Delta-Victor (10 page)

Keika beamed and nodded.

Ailsa laughed. “I could've taught you if I'd known you were interested.”

“You could have taught me days ago,” Jim told her. “Instead of leaving it to the rest of the natives. Fortunately, it's pretty easy to pick up.” He winked at Staci. “Assuming you've already studied Spanish at school.”

Before Ailsa could answer Keika gave her a bowl of fruit. Ailsa took it outside and the others followed, Keika carrying a jug.

By the fire, the rest of the villagers were gathering for the evening meal.

Kelmac said a few words and then the meal began. Meat and bread with fruit to follow.

Mafuso picked up some food and took it across to the medical hut.

“Good luck with that, mate,” Jim muttered. He knew Lou wasn't eating. She was also very good at hiding it.

Ailsa looked at him. “Jim?”

“Mafuso's taken some food into Lou. She'll wait until he leaves and then give it to Deefer. Same as she always does.”

~*~

Lou looked up as Mafuso came in with fruit and bread. It smelt good, but she wasn't hungry. She wasn't about to tell him that. Instead she took it and pushed the food around the plate.

“Eat,” Mafuso told her.

Lou shook her head. “I'm not hungry.”

“Eat or I will feed you.”

As tempting as the thought was, Lou decided to do as she was told.

Mafuso watched her eat a bit and then went out to join the others.

Lou immediately let Deefer eat the rest of the food, except one fruit.

When Mafuso returned she was nibbling on the fruit.

“I stay here tonight,” he said in English.

“I don't need a bodyguard,” Lou said, making the meaning of her words obvious.

“Are you being awkward?” Jim asked.

Lou jumped, not having heard or seen him come in. She glared at him. “I don't need a bodyguard. I can take care of myself.”

“You'll do as they tell you. Did Deefer enjoy the dinner again tonight?” Jim asked and sat on the edge of the bed. “You have to eat, Lou.”

Lou turned her face away.

Jim sighed. “If you don't eat, you won't recover.”

“So?”

“We can't stay here forever.”

“Well, you go then. Deefer and I will be fine on our own.”

“Don't start that again,” Jim said crossly. “Think about someone else for a change. Staci misses you.”

“She's got Ailsa. So have you.”

Jim looked at the ceiling. “For crying out loud, Lou. Is that it? Are you jealous?”

“I am not.” She turned and looked at him.

“Yes, you are. Listen, Ailsa will never replace you. She doesn't have your twisted sense of humor, for a start. You are my best friend in the whole world—more like a sister, actually. I love you. I need you. I will never leave you here.”

“You may have no choice.” Lou winced as Jim's arm brushed against her leg.

“That hurt?” he demanded. “I barely touched you. Show me.”

“No.”

Jim grabbed the hem and pulled Lou's skirt up to expose her leg. He groaned and shook his head. “How could you let it get that bad? Let me get Ailsa and she can translate for us. I've picked up a fair chunk of the language, but she's way better than I am.” Jim quickly returned with Ailsa.

“Mafuso says you are not a good patient and won't let him treat you,” Ailsa translated.

“It hurts,” Lou replied sullenly.

“It'll hurt more if it is not treated. The infection will grow and you will die.” Ailsa carried on translating. “Mafuso says he can only do so much. You have to want to get well otherwise there is no point in being here.”

Jim raised his voice. “You will never be able to take Deefer for a proper walk again. Is that what you want? Never to run or climb or dance or throw yourself off rope swings? If you won't do it for us, do it for Deefer. He doesn't understand at all. He wants his mistress back. He likes us, but no one can replace you. He's a one woman dog, Lou.”

If she would stay without them Lou would need Deefer and she would need to be well. She also needed to buck her ideas up so they wouldn't guess what she was planning. Besides, Mafuso was one good-looking man and maybe…just maybe if she was good, he'd feel the same way about her and let her stay with him when the others left.

She looked across at the tall, dark haired native and nodded. “OK, Mafuso. I won't argue anymore.”

Ailsa translated and Mafuso smiled. Ailsa translated his reply. “He wants you to teach him a bit more English.” She laughed. “So that he can argue properly with you.”

“Only if he teaches me his language in return. So that I can argue back.”

Mafuso nodded.

Jim gave an audible sigh of obvious relief.

That night Lou didn't sleep.

Instead she and Mafuso taught each other words and phrases, starting with parts of the body and then other things in the room.

When she finally fell asleep as the sun rose, not only had she learned a lot, she had fallen heavily for her new friend.

12

January 3
rd
, day 46. Way too early as it's still dark. Jim writing.

The rebuilding work is finally completed and the forest, amazingly, has begun to recover from the devastating fire already. And the volcano, which is really called Agrihan—apparently the whole island is the volcano—has quieted down and ceased all activity.

Lou is living with us now and we're still with Amilek and his family.

Mafuso said at least this way he could keep an eye on her.

She spends most of the day with him and is semi-fluent in Agrihan now. As he is semi-fluent in English, they get on really well. Suddenly she'll do whatever he says without complaining. Which is a grave cause for concern. Their growing friendship, that is, not the fact Lou is eating and getting better now. If she gets too attached to him, she will want to leave less than ever. And Staci won't leave without Lou. Staying here forever simply isn't an option.

Now Lou is recovered sufficiently to move around again, I want to leave as soon as we can and head for the base. It's not that I'm ungrateful or anything, but I need to know what happened to Mum and Dad, and Nichola deserves to know we're all right. If she won't have us back…if Mum and Dad didn't make it…then we need to find somewhere to live in England on our own. Staci needs to go back to school.

Or maybe Nichola could look after Staci, and I'll find a place…maybe with Ailsa, if she'll have me.

Anyway, the men are going hunting today, and I'm taking the opportunity to go out with Amilek and Mafuso, hoping to get a chance to talk to him. Ask what his intentions are. Lou doesn't have a brother to protect her and look out for her. She only has me.

Jim bided his time as they set off shortly after dawn, and made small talk for the first part of the journey. When they were an hour from the village he stopped.

Mafuso turned to him. “Do you need to rest?”

“For a bit. Can we talk?”

“Sure.”

They sat on a fallen tree. Jim having started the conversation, paused, unsure how to continue. He opened his mouth, decided that wouldn't sound right and closed it again.

Mafuso smiled at him. “I can guess what you want to talk about.”

“You can?”

“Yes. You want to talk about Lou. My intentions towards her,” he said carefully.

Jim grimaced. “You took the words right out of my mouth. You make me sound like her brother. I'm not. I just feel kind of responsible for her as she doesn't have anyone else. Do you have feelings for her?”

“I have feelings for her, yes. But not love. I am, how you say, to be joined to someone else.”

“Engaged to be married.”

“That's right. To Tayba. She is to be my wife in five days. I will take you to meet her. She will bear me many sons.” Mafuso stood up. “We must carry on. Kelmac is expecting us back with meat before sundown.”

Jim stood up, relieved that there was no possibility of anything more than friendship between Lou and Mafuso, but unsure of how she would take it. They checked the next trap. A rabbit lay in it.

Mafuso put it in the sack and reset the trap.

Jim asked, “How long have you been engaged?”

“Not long. Kelmac will make the announcement tonight at dinner.”

Jim grasped his arm. “Will you tell Lou before then? It would be better coming from you.”

“I will do it when we get back.” Mafuso replied. “No problem.”

Jim grinned at the phrase. Mafuso had learned fast.

They carried on checking the traps and emptying them.

Mafuso showed Jim how to open the trap, free the dead or dying animal and reset it.

Jim looked closely at the jagged teeth. “It's rusty. Don't you ever clean or replace them?”

“There is no need. The rain cleans them and the heat dries them.”

“They're lethal.”

“That is the point of them.”

Jim looked up as a sudden thought hit him. “But what if, I mean, what if a child or...”

“People get caught in them? It happens. It is best to stay on the path. I have explained this to Lou. She needs to be careful with the dog.” Mafuso stood up. “We have made good time. That's the last of them.”

“Shall we head back?”

“Yes.”

Mafuso hoisted the bag over his shoulder and was about to set off when a squealing noise and a thudding of feet came through the brush.

A wild boar charged through the trees, its eyes glinting, its head down and tusks lowered. It was headed directly towards Jim.

A bolt of fear shot through him.

Mafuso ran past him, a spear flexed in his hand. He thrust hard above the pig's shoulder, stabbing deep. Mafuso's arms rippled as he stood his ground, holding the spear in place, his leg muscles corded as he used every ounce of strength he possessed to keep the spear in the pig.

Enraged, the beast tried to turn, damaging itself further as it fought. And then, just like that, it was over. The boar took a reflex step, and then fell to the ground.

Mafuso waited a moment, keeping his distance while checking the boar out. He approached, put a foot on the hide and pulled to retrieve his spear. He turned to Jim. “Are you all right?”

“Fine,” a shaken Jim replied. “Thanks to you.”

“You're welcome. We shall feast tonight.” Mafuso approached the hog, slit it open and began to expertly field dress the meat.

Jim watched in fascination, having never seen the operation.

Once Mafuso finished, he cut a pole from one of the trees, tied the boar's feet together with vines and slipped them over the pole.

Jim knew what to do from photos he'd seen in his world history class. Jim took one end of the pole, Mafuso grabbed the other and they carried the boar back to the village.

On their arrival a huge crowd surrounded them. Kelmac and Aryna made their way through to greet them. He congratulated them on the boar.

“It was all Mafuso's doing,” Jim explained. “It charged at us. I froze. He killed it with his spear.”

Kelmac looked at Mafuso. “Is this true?”

Mafuso nodded.

“You are indeed a great warrior. Tonight we feast in your honor. Lifesaver and warrior.”

Some of the others bore Mafuso on their shoulders around the village.

Staci and Ailsa, as always had run to Jim's side.

Lou stood on her own outside the hut. She turned and headed slowly down the path, Deefer trotting by her side.

Jim started to follow her.

Staci tugged his arm.

“What is it?” he asked.

“You should go wash. There will be an announcement of some kind tonight.”

“But Lou?”

“She's been in a weird mood since lunch. She'll get over it.” She hugged him tightly. “My brother, the hero.”

Jim shook his head. “No, I'm not.”

“OK, you're not. Either way, you stink. So go wash.”

~*~

Lou sat on her own by the river, Deefer by her side. Thoughts cascaded through her mind, the wind blew in the trees and some kind of insects chirped in the underbrush.

Footsteps suddenly echoed and Mafuso sat beside her. “Hi.”

“I wondered where you were. You were not there when we returned from the hunt.”

“I was there, then I came here to think. I hear you saved Jim's life.”

“He is my friend. As are you.”

“Good. You're my friend, too.”

Mafuso laid a hand on hers for a moment. “I have to speak to you. About something important.”

Lou tugged her hand away. She took a deep breath, burying how she felt. After all, she'd become expert at that recently. “It's OK, Mafuso. I know what you plan to say.”

“You do?”

“Tayba's a nice girl. She loves you. We were on kitchen duty together all day. She talked about you and the wedding nonstop. I hope you'll both be really happy together.”

“Thank you.”

“You're welcome.” Lou changed the subject. “C'mon. Let's go have some of this pig you killed.”

Together they found Tayba, and Mafuso introduced her to the others.

Jim congratulated them. Then he turned to Lou. “She is beautiful, but not a patch on Ailsa,” he whispered.

Lou shook her head. “You got it bad, mate. You've known her a few weeks. You can't make a life decision based on that.”

“Try stopping him,” Staci laughed. “C'mon, I'm hungry.”

They queued up for food and then all sat together.

Amilek and Keika joined them.

The conversation soon turned to the weather.

Amilek looked at the sky. “It will rain soon.”

“How can you tell,” Lou asked as she picked at the meat. “Not a single cloud anywhere.”

“It's summer,” Amilek explained. “In summer it rains. Much rain.”

“In England it always rains.”