Love at Spain's Iron Cross

51 - Salceda

51

Salceda

Monday, July 5

After their delightful group dinner, Makena and Jordan retired early and slept soundly. They were on the path around seven, in no hurry. They wore their rain gear warmups in the cool early fog.

Makena sang, "A very merry unbirthday to you, to you." Jordan laughed. "Seems appropriate to sing something from Alice in Wonderland. Sometimes this feels so special I think I went down the rabbit hole."

"Yes, and appropriate after America's celebration yesterday. When's your real birthday?" Jordan asked.

"January 15th, same as for Martin Luther King. It's no surprise that I'm a fan of MLK. How about you?"

"October 2. Not only do I share Gandhi's birthday, but my middle name, Mohandas, is his first name."

"Nonviolent activists. Are you kidding me? I can't believe we have something else in common."

He laughed. "We'll have to do a remake of the film Invictus about soccer instead of the rugby team Mandela championed. If I could invite three people from the past to dinner, those are the ones I would pick."

"I'd like to attend that meal. And then maybe the next night we could join Harriet Tubman, Susan B. Anthony, and Sacagawea?"

"Also excellent picks. Women whose contributions furthered both equality and America's progress."

Oriana would have agreed with those three choices.

"Fun. I liked last night's group, too. But are we seeing more pilgrims than before?" asked Makena.

"Yes. Many joined the Camino at Sarria, so they could walk the minimum 100 kilometers and still qualify for the Compostela credential. Then the Camino Primitivo from the north joined this path at Melide, and the Camino Norte will also unite with the Camino Frances in Arzua, where we'll have breakfast this morning."

"We're out in less populated areas, but it's like being in a group of commuters on foot," she said.

The path rose and fell a couple of times, but there was a net drop because they were walking toward the coast. The day warmed up as the fog burned off, yet the hot cafe con leche felt as good as it tasted. They enjoyed their breakfast stop in Arzua, but each felt ready to resume their trek in short order. The sun's path in the sky would guide them the rest of the day, so they reapplied sunscreen and resumed walking.

"I'm as surprised as you about how much we're similar," said Makena. "How are we different?"

"We've joked about our universities, but more obvious are the differences in appearance, like our hair and eye color, ancestry, and the all-important varied scar locations," he said. "What about politics?"

"I'm a social progressive but an economic conservative," she responded. "Same as my personal life. It drives me nuts to see individuals and governments spend more than they earn. I get good medical insurance through my work, but I'd like to see a national health care system so that every kid has a medical safety net."

"Agreed. Growing up in Britain, that's what we were used to, so I'm sad sometimes when I see a young student who is homeless with few care options. I'd like a society where all children have a realistic chance of success. And with money, I like the convenience of credit cards, but am anal about paying balances on time. I wish there were a balanced budget provision in the federal constitution, as with the states. No debt service."

"Well, I guess we're pretty similar on those issues. Maybe you and I are related?"

"If so, I hope it's a distant blood connection. I enjoyed our kiss far too much to think of you as a sister."