The Sunflower: A Novel by Richard Paul Evans

Author:Richard Paul Evans
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Published: 2005-10-04T00:00:00+00:00

Dear Paul,

I want to thank you for the last few days. What you do here at the Sunflower is beautiful. I will never forget my time here, the children or especially last night. You helped me in ways you will probably never know.

She lifted her pen, hesitant to write what she really felt. She continued.

If I have said or done something to hurt you, I am truly sorry. You are a very dear man.

I wish you happiness.

Affectionately,

Christine

She folded the note and put it in her pants pocket, then went back to the greenhouse to work.

It was a little after one o’clock that things began to wind up. By half past the hour Jim shouted, “Time to go.”

“But we’re not done,” Mason said.

“The men of the village will finish up,” Jim said.

“You said we’d be here until two,” Christine said.

“I know, but we really should get on the road. It looks like it might rain, and this afternoon’s our only chance to see Ollantaytambo.”

Christine’s heart sank. The small chance she had of seeing Paul again had just diminished. As Christine and Jessica climbed the back stairs into the courtyard, she glanced around the courtyard for one last look. She said to Jessica, “I need to say goodbye to Roxana.”

“You better hurry.”

“I’ll run.” Christine looked in the dining room for Paul, but no one was there except two of the boys, Carlos and Ronal. “¿Dónde…está…Paul?” she asked.

Carlos shrugged.

“No sé.” Ronal said, “Cuzco.”

“¿Dónde está Roxana?” she asked.

They pointed up toward her room.

“Gracias.”

Christine ran up the stairs. Roxana was in her room playing with her hair combs and ribbon. When she saw Christine, she immediately stood and walked to her, her hands raised to be picked up. Christine crouched down and held her. Her eyes filled with tears. She hadn’t considered how difficult it would be to say goodbye. She wondered how Roxana would react.

“I have to go, sweetheart,” she said. The words sounded so final. “Take care of yourself.”

She again wrapped her arms around the little girl and held her. It was excruciating but she forced herself to her feet. “I’ll never forget you.”

Roxana just looked at her, confused. Then her eyes filled with tears and she grabbed Christine’s legs. Christine bent over and hugged her again and they were both crying. “Please don’t make this harder,” she said. She kissed her again, then stood and without looking back walked out. She could hear the bus’s engine fire up and she knew they were waiting for her.

She walked to the boys’ dorm and found Pablo sitting on the floor filling the back of his new truck with the sticks and rocks that he had carried up from the courtyard.

“Hi.”

He looked at her tear-streaked face. “Hi.”

“Pablo, do you know where Paul is?”

“He’s not back.”

Her throat tightened. “Would you give this to him.” She handed him the note.

“Sure.” He shoved the paper into his pocket.

“You won’t forget?”

“Nah. I’ll remember.”

“Thanks, Pablo. May I have a hug?”

He looked up from the truck. “Sure.”

She crouched down next to him, and they hugged.

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