Savannah

18

Chapter Eighteen: Part 1: Away On Business EDITED 95% (688 words)

It was Monday, the start of Meriam's third week at Savannah House. Ralph was due to begin End of Term Test today. The holidays were approaching. He had left for school very early with great excitement. Yesterday evening, Meriam reviewed the last topics in mathematics and grammar, the tests he had today.

Everything was normal at Savannah House. Well, almost everything. Valentina looked as though someone cursed her with the world's anguish. Meriam speculated her cousin Alondra's disappearance caused her trepidation. Whenever she saw her, she looked upon her with softness, which evoked in her a smile, never reaching the eyes.

Monday afternoon, Elaine asked to sit on the porch, so Meriam helped her walk there. Sometimes she preferred the elder woman walking as opposed to being wheeled. Engaging her leg muscles was more important than encouraging too much sitting and turning her muscles to mush. Meriam and Elaine entered the foyer as Ana emerged from the library.

"Buenos Dias," Meriam said.

Ana leered at her.

Merian thought she didn't hear. "Good morning."

Ana brushed past her, still not answering.

Her strange behaviour puzzled Meriam. She remembered the sneer on Ana's face upon seeing her in Aarav's van, Friday night. Now, though, she wasn't smiling. Meriam extinguished the memory, reasoning the sunken boat with the missing Venezuelans distressed her, too.

Monday and Tuesday evenings, Meriam guided Ralph as they reviewed the upcoming test subjects. On Monday, she reviewed Science and Social Studies and Tuesday, it was Agri Science. Tuesday's revision marked the final one for the week. Ralph ceded happily to his lessons, and though he displayed a poor attention span, Meriam completed all revision objectives.

Aarav called her at 2 o'clock Monday afternoon. They discussed the usual: her schedule and his work. He said he'd be at the Point Fortin hospital's construction site on Tuesday with other engineers accompanying him. She queried the possibility of a female joining them. He replied in the affirmative, telling her there was, and assuring her of her unavailability, being married and pregnant. He further confirmed his lack of attraction to her, as she laughed at his ability to read her mind. She mentioned Ana's reaction to her, and he acknowledged the tough life she once led in Venezuela and the probability that her friend Mariana's predicament concerned her.

He called her on Tuesday night and they chatted again. She told him it was Ralph's last revision and tomorrow, his last test. He teased her prior lack of a boyfriend, questioning its possibility given her good looks and charm. She explained her sheltered life as the reason, mentioning the rare instances of an uninvited, uninteresting acquaintance who visited her parents' home, seeking to engage her in conversation.

He did not call her on Wednesday, and she didn't bother calling. He was a grown man at work. This she knew. And also the absurdity of a woman expecting her boyfriend's call every day. At least he was calling her, she thought.

On Thursday, he called her at two o'clock. He was at the Arima hospital's construction site. They discussed the usual: Ralph's exams were over, the Bastians were not coming this weekend at Savannah House and she missed home. She enquired of the places he helped design and build. He told her of: The San Fernando Teaching Hospital, Movie Towne, The C3 Centre and SouthPark. She had gone to these places and admired their ambience and grandeur, but now, knowing he'd contributed to their construction gave them new meaning and life. She thought him and his work fascinating.

Thursday night, as she was going to bed, he called again. He confessed his wish to see her, informing her of its impossibility this weekend, as he was leaving the country Friday morning at two o'clock, on business, to return Saturday night.