PART 34

I was on my way, I was well without the premises of the Academy, on the way to the village nearby. It was the end of the year and it was farming season I saw Nadia not too far from the part of land I too used to till.

She had on a skinny pair of jeans that had been cut at the knees, a white tee shirt and a straw hat. And she was not alone, there were a few others: village dwellers with her.

''Hey Bewin'', she says,'' when did you get back?''

The villagers smiled when they saw me. I was familiar with quite a number of them.

''I arrived only just yesterday,'' I said.

''You are late again'', she said.

''My boss halted payments for a week: revenue return problems.''

She stood up holding the tool she had been using to till the land.

''How did it go, then?'' she asks.

''How did what go?,'' I feigned ignorance.

''Come on Bewin, did you pay back your mum?''

I had little time to discuss it with her, you know her, she would have nothing of it''.

''Look,'' I added ''I don't expect I would be around this weekend and the monday next, when I get back to her, I would convince her to take it.''