Risking All for Love (Wattpadprize14)

Chapter One

"State your name, please."

"Margaux Dubonnet."

The Customs Agent stamped her passport but then asked, "What brings you to Liberia, Margaux?" He then on a whim checked her name against a list he had been given that day.

"My parents died in an accident."

"Sorry, young lady." The agent sat staring at her passport and his list of names.

"Is something wrong?"

"I'm sorry, Miss Dubonnet, but you are entering Liberia illegally."  He motioned to a uniformed, armed guard, who reached for her arm.

"There must be some mistake!  I was born here."

"No my, yah.  Just go with the guard, Miss Dubonnet, and no humbug, please."  He looked at the guard and back to Margaux.  "You have broken Liberian Law, but maybe we can work something out." 

The guard led Margaux into an interrogation room.

*********** 

Gary Newton sat in Diana's Restaurant with David Rasmussen and Felicia Shultz.

"Excuse me, my friends, I see that you are new to Monrovia.  If you need help, I have the afternoon off.  May I help you?"

Standing before the three was a lovely young woman with a blue light-weight pant suit with a nametag from Liberian Adventure Specialty Tours that read Margaux Dubonnet.

"Please sit," Gary said. "At least I myself need some help." He gestured toward David and Felicia, who were finished and getting up.

"Forgive us," Felicia said, "we have a lot to do and not much time before we have to catch a plane at Spriggs-Payne Airport.

"You're all Peace Corps volunteers, aren't you?" Margaux said. "Where are you two flying to?"

"To Holy Cross Mission in Bolahun?"

"Oh," said Margaux, "I know Bolahun quite well. Say hello to Lisa Doubek and Father Anthony for me, will you?"

"Lisa?"

"She's a brilliant math teacher with summa cum laude to her credit."

"I look forward to meeting her," Felicia said. With her list of things yet to do in her hand, she smiled and picked up her bags.  David also held his bag.

"Sorry we can't stay, I'm sure we could have used your advice. Our plane leaves in three hours or so, and we have to stop at Abi Jaoudi's Super Market for supplies, and we hope we got our list right. Spike the pilot is flying us up if the rain holds off."

"Spike will get you there, he knows the way to Bolahun blindfolded." Margaux smiled and turned to Gary as the other two newbies were soon on the sidewalk and out of sight. Before she could ask another question, Felicia turned to come back and wave good-by.

"Gary?" Margaux said. "It's Gary, right?"

"Oh, yes, Margaux." Gary then invited her to sit down at his table.

She leaned forward. "Is that the list of the things they say you need?"

"Yes." Gary looked relieved to have an offer to help. "I don't hide my desperation easily, do I?"

"So many things hit you at once here in a new country. It's a wonder more of you Peace Corps Volunteers don't jump back on that jet plane and head back home to the USA after a frustrating day or so."

"Margaux, one guy did quit already. He got scared off when a taxi driver knocked him down. No broken bones, but he was so traumatized that he was too afraid to go out into the streets. He told the Peace Corps Representative in charge here that he'd had enough already. He has already flown home, never even unpacked."