AFTER I DECIDED TO GO, the group sprang into action. Mr. Dawson ran off to make travel plans for me. Getting a last-minute plane to Peru wasn’t an easy feat, especially since I needed to get on Muraco’s flight. I didn’t much care if I had to sit in the cargo hold. Now that I was going, I wanted to get there. Right away.
Then Meredith brought up the fact that I had nothing to wear but cut off skirts, flip-flops, and peasant shirts. I’d been in such a rush to leave the compound that I’d only brought essentials. Shopping was the last thing I wanted to be doing. I needed to spend as much time with my brother as possible before I left, but I had to be prepared for this trip. I couldn’t hike the Andes in worn-through leather sandals.
After a quick trip into town, I had a fancy new backpack, ru
