Casa de Naomi Reflections

When we left Naomi, it seemed that her plans were thwarted. 

Have you ever been in a situation like that? If you have, remember back, if not, think of something you wanted or something you wished would go away. Now ask yourself:

Were you able to control the outcome?

Did you need someone’s help?

What would you have given up to get what you wanted or wished for?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Chapter One Continued~~~~~~~~~~~~

“She has no sponsor. We must send her back to Spain.”

“But she says she has no people,” a man she could not see said.

“I tried to call the lady but was told she was out,” the small man said.

Naomi saw the large man wait while the man she had not seen left the office. Then he turned to his associate. “I told you not to speak about that!”

“It doesn’t make any difference. I left a message, but there’s no one to help the girl.” He looked at his watch. “We can’t wait any longer. It’s already five thirty. The office should have closed half an hour ago.

The large man glanced at his watch. “You’re right. We can’t wait any longer. Ask her to come in.”

The teenager was certain they were going to send her back and muttered, “Oh, Adonai, I cannot go back there!” When she heard her own words, she thought, Perhaps in America I should speak with Adonai in English, so she pled, “Oh, God, please help me … I cannot go back there!”

An old woman sat down next to her. “Would you like to stay in America?”

“Si!” Naomi wondered where the old woman had come from and why she had asked her such a question. She feared that the woman might not understand her, so she switched to English. “I mean, yes, I would. I would love to stay.”

The old woman smiled. “I will arrange it for you.”

Naomi gasped. Maybe God is watching out for me after all!

The small man stuck his head out of the door to the office, caught Naomi’s eye, and motioned for her to enter as he left.

When she stood, the old woman rose as well. “Say nothing,” the old woman whispered. “Let me talk.” They walked into the office together.

In seconds, Naomi and the old woman stood before the large man. He frowned. It seemed to her that the lines on his face were so deeply etched that he had never heard of the word smile. This man has the power to send me back to a life I wish never to see again, she told herself while she tried to steady her wobbly legs.

The man pointed toward the chairs, which faced his desk. “Sit down please. We have very little time.”

He fixed his dark eyes on the old woman. “Since you did not answer your phone, I thought you might be done with this business.”

“You know how it is with me, Victor.” She reached into her oversized purse and handed him a sheaf of papers.

“Sí, claro.” Victor seemed to smile with relief as he replaced the girl’s official papers with the documents the woman had handed him. “Still looking for that special one, eh, Tía?”

“But of course.”

He reviewed the documents. “I see you are still using the same lawyer.”

“Yes. He is able to help me in my work.”

Victor turned his attention to Naomi. “This lady will vouch for you so you can stay here. Would you like to stay in America?”

“Sí, I would like to stay very much.” She peeked at the old woman. She looks just like mi tía Rosa, the same stark white hair, the same small frame, the same dignity of bearing, the same edge to her voice, and, I am certain, the same caring heart.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Authors Comment ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Like each of us thrown into a precarious situation, Naomi does not know what will happen next. Yet she forges ahead. Why? Perhaps fear, failure, and the unknown are better options than she had before. For some, the lure of the future offsets the situations they are faced with if the situation they face is of their own doing. As we read, we see that this seems to be our heroines’ frame of mind.

However, one wonders how a fifteen year old finds the fortitude to go on. Perhaps it is because leaving her family as she did, she knows she cannot go back. Perhaps it is because her wishful thinking affirms her choice.

Perhaps we will find out next week.

~~~Visit Amazon to order Casa de Naomi: The House of Blessing.~~

From Chapter One of Casa de Naomi: The House of Blessing Book 1

“…believing that immigration would never let her stay in America now, Naomi closed her eyes. Only when the boat docked and the man grabbed her arm to hurry her onto the wharf did she open them.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Reflective Questions~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Have you been so frightened that you could not face the next moment?

Why were you in that situation? Were you all alone?

Was anyone there to help you?

What did you do?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They entered a building and turned down a dark corridor. The man pointed to a chair in a stark office. She nodded, entered, sat down on the hard, wooden chair, and clutched her worn, brown, leather suitcase to her chest. An official took a man into a room. Before the door shut, she heard his interview begin.

She believed hers would be next, closed her eyes, and tried to think about her answers. But all she could think of was that her bright plans of coming to America to find her uncle were for naught. She remembered leaving her family in the middle of the night without an explanation or a good-bye and tears threatened to fall. I was a fool to agree to work for no wage because Mr. Sosa promised to help me achieve my dream when we arrived. She thought of all she had left, Mr. Sosa’s promise, and admitted, He lied to me!

Her thoughts returned to Abuela Sosa’s death. She could almost hear the old woman say, as she had the day they first met, “Many get to America. But getting into America can be difficult.”

I should not be here, she told herself while she tried to still her fidgeting. My entry into America should have been easy. Everything was attended to at the American Consulate before we left Spain—my documents, my medical history … I filled each paper out with the utmost care!

She looked around the waiting room. She was the only one there. Aware of the stories of the chosen few who were allowed to enter the country, she tried to think of anything but the future she feared

and remembered reading that the original buildings had burnt to the ground and nonflammable materials had been used when they rebuilt the facility. It must have been an awful fire. Still …

When she heard the door to the office open, she looked at the wall clock and realized that at least an hour had passed since she sat down. An official took the man they had interviewed away. He left the door open at another man’s request. Hoping she might hear the men she assumed would decide her fate; she leaned forward in her chair, saw them pace back and forth, and listened to their conversation.

“Too bad the grandmother died,” she heard the large man say, his voice filled with what she prayed was sympathy for her plight.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Authors' Comment~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 Naomi is placed in an untenable situation for having left Spain without her parents’ permission, she cannot return! However, she knows and trusts no one. Had she read, 1 Peter 5:7, which says, "Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you,” she might have discovered that she was precious to God in a way she had never expected. If you would like to know more, follow the hyperlink.

"Casa de Naomi: The House of Blessing, Book 1" 

now available at Amazon!

I'm thrilled that you can order your novel!

Before we begin “A Safe Haven,” I believe it important to mention that when one grows up feeling threatened because of who they are and what they believe, their emotional growth and ability to be congruent may become compromised. 

I know that each of us has experienced a lack of safety at some time. I remember that while playing dodge ball, the ball hit my glasses causing them to break. Whenever I had to play that game, I felt awful. Because my teacher wanted me to overcome my fear, she kept insisting if I learned how to do better I would like the game. However, I was not worried about doing better, or liking the game. I was worried about my glasses being broken!

This is a little worry when we compare it to Naomi’s concerns. Yet whether little or big, whenever we have felt endangered, each of us has found that there are only two choices: face the situation, or flee.

To prepare for Naomi’s journey, remember when you felt endangered, and ask yourself:

What did I fear?

Why did I stay, or flee?

What happened next. 

Naomi knew she was in trouble the moment the immigration official had told her, he was taking her to Ellis Island. No immigrants had disembarked there since the end of World War I. Someone had told her that the authorities could remove a passenger from a ship because of a problem with their paperwork. Yet even when she sat where the man had pointed and closed her eyes, she refused to believe that her situation was as dire as it appeared.

Her mind brought her back to the moment her life had changed forever. She could still hear herself scream, “Abuela Sosa, please do not be dead,” sobbing while she had tried to shake the old woman awake. The next thing she remembered was that the old woman’s daughter-in-law had packed her meager belongings into her suitcase. Unable to stop herself, she demanded, “You have no need of me anymore? I gave you a year of my life! Your esposo—I mean, your husband—promised he would help me enter America and search for my uncle if I took care of his madre!” As she uttered the words, her sorrow had mounted, for the kindhearted old woman had treated her as if she were her very own kin. However, that was certainly not true of the daughter-in-law, who seemed unfazed by the old woman’s death as she dispassionately closed the lid to the girl’s suitcase and stared at her. Why is she in such a hurry to rid herself of me before the doctor examines Abuela Sosa and declares her dead? She remembered the secretive phone call the woman had answered worried that the family had somehow discovered that the last name she had given was not hers, felt a knot in her stomach, and knew her worst fears were going to come true.