all have our paths to follow. Mine just happens to be here in India.”
Autumn listens to Jenny with her ears, but she also listens to the silent communication Jenny sends across the table to Jet: a subtle glance from the corner of her eye that meets Jet’s knowing gaze.
“That’s a very honourable outlook.” Autumn places her spoon on her plate, clasps Jenny’s hand. “Oh, that’s a beautiful ring you’re wearing,” she says. A few seconds is all I need . Jenny’s eyes widen at the unexpected change of conversation, but soon rattles on about how she came to own this particular ring, a simple square-cut emerald.
This time Autumn ignores her words and instead listens to the pictures which Jenny unknowingly sends across. She lets go of her hand soon enough, having received the information she wants—Jenny loves Jet and that love is not reciprocated. It breaks Jenny’s spirit on a daily basis, especially now when she sees Jet infatuated with another whom he only just met. Autumn’s stomach churns and she pushes her empty plate away. Why couldn’t I have let that go? Why do I always need to meddle? Her intuition told her what she knew was going on between Jenny and Jet, yet she couldn’t help herself, she had to take a look and find out for sure, only to find out more information than she needed or wanted.
“Jenny. You’re a very beautiful woman both physically and spiritually,” she says.
Jenny waves away the compliment, a coy smile curling her lips.
“I’m serious. You are. But it doesn’t mean anything unless you believe it.”
Jenny shakes her head, forces a smile. “Beauty doesn’t serve any purpose in what I’m doing here.”
“No. I guess not. I just wanted to remind you of it regardless, because sometimes one can forget such things about themselves.”
Jenny nods. “Thanks, Autumn,” she whispers. She picks up her plate and stands. “Anyway, I’ll leave you guys to it. I’ve set up the spare room for you both.”
“You didn’t have to do that,” says Jet.
“It’s no problem,” she replies. Then looks to Autumn. “I hope you don’t mind sharing a room, but we only have one spare.”
Autumn shakes her head. “Um. No. That’s fine. You both’ve already done so much for me and David, I’m certainly not going to complain.”
When Jenny has gone from the room, Jet grins. “Now that was a little cheeky don’t you think?” He taps the side his nose. “I know what you were doing there, pretending to look at the ring on her finger.”
Autumn smiles. “I was curious.”
“About?”
“I don’t like to tell others what I see, but this is nothing you already know about.” She draws a deep breath in and says, “Jenny loves you.”
The smile falls off Jet’s face and he lowers his head, looking at his plate for a long moment. “I know,” he says eventually. “And, as I told her, I think she’s an incredible woman, but I can’t force myself to feel that way about her.”
“I know. I got the story from Jenny loud and clear. I’m not trying to accuse or convince you of anything.”
He nods. “Thanks.”
“Anyway, that’s quite a sombre subject,” Autumn says.
“I agree.” Jet stands. “How do you feel about taking a few of the kids to the music room and bashing out some tunes?”
She grins. “I did see that honky, old piano in there. You know I can probably bust out a few tunes myself.”
“Sounds like a date.”
They gather Darshan and a group of twenty children and spend the evening in the music room. Autumn sits at the out-of-tune piano playing nursery rhymes, while Jet strums chords on the guitar. The other children sit in a large circle ringing triangles, banging drums, blowing recorders and singing, voices raised loud and confident. The children exude a contagious cheerfulness that slams Autumn in the face and has her laughing and laughing, so much her cheeks hurts and stomach aches.
When the younger children are sent to bed, the older ones
Autumn listens to Jenny with her ears, but she also listens to the silent communication Jenny sends across the table to Jet: a subtle glance from the corner of her eye that meets Jet’s knowing gaze.
“That’s a very honourable outlook.” Autumn places her spoon on her plate, clasps Jenny’s hand. “Oh, that’s a beautiful ring you’re wearing,” she says. A few seconds is all I need . Jenny’s eyes widen at the unexpected change of conversation, but soon rattles on about how she came to own this particular ring, a simple square-cut emerald.
This time Autumn ignores her words and instead listens to the pictures which Jenny unknowingly sends across. She lets go of her hand soon enough, having received the information she wants—Jenny loves Jet and that love is not reciprocated. It breaks Jenny’s spirit on a daily basis, especially now when she sees Jet infatuated with another whom he only just met. Autumn’s stomach churns and she pushes her empty plate away. Why couldn’t I have let that go? Why do I always need to meddle? Her intuition told her what she knew was going on between Jenny and Jet, yet she couldn’t help herself, she had to take a look and find out for sure, only to find out more information than she needed or wanted.
“Jenny. You’re a very beautiful woman both physically and spiritually,” she says.
Jenny waves away the compliment, a coy smile curling her lips.
“I’m serious. You are. But it doesn’t mean anything unless you believe it.”
Jenny shakes her head, forces a smile. “Beauty doesn’t serve any purpose in what I’m doing here.”
“No. I guess not. I just wanted to remind you of it regardless, because sometimes one can forget such things about themselves.”
Jenny nods. “Thanks, Autumn,” she whispers. She picks up her plate and stands. “Anyway, I’ll leave you guys to it. I’ve set up the spare room for you both.”
“You didn’t have to do that,” says Jet.
“It’s no problem,” she replies. Then looks to Autumn. “I hope you don’t mind sharing a room, but we only have one spare.”
Autumn shakes her head. “Um. No. That’s fine. You both’ve already done so much for me and David, I’m certainly not going to complain.”
When Jenny has gone from the room, Jet grins. “Now that was a little cheeky don’t you think?” He taps the side his nose. “I know what you were doing there, pretending to look at the ring on her finger.”
Autumn smiles. “I was curious.”
“About?”
“I don’t like to tell others what I see, but this is nothing you already know about.” She draws a deep breath in and says, “Jenny loves you.”
The smile falls off Jet’s face and he lowers his head, looking at his plate for a long moment. “I know,” he says eventually. “And, as I told her, I think she’s an incredible woman, but I can’t force myself to feel that way about her.”
“I know. I got the story from Jenny loud and clear. I’m not trying to accuse or convince you of anything.”
He nods. “Thanks.”
“Anyway, that’s quite a sombre subject,” Autumn says.
“I agree.” Jet stands. “How do you feel about taking a few of the kids to the music room and bashing out some tunes?”
She grins. “I did see that honky, old piano in there. You know I can probably bust out a few tunes myself.”
“Sounds like a date.”
They gather Darshan and a group of twenty children and spend the evening in the music room. Autumn sits at the out-of-tune piano playing nursery rhymes, while Jet strums chords on the guitar. The other children sit in a large circle ringing triangles, banging drums, blowing recorders and singing, voices raised loud and confident. The children exude a contagious cheerfulness that slams Autumn in the face and has her laughing and laughing, so much her cheeks hurts and stomach aches.
When the younger children are sent to bed, the older ones
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