Their breakfast finished, everyone strolled back to their suite and Alan unlocked the door. “I’d better check in with Joe.”

 

“While you do that, I’m going to get that shopping list made out,” Ellie said as they filed inside. “Lex, Tim—I’m going to need some ideas from you, okay?”

 

“Will do,” Lex said brightly.

 

Although they both liked a good steak and Ellie loved seafood, neither of them was fussy about food. The addition of the two children complicated things a bit, but she could adapt. “Alan, have Joe recommend a good grocery store, and a bookstore, too. I think while you’re at the embassy, Lex, Tim and I’ll grab a taxi and do the grocery shopping. After you get back, we can go to the bookstore.”

 

“Okay, sure.” Alan sat down on the couch and took Joe’s business card out of his pocket. He dialed the number, and after a few rings, he heard a woman’s voice come on the line.

 

“Good morning; American Embassy, may I help you?

 

“Joe Reiling, please.”

 

“May I tell him who is calling?”

 

“Yes, tell him it’s Alan Grant.”

 

“Thank you, please hold.”

 

“Thanks.”

 

Alan scowled as canned music assaulted his eardrum. At last, the sounds halted, and Joe came onto the line.

 

“Good morning, Alan,” Joe said.

 

“Morning, Joe.”

 

“Did you guys sleep well?”

 

“Sure did. Let me tell you, that bed beats the tree I spent the other night in by a mile.”

 

“How did you end up in a tree?”

 

“We climbed up there after we got away from the Rex; it was the only safe place around.”

 

“Did you ever go to sleep?”

 

“I dozed off and on. It’s not an experience I’d like to repeat,” he said with a laugh.

 

“I can imagine. I don’t think I’d like it either,” Joe said, adding his own laughter. “Well, you ready to come down and get that account set up?”

 

“Yeah, just about; Ellie’s making out a grocery list. She's looking for a grocery store and a bookstore that sells guidebooks. Any ideas?”

 

“I can suggest a couple of good places.”

 

Alan smiled. “I figured you could.”

 

“I live here remember? You know, it’s not going to take you long to fill out the paperwork; I can run you guys around afterwards.”

 

“Joe, I don’t want to take you away from your other duties.”

 

“Well, per the Ambassador, for the duration you are my duty.”

 

“Oh, really? Then we gladly accept your offer.” That would simplify things. He knew he was being overprotective, but he was relieved in a way. Ellie could take care of herself, but neither one of them was familiar with the city.

 

“Okay then, I’ll be there in a bit.”

 

“Sounds good. See you then.”

 

Alan hung up the phone and walked over to the table. “Well, it looks like Joe has been officially appointed our guardian.”

 

Ellie laughed and shook her head. “No kidding.”

 

“Uh huh. He’s going to be our chauffer today; so you don’t need to worry about the taxi. He knows some good places to shop.”

 

"Good."

 

“Say, I could stand another cup of coffee, can I get you one?”

 

“That sounds great.”

 

“Coming up then.” He prepared the coffee maker using a packet of coffee the hotel had provided, and then flipped the switch to turn it on. He stood behind Ellie and looked over her shoulder as she filled out the list, one hand perched lightly on her shoulder.

 

“I bet you guys like peanut butter, right?” Ellie asked the children, as she patted his hand.

 

“Oh, yeah, we love peanut butter; and jelly, too,” Lex said.

 

She added the items to her list. “I’ll be sure to get those.”

 

“Can we get some bananas?” Tim asked.

 

“Sure thing.”

 

“Good, I like peanut butter and banana sandwiches.”

 

“Okay.” Elvis lives, she thought.

 

“And he thinks I’m weird because I eat Gallo Pinto for breakfast,” Lex said with a sigh.

 

“You are weird,” Tim said.

 

Lex started to retort, and Ellie held up her hand, stilling their voices. “Guys we had this argument at breakfast.”

 

“Okay,” Tim said with a sheepish smile.

 

Alan heard the coffee maker gurgle as it finished brewing the coffee. He poured two cups and placed them on the table, along with a packet of creamer the hotel had provided. “Here you go.”

 

“Thanks, that smells wonderful.”

 

“The coffee is world famous you know,” Alan said, rolling his eyes as he sat down.

 

Ellie laughed and handed him the shopping list. “Well, that’s all I can think of; take a look and see if you have anything to add.”

 

Alan looked over the extensive list. “Looks like you have it covered. I hope Joe brings the van, otherwise somebody’s going to have to ride on the roof.”

 

“I thought of that, too; it might be a couple of young people who keep arguing...” she said with a mischievous grin.

 

Lex grinned and rolled her eyes.

 

Alan picked up the paper he had been reading earlier. “Want some of the paper?” he asked Ellie.

 

“Sure.” As Alan handed her the front section, she realized the kids didn’t have much to do. “Guys, I know you’re bored; you’ve both been really patient and Alan and I appreciate that.” She made a mental note to ask Joe about a game store.  She thought a game or two would be fun to have.

 

“Oh, that’s okay, we understand,” Lex said. The two children sat on the couch and to kill time, she and her brother began to read the hotel’s guidebook.

 

“I see there’s no mention of the accident,” Ellie said.

 

“No, not a word. I didn’t expect there would be.”

 

Ellie nodded.  “The tourism business must be very important to them; I’m sure they would do anything to protect it.”

 

“That doesn’t exactly fill me with optimism, you know?” he said with a frown.

 

“Me either.”

 

“Hey, it says the hotel has a video game room!” Tim said.

 

“Well then, when we get some money of our own, you guys can feed the machines,” Ellie said.

 

“Excellent!”

 

Alan heard a knock on the door but before he could stand up, the two children jumped up and ran to the door. “We’ll get it!” Lex said. She beat her brother to the door, and opened it with a rush.

 

“Hi, Mr. Reiling, come on in,” Lex said.

 

“Greetings all,” he said as he walked into the suite.

 

“Hi there,” Ellie said as she put the paper aside.

 

“Morning, Ellie. You all sure look better than the last time I saw you.”

 

“I’m glad you think so,” Ellie said with a laugh. “It’s amazing what a little soap and water and some clean clothes can do for you.”

 

“And a good night’s sleep, too.”

 

“I hope you brought the van,” Alan said. “Ellie’s got a long shopping list.”

 

Joe laughed. “Yep, it’s mine for as long as I need it. Well, if you’re ready, we’ll get the show on the road.”

 

“Sounds good to us,” Ellie said.

 

“If you don’t mind, I think I’ll ride up front with Joe,” Alan said to Ellie as they walked to the van with the rest of the group.

 

“I’ll somehow survive your absence,” she said in jest.

 

With a wry grin, he climbed into the passenger seat next to Joe. As had become their habit, the two children scrambled into the back seat and Ellie took the middle seat.

 

They had not gone that way before and a few blocks from the hotel, Ellie saw an open-air market. If they needed to make any return trips, they could always shop there instead of making Joe cart them around.

 

Yesterday, as they drove around the city, Alan had been too exhausted to notice much of anything, but today he looked closely at the passing scenery. San José was very much a large urban area, with the traffic and smog to match, he realized. “You know, I haven’t traveled that much in Central America, but Costa Rica doesn’t fit the stereotype of the region at all.” The image he had received from the media was one of poverty and strife.

 

Joe nodded. “It’s not a rich country by American standards, but by Central American standards, it’s the model for the rest of the region,” Joe said. “They dissolved the army in 1949 after the civil war--”

 

“Except for the National Guard of course,” Ellie said; Alan’s run-in with them was still fresh in her mind.

 

“True,” Joe said. “Because they don’t have a large standing army, they can spend money on social services instead. You’ve already found out how good the medical care is.”

 

That was true, now that she thought about it; the hospital had been spotless, well staffed, and equipped.

 

“The country is pretty safe, pickpockets are a problem, especially in crowded areas, but that’s about the worst crime you’ll find.”

 

Alan would have to be careful with his wallet if they found themselves in such a situation. The last thing he needed was to get it stolen. “We’ll remember that.”

 

Joe nodded. “The roads could stand some work; a jeep or four-wheel drive is a necessity on many of the rural roads. Politically the country is stable. The president was instrumental in getting the Central American peace accords signed.”

 

“And was given the Nobel Peace Prize I recall,” Alan said.

 

“Right. He’s a good man, and I admire him very much. It’s a pity he can’t run again.”

 

“Term limits?” Ellie asked.

 

“Yeah, just like the US.”

 

Joe reminded Ellie of Alan when he was teaching or lecturing. He had the same sure way of imparting the facts. “You should be a teacher.”

 

Joe laughed. “Actually, I almost did become a history teacher, but my career went in a whole different direction. I’d still like to teach at some point.”

 

“You’d be a good one,” Ellie said. “You said a lot of American’s have moved here.”

 

Joe nodded. “Retirees and entrepreneurs mostly. The cost of living is much lower than in the states, so someone could move down here, buy property, and live very comfortably on Social Security. It’s also a very attractive area for people to come in and start a business; especially travel related ventures. For the last few years, the tourist industry has been their most lucrative business, even bigger than coffee production.”

 

 

Alan nodded. “Interesting.” He quickly glanced backwards towards Ellie, and their eyes met. Their earlier conversation mirrored what Joe had said. “Say, does New Zealand have an embassy here?”

 

“No, they don’t. Why?”

 

“Well, I have dual citizenship and I was hoping both countries could gang up on them and get us out of here.”

 

Joe chuckled. “Well, it was worth the thought. Alan, not to change the subject, but the Costa Ricans want to see you at ten tomorrow morning.”

 

Alan sighed. Until that moment, he had managed to put the meeting out of his mind. “Okay… Hey, I talked to Lynda Murphy last night,” Alan said keeping his voice low. “She’s almost finished with her divorce proceedings, so we’re keeping Lex and Tim until she wraps everything up.”

 

“That’s good of you to do that.”

 

Alan shrugged. “I don’t mind having them around; but don’t tell anybody—it’ll ruin my reputation.”

 

“Too late, I heard that,” Ellie said, patting him on the shoulder.

 

Alan slapped the armrest. “Damn.”

 

The three adults laughed as they pulled up to a guard station. “Well, we’re here,” Joe said. After showing his identification to the Marine on duty, he drove into the basement-parking garage of the embassy.

 

“Okay, let’s get that paperwork done,” Joe said as they walked to an elevator; after everyone had entered, he pushed the first floor button.

 

“I haven’t seen Muldoon or Gennaro around,” Alan said. “Olvera said they were staying at the hotel, right?"

 

“Yeah, they are. I was told they were going down to talk to Olvera this morning.”

 

“You know, you’d better put a handler on Gennaro. He’s liable to bolt,” Alan said.

 

“You think so?”

 

“Yeah, I do. He knows more about InGen than anyone; I bet they would love to get him out of the country. I’m sure he has a lot of contacts who would help him out—for the right price.” Alan wondered who would run the company now that Hammond was gone. Whoever it was had a mess on their hands.

 

“You might be right… I’ll mention your concerns to Pauley; unfortunately, we have restrictions on what we can do legally. This whole situation is one big fat mess; everybody’s trying to cover their rear ends. InGen is worried about the litigation they know will come from the victims and the Costa Rican government. Since it was an American company, Washington’s worried they’ll have to help pay for the cleanup. The Costa Ricans are terrified word will get out and their tourist industry will be damaged.”

 

“And we’re right in the middle,” Ellie said.

 

“Yeah, you are,” Joe said, a frown on his face.

 

The three fell into a gloomy silence; after a few seconds, the elevator opened into a large room. Separated by a long counter, the room looked to Alan like a typical government office.

 

“Alan, we’ll wait over there,” Ellie said as she pointed to some chairs in the waiting area.

 

“Okay.”

 

Ellie, Lex, and Tim hiked over and sat down in the chairs to await his return.

 

“Ellie, I don’t think I want to grow up—too many forms to fill out,” Lex said as she watched Alan approach the counter.

 

“Me either,” Tim said as he picked up a magazine from the coffee table.

 

Ellie laughed loudly. “Lex, I don’t blame you a bit, it’s a real pain sometimes.” She spotted a two-week-old Time on the table, and she picked it up and began to read. During the summer field season, with no television and only local radio stations, they all tended to become oblivious to the outside world. Someone occasionally brought a local paper back from town, but that mainly informed them of local news. It was only when they got back to Denver did they catch up with world events.

 

“Alan, while you’re filling out the paperwork, I’m going to check my messages, and call Pauley,” Joe said. “He wanted me to let him know when you got here.”

 

“Okay, we’ll be here.” He quickly filled out the forms, signed, and dated them, then took the documents back to the clerk.

 

 “Thank you, sir.” She looked at the name on the paper and smiled. “Oh yes, the Ambassador asked us to expedite your request. If you’ve made arrangements for the transfer, you should be able to withdraw funds tomorrow afternoon.”

 

“That’s being done this morning.”

 

“Excellent, have a good day, sir.”

 

Alan nodded, and walked over to where the others were sitting.

 

“All done?” Ellie asked.

 

“All done. We’re supposed to wait here for Joe; he was going to check in with the boss.” Alan sat down; picked up a magazine and began to read.

 

“Alan, Tim and I’ve decided we don’t want to grow up,” Lex said.

 

“Oh yeah, why not?” he asked curiously.

 

“There’s too much paperwork involved,” Tim said.

 

“I think you have the right idea,” he muttered under his breath.

 

The group was reading as Joe approached. “Well, if you’re ready, the Ambassador would like to say hello.”

 

“Lead on,” Alan said.

 

Joe led them back to the elevator and pressed the button for the ninth floor. Arriving at that floor, the door opened and they walked into a spacious reception area.

 

“Good morning, Joe,” the secretary said.

 

“Hi, Carla, the Ambassador wants to see me.”

 

“Right… I’ll tell him you’re here; he said you’d have guests.” The woman smiled at Alan and dialed an extension.

 

Drawn to a painting on the wall, Alan walked over to look closer at the artwork. He was no art expert, but the landscape was intriguing and beautiful.

 

Ellie saw the woman check him out as he walked, an appreciative smile on her face. You’re out of luck, she thought, he’s all mine. It had taken her a while to get used to the looks Alan received, and she had to admit she was possessive of him. With his trim figure, sharply drawn face, those intelligent, ever shifting blue eyes, and that wry ironic grin, it was no surprise that women were attracted to him, including some of his female students, she thought ruefully. To his credit, although he must have been aware of it, she had never seen him respond. She decided to have some fun, and she walked over to Alan, put her hand on his back, and caressed it, careful to avoid the bruised area. At the same time, she casually looked at the woman who frowned, then turned back to her work. Point made, she turned back to the painting. “It’s beautiful.”

 

“It is,” Alan said.

 

Joe had come over to look at the artwork as well. “This one is new, I don’t recognize the artist.”

 

“Joe, I’m shocked,” Alan said with a grin.

 

“Hey, I don’t know everything about Costa Rica,” he said.

 

Alan laughed and clapped him on the back.

 

“Well, here are our castaways,” Pauley said as he approached. “Good morning, everyone.”

 

“Ambassador,” Alan said, shaking his hand.

 

“You all look well.”

 

“We feel a lot better,” Alan said

 

“Joe said you had an idea about the US and New Zealand teaming up to help you out.”

 

“Unfortunately, I think I struck out on that idea.”

 

“Were you born there?”

 

Alan briefly gave him his background.

 

“Ah, I see,” Pauley said. “It’s a beautiful country. I took my family there on vacation once; the skiing on Coronet Peak is amazing.”

 

“That it is. I keep telling my friends back in Colorado that.” Alan chuckled. “Hey, thanks for loaning us Joe, he’s been a big help.” He started to ask if there were any new developments, but he knew what the answer would be.

 

“I’m glad to do that.” He looked at his watch, and sighed. “Well, I have to run to a meeting, I just wanted to say hello. Joe you’ll keep me up to date, right?”

 

“Yes, sir.”

 

I Wonder if the meeting has anything to do with us, Alan thought. I bet it does...

 

“Have a good day, folks,” Pauley said.

 

“You too, Ambassador,” Ellie said as he hurried away. She had a hunch the meeting might have something to do with the park disaster.

 

“Well, now that we have all the boring official stuff taken care of, is everybody ready to spend some money?”

 

“Yeah, might as well,” Alan said.

 

“Okay, let’s go hit the mall first,” Joe said.

 

“Oh, joy,” Alan muttered. Malls were possibly his least favorite man made place on earth.

 

“Shhh,” Ellie said with a chuckle as they walked into the elevator. They went down the elevator and out into the garage. Alan once again got in beside Joe, and Lex and Tim crawled back to the rear seat.

 

As they rode to the mall, Ellie found herself squinting out the window into the bright sunlight. “I need to get some sunglasses.” She had abandoned her sunglasses, along with the rest of her belongings in the rush to escape from the island.

 

“Yeah, I could use a new pair, too,” Alan said.

 

“Oh, yeah… Joe, do you know where a game store is?” Ellie asked. “I’d like to pick up a couple of things for Lex and Tim.”

 

“There’s a game and toy store next door to the bookstore.”

 

“Oh, good.”

 

The group fell silent and after several minutes, they pulled into the mall’s parking lot. Ellie had not known exactly what to expect, but from the outside, it looked like any other mall she had seen.

 

“The bookstore is down that way,” Joe said as they entered the mall.

 

They walked down the concourse until they came to the bookstore. His attention drawn to the game store next door, Tim looked at Ellie with begging eyes. “We’ll go there next,” Ellie assured him.

 

Tim’s face lit up with happiness. “Okay.”

 

As they entered the store, Joe stopped. “I think I’ll hang out at the magazines while you shop.”

 

Alan nodded. “I think I’ll head over there, too. Guys, pick out a book or two that you like,” Alan said to the two children.

 

“Okay, come on Lex,” Tim said as they scattered to look around.

 

“I’m going to go take a look at the guide books,” Ellie said.

 

Alan nodded and walked over to the magazine section with Joe. There was a surprisingly large selection and he selected several newsmagazines and a scientific journal as well. He next went over to the paper back section and was glad to see they had several Louis L'Amour books. He was a big fan of the author, and he was happy to find several stories he had not read. He decided to get one book; if they finished their books, they could always come back for more. Book and magazines in hand he went in search of Ellie.

 

 

 

Tim was not sure what kind of book he wanted, so he began to walk slowly up and down the aisles, until he came to the science fiction section. Although he was only in the fifth grade, he read at a much higher level and found children’s books boring. He looked at the titles, occasionally reading a summary on the back of one of the books. At last he chose one; as he walked back to find the others, he found himself in the reference section. He stopped suddenly when he spotted a large world atlas, an idea forming in his mind. Tim smiled to himself and pulled the book off the shelf. Too big for him to look at standing up, he sat down and opened the atlas across his lap. Looking in the table of contents, he saw a section on New Zealand. Eagerly he turned the pages to find what he was looking for.

 

 

 

There were several guidebooks about Costa Rica, Ellie observed. Searching for one specifically about San José, she took a book off the shelf and began to scan it, looking for information about museums and children’s activities in the city.

 

“May I help you with something?”

 

Ellie gasped, dropped the book, spun around, and unconsciously assumed a defensive position, prepared to defend herself from the unknown threat. She was embarrassed to realize it was a woman who had spoken.

 

“I’m very sorry Señora; I didn’t mean to startle you,” the woman said in surprise.

 

Alan walked around the corner to see Ellie jump back, her expression equal parts fear and alarm. “Ellie, honey, are you okay?” He went to her side and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

 

Ellie pressed her hand against her chest to steady her pounding heart, and then took a deep breath. “I’m sorry, I didn’t hear you come up,” she said to the woman.

 

The woman nodded slowly, and then picked up the book Ellie had dropped.

 

Ellie pressed on, trying to both calm herself and reassure the woman. “I’m looking for a guidebook on San José. Do you have any recommendations?”

 

The woman pulled a book off the shelf, and handed it to her. “I personally think the Frommer’s is the best one.”

 

“Well, then that’s the one I’ll get,” she said with what she hoped was a reassuring smile. To her relief the woman returned her smile.

 

“Very well, Señora. If you need any further assistance please let me know.”

 

“I will; thank you very much. I’m sorry I jumped like that.”

 

“That’s quite all right.”

 

As the woman walked off, Ellie sagged against Alan.

 

“Hey, what happened?”

 

“I don’t know,” she said softly. “One minute I was looking at the book, and then the next minute I was backed up against the bookshelf.” Bewildered, she shook her head, and then took another deep breath. “Well, now that my heart is beating normally, I think I can move again. What did you get?”

 

“I got a Time, a Newsweek, Scientific American, and…” he held up the paperback. He was not at all sure Ellie was okay. She was not the type easily startled or frightened, but what he had saw had gone far beyond that. He suspected her reaction was the direct result of their trauma, and he shuddered to think what other symptoms would appear… in all of them.

 

“Louis L'Amour, your favorite.”

 

He tried to shake off his mood. “Yep, do you want to get something else?”

 

“Yeah, I want to get something light to read.”

 

“Oh, you mean one of your bodice rippers?”

 

“Please, they’re called romances.” She liked nothing better than to grab a bowl of ice cream and a romance novel after a long grading session.

 

“Naw—Bodice rippers.”

 

“Oh, Alan,” she said, with a laugh as she smacked him on the arm.

 

Alan could tell his teasing had helped her relax, which had been the idea. Before he could say anything else, Lex approached.

 

“Hey there, did you find something to read?” Ellie asked.

 

“Yep.” Lex showed them the book she had selected.

 

“Good deal. Has anybody seen Tim?” Alan asked.

 

“I saw him in the back looking at something,” Lex said.

 

“I’ll go check on him.” He walked towards the back of the store. “Tim?” he called out.

 

“I’m over here.”

 

Alan wasn’t sure where the boy’s voice had come from. “Where’s here?”

 

“The third row.”

 

Alan found Tim sitting on the floor, a large atlas open on his lap.

 

Tim looked up and proudly smiled. “I know where New Zealand is.”

 

Alan grinned at the boy. “You do? That’s great.”

 

Tim clambered to his feet and showed Alan the map that he had been looking at. “New Zealand is really small.”

 

Alan put his hand under the atlas and held one side while they looked. “Uh huh, I told you it was.”

 

“There’s two islands, right?”

 

“Yep, the North Island and the South Island; I’m sure they thought long and hard to come up with the names.”

 

Tim giggled. “What city are you from?”

 

“I’m from Wellington; it’s the capital.”

 

Tim looked at the map and pointed. “Here it is.”

 

“Very good.”

 

Ellie and Lex found Alan and Tim engrossed in an atlas. “I bet you know where New Zealand is,” Ellie said.

 

“Yeah,” Tim said with a big smile.

 

“Great! Did you get a book to read?” Ellie asked.

 

“I got a science fiction book.”

 

“Good deal. Well, is everybody ready?” Alan asked as he put the atlas back on the shelf.

 

“I think we are,” Ellie said.

 

“Looks like a successful trip,” Joe said, as they walked up to him.

 

“I think these will keep us occupied for a bit,” Alan said.

 

They walked up to the checkout counter, and Ellie started to get out a credit card, but Alan gently put his hand over hers. “My turn.”

 

Ellie nodded and patted his hand. “Okay.”

 

Alan paid for the books and magazines, and the clerk packaged up the items.

 

“Can we go to the game store now?” Tim asked anxiously.

 

“That’s the next stop on the tour,” Joe said. He was disturbed to see Tim flinch at his words. “Tim, I’m sorry if I said something wrong.”

 

Tim shrugged. “It reminded me of what the man on the tour said…before the Rex came. I’m okay now.”

 

“All right, then.”

 

“What would you guys like to get?” Ellie asked, as they walked next door.

 

“Can we get a jigsaw puzzle?” Lex asked.

 

“Yeah, that would be fun,” Tim said.

 

“That’s an excellent idea.” Ellie thought a board game might be fun as well, but she knew Alan did not like them. She decided to suggest getting one anyway; maybe she could get him to play. “Do you guys like Monopoly?”

 

“Oh yeah, we do,” Lex said with a smile which quickly faded. “We haven’t played much lately, though.”

 

“Well, we’ll play with you, won’t we Alan?”

 

Ellie saw the look on Alan’s face and almost laughed; his expression was identical to when he had first seen the two children.

 

“Ellie,” he said firmly.

 

Ellie put her arm around his waist. “Humor me—it’ll be fun,” she whispered into his ear.

 

Alan grunted, and then slowly nodded. “All right, just this once,” he said, breaking into a smile; he had always had a hard time saying no to her.

 

 “Thank you,” she said as she gave him a kiss on the cheek.

 

A clerk approached them as they entered the store. “May I help you?”

 

“Yes, do you have an English version of Monopoly?” Ellie asked.

 

“Yes, we do; if you will please follow me.”

 

It had been years since Alan had been in a toy store and he was amazed at the variety of toys available, even here in Costa Rica. “I’m jealous. They didn’t have half this many toys and games when I was growing up.”

 

“Alan, was that during the Stone Age?” Lex asked.

 

“No Lex, that was during the Jurassic Age,” Tim said.

 

“Well, I never,” he said in mock outrage and gently grabbed the two chortling children around the neck, and then gave them an affectionate pat on the back.

 

“Here is the game you’re looking for, Señora,” the woman said, as she handed Ellie the box.

 

“This is exactly what we’re looking for,” Ellie said. “Gracias.”

 

Alan inwardly cringed as Ellie took the game; he hated board games with a passion; probably because he hated to lose. Oh well, he thought, he would survive this, too. “We’re also interested in a jigsaw puzzle.”

 

“Certainly, Señor, we have several. Please follow me,” the woman said with a smile. She led them to another section of the store where they found a large display of jigsaw puzzles.

 

“Lex, how about this one?” Tim asked, holding up a puzzle box.

 

“No, I don’t think I like that one. What about this one?” Lex held up a 1500 piece puzzle with a picture of several Labrador puppies.

 

“Oh, okay, that one’s neat,” Tim said. “We’d like this one.”

 

“How cute,” Ellie said. She turned towards the clerk and smiled. “I think we’re done.”

 

“Very good, Señora, I’ll check you out now, if you wish.”

 

“Thank you,” she said.

 

“You think between the books, games, and puzzles you’ll stay busy?” Ellie asked as they walked to the checkout counter.

 

“I think so,” Lex said.

 

“We’ll have to see what we can stir up here in the city, too,” Alan said.

 

“There are several museum’s in the city,” Joe said.

 

“Good, I was hoping there were some,” Ellie said.

 

“And we’ll get to swim—eventually,” Tim said.

 

“That’s right,” Ellie said.

 

Once again, Alan paid for the purchases. As they walked down the concourse, Alan realized he was getting hungry. “You guys want to get something to eat?”

 

“Yeah, that sounds good,” Ellie said.

 

“Me, too,” Lex said.

 

“I believe I could stand some nourishment, too,” Joe said. “There’s a food court of sorts at the other end of the mall, let's head down that way.”

 

Ellie began to smell food as they walked further down the concourse. “Something smells good.” She saw a dining area off to the side with tables and chairs. “Why don’t I grab us a table. We can unload our packages, and I’ll keep an eye on them. Alan, pick out something for me, okay?”

 

“Will do,” Alan said with a grin.

 

They deposited their packages around the table and Ellie sat down, grateful for the chance to get off her feet. The truth was she still felt weary and her thigh was beginning to ache again; she figured she needed one more good night’s sleep before she was fully back to normal. She could not tell about Alan’s back; so far, he seemed to be moving easily.

 

Alan looked at the menu posted on the wall, which was in Spanish. “Joe, I think we’re going to need a translator.” He understood a word here and there but that was all.

 

Joe chuckled. “No problem. I have no idea why this one area doesn’t have the menu in English, when the rest of the mall is geared towards Americans. It’s very strange.”

 

“What’s an empañadas?” Lex asked Joe, pronouncing the word slowly.

 

“Well, it’s like a turnover. You can get it stuffed with just about anything; meat, potatoes, cheese, beans.”

 

“Hmm,” she said. “Okay…”

 

“Patacones?” Alan asked.

 

“Plantain, sliced thin and fried.”

 

“Oh, okay, I’ve had that.” He and Ellie had gone to Jamaica earlier in the year on vacation and had a similar dish.

 

“What’s a plantain?” Tim said.

 

“It’s related to the banana plant,” Alan said. “It tastes like fried potatoes when it’s cooked like that.”

 

Tim pulled a face, which made the two men smile. “I tell you what, Tim, I’ll get an order, and you can try it out,” Alan said.

 

“Can I try it, too?” Lex asked.

 

“You sure can.”

 

Lex smiled sweetly. “Thanks, Alan.”

 

He did not quite know what to think about the crush Lex had on him, so he tried to ignore it.

 

“I bet I know something everybody will like; elote asado.”

 

“What’s that?” Tim asked.

 

“It's roasted corn on the cob, they also have it boiled, but I think roasted is better.”

 

“Now that sounds really good,” Tim said.

 

“Let me see, arroz con pollo—something with chicken right?” Alan asked.

 

“Right. Think chicken fried rice.”

 

Alan nodded. “Ahh, gotcha. That’s what I’ll get us, and we’ll split an order of the plantain, too.”

 

“I think I want one of those empañadas with meat and cheese, and some of the corn,” Tim said.

 

“I’d like the same, but without meat,” Lex said. “Can I get it stuffed with cheese and potatoes?”

 

“Sure, I’ll tell them that,” Joe said. “There’s one more thing you guys need to try; refrescos,” Joe said. “They are fantastic drinks; it’s a bit like a milk shake with fruit.”

 

Joe asked the woman working behind the counter a question, and she rapidly answered in Spanish. “She has mango, pineapple, papaya, and lemon flavors.”

 

“Okay, we’ll get one of those, too,” Alan said. "Two mangos for us."

 

“Lemon for me, please,” Lex said.

 

“Me, too,” Tim said.

 

Joe placed the order and told Alan how much it would be. Alan was still trying to get the hang of the currency; after a few moments, he handed him some money to pay for their meals. “You do it; the food will get cold by the time I get it sorted out,” Alan said.

 

Joe laughed, then paid and gave him the change. As they waited for the food, Alan looked over at Ellie and grinned. She wondered what he was going to get for her.

 

Soon the woman came back. “Señor?” she said to Joe. They went up to the counter to get their food; Joe said something in Spanish to the woman then turned to Lex. “This one’s for you, Lex—cheese and potatoes.” He handed the plate and drink to Lex.

 

“Thanks, Mr. Reiling.”

 

“Here you go, Tim,” Alan said, handing him his food and drink. There were no trays, so he would have to make two trips for their food.

 

“Okay, thanks,” Tim said. The two youngsters carried their plates and drinks to the table where Ellie waited.

 

Alan spotted a bottle of Salsa Lizano on the counter. That might be good on the chicken; it had been good on the Gallo Pinto, he thought. He knew Ellie would like some on her food, so he sprinkled some on both of their dishes. Afterwards, Alan carried the two plates to the table.

 

“Chicken fried rice?” Ellie asked.

 

“Sort of. That’s not all, I’ll be right back,” he said with a mysterious smile. Ellie wondered what he was up to.

 

Alan returned to the counter and picked up the plantain dish along with their drinks, then walked back to the table. “Remember this?” he asked, as he set the dish on the table between them.

 

Ellie looked at the dish, and laughed, then looked up with a fond smile of remembrance. “I sure do.” It had been a wonderful trip, just the two of them, without a care in the world. They had snorkeled, and lay on the beach for hours at a time. Although they had spent the Christmas holidays with her family; that trip, coming six months after they had come together romantically, had been the first one they had taken that was not business related. She had called it their “six month anniversary trip.”

 

Tim looked at the plantains, a skeptical look on his face.

 

“Want to try one?” Alan asked.

 

“I guess so,” Tim said hesitantly.

 

“Go ahead; you too, Lex.”

 

Tim reluctantly took a slice; Lex was a little less hesitant; Alan noticed.

 

Alan glanced at the two other adults at the other table; they were both watching the children. They took small bites and chewed for a moment, then suddenly looked up as one, smiling broadly. “Hey, that’s good!” Tim said.

 

“Oh, wow, that’s fantastic,” Lex said.

 

“See, I told you. You want an order?” Alan asked.

 

“Tim, want to share an order?” she asked.

 

“Yeah, that would be great, Tim responded.

 

“I’ll get it. I want to try out my Spanish,” Alan said. He stood up too fast, and winced as his back suddenly tightened up.

 

Ellie noticed the wince but did not say anything; she knew he hated to be babied. She watched him walk to the counter, his posture stiffer than normal.

 

“His back’s still bothering him, isn’t it?” Joe asked.

 

“Yeah, more than he’s letting on. I just hope it’s not worse than a bruise.”

 

“Hopefully he’ll go back to the doctor if it is.”

 

When hell freezes over, she thought, as she watched Alan gesture to the woman and point to the menu.

 

“You think he can pull it off?” he said.

 

“I wouldn’t bet against him.”

 

A few minutes later Alan came back with a plate of plantain, a big smile on his face. “Here you go guys.” He set the plate before Lex and Tim.

 

"Wow, thanks, Alan," Lex said.

 

"Anytime kiddo," Alan said.

 

They all settled down and began to eat in earnest. The food was filling, and the refrescos delicious.

 

“Ellie, when we go to the grocery store can we get some of these plantain things?” Tim asked.

 

“We sure can,” Ellie said.

 

“They make them a lot of different ways here,” Joe said. “Baked, fried, mashed; probably other ways, too.”

 

“They have a lot of potassium, too,” Ellie said.

 

“Really? I wonder if you can buy them back home?” Lex asked.

 

“Maybe so,” Ellie said. “It would be worth trying to find, wouldn’t it.”

 

“Yeah, definitely.”

 

They finished their meals and picked up their packages, and retraced their steps back to the exit of the mall; then climbed in with their bags for the drive to the grocery store.

 

“I think I’ll ride with you this time,” Alan said to Ellie. He sat down in the middle seat, and Alan put his arm around her shoulders.

 

“Well, to what do I owe this honor?” she asked

 

“Oh, I just thought I’d ride with my lady,” he said, giving her a kiss on the forehead.

 

Ellie knew why he wanted to sit with her. “Hey, I’m okay,” she said as she patted him on the leg. “It was just a momentary thing.” She was not sure that was right, though; the truth was she had felt jumpy and uneasy since they had arrived on the mainland. She did not want Alan to have to worry about her; he had enough on his plate without that.

 

The episode in the bookstore had scared him more than he wanted to admit. He was worried about her; he was worried about all of them, but he was at a loss about what to do other than put as little stress on her as possible.

 

 

 

The group walked to their van, their grocery shopping completed. There was storage space in the back of the van, and they began to transfer the sacks from the cart, and then everyone climbed into the van.

 

The grocery store was modern and well stocked, and the bill was reasonable for the amount of food they had bought, Ellie thought. As a bonus, the money Joe had loaned them more than covered it with some left over. She felt confident about the meals they had to feed the kids, especially Lex. She might have to prepare an extra vegetable dish or two for her, but everything else would remain pretty much the same. She opened a small sack and pulled out the two new pair of sunglasses she and Alan had bought. “Alan, here’s your sunglasses,” she said. She peeled the price sticker off hers and wiped the lenses off. “Much better,” she said as she put them on.

 

“Thanks.” He did as Ellie had done and put his on. “Now if I just had my hat,” he complained.

 

Joe laughed. “What happened to it?” He saw Alan’s smile fade.

 

“I lost it,” Alan said.