Out of the Shadows

by Melanie Mitchell

  The service was unlike anything Leslie had ever experienced. The church consisted of a large, tentlike structure with a concrete floor and permanent metal roof. The sides were composed of fiberglass panels that could be removed to allow for ventilation and replaced during the rainy season. Folding chairs were arranged in long rows, and Leslie estimated that the structure could easily hold two hundred.

  The nurses arrived early, but the church was already half-full. Mama Joe spied the preacher on a wooden stage, where he was trying to get a stubborn microphone to cooperate. “There’s Paul!” She waved in his direction.

  The preacher motioned them forward. As he jumped off the stage to greet them, Leslie determined that Paul Merdian was probably in his middle thirties, even though he was mostly bald. He was of medium height and sported a full brown beard, a few shades darker than the remaining close-cropped hair that encircled his head. He grasped Leslie’s hand enthusiastically when Mama Joe introduced them. “Judy and I have been looking forward to meeting you. We’ve heard very good things about how you’re adjusting.”

  Leslie blushed. “Oh, that’s nice to know. I still feel like I have a lot to learn, and Mama Joe’s only going to be here a little more than a week.”

  Paul smiled. “Don’t worry, you’ll do fine. Titus and Naomi can help you out of just about any problem. And Judy and I are always here.” His gray eyes were warm and friendly, with deep laugh lines at the corners. Leslie got the impression that he smiled a lot.

  While they were speaking, a petite woman with shoulder-length blond hair and a cheerful disposition joined them. Mama Joe hugged the newcomer, who introduced herself. “Hi, Leslie. I’m Judy. I can’t wait to hear about what all is happening back in the States.” Judy’s complexion was slightly pinkish and her features were fairly nondescript. Nonetheless, her lively blue eyes and a smile that rivaled her husband’s made her particularly attractive.

  Judy’s warm reception reassured Leslie and she instinctively knew they’d be friends. “Thanks for inviting us to lunch.” She smiled and added, “I’ll be glad to trade you all I know about what’s going on at home, if you’ll coach me on adapting to life in rural Kenya.”

  Judy laughed. “You’ve got a deal!”

  Leslie gestured toward the children playing tag outside the tent. “I think I can guess which are your children.” A boy and girl, deeply tanned but still obviously white, raced around the area, standing out among the twenty or so African children. A much smaller boy with pale brown hair toddled with them, trying to keep up.

  Judy grinned proudly. “Our older son is Johnny. He’s eight. Beth will be seven in a couple of months, and Stephen just turned two.”

  Leslie smiled and continued to watch the children, swallowing hard at Stephen’s toddler stride—for a moment, an image of her little girl sprang to mind. But the memory was not as painful as it had once been. “They look...ah...energetic. I’m guessing you stay pretty busy.”

  Paul wiped his forehead in mock weariness and sighed audibly. “Busy doesn’t begin to describe what I have to do. All the cooking and cleaning and teaching...just kidding. Judy’s remarkable. She does most of the kid-rearing, including teaching them at home.” His pride and affection were evident. “Better excuse us. We need to get started. We’ll catch up with you after the service and head to the house.”

  Leslie and Mama Joe found seats near the front of the tent. They were surrounded by colorfully dressed villagers. Glancing around the gathering, Leslie was pleased that she recognized a few faces. Mama Joe greeted a number of the people in the congregation.

  The service lasted nearly three hours, and Leslie loved every minute. Singing dominated the first hour. Some songs were in English, but most were in Swahili or one of the regional dialects. Judy accompanied many of the hymns, playing an aged, upright piano with obvious skill. But most of the African songs were sung a cappella, and Leslie was captivated by the villagers’ complex harmonies. At times it seemed like there were three or four different songs being sung simultaneously, but the melodies blended into a joyous whole. Scripture readings were interspersed with testimonies from those in the congregation before Paul gave a message. The service closed with more singing.

  While Paul finished his duties at the church, Mama Joe and Leslie went home with Judy and the children. The Merdians lived only a short distance away, and, like the clinic, their home consisted of a group of buildings surrounded by a high cinder-block wall. The wood-frame house was one story and painted white. A wide porch fronted it, complete with comfortable-looking rockers. Leslie stared appreciatively at the carefully cultivated yard of thick green grass. Colorful beds of flowers surrounded the porch, a testament to the diligence of Paul, Judy or both. She saw red and yellow gerbera daisies and white and pink impatiens interspersed with snapdragons and hibiscus. Off to one side was a commendable rose garden with at least two dozen bushes sprouting blossoms of various colors. The sweet smell of the garden reminded Leslie of home.

  Mama Joe agreed to help Judy in the kitchen while the children gave Leslie a tour of the house. “This is where I sleep,” Johnny said as they entered a small room at the back. He proudly pointed to the handmade desk and bookcases, which were crowded with children’s books, readers and workbooks. A computer was pushed to one side. “These are my books. Mom teaches us school stuff every morning and makes us work really hard.”

  “Yep,” added Beth. “I’m in the second grade on some things with Johnny, but mostly I do first-grade lessons.”

  Johnny continued, “Stephen doesn’t read yet ’cause he’s still a baby. But sometimes we read to him and show him pictures. He likes that.”

  Leslie was charmed. Her heart tugged again when she saw one of the books she had read to Emma. She managed to blink back tears and refocused her attention on the children. “Maybe we can read a story after lunch.”

  Leslie picked up the toddler, who had been pulling at her dress, and he grinned at her shyly. Not wanting to be left out, Beth grabbed Leslie’s free hand. “Miss Leslie, do you like puppies? Our dog, Lady, had puppies last week.”

  “They don’t walk yet, and their eyes aren’t completely open,” Johnny said, “but they’re really cute. Want to go see ’em?”

  “I would love to see the puppies. We can go after lunch, but right now I had better go see if your mom needs any help.” Smiling, Leslie set Stephen back on his feet and left the children to play in their room.

  As Leslie passed through the combination living and dining room, heading toward the kitchen, the front door opened. Expecting Paul, she waited with a smile of greeting. Instead, she was surprised as a tall, lean man entered the house, and she found herself face-to-face with Ben Murphy.

  Ben was dressed exactly as he had been at their previous meeting, in khaki slacks and white shirt. As before, his hair was pulled back in a short ponytail. That, coupled with his swarthy tan, light green eyes and expressive mouth, gave him the appearance of a pirate. She sighed inwardly, dismayed to concede he was extremely good-looking.

  Ben managed to hide his surprise at meeting Leslie in the Merdians’ living room. His gaze swept over her quickly, and he felt an odd catch in his chest. Today her hair was down, falling around her shoulders in shiny, mink-colored waves. Her simple red dress had short sleeves and skimmed her ankles. Though it was modest, it was appealing. He watched with annoyance as her smile disappeared. Twin bright spots on her cheeks rivaled the red of her dress.

  After what seemed like an eternity to both, Ben broke the silence. “Paul invited me for lunch.” His voice was flat and his face void of expression.

  “Oh. I see. Well, hello then.” Leslie searched for something to say, but her brain appeared to have ceased functioning, and she just looked at him and grew more flushed.

  Ben did a little better. “So, how are you settling in?”

  She acknowledged the question but could not q
uite manage a smile. “Pretty well. There have been some...ah...challenging times. But so far things have gone all right. Mama Joe is a terrific teacher.” Her expression brightened a little when she mentioned her mentor.

  Ben knew it was his turn again, and he was pondering what to say when someone bounded up the front steps. Both gratefully turned as the screen door opened and Paul entered. Grinning broadly, he shook hands with Ben. “Really glad you could come. You haven’t been around much lately.”

  Relieved to have a diversion, Ben responded to the preacher with genuine affection. “Hey, are you kidding? Do you think I’d pass up an opportunity to eat Judy’s cooking?”

  Paul beamed at Leslie but continued to address Ben. “Judy and I thought it would be good for you to meet our newest missionary.” Paul crossed the room to shake Leslie’s hand in much the same manner, and she was glad he didn’t seem to notice the awkwardness of the scene he had entered.

  “Ben and I have already met. He flew me from Nairobi,” Leslie explained, then deftly changed the subject. “I’m really looking forward to getting to know you and Judy better. I’ve already made friends with Johnny, Beth and Stephen. After lunch they’re going to show me the puppies.”

  As if on cue, all three children entered the living room and saw Ben. The elder pair ran to hug him. Grinning mischievously at them, he scooped Johnny up and proceeded to hang the boy upside down by his ankles, eliciting giggles of delight from all three.

  “Me, too! Me, too!” Beth cried.

  From his inverted position, Johnny scoffed, “Heck, no. Uncle Ben can’t do this to you. You’re wearing a dress.”

  Ben set the boy on the ground, scooped up the little girl, and said, “Well, maybe you can’t be turned upside down, but I can give you a big hug, can’t I?” Beth grinned and threw her arms around Ben’s neck; then Stephen held up his arms and was hauled into the mix.

  Ben’s ease with the Merdians surprised Leslie. He was obviously very fond of Paul and his family, and the feelings were reciprocated. She couldn’t imagine they had much in common—well, other than living deep in the African savanna.

  * * *

  LUNCH WAS VERY informal and, as predicted, delicious. Roasted chicken was served over curried rice mixed with bits of mango and pineapple. Conversation was easy, and Leslie learned a great deal about her hosts. Paul and Judy had been high school sweethearts from Indianapolis and married right out of college. “We shared an interest in church ministry and African culture,” Paul told her. “Even early in college, we were focused on going to Kenya.”

  “It took several years before we realized our dream,” Judy confided. “Paul had to complete seminary, and by then we had Johnny and Beth. Stephen was born in Kenya.” Judy smiled fondly at Mama Joe. “He was delivered right here in this house.”

  Over lunch, the two men shared tales of a recent hunting expedition in which they had shot several eland. Leslie looked at them quizzically. “I didn’t know you could hunt in the game parks.”

  “Oh, definitely not the endangered animals like elephant and rhino, and not the big cats,” Paul explained. “But they have hunting seasons for antelope, much as they do at home for deer. If herds aren’t thinned, they can quickly overgraze the parklands. And eland meat is really quite good. We’ll have some next time you come over.”

  Leslie grimaced. “That’s what I was told about buffalo and ostrich. I’m still not a believer. But this chicken is delicious.” She glanced askance at her hosts and added, “It is chicken?” Everyone laughed.

  As the others were finishing lunch, Judy got up to put Stephen down for his nap. With pleading looks at their mother, Johnny and Beth asked if they could be excused. “Yes, you may. Stay within the wall, though!” With a rush and the slamming of the screen door, the two disappeared.

  At Judy’s insistence, the group settled in the living room with cups of coffee. Conversation drifted to discussions about the customs of the region and their experiences while living in Kenya. Leslie was fascinated. Ben was surprisingly pleasant, although he rarely addressed her directly. His comments were informative and enlightening, and he answered questions with honesty and wry, self-deprecating humor.

  Ben appeared to grow a little more at ease with Leslie as the conversation progressed, and during a lull, he tried to draw her in with a question. “So, Leslie, do you have a fiancé or boyfriend crying in his coffee at home while you spend six months here?”

  Leslie recognized Ben’s attempt to put a crack in the wall that had been evident from their first meeting. Nonetheless, the question caught her off guard, and she answered awkwardly, “Uh, no. Only my parents and sisters and a few close friends.”

  Ben flashed his most engaging smile. “Oh, come on. With those big blue eyes, I can’t believe you don’t have some man pining away, waiting anxiously for you to come back.” Because Ben’s attention was focused on Leslie, he missed Mama Joe’s warning frown.

  Leslie glanced at him, then quickly averted her eyes to stare at a book on the coffee table. “No, really. There’s no one waiting at home.”

  Judy perceived Leslie’s distress and intervened. “How about dessert? I have pineapple cake or banana cream pie.”

  Not willing to be sidetracked by his hostess, Ben misinterpreted the flicker in Leslie’s eye and her sudden wariness. Teasingly, he persisted, “Oh, I get it. You’re probably like me—you know, off to see the world. No strings attached. Not interested in settling down.”

  Mama Joe caught Leslie’s flush. Unfortunately, she was too far from Ben to kick him. Following Judy’s lead, she said, “Pineapple cake sounds delicious. Leslie, why don’t you help Judy?”

  Suddenly it became imperative for Ben to know more about Leslie. Her vagueness and obvious discomfort made him even more curious, so he ignored the other women. Mild sarcasm was apparent when he said, “But you really don’t look like an adventurer. You look more like a soccer mom or—”

  “Ben, drop it.” Mama Joe’s interruption was blunt, but her demand had the intended effect. A startled silence ensued for a few seconds.

  Leslie finally looked directly at Ben. She took a deep breath and said, “I had a family.” She clenched her jaw and continued. “My husband and daughter were killed in a car accident about twenty months ago. Actually, twenty months, one week and three days.” Her voice was hushed and matter-of-fact, her face totally blank.

  Their eyes remained locked until he blinked and looked down at his hands in embarrassment. Very quietly he said, “Leslie, I’m sorry. I didn’t...” He studied the coffee table and contemplated crawling under it. “I didn’t have any idea.”

  Although she was stunned, Judy managed to interject herself into the conversation. “Leslie, I’m so sorry. How awful for you.” Tears formed in her eyes.

  Leslie nodded to her and gave a little shrug. “Let’s not talk about it.” Abruptly, she stood up. “The kids wanted me to look at the puppies.”

  Paul and Judy started to rise, too, but she motioned for them to stay seated. “No, please. It’s okay. Why don’t you go ahead and have dessert? I need a minute.” Without waiting for a reply, she let herself out.

  * * *

  ALONE IN THE WARM SUNSHINE, Leslie felt a sense of relief. She strolled through the lovely garden, absorbing the delicate scents. The peaceful space gave her an opportunity to calm her emotions. Determined to recover her enjoyment of the day, she followed the sound of children’s laughter to a shed near one corner of the walled compound. Inside she saw the two children sitting beside a large black dog. The dog was lying on her side, and Leslie counted eight puppies greedily nursing.

  Beth jumped up and grabbed Leslie’s hand, drawing her into the shed. “Her name is Lady, and she’s really nice. You can pat her, but don’t bother the puppies while they’re eating.”

  The dog looked up with friendly brown eyes, and her tail thumped
slightly in welcome. Leslie smiled while holding out her hand for Lady to sniff. “Hello, there. What a lovely family you have.” The dog’s tail thumped again, and Leslie rubbed her behind the ears. Sitting down in the dirt beside the children, she asked, “Do the puppies have names?”

  Johnny pointed to the largest puppy. “I call that one Horton, ’cause he eats the most.” He pointed out one of the others. “That one is Sam. His name is really Sam-I-Am, but we just call him Sam.”

  Beth decided it was her turn and indicated a brown-spotted white fluff of fur. “This is Dora. She’s named after a character in one of my favorite books.”

  The children introduced the remaining puppies to Leslie. After they finished eating, Leslie watched as the children gently picked up the small animals and stroked their coats. “Their eyes are just starting to open. Mom said it will take a couple of days, but then they can see,” Johnny explained.

  Spending time with the children helped restore Leslie’s good mood, and soon she felt it was time to rejoin the others. She rose. “I probably need to see if your mom needs help cleaning the kitchen. Thank you for showing me the puppies.”

  She was still smiling when she stepped outside and turned toward the house. She stopped short, however, when she became aware of a man standing only a few feet away. The bright sunlight momentarily blinded her, but what she could make out alarmed her. Her heart rate soared as her vision cleared. A Masai warrior in tribal clothing was staring at her.