Life-moving moments

Chapter 33

When James eventually walks me back to the cabin, it's well after midnight. Phulisa is asleep, so I escape the grilling I was anticipating.

The next morning Phumlisa is up at 4.30 and when she gets back from the showers she tells me that she is heading to the kitchen to help James.

"And as soon as we get a break during the day, you and I are going to talk," she says.

I nod sleepily.

"I waited for you last night," she adds. "I fell asleep for a bit but I woke again at 12.15 and you still weren't back. I hope you and James didn't ... fraternise."

Even in my half asleep state I can feel my cheeks redden.

"Ava!" she shouts. "Haibo! I hope no one saw you."

"Everyone was sleeping. We checked." Well, cabin 12 might have still been up.

James and I had spent most of our patrol shift kissing and talking. We held hands as we made our way around the cabins for the second patrol. Every so often James would pull me against him and kiss my crown, my temple, my forehead, my cheek. When we made it back to the braai area I didn't even pretend to resist and jumped him. He chuckled into my mouth before melting into the kiss with a moan.

"Did you at least use protection?" she demands.

"We didn't go that far!" I shout back, fully awake now.

I sit up in the bed and give up on the idea of going back to sleep.

"I don't actually want the details," she says, and then adds. "I want some details but not those."

"I'll tell you everything later," I say. "Minus the sexy details."

"Just tell me one thing," she says. "Has this been happening at all the camps you've been on?"

"No," I say, my voice a little shrill. "This is the first time. I promise."

Phumlisa looks slightly relieved.

"Okay, but you are putting me in a difficult position. If I had known that there was something between you two I would have never agreed to the swap with Terence. I hope you understand why I have to be so strict. We have to set an example. We can't teach the kids life skills and then go and act differently ourselves."

"Don't worry. Nothing that the kids were taught not to do in the life skills programmes happened last night. There was just a lot of really hot kissing, okay."

Phumlisa groans. "Tell me about it later, please. I have to go."

Breakfast brings with it more surprises. Bradley shows up late and the only vacant seat is opposite me. I'm on the edge of the row and James is on my left. He's squeezed my knee under the table several times already and I'm trying really hard not to blush. Phumlisa is giving me frequent side-eyes and Raphael is pretending oblivion but he catches my eye every so often and gives me a slight approving smile. The atmosphere in the team is lighter and James and I are both smiling so much that it is even attracting the attention of the campers. The meal is the most pleasant since the camp started, until Bradley arrives.

He swaggers in, still in his pyjamas and sits opposite me with a suggestive wink. James' smile fades.

"I'm sorry I fell asleep last night. I'm disappointed that I missed a chance to have a moonlit walk with you." He says to me.

James stiffens but Phumlisa steps in first.

"I can't believe you slept through your shift. That's very irresponsible. James had to take an extra shift and get up early again this morning to cook because you didn't pitch," she scolds. I swallow a smile at how she has spun the whole scenario to make it seem as if it happened that way because of Bradley rather than despite him. Raphael doesn't bother to hide his mirth and chuckles.

"I just put my head down to take a nap and when I woke up, it was morning. I thought that James or Raphael would wake me for my shift."

"It's not their responsibility, it's yours," Phumlisa said.

"And I don't think an earthquake would have woken you," Raphael says. "You were snoring like a chainsaw."

James chuckles but Bradley is not so easily chastened.

"Well, thanks to that refreshing sleep, I'm ready for the day," he says. "And to make up for last night, I will take an extra shift from you James. How about I take over the games with Ava?"

"No. There's no need to swap," James says gruffly.

"Actually, that's a good idea." Phumlisa says.

I feel James stiffen again but his face remains impassive. This is Phumlisa's punishment I guess. As if reading my mind she says: "This is not a punishment but it is practical, under the circumstances."

"Being partnered with Ava could never be a punishment," Bradley quips. "And what circumstances?"

"Actually," Raphael says, ignoring his question. "How about I swap with James on games and then Bradley can help you with the programme. That frees James up for the kitchen, where he is clearly a genius."

"But that disrupts the entire programme," Phumlisa argues.

"But you did say it was flexible." I add.

Phumlisa gives me a flinty look but there is no malice in her gaze.

She ponders the suggestion and must realise that it works. Bradley is less likely to muck up when he is on a team with her and if Raphael and I are together, then she needn't worry about fraternising and James really is a genius in the kitchen. This morning's simple breakfast of eggs, viennas and toast should not taste as good as it does.

"Okay," she says at last. "But I have more news. I realised yesterday that this is never going to work with just five of us so I made a few calls this morning and Terence and Emily will be joining us after lunch."

James chokes on his eggs.

"I'm confused," I say. "I thought you said we were the only volunteers available."

"You were. Emily said that she didn't want to volunteer anymore but I took a chance and called her again and she agreed, after I told her that you were also here."

I didn't know how James and I would work with Emily here. I'm not sure if I am ready for her to know about us yet since I'm not even sure what we are. Judging by James' reaction to the news, I guess that Terence is still against the idea of us as a couple. I realise belatedly that he will have thought that I lied to him at the party when I told him I'd stay away from James.

"And Terence is working half day today, so he is bringing Emily with him after lunch." Phumlisa continues. "They'll be a team together and the rest of us will team up as Raphael suggested."

As we get up to clear our plates away, Bradley says to me: "Next time milady." And winks.

James takes my plate from me and stacks it on top of his in his right hand before putting his left hand on my lower back and gently steering me towards the kitchen. He gives Bradley a pointed look as we pass him and it takes a second for the message to translate in Bradley's head but when it does, the look on his face is so comical that I have to smother a smile.