Out of the Shadows (21 page)

EPILOGUE

Six years later...

T
HE
TWIN
-
ENGINE
PLANE
slowed almost to a stop on Namanga’s grassy airfield before turning to taxi toward a group of people waiting near the small building that now served as the office. Next to the new building were twin metal hangars, large enough to hold small aircraft. Other subtle improvements were also evident. Indeed, the field was more level and well tended. A series of floodlights were periodically spaced along the sides of the grassy area, making nighttime landings possible.

A huge smile crossed Leslie’s face as she waved to Paul, Judy and the others. Paul’s head was now almost completely bald and his beard mostly gray. Otherwise, he hadn’t changed at all since she’d first seen him. Likewise, with crinkling, smiling eyes, petite build and short blond hair, Judy was much the same. Leslie barely recognized the three children, however, even though she had seen them only eighteen months before when the Merdian family had visited Colorado. Johnny was now almost fourteen, and Beth twelve. Both were gangly adolescents with bony knees and elbows and big smiles. Little Stephen—she still thought of him as little even though he was eight—was standing nearby, anxious to get a closer look at the plane and its occupants.

Naomi and Titus seemed ageless. Both had short gray hair and clear, lineless faces. And both were smiling broadly, eager to welcome the Murphy family.

The others, two men and a woman, were also waving enthusiastically. They stood a little removed to allow the old friends a few minutes to reunite first. Leslie had met each several times, both in the U.S. when they were first hired and here in Africa on a previous visit, and she was eager to learn how they were faring. Finally, standing slightly apart but impossible to miss, was Simon. In honor of the occasion, he was dressed as she had first seen him: draped in a bloodred tunic, complete with beaded collar, claw necklace and eight-foot spear.

As the plane rolled to a stop, the propellers ceased and the doors flew open. Ben hopped out of the cockpit, and a tall, lanky five-year-old boy with blond hair scrambled down after him, not needing or wanting help. Ben rounded the plane to assist the remaining occupants. First he lifted out four-year-old Anna Jo. Like her mother, Anna Jo had big blue eyes and a head full of curly brown hair that was loosely tied back in a messy ponytail. He set her on her feet where she stood close to her brother, more than a little shy as she gazed at the people nearby.

Ben reached back into the plane and took Gracie, the toddler, from her mother’s arms. Like her sister, Gracie had curly brown hair, but to Leslie’s delight, she had inherited her father’s pale green eyes. Ben placed Gracie on her feet and then reached up to catch Leslie, who needed little help as she jumped down, eager to greet each member of the waiting group. Happy cries and welcoming hugs ensued as the Merdian family and Naomi and Titus reunited with the Murphy clan.

Through the initial gathering, Simon stayed removed, waiting. This was Ben’s first return to Kenya since the assassination attempt, and he hadn’t seen Simon since the day he was so severely injured. The rest of the group quieted and observed in silence as Ben put his hand on the shoulder of his young son and led him to the periphery of the field where the Masai giant stood. Ben and Simon faced each other without expression, and Leslie was reminded of the times when she had thought the two seemed to communicate telepathically. Ben finally said something and reached down to pat the boy’s head and spoke again. The boy, in turn, lifted his small hand. To his credit, he did not flinch or look frightened, although, as Leslie was well aware, Simon’s appearance was fearsome to anyone seeing him for the first time.

Simon took the boy’s small hand with both of his huge ones and said something in reply. Not surprisingly, the child’s voice was a little hesitant as he spoke to the man in Swahili. The trio stood for another long minute, simply looking at one another. And then, in unison, the two men grinned and gripped each other in a monstrous hug. They pulled the boy in with them. He was lifted into Simon’s arms and held for a span before being let back down to the ground.

“Okay. What was that all about?” Jake Davies asked. Jake and his wife, Tiffany, had joined the foundation a few years before. Like Leslie, Tiffany was a nurse-practitioner, and she now worked with Naomi to operate the Namanga Clinic. Jake was a paramedic and pilot, and in that capacity was able to act as a first responder and air ambulance operator.

“I’ve never seen a Masai that demonstrative,” noted Will Schumann. Will was also a pilot and a mechanic. He had joined the foundation the year before to assist with coordinating supplies, ferrying patients to the clinics or practitioners to the patients as needed.

Paul, Judy and Leslie looked at each other. “That was a ceremony of sorts,” Paul explained. “You see, years ago, Simon saved Ben’s life, making Ben obligated to him. It also makes Simon part of Ben’s family. So, following a local tradition, Ben’s first son is also Simon’s ‘son’ or ‘nephew’—the word and connotation are very similar. Simon was just introduced to his namesake. The boy is Simon
Paul
Murphy.” He grinned then, emphasizing the middle name. “See, I’m kind of part of the family, too.”

Over the next few minutes, the friends mingled. Eventually, they separated along gender lines, with the women grouping together on one part of the field and the men together nearby. Simon Paul and Anna Jo accompanied Beth, Johnny and Stephen as they explored the office and hangars along the airfield.

“How is Mama Joe’s health?” asked Naomi, who had joined Leslie, Judy and Tiffany.

“She’s completely recovered from the stroke that sent her home four years ago,” said Leslie. “I think that was actually a positive thing, in that she wanted to be near her family. Plus, it’s given the foundation the perfect spokesperson. I know she misses the field, but she’s a terrific public speaker. That, coupled with her aptitude for effectively badgering wealthy donors, has helped us more than double our original endowment.”

The Carpenter-MacDonald East African Health Foundation was now six years old and was becoming well-known in the region for providing high-quality health care to the people in rural villages. After the first couple of years, the foundation had expanded from Kenya into neighboring Tanzania, and they were in the process of starting two clinics in Sudan. Altogether, ten clinics were in operation, with plans for three more in the next few years.

Initially Leslie had headed the foundation, but as their family grew, she turned the day-to-day administration over to others. Her primary responsibility now involved working with medical schools and nursing schools in several states to recruit students and faculty willing to donate a year of service in the clinics while having all of their expenses paid. Response from students and faculty had been tremendous, and now there were waiting lists of people eager to participate. Through the years, several of the students had chosen to stay past their committed time and, with the support of the Carpenter-MacDonald Foundation, had opened clinics of their own.

Leslie continued, “Mama Joe was sorry she couldn’t be with us for the first part of the trip, but she’ll be here next week. There was a big engagement she really couldn’t miss. Her goal is to raise another quarter-million this month!”

Tiffany glanced over to where the men had congregated around the plane Ben had ferried to Namanga. “Jake has been really anxious for you to get here. He’s been like a kid at Christmas waiting for that plane!”

Leslie laughed. “Ben and I have both been really eager to come back—together, finally!” Although this was Leslie’s third trip back to Kenya, it was the first time the Pentagon had approved Ben’s return. They believed that pretty much everyone who’d had contact with Ben years ago had been removed, so it was finally safe for him. “Bringing the new plane gave him an excuse,” Leslie said.

Judy tugged at Leslie’s hand, and her attention moved to her old friend. “Here, let me hold Gracie.” Judy took the toddler from her mother and kissed the baby’s hair. “She was only a couple of months old when we visited you last year. And I can’t believe how much Simon Paul has grown—and how much he resembles his father!”

Leslie nodded and looked across the field to where Simon Paul was running around the hangar with Stephen. “Except that he has my eyes, he could be a Ben replay. It’s almost eerie.” She shook her head in mock frustration. “And there’s no doubt he has Ben’s language gene! His Swahili is much better than mine. Of course, Ben has taught him phrases since before he could walk. And did I tell you he speaks Spanish to the lady who cleans for me every week?”

“But Anna Jo is like you, isn’t she?”

“Not really. She looks like me, but she’s the one who won’t let Ben fly without wanting to go along. She just turned four and can already name the instruments on the flight panel. Most kids that age can’t tie their shoes, and she can set an altimeter. That’s how she learned numbers.”

Naomi laughed. “What about Gracie?”

“Maybe that one is mine.” Leslie smiled at the toddler in Judy’s arms. “She loves to play with her dolls—she calls them her babies—and she always wants to take care of them. She’s a natural-born nurse!”

On the other side of the field, the men were talking animatedly. Jake ran his hand admiringly across the fuselage of the new plane and said to Ben, “It’s great to finally meet you. You’re kind of a legend around here, and I’m looking forward to getting twin-engine instruction from you.” He gestured toward one of the planes housed in the new hangar. “I’ve been flying the Piper Cherokee that we’ll be taking to the clinic in Tanzania. This baby will be a perfect replacement to use as an air ambulance and to ferry people and supplies among all of the clinics.”

Will joined in the conversation. “I mostly fly the Skylane, but like Jake, I’d love to fly with you and get some twin-engine time. I’ve never had a chance to fly a Cessna 340. Perhaps we can take her over toward Tsavo while you’re here?”

“That’ll be great,” Ben answered. “We’ll be here a couple of weeks. That should give you both plenty of twin-engine time.”

“Anytime, sir, anytime,” Jake replied, looking a little self-conscious. “Just let us know when you can go up, and we’ll be available.” Clearing his throat, he asked, “Um, by the way, what should we call you? Doctor, or Colonel?”

Ben chuckled and slapped the young man companionably across the shoulders. “Neither,” he replied. “Call me Ben.”

* * *

L
ATE
THAT
AFTERNOON
, Ben and Leslie finally found themselves alone, sitting in a swing on the screened porch of the clinic building. Naomi and Titus had taken Gracie to their home for a nap, and Anna Jo had gone home with Paul and Judy to be watched over by Beth. They would pick her up later that evening when they drove to the Merdians’ for dinner.

At the far side of the large, walled yard, Simon Paul was receiving his first lesson on how to throw a spear from his surrogate uncle. It was fascinating to Ben and Leslie to watch the small boy interact so easily with the tall man. After his initial caution, Simon Paul was remarkably at ease with the Masai warrior, and as Leslie had explained to Judy, he was able to communicate surprisingly well in Swahili.

Beside her on the swing, Ben chuckled. She intertwined her fingers with his, laid her head on his shoulder and glanced up at him. “What’s funny?”

“Watching Simon with that spear reminded me of something.” His turned to look at her. “Do you remember that night here in the kitchen when we ate chocolate sundaes?”

She nodded. “Of course.”

“Do you recall the story I told you about hunting for the rock python and Simon’s brother killing it?”

“Sure, I remember.” Leslie grinned. “You told me you were disappointed because when you cut it open, there was no gold.”

“Yeah, that’s the story.” He searched the depths of her blue eyes and saw only joy. There were no more shadows, and he realized there hadn’t been in a long time. “It just occurred to me that I was wrong—about the gold, I mean.” His eyes were eloquent as he kissed her tenderly. “I did find gold here—it just had nothing to do with that gigantic snake.” He paused a bit, and when he continued, his voice was rough with emotion. “In truth, I didn’t just find gold—I found the mother lode.”

Leslie wrapped her arms around his neck and whispered, “I love you, Ben Murphy.”

“I know,” he answered. He buried his face in her hair and said, “That’s what I’m talking about.”

* * * * *

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