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" Merite,"1 repeated. That brought a smile to her face. "How do you say thank you then?"

"I say merci.

"Merci."

"What's all that?" Harley asked. returning. "Haitian talk," I said. The constant pain in my ankle made me grimace.

"Your foot, it hurts a lot?" Suze asked.

"I fix something for you," she said.

"Oh. I've got medicine the doctor gave me." She smiled with confidence.

"I give you medicine that works faster," she insisted.

Harley raised his eyebrows and widened his eyes as he shrugged.

"I must look after supper now," Suze said. 'Be ready in ten more minutes."

She turned and went down the stairs. Harley and I watched her and then looked at each other and smiled.

"She put one of those magic bags on my pillow, too.*

"I hope they work," I said.

"What do you think of my father?" he asked. "He looks older than I expected."

"Me too."

"He seems nice though."

"We'll see." Harley said cautiously. "Something does smell good, doesn't it?" he remarked, picking up the aromas coming from the kitchen.

"Ill freshen up and change into the best thing I brought," I said. "I'm okay.Ill just go back

downstairs and talk to him."

"Okay. Tell them I have to call home, too."

"Right," he said. "Your ankle does hurt a lot. I can see it in your face," he said.

"It hurts. but I'd rather hold off on taking the pain pills until I go to sleep."

He grimaced. I knew he was still feeling guilty.

"It wasn't your fault. Harley. You did the best you could. And you might have just saved our lives."

He nodded and then smiled.

"Maybe Suze does have a magic medicine.

"

"Oh. I wouldn't take anything from her. Harley."

"I know. See you downstairs," he said.

Now that we had stopped moving and my attention went fully to myself, the pain in my ankle began to sing its song louder and louder. I hopped about, pulled out my dress and took my makeup kit into the bathroom. When I looked at myself in the mirror, I realized how the ride and our ordeal with the men in the pickup truck had taken its toll. My hair looked like it had been through a shredder. I should have put on some sunscreen before we started on this trip, too. My cheeks were red. Even my chin was scarlet. Was it from the sun or the wind? I set to work, rubbing in my creams and fixing my hair as best I could without washing it.