It felt good to be working, and I always work better with a deadline looming. I was making quite a bit of noise, and very engrossed in the task at hand. I heard a man hailing me from the other side of the yard wall. I stopped working, leant back and wiped my brow. "Storm prep'ration?" The man asked. "Yes", I replied, "hot and noisey work... I hope I don't disturb the neighbours." The man threw back his head and laughed. He looked at the buildings around us and then looked at me. "You new ain't choo?" I nodded and held out my hand, "my name's Wally Nacht." He ignored my hand and looked into my eyes. "Sommat you need know 'bout some o' yer neighbours, Wally..... They sleep like the dead." His eyes widened as he added "YOU'LL not be disturbing them." He turned to look towards the alley, and I turned my head to follow his gaze, and when I looked back, he was gone.
Despite the heat, I shivered. There was a loud knock at the front door and I jumped. Walking through the house I was relieved and very pleased to see Nana. I invited her in and she explained that she was just calling in to see if I needed any help settling in. She took a look around the room and smiled. "I see that it won't be necessary after all," she said, and complimented me on the house. I took her through to the yard and we spoke for a few minutes about construction and remodelling work, and also the fact that she had received a goose from Miss Stormy when she saw Hennie in her run. Being a very busy lady, she wished me well, and made her way out.
I finished my work, and seeing that I had much wood left decided to make some more shutters for the neighbours. Now that all the wood was cut to size it didn't take long to knock up a few sets, and the afternoon passed quickly.
I arranged to have the extra shutters transported to the local market for the neighbours to be able to collect, and also left some in the yard that could be taken by those unable to carry them from the market. I noticed that the sun was going down, but decided to take a set up to the market in order for them to be displayed so that the carrier of the main stock would know where to put them. I rode to the market using the path that runs behind my house, and fair shot into the enclosure there. As I was unloading the shutters Nana came across with Miss Eili. They commended me on my community spirit and helped me hang them on the wall.
The sun was now very low in the sky, the ladies bade me a good evening and I leapt on my bike and rode home 'lickety-split'. I put the bicycle away, said goodnight to Hennie and went indoors, closing the curtains behind me. I'm pleased with just how cozy the house is, and the shiver that had run through me earlier was now fully eradicated as I sat and eat my dinner. It was not to last, as a sense of foreboding came over me as I remembered what the man had said... That he should make a reference to not being able to wake them during the day did not reassure me.
The rest of the evening was spent listening to some music, writing my journal and reading. I started to nod and decided to get into bed, and as I did so, reflected that when I awoke (God willing!) in the morning, Hurricane Bernadette would be only 1 day away.
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