Passing the first two houses, Suzie saw the occupants sitting outside. The Lambert extended family. Suzie reckoned there must be over twelve people living there. There were five sons with their wives and children, parents and grandparents. That was a lot of people under one roof, Suzie thought as she bid them a good afternoon. Some of the children waved at her. It looked like they were roasting nuts. Five thirty in the afternoon was late for roasting nuts as far as Suzie knew. She quickly walked by, she did not want to be perfumed by the smell. When Pa roasted nuts, he would do so at around ten in

*** When Abigale awoke, it was late morning. Through the half opened wooden window, the rays of the sun streamed steadily into the room. The brightness of the light had her closing her eyes. Her head hurt. Turning away from the glare, she placed her feet carefully on the left side of the bed. A fit of dizziness assailed her. Oh gracious. She hoped that she was not coming down with whatever Josh had. This might also be as a result staying up almost the whole night with Josh. The good news was that when she left him early that morning, the fever was gone. He should be up and about in the next two days she thought. Placing a hand over her he

The following days passed in a blur. Sean did not go out into the fields, but had decided to stay close to home and work on the balance of the repairs around the house. It had been four days since the old man’s death. Bringo was laid to rest the day after his demise at the small cemetery located across the river. The whole community had shown up, except those who were too old to make the five mile walk. Four men were stationed at each corner of the plain, wooden coffin, leading the procession. Hymns were sung to and from the cemetery to pass the time. After the service, there was a wake at Bringo’s house. Sean did not go to the wake, but from what he heard, Lydia was distressed, trying to come to terms with what had happe

‘Lydia, this might not be the most opportune time for me to say this, but I would like to apologize again for my behavior and actions towards you the last time we were together. It was selfish, insensitive, and cruel. I was angry and was not thinking clearly. You made me so furious…you somehow managed to bring out the worst in me.’ Pulling away from him, she took her position clumsily on the couch, and pulled the end of her t-shirt to wipe her tear-stained cheeks. ‘I am also sorry for my conduct. It h

 Humming to herself, Abigale strutted leisurely down the path towards the meadow. It was a beautiful day to be outdoors. She relished in Mother Nature and its intricacies, but most of all in this cloudless day. The sun was shining brightly but was not unbearable. With a straw basket and a knife in her hands, she stopped every few minutes to trim flowers and plants alike. She needed fresh bouquets to replace the ones at home. This time of year, the flowers were lovely with so many buoyant and lively colours. Bending, she meticulously cut the stem of a small purple flower and brought the petals