ONE HUNDRED-ONE: Rebuilt

The next few days were very difficult for both Jude and Arous.  She went about her work slopping the pigs in the morning and laying around the hay in the old barn throughout the day. Burton wanted to pretend she wasn’t there so she avoided him. 

Then Jellina came. Arous was hoping to be happy to see her.

“Jude told me he was coming out here a couple of days before the earthquake. Don’t you think it is ironic that we are all here? Desinty maybe.”

“Jellina, you don’t believe in destiny,” Arous reminded her. She was not happy as she had hoped.

“No,” she smiled. “I said I don’t believe in Prince Charming.  Though Jude makes me want to change my mind.”

There was an exchange of awkward silence between the twosome as they stood in the middle of the horse stable.

 “Ricci told me you were leaving to go back home,” Jellina said. “He was heartbroken that you didn’t want to have anything to do with him. After all, he is your real father.”

Arous cringed.

“Just don’t tell him I’m here, okay?” said Arous.

“He’d help you. Make sure you have a nice cabin like I do before we get settled into new digs. You know, they are thinking about not even rebuilding the City there. That would be a shame.”

“Just don’t say anything,” said Arous. She didn’t want to sound like she was pleading.

“Okay. You know your secret is as safe with me. Probably safer than it is with Jude,” her face took a serious tone. “You know, this is not the place for you.”

 “It’s no place for you either.” She paused.”I was looking for my mother.”

“And, did you find her?” Jellina was mocking her now. Maybe she had been mocking her for the whole conversation.

“No,” Arous lied. “And I have absolutely nothing to show for it either, Jellina.”

“If you ask me, seems like a waste of a trip.”

“I think it must have been.”

“Where is it you’re from again?”

“Alippiana, the Bowl,” said Arous.

“That’s funny,” sdaid Jellina. “That’s where Ricci is talking about rebuilding the City. Alippiana. I knew I’d heard of it before.”

“What?”

“Your father is the Diofe, right? If that’s true.” asked Jellina.

“I don’t think I’m welcome back there,” Arous said. She couldn’t look Jellina in the eye anymore.

Something about Jellina seemed to soften.  But Arous didn’t trust it. Every action, every glance seemed to mock Arous.

 “They say, home is where you can go when you can’t stay anywhere else,” said Jellina. “I guess you’ll just have to join us, huh? That’d make Ricci happy.”

Jellina turned to leave.

“I’ll bring you something that will make you feel better,” said Jellina. “We’ve got to get you better.”

Jude caught Jellina as she was walking out of the stable.

 “Stay away from her,” said Jude.

 “Why?”

“I don’t know what you’re up to.”

“I have a job to do,” said Jellina.

“She doesn’t want him to know she’s here,” said Jude.

“Too late.”

 “You’re walking a thin line,” he said.

“Don’t threaten me.”

They stared each other down for a minute.

“You know what I think?” said Jellina pouring on the charm again.

“I don’t care what you think,” he said.

“I think you’re scared,” she said.

“That’s ridiculous.”

“Is it really, Jude?”

“I can do whatever I want. Burton needs me. So does Ricci,” said Jude.

“Who really needs who, Jude? Does Arous need you? What does she know about you and Ricci? You’re little deal. Does she know how talented you are?” She laughed. “I had to die for my power, literally, but all you had to do is be born.”

“You wouldn’t,” said Jude.

“The man you are always struggles with the man you want to be and can’t.  Or, maybe it’s the man you are who tries to break free to be the man you think you can be. You might want Arous, but what you are is Ricci’s,” said Jellina. “Especially after that last botched job.”

“I didn’t botch it,” growled Jude.

“Oh, that’s right, you let her go on purpose. You’re crazy to be walking the line with a man like Ricci. And when Arous finds out what you’re last job was, she’ll hate you for it.”

Jude slapped Jellina.

 “Jude!” Arous yelled from the end of the stable.

The private conversation stopped.

“Arous,” asked Jude. He hadn’t seen her walk up on them.

Arous had heard it all. She didn’t know whether to play dumb or whether to tell him she had heard it all.  She couldn’t trust Jude. She couldn’t trust Jellina. They both worked for the man that made her more afraid than anyone in the world.

“I have to go,” Arous said holding Jude’s gaze, questioning him, forgiving him, apologizing.

            She was distracted from Jude for a moment by Jellina who she was able to see in the sunlight for the very first time since the earthquake.

            Jellina. Jellina.  What’s wrong with Jellina?