Sammy startled awake and looked at the clock. It was 3 a.m.—time to get moving. He’d been sleeping on and off for hours, afraid he’d miss his chance and not get to go to the revival. He toyed with the alarm clock the night before, but once he figured out how to make it work, he realized that it was loud enough to wake his mom, too. So he decided to stay up all night until it was time to leave, and except for a few short catnaps, he’d done it.
He rubbed his eyes, yawned and rolled out of bed. He quietly slipped into the clothes he’d laid out the night before and let himself out the window. Once he landed on the soft ground, he hesitated and again thought about whether he should leave his mom a note. He didn’t want her to worry, but at the same time, if she knew where he was, she would probably come and get him and he would miss what the preacher said about God. After a few indecisive moments, he finally decided that he was doing the right thing because what he learned at the revival might make his mom happy again. So he gathered his backpack from underneath the porch and walked toward the road that would take him to Principios.
The darkness enveloped him, and for a moment he allowed himself to be overcome by fear. Sammy’s mind went into overdrive as he remembered the stories he’d heard of the road between Rendiciòn and Principios. Juan Jose told him the road was filled with bandidos and wild dogs, and in a moment of panic, he realized that he hadn’t brought anything with him to fight off a wild dog. He’d never done anything like this before. Was he making a mistake? If he were injured on the trip, it would give his mom something else to be sad about.
But then he looked up and saw the millions of stars in a protective canopy over his head and thought if he only had a ladder he might be able to touch them. He heard with crystal clarity the sound of the water racing recklessly toward the rocks and then crashing wildly into them. The night looked different away from the comfort of his house, and slowly the eerily crooked shadows of the trees, which had frightened him only moments before, transformed into peaceful and welcoming images. He stood up straighter and made up his mind to carry out his mission without fear.
When he reached the road, he saw Juan Jose running frantically toward him. “Samuèl, wait for me!” The sound of his friend’s rapidly spoken Spanish shattered the silence so completely he was sure his mom could hear it a half mile away in her bed.
“Shh!” he whispered into the night. “What are you doing here?”
“I was afraid I missed you,” Juan Jose said, bending over and holding on to his side. “I bring you news from Maria.”
Sammy stopped, temporarily sidetracked from his mission. “Yes?”
“She said you broke her heart,” he said, still trying to catch his breath. “And if you are truly a man, you will know what to do.”
Sammy felt his heart flip flop in his chest. He thought of Maria and her dark eyes and the boldness that made him notice her in the first place. He didn’t want to mess things up with her. But then the image of his mom standing on the cliff forced its way into his mind. And of the last time he had seen his father. So sick, but at peace because of this person named Jesus. And he knew. Even if it cost him his love, he had to do whatever he could to make his mom happy again. And that meant going to the revival. He just hoped Maria would eventually understand why he had to do it.
Sammy looked up at the endless sea of stars and realized the trip was about more than just his mom’s happiness. He needed to hear this preacher, too. Someone made those stars, he thought, and he needed to find out who it was.
“What will you do?” Juan Jose asked, breathing a little easier now.
“You told her the part about me being a man and having to do something important?”
“Yes.”
“And about me wanting to reschedule the date?”
Juan Jose nodded.
“And that I agree to all her conditions?”
“Yes, Samuèl. I told her everything.”
“Then I don’t understand. What does she want me to do?”
Juan Jose shrugged and kicked at the dirt. He picked up a rock and threw it at a darkened tree trunk. Barely missed. “Who can understand the mind of a woman?”
Sammy moaned inwardly and looked back toward his house. “Look, Juan Jose. Tell Maria I’m sorry I broke her heart and I really want to keep the date, but I can’t cancel my plans for today. I am the man of my house and there are certain things I have to do. If she will just tell me how she wants me to make it up to her, I’ll do it, okay?”
“Bueno. I’ll take her the message.”
“Thanks. I have to go.”
“Don’t forget,” said Juan Jose. “You promised to tell me what you learn about God.”
“I won’t,” said Sammy. “I packed some paper and a pen so I can write it all down.” He started down the road. He was already tired, and he had a long way to walk.
Gabriella stirred from her sleep, something nagging at her subconscious. Was that a noise she heard? She listened groggily for a moment and decided it was nothing. She rolled over and went back to sleep. It was the weekend, and she planned to sleep in as late as she could.
Sometime later, Sammy felt something wet running down his back, so he stopped and sat on a big rock which was fine because he was tired and needed to take a break anyway. He looked at his watch, the one his dad left behind when he died, and was surprised to see he’d been walking for hours. Glancing toward the water, Sammy saw the daylight pushing itself up out of the sea and he was glad for the change. He’d had about all the darkness he could take.
He swung his backpack off his shoulder, brought it around and unzipped it. Everything was wet. The glass jars had leaked and were almost empty. Sammy thirstily drank down the remaining drops of water and tossed them aside. The paper he planned to use for Juan Jose’s notes was soaked so he threw it out, too. The cracker box dripped with water, but luckily the crackers were in a plastic sleeve and had stayed dry. After tossing the box aside, he ripped open the plastic and shoved some crackers into his mouth. He hadn’t planned on getting this hungry.
He tried to decide if he should eat the can of tuna or save it for later when he realized he’d forgotten to bring a can opener. Hungrily, he popped a jalapeno candy, which was only slightly soggy, into his mouth. He searched for a big rock, and when he found one he banged on the tuna fish can, trying to get it open. After ten minutes and not any closer to getting it open, he set it aside, frustrated. His stomach growled with hunger.
He felt heavy and weighed down and desperately wanted sleep. When he realized he was having trouble keeping his eyes open, he decided that if he could take a quick nap, he’d feel better and be able to pick up the pace on the rest of his journey. So, he took off his shirt, wrapped it around his dripping backpack and used it as a pillow. He was fast asleep within seconds.
Raul pulled up to the yellow house about 7a.m. He had decided today would be a good day to clear the paths between the trees to prepare for the harvest, and he hoped Samuèl was around to help. Before he reached the door, Gabriella stepped out with two cups of tea in her hand. “I saw the dust in the distance,” she said. “Want to take a break before you get started?”
He smiled his yellow smile and accepted the tea gratefully. “Thank you.”
After they sat down in the sea-sprayed chairs, Raul reached into his pocket and drew out an envelope. “Mona sent this for you.”
Curious, Gabriella opened it and pulled out an old newspaper clipping. The photograph above the print was faded and barely discernable, but it looked like a shot of the sea with hundreds of black dots in it. There was also a large tanker off in the distance. She read the story quickly and then looked up in amazement. “I never knew about this.”
Raul nodded. “I remember that day well. You want I should tell you about it?”
“Yes, please.”
“Your father had been up and down the coastline photographing the damage the tankers had left behind in other villages. You see, our village was located at the halfway point of the trade routes an
d the tankers wanted to build a port and dock here. Some of the people saw this as a great opportunity to grow the village and become wealthy. But your father led a great amount of supporters and they put up quite a resistance, even though the opposition had more time and money to spend.
“But at the height of the disagreement, after the docks had been built, the tanker operators announced they would dock the following week. Your father’s group was outraged because they weren’t listening to them. They said they were going against the will of the majority of the people.
“So your father set up a watch system for the incoming tankers. Various people from the group were assigned to a specified lookout point at all times during the week, and when the tanker appeared, they were instructed to blow a horn. The sound of that horn set off a sequence of horns around the village and surrounding areas.”
“Sounds pretty well organized.”
“Organized yes, but also brave. Remember, these were mostly peasants and common laborers taking on the big oil companies.”
“So what happened when the first tanker came?”
“It was early in the morning when the first horn sounded and soon you could hear horns blasting across the countryside. Hundreds of people streamed out of their houses, businesses, and wandered in from the country roads. They all gathered at the docks and at the command of your father, threw themselves into the sea. Some stayed near the docks, while others swam out farther, but every one of them played a part in blocking the tanker from docking.”
“They won?”
“Yes. The tanker didn’t dock that day, and every other time it tried to the horns would sound and people would come running to throw themselves into the tanker’s path. It wasn’t long before the oil companies built new docks at another village down the coastline.”
“I bet some people were furious.”
“Yes. People either loved or hated your father for it. There was no in-between.”
Gabriella sat silent for a moment, considering the implications. Could this be reason enough for someone to have caused harm to her parents? She thought so, yes. Her heart swelled with pride for her father’s plan—it was brilliant. And to think that his simple plan had brought big industry to its knees.
“I need to get to work,” Raul said, interrupting her thoughts.
Gabriella’s focus came back to the present. “Okay, but first, I wanted to ask—how are you feeling? Any better?”
Raul nodded. “Yes, I think I just needed a rest. I feel strong and ready to get back to work.”
Gabriella smiled, relieved. “Good. I’ll go get Sammy.” She walked to the door and then turned and held up the clipping. “Thank Mona for this?”
Raul flashed his dingy smile and nodded.
Gabriella slipped inside. She hated to wake Sammy. He’d never slept this late, which meant he’d probably stayed up late into the night after their talk. But Raul needed help, and although he said he was feeling better, she wanted him to do as little as possible until the doctor cleared him completely. Anyway, she knew Sammy wouldn’t mind. She quietly opened his door. Then, a minute later, she burst through the front porch door.
“Raul!” she cried. “It’s Sammy! He’s not in his bed!”
Chapter 6