Chapter 28

Taffy drove us south on the Northern Highway, past the Four Mile Lagoon, Chan Chen, Patchacan, Yo Chen, Louisville and San Pablo.

All these little wide spots in the road flowed past with very little to recommend them. A small market, children carrying on, a tin church, a bar with patrons sitting and drinking. Snatches of conversation interrupted by stares at the Chevrolet three toner.

The conversations were in English, the conversationalists were native. It was all very much like Mexico ... except one could understand them.

Potty break, some lunch and a walk about in San Pablo. Very small town, is San Pablo. So far, Bill's prediction of rough riding is false. The road is level, flat and direct.

"The bus," said Cock, "Stops at every village ... sometimes going miles east or west of the Northern Highway, but always coming back to it."

Bill explained, "There are other roads, but they dead-end in orange groves or mahogany plantations. The Northern is the only road that runs north and south."

Lunch was disappointing, Mexico was better. There is a move afoot to oust the Empire and the people seem to approve. From the sounds of it ... so do the Brits.

After the town of Orange Walk, the road became rather curvy, as if it were dodging obstructions. Indeed, we were driving through an area of many scattered lakes and ponds. We passed through Coroxalito and continued on. At Maskall we took a rest and switched drivers.

Bumpy ... it's called bumpy ... after Maskall. All the way to Lucky Strike the road was pits and caverns, The triplets became ... unsettled.

"I wish we had brought April with us," Wendy said.

"She wanted to stay in Carmen," I said.

"She had a good idea," Wendy said.

"Her argument was well put," I said. "Somebody had to stay and watch the boat."

Well, Miss April Smith was right ... someone had to watch the boat.

At Sand Hill, the trio burst into full song. We stopped. There was a clinic ... with a British doctor.

"A bit of the colic," he said. "They certainly are pretty babies. If you can stop, they'll get better."

"We have to get to Belize City," I said.

"Well, then. I guess you'll have to get on. I recommend you hold your baby as upright as possible during feedings. Pause often during feedings to burp your baby. Sometimes smaller, more-frequent feedings are helpful. If you're breast-feeding, it may help to allow your baby to feed at one breast until it's nearly empty before switching sides. This provides your baby with rich, fatty hindmilk, potentially more satisfying than the lighter, thirst-quenching foremilk present at the start of a feeding.

"Consider changing your diet, if breast-feeding. A breast-feeding mother's diet likely doesn't play a role in baby's colicky symptoms. However, in families with a history of allergies, removing potential allergens from your diet might uncover an unknown food allergy in your baby."

"We'll do our best, Doctor," Wendy said. "A temporary wet nurse would be a blessing, but we're traveling."

"Annabelle!" he called.