been looking forward to meeting you. We’ve heard very good things about how you’re adjusting.”
Leslie blushed. “Oh, that’s nice to know. I still feel like I have a lot to learn, and Mama Joe’s only going to be here a little more than a week.”
Paul smiled. “Don’t worry, you’ll do fine. Titus and Naomi can help you out of just about any problem. And Judy and I are always here.” His gray eyes were warm and friendly, with deep laugh lines at the corners. Leslie got the impression that he smiled a lot.
While they were speaking, a petite woman with shoulder-length blond hair and a cheerful disposition joined them. Mama Joe hugged the newcomer, who introduced herself. “Hi, Leslie. I’m Judy. I can’t wait to hear about what all is happening back in the States.” Judy’s complexion was slightly pinkish and her features were fairly nondescript. Nonetheless, her lively blue eyes and a smile that rivaled her husband’s made her particularly attractive.
Judy’s warm reception reassured Leslie and she instinctively knew they’d be friends. “Thanks for inviting us to lunch.” She smiled and added, “I’ll be glad to trade you all I know about what’s going on at home, if you’ll coach me on adapting to life in rural Kenya.”
Judy laughed. “You’ve got a deal!”
Leslie gestured toward the children playing tag outside the tent. “I think I can guess which are your children.” A boy and girl, deeply tanned but still obviously white, raced around the area, standing out among the twenty or so African children. A much smaller boy with pale brown hair toddled with them, trying to keep up.
Judy grinned proudly. “Our older son is Johnny. He’s eight. Beth will be seven in a couple of months, and Stephen just turned two.”
Leslie smiled and continued to watch the children, swallowing hard at Stephen’s toddler stride—for a moment, an image of her little girl sprang to mind. But the memory was not as painful as it had once been. “They look...ah...energetic. I’m guessing you stay pretty busy.”
Paul wiped his forehead in mock weariness and sighed audibly. “Busy doesn’t begin to describe what I have to do. All the cooking and cleaning and teaching...just kidding. Judy’s remarkable. She does most of the kid-rearing, including teaching them at home.” His pride and affection were evident. “Better excuse us. We need to get started. We’ll catch up with you after the service and head to the house.”
Leslie and Mama Joe found seats near the front of the tent. They were surrounded by colorfully dressed villagers. Glancing around the gathering, Leslie was pleased that she recognized a few faces. Mama Joe greeted a number of the people in the congregation.
The service lasted nearly three hours, and Leslie loved every minute. Singing dominated the first hour. Some songs were in English, but most were in Swahili or one of the regional dialects. Judy accompanied many of the hymns, playing an aged, upright piano with obvious skill. But most of the African songs were sung a cappella, and Leslie was captivated by the villagers’ complex harmonies. At times it seemed like there were three or four different songs being sung simultaneously, but the melodies blended into a joyous whole. Scripture readings were interspersed with testimonies from those in the congregation before Paul gave a message. The service closed with more singing.
While Paul finished his duties at the church, Mama Joe and Leslie went home with Judy and the children. The Merdians lived only a short distance away, and, like the clinic, their home consisted of a group of buildings surrounded by a high cinder-block wall. The wood-frame house was one story and painted white. A wide porch fronted it, complete with comfortable-looking rockers. Leslie stared appreciatively at the carefully cultivated yard of thick green grass. Colorful beds of flowers surrounded the porch, a testament to the diligence of Paul, Judy or both. She saw red and yellow gerbera daisies and white and pink impatiens interspersed with snapdragons and hibiscus. Off to one side was a commendable rose garden with at least two dozen bushes sprouting blossoms of various colors. The sweet smell of the garden reminded Leslie of home.
Mama Joe agreed to help Judy in the kitchen while the children gave Leslie a tour of the house. “This is where I sleep,” Johnny said as they entered a small room at the back. He proudly pointed to the handmade desk and bookcases, which were crowded with children’s books, readers and workbooks. A computer was pushed to one side. “These are my books. Mom teaches us school stuff every morning and makes us work really hard.”
“Yep,” added Beth. “I’m in the second grade on some things with Johnny, but mostly I do first-grade lessons.”
Johnny continued, “Stephen doesn’t read yet ’cause he’s still a baby. But sometimes we read to him and show him pictures. He likes that.”
Leslie was charmed. Her heart tugged again when she saw one of the books she had read to Emma. She managed to blink back tears and refocused her attention on the children. “Maybe we can read a story after lunch.”
Leslie picked up the toddler, who had been pulling at her dress, and he grinned at her shyly. Not wanting to be left out, Beth grabbed Leslie’s free hand. “Miss Leslie, do you like puppies? Our dog, Lady, had puppies last week.”
“They don’t walk yet, and their eyes aren’t completely open,” Johnny said, “but they’re really cute. Want to go see ’em?”
“I would love to see the puppies. We can go after lunch, but right now I had better go see if your mom needs any help.” Smiling, Leslie set Stephen back on his feet and left the children to play in their room.
As Leslie passed through the combination living and dining room, heading toward the kitchen, the front door opened. Expecting Paul, she waited with a smile of greeting. Instead, she was surprised as a tall, lean man entered the house, and she found herself face-to-face with Ben Murphy.
Ben was dressed exactly as he had been at their previous meeting, in khaki slacks and white shirt. As before, his hair was pulled back in a short ponytail. That, coupled with his swarthy tan, light green eyes and expressive mouth, gave him the appearance of a pirate. She sighed inwardly, dismayed to concede he was extremely good-looking.
Ben managed to hide his surprise at meeting Leslie in the Merdians’ living room. His gaze swept over her quickly, and he felt an odd catch in his chest. Today her hair was down, falling around her shoulders in shiny, mink-colored waves. Her simple red dress had short sleeves and skimmed her ankles. Though it was modest, it was appealing. He watched with annoyance as her smile disappeared. Twin bright spots on her cheeks rivaled the red of her dress.
After what seemed like an eternity to both, Ben broke the silence. “Paul invited me for lunch.” His voice was flat and his face void of expression.
“Oh. I see. Well, hello then.” Leslie searched for something to say, but her brain appeared to have ceased functioning, and she just looked at him and grew more flushed.
Ben did a little better. “So, how are you settling in?”
She acknowledged the question but could not quite manage a smile. “Pretty well. There have been some...ah...challenging times. But so far things have gone all right. Mama Joe is a terrific teacher.” Her expression brightened a little when she mentioned her mentor.
Ben knew it was his turn again, and he was pondering what to say when someone bounded up the front steps. Both gratefully turned as the screen door opened and Paul entered. Grinning broadly, he shook hands with Ben. “Really glad you could come. You haven’t been around much lately.”
Relieved to have a diversion,
