Chapter 6
The Missionaries
“Get the French-fries…no, put it on the…hey, wait!”
“Andrew.”
“Yeah, yeah…I know…”
“Andrew!”
“Huh?”
Marion laughed. “You were sleep-talking again.”
“Was not.” Andrew rubbed his eyes and yawned.
“We’re nearly there.” Marion looked out the window. “I’m so excited!” Her fiery red hair hung down her back. She fixed it with a headband.
“Where’s Caleb?” Andrew looked around.
“He went to the bathroom.” She leaned forward and whispered, “Air sickness.”
Andrew gulped. “Right.” He turned to Theodore. He looked him in the eye very seriously. He was trying to make him laugh. “Hmm…that always works.” He said to himself, rubbing his chin.
No response came from Theodore.
Theodore sighed. He knew what they were doing.
Andrew laid back his head and closed his eyes. He opened them only for a second, and something caught his eye.
It was just the back of someone’s head in a few rows in front of him. Dusty brown wavy hair was all he saw. Then he heard the person chuckle for a reason Andrew did not know. I know that laugh…Andrew reassured himself it was nothing. He closed his eyes and once more drifted off to sleep.
Caleb looked out the window. He suddenly became nervous. He saw endless miles of trees and forests beyond the airport.
“Wow.” He said quietly. “I’m really here.”
The pilot hollered something about the designation of Peru, and asked that the passengers getting off here would quickly do so.
Caleb looked around the plane. They were the only ones going to Peru. But were they? Caleb saw a glimpse of brown hair get off the plane, but by the time Caleb was off, they were miles down the brown road on a dark green jeep.
“Who is that person?”
Andrew stood next to him wondering the same thing. “Who knows. I saw him on the plane and he laughed…but it sounded…weird. Like I’ve heard it before.”
Caleb shrugged. Then he looked into the distance and saw a middle-aged man standing on top of a jeep waving his straw hat.
“Over here! Caleb! Marion! Andrew!”
Caleb smiled and waved back. That must be Avery Ford.
Hand in hand, Caleb and Theodore walked over to the man, and then called out for the others to come along.
Avery sighed happily. “I’m so glad you are all here. I really am. I hope that later you’ll excuse me, if I accidentally speak to you in a foreign language. It is because I’ve lived here for so long and I am very used to it.” He laughed at his own words. “You will be staying with me and my son at our little meeting house. Many tribespeople come there and I read them the Bible every evening. I hope you will not mind.” He gazed around the circle of all of them. “God has blessed you with this passion. And I hope you will use it greatly. But I want you to know, everyday living in this vast jungle with wild peoples, is a day you are risking your life. I don’t know how the people will respond when I bring in this many white people.”
“Didn’t you tell them?” Andrew asked.
“Well, yes. But it will not matter, as they do tend to forget very easily.”
This made Theodore chuckle softly.
Avery turned to him. “And what might be your name, little friend?”
“Theodore. Theodore Peters. I’m Caleb’s cousin.”
Avery straightened up, and said, “I didn’t hear any news of your coming.”
“Didn’t think so.” Theodore mumbled.
Avery smiled. “But I am very happy to have you here. Do you want to be a missionary? See great wonders of the Amazon?”
Caleb exchanged glances with Marion.
“No, I’m just here as a tagalong, I guess. I don’t know anything about being a missionary. I’m still learning about all this myself.”
“Ah, a newly Christian?”
Theodore nodded hesitantly. “I’m sure there’s something I can do. If it’s not babysitting. I’m awful bad at that.”
Avery laughed.
Caleb eyed Theodore. Why doesn’t he just tell him?
“Let’s take a ride!” Avery jumped in the front of a jeep with Caleb in the passenger, Theodore in the row behind him, and Marion and Andrew sitting in a basket on the back.
“Into the jungle!” Avery exclaimed.
It was dark by the time they reached the little village.
People, all shapes and sizes, stopped what they were doing and stared.
Avery leaned in closer to whisper, “A certain fellow by the name of Akin is the chief of this tribe. He is dressed differently from the others and will refuse to receive any help from me. He does not know English very well, and in my opinion, do not bother him often. He is very upset about all of this.”
Caleb nodded. He tried to spot him. He couldn’t see very well, as the only lights were scattered torches and fires lit.
Avery waved to them as he passed. He drove up a steep hill and was nearing what looked to be a treehouse.
“A treehouse? We’re staying in a treehouse?” Andrew looked out the windowless window.
The ladder had lights attached and there was a dirt path leading to it.
“Wow.” Caleb got a good look. “It’s a real treehouse. How did it take you to make it?”
“Oh, about two monthes. Say, it looks like Matthias is already here!”
Caleb spotted an extra jeep. “Can’t wait to meet him.”
“Oh, I think you’ll really like him. He actually just got back from Collage. I haven’t seen him yet since he arrived. I’m sure he’s just resting up.”
Caleb nodded. He tried to force a smile. You know what? I think I will like him. Me and him will be great friends.
Avery parked the jeep.
“Here Caleb, go inside and plug in the lights, will you? I’ll help your friends with their cargo.” Avery smiled, showing some missing teeth.
Caleb grabbed his satchel and climbed up the ladder. It was more amazing than he had imagined. It was a real house. Only in a tree. Caleb couldn’t help but look around. He plugged in the lights and watched as the house glowed with color.
“Dad would have loved this.” He whispered to himself.
Marion came in holding Theodore’s hand. She gasped in awe when she gazed at her surroundings. There was another ladder leading to the roof. Marion let go of his hand and felt the bamboo railing. She laughed, “Oh, wow.” She went around the corner to set down her bags.
There was a scream. And then laughter.
“Marion, what is it?” Theodore found her. He waited for her answer.
“Oh, Theodore. It’s just a monkey. And he’s eating Avery’s food!” She laughed and her green eyes twinkled.
Theodore sighed. “I thought you found a snake or something. I was worried maybe it’d bite you.”
Marion smiled thoughtfully. “Thanks for being concerned, Theodore.” She took his hand and Theodore blushed.
“Well, well, what do you think?” Avery opened his arms and sighed at his accomplishments.
“It’s pretty cool.” Andrew admitted. He eyed the extra ladder. “Where does that lead to?”
Avery saw his curiosity. “Oh, that! That is my favorite place. It leads to the hela.”
Andrew stared at him.
Avery stared back and then chuckled. “It’s the roof. My favorite place in this house.”
“C’mon Theodore,” Andrew took his hand and they climbed up the ladder together.
Marion laughed. “Looks like they’re getting along.”
Avery showed Caleb a room. “You can share this room with my son Matthias. I have another room for the boys and an extra for Marion.”
Caleb smiled. “That works.” He tried to hide it, but he was feeling strangely anxious to meet Matthias.
I wonder if he’s like me…
“Look at this, Theo.” Andrew stared into the dark black sky, blanketed with millions of stars. “Isn’t this amazing? I wonder how long it took God to make all these stars.”
Theodore stood next to him. “I wonder. Andrew…do you believe God really made everything? The stars, the moon, us—you really believe it?”
Andrew turned to him. “Don’t you?”
Theodore fidgeted. “I don’t know…maybe. It’s just…I guess I just thought God had a better plan for me than this. I mean—where do I fit in in this whole thing? Am I supposed to be a missionary? I can’t even walk outside without someone there. And…I mean…I get so self-conscious around people. They probably stare and point and whisper amongst themselves. How can I really be like…Caleb, you, Marion—”
“Theo. We don’t know the reason God brought you here. But we’ll learn along the way. You’re going to learn you’re a lot more capable than you think.”
“Really?”
“Sure.” Andrew turned to see Caleb and Marion joining them.
“Hey, Andrew, I think Avery needs our help.” Caleb called, and Andrew climbed down the ladder with him.
The night was quiet.
Marion sat down next to Theodore. “What are your hobbies?” She causally questioned.
Theodore was surprised. “Um…I like drawing. How about you?”
“Well, I don’t know. I like drawing too. I also love taking care of people. Maybe one day I’ll be a nurse. Well, maybe not, ‘cause my second aunt’s daughter’s daughter is a nurse, and she might be upset if I become a nurse, because we both have the same name and we look pretty similar. Well, she was always a bit snooty, and she might think I’m trying to steal her career or something…” Marion chattered endlessly.
“You know…”
Marion stopped.
“You don’t have to talk to me, just because you feel bad.” Theodore looked away, kind of embarrassed.
“I wasn’t feeling bad. I just though maybe you needed a friend.”
“Almost everyone I’ve ever met, said they felt sorry for me. So they talked needlessly about random things. What I’m trying to say is…you don’t have to talk to me if you don’t want to. I mean, why would you anyway? Talk to me, I mean. I’m boring, average, and I usually waste people’s time.”
Marion laughed.
Theodore wished he would have bitten back the whole paragraph and just had let her talk.
“Why would you?” He said again.
Marion smiled and met his gaze. “Why not?”
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