Chapter 28: On The Road Again
The hours ticked away as Malia and Charles both lay awake, unable to sleep, not talking. Malia was aware of Charles’s breathing, of his chest rising and falling. And Charles was aware of her too, the flutter of her exhales.
In the morning, Hu and Gish cooked a traditional breakfast of smoked fish. Malia passed Charles the fresh-squeezed fruit juice. Charles thanked her and drank. A cordial truce settled between them.
Refreshed by the fatty fish and berries, Malia and Charles prepared to forge on. Gish gave Malia her phone number, and Hu offered a ride to find their abandoned motorcycle. They accepted.
They found it laying on its side a dozen feet downslope of where they left it. Charles hefted it upright and inspected it.
“The engine is clogged,” he said.
“Oh. Do you want a lift to the capital, then?” Hu asked. “I don’t mind.”
Charles inspected the interior parts. Malia walked over and knelt down beside him. His gears were turning.