'This is the third time I have observed Peter coming to the pub and lingering as if he waiting for something,' Sean said to Richard. They were taking a break from painting a wardrobe for Fautina to place in her room. Sean watched as Richard broke a few pieces of bread and threw them on the ground. In less than a minute, the pigeons perched nearby descended hungrily, swallowing as if their lives depended on this nourishment.
'Not something, buddy; someone I think,' Richard answered. 'I have been watching him closely and I have come to the conclusion that he is trying to get Fautina's attention.'
Sean shook his head solemnly. 'Poor boy. He has his work cut out for him. Of all the ladies in the community he had to go for the tigress.' At Richard's silence, Sean realized his mistake. "Sorry man. Sometimes I forget the two of you are related. There is no resemblance whatsoever and your personalities are way off.'
'Yeah, yeah, but at the end of the day she is still my sister. She might be a bit rough around the edges, but underneath she is not bad.'
Sean took Richard's assessment of his sister with a grain of salt. He had seen Fautina in action, mingling with the crowd in or out of the pub, and she could be a terror to the wrong set of people. He would not get into an argument with Richard. If that is what he saw then the man must be blind. Instead, he replied, 'So is she taking the bait or has she been playing hard to get? You know she doesn't have many more years left if she wants to settle down and have a kid.' Brushing a piece of bread from his shirt he continued. 'She should grab whatever opportunity that comes and Peter here well….' He trailed off.
'He is a bit young isn't he?' Richard said.
'Well yeah, but if she likes them young, that is her decision.'
'He is a bit weird, that Peter. I am not sure if Fautina should get involved with him.'
'What do you mean by weird?' Sean asked between mouthfuls of cream of wheat.
'He seems to be always on edge as if waiting for something to happen. Plus when he addresses me, his eyes are all over the place instead of on me. I mean he should be looking at me directly in my face. What is he hiding that he does not want me to see?'
'Do you want to know what I think?' Sean asked. 'I think the lad is intimidated by you. He is terrified of how you will react when you find out about his intentions. I saw the way he stammered when you walked towards him at the pub a few nights ago. Try and give him a break, he is young and a bit cocky but not that confident.'
Sean smiled as he saw the lines around Richard's upper lip crease. At least he had managed to relax him. 'You worry too much. Fautina is a grown woman and can more than manage whatever comes her way. If she is interested, the decision is hers to make, not mine or yours. Remember that.'
'And you don't worry?' Richard switched the conversation away from himself. 'I heard Tomas visited this weekend. I found it odd that he did not make his customary stop at the shop or come and say hello to Fautina and I. He must have been in quite a hurry to leave. That, or he was distracted with something else on his mind. I am coming to believe it is the latter. What is going on with you two?'
Sean stared morosely at his friend for a long moment then thought what the hell. Maybe he should tell him the whole sordid story. But what would he accomplish by having Richard involved in his mess? He knew that once he said it that Richard would make it his business. Nah, he could not do this to him so he plastered a smile on his face and said, 'We got into a fight. No blows were dealt,' he chuckled. 'It was a misunderstanding. He will be back after he cools off.'
'Well, well this must be a first.' Slapping Sean on the shoulder, Richard said, 'Come on lazy bones. Let us try and complete this before nightfall.'
***
'Not again!'Abigale shouted in frustration as the pipe spurted water from both sides of the bamboo and drenched the front of her bodice. Placing the half pail of water on the floor, she crossly made her way outside in search of Sean. She found him at the back of the house playing with Josh. At her approach, Sean looked up and said 'What is it Abby?'
Inhaling deeply with hands on her hips she angrily gestured towards the house. 'When are you going to fix the pipe, I can barely use it without water exploding in my face; and what about the hinge on the front door. It is barely standing on its own.'
Sean turned towards Josh and whispered. 'Go on into the house buddy. We will continue this game some other time.' When Josh was out of earshot Sean responded, 'Now Abigale, why don't you tell me what this is really about? Surely this angry outburst cannot be about a burst pipe.'
'Yes it is! she shouted. 'It is time you take some responsibilities around here!'
'Wait a minute, damn you!' Sean retorted, shooting a glare her way. 'Don't you dare speak to me about my responsibilities. I am a good father and provider and you know it! I told you that I will work on the repairs this weekend. I barely have time for myself when I return from the field. You are making a big deal out of nothing. Why don't you use a bucket for now,' Sean stated; bending down to retrieve Josh's toy. All the fight had gone out of him. 'I will work on the hinges tomorrow. How does that sound? Abby?' When he looked up she had disappeared.
Sean dropped his body onto the cold, hard ground and shook his head. Pressing his hand onto the dirt mound he yielded nothing. The ground was tough and dry, thirsty for rain. He could not help but make a comparison to it and Abigale. She was on his case all the time; railing at him for every single thing. For goodness sake he was a grown man. When he was ready to do the damn repairs he would do them. Not one day sooner. Everything had to be done the minute she said. She had been giving him the cold shoulder for the past week and he was getting really tired of it. Somehow he would have to make amends, as always. He was always the one who took the first step to reconciliation whenever there was a dispute between them, regardless of who was in the wrong. One thing the years had taught him was that forgiveness did not come easy for Abigale.