Chapter Seventeen
Brian lifted Camilla to his shoulders. He sniffed the air, smelling the absence of soap and water. There was not a stitch under her dress either. Before long, her exhausted, little body slumped in sleep. Brian shifted her to his arms. “I’m glad we don’t have too far to go. She may be tiny but she’s dead weight now.” He grunted and shifted her in his arms again.
“A nice hot shower will fix the smell but what about her clothes? She needs something to sleep in at least.” Andrea fingered the thin fabric covering the emaciated body. When they arrived on the street that led to the Al-B Oloffson, she spotted a store located next to the restaurant. “Look. Children’s clothing. Let’s take a detour before heading to our room for the night.” She tickled Camilla’s arm. “Wake up sweetie. Let’s get you some clothes.”
Camilla stirred and opened weary eyes just as they reached the sidewalk in front of the shop. Brian deposited her on her feet. She weaved a little from side to side and then rubbed sleep deprived eyes with her dirty hands. “Clothes? New ones? I’ve never ‘ad new ones.”
The store looked like many of the boutiques back home. As the trio walked in, Andrea noticed that the clothing in stock was not the same as the items worn by locals. Camilla was wedged between the two adults. “I like dis one. O-o-h and this one.” She reached for one outfit after another. “Oh mam’selle, dis is too expenseeve.” She picked up the price tag on the first dress she’d admired. “My mama et papa would never bring me ‘ere for clothes. Dey make from rags dey find around town. Much cheaper.”
Andrea smiled and then cast sad eyes toward Brian. “Well we can afford better.” Andrea marched toward another rack. “These are more your size I think.”
Brian walked to stand beside her. “These prices are ridiculous,” he whispered to Andrea. “If this store was anywhere else on this island, they’d have gone out of business a long time ago. This must be for the tourist trade, such as it is.” Brian fingered the fabric on the cutest little dress and he knew that Camilla would look really pretty in it.
Andrea looked towards the little girl standing beside her, hope sparkling in her eyes. “We’ll try on a few and when you have found some outfits that you like, we will buy them for you. Right Brian?” Andrea turned towards her companion. Brian was staring out the window. “Right? Brian?”
•
Brian was focused elsewhere. He’d spotted Jason outside. The man was leaning against a fence post just down the street. From his vantage point, Brian guessed he could see everything that happened from any building along the street. Brian watched as he removed his jacket, rolled up his shirt sleeves that, even from this distance, looked a little rumpled. I’ve had enough of this. I’m going to have a word with that lout. See if he’ll slip up, provide us with another piece of the puzzle.
“You ladies go ahead. Have fun shopping for new clothes. Make sure to get something for play, Andrea. After all, little girls can’t be clothed in dresses all the time. I see someone outside that I want to talk to.” He pointed outside for Andrea’s benefit, but as soon as she saw who he was indicating, she panicked.
“Brian no, he could be dangerous. Besides, what do you hope to get out of him? He’s already proved to be a liar.”
“He may slip when I confront him since he doesn’t think we’re on to him. I’ll be only a few minutes, and then we can go to the hotel, okay? I’ll be alright.” He saw the look of fear sweep across Andrea’s face. He touched her arm. “I’ll be alright.” He walked out the door. He felt Andrea’s eyes follow him as he sauntered across the street.
•
Camilla tugged on her sleeve. “Mam’selle, mam’selle, are we shopping now?” Her large dark eyes were bright with anticipation.
“Sure, let’s shop.” Andrea and Camilla searched some more and continued to add articles of clothing to their pile of choices. “We have four or five dresses, a few play outfits, some pj’s and underwear, and I love those shiny patent leather shoes, don’t you?”
“What ees patent leder?” Camilla looked toward the biggest pile of clothing she’d ever seen in her life.
“That’s just the name of the shoes. Let’s get some sandals, too.” Andrea took her little charge in tow, moved towards the change room with several items of clothing over her arm.
The sales clerk stepped in her way. “Mam’selle, we cannot let you try these things on that dirty child!” Her arms crossed. A frown furrowed her brow as her lip curled in disgust.
Andrea glared right back at her. “Fine, I’ll just hold them next to her then. Camilla, you look in the mirror and tell me which ones you would like to keep, okay?”
“Oh, mam’selle, I like dem all, but so-o much money.”
“Let me worry about the money. Tell me which outfits you really would like to have?” Andrea began holding first one then another in front of the child. Camilla peered at herself in the mirror. They had guessed her size pretty accurately but Camilla had a hard time deciding.
“Oh well,” sighed Andrea. “Let’s take all of them.”
“Dese are for me?” squealed Camilla. “I ‘ave never ‘ad so many new clothes before. Can I put dem on?”
“Not until you have had a chance to wash away some of that street dust.” Andrea heard a rustle behind her. Brian was back. She breathed a sigh of relief. “Let’s pay for these and go home.”
“Home, where is home?” Camilla stopped in her tracks, a puzzled expression on her face. “I go to America wit you?”
“No, no, I mean the hotel…just down the street. You can stay with us tonight.”
“Oh, oui. I ‘ave never stayed in ‘otel before.” Camilla grabbed Brian’s hand as Andrea paid the salesclerk.
“Next door is an apothecary…you know pharmacy. They will have some soap.” Her face clearly showed her distain for the child. Happily though she grabbed the bundle of cash Andrea handed her.
That look of joy on Camilla’s face is worth it. Andrea led Camilla toward Brian who was already standing outside. The adults looked across the street where Jason stood.
“Later.” Brian looked toward Camilla. The child’s excitement was almost contagious. She skipped behind her new friends. The trio made their way to the pharmacy next door. “I’ll bet she’s never sat in a bathtub or seen clean fingernails in her life.” Brian nodded toward Camilla who was oblivious to her filthy condition it appeared.
“Maybe but that’s going to change.” Andrea approached the sales clerk. “We need some nice smelling bubble bath, detangling conditioner for a little girl’s hair, and some,” she whispered, “lice repellent shampoo.”
“But, of course.” The clerk gathered the items requested and rang up the sale. “Will that be all?”
“Thanks.” Andrea placed the purchases in her handbag. Once outside, Jason was still there they noticed, they moved to the hotel. Camilla rushed up the front steps ahead of them, full of energy in contrast to her earlier demeanor.
The Concierge hurried toward them as soon as they entered the lobby. “Mam’selle et Monsieur, your rooms are as before.” He looked at Camilla with distaste. “But monsieur, you cannot bring a street child in here!” His alarm over the idea of such a dirty child mixing with his patrons was clearly etched all over his face. “She is not welcome here.”
“Well then, neither are we.” Brian’s face held a look of resolve. “Either she stays or we go!”
“Okay, okay, monsieur. But please see dat she takes a bath before sleeping on our bed, non. The lice, eh, we don’t want to have to fumigate de entire hotel.”
“We have the right stuff for just that, and we have some new clothes. When we come down for dinner, you won’t recognize her.” Brian led the way to the elevator.
He left Andrea and Camilla at their door. Andrea watched as he moved down the hall toward his own room. “Camilla, let’s go have that bath now.” She opened her door.
Camilla followed. “Bath, what ess bath?”
“Come, I’ll s
how you,” Andrea responded as she led the dirty little waif into the adjoining bathroom. “See that thing over there? That is called a tub and I am going to fill it with a little water and some bubbles. You will get in and use that cloth to wash yourself all over.”
“I do not know ‘ow to sweem.” The little tyke’s eyes were round as saucers. “Do I get in with all my clothes on?”
“No, you need to take them off and. . . . .”
“But. . but…”
“I will only put a little water in until you get used to it.” Andrea turned on the tap.
“Oh oui, bien sur. Let’s ‘ave my bath, den.” Camilla proceeded to strip. Warm water flowed into the tub. Andrea added some of the bubble bath she’d purchased and then watched the child’s look of pleasure.
Camilla gingerly stepped in, with Andrea’s help. “It feels good on de skin.” She wiggled her arms and legs in the soapy water. “More water, please.” Camilla picked up a handful of soapy bubbles and blew into them. She giggled.
Andrea handed her a washcloth. “Take your time but I want you to wash everywhere, behind your ears, between your toes, everywhere. Understand?” A short while later, the little girl was as clean as one well cared for. Andrea noticed that her ribs were more evident, however, and the sticks that she used for arms and legs drew attention to her malnourished condition. We’ll feed her well as long as we have her with us.
Andrea poured a liberal amount of the special shampoo on Camilla’s hair, rinsed it well and then added the conditioner. She helped Camilla hop out of the tub, wrapped a warm towel around the little body. She selected some undergarments. “Which dress would you like to wear? We’re going downstairs to eat.”
“O-o-h this one,” Camilla held up a pink frilly dress that suited her coloring perfectly. She turned and strutted before the long mirror on the back of the bathroom door. “Ooh, Mam’selle. I ‘ave never been dressed so before. Always it is from other people who don’t need any more.” She was as overcome as a small child could be.
Andrea blow-dried and then combed Camilla’s hair. Soon long, shiny, black curls cascaded down the child’s back. The transformation was everything she’d imagined and more. “You wait right here, and I’ll have my shower. Then we can go down to dinner. Brian is going to be so surprised when he sees how pretty you are.”
The shower felt so good. The day had taken its toll but standing under the hot spray, washed away all tiredness. She quickly dressed, dried and styled her hair and was ready long before the appointed time to meet Brian. “Camilla, since we are both ready and don’t have to be downstairs for 15 minutes or so, why not play a little game with me. I’ll ask you a question. If you can answer it, you can ask me a question, okay? The first one to ask the most questions wins.”
Camilla had never had anyone pay so much attention to her before “Oh oui, okay, I’ll first go. Where did you come from?”
“Brian and I are from the United States. Now it’s my turn. What grade are you in school?”
“Oh, Mam’selle.” The little girl dropped her eyes. “I ‘ave never been to school.”
“Oh, that’s okay. Now you ask me a question.” Andrea was quick to change the subject.
“Are you and Brian, how you say, the lovers?” The child grinned, a mischievous smirk slanting the corners of her mouth ever upwards.
“No, we are just friends. How long ago did your parents move to this place?”
“I don’t know Mam’selle. I was not born den.”
“Okay,” Andrea said, “you couldn’t answer that question so here’s another. How did you find out where those voodoo ceremonies were if you are not allowed to attend?”
“I followed my mother de last time when she went to find my father who ‘ad not come ‘ome from de time before. I fell asleep before de ceremony was over. No one saw me, and I never saw my mother again.” Big, sad eyes looked on her inquisitor.
Andrea gave her the go ahead to ask another question. Each time one was asked, Andrea gave a point to the questioner.
“Am I winning? Am I winning?” Camilla perked up in anticipation.
“Not yet, little one. Ask your next question.”
“What is like…to fly in a big airplane?”
“Why it is nothing you can imagine. You feel the plane leave the ground but then it is so smooth. Soon you can see the tops of the clouds, and they are all fluffy and white with the sun’s rays gleaming off them. The stewardess…that’s the person who works for the airline to make sure everyone is comfortable…she brings us something to drink, and we can walk around if we want.”
“Oh Mam’selle, dat sounds so wonderful. Can I fly to your ‘ome someday?”
“Wait a minute, Camilla. It’s my turn to ask a question,” laughed Andrea. “When will the next ceremony be held?”
“I tink tonight. Does dat count, Mam’selle? I’m pretty sure.”
“That certainly does. Now I will answer your last question. I don’t know if we would be allowed to take you with us, but we will check into it, okay.”
“Dat’s an ‘I don’t know’ answer just like mine, yes? Now I get to ask again, non? I’m winning! I’m winning! How long did it take Mam’selle et monsieur to get ‘ere?”
“It took us quite a few hours but we slept through some of the trip.”
“Oh, I could not sleep a wink on de airplane,” interjected the little voice. “Now you ask, eh?”
“I would like to know when the ceremony starts?”
“After de moon is overhead in the sky. Mama always waited until she thot we were asleep, so it was very late.”
“Yips!” Andrea jumped to her feet. “Speaking of late. We were having so much fun that I forgot to keep track. You win so you can choose anything you want from the menu when we go for dinner, okay?”
“Okay! I win. I win. I never win before Mam’selle.” Camilla was excitedly hopping up and down as they made their way to the elevator. “I tink I am ‘ungry enough to eat a goat.”
“Oh baaaaaa.” Andrea made a face that sent the child into a fit of giggles. She enjoyed the look of pleasure on the little face. “Goat does not sound too tempting to me. What about chicken?”
The elevator stopped on the first floor. There they found Brian pacing, impatient to sit down to a real meal. “Where have you two been? I’m starved. Camilla.” He placed his hands on both sides of his face in a look of utter surprise. The girl giggled again. “You look just like a princess.”
“I’ll tell you later.” Andrea answered his question about where they’d been. The dining room was full of people, many obviously not from the hotel. The food was delicious, everything the concierge had promised. Energizing music with plenty of island rhythm kept the evening lively but it wasn’t long before Camilla’s head was nodding, not in time to the music either. Brian and Andrea looked at each other in agreement as they signaled the waiter to bring their check.
At her door, Andrea spoke in a whisper. “When I put her to bed, I have something to tell you. I’ll meet you in your room after I change into something more comfortable.”
* * * * *