Warm water swept around Hudson?s ankles and then pulled back, drawing the sand from beneath his feet. Without thinking about it, he shifted his weight to compensate. Staring out at water that shaded from turquoise to dark blue with distance and depth, he rubbed absently at the dull ache of overworked muscles in his right arm.
A shift of wind sent the scent of smoke drifting over his shoulder before the swirling breeze carried it back towards the thick jungle. Birds whistling and chirping fell quiet for a moment before their calls resumed. Patter of bare feet across damp sand heralded Joaqim?s return from the smoking rack, words tumbling ahead of the boy. ?? I added more of the damp wood like you said to keep it smoky and it?s burning blue and green! Is that because it?s wet or do you think it?s the spirits in the wood trying to escape??
?Nae, lad, ?tis just th? salt o? th? water when it burns.? Hudson answered without turning his head to see the driftwood fire or the racks of fish cut into blocks and set up in the smoke to cure. Joaqim began talking again, and Hudson listened with only half an ear while he watched the horizon. That is, until Joaqim?s words jolted him back to attention. The understanding he had gained of the musical language was still not perfect, but clear enough after months of hearing nothing else.
?So I told Iona that you should take Estela, because she still has all her teeth and she likes you anyway but Iona just laughed so I told Aya and she said what about Iona and then Iona said it didn?t matter anyway because you already have a woman and so I asked who and she said she didn?t know but you must have a woman because you didn?t even look at her and Aya agreed because all the other men look at Iona.? All that in a rush of breath and one long sentence before Joaqim paused, inhaled, and frowned critically. ?I guess she?s all right.? That with the supreme scorn of a 10-year-old boy for his older sister?s appearance.
It took almost a minute before Hudson recovered from the surprise of that remarkable outpouring. His first response was a blank question, with a frown of puzzlement creasing already-weathered skin. ?Estela? Who be she, lad, and where would I be taking her??
?Estela?s the one that gave you those pants that used to be Arturo?s before he left to be a sailor with that ship that came through the year after the last big storm.? Clearly exasperated by Hudson?s ignorance, Joaqim sighed heavily and rolled his eyes.
Hudson looked down at the pants in question ? his only garb for the moment, they fit well enough though a little short in the leg. Then Hudson looked back at Joaqim, still puzzled. ?Aye, I recall her now, but where would I be after taking her??
This time Joaqim laughed. ?No! Take her to be your woman. You have to have a woman if you?re going to stay, but if you already have one that?s all right. So do you have a woman? Who is she? It?s not Aya, is it?!? The boy was practically dancing with curiosity while he waited for Hudson?s answer.
Waves splashed and rolled several times before Hudson answered slowly. ?Nae, ?tis surely nae Aya, but I dae ha?e a woman tae my heart, ?tis true.?
?Well? Who is she?? Impatient with Hudson?s reluctance to answer, Joaqim danced around to face Hudson, deeper into the water of the rising tide.
Looking from Joaqim?s eager face back out to the horizon, Hudson smiled slowly. ?Her name be Sylvia, lad, and a rare beauty she be, with her eyes th? same shade as th? bog violets o? my highlands and her hair black as a raven?s wing. Spine o? steel tae her, tae, with th? strength tae bend and nae break. That she needs, with her twa sons and wee Beata and th? runnin? o? a land all left tae her.? Joaqim was making exaggerated gagging noises at the romantic description, only ceasing when Hudson laughed quietly. ?Aye, lad, I?ll be leaving it at that.?
Relieved, Joaqim darted off to check the smoky fire and then back just as quickly. ?You?ve been here an awful long time. Do you think she?s waiting for you or ? I bet she thinks you?re dead. Eaten up by sharks!? There was a kind of gleeful relish in the way Joaqim said that, and Hudson closed his eyes.
A soft prayer in Gaelic whispered, he opened his eyes and looked out at the horizon again. Joaqim was already chattering away about some other topic, but for Hudson the sound was as much background noise as the birds in the jungle. His voice was barely audible when he spoke to himself. ?I couldnae blame her tae think me gone, tae move on or dae what she must? but I?ll hope she dae be waiting still.?
A shift of wind sent the scent of smoke drifting over his shoulder before the swirling breeze carried it back towards the thick jungle. Birds whistling and chirping fell quiet for a moment before their calls resumed. Patter of bare feet across damp sand heralded Joaqim?s return from the smoking rack, words tumbling ahead of the boy. ?? I added more of the damp wood like you said to keep it smoky and it?s burning blue and green! Is that because it?s wet or do you think it?s the spirits in the wood trying to escape??
?Nae, lad, ?tis just th? salt o? th? water when it burns.? Hudson answered without turning his head to see the driftwood fire or the racks of fish cut into blocks and set up in the smoke to cure. Joaqim began talking again, and Hudson listened with only half an ear while he watched the horizon. That is, until Joaqim?s words jolted him back to attention. The understanding he had gained of the musical language was still not perfect, but clear enough after months of hearing nothing else.
?So I told Iona that you should take Estela, because she still has all her teeth and she likes you anyway but Iona just laughed so I told Aya and she said what about Iona and then Iona said it didn?t matter anyway because you already have a woman and so I asked who and she said she didn?t know but you must have a woman because you didn?t even look at her and Aya agreed because all the other men look at Iona.? All that in a rush of breath and one long sentence before Joaqim paused, inhaled, and frowned critically. ?I guess she?s all right.? That with the supreme scorn of a 10-year-old boy for his older sister?s appearance.
It took almost a minute before Hudson recovered from the surprise of that remarkable outpouring. His first response was a blank question, with a frown of puzzlement creasing already-weathered skin. ?Estela? Who be she, lad, and where would I be taking her??
?Estela?s the one that gave you those pants that used to be Arturo?s before he left to be a sailor with that ship that came through the year after the last big storm.? Clearly exasperated by Hudson?s ignorance, Joaqim sighed heavily and rolled his eyes.
Hudson looked down at the pants in question ? his only garb for the moment, they fit well enough though a little short in the leg. Then Hudson looked back at Joaqim, still puzzled. ?Aye, I recall her now, but where would I be after taking her??
This time Joaqim laughed. ?No! Take her to be your woman. You have to have a woman if you?re going to stay, but if you already have one that?s all right. So do you have a woman? Who is she? It?s not Aya, is it?!? The boy was practically dancing with curiosity while he waited for Hudson?s answer.
Waves splashed and rolled several times before Hudson answered slowly. ?Nae, ?tis surely nae Aya, but I dae ha?e a woman tae my heart, ?tis true.?
?Well? Who is she?? Impatient with Hudson?s reluctance to answer, Joaqim danced around to face Hudson, deeper into the water of the rising tide.
Looking from Joaqim?s eager face back out to the horizon, Hudson smiled slowly. ?Her name be Sylvia, lad, and a rare beauty she be, with her eyes th? same shade as th? bog violets o? my highlands and her hair black as a raven?s wing. Spine o? steel tae her, tae, with th? strength tae bend and nae break. That she needs, with her twa sons and wee Beata and th? runnin? o? a land all left tae her.? Joaqim was making exaggerated gagging noises at the romantic description, only ceasing when Hudson laughed quietly. ?Aye, lad, I?ll be leaving it at that.?
Relieved, Joaqim darted off to check the smoky fire and then back just as quickly. ?You?ve been here an awful long time. Do you think she?s waiting for you or ? I bet she thinks you?re dead. Eaten up by sharks!? There was a kind of gleeful relish in the way Joaqim said that, and Hudson closed his eyes.
A soft prayer in Gaelic whispered, he opened his eyes and looked out at the horizon again. Joaqim was already chattering away about some other topic, but for Hudson the sound was as much background noise as the birds in the jungle. His voice was barely audible when he spoke to himself. ?I couldnae blame her tae think me gone, tae move on or dae what she must? but I?ll hope she dae be waiting still.?