Chapter Twenty Five
The travelers continued to journey through lush tropical jungle, landscape dotted here and there with a clearing. Some homes were surrounded by fields of crops common to Haiti as well as the Dominican Republic. Here the plantations seemed to be better looked after as was the highway, which bypassed the fields. While Andrea had awakened when the car had come to a halt at the border, Camilla slept through most of the journey.
“How much longer before we arrive in Santo Domingo?” Brian was beginning to feel cramped. Since Camilla slept the whole time, they’d decided not to stop.
“Oh, maybe ten minutes or so, monsieur.” Troy stretched his arms over the steering wheel. “Won’t be long now.”
“Good. As much as I am enjoying the scenery, I would like to get back to Port Au Prince before 11 p.m. I didn’t realize when we left that this trip was going to take so long.”
“Really Brian.” Andrea squiggled her body to a more comfortable position. “We can’t just drop Camilla off and then rush back. She’s just a little girl. I don’t want to dump her somewhere just because it’s convenient for us.” Andrea folded her arms across her chest, clearly miffed at the idea of a speedy return.
“Ouch …. Where did that come from?” Brian turned to face his companion. “You don’t think I care about her too? Don’t you remember the real reason we came to this country?” The strain of the past few days was beginning to show on Brian’s face, something Andrea had not noticed before. There were lines around his mouth and his eyes, lines that had not been present just a few short days ago.
“I’m sorry. Of course you care, and yes, I do remember. I just don’t want to have to worry about our decision after the fact. If we could just take our time, at least for today, then we would know we left her in the right hands…” Andrea’s eyes filled with tears. “…and could get on with our purpose for being here. After all, there’s nothing we can do until tomorrow night anyway.”
Brian grimaced. The last thing he wanted was to cause Andrea more anguish. “I guess I’ve just become impatient to get this thing over with. I’m not sure I feel comfortable with the course of action we have decided upon, and yet, I can’t think of an alternative. I feel so responsible for you and Camilla. That must be a guy thing.”
“Guy thing or not, I think that’s sweet. But I made the decision to come here and I am part of the decision to do as we planned. If things don’t progress quite as smoothly as we would wish them to, I certainly don’t hold you responsible. We’ve taken every precaution, haven’t we?”
Brian glanced over toward Troy to see if he was catching the drift of their conversation. He seemed oblivious to their comments as he drove with eyes looking straight ahead but given his quick intelligence, Brian nodded his concern to Andrea and they let their conversation lapse into silence. Both concentrated on the road and the landscape they were seeing, noticing some colorful birds for the first time.
Dozens or perhaps hundreds of trees along this stretch of the highway were in full bloom with blossoms ranging in size from petite red buds to large pink and orange flowers almost nine inches across. Tropical birds called to one another, their sounds unlike anything heard in the USA except for the zoos. “Is this place a park or something?” Andrea spoke for the first time since waking to their self appointed tour guide.
“Non, Mam’selle. This is just a cloud forest. We name it that because of the clouds of flowers everywhere. Some of the forests in Dominican Republic have been torn down, used for building homes or for firewood and farmland but here the forest remains large and healthy with over 200 species of birds.”
“You certainly know a lot about your country.” Brian marveled at the young man’s memory.
“Father Bertrand tells us that we should know all there is to know about our country before we begin to learn about another. He also says that we can act as tourist guide sometimes when we are a little older. I am already a little older and have guided many visitors around our home.”
Andrea smiled as she pictured the young boy guiding people through his country. “I think you’d probably make an excellent guide”
“Yes, and I bring the money home to Father Bertrand.” This boy-man had grown up quickly for someone of his few years, yet he seemed to have purpose and strength about him. The more the adults watched and listened, the more they felt this move to find a home for Camilla was the right one.
“We will be in Santo Domingo in just a few minutes,” their guide explained, “but we will have to circle the city if we want to get to the orphanage before supper is served. Merengue is a festival that happens here every year at this time. It brings lots of people from all over the Caribbean and elsewhere to listen to famous people like Enrique Iglesias and many others.”
He’d no sooner said that when Brian and Andrea began to see the outlines of large buildings and heavier automobile traffic. “What is all that noise?” asked a sleepy eyed Camilla.
“Wow, you’re awake!” Andrea looked at the child. “You sure slept a long time, and you missed all the beautiful flowers and birds we passed.”
“Can we eat soon?” Camilla ignored her guardian’s comments caring little for scenery. She rubbed sleep from her eyes and peered wide eyed through the window at the tall buildings they were moving quickly past. Cars were everywhere, evidenced by a cacophony of honking horns. A man stuck his head out of his open car window, screaming at the top of his lungs when someone cut him off. Troy maneuvered the jeep onto a side street and continued away from the large city center. He displayed an adeptness that told of many previous trips.
Before long they pulled into a courtyard filled with children running, playing and chasing each other in one game or another. A large stone wall circled at least a couple of acres and protected the courtyard. Once Troy stopped the vehicle, children clamored to see who their visitors were and the new friend Troy brought to play with them. Camilla, in sharp contrast to her earlier sense of anticipation, moved closer to Andrea as she peered shyly back at all these strange faces.
“Shall we get out and meet some new friends?” Andrea gently pulled the little girl with her as she slid across the seat and out the right hand door. Brian had already stepped out of the car. Andrea smiled toward Camilla, encouraging her to look at all the fun the children were having. They were surrounded by clean, well cared for buildings. Gardens, with every variety of flower, was also in evidence as well as a large vegetable garden.
Andrea was amazed at Camilla’s timidity since she had been so open when they first met. “What’s wrong, honey? Why are you afraid?”
“Maybe they don’t like childs like me.” Andrea remembered that in Haiti, Camilla had never felt comfortable with other children except those next door to her parents’ home. She also remembered that other children harassed street children and treated them as if they were diseased.
“It’ll be alright, Camilla. Most of these children were also street children and restavic before coming here. They know what it’s like to have no home and no one to care for them.” Just as she said that, a tall slim man wearing white pants and a white shirt approached from the direction of the largest of the three buildings in the compound. His face beamed a smile of welcome as he stepped closer, but it was for the child and not the adults. He knelt in front of her and smiled gently into her fearful eyes. His hands were roughened by hard labor, but they were gentle as they stroked Camilla’s face.
“You are Camilla, and the perfect addition to this home. I have a bed all ready for you and a place for you to store your clothes. I will be your papa, and you will have many friends here. You will go to school with the other children and learn to be a great lady, I think.” With that said, the man stood and extended his hand to Brian and Andrea. “My name is Father Bertrand. We are a family here, and I will love this one as much as I love all the rest. You must be Monsieur Strait and Mam’selle Wilton. Welcome to our home. Would you like to see where your little one will live?”
“Oh yes.” Andrea had tears in her eyes again as she watched the gentle priest. “We have not really told Camilla too much about your home, but we think this would be the best place for her since they will not let us take her with us when we go home. We have a lot of questions, though, before we make a final decision.”
“But of course. I would be disappointed if you just dropped the child and left. Troy, lead the way. Camilla would you like to take my hand?” He extended his toward the child.
Camilla hung back for a second longer, a look of contemplation on her face. Then hesitantly, she reached for the strong hand held out to her. Her little hand became lost in the confines of the older man’s. Apparently used to walking with little children, Father Bertrand kept his pace slow so the child could keep up. They walked toward the second largest building. The outside was covered in stucco that had been painted a pastel pink. The building contained two stories and had cheerful curtained windows every ten feet or so. The roof was lined in red Spanish tiles, a roof construction common to this area.
Once they entered, the cooler atmosphere was appreciated as everyone stepped out of the hot sun. Although not air-conditioned, the thick walls kept the building from over heating during the day and kept the inside warm during the night. “We pair our little ones with older girls who have been here for awhile, so they can care for them and see that they receive all we have to offer. Since some of these little ones have only known a life of little and have had to fight for every scrap of food they have eaten, sometimes they take from each other when there’s no longer any need…at least for a while. Then they learn to trust us and what we can provide for them. The older ones protect the younger always.” Father Bertrand was clearly pleased with his program.
He turned to the child. “Camilla, we have a place for you right beside Brendene. She came to us ten years ago and has made some remarkable progress. Brendene this is your little sister, Camilla.” With that introduction, a large boned black girl stepped forward and bent down to place her face on the same level as the little girl’s. She looked deeply into the child’s eyes seeming to convey a secret message, one that Camilla responded to immediately.
“Come, mon Cherie.” Brendene spoke with a strong Haitian accent. “Let’s look where you will stay by me until you are older, n’est pas?” Camilla followed her to the side of a bed that had been draped with a large floral pink comforter. She touched the fabric and looked expectantly into the eyes of the older girl. “Yes, that is yours to take with you wherever you go, even outside if you want.” Brendene continued to explain. “See each of the beds here have one that is similar but different than yours so that we all know who sleeps where. No one will take it from you or take anything else that we will place inside this little closet. This is your place, and these are your pieces of furniture. You now own them. That is, if your guardians decide that you may stay with us.”
Although Andrea had brought along Camilla’s suitcase stuffed with her new clothes, she had left it in the car until the final decision had been made. Camilla was visibly relaxed in the care of Brendene;she appeared to have lost her initial fear of new things and unfamiliar surroundings. She looked at Andrea now with a question on her face.
Andrea moved closer to the side of the bed and opened the locker-like cupboard. Inside were three shelves, low enough for the child to reach. Hooks along the back and the sides were also within easy reach of a child about Camilla’s size. Located next to the bed, attached to the locker, was a table that served as a nightstand. On it was room for anything that the child held dear like photos of her family, a commodity not available to any of these children. Andrea purposed to see that she had a photo of her and Brian before they left that area of the world.
“Come on, cherie,” Brendene held out her hand. “I will show you the restroom and where you will place your things in there.” She led the way to a large room, which encompassed the entire end of the dorm like area. Inside were a number of cubicles for showering, located all along one wall, and a series of toilet stalls flanked by counter space with cabinets underneath. Brendene took Camilla to one cabinet and explained that she would be able to store all her towels, facecloths, brush and comb, as well as toothbrush there. She repeated, “This is your space. You own whatever you put in here, and for as long as you stay with us, you own the cabinet as well.”
Andrea looked into the eyes of Father Bertrand for the first time since the tour began. He motioned for her to step outside which she did, followed closely by Brian who obviously had the same question on his mind that she did. “You noticed that we repeat ownership.” Father Bertrand answered their unspoken concern. “These children have lost everything, what little they have owned. When they find something on the street that they try to lay claim to, someone steals it from them. The best way we can help them feel at home is to repeat over and over that these are their belongings, and they are. No one here will take these things from them, and they are free to do with them as they please.”
Andrea and Brian looked at each other, tears of gratitude in their eyes. This was the sign they needed. Father Bertrand was truly a Godly man in every sense of the word. He was certainly interested in the welfare of his charges and had put into place ways to make them whole again. They returned to the dormitory building to discover that Camilla was in earnest conversation with another little girl who looked to be about the same age she was. Two older girls were looking on in interest and watching for any sign that one would hurt the other.
“Where do you get the supplies such as clothing and food or even school supplies for all these kids?” Brian waved his hand around the room.
“We receive donations from a series of churches in the United States and from Canada. Women’s groups pack supplies and send them to us. We also receive some money from churches or from individuals such as you. The children also work for other people when they are old enough to raise money. We also sell a portion of the produce from our garden in the fall. God provides, as we need, it seems, and so we don’t really want for much. The children’s needs are few. As long as they are loved, they are happy, so that is why we partner the little ones with someone older who can make sure their life is stress-free.”
Andrea was all ears. In a quick motion, she took Brian aside and between the two of them they committed to giving Father Bertrand money every month. They also decided to bring the matter of his orphanage to the attention of their church back home. In the meantime, Andrea wrote out a check as a way to begin their support.
Father Bertrand was overcome when he saw the amount on the check. He asked, “I take it that you both have decided to leave Camilla with us. We would be happy to keep her even if you could not give us this money but we are so grateful that the Lord has placed you in our lives, not just for the money you provide but also for your prayers. We try hard to do everything we can for these children who have been abandoned.”
“Father, we are on a quest to find out why so many adults are disappearing in Haiti around Port au Prince. If we do find some of them alive, and they cannot find their children when they return, we will come for a visit with them. Maybe some of these children still have parents who are alive and can be reunited with them.”
Just then, Camilla approached. She held out her hand for their farewell. Andrea’s eyes began to tear and Brian’s throat had a lump the size of an orange. Both had become very attached in the short time they had been part of her life. Now, however, they needed to let her stay where she would be with children her own age, where she would receive ongoing care from Father Bertrand and the other boys and girls at the orphanage.
Andrea picked Camilla up and began to give her a hug that she hoped the little girl would remember for the rest of her life. Tears were flowing freely now, although the child was not sure why the adults were so emotional. Even Brian could not contain his feelings, when he hugged the child. Letting her go was not going to be easy for either of them.
“Camilla, I have given Father Ber
trand our address in the United States. If you need anything, you can write or phone us there, and we will see that you get it. Remember, we l-love y-you,” Andrea forced herself to keep some control over her emotions even though she felt like sobbing her heart out. Camilla was so tiny to be left all alone here.
Brian gave Camilla one last squeeze then motioned for Troy to take them out of the compound so they could rent a car for the return voyage to Port au Prince. He put his arms around the shoulders of his companion. Andrea was sobbing but working hard to tell herself that Camilla was going to be all right. “Oh Brian, I am going to miss that little girl. I’ve never felt this way about a small child before, could never understand why some people seem to think they are the best thing since sliced bread.”
Troy was very indignant. “You eat children like bread.” Both Brian and Andrea burst into an emotional storm of another nature. They laughed so hard, in fact, that no one could have distinguished the real tears from their tears of laughter. Eventually they were able to slow their belly laughs to a normal pitch and explain what the phrase ‘since sliced bread’ meant to the teenager. They had a hard time trying to explain to a tired car rental agent, though, why they wanted to rent a vehicle, and where they were planning to take it.
Reaching the border crossing on time took a little ingenuity and a lot of prayer that police officers would not be in evidence, but the couple eventually made it with a half hour to spare. They crossed without incident and then continued on down the only highway that connected Santo Domingo with Port au Prince. Each silently worked hard at convincing themselves that Camilla was in a better place.
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