Isle of Enchantment (2 page)

“I'm sneaking candy bars in my bag.” Tomas loved sweets and missed his American candy bars when we were in a jungle or desert somewhere.

“Don't do it. Mom will have a fit. She'll accuse you of trying to attract bears or something,” I chuckled.

“I don't care. I am tired of canned beans and dried prunes.” Tomas didn't usually challenge Mom and Dad's rules but this time I think he meant it. “I am a growing boy. I need those calories.” Tomas stretched his arms and patted his belly.

“Fine. Pack those candy bars in your bags. Then, when a bear eats you alive, I will tell you I told you so.”

“Marisol, how do you plan to tell me that you told me so if I am in a bear's belly?”

I tossed my bed pillow at Tomas's face.

“Shut it, smarty pants.” Tomas ducked and the pillow slammed Dad in the face.

The Plan

Dad's face was a little red where the pillow hit him. He laughed it off good-naturedly.

“I hope that pillow bomb was not really meant for me, young lady.” Dad tried to sound stern but the twinkle in his eyes gave him away.

“Did you guys finish packing? Your mom ran to the grocery store to pick up last minute toiletries and medicine.”

“No, we're not even close. Tomas is way overthinking and trying to fit an outfit for every season in his bags.”

“Always be prepared. That's my motto,” Tomas snorted.

I rolled my eyes. He was such a Boy Scout.

“Tomas, Marisol, there's just one season in Puerto Rico: hot. Pack T-shirts, shorts, and bathing suits. You'll be fine.” Dad was matter of fact. I could
tell Mom had probably given him a huge to-do list to finish while she was out. Although he was excited about the trip, I knew there were a gazillion things for him and Mom to finish before we boarded the airplane tomorrow morning.

Tomas nodded his head and mumbled, “Okay. Fine.”

“Leave room in your carry-on bag for your laptops and notebooks for school.”

Tomas and I nodded. How could we possibly forget school work?

“I've got your passports and boarding passes,” Dad continued, then paused, obviously trying to remember what Mom told him to tell us. “Toothbrushes? Floss?”

“Check and check,” I said. “Tomas and I have our toiletries together.”

“Good. Good.” Dad said. “Oh, and young man, don't forget your deodorant.”

Tomas blushed. I laughed so hard I almost fell off the bed. This time, Tomas aimed a pillow bomb at me and clocked me on my back.

Dad took a deep breath. “Settle down you two.
I'm supposed to tell you the plan. Listen up.”

Tomas and I straightened up. We knew we needed to find out exactly what this trip was going to be like.

“We leave tomorrow at 7 a.m. and arrive in San Juan, Puerto Rico around 4 p.m., with a one hour layover in Atlanta.”

Tomas and I answered in unison.

“Got it.”

“That means we'll need to be at the airport at 5 a.m. to go through security. I'll wake you up at 3:30 so you can shower and get dressed.”

Tomas moaned, “I don't need to shower. I need to sleep. Wake me up at 4 a.m.”

“No sir. We've got a plane to catch and no time to mess around. You can sleep through the flight.” Dad was all business now. “We might have time for a quick lunch in Atlanta. We'll have dinner when we get to Puerto Rico.”

“Can we take snacks?” I asked Dad.

“You can buy a few when we get to the airport in the morning. But not too many. You two don't need all that junk food.”

“I'm stashing candy bars in my duffle bags,” Tomas muttered under his breathe. Dad didn't seem to hear him.

We heard the apartment door open and went out to the living room. Mom bustled in with her arms full of grocery bags. Snow dusted the top of her hat, coat, and boots. “Whew, I can't wait for Puerto Rico. This time tomorrow, we'll be sitting on a warm, tropical beach. Goodbye Chicago winter.”

“Hello sunshine,” Dad smiled. He gave Mom a kiss on the cheek and helped her carry the bags to the kitchen table.

“I think I've got everything. Vitamins, bandages, shampoo, cold medicine.” Mom dug through the bags and organized the items on the table.

“I think they have grocery stores in Puerto Rico. You know, they are a US territory,” I said.

“Why yes they do. But I like to always be prepared.” Mom gave me her professor look that told me not to get sassy. I certainly know where Tomas got his attitude from. He is a mini-Mom.

“Did your father go over the plan with you two?”

Dad, Tomas, and I said yes.

“Good. How about the camp set-up?”

Dad cleared his throat. “No, I haven't covered that yet.”

“Well then, here's how it will work.” Mom gave Dad a quick look. “I spoke with the research coordinator this morning. We'll have three or four days to act like tourists while we wait for our lab equipment to arrive.”

“We can soak up some history,” Dad piped in.

“Yes, and then we're off to El Yunque to find the Antillean crested hummingbird.” Mom was so excited she was practically glowing.

I suspected there was an important detail that Mom and Dad were keeping from us. I blurted out, “What about the camp? Do we get to stay in a motorhome since El Yunque is a United States national park?” I hoped that we could stay in Puerto Rico in comfort. It was not called the Isle of Enchantment for nothing.

Mom stuttered a bit. “Not exactly. It is a national forest not a national park. So, we get to set up a primitive camp.”

That made me a little nervous. “What do you
mean by primitive? No electricity?” We'd stayed at sites without electricity before. That was not a big deal. We burned candles for lights after dark and cooked over a campfire.

“Um, yeah. No electricity and no toilets.” Mom looked away from me.

“Cool!” Tomas shouted.

“Do I just find a tree if I need to go?” This situation seemed nasty to me and I was beginning to think I should just stay home for this adventure.

“Don't be silly,” Mom rolled her eyes at me. “You'll dig a hole with a shovel. Cover it when you're done. It's fairly common in the backcountry. And it's called the cat hole method.” Mom had evidently used the cat hole method before.

“Awesome! I get to act like a cat for three months!” Tomas was just a little too happy about this plan.

“Awesome,” I groaned.

San Juan

The flight from Chicago to San Juan, Puerto Rico, was not terrible. I read most of the day while Tomas snored beside me. Mom and Dad sat behind us and mapped out our days on the island. Glancing back at them, if I didn't know better, I would have guessed that they were on their honeymoon. They looked so happy about this trip. Who would have thought it was really about work? Work in a primitive tropical rainforest, without any kind of toilet, trying to study the behavior of the smallest bird in the Caribbean? I guess my family was slightly different than most families.

Dad rented a car at the San Juan airport to take us to our tourist hotel. We would have four days to relish hot showers, soft beds, and flushing toilets. After that, we'd join the research team from the University of California in the backcountry of
El Yunque National Forest for three months of hummingbird research.

“Ready, crew?” Dad said as he dangled the rental car keys in the air.

“Let's hit it,” Tomas said. Tomas was clearly ready to see the sights of the city.

Mom and Dad piled our bags in the car's trunk. Tomas and I jumped into the backseat.

“Aren't you ready for an adventure?” Tomas asked me.

“I guess so,” I shrugged.

“What's the matter? Your face has been all pinched and tense looking since we got on the plane in Chicago.”

Tomas knew me so well. I could rarely hide anything from him.

“I was kind of hoping for a real bed to sleep in, you know?”

Mom hopped into the passenger's seat. “What's up, kids?'

“Marisol wants luxury, a bed,” Tomas chirped to Mom.

“Mari, honey, I thought you liked coming on our research trips.” Mom look worried.