“How much?”
“Piss off, boy. I don’t need your fucking money. I need your hands. First thing tomorrow. Now bugger off back to your fancy riad.” The hand he put on my back was anything but rough or angry. It was how he touched his animals, passing through some sort of magic that soothed and calmed.
“Tomorrow. I’ll bring my friend. She’s better with horses than I am.”
He didn’t speak, just nodded and then disappeared into the lodge where he lived.
* * *
I didn’t takea taxi all the way back to the riad. Instead I jumped out when we got close to the Bahia palace, walking along the walks and watching the large birds in their nests, listening to the sounds of the city.
What Laurent had said was true; Africa suited me. But my family wasn’t there and while I’d managed to live without my family for years while I travelled around, I’d gone back home to roost. For now, anyway. At least until my nieces and nephews were older and the seven of us had spread our wings further.
No one was still up when I opened the door into the entrance area of the riad. The tables surrounding the pool were set up for breakfast, the reception area quiet and still, whoever was on night duty elsewhere. I wondered if to knock on Wren’s door, see if she was still up, but my gut told me that I needed to be alone and that staying in the same bed as her two nights in a row – if she’d let me. I wasn’t convinced she would.
My room felt lonely and quiet. The chirping of crickets hummed outside but there were no voices and I wondered how Laurent managed in his world of silence.
I even missed Seph and his continual Tigger-ness.
Sleep didn’t come easily. Instead my sub conscious presented me with a memory reel, snippets of colour and sound. Oxford, the big house there; London; school; Jackson carrying my lunch bag; Maxwell picking me up when I fell; Marie at Christmas passing me a present of a pair of binoculars. Summer days when the fields around us smelled of clovers and we climbed trees and played in the streams.
My dad, our dad, watching from his study, coaxed out by Marie. I remembered one time when he climbed a tree with us, I can’t remember why but I’m sure there was a reason – there always had to be a reason. I was surprised that he was really good at it.
When I slept I dreamed of things I couldn’t understand. There were nightmarish colours and scenes where I felt panicked and fearful. I woke feeling tired and restless, my bed too empty and my head too full.
Wren was already having breakfast, sitting across from Jaime and looking fresh and relaxed. She was wearing a long skirt, full of colours and I remembered her buying from a market in Botswana. Her top was white, setting off her tanned skin, making her eyes darker and lips redder.
I didn’t know if I’d ever be ready for Wren. She was like the songbird she was nicknamed after, petite and quick, seeing everything, merging with the background when she needed. At university, she’d been quietly well-liked, never one of the popular ones but always accepted into any group. Steadfast. Honest. Never bitchy or hurtful. Beautiful in a way that never needed to be forced and she was brilliant.
I’d always thought she would’ve married someone equally brilliant: some intelligent mind who had all his shit sorted and functioned like a normal person. Someone she didn’t need to save. Someone not like me.
“Morning, handsome!” Jaime smiled at me broadly. “Sleep well?”
“Not bad.” It was true. I’d slept fucking terribly.
“Grab yourself some breakfast. Wren and I were just talking about moving here and opening up a riad.” She gestured to the spare chair at their table.
Wren smiled at me as I sat down. She didn’t harbour grudges. She wouldn’t cast me onto the naughty step because I’d needed some time on my own. I’d never had a long-term girlfriend, or even a proper girlfriend but there had been women who’d become too attached even when I’d made it clear that I wasn’t in it for anything serious.
“Is this is a proper plan? If so, I’m interested.” It was an option. I wasn’t poor and coming back here even for just a day and two nights had reminded me of how much I loved it.
Jaime’s expression lightened. “Seriously? It’d be a good business venture. For a bit of fun that’d hopefully more than pay for itself. Wren?”
Wren shook her head like I knew she would. “Can’t afford it. However, if I could I would.”
I wanted to give her the world. If I knew how.
“I have a job for us this morning. Laurent who runs one of the local shelters has a horse with an abscess that needs looking at. Any chance of you joining me?”
Her eyes lit up. Whatever she said about other animals, horses I knew were her favourite.
“Absolutely.”
“Shall we send the crew?” Jaime looked around as if Colin the lead cameraman was lurking.
“No. Not this time. Don’t piss Laurent off. Not worth it.”
She nodded. “No problem. I get that. Besides, I think today is everyone’s day off.”
