Read Online Heaven Sent by Rochelle Alers - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Rochelle Alers
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Municipal
, she continued on foot to the vast, decrepit building whose vendors and merchandise spilled out onto the streets. All around her she heard the familiar, “Wh’appen, Man?” It was the leisurely greeting of Limón’s Afro-Caribbeans.
She headed for a vendor’s stall that carried men’s apparel. It took her an hour to select underwear, T-shirts, shorts, and a pair of large leather thongs. She’d held up each garment, trying to assess if it would fit David, finally deciding to buy several large and extra-large T-shirts, and shorts and underwear with a thirty-six-inch waist. Stacks of jeans caught her attention, but she decided against purchasing a pair because she was unsure of the length. There was no doubt that David Cole was tall, as tall as Raul and Gabe, but he weighed more than the two men.
She planned to return to her car when the items on a vendor’s stand caught her attention. It took another quarter of an hour to select a comb, brush, and shaving equipment. A mysterious smile curved her lips when she predicted that David Cole would probably appreciate the grooming supplies more than the clothes.
“Vain peacock,” she whispered to herself as she stored her purchases in the back seat of the Volkswagen. A roll of thunder followed by an ear-shattering crash of lightning shook the earth at the moment she slipped behind the wheel. Her return trip to
La Montaña
would have to be navigated in a downpour.
Shoppers scurried as the rain began to fall, seeking shelter. They knew the heavy downpour would end almost as soon as it began. Only a few barefoot children lingered, until their parents shouted at them to come in out of the rain.
Serena shifted gears, squinting through the windshield. The wipers were set to the fastest speed, yet it wasn’t fast enough to keep rivulets of water from distorting her view.
Maneuvering over to the side of the paved road, she cut off the engine and waited. Her moist breathing fogged up the windows as heat and moisture filled the small car.
Within fifteen minutes the rain subsided and the sun emerged from behind wispy clouds. The heat intensified quickly with the sun, forcing her to roll down the windows. The small car had become a suffocating tomb.
She downshifted as she made her way up the steep incline to
La Montaña
, maneuvering into her parking space at the garage at the same time Rodrigo emerged from the Mercedes-Benz. Vertical lines formed between her eyes. She hadn’t seen him on the road in front of her.
“
¡Buenas tardes!
Señorita Serena.”
“Good afternoon, Rodrigo,” she said, giving the man a warm smile. “Have my parents returned?”
Rodrigo shook his head. “No. They are staying in San José for a few days.”
Serena stared at the man who had been Raul Vega’s driver for nearly twenty years. He was of medium height and alarmingly thin, despite having a voracious appetite. And even though he had recently celebrated his fiftieth birthday his tanned face was smooth, and his straight, black hair claimed no traces of gray.
It was rumored that when he was in his teens he had fallen in love with the daughter of a wealthy landowner. He knew her parents would never consent to their marrying because he was a common laborer. Rodrigohad worked hard, sometimes holding down three jobs, hoping to save enough money to elevate his status, but when the young woman married a wealthy Costa Rican businessman he left San José for Limón, working on a banana plantation for several years.
When one of the plantation workers mentioned that Raul Vega was hiring men to work on the grounds surrounding the large mountaintop house, Rodrigo had left the plantation for
La Montaña
. He secured a position—not to work the land, but as a driver. It was a position he treasured. He was well-paid and had his own living quarters at the beautiful house. There were times when he had nothing to do. However, there were times when he did things that had nothing to do with his
, she continued on foot to the vast, decrepit building whose vendors and merchandise spilled out onto the streets. All around her she heard the familiar, “Wh’appen, Man?” It was the leisurely greeting of Limón’s Afro-Caribbeans.
She headed for a vendor’s stall that carried men’s apparel. It took her an hour to select underwear, T-shirts, shorts, and a pair of large leather thongs. She’d held up each garment, trying to assess if it would fit David, finally deciding to buy several large and extra-large T-shirts, and shorts and underwear with a thirty-six-inch waist. Stacks of jeans caught her attention, but she decided against purchasing a pair because she was unsure of the length. There was no doubt that David Cole was tall, as tall as Raul and Gabe, but he weighed more than the two men.
She planned to return to her car when the items on a vendor’s stand caught her attention. It took another quarter of an hour to select a comb, brush, and shaving equipment. A mysterious smile curved her lips when she predicted that David Cole would probably appreciate the grooming supplies more than the clothes.
“Vain peacock,” she whispered to herself as she stored her purchases in the back seat of the Volkswagen. A roll of thunder followed by an ear-shattering crash of lightning shook the earth at the moment she slipped behind the wheel. Her return trip to
La Montaña
would have to be navigated in a downpour.
Shoppers scurried as the rain began to fall, seeking shelter. They knew the heavy downpour would end almost as soon as it began. Only a few barefoot children lingered, until their parents shouted at them to come in out of the rain.
Serena shifted gears, squinting through the windshield. The wipers were set to the fastest speed, yet it wasn’t fast enough to keep rivulets of water from distorting her view.
Maneuvering over to the side of the paved road, she cut off the engine and waited. Her moist breathing fogged up the windows as heat and moisture filled the small car.
Within fifteen minutes the rain subsided and the sun emerged from behind wispy clouds. The heat intensified quickly with the sun, forcing her to roll down the windows. The small car had become a suffocating tomb.
She downshifted as she made her way up the steep incline to
La Montaña
, maneuvering into her parking space at the garage at the same time Rodrigo emerged from the Mercedes-Benz. Vertical lines formed between her eyes. She hadn’t seen him on the road in front of her.
“
¡Buenas tardes!
Señorita Serena.”
“Good afternoon, Rodrigo,” she said, giving the man a warm smile. “Have my parents returned?”
Rodrigo shook his head. “No. They are staying in San José for a few days.”
Serena stared at the man who had been Raul Vega’s driver for nearly twenty years. He was of medium height and alarmingly thin, despite having a voracious appetite. And even though he had recently celebrated his fiftieth birthday his tanned face was smooth, and his straight, black hair claimed no traces of gray.
It was rumored that when he was in his teens he had fallen in love with the daughter of a wealthy landowner. He knew her parents would never consent to their marrying because he was a common laborer. Rodrigohad worked hard, sometimes holding down three jobs, hoping to save enough money to elevate his status, but when the young woman married a wealthy Costa Rican businessman he left San José for Limón, working on a banana plantation for several years.
When one of the plantation workers mentioned that Raul Vega was hiring men to work on the grounds surrounding the large mountaintop house, Rodrigo had left the plantation for
La Montaña
. He secured a position—not to work the land, but as a driver. It was a position he treasured. He was well-paid and had his own living quarters at the beautiful house. There were times when he had nothing to do. However, there were times when he did things that had nothing to do with his
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