Now, I can go to bed and not worry if someone is going to take my children as I sleep.”

  Hailey offered a weak smile, trying to remain unaffected by her words, but inside, she felt terrified. These are people who don’t show much emotion, preferring to remain unaffected and calm. At least she had one thing in common with them. The young woman shared her plans to attend the sewing school and earn enough money to buy some land for her and her remaining siblings and children.

  Before leaving late in the day, Hailey asked if she could take her photo.

  “Why, so you can remember me?” Lily took a seat along a wall, her toddler son wrapping his arm around her neck from behind.

  “No,” Hailey shook her head as she raised her camera, bringing her subject into focus. “So I can celebrate you.”

  A mere snapshot that encapsulated so much: resilience, strength, dedication, hope.

  “Hailey?” Marta’s voice calls softly as she taps Hailey lightly on the leg. “Hey, you in there?”

  Hailey blinks slowly then stretches. “Yeah, sorry. I zoned out.”

  “We’re going inside; are you ready?” Marta’s head is tilted to the side, studying Hailey carefully. “Unless you want to stay out here a little while longer.”

  Hailey smiles at her and nods. Marta reclines on the warm roof tiles beside Hailey, reaching out to take her hand. Some gestures of friendship are universal.

  “This is insane,” Jude yells from the top of a half-completed roof down to Eric. “You do realize that we have a snowstorm coming in a day, right?”

  “Don’t worry about it; we’ll cover up the holes in the meantime,” Eric replies. “Can’t help Mother Nature. Just think about how good it’ll look once it’s done.”

  Jude frowns as he treads gingerly back to the ladder, starting his descent. “Yeah, yeah. Sorry man. This house is just… one problem after another.”

  “No one ever said flipping a house was easy,” Eric says as they step inside and look at the gutted interior. “Though, I agree. I wasn’t expecting that amount of roof damage. At least the plumbing is squared away.”

  “Yeah, true. That would have been a nightmare to replace,” Jude says as he pokes around at the insulation that was just installed that morning. “What uh, what are you and Camille doing Saturday night?”

  “Not much, why?” Eric leads Jude back outside, locking the door behind them.

  “I’m in Corden during the day taping a show, but then I’ll be back late afternoon. Want to join me and Cynthia for some drinks and maybe dinner?”

  Eric raises an eyebrow, giving Jude a knowing smile. “What, you want me to make sure she passes the test before you take her to meet your family?”

  “No, it’s just that I want her to meet some of my friends, and considering I actually like both you and Camille, I figured it’d be a good idea.”

  “Sure,” Eric laughs. “No problem. How’re things going by the way?”

  “You mean other than that divorce bombshell? Not bad… Not, well. I mean… We haven’t -” Jude stops and looks at Eric, shoving his hands into his coat. “You know. I haven’t…”

  “You guys haven’t had sex yet?” Eric finishes for Jude, who nods in the affirmative. “Well, it makes sense if you think about it.”

  “How so?”

  “You said she met her ex while in college and they were together up until a year ago. Odds are, she’s never been with anyone else.”

  “Oh, right.” Jude frowns, shaking his head. “And the hits just keep on coming.”

  “It’s not a big deal, man. Just talk to her about it. I imagine she’s much more aware of the situation than you are.”

  Jude sighs, leaning against his truck. “Great.”

  “Have you heard from Hailey?” Eric asks, curious how she’s doing.

  “She left me a voice mail while I was on a call. Her access to phone is sporadic at best.”

  “Does she sound okay?”

  “Yeah, she sounded…” Jude thinks about the message he’s listened to at least a dozen times. “She sounded excited and happy and tired. I think she’s really glad she went.”

  “Good,” Eric says as he watches Jude closely. “Well, she’s got what… less than two weeks left? Then you guys can start your dance lessons again. That’ll be good, right?”

  “Yeah, it isn’t nearly as fun without her around, that’s for sure.” Jude glances at his watch and pushes off from the truck. “I have to get to the fire station. Let me know about Saturday, alright?”

  “Sure thing.” Eric hops in his truck as Jude walks to his, thinking about the women in his life and the potential for disaster.

  Hailey is exhausted. More than exhausted. She’s sweaty, slightly sunburnt, and her body is aching from all the weird positions she maintained throughout the day. The secondary school she and Marta have been devoting twelve-hour days to for the past week is nearly complete. With the college students full of infectious energy and enthusiasm, Hailey finds herself being constantly renewed but left feeling scattered. She wants to know so much about so many things and has such a limited time in which to do it.

  Many of the college students were awarded this trip as a result of massive fund-raising efforts they did at their universities or hometowns. Getting the chance to see what the money goes to as well as having the opportunity to participate in the efforts they so greatly believe in has been gratifying, to say the least.

  After eating with the raucous group and taking a quick lukewarm shower, she heads to the common area to get some work done. She arrives to find Marta working with Robert, a Ugandan that specializes in media. He also has the best laugh Hailey has ever heard, light and infectious. They are editing a video that will be shown during the summer at several conferences and summits.

  “How’s it coming along?” Hailey asks as she slides into a chair farther down the long table.

  Marta looks up, bleary-eyed. “Tedious. A lot of the footage from the past two days didn’t turn out well.”

  “Anything I can do?”

  “Change your mind and let me interview you,” Marta sits up in her chair, giving Hailey sad eyes.

  “Not going to work. I’m a behind-the-scenes girl. You know that.” Hailey turns to her computer to document the past two days. After a few minutes, she feels a warm, furry presence settle at her feet, a wet nose nuzzling her leg. She reaches down and pats Dee, who makes a sound of satisfaction before resting her head on her paws.

  After half an hour, Henrique appears with his own computer and two notebooks, giving Hailey a frown. “So you’re the one who’s been slipping her scraps after dinner.”

  Hailey looks up, wide-eyed and innocent. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

  “Well, you can continue to have ‘no idea’ when you walk her around the compound tomorrow. I think she’s gained at least a stone since you’ve been here.”

  Hailey balks at this. “Not even. She’s a growing girl,” she reaches down and ruffles Dee’s fur, “aren’t you, beautiful? Ignore the mean man, Dee. He’s just jealous because you like me better.”

  “Ha, hardly,” he narrows his eyes, shaking his head. “I saw you and Marta going through commands with her earlier. It’s good for her. I primarily got Dee for protection, especially for my sister. In a month, I’ll be relocating to a different site for a period, and I want to ensure she’s safe while I’m away.”

  “Is that what your meeting is about tomorrow? The next school?”

  “Yes. The nun I’ve been talking about, Sister Rosa, is coming with one of the co-founders of the non-profit. She is considered an elder i
n this region, having reached the age of 50 and still healthy and strong. Many of the villages take her recommendations very seriously, and if we intend to come to an agreement over this potential renovation, I need to ensure she agrees and is willing to help.”

  “Sounds like a busy day,” Hailey observes as she sips her warm tea. “Would I be able to meet her?”

  “Of course. I think she will be a great resource for you. She will remain with us for several weeks, so you will certainly have a chance. The co-founder of this non-profit, Tyler Wickham, will only be here for two days before traveling to the next site.”

  “Tyler is from San Diego, right?” Henrique nods in reply. “Headquarters?”

  “Yes. For this specific program, he comes out about twice a year. He’s very passionate, very driven, and very much entrenched in helping these people.” Henrique lights up as he describes his friend.

  “You seem to admire him a great deal.” Hailey watches as he nods emphatically.

  “Have you ever been around someone that is very charismatic? Someone that brightens the whole room and draws your attention, even if they’re just talking about something benign?”

  Hailey’s mind immediately goes to Jude, at his most comfortable in the limelight, drawing a laugh or goofing around. “Yes, very well.”

  “Tyler is like that. And very articulate. He works with the digital team as well, using the web to get these stories heard. If you don’t meet him tomorrow, I’ll get you his information. He’ll be a good asset for the next phase of your project.”

  Hailey gives him a warm smile in gratitude. They both return to their work with only the gentle snore of Dee and Marta talking with Robert to fill the silence. In just a short time, this has become Hailey’s routine: getting up before dawn, hours of hard work and meeting people, collecting data, and working late into the evening. She’ll be leaving soon enough, returning home to complete her first-year classes.