26Tendra scampered freely down the rough terrain that was so familiar to her. Karma walked beside me. She still had a haunted look on her thin face, as she pulled at the necklace she wore, two red beads on a bit of thick twine.
Even though it snowed a lot, the way down seemed easier than the way up, like vacations go faster once you passed the halfway mark. Or life gets faster as you get older. Mom always complained about the years getting shorter. Grandma Z liked to say, “Pretty soon, it feels like you’re having breakfast every twenty minutes.”
I counted the days until I’d see Javi. I hoped they would go quickly. I hiked faster than ever, as if I could get home sooner. Mom had to pick up the pace to keep up with Lama and the girls and me, which was probably difficult, as she was carryin
