BY NIGHT HE SCORCHES, AS HE BURNS BY DAY.
Mandana was in the grip of a heat wave.
The temperature had peaked close to one hundred degrees. The usual green, luscious landscape was scorched and withered, making the view from Ben and Lilly Ashton's balcony one of a near barren wasteland. The lack of rain had been hard on the farmers who worked the land. The failed crops had an effect on everyone due to a shortage of grain, which in turn had lead to the Mandanan's seeking help from Earth in order to survive.
Manmade greenhouses now littered the countryside around the Stargate. Crops of tropical fruit and vegetables grew alongside the hardy Mandana root produce, tomatoes, cucumbers, pineapples and bananas now graced the tables of the hardworking people of Tanger province.
Stargate Command sent through weekly shipments of basic food supplies including milk and eggs as the failure of the grain harvest had also hit the Mandanan livestock hard. Milk supply was considerably reduced due to the lack of grasses and Chickens scratched around in farmyards, desperate for any remnants of grain or corn.
Ben Ashton had likened the last six months to a war effort. Rationing had been necessary and the whole community had joined together to help each other. New ways of food production and sources had been adapted which had kept Hanah Tanger very busy indeed. Lilly's mother liaised very closely with the nutrition experts from Earth to set up a task force of housewives, young and old, who travelled round the dwellings not only to distribute food but also to impart knowledge and helpful tips on how to make the most of the products at hand.
It was a time of learning and adaptation in Tanger province.
Xxx
"Is he okay?"
"He is fine," Lilly smiled as she handed Ben a glass of ice cold pineapple juice. "He was thirsty again." Shaking her head, she grabbed her book and joined her husband on the balcony of their bedroom. It was late evening but the heat wave meant that sleep was difficult, especially for three year old Finn Ashton who had been constantly calling out for his parents since being put to bed hours ago.
"You were in there a long time," Ben sipped his drink as he stretched out on his lounge chair.
"Well, he didn't want the water I offered so I had to fetch him some juice instead," Lilly shrugged as she flicked through the pages of her newest novel. The Ashton's living room was fast becoming a library thanks to Samantha Carter. The decision to leave her position at the hospital to care for her son had left a huge gap in Lilly's life and she was very grateful that her passion and thirst for Earth literature had filled it to a certain extent.
"You should have insisted he have the water."
Lilly sighed and reached to light her candle. "He did that 'bottom lip quiver' thing he does so well. I fall for it every time," she chuckled and started to relax with her book.
Ben tutted and grabbed his medical textbook. "If he doesn't settle down soon he's going to be too tired for our trip tomorrow."
Lilly glanced up from her copy of 'To Kill a Mockingbird'. "What time are you leaving?" She asked as she marked her place with the bookmark Ben had helped Finn make her, the hand drawn sun with a smiley face always made her grin when she embarked on her literary adventures.
"I hope to go as early as possible to avoid the heat," Ben replied as he continued to scan his text, "though it does depend on what time your family come over."
He was taking Finn to the Stargate for his first visit in the morning and he knew how excited his little boy was. The father/son bonding day was going to enable Lilly and all her family to get together, in relative peace to plan her sister's forthcoming marriage. Cara Tanger and Niall Wenton had finally set a date after three long years of courtship and the younger sister needed Lilly's input in the design of her dress. It was not the place for a three year old or a twenty six year old man and Ben felt sorry for his father-in-law but Sergi seemed to be more than happy to indulge his girls.
"Ma said they should be round mid morning so that should give me time to sort through the designs and fabrics Janet sent through before Cara gets here. Why do you want to leave before they arrive?"
"You know how overexcited and clingy Finn gets when your father is around. I don't want him to decide that he'd rather stay here and help with your plans."
"I see what you mean," Lilly nodded, knowing that her little boy adored his grandfather. "Yes, it's best you leave before mid morning, we don't want any tantrums or tears."
"Absolutely," Ben agreed with nod. "Mind you, I'm sure all the wedding talk would bore him any way."
"You know what Cara's like. Everything will be debated, discussed and dissected as only my lovely sister knows how," heavy sarcasm laced Lilly's tone.
"I'm surprised that Ni doesn't want to be there."
"I don't think he had a choice in the matter." Lilly chuckled. "The poor boy is having little to no say in his wedding. I think the only thing that Cara is allowing him to do is provide the cart to transport them to the ceremony; everything else is up to us girls."
"And your father?"
"Actually pa is only going to be there to ensure we don't go too overboard," Lilly shrugged.
"Good man," Ben grinned.
The whole community were anticipating the wedding. It had given everyone something to look forward to and work for, from the baking of the wedding feast to the arrangement of flowers grown in the greenhouses especially for the occasion.
It was going to be a day to remember.
Ben just hoped that it would be cooler by then, the endless heat and stifling humidity was getting hard to cope with and tonight was no different. He actually longed for air conditioning, though a breeze would do just as nicely at this moment.
"God, it's hot," he grouched as he struggled out of his sweat soaked robe.
Lilly watched him with a twinkle in her eye and a grin on her face. "Yes you are," she waggled her eyebrows and giggled.
"You can forget that, young lady," Ben continued to grouch; "It's waaay too hot for that!" He shook his head and then buried it in his textbook once more.
"Spoil sport..."
Xxx
"Right, munchkin, it's time to get going."
Ben crossed the room and drew back the curtains from around Finn's bed. He was slightly surprised that his boy hadn't immediately jumped out of bed as soon as he was called.
Finn Ashton was an extremely outgoing, opinionated, bordering on out spoken, bundle of energy all wrapped in an angelic golden haired two-foot package. He was a whirlwind, a gregarious dreamer very much like his mother in personality but the blond hair, blue eyes and dimples 'to die for' definitely came from his papi!
He had brought so much joy to his family.
Lilly had endured a nightmare pregnancy and an even worse birthing. A uterine infection had left her seriously ill and fighting for her life. Ben had never been so scared in his life. The thought of losing her, of being helpless to save her, had made him question his own ability as a Platon. Afterwards he had slowly regained his confidence with a lot of encouragement from his wife, her family and more than a few pep talks from Doctor Janet Fraiser. He continued as principle Platon at the hospital in Gowton, the capital city of Mandana.
There was now a core of personnel in charge of healthcare in place in Tanger province, from Conrad and Anton Beuner who oversaw surgery to Cara Tanger who led a small team of midwives. The hospital was expanding rapidly and lives were being saved. The people of Mandana would be always grateful to the people of Earth who had been guides and support through the process.
Ben was looking forward to checking-in with his Earth friends again as he'd been too busy to make the monthly trip to the Stargate recently, he'd left that pleasure to his mother-in-law and soon to be brother-in-law who had both stepped up to take charge of the food distribution for the province.
Today, though, he was going to spend time catching up with all the gossip and he was very excited to show off his little boy.
"Come on Finny Ashton," he sat on the edge of his son's bed and pulled down his quilt slightly to expose the golden haired boy, curled up on his side, slurping noisily on his thumb. "We've got a busy day, buddy," he smiled and ruffled his hair.
"Go 'way," Finn mumbled round his thumb and tried to swat his father's hand away.
"Hector's waiting for us and mami's packing our picnic," Ben tickled his son's tummy. "It's a beautiful day, the sun's shining and the birds are calling. Our adventure is just about to begin."
Finn sighed and then slowly scooted up in bed. "That's today?" He yawned and knuckled his eyes sleepily.
"Yup, that's today!" Ben grinned and grabbed the pile of clothes Lilly had left out for her son. "We need to get you changed..." he reached to undo the buttons on Finn's Mickey Mouse pyjamas but Finn pushed him away.
"I can do it," he grouched as he began to struggle with the buttons himself. "I'm a big boy now; I don't need you to dress me fank you very much. I can do it myself."
Ben held his hands up in surrender. "What ever you say, buddy," he laughed and dumped the t-shirt, short pants and underwear on Finn's lap. "Knock yourself out. I'll be downstairs helping mami."
Finn shrugged out of his pyjama's and grabbed the blue t-shirt. "Fank's anyway papi," he grinned pulling it over his head. "I 'preciate your offer but I am big now, see?"
Ben shook his head and laughed quietly to himself as he made his way out of the room. "Don't forget to wash up after you pee," he called over his shoulders. "Oh yummy...Is that pancakes I smell?" He added. "You'd best hurry up Finny or I'm gonna eat them all!"
"I am hurrin', don't you eated all them cakes..."
Xxx
"What is he doing up there?" Lilly placed a plate of pancakes in front of her husband. "It sounds as if he's moving all the furniture," she sighed when the ceiling shook with another loud bang.
"Goodness knows," Ben chuckled as he stirred his tea. "I just left him to it when he informed me he could dress himself and thanked me very much for my trouble."
Lilly shook her head and pulled a chair up at the kitchen table. "That boy's mouth is going to get him in trouble one of these days," she sighed and grabbed a bread roll. "And I blame you for that, Benjamin."
"Why's that?" Ben grinned round a mouthful of pancake.
"You know very well why," Lilly tutted. "I hear you read him those books, Benjamin Ashton!"
"What books?"
"Captain Underpants, SpongeBob Squarepants...need I go on?"
Ben chuckled as he mopped up the syrup on his plate. "Finn loves those books."
"They are not appropriate," Lilly scolded. "And they certainly are not Huckleberry Finn!"
"Well I loved them too," Ben shrugged, pushed his plate away and grabbed his tea. "They're good for his imagination."
"His imagination does not need that sort of stimulation. His imagination needs wholesome, adventure-type stimulation..."
"Get your butt into gear."
Lilly hung her head with a groan when her son's voice came from the stairs and quickly halted their hushed conversation.
"You aint gonna be able to come wif us if ya don't stop your yammerin.'"
"See!" She exclaimed, holding her hands in the air. "That's what you've done!"
Ben burst out laughing, picked up his plate and crossed to the stove. "It's all good harmless fun," he shrugged and then placed two pancakes on the plate for his son. "Come on Finny," he called. "Your breakfast is getting cold buddy." He returned to his seat at the same time as his son struggled into the room with a backpack stuffed with what suspiciously looked like Barney his favourite stuffed bear.
"Oh, no you don't Finn Ashton," Lilly shook her head as Ben added syrup to Finn's pancakes. "You are not taking Barney with you!"
"Why not?" Finn clambered onto a chair and knelt to reach his pancakes.
"Yes, why not mami?" Ben interjected when Lilly failed to give an immediate answer to what he thought was a reasonable request from their son.
"You know what..." Lilly pushed up out of her chair. "...you two can do what you want," she sighed as she crossed over to the sink.
"Fanks," Finn grinned with a mouth full of pancakes and syrup dripping off of his chin.
Ben had to bury his snigger into the napkin he was using to clean up his son's mess. "Eat up Finny," he said tapping the young boy's plate knowing, by the way his wife huffed as she started to wash up, they were treading on very thin ice. "Let's get out of mami's hair hey?"
The double blink Finn gave him in return made him chuckle even more.
Today was going to be such fun!
