0525429018 by Kelly Kerney

Author:Kelly Kerney [Kerney, Kelly]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Penguin Publishing Group
Published: 2016-03-08T12:34:04+00:00

Mincho pursed his lips. The clutter of the apartment was unsatisfactory to him. Without trash service, they’d accumulated piles of empty pop cans, twisted toothpaste tubes, shampoo bottles, soiled face wipes, and plastic food wrappers. Huela circled one of these piles.

“The women finished their skirts today, but they are not wearing them,” he said.

“I know, Mincho.” Yes, she knew very well. It had not been a good day. “But those skirts were just practice. We’re moving on to men’s clothes now.” She cringed inwardly, but she had decided on this excuse to buy herself more time. “The men are more important. The road crew needs new pants already, they’re working so hard they’ve ripped right through the donation pants. The class will be serving the village, which is much more important than serving themselves.” She could convince the women to wear their skirts, surely, with anyone but Mincho as translator.

“Humph.” They both watched Huela claw at a box pushed halfway under the bed. Their box of snack food, Lenore realized.

Dan entered then, practically marching, out of breath. Looking unsurprised to see a soldier in their room, Dan handed Mincho the baptism list. “Mincho just came to me with some disturbing news,” he informed Lenore.

“Oh?”

“One of the women has been selling herself for food.”

“Oh.” She tried her best to feign shock. The villagers, who’d arrived in the camp emaciated, were losing the weight they had gained in the beginning. Food shipments had increased, though not in pace with the rising population of the village. The road project was behind due to some strategic guerrilla gains in the jungle and it was nearly impossible to airlift the amount of food and supplies that the village now needed. In addition, the work-for-rations system did not favor widows with children. “Who?”

“Ama.”

Lenore imagined the small, serious woman shooing her five children away from the sewing class. The children staring at her through Mincho’s legs, making faces, and making her almost smile. Lenore had admired this woman from afar, seeing how dedicated she was to her family. She washed them every day at the pump and had even made a comb from a broken fork to fix their hair. In her mind, Lenore saw Ama as a mother more than anything else. More than an Indian, a refugee, a lost soul.

“She’s up for baptism this week and there’s no way I can let this happen,” Dan said. “I have to write up a report now—”

“A report?”

“Yes, a report. For the General. I have a form to report any infraction.” His ears blazed at the tips, as if frostbit.

Lenore said nothing at first, but let the air of out of her nostrils with an impatient puff. And that was enough. Dan wheeled around to look at her, their fight from before stoked so easily. “What?”

“I don’t think that’s necessary, to get the General involved.” Her feelings on this subject surprised her as much as him.

“Are you kidding, Lenore? Not only do we need to tell the General, but the woman needs to be punished.

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