We are waving happily and watching Ian's car to disappear on the road to the town.
„I really love them, but I am somehow happy, that they are going home." I tell my thoughts to Heather, Erica, and Dame.
„Well, they changed a lot. Savannah and Taylor have calmed down, since they moved to the south." Heather smiles at me.
"They were great help. Really." Erica said sincerely. "We will miss them, in several ways."
"Don't worry, we are finally here, the shooting is over, there won't be another till the next spring. We are here to help." Dame sincerely promise to the girls.
We all laugh on his statement and his earnest face, because we know him: he will jump to the agricultural work, as soon as he will have a chance, and he will be so immersed in the gardening, so no one will yank him back to the camp work. It is Dame's weakness, and he makes an important part in the farming of The Anchorage. Almost all the food we eat, and offer to the groups come from his gardens. Fruits, vegetables, cereals, and the livestock's forage, are all the produce of him and his gardener helpers. So we don't blame him not doing so much work in the camp.
" If we really could start the project, we need one more person to help us in the work." Heather sighs. "Or have you changed your mind?"
"No." I shake my head." I am in. I promised to you, so I will do it. You can count on me."
The girls relieved smiles calm me down, and I really believe I could do the project. The next minute Dame taps my shoulder, and he pass the baton to me, in making dinner. Heather and Erica also run away, left me alone with the future meal. I don't take umbrage at them. I could cook a meal, and I haven't planned anything important to do. It doesn't take too much time to cut the meat and the vegetables, putting the flour and the eggs to the mixer, and the ragout with pasta is on its way.
I wash my hands and with wrong reflex, I wipe my wet hands to my trousers. It makes some cracking noise just to remember me the letter, Savannah gave me, and I put into my pocket. I take it out, and watch the addressing: only my name, with my exwife's handwriting.
Sylvia is able to anger me after all these years. She didn't really write so much, just her intention of talking to me. No love, no kisses, just a few words. I am disappointed, and pain engulfs me from head to toe. I crumple the sheets of paper, and fling her letter at the wall, but that springs back to the dining table. I take two or tree big breath to soothe my nerves. I have no free time. The dinner requires all my attention. Poor excuse.
"Bad news?" Ian storms into the kitchen.
"Dunno."
"I mean this letter." He flings the crumpled papers at my head.
"Who got bad news?" The girls come in and start to sniffle the smell of the food.
"Tyler."
Fortunately, there is no time to gossiping on my problems, the evening routine wins over everything. Our home-doctor, Andrew arrives home, Dame comes back from the gardens, covered by soil head to toe. He has to take a shower, while the others set the table, and discussing the work they have done, and have to be done tomorrow. We all eat in peace and chatting on neutral subjects. Pleasant relaxation. Minutes of compassion.
"So, what's the bad news?" Ian finish the dinner, thus he has time to ask me, and turns the attention of the others to me.
"Sylvia wants to talk to me."
"About what?" Ian sighs."Does she wants to come back?"
"She doesn't write more than that she wants to talk to me. Tomorrow afternoon, in Hardersfield."
"Do you want to go?" Ian asks nervously.
"Yes." I want to go, despite her cold attitude. I love her so much! Despite all that happened. I start to daydream about her coming back to me. I have hopes, that my sisters convinced her to come back to me. I want to erase that six years, we spent apart each other. I will accept her little daughter, of course. Maybe I will have an own family by tomorrow evening. My feelings are on high, but there is a sliver of fear. "I am a bit afraid of she is affected by that town."
"Don't worry! I don't think she will be that bad." Heather tries to console me.
"But she has lived in Hardersfield for six years..."
"Yvonne lived there in all her life, and she is a normal girl."
"Look at Ivo! He is a kind, polite, cute boy."
"He also has a good effect on Taylor! So does Peter on Savannah!"
"Maybe your fears of Hardersfield is just a simple prejudice."
"If she wants to come back, we will be glad!"
Ian and I stare at our family dumbfounded. They don't know anything about that town, our history, about what happened. They don't know anything, just took a look at Taylor and Savannah, and they decided there isn't any risk. Maybe they are right. I want them to be right.
"It is okay. I go there, with the midnight train."
The room become lively in a second. Ian put me some food into plastic boxes, the girls give me a backpack, I pack some clothes. The boys encouragingly pat my shoulders. They wave me and Ian away. My uncle doesn't say a single word until we reach the asphalted road. It is not practical, the dirt road, which connects the house and the main road is a bit bumpy, and it is easy to bite your tongue while speaking.
"Sorry for the inconvenience. I could have gone with Savannah and the kids. I opened Sylvia's letter too late."
"I am glad, that you didn't go with them."
"Do you think it is some trap?"
"I want you to be happy, but I don't think Sylvia would want to come back here."
"I hope she wants..."
"I know..."
We don't speak a word, both of us fell silent, until we reach the train stop. The light bulbs paint the blackness to orange color.
"Do you disagree to bring back Sylvia and her daughter with me?" I ask my uncle. I must ask him. The Anchorage is his house anyway, and I have to know his thoughts of my situation.
"No. Not at all. They are welcome."
"You are not so convincing."
"We really need someone, to help in the kitchen. Her cooking was tolerable, so it would be a convenient solution to bring her home. We don't have more room for a newcomer, just the small storage room. What would we do with all the things from your parents? If she comes back with you, she could sleep in your room. It is easier, than cleaning the storage room."
"You don't like her, do you?"
"If she loves you, I will definitely like her."
"Thank you." I am touched by his love, and my voice is trembling.
"You're welcome." He pats my shoulder. "By the way, speaking of love. Be careful with Yvonne Hillard."
"Careful? Why?"
"Well, she fell in love with you, and a teenage girl in love could do things, you don't really desire."
"How… we spent approximately two weeks together, it doesn't seem too realistic."
"Believe me, that girl is in love with you. Definitely."
"I think, when she will see me with Sylvia, she will be disappointed in no time!" I laugh at Ian's theory.
"Anyway, be careful."
We don't have time to continue our conversation, the midnight train kidnap me from my loved ones, and the town, I call home. But I don't have time to idle on these syrupy things, I am tired. I fell asleep as soon as the train departs.
The alarm on my mobile wakes me up on time, not to miss the connection of another train. I slept a little, but I am unable to sleep on the local train. It stops at every bigger trees, so doesn't run so smooth, like the intercity. The train stop of Hardersfield is everything, but good. Well, the train stop is just a small pavillion of a bus stop, covered, and surrounded with weed, the town's nameplate is rusty. A perfect Halloween art. The Halloween-feeling intensifies, because the stop is out in the boonies. The town itself is not visible, I just hope it is somewhere in the distance, behind a small forest. I have blurred images of the previous visit of the town, so I start to walk towards the forest. The two sides of the uncared road there are corn fields, which reminds me of my empty stomach. But I don't care. I will have breakfast at the school of my sisters. I just have to find the way. It doesn't seems too difficult, at a certain point a narrow pathway leads to the forest. I follow the road. After ten minutes of walk, I am verified in the right choice: a girl in a grey uniform are running on the crossroad of mine, with a schoolbag on her shoulder.
I speed up to follow her.