"You know, everybody has told me before that he likes me, even when my husband was still around. Every single person in the camp and the village... Everyone but himself. Even my children have mentioned it in a not-so-happy way. For a while I did wait for him to tell me, but as things progressed, I just stopped trying to figure him out years ago. Like today, he was late for work, which I know never happened before. Then the way he looks at you, and how he reacts when something good happens to you, even after you risked yourself for us! He doesn't make any sense..."
Her words faded away as Diwana's thoughts were lost again for a moment. She suddenly remembered an incident between her and Max that happened a few months before Eron arrived...
Back then, Jack was offering a party for the guys at the lumberjack camp, and had asked Diwana to prepare the side dishes and dessert for the party. He also invited her to stay after delivering the food.
"You need some time off, Diwana. You know it. Just try and spend some time out of your house, get distracted, have some fun and good company. You might not forget what happened, but you might feel a little better even for just a little while," the foreman explained.
She had been a widow for just a few months and she was still grieving for her lost child, more than anything else. What Jack was telling her actually made sense…
"I'll… try. I can't promise to stay the whole night, but I can stay for a bit."
"Great! The guys will love to have you there. Some attention and laughs will be good for you," Jack had said even while she looked at him with surprise and a bit of puzzlement at her friend's last phrase.
"We'll see about that… But I do agree with you that I definitely need a change of scenery."
Hoping for the best, she cooked the food. There were fruit tarts, chocolate cake, and banana walnut bread. She also made spicy cheddar-bacon sauce and cream cheese dips, mini sandwiches, sweet and salty small pastries, potato salad, tuna salad, chicken salad and an apple and nuts salad with kale. The last one, even the ones that didn't like salads, loved.
All of her dishes and desserts combined perfectly with the main dishes, which were barbecued wings, burgers, pork chops and ribs, and steak.
That evening, the lumberyard workers started a bonfire in the middle of the campgrounds and started singing and storytelling. After placing all her sides and desserts on the long table that was set up for that night's festivities, Di stretched her legs and walked around the party area, soda in hand.
She still felt like a lost stranger who didn't belong, but she was hoping for the best somehow, and decided to sit down by the campfire and join the crowd. At that time, it was Max's turn to entertain the lively audience.
"Then, there was the werewolf! Tall and thin, and with his eyes completely red! He looked angry, but I stood up in front of him and yelled at him with all my might!!"
Max was telling one of his werewolf stories which he claimed was based on his real-life experience. Jack really hated it but who was he to tell what was true or wasn't? Besides, he has heard it so many times that he would just stay and try to follow the group, even laughing with them or faking surprise at the right moments.
Life and experience had taught him that it was better not to talk much about his own memories. He found that his father and mother were right in that aspect. People questioned even things that they knew were real, and even when it came from very honest and sincere individuals.
But would believe those whose integrity or experiences were doubtful...
"Hey… are you ok?" Di shyly asked as she sat beside Jack, finding a vacant space on the long log, which fitted her small frame and rounded hips.
"Yeah… I just don't like their stories. I get the feeling that they find it funny to joke with something that ended up affecting so many families around a decade ago," Jack said, playing with his empty paper cup. "And it's all in the wrong way too."
"I don't know much about those events, but I can listen if you need to talk about it."
The lumberyard owner smiled at the new widow but kept silent. This woman was the kind of person that, if it was within her capacity to help, for sure she would do it. And it didn't matter if she was in pain herself or if people misunderstood her, were ungrateful to her or just stabbed her in the back more than once...
She would still be willing to help, and Jack didn't want her to feel that he was taking advantage of her kindness. Diwa needed to heal and he's not one to get in the way of that because of his long-time emotional wound.
"Ok, now that I've finished my story, I'll sing you a song," Max announced as he took his guitar and started to play an original composition. "It took me less than an hour to write this, too."
Di was surprised that Max sang and played well. For a while, she and Jack focused on the impromptu entertainer.
But as Max kept singing, he continued to walk closer to her, still playing his guitar…
"Because you're beautiful… oooh so beautiful," he sang, smiling at Di. "The most beautiful woman to me."
She blushed, and even more so because Jack decided then to tease her.
"I think he's singing to you, Di."
"Stop it, Jack..."
"Well, he's definitely not singing that to me? Or I hope he's not..."
All who heard smiled, joked, and teased, and Diwana finally felt a little less uncomfortable. Even Jack forgot about what they were originally chatting about and cheered Max, while continuing to make small jokes aimed at Di.
Now, it started to feel like a party.
After everybody got some food and continued with singing and storytelling, the party started to slow down. Di thought that this was the perfect time for her to leave.
"Why are you leaving so early?" Max approached her from behind as she was packing up her things.
"Oh! You scared me. I need to go back home, and it's getting too late for that," she replied, still shy and smiling. "You sing pretty well," Diwa added.
"Thank you. I'm glad you liked it. I can just sing for you whenever you want. All you need to do is tell me…" the man answered, as he looked at her with one of those stares that she didn't understand.
To be honest, Diwana felt that she didn't really want to understand...
His eyes were looking intently at hers, too open, almost like the wolf dressed in grandma's clothing from the Red Riding Hood fairy tale. The light of the still crackling fire made him look menacing... almost scary.
And even if he was just a couple of inches taller than her, she felt something coming from him that she could not describe, but made her feel that she should be running away.
"Diwana, he's just being gentle, you know. Come on, he's one of the best workers at the lumber camp, almost the only one with a permanent job instead of seasonal. He's a good guy, ok? Why are you reacting to him like this?" she thought, almost forcing herself to stay.
"So, are you going to stay so you can listen to another one of my compositions?"
"Thank you, I'd like that, you really are a good singer," she pushed the words out of her mouth. "But I really need to go..."
"Too bad, but maybe we can get friendly sometimes. You know, just you and me, and I'll bring you somewhere..." he offered, getting even closer to her, and making her throw all her food containers in her bags to leave him in a rush.
"Yes, being friendly sounds good, but I'm busy these days. Okay, bye!" Di blurted out hurriedly as she speed-walked away, not stopping until she got to her house.
As she crawled into her large king-size bed, she was still berating herself under her breath, "Diwana, why in the world did you do that? He even told you that you can be friends! Just try to be friends with him, ok? He seemed like a decent guy."
Meanwhile, someone was up a tree, which was not so far from Di's house. He was looking directly through her window, stroking his not-so-big and hardened manhood.
"Yeah, I scored with this girl, and it was pretty easy. She must have been after me for a while, because just singing to her made her melt already… Hmmm and she's just my type," he moaned. "I'm glad she said yes to be 'friendly' because I'm kind of thirsty to try her."
Max would keep saying that to himself, as he continued to beat his dick at the sight at the almost-slumbering Diwana...