had a stag party to plan before he could think how to solve any other problems.
~*~
Lou could hear Staci complaining from half way across the clearing. She stopped just short of the group to watch.
Keika had explained that the fabric had come from the missionaries, and more from when the air base was still occupied on the island. The tribe hoarded it, despite occasional ships that stopped in their little bay and brought modern goods.
Staci moaned loudly about the sewing in her hand. “This is more Lou’s thing than mine. I don’t know one end of a needle from the other.”
“Which is probably why you’re here,” Ailsa told her. “It’s about time you learned.”
Staci grumbled and managed to prick herself more than the fabric. Her stitches were large and uneven and she even managed to sew the fabric to her own dress. This may have been amusing or an accident, but her comments had been loud and long and this seemed another excuse to get out of it.
Ailsa unpicked the stitches and freed the fabric from Staci’s skirt.
“Can I go now?” Staci said.
“No,” Keika told her. She took the fabric from Ailsa and gave it back to Staci. “You must learn and do your share of the work. Here, I will help you.”
Lou grinned.
As far as Staci was concerned, ‘help’ usually meant someone else doing the tasks she didn’t know how to do. She felt incapable of learning some things, and often confided to Lou that she hated disappointing people when she failed. The girl was in for a shock.
Keika showed her how to hold the fabric and needle correctly and how to do four tiny precise stitches. She then gave the fabric back to Staci. “You do it now.”
“But I thought....” Staci mumbled.
“I have my own to do. I will help if you get stuck. We have to work together here, or we do not survive.”
“If I must.” Staci stabbed the fabric with the needle and with considerable effort, managed to make her stitches smaller and more neat.
Finally the horn to signal stopping work sounded.
Staci sighed thankfully.
Jim came across on his way to the river to bathe. “Did you have a good day?”
“No. They put me on sewing. I hate sewing.”
Ailsa laughed. “What she means is she couldn’t sew if her life depended on it.”
Staci glared at her, then grinned sheepishly and took off towards the hut they were staying in.
Jim made to go after her, but Ailsa stopped him. “Leave her. She’s been complaining all day, but she did do the task, even though she didn’t like it much.”
Lou turned away, not wanting to see another moment of closeness between someone she liked and the person they preferred over her. She headed after Staci. “Stace, wait up.”
Staci turned. “I hate sewing. I’ve done nothing but sewing for days—I know I’ve been complaining, but I don’t do it very well and I don’t like doing something I’m not good at.”
“Well, if you don’t like it,” Lou interrupted, “then do something about it.”
“Like what? Jim keeps saying how we owe these people and need to do what we can to help.”
“You could tell him you want go home. He wants to head on to this base, try to radio back home for help. He’s only staying out of a sense of duty, but his first duty is to you.”
“But going home would mean going to boarding school if they haven’t found Mum and Dad.”
“At least you wouldn’t have to sew all day long. You could see your friends, have someone else take care of you instead of having to do it all yourself. And my mum would have you for the holidays.”
“Jim takes care of me now.”
Lou sighed in exasperation. “Stace, Jim is only eighteen. He doesn’t need this huge burden of responsibility. He feels totally responsible for stranding us here, even though it isn’t all his fault. Besides, Jim wanted to join the military. He can’t do that from here or if he’s caring for you on a full time basis. Can he?”
“No, he can’t.” Staci took a deep breath. “OK.
~*~
Lou could hear Staci complaining from half way across the clearing. She stopped just short of the group to watch.
Keika had explained that the fabric had come from the missionaries, and more from when the air base was still occupied on the island. The tribe hoarded it, despite occasional ships that stopped in their little bay and brought modern goods.
Staci moaned loudly about the sewing in her hand. “This is more Lou’s thing than mine. I don’t know one end of a needle from the other.”
“Which is probably why you’re here,” Ailsa told her. “It’s about time you learned.”
Staci grumbled and managed to prick herself more than the fabric. Her stitches were large and uneven and she even managed to sew the fabric to her own dress. This may have been amusing or an accident, but her comments had been loud and long and this seemed another excuse to get out of it.
Ailsa unpicked the stitches and freed the fabric from Staci’s skirt.
“Can I go now?” Staci said.
“No,” Keika told her. She took the fabric from Ailsa and gave it back to Staci. “You must learn and do your share of the work. Here, I will help you.”
Lou grinned.
As far as Staci was concerned, ‘help’ usually meant someone else doing the tasks she didn’t know how to do. She felt incapable of learning some things, and often confided to Lou that she hated disappointing people when she failed. The girl was in for a shock.
Keika showed her how to hold the fabric and needle correctly and how to do four tiny precise stitches. She then gave the fabric back to Staci. “You do it now.”
“But I thought....” Staci mumbled.
“I have my own to do. I will help if you get stuck. We have to work together here, or we do not survive.”
“If I must.” Staci stabbed the fabric with the needle and with considerable effort, managed to make her stitches smaller and more neat.
Finally the horn to signal stopping work sounded.
Staci sighed thankfully.
Jim came across on his way to the river to bathe. “Did you have a good day?”
“No. They put me on sewing. I hate sewing.”
Ailsa laughed. “What she means is she couldn’t sew if her life depended on it.”
Staci glared at her, then grinned sheepishly and took off towards the hut they were staying in.
Jim made to go after her, but Ailsa stopped him. “Leave her. She’s been complaining all day, but she did do the task, even though she didn’t like it much.”
Lou turned away, not wanting to see another moment of closeness between someone she liked and the person they preferred over her. She headed after Staci. “Stace, wait up.”
Staci turned. “I hate sewing. I’ve done nothing but sewing for days—I know I’ve been complaining, but I don’t do it very well and I don’t like doing something I’m not good at.”
“Well, if you don’t like it,” Lou interrupted, “then do something about it.”
“Like what? Jim keeps saying how we owe these people and need to do what we can to help.”
“You could tell him you want go home. He wants to head on to this base, try to radio back home for help. He’s only staying out of a sense of duty, but his first duty is to you.”
“But going home would mean going to boarding school if they haven’t found Mum and Dad.”
“At least you wouldn’t have to sew all day long. You could see your friends, have someone else take care of you instead of having to do it all yourself. And my mum would have you for the holidays.”
“Jim takes care of me now.”
Lou sighed in exasperation. “Stace, Jim is only eighteen. He doesn’t need this huge burden of responsibility. He feels totally responsible for stranding us here, even though it isn’t all his fault. Besides, Jim wanted to join the military. He can’t do that from here or if he’s caring for you on a full time basis. Can he?”
“No, he can’t.” Staci took a deep breath. “OK.
Similar Books
