Maggie was sitting on the sofa. She had a photo in her hand. She was thinking about her holiday in Chile last month. She and her friend Belen went to Chile for three weeks walking in the Andes mountains. It was a wonderful time. ‘Well, actually, I don’t think the holiday was as wonderful for Belen as it was for me, Maggie thought. She looked at the photo and saw a happy group of young people.
They look happy because the day’s walking was finished. They were also happy because that was the day they saw the beautiful bird. A condor, the famous bird of the Andes, flew high above them in the sky that day and stayed with them for hours. Maggie was sad to see it fly away at the end of the day.
‘It was a very important bird for the Inca people, you know, said Xavier, their group leader. ‘On lots of old Inca buildings you can see an unusual cross. It’s unusual because it has three levels. Like this’. And Xavier drew the cross on the ground.
He continued, ‘for the Incas, each level was a different world-the lower world, this world and the higher world. And there was an animal for each world. The higher world had the condor. So you see, these birds were very special, very important for the Inca people’.
The group were interested in Xavier’s stories. Belen was more interested in Xavier. From day one Maggie knew that Belen liked Xavier. Well, he was great-looking and friendly with everyone. Belen talked to Maggie a lot about Xavier. What he said to her, how she felt. ‘This is exactly what she was like when we were at school together; thought Maggie. ‘I hope I don’t have to listen to this all holiday.
At the end of the first week, Maggie went for a walk after dinner without the others. She didn’t go far. She just wanted to be quiet and on her own with the stars in the dark sky. She stood looking up and then she knew that someone was behind her. She turned round and saw Xavier.
‘Are you OK, Maggie?’ he asked.
‘Find; she replied. ‘It’s beautiful here, isn’t it? I love the mountains. It’s so different form where I come from’.
‘I was born near here, so Love it too; Xavier said.
They sat and talked for a long time. She learnt about his life and about the life of ordinary people in Chile.
From that day, she and Xavier had a special friendship.
They often talked together after dinner, and something more than a friendship began. And of course Belen saw it.
‘It’s OK, Maggie, really; said Belen. ‘I don’t mind.’ But Maggie felt she did mind, and sometimes she saw Belen looking at her rather coldly.
But at the end of the holiday things were OK between the two friends. And Belen actually said she wanted to go on holiday with Maggie again.
Maggie got up slowly from the sofa. She enjoyed dreaming about her time in Chile , but she had to make dinner. Belen was coming tonight. She walked into the kitchen and started cooking the meat for the lasagene.
‘Oh, I forgot to buy the tomatoes,’ she thought. She took her money and left the house.
She walked quickly to the shop at the end of her street.
In her house the phone rang and, of course, nobody answered it. Then the answerphone started: ‘Hi, this is Maggie. Sorry, I’m not here to take your call but please leave your name and number,and I’ll call you back later. Thank.’
There was a small noise at the other end of the phone someone was getting ready to speak. But the person didn’t leave a message or their name and number.
Maggie came back with the tomatoes. She saw the message light on the phone. ‘probably Belen,’ she thought. ‘Maybe she’s going to be late.’
Maggie played the message, but there was nothing to listen to.
‘Strange,’ she thought.
She went into the kitchen and finished the lasagna. Then she took a glass of red wine into the living room. She picked up the phone. ‘Telephone number 07788 536782 called today at 1900 hours,’ she heard.
Maggie wrote the number down and thought, ‘I don’t know anyone with that mobile number.’
But then she heard someone at the front door. It was Belen.
‘Hi, Maggie; said Belen and gave her a kiss. ‘M m m, something smells good;
They walked into the living room and Maggie gave Belen a glass of wine.
‘It’s good to see you; said Maggie. ‘You look great. I love your hair’.
‘Thanks. And how’s the lovely Xavier?’ asked Belen. ‘Have you heard from him?’
‘yeah, I have; said Maggie. ‘ I got an email last week. He was in an Internet café in Santiago.’
‘Great! I thought it was just a holiday romance. But I’m really pleased for you… No, really I am; said Belen quickly when she saw Maggie looking carefully at her.
‘He says he’s coming to England very soon – maybe next week; said Maggie.
‘Really! So soon? It must be love! Said Belen with a smile.
‘Well, I don’t know about that; Maggie laughed. ‘He doesn’t say anything about love. Just that he’s coming and that he’s written me a letter to tall me everything;
‘Everything about what ?’ Belen asked.