Chapter 5 – Rio: Changing Lives

The next morning, Lee and Rosemary find out the orphanage is not far away from the hotel. They decide to go and check out the conditions. They are surprised at how crowded and dirty it is. Lee asks the secretary if they could meet with the head of the orphanage. Tomas, a skinny, older gentleman with grey hair, comes to meet them. Lee introduces himself and Rosemary as they are escorted into his office. He tells them to sit down and offers them some café or água to drink.

Lee begins with, "We don't want to waste too much of your time, but we are curious to know if you knew of any families wanting to adopt three brothers. They are thirteen, eight, and seven. We are willing to help out in any way we can to make sure these brothers stay together."

Tomas takes a sip of his café and asks, "Where are these boys now?"

Lee looks at Rosemary and clears his throat, "We are keeping their location secret for right now to protect them. Rest assured, they are safe." Lee thinks to himself, "At least, I hope they are safe."

Tomas tries to assure them, "We would be happy to take the boys in and find them a permanent home."

"Can you guarantee they would stay together?" asks Lee.

Tomas takes another sip of his café before he answers, "No, I cannot. Mr. Coulter, I am not sure what you are really doing here. I can help the boys if you bring them in, but I cannot guarantee they will be adopted or stay together. That is just how orphanages work here in Brazil."

As a last-ditch effort, Lee asks, "What if I pay you to keep them together?"

Tomas stands up and says, "If you'll excuse me, I need to go and check on something really quick."

After Tomas leaves the room, his secretary Pietra, quietly says, "You seem like nice people. Please don't trust him. Here is a phone number for this lady, Luiza. She can help you find a place for those boys to stay."

Lee and Rosemary answer simultaneously, "Obrigado!"

They leave the orphanage and return to the hotel, where they find a phone. With Rosemary by his side, Lee calls Luiza, "Hello, my name is Lee Coulter. My wife and I would like to meet with you about these boys we found on the street. We were told you could help us."

Luiza responds, "Meet me outside of a little diner called Fernanda's at 12:30 pm. It is across the street from the Llha Fiscal dock."

"Obrigado. We will see you there," answers Lee.

They are surprised to find a petite, young, dark-haired woman meeting them. Luiza says, "Hello, my name is Luiza Costa! How did you find out about me? You are obviously not from Brazil." She points to the table, "Please join me."

Lee introduces himself and Rosemary as they sit down and order some café, "Pietra, over at the orphanage, told us about you. She said not to trust Tomas and that you could help us. Yesterday, we found these three young boys on the street, and we would like to help them find a place to live and a family, if we can. We are not in Rio for very long, but we would love to help out the boys."

Luiza's mood lightens greatly, "Pietra is my cousin! I run a group home right now, called Casa da Familia, that is funded by a rich Christian family here in Rio. Their goal is to take in children who would get lost or be split up in the orphanage. We have been able to place children fairly quickly in forever homes!"

Rosemary asks pointblank, "You can guarantee the boys will stay together?"

Luiza happily reports, "One hundred percent, yes!"

Rosemary smiles while taking Lee's hand, "Great! Can you take us there?"

Luiza takes the last sip of her café and picks up her purse, "We can go there now!"

They walk the four blocks to the group home and are pleasantly surprised at how inviting the home is. It is a large two-story building made out of coral stucco with a red tile roof. There is a white picket fence surrounding the house with a playset in the backyard. Luiza takes them inside and shows them the rather large kitchen with delicious food being prepared, a dining room where Rosemary imagines all the children come to eat every meal, the school room where she sees the children sitting at their cute little desks reading a book or drawing a picture, a playroom where she sees Alexio and Matheus using their imagination and building things, and the living quarters with bunk rooms for the boys and the girls. Rosemary is lost in thought as she imagining all the fun the boys will have living here, playing with other children, having three good meals a day, and hopefully finding their forever home. Lee and Rosemary can't help but smile and feel grateful they have found this wonderful place. Luiza then takes them to the office so they can sit down and ask the questions she knows they will have.

Lee begins with, "How many children live here now?"

Luiza takes out her paperwork and shows them who is currently living there, "We have about ten children – six girls and four boys. They range from ages five through fourteen."

Rosemary reluctantly asks, "Do you have room for three more boys?"

Luiza points to her paperwork and explains, "Yes, we can accommodate up to twenty children at one time!"

In true Rosemary fashion, she animatedly waves her hands in the air, "This is great! We need to talk to the boys. Can we come by with them tomorrow, if they let us bring them? Can you take them in so quickly?"

"Yes, we can take them in tomorrow. How old are they?"

Rosemary quickly says, "They are thirteen, eight, and seven."

Luiza gathers her paperwork and puts everything away, "Perfeito! They will fit right in!"

Lee and Rosemary stand and gather their things. Lee holds out his hand to shake and says, "Thank you for your time, Luiza. Hopefully, we will be back tomorrow with the boys!" They walk out the door in complete shock.

Rosemary stops him and quietly says, "This seems like the perfect place for them. Do you think the boys will let us bring them here?"

Lee quietly responds, "I agree, and I sure hope so." He takes her hand, and they walk towards the tram stop, "We better check in with the ship before we go meet the boys."

"Maybe we can find out if people have heard of Luiza and if what she says is true," replies Rosemary.

"That is a great idea, sweetheart." They arrive at the dock and go straight to the shipyard office.

The captain happens to be in there and is able to give them an update. He tells them, "The hole has been repaired, and we are going to test for leaks this afternoon. As of today, our current plan is to leave on Monday."

Lee claps his hands together, "That's great news. Do we need to check-in again or just show up Monday night?"

"You can just show up at the dock at 7:00 pm. We have your contact information, so we can let you know if plans change."

Lee almost forgets to ask, "Before you go, are you from Rio or know many people from here?"

"My sister lives here, so I am pretty familiar with the city," replies the captain.

"We found these three boys on the street, and we really want to help them find a place to live. We have been in contact with this woman named Luiza Costa. She runs this group home for children. Do you know of her? Is her organization legitimate?"

The captain gladly responds, "Oh, yes. She is a friend of my sister. The couple who finances the home are the nicest people you will ever meet. Those boys will be so lucky to find a place in that home."

Rosemary excitedly taps Lee's arm, "That is great to know. Thank you!"

Lee and Rosemary get back on the tram to go meet the boys. All three of them seem excited and shocked to see them. Diogo looks at his two brothers and says, "We didn't think you would actually show up. We've had several people say they would help us, and then we never see them again."

Rosemary gets down to their level, "I'm so sorry about that. But we have good news for you. We have found a place for all three of you to live and stay together!"

Lee adds, "We have been there and spoke to the people who run it, and it seems like a great place for you to live. It is not an orphanage, and it only has ten children staying there at this time. Plus, they will not allow any siblings to be separated."

Rosemary warmly says, "We would love to take you there! Would you like that?"

Diogo looks at his brothers and translates. The two boys smile and run up to him and give him a hug. "It looks like we will go with you. Thank you."

The youngest boy, Matheus, comes up to Rosemary and gives her a big hug and says, "Obrigado!"

Grinning ear-to-ear, Rosemary replies, "De nada!"

Lee looks to his wife before speaking. She quickly nods in return. "We can take you there tomorrow morning. Do you want to stay with us tonight?"

Diogo answers, "We cannot impose on you like that. We will be okay on our own for one more night."

"Well, can we at least feed you?" insists Lee.

Diogo smiles and says, "We would like that very much!"

Lee puts his arm around the boys, "Okay. Come on. Let's get you boys some food! What would you like?"

Diogo looks at his brothers, "Can we have some misto quentes, please?"

Lee asks, "What are misto quentes?"

"They are baguette's with ham and melted cheese," answers Diogo.

Rosemary and the younger two boys find an outdoor table to sit at while Diogo follows Lee into the restaurant. They come back with five misto quentes, fresh fruit, a bag of bolinho de chuva, and five waters. Lee hands everyone a misto quente and puts the fruit and the bag in the middle of the table. Alexio and Matheus gobble down their misto quente as fast as they can before Diogo gets a chance to tell them to slow down. Rosemary giggles, "It's okay, we can give you some money to buy food for later." She grabs some fruit and then looks into the bag to see what Lee bought. "What is this?"

Diogo says, "Those are bolinho de chuva. They are deep fried dumplings dipped in cinnamon and sugar."

Rosemary says, "Oh, so they are like doughnuts?" Lee taps his nose. She smiles and then puts one in her mouth. "These are so good. I have not had anything this sweet since I was a child. These remind me of something similar my grandmother would make when I was a little girl. I used to love sitting there watching her making them. When they were done cooking, she would allow me to dip them in the powdered sugar and lay them out for everyone to eat." She takes another one and quickly puts in Lee's mouth when he isn't paying attention. She looks at the boys with a smile on her face, "That is how you do that!" Everyone starts laughing…including Lee.

With a mischievous look on his face, he says, "She thinks she outsmarted me this time, but…" He then covers his mouth so she can't see what he is saying. He silently waits for a few moments and then puts his hand down. The boys all look over at Rosemary and laugh.

"Lee Coulter, what did you just say?"

"Oh nothing, just something between me and the boys." Rosemary harrumphed.

She finishes up the fruit and Lee and the boys finish off the bolinho de chuvas. He says, "Well, I don't know about you four, but I cannot eat anything else."

Diogo tells them, "We are very full. Thank you so much. We better go so you two can have a nice evening together."

Rosemary chuckles and nods in the boys' direction. Lee takes the hint and tells the boys, "You don't need to go. We would be happy to bring you with us. We are planning on going to Llha Fiscal. Do you want to go?"

Rosemary sees the disappointment in the boys' faces and suggests, "Why don't we go to Jardim Botanico instead?" All three boys' faces light up with those words. The two younger boys have been wanting to see the gardens ever since Diogo told them about their parents taking them all there not long before they died. They were both too young so they didn't remember ever coming to the gardens.

Rosemary chuckles and says, "Lee, why would they want to see some boring palace on an island when they can run around and play in the gardens? Right, boys?" All three of them, plus Rosemary, look at Lee with their best puppy dog eyes.

He chuckles to himself, "I guess we are going to Jardim Botanico!" exclaims Lee.

The five of them spend the next few hours going through the botanical gardens. Lee isn't sure who is more excited – Rosemary or the boys. She takes the younger two and shows them a particular flower or butterfly. They can't understand what she is saying, but they can tell it is something that excites her. As they are all walking to the next garden, Rosemary fondly remembers her paternal grandparents taking her to the New York Botanical Gardens as a child. She remembers her grandfather showing her the different flowers, trees, and birds found there. He often knew more than the actual workers did. He loved learning and being out in nature much like her own father.

Lee notices the expression on Rosemary's face, "Where did you go?"

Rosemary smiles and says, "Oh, I was just remembering my grandfather. You would have liked him, Lee." She giggles and looks at the boys, "So, who is excited to see more? I know I am." She then takes Diogo over to see a tree and some flowers that she loves.

As she is showing him the flowers, he starts to open up to her, "We have not been here in many years. I think I was eight the last time we came with our parents."

Rosemary asks, "Do you want to sit down and talk?" Diogo nods. She motions to Lee to continue on with Alexio and Matheus. "What were your parents like?"

Diogo smiled, "They were such good parents. They took us to many places and made sure we felt loved!"

"Lee lost his brother and mother when he was about your age. He told me it was very hard to get over the loss, but he knew they were in a better place."

"I know that, but it is still hard," Diogo replies.

"If you don't mind me asking, how do you know so much English? Why have you only been on the streets for six months?"

"Our mother was from England, and our father was from here in Brazil. They wanted us to be bi-lingual, so from a very young age, I was learning English and Portuguese. Our parents died when Alexio was three so he and Matheus did not learn English like I did. We were adopted by a nice family and lived with them for four years. Our adopted mother got sick and passed away rather quickly. Our adopted father couldn't take care of the three of us plus work, so he took us back to the same orphanage. When they tried to separate us, we ran away and have been on the streets ever since."

Rosemary puts her hand on his arm, "I am so sorry, Diogo. That sounds so horrible, but I think you will like where we are taking you and your brothers." She bites her lower lip, "Are you ready to catch up with them?" Diogo smiles and nods.

Rosemary and Diogo join up with Lee, Alexio, and Matheus. Rosemary says, "Before we do anything else, I want to take some pictures of the five of us. Have you ever had your picture taken?"

"I have when I was very little. We had a photo taken of our family when Matheus was born," Diogo reminisces.

Rosemary attaches the cable release and has them all sit down on a bench. Lee holds the camera out while Rosemary takes a couple of pictures. Next, she removes the cable and takes a couple pictures of the three boys and a couple with her or Lee and the three boys. Trying to get her attention, Lee clears his throat, "I think that is enough pictures, Rosie. Can we take you boys anywhere else?"

Diogo responds, "You have done so much for us already. We need to get back to our shelter before dark."

Rosemary asks again, "Are you sure you don't want to stay with us tonight? We have plenty of room in our hotel."

"We are sure."

Lee looks at Rosemary and sadly says, "Well, okay. Here is some money to buy some dinner and breakfast. Don't forget to meet us at the same spot tomorrow morning. Bring all of your stuff!"

"Okay. Thank you so much!" Diogo replies.

On the tram ride home to their hotel, Lee can tell that something is on Rosemary's mind. She is awfully quiet. Lee gently takes her hand, "Rosie, what is on your mind?"

Rosemary rests her head on his shoulder, "Their story is so sad. They seem like such good, well-behaved kids even after going through everything they have gone through. I wish we could do more!"

"Sweetheart, I think we are doing the best we can. We found them a promising home. Luiza has assured us they will not be separated. They have a really good track record in finding forever homes. What else can we do?"

"I know…I know it is better for them to find a place in their home country. Otherwise, I would want to take them back to Hope Valley with us."

Lee puts his arms around her, "I know, sweetheart, but we can stay in touch with the boys and with Luiza to make sure they are doing well."

"I love that idea!"

The next morning, they board the tram with great anticipation. They hope to bring the boys to their new home and hopefully change their lives for the better. As they walk up to the boys, they see surprise on their faces again. Lee eagerly asks, "Do you have everything? Are you ready to go? Do you want to eat first?"

Alexio and Matheus shout at the same time, "Sim!"

The five of them eat pão de queijo for breakfast and then board the tram to Casa da Familia. They nervously walk in the house, and Luiza is there to greet them.

Luiza looks at the boys, "Who do we have here?"

Diogo speaks, "My name is Diogo Silva, and this is Alexio and Matheus. I speak both Portuguese and English, but my brothers just speak Portuguese. I am thirteen, Alexio is eight, and Matheus is seven." He looks over at Lee and Rosemary, "We are so thankful for their kindness and help. No one has ever taken the time to help us like they have."

Lee and Rosemary look at each other and the boys with a mixture of sadness and hope. Sadness that no one has taken the time to help them and hope that Lee and Rosemary have for their future.

Luiza tells the boys, "We are so happy you have come here. All the children are excited to meet you. Why don't you go play with them while I talk to Lee and Rosemary?"

"Okay," replies Diogo.

Luiza talks to Lee and Rosemary more about what happens in the home. "They have school and chores every day. Plus, recreation time every night. On the weekend, they all venture out to a park or do some activity they all choose."

Rosemary chimes in, "Luiza, that sounds perfect for them."

Lee adds, "We would like to make a donation to your home. We love what you are doing here and want to help. We would also like to be able to get updates on the boys from you and/or them."

Luiza looks over at both of them, "Oh, thank you so much. You are too generous. We would love to keep in contact with you." She hands them a piece of paper with their contact information. "You can write and send telegrams as often as you like."

Lee asks, "Do you have a telephone here?"

"Not yet. Maybe soon," answers Luiza.

Lee asks Luiza for a piece of paper and pen. She hands it to him, and he scribbles their contact information down and hands it right back. "Here is how you can write to us and send us telegrams once we get home. Thank you so much for welcoming them into this wonderful home. Tell your cousin thank you as well. If we lived here, we would take in the boys in a heartbeat. They are such good kids who need a good home and need to be loved."

Luiza responds, "Thank you, for caring about three total strangers. I know you have changed their lives for the better."

Rosemary takes Lee's arm, "It's the least we could do!"

Luiza calls the three boys over, and they come running.

Rosemary walks up to them and gets down to their level, "We are going to leave you in Luiza's capable hands. We want you to always have the best, and I am so glad we got to know the three of you. You have inspired us in so many ways."

Diogo translates for his brothers. He pauses for a moment, hoping the tears welling up in his eyes would go away. He tells both Lee and Rosemary, "You have done so much for us. How can we ever thank you?"

Trying to hold back her own tears, Rosemary puts her hand on Diogo's shoulder, "We want to keep in touch with you and make sure you are doing okay. We left our contact information with Luiza, and we hope you write and/or wire us any chance you get."

Diogo looks over at his brothers smiling, "We will!"

Each of the three boys gives Lee and Rosemary a big hug while saying, "Obrigado!"

Diogo walks up to Lee and Rosemary, "Here is the money we did not use. Thank you so much for changing our lives. We will never forget you!" Rosemary hands Diogo the money back with a smile. Diogo hugs her again and steps back to his brothers.

Lee and Rosemary put on a brave face and tell the boys, "Adeus." They slowly turn around and walk out of the home arm-in-arm.

Lee stops them once they are no longer in front of the house. He turns to Rosemary, "Leaving them is harder than I thought it was going to be."

Rosemary cups her hands on his face, "I know. How did we get so attached to young boys who we've only known for a few days and who don't speak our language?"

Lee wraps his arm around her, "I hope we are doing the right thing leaving them here."

She pats her hand on his chest, "I have to believe we are. Otherwise, I don't think I could leave them."

They continue to walk back to the tram stop in silence. Lee finally speaks, "What do you want to do now? Did you still want to see Llha Fiscal? Did you want to visit anything again, or did you just want to go back to the hotel?"

"Oh, Lee. I am not sure what I want to do, but we need to pick up our pictures. They should be ready by now."

"Okay, let's do that, sweetheart. Then we can decide what we want to do with the rest of our day."

They take the tram over to the camera store where they go in to pick up their pictures and buy some more film. As they walk out the door, Rosemary turns to Lee, "I have a great idea! Why don't we go back and ride the Corcovado Railway? I think seeing the views will give us some perspective."

Lee grabs her hand and leads her back to the tram. They ride the railway back up to the summit and take in the views.

Rosemary takes his arm, "Oh, Lee. This is so peaceful. I am glad we came back up here. I've been thinking, and I know what we did for the boys is right. I have a feeling this is where they were supposed to be, and we were the ones to bring them there!"

"I know you are right, sweetheart."

A big grin comes over Rosemary's face, "I want to go shopping now!"

Lee chuckles and says, "Okay, if you really want to, we can go shopping."

The rest of their time in Rio, they spend shopping and people watching and just enjoying the time they have left before getting on the ship. Before they know it, it is time to go back to the hotel and finish packing up their stuff. They head back to port where they board the ship and prepare for the long ride to New York City. That night, as they are eating dinner, Lee asks Rosemary, "What has been your favorite part of our trip so far?"

She replies, "Meeting the boys and spending all this time with just you! I think meeting them has opened my heart up and has taught me I have so much love to give a child. In addition, I have loved all the destinations, but having this one-on-one time with you has been wonderful! I will cherish this trip forever."

Lee takes her hands, "I agree with everything you just said, sweetheart."

Later that night, while sitting on the couch in their room, Rosemary tells Lee she has a surprise for him. She grabs something out of her bag and hands it to Lee. Lee takes a look, and it is all the pictures she's been taking that have been developed. Lee looks at her and says, "Rosie...these are great! I didn't know you could take such great pictures."

"I know…" She leans in and gives him a passionate kiss.