Good For You

They’re al reliable, but not flashy.”

He nods. “Flashy wouldn’t do them any favors in their part of town. I’l request al available security components as wel , to discourage theft.”

“Thanks, Dad.” I stand up to leave, but turn back.

“Needless to say, don’t tel Larry. Don’t even tel George, just in case. I think he’d play along, but… better to keep this between you and me, I think.”

He’s looking at me with that same incredulous expression. “Al right.”

I turn and leave his office, wondering why it took me so long to discover this sort of high. The month with Habitat affected me more than I thought.

*** *** ***

Dori

“You’re as difficult to get hold of as I am these days.” Deb laughs. Hers is the first phone cal I’ve had since Mom and Dad cal ed me last weekend. We’ve been playing phone tag for the past 24 hours, and I’d almost given up having an actual conversation with her. Quito and Indianapolis are only an hour off, but she works al night and I work al day, our times overlapping at both ends. “How’s it going?” Perfect timing. I’m sitting on my bunk, sifting through sheet music for this afternoon. “Real y wel . I’ve got an enthusiastic group this year—I’m teaching them songs that help them learn math concepts. They’re al so smart! But here’s the coolest thing—I’ve been tutoring a couple of girls close to my age in English and math.” It’s impossible to keep the excitement out of my voice. “When I met them two weeks ago, they both assumed they’d drop out of school weeks ago, they both assumed they’d drop out of school soon to get married or start working ful -time. Now, one is determined to at least finish high school, and the other is talking about going to college.”

“That’s awesome, Dori.”

“I feel like I’m making a tangible difference this time.” My bunkmate comes in then, climbs the ladder to the top bunk, and col apses with a moan. She’s Mom’s age and arrived in Ecuador the night before last with a group of women from her church in Oklahoma. “Everything okay, Gina?” I cal up.

“Aaaaugh… this altitude is killing me.” She leans over, peering at me from her upside-down position. “Are you talking to your sister? Did you ask if she has any recommendations for me?”

“She would tel you the same thing I told you yesterday.

No over-exertion and lots of fluids.” Deb chuckles in my ear.

People—from friends and family to complete strangers—

have been asking her for medical advice since she began med school. “You’l feel fine in a day or so.” Gina flops back onto her bed. “God, I hope so. This is not cool.”

“You sure you don’t want to study medicine?” Deb asks, stil chuckling.

“I’m positive,” I whisper, hoping Gina wil go to sleep instead of butting in on what wil probably be my only conversation with my sister while I’m in Ecuador. “Now, let’s talk about you. Have you and Bradford progressed from making out in parking lots yet?”

The smile in her voice remains when she answers. “Oh, maybe…”

“Deborah Cantrel ,” I say, struggling to keep my voice low. “What are you hinting at? You sound absolutely guilt-ridden.”

“I’m tel ing you first, and then Mom and Dad, and then Sylvie…” Sylvie is Deb’s best friend from col ege. She married her col ege boyfriend, has a two-year-old and another on the way, and has been setting Deb up with every eligible friend of her husband’s for years. None of them have worked out, and a couple of them are only summoned to be witty anecdotes when she and her female med school friends discuss relationship-hunting fails.

“Wel this sounds promising… wait. Deb. Tell me.”

“He proposed last night.”

I forget to whisper. “What?”

Gina hangs down. “What? What is it?”

“He proposed? But you’ve only known him a few weeks!” I say, and Gina’s eyes go round as she makes an excited eeeeeeeeee sound. I want to knock her on the forehead so I can share this moment with my sister, alone, but of course I don’t.

Deb’s reply is calm, unperturbed after my outburst.

Expecting it, probably. “Dori, I know what you’re worried about—whether or not I’m sure. I am. I’ve never been so sure of anything in my life.”

“Oh my gosh.” My eyes tear up, but I’m smiling, and Gina is grinning ecstatical y, stil upside-down. A tear snakes down my cheek and I wipe it away. Gina disappears momentarily and reappears with a tissue. “Have you worked it out with hospital administration? When do I get to meet him?”

She sighs. “We aren’t sure how to reveal it or what it might mean once we do. No one at the hospital knows yet except a close friend of his and one of the nurses—who caught us kissing in an empty room.” She giggles, and I’m struck again by how sixteen she’s sounded since this man came into her life. “That was the first time he said he loved me. When she came in, I tried to pul away, but he held tight, smiled and said, ‘Marta, have you met the woman I’ve fal en in love with?’ She stared at us a minute and then said,

‘Wel , I knew something was going on, doctor. You’ve been so pleasant for the past few weeks that we figured you were either in love or dying. Glad to know it’s the former.’

We swore her to secrecy.”