Unbroken Love

Chapter 21-1

Chapter 21

Atwood House

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

8:09 a.m.

Alistair halted in the middle of the room.

He looked at his Patek Philipe watch and at the bed, frowning. He had not gotten the wrong impression. It really was Sophia’s body under the covers, still soundly asleep.

He threw his jacket on the armchair and in two steps had a hand over her forehead. She was not sweating, or feverish. She was looking utterly fresh, with her dark-red lips slightly parted in breathing.

He shook her shoulder gently. “Beauty. Wake up.”

She inhaled deeply and half opened her eyes, closing them again. “What time is it? I’m sleepy.”

“Time to wake up, sweetheart,” he sat patiently at the edge of the bed, running his fingers through her long hair. He loved the silky feeling and the raven color of it. “Both you and I have therapy sessions in an hour and you are still disheveled.”

She smiled at his teasing. “I was having such a nice dream.”

He let out a deep laugh as if he knew she had been dreaming about him. “I want to hear all about your dream later, but you have to get up. Now.”

She crinkled her nose at him, but complied. Stretching her arms over her head and giving her head a brisk shake, Sophia opened more alert eyes to see him smiling down at her smugly. She rolled her eyes at her husband. “Lord I’m-so-handsome-and-I-know-it.”

His smile turned into a smug grin as he threw back the covers and took her in his arms to her bathroom. “At your service, Marchioness.”

London, Heathrow Airport, On the tarmac

By Ethan Ashford’s G650

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

9:24 a.m.

I love this little girl and this big man. I love that he cares about her as if she were his own flesh and blood and that she adores him. I love the passionate effect he has on me and I have on him. Sophia’s feelings were so overwhelming that it hurt her to leave Alistair and Gabriela, but she knew that the three of them belonged to each other and that it would just be a matter of days. She squeezed her daughter between herself and Alistair as his hands roamed over her back, trying to infuse some certainty into her.

“Mama, bring me a doll with a sari, please,” Gabriela asked as Sophia passed her to Alistair’s arms.

“I’ll bring you many presents. Be a good girl. Obey Alice when you’re with her and don’t have any more flour fights, okay?”

“Oh…” Gabriela blushed, as if she had been thinking of doing exactly this. Then she bobbed her head. “Okay, Mamãe. I’ll be a good girl.”

“Don’t keep calling Alistair Connor when he’s working, you’ll disturb him. Call only if you need, all right?” You’ve said enough, Sophia. Gabriela is a good girl.

“She never disturbs me, Sophia. She’s my Fairy.” Alistair turned to Ethan. With a serious tone, he said, “Ashford, you take care of my wife.” She’s mine, you bastard.

I will. She’s my best friend. “I will, MacCraig, don’t worry. You have one more minute, Sophia,” Ethan informed before he followed Ashley, Zahira, and Scott up the stairs and inside the plane, leaving them alone to say a last goodbye.

“Enjoy your trip, Mamãe,” said Gabriela.

“I will. I love you, Angel,” she replied, and kissed both of her cheeks again. Turning to Alistair, she embraced his waist, “I love you, Alistair Connor. I’ll miss you both a lot.” She was almost giving up the whole idea of going to India.

I love you too. “Go. And come back quick.” He kissed her on her lips lightly. I’ll miss you too. More than you can imagine.

On her tip-toes, she glued her closed lips to his, feverishly. Don’t be silly, Sophia. You’re a grown woman.

Without a word, she turned and ran up the stairs, her light pink overcoat billowing behind her. She turned to wave a hasty goodbye, before ducking inside the plane.

Alistair stayed a minute more where he was, too stunned by the fierce emotions that gripped him.

It seemed to him she had just ripped his heart away from his chest and left it wide open.

India, On the outskirts of Delhi

Sophia Leibowitz Foundation

Friday, March 3, 2011

8:53 a.m.

The region of Delhi had always been an important political hub tracing its roots to the sixth-century BC. In contrast to Old Delhi, once the capital of Islamic India, the imperial city of New Delhi created by the British Raj was composed of spacious, tree-lined avenues and imposing government buildings but Ethan didn’t see any of it.

His pace became more stiffened as they approached the austere building on the outskirts of Delhi where some abused orphans were already living. He looked at Sophia with a strained smile on his face, gripped her hand and squeezed it so hard that it hurt. “This will be quick, won’t it?”

“Yes. I just want to meet the children.”

He nodded and his steps became even more brisk. It was clear he was eager to be done with this place and go somewhere else. Sophia couldn’t understand why he was forcing himself to do so.

“I have been wondering when I should take Gabriela to one of the volunteer centers in the UK,” she told him, not noticing his wide eyes. “Volunteering with children is a great way to help them learn about giving back. Another benefit of volunteering is that children learn that they are needed and there are others with greater needs than them. Consequently, the children also have an opportunity to remember what they have to be thankful for.”

Jesus! “How old is Gabriela?” he asked.

“She is almost five. I’ll wait a few years more,” she chuckled. “Children need to have a bit of maturity to deal with such things.”

“Sometimes you scare me, Sophia.”

Zahira pushed open a door to the indoor patio where dozens of children stood in lines, clad in white and beige uniforms supervised by a smiling teacher.

“There are so…” many.

The shocked whisper that left Ethan’s mouth called Ashley’s attention, who said, “We are expecting more soon.”

“These are just the ones that are of school age,” Zahira explained. “We already have more at the nursery.”

Oh, Jesus. I don’t have enough money.

They turned to leave after a few minutes of introduction and polite greetings from the children. Exactly when Ashley was closing the door, a loud pang and a painful cry were followed by chortles.

Sophia turned and slowly widened the door, searching for the problem. A very thin and small boy was on his knees crying, while the teacher was berating two older boys for pushing him.

She walked across the patio and knelt by the kid, helping him sit up. “Hi, I’m Sophia. What’s your name?”

“Aadi Adani,” he said glumly and looked at her with his beautiful black eyes, his slick brown-black hair falling over his forehead.

Sophia put a hand under his chin, eyeing him. There was a fresh oozing cut on his chin and she could see under his light milk-chocolate skin the fading bruises on the left side of his face. “Aadi—”

“What happened here?” asked Ethan in an angry voice, as he saw the boy had been beaten recently.

Aadi looked uncertainly at Sophia, who whispered, “Answer him. With the truth.”

“Is-is he going to-to beat me-me?” the boy stammered. “I-I did no-nothing wrong.”

Oh, my. Sophia rose and took out Ethan’s handkerchief from his jacket pocket. She helped Aadi to his feet and pressed it against the cut.

Staring fixedly at Ethan, she said, “Aadi Adani, this is Ethan Ashford. As you know, he’s my partner here at the Foundation. He’ll not beat you. But he will certainly make sure you’re not beaten or bullied anymore. By anyone. Because he cares; because he understands.”

Sophia! Under Ethan’s tanned skin a slight flush appeared and he remained speechless and motionless as if struck by lightning. And what am I supposed to do now? If I were this boy’s father what would I say?

Oh, God, Ethan! Do something, show a little love, be a role model. You can. “Aadi, why don’t you start by shaking hands with Mr. Ashford?”

In just few seconds, Ethan’s lonely and wasted childhood passed in front of his eyes. His throat closed when he thought of how much it would have meant to him if someone had reached out to him when he was a child, scared, alone, and bullied. What would a father say?

Ethan stretched out his hand automatically.

Aadi’s face opened on a beautiful smile. “How do you do, Mr. Ashford?”

A father—a male role model—would protect, support, encourage, and love. Everything you ever wanted, but never got. For a moment, Ethan’s face contorted in a grimace then he resolved to be that person for the frail child standing in front of him, still trembling and unsure. Ethan smiled and enveloped Aadi’s small hand, shaking it strongly.

The soft touch of the child’s hand unfastened the rustic chords of Ethan’s heart and an extraordinarily moving symphony resonated inside his soul.

In that moment, with that single contact, Ethan was converted to the ethos of love.

Make a difference, Ashford. He gazed at the boy and spoke firmly, “How do you do, Aadi. You look like a very intelligent boy. I’m sure you help the others with their homework, don’t you?”

“I—” The little boy looked perplexed at Ethan for a second before his smile grew and he bobbed his head. “I do, sir. I like to study.”

“That’s very good. You know I was thin too. Now, I’m strong and intelligent.” Ethan put his hand on the boy’s shoulder. “Let’s take care of this cut and you can tell me more about your studies.”

Outside Sophia Leibowitz Foundation

1:23 p.m.

Ethan looked at Sophia still stunned at his reaction with Aadi. “I—I felt like I was doing something useful, making a difference in the lives of those vulnerable children.”

It was touching, Ethan. “Volunteer work has always been important to me, and it has helped me decide where I would place my efforts. When I worked with congressmen, I was there to help the abused women and children speak for themselves and sometimes to speak on their behalf, always making sure they had a voice in the law-making process. That was one of the most satisfying things I ever did. There’s a lot you can do, Ethan. A lot.” It will help you so much, my dear.

Ethan entered the car after Sophia, startled by the fact that there was no lack of love in him. He thought it was sad that he discovered it only in that moment of his life, but it was worth it.

As the car drove through the crowded streets of Delhi, he mulled over the futilities and capabilities of his existence; that his being a person of a solitary disposition had not always been a matter of his choice.

Until now.

“Sophia?”

She looked at his face, reading the mixed feelings running rampant over it. “Yes?”

“Do you…can I…that kid—” Ethan didn’t know exactly how to name his emotions. He shook his head, a bit lost inside his new self; this new soul that was unfolding within him, seeking compassion and empathy to rip away his dark veils of solitude, like a miracle of nature. “I don’t know.”

“Ethan, with every new woman and child I help, I try to gather the pieces of such wordless pain and horror into an understanding verity. That only ends up in taking me one step forward and two steps back in solving the way out this unloving labyrinth. Maybe one day I’ll find the way out before the Minotaur eats us all. Until then, I take solace in helping and seeing unsmiling, sad faces learn to smile again.”

The Amam

Saturday, March 5, 2011

3:43 p.m.

In the heart of Delhi, the extravagant hotel was booked almost entirely for the foundation. Scott had arranged for three of the twenty-eight deluxe suites to be turned into private offices and meeting rooms, while Sophia and Ethan were booked into two others, with Zahira, Ashley, and Scott between them. The rest of the group was staying in regular rooms that were equally and elegantly furbished.

The Amam had been chosen because of its contemporary architecture with Indian touches; exactly what Sophia had in mind for her foundation’s principles there. She knew the approach would be difficult for many volunteers if they didn’t understand India’s ancient culture which was rooted in its people. They had to keep in mind and embrace these differences.

That was what she wanted to emphasize one last time with the volunteers that had come from London, before their dinner with the Indian donors and supporters.

Sophia had fallen in love with India when she first visited with Gabriel: its captivating ancient monuments, magnificent museums, yummiest places to eat, and vivacious performing arts. But with its tenacious touts and the crush of mechanical and human traffic, the multidimensional metropolis could be downright confronting and confounding.