by Linda George
“You know me better than you thought.”
“Yes. I know what’s important to know about you. I still don’t know your favorite flavor of ice cream—”
“Lúcuma.”
“—or your favorite color—”
“Red, like all the red tile roofs in Cusco.”
“—or whether you have half a dozen black sweatshirts or if you wear the same one every day.”
He laughed out loud at that. “I have more than one. Black absorbs the sunshine and keeps me warm during the winter.”
“I also don’t know if you ever wear necklaces.”
“From time to time. I will wear this one every day. It is beautiful, like you.”
Lynn took the necklace from him, reached around his neck and fastened it. The shades in the small stones matched his skin tone perfectly. She took her time kissing him. “When you wear it, think of me.”
“Every day. And there’s one other thing you should know about me.”
“What’s that?”
“I play the guitar.”
They wandered through the market hand in hand. Lynn bought several more gifts and added them to the big shopping bag. She found a poncho that would be warm when it snowed in Virginia, a hat with a wide brim, and a headband for it that Alex helped her secure with straight pins he got from the woman who’d sold them to her. She bought an exquisite chess set for her father, with King Pachacutec and the Inca on one side and Pizarro’s army on the other.
“I’ll make him promise to be Pachacutec every time. He always wins.”
Toward the end of the hour, Alex spent ten minutes rounding everyone up to board the bus. “Supper tonight will be on your own at the hotel,” he reminded them.
Vicki exclaimed about his necklace. “Were you wearing that all day? I don’t remember seeing it.”
He caressed the stones. “No, it was a gift.” He glanced at Lynn.
She smiled and told everyone, “It’s a thank you for the excellent job he’s done being our guide and making our tour of Peru truly memorable.”
They added their praise and thanks.
<><><><>
Back at the hotel, everyone appreciated the chance to rest for a few hours, then have a leisurely supper in the restaurant, then get to bed early so they’d be ready for one more day of touring in the Sacred Valley tomorrow, and then Machu Picchu the next day.
Lynn hoped to be able to spend the time with Alex, but he got a call, then told her he had to go back to Cusco to take care of some business. He wouldn’t be back until late.
“I’m sorry, Querida. I was looking forward to our having time together this evening.”
“So was I.”
They lingered over a parting kiss, then she watched him leave with Rudolfo in the bus. She went back to their room, feeling strangely empty inside.
Sharon had already closed the drapes and climbed into bed for a nap with the covers pulled up to her chin. “He had to leave?”
“Yes.”
“Did he tell you why?”
“Business in Cusco.”
“That’s a long way to drive, only to drive back tonight.”
“I know.”
Sharon gave her a long, thoughtful look.
“What?”
“You miss him.”
“Of course I do.”
“A lot.”
“Yes, a lot.”
“More than you expected, right?”
Lynn didn’t say anything for a minute. “A lot more.”
Chapter 15
The next morning, Lynn got up early and hurried to the restaurant, hoping Alex would be there. He was standing next to the front desk, talking to the clerk. When he turned toward the restaurant and saw her, his smile matched her own.
He went with her to the buffet.
“When did you get back last night?”
“Very late. I didn’t want to disturb you.”
They went to a table near the front windows.
“I missed you.”
He took her hand and kissed it. “I missed you, too, Querida. What did you do while we were gone?”
“Slept mostly. Had dinner here. Went to bed early. I didn’t realize how tired I was.” Or how alone I’d feel without you, she wanted to add.
“Malena needed help with the plans for a tour coming up in several months. She’s very good at getting information to people early, so they’ll know what to expect.”
“I’m sorry she had to call you back.”
“It isn’t that far. Usually, I stay in Cusco while conducting tours of the Sacred Valley, so I’m used to going back and forth.”
The others came in eventually and joined them. Lynn sipped a second cup of Coca tea while Alex told everyone where they’d be going today.
“We’re going to Maras first, to see something unique.” He described huge depressions that had been terraced and used to develop seeds. “I’ll tell you more when we get there. Then, we’re going to a most unusual place for lunch, where dancing horses will entertain us.”
Lynn felt his knee against hers and reached under the table for his hand. When his fingers closed around hers, she realized that empty feeling she’d experienced last night was gone.
<><><><>
The trip to Maras was filled with new vistas, including flat plains above tree line, with the mountain nicknamed Verónica in the distance. Lynn took at least half a dozen photos of the mountain, marveling at its snow-capped peaks when they were on the top of another mountain covered with grassland. Their first stop was at Maras.
There were three natural depressions at Maras that had been used by the Inca to cultivate seeds. The depressions had been terraced, much as the sides of the mountains were terraced to create more farmland. The Inca knew they had to increase the amount of food they grew if their empire was going to keep up with the steady increase in population.
Alex explained, “The tops of these depressions are 400 meters above the valley floor—more than 10,000 feet above sea level. The different levels on the terraces in the depressions are at the same altitude as the plains, jungles, and the land in between. The soils from these depressions came from various parts of Peru, so they could experiment with different crops at different levels in one place. If you’ll look closely at the largest of the depressions, which is almost 500 feet across, you’ll see channels where water flowed to water the seeds on each terrace.”
Lynn didn’t walk all the way to the far depression. The altitude made it difficult for her to breathe, even though they’d been higher in Cusco. She knew stress was taking a toll on her. She should be relieved to know her mother was home with her father, and obviously not divorcing him, but she still felt tense and unable to relax.
She recognized the source of the tension. She felt it every time she saw Alex’s face, every time he smiled at her, every time he touched her hand or kissed her, every time their bodies fit together perfectly when he held her, as though they were made for each other. But there was no way for her to know what her mother’s tests would show.
She wandered over to a collection of open huts with thatched roofs to see what they were selling. She wandered from alcove to alcove, listening to prices and descriptions. By the time she was almost to the end, the others appeared from over the crest of the hill, obviously hot and thirsty from the hike. They’d learned early in the tour to carry bottled water with them everywhere, and several of the ladies had pulled water from a backpack.
When they finally got back on the bus, everyone chattered about the achievement of the Inca in developing seeds for various altitudes.
“Their civilization included a great deal of knowledge about the environment,” Alex told them. “Otherwise, how could they have survived as long as they did?”
“Only a few hundred years,” Lynn mentioned. “Most civilizations with their level of knowledge survived a lot longer.”
“The peak of the Inca Empire lasted only a hundred years or so. During that time, Machu Picchu was
built. Tomorrow, you will see it for yourself, room by room.”
His smile pierced her heart. Their time together grew shorter by the hour.
<><><><>
For lunch that day, they were taken to the Wayra Restaurant in the Hotel Sol y Luna in Urubamba, named for the Urubamba River that flowed through the Valley.
“Here, while we eat, we will be entertained by the ‘Caballos de Paso,’ also called the dancing horses.” Alex led them to an outdoor restaurant on a veranda overlooking a wide grassy expanse. Alex pulled out a chair for Lynn on the side facing the “arena” where the horses would be dancing, then sat beside her. She ordered a Coke with ice, while Alex ordered a drink called chichi morada, made with purple corn, fruit, cinnamon, cloves, and lime juice. The others had Pisco Sours, water, or soft drinks. Lynn appreciated the cold sting of carbonation.
The hotel was an elegantly beautiful place. Alex assured them the hotel where they’d be staying was equally beautiful—the Casa Andina Sacred Valley.
When the riders appeared at the far side of the grassy area, they were dressed in elaborate costumes, and their horses wore fancy bridles and saddles and pranced in unison, crisscrossing to the music and creating interesting patterns. Then, a pair of dancers appeared and danced for everyone in native costumes. The woman twirled her enormous skirt and lifted the sides all the way to her head, forming almost a complete circle.
Lynn loved the performance. Afterward, Alex told them, “Richard Gere, the actor, and his wife were once here when I brought a group to lunch. He asked if he could ride one of the horses and they were happy for him to do it!” He pulled out his phone and showed everyone a photograph he’d taken of the famous actor, wearing a costume similar to those they’d seen on the riders.
“Only someone like Richard Gere could make that request and hear, ‘Yes, of course!’” Vicki said with a laugh.
After lunch, they wandered through the gardens and enjoyed the views across the valley.
That afternoon, they went to a place with a name they all struggled to master. Ollantaytambo. Lynn had to write down the syllables to get them all in the right order. O-yan-tie-tambo. This town lay at the west end of the Sacred Valley below some ruins that had been used as fortresses to guard the entrance to the lower Urubamba Valley. Terraces had been cut into the mountain all the way to an area Alex explained had been a temple.
“Where did they get the stone for the buildings?” BJ asked Alex.
“There’s a quarry on the other side of the Urubamba River where thousands of workers cut stones, then moved them to the construction site. When Pizarro’s brother, Hernando, brought troops into the valley, the Inca attacked them from above with arrows, spears, and rocks. They also flooded the plains below, so the Spaniard’s horses couldn’t walk through the mud and water. The Spaniards actually retreated from Ollantaytambo, which was the only place they’d attacked that they gave up on.”
“So it’s a special place to the Inca and their ancestors.”
“Very much so.” Alex looked up at the ruins of the buildings. “Their bravery will never be forgotten.”
<><><><>
At the hotel, everyone went up to their rooms to rest for half an hour before meeting for dinner.
Lynn checked her email before they went to the restaurant. There was a post from her father.
“Got something?” Sharon asked.
Lynn scanned the post. “They got back to Santa Fe, and the neurologist scheduled their appointment for this afternoon. They’re doing a CT Scan. They might know something later today, or it could be tomorrow morning.”
“What are they looking for?”
Lynn closed the laptop. “Brain tumor.”
“That would explain her erratic behavior.”
“Also not knowing what she was doing, driving through the night, thinking she needed to divorce Dad…”
“What will they do if they find a tumor?”
“He didn’t say.”
“So the doctor doesn’t think it’s Alzheimer’s?”
“No, he says some of her symptoms don’t match.”
“That’s good news, at least.”
Lynn didn’t answer. She went to the bathroom to change her clothes and get ready for dinner.
A knock at the door made her smile. Sharon answered it and invited Alex to come in.
“I thought I might escort you and Lynn to dinner.”
“Wonderful! You can make sure I don’t stumble down all those steps.”
Lynn came out smiling. “I’m ready. Sharon, are you going to change clothes?”
“No, I don’t have the energy. You’ll just have to take me as I am. Let’s go.”
Sharon led the way, with Lynn and Alex behind.
“Any chance for seafood tonight?” Lynn asked him. “I read that the waters of the Pacific off the coast of Peru produce some of the most delicious seafood in the world.”
“That’s true.”
“We haven’t seen much seafood on the menus we’ve chosen from, except at Barranca, and the trout in Cusco. I’d love to have fried fish again.”
“We’ll ask them to bring whatever you want.” He raised her hand to his lips and kissed it with an impish grin.
Dinner was delicious, and Alex didn’t have to persuade the waiter to bring anything that wasn’t already on the menu. Lynn savored the fish. It would take more than a month of eating seafood every day for her to get tired of it.
By the time they finished eating, everyone was ready for bed. Alex kissed Lynn good night at the door and went on to his room. Inside, Lynn took a deep breath and gave Sharon a look that got an immediate response.
“Why are you here?” Sharon asked.
“Excuse me?”
“Why aren’t you next door with the love of your life?”
“I haven’t said he’s the love of my life.”
“You don’t have to say it. I see it in your eyes, and his, when you look at each other. Am I going to have to spell this out for you?”
Lynn plopped down on the bed and leaned against the pillows with her hands behind her head. “I’m listening.”
“You’ll probably find out in the morning, before we get on the train that will take us to Machu Picchu, what the neurologist thinks is the problem. If it’s a tumor, then she’ll begin radiation or chemo, which will go on for weeks or maybe months. There won’t be a single thing you can do to help her during that time except sit around and look worried. Your father will be there to do that, and there’s no way he’s going to allow you to quit your job and move to Santa Fe where you’ll only get in the way and drive both of them crazy.”
“If that’s the good news, I’m not sure I can stand to hear the bad.”
“That was the bad news. Here’s the good.”
“I can’t wait.”
“Next door is a man who adores you. You had your chance to spend some quality time with him last night but, bless his heart, he knew your heart wasn’t in it, and he spent that time talking to you, getting to know you better, telling you his favorite color—”
“Red.”
“—his favorite dessert—”
“Lúcuma ice cream.”
“—and helping you through a rough night.”
“We held each other.”
“So here you are tonight, in here with me, when you and he may not have more than two more nights together before you have to head three thousand miles—I looked it up—for Virginia, or Santa Fe, which is slightly closer. If you’re hoping to find someone more suited to you than Alex, then you’re setting your sights way too high, my friend.”
Lynn swiped at a tear. “You’re right. You’re always right.”
“Of course I am. Now put on your jammies and get yourself next door so I can get to bed! No need to take your key. I’ll be up early in the morning to get our luggage packed and ready to head for the place we came to Peru to see.”
Lynn got up from the bed and hugged her dearest friend. “Thank you.”
Lynn went into the bathroom, took a shower, and put on her flannel pajamas, which happened to be Alex’s favorite color. When she came out, Sharon was already in bed, writing in her daily journal. “Good night. Enjoy yourself—and Alex!”
“I’m sure I will.”
Lynn eased out the door and down the walkway.
When she got to Alex’s door, she paused for a moment, then knocked lightly. Within a few seconds, the door opened. When Alex saw her standing there in red pajamas and a matching robe, he reached for her hand and drew her into the room and into his arms, then closed the door.
Chapter 16
They boarded the train at the station in Ollantaytambo the next morning at 9:00 for Aguas Calientes, also known as the Machu Picchu pueblo. Sharon checked e-mail before they left the hotel. A post from Lynn’s father said the doctor had ordered an MRI after seeing the CT results. They hadn’t heard anything yet. That was hard for Lynn to hear, yet it was a relief, too. At least it wasn’t something so obvious that the diagnosis had come quickly.
On the train, Lynn and Alex sat together, facing Vicki and Sheila. Across the aisle were BJ, Barb, Cathi, and Dorothy, with Sharon behind Lynn, talking to three people who were part of a tour group from Germany. From the sound of the conversation, they were all talking at the same time—absolutely normal for Sharon.
Beautiful scenery flashed by the windows of the train, too fast to be able to take photos, so Lynn just relaxed and enjoyed the ride. At last, they were on their way to the lost city of the Inca—Machu Picchu—the only place the Spaniards hadn’t found and destroyed. That meant the city was just as it had existed in the 1500s, except for minor damage from earthquakes and from hoards of tourists through the years.
Alex held her hand, leaning back in the seat, looking sleepy. He pulled his hat over his eyes and fell asleep almost instantly. Vicki took a picture of him and promised to e-mail it to Lynn as soon as they were connected to the Internet. Alex picked up one corner of his hat and gave Lynn a questioning smile.
“Sleep while you can. You’ll be on duty again before you know it.”
He squeezed her hand and replaced his hat.