Healing Love

by Jennifer Slattery

  Pastor T scrubbed a hand over his face. “Yeah, okay. Makes sense.” He turned to the youth. “I know you all would like to keep looking for this girl’s sister, but chances are we won’t find her if she doesn’t want to be found. And we need to focus on what God’s calling us to do, otherwise we become ineffective. Right now, He wants us to bring hope and joy to thirty orphan girls. To shower them with His love. Agreed?”

  Heads nodded, and everyone shuffled out into the courtyard. Soon they were surrounded by giggling, bouncing children who must have caught word of their plans because they all started to chant, “Pizza! Pizza! Pizza!”

  Brooke laughed. “Apparently some words are universal?”

  Ubaldo offered the easy smile she was growing to love. “When you talk about pizza, yes.” He carried an inner strength, a confidence, that tugged her heart to him.

  She would miss him.

  “But …” She eyed the bouncing, chattering children. “The pizza place is okay with us—all of us—coming?”

  “Considering how much it’ll cost, how much your pastor will spend to feed your team and the children, yes.”

  They gathered everyone together and filed out of the orphanage and around back toward a rusted yellow bus with peeling paint and a dented fender. Girls clamored on either side of her, and two of them twined their fingers through hers. She glanced over her shoulder to see a child on each side of her team members holding hands, talking so fast their cheeks flushed pink.

  The girl on Brooke’s right said something in Spanish, Pizza Hut being the only word she recognized.

  “I’m sorry, but I don’t understand,” Brooke said.

  She tried again, pointing to the ground then toward the street.

  Ubaldo joined them. “She wishes to know if you will bring the pizza to the orphanage or if they will eat it at the restaurant.” He turned to the child. “We will eat there, but you can take some home as well.”

  She squealed and wrapped her arms around Brooke, squeezing the air from her. Laughter bubbled in Brooke’s chest as an intense love welled within. As if God Himself loved these children through her. She thought back to her parents’ death, and how her aunt and uncle opened wide their hearts and their home for her and Aubrey. Although she knew they loved her, as family should, she’d always assumed their affection came from pity more than love.

  And yet, what if the love they showed came not only from them, but from God as well.

  She followed the stream of children onto the bus then slid with three girls into the first seat.

  Ubaldo climbed on last and sat in the driver’s seat. Orfeo moved to the back. The engine hummed to life, and one of the youth group teens launched into song. Soon, a dozen voices joined in. Adelina, the girl on Brooke’s right, leaned against her shoulder.

  Brooke kissed the top of her head and slid her arm around the child’s back. “Muy preciosa.” She glanced up to find Ubaldo smiling, watching her. Blushing, she looked away.

  Fifteen minutes later, they parked outside Pizza Hut. The girls sitting by Brooke lurched forward, quivering with excitement.

  Once again, the children began to chant, “Pizza! Pizza! Pizza!”

  Adelina faced Brooke. She spoke in Spanish, motioning between them.

  Once again, Ubaldo stepped in as translator. “She wants to know if you’ll sit with her.”

  Before Brooke could answer, children tugged and pulled her toward the exit. Ubaldo’s deep-throated laughter followed.

  On the street, Pastor T and Ubaldo worked to quiet the children down. Then Ubaldo hopped back into the bus to find a place to park while Pastor T and Orfeo led everyone inside.

  Two men in red shirts and black pants met them at the door. They spoke with Pastor T and Orfeo, nodded, and led the group through the restaurant toward a party room. An indoor playground stood on the other side of a glass wall. The Americans and orphans gathered in the center of the room while the Pizza Hut crew pulled rectangular tables together to form a horseshoe.

  The younger girls raced toward the play area while the others found seats. Brooke sat near the glass wall and watched children disappear into the tubes. They slid out with wide grins and static electricity frizzing their hair.

  Ubaldo sat beside her, causing her pulse to accelerate. “The children are having such fun. It’s good to see them smile, to hear their laughter.”

  She nodded. With every interaction, she was growing more attached to him. When she needed to be distancing herself from him. “Alberto and Carmella do such a wonderful job. I don’t know how they do it. With thirty girls to take care of—”

  “Thirty-two. Well, counting the child we found today, thirty-three.”

  “It must be exhausting.”

  “And very fulfilling.”

  She wanted to ask him more. To learn all about his job, if he found it fulfilling, and if he liked translating for their team. For her.

  A silly question. She was equally silly for the longing that stirred within her. For a man she would never see again, once this trip was over.

  Pizza Hut employees placed pitchers of soda and baskets of breadsticks on the tables. Soon the room buzzed with children once again. Someone touched Brooke’s shoulder. She turned to see Rosi standing beside her, peering up through thick lashes.

  Brooke picked her up. Wrapped her arms around her and rested her chin on her head. Once again, she found Ubaldo watching her, and she was reluctant to look away.

  She inhaled and straightened her spine, forcing her mind in another direction—back home, in the States, where it belonged.

  And yet, she didn’t regret coming to El Salvador. Rather, she regretted having to leave.

  Chapter Twenty-nine

  By the time Ubaldo reached his apartment complex, stars glimmered and a crescent moon shone bright. Music spilled down the stairwell, followed by laughter and loud voices. Wonderful, one of his neighbors chose to throw a party.

  So much for catching up on sleep.

  Maybe his landlord’s notice would prove to be an unexpected blessing, presuming, of course, Ubaldo found a new place. Not that he could do much about his rental needs at the moment. But as soon as the Americans left …

  And Brooke. How had she captured his heart after such a short time? Was this what love felt like? He thought of her radiant smile and smooth, olive-toned skin. Her tenderness and deep compassion displayed to the orphans, the way tears often glistened in her blue eyes, only adding to her beauty. Soon, she’d be gone.

  Perhaps she’d make promises to return, as all the Americans did, but within the year, she’d forget about him, his country, and the orphans. And yet, they’d given the girls a wonderful night, and sent them home with full bellies. He should be content with that.

  He maneuvered past three girls dressed in tight mini-skirts and doused with enough perfume to fumigate the building. Made it to his apartment and fumbled for his keys. Once inside, he dropped his things onto the kitchen table and crossed into the living room. His phone chimed. He pulled it from his pocket and checked the screen. Filip.

  “Hello?” He plopped onto the couch and rested his feet on a plastic crate positioned as a footrest in front of him.

  “Hey man, you still looking for a new place?”

  “Sí, but I’ve got it covered.” Filip was the last person he wanted helping him.

  “Oh, so you found something, then? Where at?”

  “No, but I’m checking some places out next weekend.” He turned on the small black-and-white television propped on top of two wooden boxes.

  “I’ve got a buddy looking for a roommate. His place has running water, is close to the market.”

  “Yeah, and where do you know this guy from? Although I’m not sure I want to know.”

  “Hombre, why you gotta be like that? I’m trying to help you out, and you start slinging dirt.”

  “My question stands.”

  “A friend of a friend.”

  “Even better.”

  “Will you r
elax, already? The guy’s from Honduras. He’s got a job, found an apartment, and is looking for someone to split the cost. You want to check the place out or not?”

  “You getting a finder’s fee or something?” Filip rarely did anything out of the goodness of his heart.

  “Whatever. Go back to your nice little party with those gringos while the rest of us—”

  “Fine.” Didn’t hurt to look, and at this point, Ubaldo was running out of options. Besides, a roommate would cut his expenses in half. Maybe he could buy a car after all. “I’ll meet your friend and check out the apartment.”

  “Okay. When?”

  “How about next Saturday?”

  “Bueno.”

  “But seriously, are you charging a finder’s fee for this one?”

  “Un poco, and only if you like it.”

  What he’d like was to follow Brooke back to the United States. Or somehow convince her to stay here. Why, when he finally found a woman he could love, did she have to live over 2,000 miles away?

  ***

  A chill crept up Fatima’s spine as night settled around her. She returned to the place where she and Dinora had separated. But her sister wasn’t anywhere. Had something terrible happened?

  Not knowing where else to go, Fatima circled back to the orphanage in time to see smiling children spill from the bus carrying packages. For a moment, she thought she saw her sister among them.

  She blinked. Held her breath. Then exhaled.

  It wasn’t her.

  The door closed behind them and the streets of San Miguel lay quiet, minus the occasional hum of a distant engine. Beside the children’s home lay a plot of land, perhaps ten feet wide and stretching the length of the building. Barbed wire sagging between wooden pegs bordered the front, and near the back corner sat a pile of branches.

  Something clanked behind her. She jumped and spun around. Only a dog sniffing through trash. She stepped over the fence, careful not to scrape her skin, and continued toward the branches. Upon reaching them, she slid behind the pile and sat on the ground with her back against the brick wall.

  She curled on her side in a ball and tucked her face into her knees. So. Very. Tired. Her eyes felt gritty. Voices, growing fainter, drifted from the children’s home as sleep overtook her.

  She woke many times during the night, often confused, the past and present blending with her dreams. When the sun poked over the horizon, she finally gave up on sleeping altogether.

  A sob wrenched from her throat. Oh, Dinora! Where are you? What have I done?

  She stood. Swayed as dizziness gripped her. She needed something to drink, and eat. Or else she wouldn’t have the strength to find Dinora.

  Had she found shade to rest in? She wouldn’t last long, if not.

  Her stomach soured. What if Dinora passed out? Fatima would never find her. Pushing forward, she resumed her search. The more she walked, the heavier her legs felt. The early morning sun stung her tired eyes. What she wouldn’t give to fall into a deep sleep, never to awaken.

  If not for Dinora. For her sake, she had to keep moving, no matter how tired. But by mid-morning, she needed to rest. She sat in the shade of a nearby building, leaned back against the rough brick, and allowed her eyes to close.

  Chapter Thirty

  Pastor T climbed into the passenger seat of Ubaldo’s van. Brooke took the window seat behind him. Another adult chaperone, Barb Knox, sat beside her.

  Brooke set a filled paper bag on the floor between her feet. “Can we stop by the orphanage so I can drop off this package? It’s for that girl’s sister.”

  The pastor shook his head. “Sorry. We don’t have time. Pastor Sanz is waiting for us.”

  “But what about that girl? We can’t just leave her.” Brooke looked from Pastor T to Ubaldo, then back to the pastor.

  He didn’t answer right away. “I know it’s hard to think of a child living on the streets, but I doubt she’d get your package anyway. For all we know, she may be long gone. Or …”

  Dead. Why else would she separate from her sister?

  Tears stung her eyes as she glanced at Ubaldo in the rearview mirror. He held her gaze, and silence fell over the van.

  Barb wrapped her arm around Brooke’s shoulder. “It’s sad, but there’s not much we can do for her now, except pray. We can always pray. And we’re going back to the orphanage on Friday to say goodbye. You can leave it then.”

  That poor girl. Brooke blinked to keep from crying. Gripping her paper bag, she stared out the window.

  Brooke leaned against the headrest, watching teens fight for position in the back of Orfeo’s pickup. When the girls sat on the rim, she slid her window open and cupped her hands around her mouth. “Uh-uh. Down.” She pointed toward the ground, scowling.

  Aubrey rolled her eyes. “We’re fine.”

  “No, you’re not. You either sit on your rear or you ride in the cab.”

  Aubrey turned toward Amanda, and the two engaged in conversation.

  “Excuse me,” Brooke said to Barb and started to rise, but then the engine sputtered to life. She tapped Ubaldo on the shoulder. “Can you wait a minute? I need to talk to my sister.”

  He nodded, and Brooke climbed over knees and squeezed her way to the side door. Unfortunately, by then, the truck had already pulled away. She huffed and wiggled back to her seat.

  Ubaldo caught her gaze. “Sorry.”

  “That’s okay.” But it wasn’t. They were about to hit a major road, with no speed limits, or traffic laws for that matter, and her sister sat precariously on the rim of a pickup.

  Barb patted her knee. “She’ll be all right. Ralph is with them.”

  Brooke leaned forward, stared at the truck ahead. She cringed when it cut a corner then picked up speed. “Like he’ll be able to stop her from flying out? One tap of the brakes and all those kids will be eating pavement.”

  The engine groaned as the van switched gears. Soon the buildings on either side of them gave way to stretches of green. Men pedaled bicycles along the shoulder of the road while cars and trucks wove in and out of the adjacent lanes, narrowly missing head-on collisions. A bus slowed up ahead, and Orfeo’s taillights flashed. Then he made a hard left, traveling down the center of the road.

  Brooke gripped her knees with clammy hands, her gaze locked on her sister. Aubrey’s hair whipped around her face, and she clung to the rim with one hand—one! And focused on her friends.

  The longer Brooke watched, the faster her pulse raced, enflaming her already raw emotions. When Orfeo zipped back into his lane, she gasped. The kids sitting on the rim jerked slightly, and Aubrey grabbed on with both hands. But then Ralph motioned for them to get down, and they all slid to the floor.

  Barb squeezed Brooke’s knee. “See, they’re sitting now. All’s well that ends well, right?”

  Minus the fact that Brooke couldn’t trust Aubrey to go on these trips alone. Ever. When they turned down a dirt road and slowed to a stop, Brooke grabbed her things. Everyone trickled out, trapping her in the vehicle. She glared as Aubrey and her friends hopped out of the pickup bed.

  Brooke put her backpack on and stomped over to Aubrey. She grabbed her sister by the arm and tugged her out of earshot of the others.

  “What were you thinking, hanging out of the truck like that?”

  Aubrey pulled away. “Chillax already. I held on.”

  “Barely. What if the truck had jerked to a stop? Huh? What then? I’ll tell you what. You would’ve been road kill.”

  “Must be hard, freaking out all the time. When are you going to stop trying to control everything and start living?”

  “Says Miss Life’s-nothing-but-a-party. When are you going to grow up? Because contrary to your live-for-the-moment thinking, life has consequences.”

  “Whatever. And to think I thought this would be fun, like the old days, before you turned all crabby on me.” Aubrey huffed. “I’m starting to wish you never came.”

  “Yeah, well, if I hadn’t, you would
n’t be here, either.”

  Hands fisted, Aubrey spun around and marched back to her friends, leaving Brooke to fester.

  She rubbed her temple. This wasn’t how she wanted their trip to end. Mission trips were supposed to bring people closer. She joined the rest of the team gathered around Pastor T.

  He passed out bundles of gospel tracts to everyone. “Since we have two translators, we’ll split into two groups. Sound good?”

  Everyone voiced their agreement.

  “Ralph and Barb, you and your gang can join Orfeo.”

  “I’m not going with my sister.” Aubrey crossed her arms.

  Brooke suppressed a snort. “Real mature, there, Aubrey.”

  “Oooooh! Cat fight!” Eddie snarled and clawed the air.

  Barb smacked his arm. “Not helpful.” She faced Brooke. “But it might be good if you ladies had a little space from one another. We’ve all been living in close quarters and running on little sleep.”

  Aubrey nodded, slow and exaggerated. “Exactly. Space.” Then, under her breath, “Like lots of it.”

  “Fine.” Brooke turned her back to her sister. Barb was right, they were tired and crabby. A little space and a good night’s sleep—yeah, right. Like that’d happen.

  The team split and walked in pairs down the dirt road toward a group of huts tucked among the trees. A foot-long lizard scampered across the path. Brooke grabbed Ubaldo’s arm and yelped. He looked at her, and a spark lit his eyes. He held her gaze, causing her heart to stutter. Heat flushed her cheeks, and she released his arm with an apology.

  “That’s okay. I understand your fear of such ferocious beasts.” The skin around his eyes crinkled. “Are you feeling better?”

  “What do you mean?”

  “More relaxed. I know you worry about your sister.”

  “I just wish she thought things through a bit more. She’s so … distractible. Excitable.”

  “She’s a teenager. That’s how they are.”

  “Maybe, but that’s exactly what makes them so accident prone.”