Chapter 10 - Page 140 - Rhasha Drives

    By the time Jim and Rhasha got to the shore, five more cars had arrived. Each car was full of passengers. Jim recognized nurses, cooks, and other workers from the village. Even Reverend Morris and his family were there.

    While they were unloading their cars, the ambulance showed up, also full of people. Before long, over fifty people were splashing in the water or sitting on their blankets, eating. Jim even saw people holding long sticks with strings tied on the ends over the pool. The strings dangled homemade fishhooks, crafted from sharpened bones and laden with bait, into the water.

    The sun came out and the clouds began to disappear. The heat from the sun quickly dried the blankets. It grew so hot, steam rose from the ground.

    For the rest of the day, people splashed, hollered, laughed, played, and fished. As the day waned, people lounged on their blankets. Some slept, while others finished eating the last of their food. Only a few children were playing in the water.

    Jim and Rhasha lay on their blankets, making faces at each other. The truth was, Rhasha was the only one making faces. All Jim did was laugh at her. “Rhasha,” Jim said as Rhasha stuck her tongue out and squinted her face, “you’re really pretty with your tongue hanging out.”

    Rhasha pulled her tongue inside her month and grinned. “Do you really think so?”

    Jim smiled. “No, dear. It reminds me of a dog, panting.”

    Rhasha grimaced and stuck her tongue out again.