Chapter 38 - Aotearoa

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Tom was highly relieved to see Ellie looking healthier than she had in London six weeks before; she had more colour in her cheeks and had put back a little of the weight the terrible bout of gastro and food allergy problems had lost. She'd looked rather exotic when she'd met him at the airport two days before, wearing kurti and adorned with intricate henna designs on her hands and feet. Her happy smile had been brighter than the afternoon sun as they negotiated the crowds outside the terminal then clambered into an auto-taxi for the ride to her apartment, and he knew there was an answering smile on his own face.

Today he was going to school with her and would be taking part in a special programme she'd orchestrated for the last day of lessons, acting out a well-known folk tale for the children. "I'm going to have a world-class actor at my disposal," Ellie had said over Skype, "I might as well make good use of you while you're here." Though he'd demurred at her description of his skills, he'd been touched nonetheless and knew he'd never be able to refuse her request, telling her to send the details then spending most of what little free time he had learning the story and his lines. When Rachel had found him with them during a break in filming, she'd offered to help and they'd amused some of the crew as they rehearsed; it certainly made for a bit of light relief from the emotionally heavy scenes of the film.

"Tom, we're leaving in five minutes – have you got all the bits and pieces you need?"

He looked over at Ellie as she gathered her things ready to go, warmth flooding his chest. She glanced his way and stopped what she was doing, walking towards him as her smile widened.

"What are you thinking about?" Her arms went round his waist as she pressed her soft, warm lips to his in an all-too-brief kiss. "You've got the strangest look on your face."

"I was thinking about you," he told her, one hand resting on the small of her back while the other ran through her completely untameable hair, merely encouraging the tips to stick out in all directions. She was keeping it shorter than usual in the hot climate of India and the humidity only seemed to add to its unmanageability.

"Well, that explains the weird expression," she laughed, her bright green eyes flashing with humour. When he agreed with her, grinning, she laughed louder then stuck out her tongue. "Come on Hiddleston, let's get to school so my little ones can put you in your place." This time it was his turn to laugh.

Ellie introduced him to her teaching colleagues, impressing him by speaking many words in Hindi using the local Khariboli dialect. When he met the children she taught they captivated him immediately with their warmth and enthusiasm, calling him 'Tom sir' and showering him with gifts of pictures they had drawn. They had half an hour in the classroom before 'Ellie ma'am' ushered them to a large hall where the rest of the school had also gathered and he dragged himself away from the children to hide behind a curtain with a few teaching staff as they readied for their performance of Why the Fish Laughed. Tom was playing a Vizier's son who had been banished from his home and met with an old farmer and his clever daughter who were able to help him save his father from execution. Their efforts were met with wild appreciation from the young audience and other teaching staff and Tom grinned from ear to ear for the rest of the day.

---

"Ace and ten."

"Oh yes. Thanks." Ellie had taught him how to play cricket using a deck of cards and they were playing now to while away some of the long flight. They'd left New Delhi that morning en route to Auckland, where they'd change to a domestic flight to Christchurch. Tom had booked premium economy seats for the extra legroom it allowed him, thankful not to be squashed like a sardine for the eighteen-hour journey. He looked now at the cards laid out before him, realising he could go no further this hand. "Only nineteen," he told Ellie.

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