The Emmanuel Sisters

Chapter 10 Faith in Africa

I love coffee, I love tea, I love a colored boy and he loves me....first comes love and then comes marriage, then comes the baby in the baby carriage.",
"Faith, Faith, Nene, wake-up Nene, we're here." Darryl was gently trying to wake up Faith with soft whispers in her ear. He thought, "she looks like an angel when she sleeps, I hate waking her". He rarely got the chance to watch her sleeping. He always seemed to fall asleep before she did, and wake up after her.
Faith was dreaming. She was dreaming about being a child and watching her older sisters jumping double-dutch. Faith remembered how she felt, sitting on the stoop, watching them jump rope and wishing she knew how to jump double-dutch. At that time Faith only knew how to jump straight rope. Her sisters were still teaching her how to jump dutch, and they rarely gave her a chance to turn the rope, because they said she was "double handed". Double handed was what the girls who sort of turned the rope, off rhythm were called. Faith had been a little "off rhythm" her entire life.
Faith remembered how much she admired and envied her older sisters. How she thought they were so beautiful, funny, smart and so good at everything, and how she wanted to grow up and be just like them. She wondered if she was anything like her older sisters now, and would they be proud of her if they were still around to know her?
She was waking up from her dreams and to the sound of Darryl's soft voice and gentle nudges. She thought his voice was so beautiful. Darryl was whispering in her ear, "Faith, baby, we're here, we're here..."
Finally, Faith woke up, and she looked out the window. She still was feeling a slight sadness from the dream she had just woken up from, and the ache she always felt from missing her sisters. However, she couldn't help feeling a renewed excitement shortly after realizing she was back in Africa and with Darryl.
Africa was like a second home to Faith. And she had been longing to show and share this second home with Darryl.
Faith had been to Ethiopia several times in the past. The first time Faith was in Ethiopia she was with her parents when she was a little girl. Then Faith thought to herself how lucky she was to be one of those rare people in the world who actually did something they loved for a living.
Darryl was excited to be in Africa too. This was all very new and adventurous for him. Although he would have been just as happy spending a week in Hawaii with Faith or even at home in New York without any distractions to keep them away from each other. Traveling to foreign countries was never one of Darryl's desires, because of his fear of flying and infectious diseases. But once he was on solid ground he allowed himself to feel more excited. "I can't wait to check into that hotel and take a nice hot shower and a long nap. That was a long flight."
Faith smiled, she knew Darryl was not the outdoorsy type and he was a little obsessive about being clean. She remembered when they were kids he would complain about camping out just in the backyard. Faith would be pretending they were in the woods and that she heard a bear or a wolf, and Darryl would say, "we could go roast these marshmallows right in the den at the fireplace and play scrabble."
But even back then when they were kids it was clear he was willing to do anything for her,, like endure spending the night outside when he'd much rather be in the comforts of his warm home.
"Darryl I usually go straight to the village or community that SACAA has set up in, and retrieve the orphans. Then, I reserve the hotel rooms for when I'm finished in the village to gather and prepare all the children for traveling before we fly to America.
So you should know that the SACAA facilities are usually more like huts and tents, than hotels. I guess I should have warned you about that, I'm sorry."
"Oh, well then so we aren't going straight to the hotel? That's okay, I'll roll however you do, I'm just happy to finally see my girl doing her thing.
Well one question though, do the SACAA facilities at the villages have hot showers?"
"Sometimes, sometimes not, but how about this, since it is your first time out here with me, we can check into the hotel first and freshen up, before we hire a driver to take us to the SACAA facilities in the village."
"Now that sounds like a good plan. I mean as long as it doesn't throw you too off schedule?"
"Not at all babe. Plus it will be nice to have just a little more alone time with my Man before we're surrounded by children."
The two of them checked into the Hotel. It was a quaint little hotel close to the airport. Their room was clean, with a huge ceiling fan above the bed and it had a shower.
A shower was all Darryl wanted right now. The long plane trip had him feeling grimy. Darryl immediately dropped his bags and told Faith he was going to jump in the shower, and then take a quick power nap.
Unlike Faith and the other people he saw on the plane, Darryl could not fall asleep on the plane. He was just too wound up and tense during the whole  flight.
While Darryl was in the bathroom, Faith got on the phone and started making arrangements to obtain a driver as soon as possible to take them to the SACAA's village location. The hotel's concierge explained to her that it would be difficult to get a driver to take her out to the villages. He explained that any driver was going to demand a very high fee to travel out to the villages because of the civil rebellion that was currently going on. Faith explained to the concierge that she was with SACAA, and that she was familiar with similar situations and she was willing to pay whatever was demanded to a competent guide and driver. After all her expenses were paid for by SACAA so money wasn't an issue.
"Yes Ma'am, then I will make the appropriate calls and ring you back in your room as soon as possible ."
Next, Faith called the United States Ethiopian Ambassador's office. The embassy and the Ambassador worked closely with SACAA representatives. She informed them she was in town and was just informed about the recent uprising. She asked if it was possible to get some military escorts to go with her to the SACAA station at the designated village. The representative told her they were going to make some phone calls and call her back, and that they were already advised by SACAA that she was expected to arrive today. The next phone call Faith made was for room service. She ordered one of everything on the menu, it was a short menu. One thing she liked about working for SACAA was that they never questioned her expense account. They had total trust in her and as long as she got the job done, she pretty much purchased whatever she wanted on the corporate credit card. Still she would never abuse the trust SACAA had in her. She used the card only for legitimate travel expenses. But Faith's supervisors knew every time she brought an orphan back to the New York SACAA facility, that she brought them a new wardrobe, new toys in their new backpacks, and plenty of junk food in their tummies. Faith ensured that the children would love America before they ever stepped foot on the soil. She also knew these kids had never been spoiled and she enjoyed playing the Auntie that got to spoil them.
With no one left to call and nothing left to do but wait, Faith thought, "I guess, I'll just sit back and relax, and wait for the phone to ring." Then she noticed she was just now hearing the water start to run in the shower. So she decided maybe she should surprise Darryl.
Although Faith was determined to preserve her virginity until she married Darryl, and Darryl was on board with that, she still had fun teasing him in the meantime.
Darryl was letting himself relax and just enjoy the warm water running over his head and body. He had his eyes closed. He was focusing on allowing his body to relax from all the tension built up in him from flying. He still hated flying, but at least now he was over his fear of doing it, and he was back on dry land. He thought to himself, "the experience of that horrible flight was worth the outcome of being here in Africa with Faith".
Just then Darryl felt the soft touch of Faith's hands on his back.
Faith whispered, "I thought you might need a little help, washing your back, and those other hard to reach places."
Darryl scolded Faith. "Why must you be such a tease? "
Faith responded all innocently, "I'm sorry babe I was just trying to help. I'll leave you alone."
Then Darryl grabbed her arm, "well I think I'm strong enough to handle just a little back washing."
Faith was happy to stay and started softly washing his back. She thought Darryl's body was so beautiful even if beautiful wasn't a word used to describe men. Faith had never let herself get close to any other man emotionally or physically. She had dated other men but they never understood her commitment to staying a virgin until marriage. Darryl was the only man she ever trusted with her heart and her body. He didn't even attempt to turn around and face Faith in the shower. He just stood there with his back turned to Faith, so that she always felt safe and in control with him.
Another thing Faith liked to do with Darryl, was talk a little naughty to him every now and then. They were apart so often. Between his job at the hospital, his volunteer work at the senior citizen home, and her constant travel with SACAA, talking dirty over the phone became their only source of remaining intimate for weeks on end. So Faith had become very comfortable with talking a little dirty to Darryl; something she could never imagine doing with another man. She whispered in his ear while she hugged him from behind, "tell me that all this is all mine baby."
Darryl smiled. "You know it is."
"Yeah I know, but I want to hear you say it."
"It's all yours baby, ..., so you tell me, what you gonna do with it?"