Heaven Sent by Rochelle Alers Page B

leaning closer and placing a light kiss on his forehead.
    “Sleep well, David,” she whispered softly, then walked out of the room.
    Serena returned to the kitchen, smiling at Luz Maria.“He ate all of the soup, but only drank half of the tea,” she informed the cook.
    Luz Maria took the tray from Serena, returning her smile. “That’s okay. I made the tea a little stronger this time. He only needed to drink a little bit. Is he complaining about pain?”
    “No.”
    “Good.” Her tea, with its natural anesthetizing properties, dulled intense pain almost immediately while causing one to fall into a deep sleep. It contained a popular herb used by Costa Rican natives for many centuries to counter infections that attacked the body.
    “Are you ready to eat?”
    Serena nodded, sitting down at a massive mahogany table that had been crafted more than a hundred years before. The skilled furniture maker had carved his name and the date on the underside of the table.
    She watched Luz Maria as she spooned a portion of soup into a bowl. The talented cook was tiny, barely five-feet in height, and weighed about one hundred pounds, and even though she prepared exquisite meals for her employer and his family she made it a practice not to eat any meat. On occasion she consumed a small amount of chicken. However, she much preferred fish and the vegetables indigenous to the region.
    Serena looked forward to eating
casabe, yautía
, and
plátanos
whenever she returned to the Central American country. She liked
plátanos
, or bananas, whether they were green or ripe. Luz Maria placed a bowl of soup on the table, along with a small dish filled with
plátano maduro
. The aroma of the lightly fried, yellow bananas wafted above the other tantalizing smells in the large kitchen.
    “Will your papa and mother return in time to sharedinner with your guest tonight?” Luz questioned, waiting until after Serena had swallowed several spoonfuls of soup.
    “No. It will be Dr. Rivera and myself. My parents are going to stay in San José for a few days. They went to meet with President Montalvo and the ambassador from the United States.”
    Luz Maria crossed herself, saying a silent prayer. When she heard of Gabriel Vega’s arrest she’d begun a daily novena of lighting candles and saying prayers for his return. She could not believe he had killed anyone. She’d watched Gabriel Diego Vega grow up, and everyone who met him was taken with his gentleness and sincerity. She, like Raul Cordero-Vega, believed the people in the United States had falsely accused Gabriel of a crime he did not commit.
    Serena saw Luz Maria cross herself, knowing that the older woman had erected a shrine in her bedroom for her brother. Caring for David Cole helped to lessen her own heartache. She did not have to spend all of her waking hours thinking or crying now.
    She finished her lunch, thanked Luz Maria, then retreated to her room. She wanted to go for a walk but decided against it. The daytime temperature had gone over the ninety degree mark, making the intense heat dangerous for anyone who remained outdoors longer than necessary.
    It was time for
siesta
. She would wait for the early evening to walk down to the river. After her walk she would prepare herself to share dinner with Leandro Rivera.
    Removing her sandals, blouse, slacks, and underwear, she pulled a short shift over her head, then lay down on the bed. She stared up at the mosquito netting shroudingthe large, four-poster bed. Warm breezes swept into the bedroom and over her exposed limbs from the open French doors leading out to the second-story veranda. Her thoughts strayed to Gabe as she willed herself not to cry. She was unsuccessful. The tears welling up behind her lids overflowed and stained her cheeks. Turning her face into the pillow, she cried silently until spent. Then she fell asleep.
    David stared up at Dr. Leandro Rivera as the doctor examined his face. “It’s healing nicely, Señor