shadowChild

Chapter Two - Forging Relationships

Friday morning dawned the same way Thursday morning had. As soon as she woke up, Kuda wondered why she wasn't looking forward to the day. Realisation came soon enough and she scowled, kicked back the bed covers and got slowly out of bed. She stretched like an overtired cat and then wrapped a towel around herself and went to the bathroom. She never wore a nightgown or pyjamas and March was too hot for either of them anyway.

She stayed in a modest little house about a kilometre away from the clinic. Despite its size, she loved the small building. It was minuscule when compared to other more extravagant places in Francistown, for example, but in Jakalas II, it was "comfortable." It had five rooms; two bedrooms, a living-room/dining-room, a kitchen and a combined bathroom and toilet. All the rooms were large and spacious and Kuda had managed to turn the house into a cheerful home.

She loved the colours orange and yellow, and although the walls were painted white, she had splashes of colour scattered around the room. A picture of a bunch of hibiscus on a wall, a yellow vase on her brown coffee table, orange curtains at the windows, green scatter rugs around her black leather sofas.

The house had running water although it had no electricity. That little luxury belonged to the clinic and Dr Campbell's home. She used a gas stove and paraffin lanterns and was satisfied. She wasn't bothered by the lack of this modern utility. Rather than making her feel as though she was missing out on anything, it made her feel like she truly was home.

She grinned suddenly, wickedly, as she pictured Doctor Dawn groping around in the dark because he didn't know how to light a lantern. It was a cheering thought and she sang gaily as she turned on the bathroom taps and started to get ready for the day.

Nearly an hour later Kuda stopped abruptly when she opened the clinic door. She stared in surprise at the man who was looking through their filing cabinet with a frown on his face. She took a moment to really look at him this time. He was tall and well structured without being bulky, with broad shoulders, narrow hips and long legs. She couldn't see his face properly at the moment but she knew now that his eyes were, well, nice to be honest. His face was manly without being too chiselled and his lips were wide and firm. He was clean shaven and his hair was cut very short. As she watched him, he rubbed the back of his neck, as though to remove a kink there which had crept into his muscles overnight.

"I don't believe this," she mumbled. "You've been here one day and already you're in the office. Don't you have anything else to do until Monday at least?"

Jake looked up when he heard her enter. He eyed her from the crown of her dark-haired head to the tip of her sandal-clad toes before he turned his attention back to the filing cabinet. Despite the churlish attitude, he had to appreciate her physically. She was a tall lady, perhaps a meter seventy-five. Her hair was cut short, almost cropped close to her scalp. Her forehead was wide, her eyebrows delicately shaped without the benefit of additional grooming. The pert nose above a mouth that looked like it loved to frown and lips that were twisted in irritation sat delicately despite how it was now wrinkled in exasperation.

The blue jeans she wore were not tight but were fitting enough to give an idea of long and limber limbs. She looked physically able to run a marathon with ease. She wore open shoes and a loose white shirt which added contrast to her smooth, coffee coloured skin.

"Nope," he said cheerfully. "My stuff is arriving later and I'll be unpacking the whole weekend. Until then, I'll be right here."

Kuda scowled. She walked past him, making sure that she didn't brush up against him, and leaned over to turn the computer on.

As she walked past him, he noted how her lowered eyelids were framed by long, thick lashes which hid her eye colour from his gaze. He hadn't really had an opportunity to see them during her tirade in their previous encounter, but now, he was suddenly extremely curious to know what shade of brown they were.