This day's journey was long and hard. The road seemed to disappear at times. Mac felt every bump and jolt jarring her body as the heat baked them and the sand and dust covered them. No one spoke much; it took too much effort in the heat. The only stops were for Mac to relieve herself and a brief meal of jerky and bread by the side of the road.
The sun had set long before they reached their destination, but Mac and Gunny as if by unspoken agreement pushed on towards the village. They guessed they were between five and ten miles away, when Victor hit a rather deep rut and broke one of the jeep's tie rods. Victor knew they were in trouble when the wheel began to spin freely in his hands. He stopped the jeep and looked over at Mac, "It looks like we're in for a hike."
"You do realize Colonel Davies is going to take the cost of this jeep out of your pay," she teased him.
"He'll take more than that out of my hide if I don't get us back before that plane to the States takes off."
Hefting their pack of supplies onto her back, against Victor's protests, she said, "Someone has to carry Shami and she is heavier than this pack."
Realizing that she was right, Victor lifted the sleeping child from the back of the jeep, and they started on foot towards the village. The first time Mac stumbled, Victor gently shifted Shami to one shoulder so he could carry her with one arm and slipped his free hand under Mac's elbow. If she hadn't been more tired than she had ever been in her life and aching in places she never knew she had, Mac would have protested. But instead silently accepted the help he provided.
Dawn was just starting to light the sky as they finally came upon the village. Mac's knees almost gave out in relief and at this point Victor's arm went around her waist rather than remaining just under her elbow. People were just starting to stir in the village so their entrance together with Victor's arm around her, and carrying a child was noticed by many.
An elderly man came up to them and asked what business they had in the village and why they had arrived on foot. Responding in the man's native tongue, Victor explained that their jeep had broken down during the night and they had to walk there.
He was about to add their request for information about Shami's parents when the man interrupted him in concern. He suggested that Victor bring his wife and daughter to his daughter's home for breakfast and also congratulated Victor on the expected birth of their second child.
Victor was quick to assure this man that the coming baby was not his. When he saw the appalled look on the man's face he quickly informed him that it was okay because Mac was not his wife. The man turned to confront him with his hands on his hips and in an angry tone of voice demanded to know why Victor was traveling with another man's wife.
Victor was once again quick to assure him that he was not traveling with another man's wife because Mac was not married. By this time the man's raised voice had begun to draw a crowd and it had also managed to rouse the nearly incoherent Marine Colonel resting on Victor's arm.
"What is wrong, Victor," she muttered almost in his ear.
"Gunny was just telling the man that you're not his wife, and the baby is not his and that you don't even have a husband of your own at home," Shami told Mac.
Straightening up, with dread in her heart, Mac looked at the angry faces of the people surrounding them. It wasn't until he saw the dread in Mac's face that Victor realized what he had just done.
The man that had first spoken to them angrily asked Victor if he had a wife at home. Before Victor had a chance to reply, Shami jumped in and said, "No he's not married. He's waiting for me to grow up so we can get married."
At this comment the man nearly turned purple and made a move towards Victor with his hands out stretched. Mac placed herself in front of Gunny and said, "Shami translate for me."
At Shami's eager nod Mac said, "Please don't hurt him. I told him the baby wasn't his because I wanted him to marry me for love not because I was carrying his child."
To Be Continued….