Elaina spun around. Glaring at her friend, she said, “I would rather James be without a job than have him work for such a horrible person who wants to desire his wife.”
She went to leave but paused in her steps and looked at Leila, “You should realize that I don’t want to have anything todo with you for a long time. Take care of yourself.”
Elaina hurried out of the house, and it was not till she was a good distance away that she finally fell down into a squat and ran an exhausted hand through her hair. Tears pushed at the back of her eyes, threatening to spill. All she could do was control her breathing. She felt sad, disgusted and angry. How dare he think he could buy her? It was only because of their pitiful state that he actually thought he could have a chance with her. He thought they would be at his beck and call. That scoundrel!
Taking in deep breaths, she stood up and headed to the spot where she would get a wagon heading in the direction of her home. Elaina was so distracted during the trip that she almost missed her stop.
She let out a relieved sigh when she looked up to see the log cabin she shared with her husband in the distance. She was utterly exhausted, both physically and mentally. She also felt betrayed. How could Leila do that? She shook her head, fighting back the bad thoughts. She would not think about them.
Slowly, she made her way up the dirt road that led home. She had just barely settled down on the bed in the room when she heard the sound of the front door opening. A few moments later, she felt the familiar presence of James.
“Darling, where have you been? I returned earlier than usual and I was so worried.” James hurried to her side.
He placed a hand on her forehead as he said, “Are you sick? Did you go to the midwife? Where have you been, my love?”
“It’s just been a long day. I was on the other side of town.”
“Other side of? Oh… you went to see Leila? You should have told me, my dear. You know that I do not want you stressing yourself. You are still in the second month of our pregnancy, my darling.”
“I know that. It was a trip I had to take, as horrible as it turned out to be,” she added the last bit in a mumble.
“Oh? Did something happen to Leila? Tell me, my dear.”
“Are you enjoying your job, James? Or are you just doing it because it is the only one you got?”
James smiled regretfully, “Darling, we are in a situation where we cannot be picky about the opportunities that comes our way. I am truly grateful for this opportunity. It is hard work, and it can be quite dull, but I am thrilled about the opportunity. We do not have to worry about a lot of things, and I think that is wonderful.”
“I want you to quit,” Elaina said quietly.
James stiffened and he looked at her in shock, “What are you talking about, Elaina? What do you mean by that? We cannot afford to lose this job. Are you doing this because of the few times I came home drunk? You know that I have not done that in weeks. I am keeping my promise to you and...”
“That is not it, James, it’s not that,” Elaina told him softly.
“Then talk to me, Elaina. Let me understand what it is that you see. Let me know what it is you know. With that understanding, I will be informed about the decision we are making. I find it hard to understand why you want me to quit a good job like it but you are a rational person. You have to have a reason and it is that reason I am waiting for. And please do not tell me to just trust you. I trust you, my dear, and I also want you to trust me with the truth. What exactly is going on, my love?”
Elaina took in a deep breath. She exhaled and nodded, “I will tell you the truth but you have to promise that you won’t go crazy, neither will you fight anybody. Promise me, James. I know it won’t be easy but you have to promise me that you won’t make any trouble, James.”
“Why on earth would I make trouble when...” he started saying when she took his hand in hers and squeezed it.
“Promise me, my love.”
He sighed and nodded, “I promise. I will not go wild andhurt anyone. You have my word. Now can you please tell me exactly what is going on.”
Elaina nodded slowly. She took in a deep breath and opened her mouth to speak, filling her husband in on the situation of the past few days. As she went farther in the story, she saw his fists forming and every now and then, she took his hands and caressed them till the fists were unformed.
“I do not want you working with him anymore, James. I don’t trust him and we have no idea what he is capable of. Do we really want to sit back and see what he can do? I do not think so. It will be better for you to leave. I know getting a new job will not be easy but it is a necessary step.”
“We can leave here,” James said softly, “We both have nothing holding us back to this town anymore.”
Elaina nodded, “Yes, let’s leave and never return. Let us leave the troubles behind.”
“I love you, Elaina. Thank you for standing by me,” James stroked her cheek. She smiled softly at him. They hugged and Elaina sighed, feeling much better. They would leave and never look back. It was perfect. They would start their family somewhere faraway from all of this.
Chapter Four
Running Wolf stood at the edge of the woods, staring into a distance. The sound of the approaching footsteps reached him but he did not turn around. He remained engrossed on the spot he was staring at.
“Hi there Running Wolf, been looking for you everywhere,” Chito forced a smile as he nudged his friend.
