LOGINThe Chief and Grace offered them a feast outside.Grace came out with a big tray. There were bananas, rice, chicken, beef, fish and juice. The smell alone made Suzan's stomach cry.Suzan looked at Darren. "Darren, am I dreaming? Is this real?"Darren whispered, "Don't be a brat. Close your mouth, your saliva is falling.""My saliva has a right to fall! We have spent days eating only mangoes and porridge! Mangoes in the morning, porridge at night, porridge in the morning, mangoes at night! I am tired of being a mango woman!"The Chief laughed. "Eat, my children. Eat well. You have suffered enough."Grace put more chicken on Suzan's plate. "Eat, my daughter. You are too thin."Suzan almost cried. "Mum Grace, you have given me good food. If you give me one more piece of chicken, I will stay here forever and leave Darren alone."Darren choked on his food. "Suzan!""What? I am just telling the truth. Chicken is better than you."They ate until they could not eat again. For the first time i
Suzan woke early. After everything that happened last night - the baby, the crying, the ant, sleeping on his chest - she had to be serious now. She had to handle the project. She opened the file. Her hands were still tired. Darren was there, lying on his blanket, feigning sleep. He was using one eye to see her. He felt so embarrassed. Last night he had shown Suzan his weakest side. He had cried like a child in her arms. He had shouted about his dad. He had said, "I wanted to be a doctor!" He did not want to show his shy face now. So he pretended to sleep. Suzan opened the file and her eyes went wide. "Oh no..." It was a questionnaire from the government. A CEO project. *ALL CEOs in the area must answer and make a good project that will handle the city matter for a better environment.* If they failed, they would lose their CEO licenses. Today was the FINAL DAY to hand it to Mr. Bruce. Suzan started reading out loud, her voice shaking: "Question 1... How can we reduce flood
The chief's wife was screaming now. Real screams that made the whole village go silent. Darren had already put her on the table. He was trying to be calm, but his hands were shaking. His fever was back, sweat on his forehead. "What are you doing?!" Suzan grabbed his arm. "You will kill her!" Darren looked at her, helpless for the first time. "I don't know what to do. I just... I couldn't leave her on the floor." Suzan's hands were shaking too. He looked at Grace on the table, holding her big belly, crying. And something broke in Darren. "I... I wanted to be a doctor," he whispered. Suzan stared at him. "What?" "I WANTED TO BE A DOCTOR!" he shouted, tears suddenly in his eyes. His voice broke and the whole hut heard it. "But my
Night fell. The stars were shining bright.The village was quiet except for the crickets. A cold wind passed through the mango trees.Darren sat behind the bark of the big mango tree, his back against it. His damp shirt was finally dry after the rain in the afternoon. He was quiet, too quiet. He stared at nothing. His face was tired.A few feet away, Suzan was watching him like a thief from inside the tent.She pretended to arrange the old clothes, but her eyes kept going back to him._Is he still sick? Why would I even care for a bastard like that? He is stupid and lazy. He can't even go into the woods to get us something to eat. And he thinks he is the leader._She watched the way his shoulders moved when he breathed. She hated that she was watching.As if he felt her eyes, Darren turned his head and looked toward their tent.And found her staring.Their eyes locked for a second. Just one second, but it was too long. Too direct. Too honest.Suzan felt that bump again in her chest. T
Mr. Bruce was adjusting his pants while speaking. His khaki trousers were full of mud from yesterday's rain, and he kept pulling them up like they were about to fall."We are not sure how long help will take to reach us here," he announced, his voice loud enough for all twenty CEOs to hear. "The tractor broke down again. The bridge is still full of water. So my team has decided that the projects will be conducted here. On this site. In this village."A murmur went through the crowd. Some CEOs groaned. Some started whispering about networks and air conditioning and hotels.Suzan felt a bump in her chest. A heavy, uncomfortable thump.Her family must be worried about her. She had not called them in two days. Her phone had no network, no battery. The last message she sent did not even deliver.She clutched her pendant — the small silver locket she never removed. Inside was her family's photo. The photo was old and a little faded, but she held it like it could protect her."This is going
Suzan woke up warm. Too warm. For a second she didn't know where she was. The tent was small, the air smelled like wet grass and rain, and the sound of water dripping from the mango leaves above was still going _drip... drip... drip._ Then she felt it. A heavy blanket over her shoulders, tucked tight around her legs, almost like someone had wrapped her like a baby. The blanket. The same blanket Darren had stolen last night. She sat up fast, her ponytail messy, her eyes wide. "Darren?" He was not beside her. He was on the other side of the tiny tent, leaning against the tent pole, sleeping sitting up. His black shirt was still damp from last night's rain, stuck to his shoulders. His arms were crossed tight over his chest, trying to keep warm. His face, that always looked arrogant and cold, was pale now. His lips had lost color. He was shivering in his sleep, small shivers. Suzan's heart did something strange. _Thump._ Wait. He gave it to her? Last night she ha







