Solano had been living on the island on Teshuilo Lake for eight months when the family showed up. Until then he had not seen another soul so deep in the canal system. Frightened of being discovered, he kept hidden in the jungle, watching them in secret as they picnicked and went swimming. Then to Solano’s horror the father struck the little girl with a rock and left her to drown in the shallow water.

As soon as the man and woman returned to the gondola and turned a bank out of sight, Solano collected the girl and brought her to shore, where he attempted to resuscitate her. Miraculously his efforts worked. She coughed and sputtered and opened her eyes. Then she looked at him and said, “My name’s María.”

“My name’s Don Javier Solano.”

“Where are my parents?”

“You don’t remember what happened?”

She stared at him vacantly.

“Your parents left you here.”

“They left me here.”

“But it’s okay. I’m going to take care of you.”

“You’re going to take care of me.”

“Is that okay?”

She seemed to think about it. “Okay.”

4

Solano slipped the photographs of his family back into the sleeve of his wallet, then he considered the wallet. It was time to move on, he knew. He had to put his old family, his old life, behind him. María was his everything now. God had sent her to him. She was his redemption, his second chance to do right for someone in need, to make up for the wrong he had done to his own daughter.

He looked at the fire. No—he couldn’t bring himself to burn the wallet. Perhaps he could bury it somewhere? That seemed more appropriate.

He got up and went to the hut he had been spending his days building. María lay on a straw mattress, sleeping soundly, the doll she called Angela, which he’d also rescued from the canal, clutched tightly in her hand. He knelt next to her and pulled the quilt to her chin.

Tomorrow he was going into the city to trade produce for matches and rice and sugar and other supplies. It would be the first time he left María alone, and he was terrified of something happening to her. But she told him she would be okay, and he believed she would be. Despite her mental shortcomings, she was resilient and capable of taking care of herself.

Smiling down at her, he decided he would get her something from the markets. She really liked that doll.

Maybe he could find her another one?

Elizaveta

1