luggage
and were bringing them upstairs; they had organized what I believed
to be a Feast.
We ate, drank, and
laughed. The kids had prepared a song to welcome us. Joy sang
along, she had heard it before.
Josh made his way to us, I
barely recognized him with all the weight he had lost. As opposed
to Joy, when she had first made her way home, he had seriously
toned up.
In the middle of all these
strangers, I was happy to see a familiar face.
“How are you, man?” he
said, sitting next to me with a full plate of food, “Nice to see
you. How’s Alfred?”
“He’s fine” I managed to
say“, but every time he hears your name, he barks twice. Is that
normal?”
Josh looked
away.
“Alfred’s a nice dog, very
loyal,” he said, pushing his food around on his plate. “Thanks for
taking care of him. Who’s got him now?” He asked.
“He’s actually still in
our apartment; the guys downstairs come to keep him company and to
feed him. They let him out a couple of times a day. He’s fine.
Don’t worry.”
“Good, thanks.” Josh
smiled. “Are you ready to get dirty?”
I must have looked
shocked, because he burst out laughing.
“Nothing too hard,” he
said, “promise.”
I nodded uncertain,
anxiety building up inside my chest. Considering I did not enjoy
novelty or unpredictability, it promised to be the time of my life.
I exhaled loudly, and closed my eyes.
Chapter 25
Time passed very quickly.
Josh and I spent the better part of our days trying to solidify the
overall structure of the Orphanage.
It was only by a miracle
that this place stayed up on its feet.
As I stood outside the
building, coming back from a street market where I had bought some
fruit and a few trinkets to bring home the following day, it hit
me. Watching the children coming in and out of the Orphanage, I
felt a deep sentiment of belonging, and of
accomplishment.
I took a notepad out of my
pocket, and jotted down everything I was thinking.
Through the second floor
window, Joy waved at me. I smiled back. She was beautiful, with her
hair pulled back into a ponytail. She wore a summer dress of
festive colors; a warm feeling overwhelmed my chest, I
smiled.
The craziest idea came
over me.
“Joy! Joy!” I
yelled.
“What?” she said leaning
out of the window.
“Marry me!” I said. I put
down the paper and pen, pushed my hair back. I had no idea what I
was doing. I only knew with certainty that she made me a better
man, and I wanted to spend the rest of our life
together.
“What?” she answered. I
laughed nervously, sweating. My hands were shaking and all I could
think of to make this more obvious, more significant, was to get on
my knees.
“Joy, will you marry me?”
I repeated with heart.
She laughed loudly. The
kids were screaming and clapping. Had I missed her
answer?
“Is that a Yes?” I
asked.
“Yes! Yes!” she said,
putting her hands over her mouth.
At this point, I wish
there had been a ladder to climb to her, and embrace the beautiful
woman that was now going to be forever mine.
I got up, and recovered
what I had left at my feet. When I looked up, the window was
empty.
Suddenly a hoard of people
came rushing out of the front door. Everyone was clapping,
extending hands, hugging me.
I looked among the faces
for Joy, my Joy.
There she was, standing
still: her eyes watery, hands still covering her mouth. She closed
her eyes. I walked over to her, and held Joy. I kissed the side of
her head, and whispered: “I love you, but I don’t have the ring
with me…”
She looked up at me. I
could not tell what she was thinking.
“This wasn’t very well
planned,” I explained. “I don’t know what overcame me…”
She took my head in both
her hands and kissed me softly.
“Who cares about rings!”
she whispered. “You should know me better than that by
now…”
I smiled.
Chapter 26
The plane ride home felt a
lot longer than it was, partly because Joy had stayed behind, and I
missed her already.
I
and were bringing them upstairs; they had organized what I believed
to be a Feast.
We ate, drank, and
laughed. The kids had prepared a song to welcome us. Joy sang
along, she had heard it before.
Josh made his way to us, I
barely recognized him with all the weight he had lost. As opposed
to Joy, when she had first made her way home, he had seriously
toned up.
In the middle of all these
strangers, I was happy to see a familiar face.
“How are you, man?” he
said, sitting next to me with a full plate of food, “Nice to see
you. How’s Alfred?”
“He’s fine” I managed to
say“, but every time he hears your name, he barks twice. Is that
normal?”
Josh looked
away.
“Alfred’s a nice dog, very
loyal,” he said, pushing his food around on his plate. “Thanks for
taking care of him. Who’s got him now?” He asked.
“He’s actually still in
our apartment; the guys downstairs come to keep him company and to
feed him. They let him out a couple of times a day. He’s fine.
Don’t worry.”
“Good, thanks.” Josh
smiled. “Are you ready to get dirty?”
I must have looked
shocked, because he burst out laughing.
“Nothing too hard,” he
said, “promise.”
I nodded uncertain,
anxiety building up inside my chest. Considering I did not enjoy
novelty or unpredictability, it promised to be the time of my life.
I exhaled loudly, and closed my eyes.
Chapter 25
Time passed very quickly.
Josh and I spent the better part of our days trying to solidify the
overall structure of the Orphanage.
It was only by a miracle
that this place stayed up on its feet.
As I stood outside the
building, coming back from a street market where I had bought some
fruit and a few trinkets to bring home the following day, it hit
me. Watching the children coming in and out of the Orphanage, I
felt a deep sentiment of belonging, and of
accomplishment.
I took a notepad out of my
pocket, and jotted down everything I was thinking.
Through the second floor
window, Joy waved at me. I smiled back. She was beautiful, with her
hair pulled back into a ponytail. She wore a summer dress of
festive colors; a warm feeling overwhelmed my chest, I
smiled.
The craziest idea came
over me.
“Joy! Joy!” I
yelled.
“What?” she said leaning
out of the window.
“Marry me!” I said. I put
down the paper and pen, pushed my hair back. I had no idea what I
was doing. I only knew with certainty that she made me a better
man, and I wanted to spend the rest of our life
together.
“What?” she answered. I
laughed nervously, sweating. My hands were shaking and all I could
think of to make this more obvious, more significant, was to get on
my knees.
“Joy, will you marry me?”
I repeated with heart.
She laughed loudly. The
kids were screaming and clapping. Had I missed her
answer?
“Is that a Yes?” I
asked.
“Yes! Yes!” she said,
putting her hands over her mouth.
At this point, I wish
there had been a ladder to climb to her, and embrace the beautiful
woman that was now going to be forever mine.
I got up, and recovered
what I had left at my feet. When I looked up, the window was
empty.
Suddenly a hoard of people
came rushing out of the front door. Everyone was clapping,
extending hands, hugging me.
I looked among the faces
for Joy, my Joy.
There she was, standing
still: her eyes watery, hands still covering her mouth. She closed
her eyes. I walked over to her, and held Joy. I kissed the side of
her head, and whispered: “I love you, but I don’t have the ring
with me…”
She looked up at me. I
could not tell what she was thinking.
“This wasn’t very well
planned,” I explained. “I don’t know what overcame me…”
She took my head in both
her hands and kissed me softly.
“Who cares about rings!”
she whispered. “You should know me better than that by
now…”
I smiled.
Chapter 26
The plane ride home felt a
lot longer than it was, partly because Joy had stayed behind, and I
missed her already.
I
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