The Calling (17 page)

“You’re welcome. I was glad to be able to do it. I hope you found your mother doing much better.”

“She is much better. Thank you for asking.”

“And, I take it you enjoyed your trip home very much.”

“I did indeed, Mr. Randall. I enjoyed it more than I can say.”

“I’m glad, Miss Jones. My company and I were glad to help.”

“I hate to interrupt,” David said, as he pointed to his watch, “but we need to be going. We still have to claim luggage and people are waiting for us at home.”

“I’ll say goodbye then,” Edward replied. “Once again, Miss Jones, it’s been nice to meet you and I’m glad things are better at home.”

“Thank you again, Mr. Randall.”

“My pleasure,” he said.

They picked up Cate’s luggage, and drove home.

When they arrived in Peguche, Kim and Miss Janet had put together a small welcome home party. Sarah, a few of the teachers from the school, and the Garcias were all waiting to greet Cate
.

Nineteen

Christmas break was not over until January sixth, and Cate had a couple of days to adjust to being back in Ecuador and to get prepared to go back to school. She slept until about eight o’clock, had a leisurely breakfast and, checked her e-mail to see if her dad had e-mailed her back from the night before. He had. She smiled as she read his e-mail and the p.s. that her mother had written. All was well. Even though her mother was still sick, things were great with her parents, and things were great with her. Bright sunshine, sapphire blue skies, with a few billowy white clouds beautifully adorned the day. She decided to go for a walk.

Cate loved the fact that a person could walk in the little village of Peguche without concerns for safety. Peguche enjoyed the reputation as one of the safest villages around Otavalo.

She loved the genuine friendliness of the people, and enjoyed chatting with the villagers as she walked. Before her visit to Kansas, she often walked down a secluded path that led to a waterfall, where she felt free to pour her heart out to God.

Today was different. Surely, prayer was just as important, but today she did not have a heavy heart. Therefore, she reached out to those she met on her way with a smile and a warm hello.

Everyone in the small village knew Miss Cate. They still considered her the new teacher. She would have to be there a couple of years to lose the title of
new teacher
, and teaching at the mission school for years and years would be wonderful.

Mrs. Ramos, whose grandson was a student in Cate’s class, stopped to ask about her mother’s health.

“Miss Cate, your madre is
mucho
better,
si?
”

“
Si
,
Señora
Ramos. Mi madre seems much better. M
uchas
gracias
. How is Juan?”

“
Muy
bien
, Miss Cate. Would you like some tea?”

“
Claro
que
si.
”

They drank tea and talked, about family, school and the village. After twenty minutes, Cate said goodbye and continued her walk.

Once again, Cate breathed in the beauty of her surroundings. Even though she would not have traded anything for the opportunity to be with family during the holidays, she enjoyed being back where she believed God wanted her. In the midst of thoughts, she heard Matthew’s voice.

“I figured I’d find you out walking.”

“Yep, you know me so well,” Cate said, with a little laugh.

“I know you’re fond of walking,” he increased his pace, “and that you’re hard to keep up with.”

“Am I now?” Cate playfully bumped him.

A serious expression took over Matthew’s face, “Yes, you are, and I’m glad that I found you.”

Afraid that something had happened to her mother, Cate stopped, “Is there something wrong?”

He realized he’d scared her with his attempt to be playful, “Nothing’s wrong. In fact, everything’s right. You’re back in Ecuador. That makes everything exactly right.”

Cate’s worried expression turned to an expression of appreciation for his tender affection.

“That’s sweet, Matt.”

He pulled her close and hugged her, whispering in her ear, “I’m glad you’re home. I’ve missed you.”

Cate responded to his affection and whispered back, “I missed you too.”

As he let go of the hug, his eyes found hers, “I wish we were walking in a more secluded spot. I‘d like to kiss you.”

Cate blushed, embarrassed by what he said. He hugged her tightly again, but this time she did not respond as she had before. Realizing he made her uncomfortable, Matthew released her.

“I’m sorry—I made you uncomfortable.

“It’s just,” Cate nodded toward a nearby house, where several people were watching them.

“Oh,” Matthew grinned, “Is it okay if I hold your hand while we walk?”

“I guess.”

He slipped his hand around hers and they began walking again.

They soon ran into David and Sarah. Sarah was skipping while David was holding her hand. When Cate saw them, she called out, “Hello, there. What are you two up to?”

“We’re going to
Mama Rosa’s
for lunch,” David answered.

“Daddy, can Cate and Mr. Matthew come?”

“Sure, if they’d like.”

Cate looked at Matthew, and Matthew nodded.

“Yea!” Sarah responded.

Sarah slipped her free hand into Cate’s hand while Matthew held Cate’s left hand. David held Sarah’s right. They laughed and paraded their way to the restaurant.

Like always, Mama Rosa greeted them and escorted them to their favorite table.

“Your table is available. Right this way por favor.”

“
Muchas gracias
Mama Rosa, Kim will be joining us, so we will wait to order.”

“
Muy
bien
Señor David.”

Fifteen minutes later, Kim entered the restaurant. “Hey, guys I’d like to introduce you to someone. Could you come outside a minute?”

“Sure,” David said, as he got up to go with her. “You heard the woman Matt. Let’s go.”

Matthew nodded to Cate, “We’ll be back shortly.”

“Okay,” Cate replied.

As they walked toward the door, Matthew turned to Kim, “Now, Kim what’s this about?”

“The man standing just outside the door stopped me on my way to the restaurant and asked me about Jesus. I shared the gospel with him and he accepted Christ.”

“Kim, that’s great.”

“Yeah, but there’s more,” she said, smiling. “He asked me to come to his village and tell his neighbors about Christ. I told him I couldn’t, but I knew someone who could.”

“You bet you do,” David said.

While they were outside meeting with the man, Cate and Sarah entertained themselves.

“What have you been doing today, Baby Girl?”

“Oh nothing, just reading,”

“Just reading?” Cate said.

“Yep, and then, me and Daddy decided to come here for lunch. Daddy invited Miss Kim and when we saw you and Mr. Matthew hugging, I decided to invite you.”

“You saw me and Mr. Matthew hugging.”

“Uh-huh, Daddy said that we shouldn’t watch, but
he
did.”

“He did?”

“Yeah, I saw him. Daddy had a sad look on his face.”

“A sad look…” Cate turned and looked to the door.

“The kind of sad look he has when he looks at mommy’s picture.”

Before any further conversation, David, Kim and Matthew returned to the table and began discussing what had happened outside.

“Wow, I really can’t believe it,” Matthew said.

“Believe what?” Cate asked.

“I can’t believe that someone would approach a stranger,” Matthew answered.

“Who did that?”

“A
Jivaro
man approached me on the way to the restaurant, and I led him to the Lord,” Kim answered.

 “That’s great,” Cate shared Kim’s excitement.

 “But there’s more. He wanted someone to come to his village and share Christ with his neighbors,” Kim said.

 “I’ve never seen anyone as happy as he was when David told him that he would be glad to come to his village and tell his people about Jesus,” Matthew said.

 Mama Rosa interrupted the conversation as she came to the table to take their orders. Mama Rosa told them she’d bring them a surprise or two with their meals.

“Punch, Mama?” Matthew asked.

“Could be,
Señor
Matthew. Maybe, a special dessert also.”

“You,” Matthew teased, “are a woman after my heart.”

Mama Rosa glanced at Cate and a slight smile curled the edge of her lips, “No,
Señor
that is not me.”

Kim laughed while Cate flashed an embarrassed grin. Matthew put his arm around Cate and pulled her close as David looked down at the table.

“I will send your food out quickly,” Mama Rosa said, as she left for the kitchen.

Once she left, the conversation returned to the
Jivaro
man.

“It’s amazing what God can do,” Kim said. “I’m humbled that God allowed me to be a part of it.”

“Kim, you explained the gospel so clearly that he understood exactly. When I asked him what he would tell his neighbors when they asked about how to become a Christian, I knew he had it exactly right.” David applauded her witnessing.

“David, you’re going to his village?” Cate said.

“Yes, I am, and Matthew’s going too.”

Cate looked at Matthew, her hand instinctively touching his arm, “You’re going? Along with David?”

“I guess, I am.”

“I think Dr. Patterson might want to go too,” David said.

Kim sighed, “I wish
I
could go, but I have to stay and teach.”

Cate removed her hand from Matthew, and folded it in her lap, “When do you think you’ll go?”

“As soon as we can get ready. The man is going to show us the way to his village. It’s somewhere on the eastern slopes of the Andes,” David’s voice clearly indicated his excitement for the upcoming field trip.

“I can’t believe he’s
Jivaro
,” Kim said.

“What does that mean?” Cate asked.

“It means that he is a member of a tribe called
Jivaro
, or the Shear,” Matthew answered, “who go back to the days of the Incas.”

“They were known,” David paused, “for shrinking heads.”

Kim swallowed hard, her eyes widening, “They–shrink–heads?”

“Not any more,” Matthew felt around his head with his hands, “I don’t think.”

“Stop that,” Cate punched him, “
not
funny.”

“A very good thing,” Kim said, with relief.

Matthew chuckled, “You girls have no sense of adventure.”

“You’re right,” Kim assured him.

“Kim, there
is
more of a miracle here than you know,” David said.

“How’s that?”

“The
Jivaro
usually speak
Quechua
. Some speak a little Spanish, but very few speak English. Yours spoke English.”

“Only through the providence and grace of God,” Matthew’s eye briefly glanced upward, “could what happened today happen.”

“You mean that God orchestrated the events that caused this English speaking
Jivaro
and I to cross paths,” Kim said.

David nodded, “Exactly.”

Cate felt the emotion within her;
This is why I’m supposed to be here
. “How exciting!”

“God, is an awesome God,” Matthew said.

Sarah had patiently and silently listened to the conversation, but when she heard Matthew say God is an awesome God, it triggered a memory. She began to sing. As she was finished, everyone applauded, Sarah smiled broadly.

Along with a waiter, Mama Rosa came from the kitchen bringing their food. She was always excited to offer them tastes of new dishes to the menu.

“I have brought you a selection of my new dishes. I would be pleased to know how you like them.”

“You mean we are guinea pigs, Mama,” Matthew smiled at Mama.

“
Si
,” Mama smiled back.

David dug into one of the dishes, “I, for one, am most pleased to be Mama Rosa’s guinea pig.”

Everyone else joined him. Mama anxiously waited for their reaction.

After he had taken a bite, David proclaimed, “
Delicoso
.”

“
Muy bien
,” Cate said.

As he grabbed his glass of water, Matthew said, “
Picante
.”

“Matthew you’re a wimp,” David said.

Mama Rosa laughed and offered Matthew another dish to taste.

Kim took another bite of the first dish, “
Muy bien
, Mama.”

Mama realized that Sarah had been eating steadily without a word. She patted her on the back and said, “
Muy bien, bambina
?”

“
Muy bien, Madre
,” Sarah replied.

Once she was sure each of the new dishes had been taste tested, she thanked them, wished them a good appetite, and returned to the kitchen.

They continued to eat and discuss the visit to the
Jivaro
village.

“When will you be leaving?” Cate asked.

“Maybe tomorrow,” David added more food to his plate, “but probably the next day.”

Not knowing whether she or Kim would stay, Cate tried to inquire tactfully, “What about Sarah?”

Sarah looked up from her food, and David and Kim looked at each other. “I’ll let you know,” David offered.

During the conversation, Cate watched Kim reach over and take David’s hand.

When David saw Cate watching he looked away, but Kim seemed very comfortable as she held his hand and scooted closer to him. David appeared nervous, and Sarah was unhappy and her face revealed it.

While Kim was oblivious to what was going on with David and Sarah, Cate wasn’t. She sensed that there might be trouble in paradise.

As they ate, Matthew slipped his hand over Cate’s. This time it was Cate who was uncomfortable, and David was the one watching. Cate refused to look directly at David as Matthew scooted close. That’s how the rest of the meal went: Cate looked at Kim, and David looked at Matthew, but not at each other.

Finally, everyone finished, the check was paid, and they began the walk home. Once again, Matthew held Cate’s left hand while Sarah held her right, and David held Sarah’s right hand while he held Kim’s left. Half way home, Matthew, Cate and Sarah dropped behind, as David and Kim walked in front. Each couple made conversation, Sarah offered intermittent comments and Cate watched David and Kim as they walked. She noticed that Kim was holding David’s hand more than he was holding hers.
What does it mean? Maybe nothing?