One Face in a Million Book 1: Mu Shangaaniana. William Bond
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more conversation, and Antonio indicated that he liked school, but he disclosed that he might have to attend a different school if he needed to remain with his grandparents for any length of time. Christine also talked about some of her own experiences in school, and the boy seemed especially fascinated by the idea of a boarding school and by the long journey which she had to make when she was going from home to school or vice versa.
For a while, they talked about various things that Antonio liked to do, but his yawning had suggested that he was growing sleepy. When she asked if he would like to rest a bit, he positioned himself so that he could place his head on her lap, and within a short time she sensed that her young companion was fast asleep.
It was the first time anyone had placed their head in her lap, and she realized that she enjoyed running her fingers gently through the boy’s dark hair. If she enjoyed this kind of contact with a child, she wondered how much more enjoyable it would be with someone like Jim Pearson. Before long, she was entertaining other ideas about Jim. Was it wrong to engage in such fantasies? Who knew? Thoughts of intimacy with Jim seemed to come out of nowhere, but in truth, she did not try to suppress such daydreams.
After some time had passed, the brakeman announced to her that the next stop would be Manhica. When Christine felt that the train would soon be at the depot, she awakened Antonio. After the train had come to a complete stop, she and the brakeman helped to get the boy and his luggage off the caboose. She also got off the train and stayed close to the boy. For a few long moments, she wondered what would happen if no one came to meet him.
Would he just be left to fend for himself in a dark and lonely depot, or was she expected to remain with him even if the train continued on its way? She checked her pocket and saw that Antonio’s father had given her a generous amount of currency. It was probably enough to pay for one night at a hotel. Was she expected to do that? Had she made a mistake in taking responsibility for the young lad?
Suddenly, from the distance she could hear someone calling out, “Tonio. Tonio.” Antonio recognized the voice, and he acknowledged that it was his grandfather. “Here I am,” he cried out in Portuguese.
Christine, the boy, and the brakeman headed toward the depot where the grandfather stood in a well-lit area. Had it not been for the brakeman’s lantern, the walk to the depot might have been hazardous. When the grandfather saw them coming, he advanced toward them.
He soon embraced his grandson and expressed great gratitude to the ones who had brought him safely to his destination. Christine exchanged handshakes with the grandfather, and after she had hugged her young friend farewell, she and the brakeman walked back to the end of the train where she again accepted the brakeman’s assistance as she boarded the caboose.
Several minutes after she had returned to her seat, the brakeman boarded the caboose, and the train commenced to move. They soon passed the depot, but the boy and his grandfather were not to be seen. In a short time, the lights in Manhica receded into the distance, and the train resumed a measure of speed as it was taking them through the darkness toward a still-distant destination. As Christine stared through a window into the darkness, there was scarcely a light to be seen. She did not like traveling alone like this.
She felt like she could be the victim of something terrible on this long journey. The wrong kind of man could take advantage of her right here in this dark and lonely caboose. She was depending on the Lord to keep her safe, and she also just had to trust that the nearby brakeman was a decent and honorable man.
This was the part of the trip that Christine had dreaded. She was alone in the caboose with a man she scarcely knew. He had been helpful and courteous, so far, but could he really be trusted? If he were to make unwanted advances, what could she do? There was no one else on the caboose, and she couldn’t simply step off a moving train if things grew threatening. She didn’t want to be the victim of any kind of abuse, and she raised another silent prayer asking that the Lord keep her safe from any harm. She looked out the window, but there was nothing to see other than a dim reflection of the caboose’s drab interior. She knew that it would not be smart to fall asleep, but the gentle swaying of the caboose was making her sleepy.
Suddenly, she was aware that she was not alone. On the other side of the caboose she saw a man—and it was Jim! When had he gotten on the train? She hadn’t even known that he lived in Mozambique! When he glanced her way, he seemed equally surprised to see her. He gave her a big smile, and with no hesitation, he came over and sat down beside her. Christine acknowledged how glad she was to see him, and she did not fail to mention that she had thought of him many times during their summer vacation. They acknowledged that it was certainly a long trip, and later, when Jim acknowledged that he was getting sleepy, Christine indicated that he could rest his head on her lap.
He proceeded to make himself comfortable, and soon, she found herself running her fingers through his hair. This seemed strangely pleasant, and although Jim had said that he was tired, he had not closed his eyes. Instead, he was looking up at her as if he couldn’t believe how lovely she was. Could she be dreaming? She looked down at the one who was looking up at her, and there was no mistake. It was Jim! Although the area was only dimly lit, she looked at his face admiringly. She loved his hair, his eyelashes, and his incredible eyes. She allowed her hand to caress his face, and this simple gesture seemed to be something that was mutually satisfying. With his hand, he reached up and caressed Christine’s cheek. He could see that she was filled with desire, and he was aware that he, too, was aroused. He had loved her from a distance, and now, they were finally alone with each other! He sensed that Christine wanted to be kissed, and as he raised himself up, he gently drew her head downward toward his. A kiss was ever so close.
Christine knew that she wanted her lips to touch his, but might that kiss lead to a desire for further intimacy? If they repositioned themselves, something wonderful might happen. Was she ready for that? What would Mother think? Christine had been thinking about Jim for weeks, and suddenly, he was with her on the train to LM! She knew that she loved him, and it seemed that he loved her, as well. This was like a dream that was too good to be true. This would be their first kiss, and she instinctively knew that it would be wonderful. Then, she felt him tapping her on the shoulder. What was that all about? The tapping seemed out of place—and unwelcome. When it continued, Christine was startled to see that the brakeman was standing at her side.
“Sorry to disturb you,” he said in Portuguese, “but we are almost to the station in Lourenço Marques.”
Christine thanked him for waking her, but she was disappointed to realize that Jim was not there. Had he gone to another bench to sleep, or had her pleasant time with Jim just been a dream? Sadly, it didn’t take long to answer that question. They were slowly pulling into the rail yard near the depot in LM, and with the exception of the brakeman, Christine had quickly realized that she was still quite alone.
When the train had finally jerked to a halt, the brakeman took her luggage off the caboose, and then with his lantern in hand, he assisted Christine as she stepped off the train. Knowing that she would be unfamiliar with the rail yard, he took her suitcase in one hand and led her through the dark rail yard until he had brought her safely to the well-lit depot. Having seen her to the depot, he wished her good luck, and after thanking him for his help, the brakeman headed back toward the train and was soon out of sight.
Christine glanced into a lit waiting room, but the doors were locked, and it seemed that no one was inside. She looked around the vacated area and wondered what she should do. It seemed that she was all alone. But was she? She didn’t see the men who had been in the boxcar when they had left from Xinivani. Had they gotten off the train in Manhica or some other town—or were they somewhere in the vicinity? She knew that she dared not spend the rest of the night at the station, so she picked up her suitcase and headed off toward a boulevard that led into the city.
As she walked toward the boulevard, she sensed that she heard footsteps behind her, yet whenever she glanced backward, she saw no one. Once again, she saw that she was in a dangerous situation. What was a young girl doing in a place like this in the middle of the night? She hated to think of the things that could happen if a man, or a group of men, should happen to meet her here in this dimly lit and lonely place. Her luggage seemed to have gotten heavier, but she had no time