Drive and Determination (7 page)

Chapter 6

            Manuel looked back at his boss, attempting to remain dignified and not give in to the smile that was threatening to escape. “La Casita de Esperanza.”
            “
This
is the preschool? What is that dreadful stench?”
            “The dump, Sir. It is just a few blocks away. Most of the people who live around here survive by sifting through the dump and using whatever they can find in whatever way possible. They keep some of their treasures or try to sell it or recycle it. Depends on how vigilant you are in retrieving the stuff after the trucks dump it.”
            Elyssa looked in awe at Manuel. “And the children?”
            “They’ve learned that’s their survival, too.”
            Elyssa had no idea. The tightness within her belly rivaled the pain she felt in hearing of Janet’s death.
            Manuel was quickly out of the car, but both Elyssa and Will had opened their doors. Elyssa gave a sly glance at Manuel who only shrugged his shoulders at observing Will letting himself out of the car.
            “Let’s get inside,” Will ordered. “I don’t want to dawdle out here any longer than I have to.”
            Elyssa could see that he was uncomfortable, but she had to admit that she was, too. She had hoped that his coming with her today would make him ill at ease and she had succeeded. She had to admit, though, that anyone would feel that way coming down here and seeing the way the people lived. It wasn’t so much being afraid for herself, but the wrenching pain deep inside knowing that people had to live this way.
            Manuel retrieved the large piñata from the car and hopped up the steps, ringing the bell outside a heavy wooden door. As they waited for the door to be opened, Will glanced up and down the street. Elyssa wondered if he felt he might be some sort of target for thieves. She had to stifle a laugh as she considered how he would have felt if he had worn his expensive designer suit and they had come in the limo.
            The door was opened and a small woman peered out. Manuel addressed her in Spanish and she opened the door, letting them enter.
            Bowing slightly as they came into a reception area, she uttered an, “Un momento, por favor,” and stepped out through a door. Elyssa looked around her and saw a small table with crafts that
the children made in the corner of the room. Elyssa walked over to it and picked up one at a time, looking closely at each one and then setting it back down in another place.
            Will watched her curiously, as she did not seem to be setting them back down randomly. Instead, she seemed to be purposely rearranging the whole table display. He was about to say something to her but was prevented in doing so when another woman returned to the room.
            “Good morning and welcome to Casita de Esperanza,” she said with a slight Hispanic accent as she came toward them. She took Elyssa’s hands in hers. “You must be Janet’s sister.”
            Elyssa nodded. “Yes, I am Elyssa Barnett.”
            “It is indeed a pleasure to meet you. I am Rosa Martinez.” She turned to Will. “And you are Mr. Barnett?”
            Will quickly shook his head and stammered, “No, no, my name is William Denton, an… an acquaintance.”
            “I’m glad you have come. Shelley Walker called to let us know you would be coming this morning. The children are looking forward to it as well. We’ll take you through each of the classrooms and let the children sing a song for you and then once you’ve done that, the children will come out to the courtyard and have a great deal of fun with that piñata you brought.”
            Looking at Will, she said, “That was so thoughtful of you. The children will love it!”
            Elyssa looked derisively at him. George was the one who deserved the thanks for the idea of the piñata and he knew it!
            As they walked out, Elyssa asked Mrs. Martinez about the children that came to the preschool.
            “They all live within a few blocks of here. Two years ago several local people felt that something needed to be done for the children that lived around here. This preschool was built to give the children an opportunity to learn and play in a more positive environment.”
            “The parents must be most grateful!” she exclaimed.
            Mrs. Martinez drew a pensive look about her. “You would think so. But unfortunately, some don’t even allow their children to attend because that takes precious time away from their only source of family income.”
            “Sifting through the dump?” Elyssa was horrified.
            Mrs. Martinez nodded.
            “I cannot imagine!”
            “It is difficult to comprehend, and yet these children know nothing else, so to them it is normal.” She smiled. “The children are as precious as any you will find. I am sure you will discover that for yourselves.
            As they walked through the hall, Elyssa was amazed at how colorful and bright everything was -- and clean, too! They came to the first classroom and the children all wore brightly colored smocks over their tattered and worn clothes. The teacher said something to the children in Spanish and they all looked at Elyssa with wide eyes and sad looks upon their faces.
            Manuel, who had joined them, informed Elyssa the children had been told that she was Janet’s sister.
            It was apparent the teacher did not speak any English, so her attention remained on the children. She had them stand and they sang a song. As they did, Elyssa was amazed at how well behaved they were. They had a joy in their faces that belied their living conditions. She snuck a glance up to Will to see how he was faring. He stood rigid and expressionless, almost as if his thoughts were elsewhere. Elyssa swallowed hard as she made a vain attempt to keep the tears from pooling up in her eyes and she knew their time here was only just beginning.
            There were four classrooms and each was the same. They each had a song prepared. One class had made a large card that read, “
To Janet’s sister, We are sorry. We loved Janet very much!
”
 and was signed by each one of them in large, scribbled letters. It was obvious that the teacher had written out the words in English. Elyssa was touched to think that Janet had made some sort of difference in these children’s lives; children who lived in conditions that she would never be able to fathom and yet they seemed surprisingly content.
            When they went out to the courtyard, Manuel had hung the piñata and the children squealed when they saw it. The children sat down on the benches that lined the courtyard from youngest to oldest and Mrs. Martinez brought out a large stick. The children wiggled and squirmed in eager expectation and Elyssa openly admired each one.
            One by one, the children were blindfolded and given the opportunity to give a few swings at the large, papier-mâché bird. Manuel, who must have done this dozens of time before, pulled the string to which the piñata was attached to make it swing wildly and rise up high off the ground.
            Will stood off to one side. It seemed to Elyssa that he was busy looking at everything but the children. She watched as he pulled out his phone and stepped around the corner of the building. She shook her head in disgust as she realized he allowed his work to interfere with every moment of his waking hours. Most likely he was asking for a car to be sent to pick him up as quickly as possible!
            Elyssa sat down and once the children had taken their turn swinging at the piñata, they came over to her; some more tentative than others. A few climbed right into her lap, others touched her long, pretty hair, and a few simply stood back timidly and watched.
            After a while, Will finally returned and Elyssa watched him walk over to a bench across the courtyard from her, sitting down next to the last child in the line. Elyssa had to laugh when he unexpectedly found himself the object of unwanted attention as children began to climb up into his lap, much like they had hers. She waited for him to shoo them away and remove himself from their midst, but instead, he leaned down to talk to them, tickled them, or simply held their hand.
            Elyssa continued to watch in amazement as he pulled out a pair of sunglasses from his pocket and put them on a little boy. The children around him began to giggle and laugh, and soon they all wanted to try them on. He passed them around from one to the other, getting the same gleeful response from each child. Elyssa wondered if they were an expensive pair, as his actions totally surprised her.
            Her attention was drawn back to the piñata, which was becoming more and more tattered, but still holding tight to its treasures. As the older children were now the ones taking swings at it, Manuel maneuvered the ropes to a greater extent to make it more difficult for them to hit it. The piñata swung high and low and from side to side. Elyssa hoped that all the children would get a chance to take a swing. She was certain each child wanted a turn, but she was amazed at how they cheered each one on and waited patiently for their own opportunity to break it open.
            One of the last, older boys gave the stick a hefty swing, striking the piñata full force and it broke open, spilling candy and little toys all over. Suddenly all attention was drawn to the center of the courtyard where the children scrambled for whatever their little hands could gather. Elyssa walked over to make sure each child was able to get some treasure of their own. When she looked up over the crowd of children, she saw a little girl off to the side standing by Will.
            The little girl seemed hesitant to throw herself into the melee. Elyssa was about to go see to her when Will suddenly picked her up and said something to her. The little girl nodded her head shyly and he walked into the crowd of children with her, reaching down and picking up a handful of candy and toys that had not yet been claimed.
            Holding tightly to the priceless treasures, he walked back over to the bench with her and sat down. When he opened his hand, the little girl reached for something immediately. It was a pink plastic toy ring. She slipped it on one of her fingers and looked up at Will and smiled. She held out her hand as if it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen.   
            After admiring it for some time, she tentatively reached into his hand for one of the pieces of candy, tore off the wrapper and ate it, remaining perfectly content in his lap.
            Elyssa observed this all with conflicting messages assaulting her. He could not behave like this! He was not that type of man! She had expected him to come here and be appalled by what he saw and withdraw, wanting nothing to do with these children. She had half expected him to wait out in the reception area of the school. The last thing she anticipated was for him to take to the children as he seemed to have done.
            Once every little toy and piece of candy had been claimed and snatched up, the children all returned to the benches to assess and enjoy their bounty. Elyssa’s attention was drawn back to some of the other children coming up to her to show her their treasures. The joy the children had was contagious and she found herself enjoying herself more than she had in a long time. Even though she spoke very little of their language, she easily conveyed to them how special each one was with her engaging smile.
            When it was time for the children to return to their classes, even though they had been with the children for barely an hour, Elyssa found herself reluctant to part with them. There were several children who had easily wound their way into her heart and she realized she really didn’t want to leave. As she leaned over to give hugs to the children or clasp their little hands in hers, she looked across the courtyard to see how Will was faring. She saw that the little girl was still happily seated upon his lap, but his attention was not on his new friend. It was riveted back upon her.
            As the children proceeded to line up and bid farewell, Will placed the little girl on the ground in front of him. He leaned over and whispered something in her ear. Elyssa watched as the little girl’s eyes lit up, giving him an enthusiastic nod, and then she ran to find her place with the other children.
            Even more difficult than leaving the children was stepping back outside the walls of this haven and realizing these little ones only spent a few mornings of the week here for only a few years of their life. Elyssa, Will, and Manuel all walked out in mutual silence; unable to formulate the words to describe what each was feeling.
            Manuel opened both the front and back seat door. Before getting into the front seat, Elyssa stole a look at Will who was looking up and down the street. Could he possibly be wondering how these children lived here and whether they had any sort of hope for the future? Or was he merely concerned that they stood out and might become easy targets for some unsavory character?
            Elyssa looked back at La Casita de Esperanza,
Little House of Hope
.
 Maybe there was a little bit of hope that existed within these walls for them. She had to trust that there was.

*~*~*

            As they drove away, Will said something to Manuel that sounded like a Spanish name. Manuel responded with a, “Yes, Sir.”
            Before long, Manuel was pulling to a stop in front of a restaurant, bearing what she assumed was the name Will had spoken.
            “What are we doing here?” Elyssa asked.
            “Having lunch. It is way past lunchtime and I am hungry!”
            “You don’t have to…”
            Will put up a hand to stop her. “I know I don’t, but I am. So there will be no discussion about it.”
            Elyssa’s eyes darkened as she saw traces of the William Denton she had heard so much about begin to emerge.
            Manuel had already jumped out of the car and was opening the doors for them. Elyssa found herself walking reluctantly at Will’s side. At least she had Manuel to keep her company.
            The outside of the restaurant was rather drab and Elyssa thought it odd that Will would come here, but when they walked inside, Elyssa could not believe her eyes. It was filled with tall plants, beautiful flowers, and exotic birds that flew in a large, glassed-in aviary at one end of the room.
            The host greeted Will by name and soon they were walking to a small table. He held out the seat for Elyssa and she sat down. When she looked around her, Manuel was gone.
            Will ordered
agua pura
for the two of them and two bottled waters were brought to their table along with some chips and salsa. Elyssa looked across the table at Will. “What about Manuel?”
            “He’s eating on his own.”
            “But why?” Elyssa asked with an accusatory stare.
            “Because that’s the way it is. It’s what he expects as well as prefers.” He looked down to his menu. “Now, everything is good here. It’s written in Spanish and English so you can pretty much know what you’re getting.”
            “Do you come here a lot when you’re down here?”
            “I make every effort to come here at least once each visit.”
            Elyssa narrowed her eyes. “And just how often do you come down to Guatemala?”
            He looked up from the menu, his eyes just peering over the top into hers. “Is this an interrogation?”
            “No, I was just under the impression that you didn’t come down to Guatemala that often.”
            “I guess how often I come down is a relative issue. For some, I probably come down too often and for others, not often enough.”
            The waiter returned and Will ordered something in well spoken Spanish. When they both looked to Elyssa, she looked back at the menu and shook her head. “I really don’t know.”
            “Make it two of them, Miguel.”
            “Sí, Señor Denton.”
            With an arched eyebrow, Elyssa asked, “So what am I getting?”
            Without any hesitation, Will replied, “Sautéed tongue wrapped in a deep fried tortilla smothered in cheese and salsa.”
            Elyssa’s eyes widened. “No!” she exclaimed. “I will not eat that!”
            “Good,” he replied, taking his napkin in hand and placing it in his lap. “More for me.”
            Elyssa folded her hands in front of her and scrutinized the man sitting across from her. She was unsure whether he was teasing or not. There was a look in his eyes that she could not describe, but since he had not the slightest trace of a smile, she felt she should take him at his word. The thought of sautéed tongue, however, did not sit well with her. She decided if she was going to ease her hunger pangs, she would have to do it with the chips they brought.
            Will seemed content to sit quietly and occasionally pick up a chip, drown it in the salsa, and pop it in his mouth. Elyssa practically devoured them; she had never tasted chips so fresh and tasty. The salsa was perfection; not too mild, but not too hot.
            “Hold your horses, Elyssa! Save some room for your lunch!”
            “I think perhaps this
is
my lunch!” she retorted.
            His lips broke into a small smile, revealing for a short moment, a small dimple on his cheek. “You’ll enjoy it. Trust me.”
            When they brought the order, Elyssa looked it over. It certainly looked delicious, but she was hesitant to try it. Will turned his attention to his food and Elyssa watched him cut into the filled tortilla on his plate.
            “Mmmm,” he replied in an exaggerated way when he looked up and saw Elyssa watching. He looked down to his plate and finally said, “It’s not tongue, Elyssa. It’s shredded beef. I really didn’t think you would believe me.”
            She was greatly relieved and took a bite. It was heavenly, but she was reluctant to admit that to Will. Instead, she concentrated on her food.
            Will appeared perfectly content to forego any further conversation in lieu of eating. Elyssa was not usually one to eat in silence. She loved to talk with people and get to know them. She loved to discuss the latest books she had read or music she had listened to. It seemed as though something was holding her back. She wondered if she still blamed him for her sister’s death, although she really had not thought about that at all since the preschool.
           
Well, if he doesn’t want to talk, that’s fine with me,
she thought.
            At length, it was Will who started the conversation.
            “What did you think back there at the preschool?”
            She looked at him and wondered if he truly wanted to hear her thoughts or was he merely making polite conversation. “I applaud what they are doing. It’s heartbreaking to think the children don’t know life isn’t supposed to be that way.” She felt a wave of sadness come over her and fought off the tears that were threatening to spill out. “It… it makes me ashamed of how much we have and how little contentment it gives us. Those children had such pure joy!”
            Will looked up at her. He felt the same way, but had not known how to articulate it. He felt the shame in a greater degree, knowing how much more he had than even Elyssa. His successful business, the homes, private jet, and every convenience available had not given him the contentment he felt was so lacking. He had wondered whether that kind of contentment was even attainable.
            Elyssa believed his silence to be from the lack of any sort of feeling that may have been produced there. She decided to broach the subject she had been wondering about since being at the preschool.
            “I must confess I was surprised to see how well you took to the children. You seemed to be able to reach that shy little girl. What is it, Will? Do you have a secret life with a wife and a dozen children somewhere?”
            He put his fork down on his plate and picked up his napkin, wiping his mouth. Waving his hand in the air he said, “Nothing so dramatic. I have a younger sister. She is almost twelve years younger than me and has always been quite shy herself. I merely treated that little girl as I often treated Gina.”
            “Oh.” She wanted to hear more about this sister of his, but was prevented from saying anymore when his phone rang.
            “Excuse me, Elyssa. I am expecting a call from the national office.”
            He pulled his phone out and stood up, turning to walk toward the front of the restaurant as he brought it up to his ear. Suddenly all those warm and fuzzy feelings that had begun to surface began dissipating as she reminded herself who he was and what he represented. Life with a man like him would take a second seat to his business; his family would suffer at the expense of some deadline, meeting, or crucial decision that had to be made. He obviously was one who could not leave his work at the office. It went with him everywhere he did.
            When he returned, he noticed instantly her change in demeanor. Sitting down, he asked her, “Is everything OK?”
            “Yes, I think it is, now.” She could not help but think that if she had judged the man by what she had seen today, her thinking could have been swayed in favor of him despite everything about him that disgusted her.
            “What about you? Is everything OK? Was that the call you were expecting?”
            “Yes. The news isn’t quite what I wanted to hear, but things are progressing. I need to get back to the office here to fax the national office some things. We’ll drop you and the car off first.”
            Elyssa only nodded, but was surprised by his next comment.
            “So what was it that you had planned for tomorrow?”
            Her eyes widened and she looked at him suspiciously. “Excuse me?”
            “George said you had made plans for the next few days. What were your plans for tomorrow?”
            She thought for a moment. “I think he was going to take me to Antigua to see the ruins.”
            “Then Antigua it is. We’ll come by around 10:00 in the morning. Does that sound reasonable?”
            Elyssa’s mouth was suddenly dry as she eked out a measly, “Yes. I suppose that would be fine.”