Delta-Victor by Clare Revell

Author:Clare Revell
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: christian Fiction
Publisher: Pelican Book Group
Published: 2016-09-05T04:00:00+00:00

11

The rebuilding work was exhausting and kept Jim, Staci and Ailsa really busy. Although Staci didn’t do as much of the manual work, there was plenty of carrying and cooking to do, to keep the men fed and watered.

Ailsa was only too keen to help. “It’s fun,” she told Staci on numerous occasions.

“How can getting covered in mud be fun? If there were horses involved then maybe, but otherwise?”

Ailsa shook her head in mock despair. “I spent the last few years being told women were to be seen and not heard. This is a welcome relief.”

“Then, go, enjoy. I’ll keep Deefer out of mischief.”

Jim had begun to pick up the language quickly. He’d done Spanish at school and he’d been right in originally thinking that what the natives spoke was a derivative of Spanish, with a little French throw in. And the odd English word, as well.

Despite the fact Lou’s fever had abated, and Mafuso insisted she was recovered enough to do so, Lou showed no signs of wanting to get out of bed. Nor did she make any attempt to integrate herself into village life.

That worried Jim. “Maybe Lou is still ill,” Jim commented over lunch. “I mean she’s not arguing over staying in bed. She only ever did that when she had a migraine.”

“Either that or its Mafuso’s influence,” Staci said.

“It’s Mafuso all right, but I don’t think it’s his influence,” Ailsa laughed. “I’m seriously considering being ill myself.”

Staci laughed. “Me, too. I mean, who wouldn’t want a really good looking bloke like that fussing over you all day long?”

Jim smiled. “Seriously, guys. It isn’t like her not to complain.”

“She’s not planning on staying behind again, is she?” Staci asked worriedly.

“I don’t suppose so. Why don’t you and Deefer go and see how she is?”

“Sure. C’mon Deefer, let’s go find Lou.”

Jim waited until Staci was out of earshot before filling Ailsa in on Lou’s desire to be left behind. “She was adamant that we didn’t need her and there was no way she would ever go home.”

“She may still not want to. In which case, we’ll just have to persuade her otherwise. C’mon, lunch over. Back to work.”

They had been assigned to the team involved in making a kind of mud slurry to daub over the new walls to make them waterproof.

As Jim said, “it’s a dirty job, but someone has to do it.”

They worked hard until dusk, with a short break midafternoon. They cleaned up in the river.

A fire had been lit and several of the women were preparing the evening meal.

While the rebuilding was going on, the meals were done communally and accommodation was cramped, but no one seemed to mind.

“It’s so different here,” Ailsa said to Jim. “The clothes may be the same, but the women here are respected. Honored even.”

Jim looked down at his clothes.

The villagers had given them new clothes as the fire had destroyed all of theirs.

Ailsa was used to floor length dresses and Staci was enamored with hers.

Jim was yet to be convinced by his outfit.

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