“Why on earth would they do that?”
“Well,” I said.“They don’t actually need either of us, do they?”
Captain Martin frowned.“Look, I think you’re underestimating—”
“Hillier does all the practical managing.And Guthrie the cooking.The rest of them do all the work.”
“Wait a moment…”
“I’m just saying.”
“Now look here, I—” he started to protest my logic and then must have seen the glint in my eye and the humour in my expression.
“You bugger.How dare you question my importance to theArrowand her crew?”
“The comment was worth the look on your face as you realized I was right.”
“Now, now, stop this teasing, or you won’t get your wedding gift.”
“I already got the pebble.”
“That’s not your wedding gift.”
“What?”
“Well, I’m waiting on Jimena’s brother…”
“Beg pardon?”I had thought that perhaps he was making a gamahuching reference, but I would hope that that would not involve Jimena’s sibling.
Dinesh held up his hand.“Patience.Your present should be here by lunchtime.”
I blinked, completely flummoxed.“But…but…where on earth is it coming from?”
Dinesh only smiled and wouldn’t tell me anything more.
A bit later, after we’d had some coffee and breakfast, he told me he was going with Francis on a foray into the jungle to see a tree that was thousands of years old.He asked if I wanted to come too, but I said that I preferred to sit on the beach and do nothing.I was tired from the festivities of the night before, and the idea of trudging through the thick jungle did not appeal.
“Very well.Perhaps you can help Jimena entertain the children.”
“Me?”
“Why not?”
“Well…ain’t that women’s business?”
“Haven’t you seen Francis with them all the time?He doesn’t leave their care entirely to Jimena.”
“Aye, that’s true.”
“In the Bribri culture, it is quite common for the men to participate in the care of the children.Which I do find very refreshing.”
“I suppose…” I said, glancing at where Jimena was wading in the shallow water at the edge of the ocean, her babe in a cloth wrap at her hip and the youngster skipping along at her side.
“Whatever you decide, be sure to enjoy yourself, and I’ll be back very soon.”
“All right.And you’d better be.”
He waved and nodded as he trudged up the sand to where Jimena’s brother, José waited with another young man from the tribe.I sighed, curious about Dinesh’s reference to a wedding gift but put the idea out of my mind and determined to enjoy the peace of the tropical morning.
