********
As Luka and Abby trekked to the Pet Cemetery(Not built over an Indian burial ground, this was just the patch of dirt that the Kovacs had used for generations of dogs, cats and hamsters.) at the back of the property, Benton resumed painting the upstairs. The radio piped out it's HOUSE OF PAIN marathon and when Peter was certain that there was nobody else around he started to sing...
"Pack it up, pack it in
Let me begin
I came to win
Battle me that's a sin
I won't tear the sack up
Punk you'd better back up
Try and play the role and the whole crew will act up
Get up, stand up, come on!
Come on, throw your hands up
If you've got the feeling, jump across the ceiling
Muggs is a funk fest, someone's talking junk
Yo, I'll bust em in the eye
And then I'll take the punks home
Feel it, funk it
Amps it are junking
And I got more rhymes than there's cops that are dunking
Donuts shop
Sure 'nuff I got props from the kids on the Hill
Plus my mom and my pops
I came to get down
I came to get down
So get out your seats and jump around
Jump around
Jump around
Jump around
Jump up Jump up and get down.
Jump
Jump
Jump
Jump
Jump
Jump
Jump
Jump
Jump
Jump
Jump
Jump
Jump
Jump
Jump
Jump
Jump
Jump."
Meanwhile, Carter, Dave and Mark began the thank-less job of cleaning the entire empty barn from rafters to floor. The animals: the horses, the cows, pigs and sheep, all had been shipped to auction. The chickens penned up in their coop, looking worriedly through the wire mesh of their enclosure. Luka had said he could slaughter them himself. He'd done it years before, spending time here on this farm. It was a learned skill. "Like riding a bike." He'd said before Abby interrupted him. "But you don't know HOW to ride a bike!"
Although, Luka had been right. It was something not readily forgotten, even if one wanted to.
"It sure is quiet here in here without the animals." Carter remarked as he shoveled out a pen.
Dave wrinkled his nose in disgust as the dust rose. "Still smells the same."
Mark sighed as he started to shovel the manure into the back of the truck. They would use it to spread on the freshly till fields later, then plant some things after the harvest. The harvest... Had they really been here that long?! "What in the hell would you two know about anything!? You guys were inside while we did chores.."
"I had a hangover." Carter mumbled, pulling the mask over his face to filter out the harmful dust.
"I had a concussion.. I made lunch.." Dave said defiantly.
"Yeah, Carol and Doug wrecked it. Don't blame us!" Carter whined.
"US!? As in you and me!? I remember Weaver and I making sandwiches as you lay on the floor and moaned." Dave sneered angrily, shoveling the straw and filth into the grate on the floor.
**********
"You sure you're up to this Kerry?" Elizabeth asked worriedly as Kerry limped down the lane way with her crutches towards the sign that Carol and Doug were piecing back together.
"Do you know if Luka's uncle had a wood working shop? I need to cut out some new letters for this thing.." Doug grumbled as he stooped to the ground, picking up the rotted 'C'. It crumbled in his fingers and he cursed. "This place really is a dump."
"As far as I understand it.. Luka's uncle was an old man.. He wasn't able to do the upkeep for the farm by himself.. Then when he got ill.. The neighbouring farms helped him as best they could.. But they couldn't do everything for him, they had their own farms to run, Doug." Carol said pointedly.
"Okay.. Well.. Somebody help me get this sign down off the posts.. Then I can fix it."
"Yeah, I think we should carry this up to the house. Carefully though, I don't think it can take much abuse." Elizabeth said as they lowered the sign to the ground.
Carol, Doug and Elizabeth carried the pieces of the sign up to the house and Kerry crutched to the apple orchard, lowering herself down under a shade tree and took a nap.
********
"Luka.. I'm sorry about Tonto.." Abby murmured as she watched her boyfriend dig the grave.
"You have nothing to be sorry for, Abby. It wasn't your fault. You did not lock him in the barn. Elizabeth did that. Elizabeth killed him." Luka replied gruffly, wiping his brow and smearing it with dirt.
"It was an accident, she didn't mean to. Elizabeth didn't know." She said as she got to her knees, putting the body, wrapped in one of Drzislav's shirts, into the hole.
Luka and Abby bowed their heads, and he started to whisper a Croatian prayer.
********
"What do we do with all this shit?" Dave whined as he slammed the back of the truck shut.
"I don't know. Leave it here. Let Luka deal with it." Mark snapped, throwing the shovels in the shed.
****
Doug sat in the workshop drawing up the plans for the sign. "You think he'll be able to sell the whole farm? Maybe he should just divide off lots. Get rid of it that way."
"I guess he could do that. Should that sign be in English or Croatian?" Carol said, changing the subject.
Elizabeth looked up to see Luka run past.
As Carter hosed out the inside of the barn, he turned around and looked out the door to see Luka hop in the truck and drive off.
"What in the hell's up with him?!"
********
"Oce nas koji si na nebesima: da se sveti ime tvoje. Da dodje carstvo tvoje. Da bude volja tvoja, i na zemlja kao na nebu. Hljeb nas potrebni daj nam danas. I oprosti nam dugrove nase, kao i mi sto oprastamo duznicima svojijem. I ne navedi nas u napast, no izbavi nas oda zla. Jer je tvoje carstvo i sila i slava u vijek." Luka's lip quivered, and his hands shook as he scattered a fine dust of earth over the body.
He blinked and suddenly he was standing over graves of his family. The priest reciting the holy prayer as his wizened hand rose and fell, letting the handful of dirt trailing through his fingers and over their coffins.
He blinked back tears and he was standing in the bombed ruins of his apartment, the overturned crib.. The blood..
Luka fell to his knees and started to sob, shaking and muttering the names of his wife and children in a catatonic chanting.
"Luka?? Honey?? Are you okay?" Abby asked putting a hand, on his shoulder. "Luka?!"
Luka stood mechanically, turning on his heel and running across the fields leaving Abby standing there beside the open grave. "LUKA!!!!!"
"COME BACK!!!!!!! LUKA!!!!!????"
*******
Kerry tossed and turned on the grass, the dreams sinking her deeper into sleep.
**
"Is there a Ms.Weaver in?" The handsome man shifted nervously at the front desk. He rocked from foot to foot, his large hands stuffed into his jacket.
"Who are you, sir?" The desk clerk sighed, flipping through her paper work.
"My father found her, and her... friend on his land.. I came to see how she is." He said his deep voice, shaking.
"Your name sir.." She said evenly.
"Mlungisi.." He said smiling. "Mlungisi Naeem"
"Go in then sir.. Not too long though, visiting hours are over soon."
He walked in, his large beefy paw opening the door and revealing the heavily bandaged young woman.
"Ms.Weaver?" Mlungisi said softly.
Kerry's eyes opened slowly and she gasped at the rather large man standing over her bed. Her mother had been right.. She was going to get murdered in her bed in Africa.
"I'm Runako's son. He found you on his land.. I'm sorry for what happened. I was wondering how we could help?"
Kerry smiled bitterly. "You wouldn't have two-thousand dollars on you, would you?"
*******
"Where in the hell did he bugger off to?!" Elizabeth said stunned as she walked from the workshop.
Abby arrived at the front gates of the barnyard, out of breath and struggling to stand.
"W-where did he go?!" She panted.
"What did you do to him Abby?!" Carter said in disbelief.
"I.. All I remember is him saying some prayer in Croatian.. Then he started freaking out and screaming his kid's names and then ran off.." Abby sniffled.
"Just like that? He ran off? Where in the hell would he go with a truck full of manure!?"
******
The fertilizer filled truck careened down the road, the blinding tears slipping down his cheeks as he pulled into the cemetery.
Jasna Kovac, Marco Kovac, Danijela Kovac. The three graves lined side by side, Luka stumbled from the car and collapsed on the ground against the cold stones.
Pulling his knees up to his chest, he wrapped his arms around his legs, weeping softly. Tracing a finger along the writing in the carved stone, Luka wished he was with them.
****
"Two thousand dollars?! Why Ms.Weaver? You're in trouble?" Mlungisi said worriedly.
"They've booked me a flight home.. I don't know where I'm going to get that much money." Kerry sniffled.
"Why that much!?"
"It's s-short notice and they need two seats to fit the gurney.."
"You need to leave now? What about your family? Can they raise the money?" He pulled up a chair and clasped her small hand in his.
"My insurance has run out.. I don't know what I'm going to do!" She collapsed against his strong arm and wiped her eyes on his shirt sleeve.
"What about your family?!" He asked again, more urgently.
"I.. I haven't told them.. They don't know." She admitted quietly, pulling away from him and staring at the thin blanket on her bed that nary hid the extensive damage to her leg.
Mlungisi nodded firm. "You stay with me. I will look after you until you are well." He offered.
"Oh... I.. I couldn't do that.. I was breaking the law going on your father's property... My boyf-" Kerry broke off and stared at her hands convinced they'd still be covered in blood, she slowly wiped her clean hands on the sheets. "I can't... You're very nice, but I don't know you."
"Fine then.. You will stay with me. When you are well enough, you can work for me on my farm, and pay for your passage home."
"I.. I couldn't Mr.Naeem.." Kerry trembled. It was hot in here, thick and humid, even the air conditioner could not mask that.
"I insist." Mlungisi said firmly. "And call me Mlungisi."
"I was going to take Finnegan home.." She blubbered.
"Oh.. Your boy.. friend.." He stared at the ground. "I am truly sorry for your loss.. Most of Africa is free of mines now.. You picked my father's field of all places. Why?" Mlungisi queried sadly.
"We were looking for caverns."
"Caves? There are many public caverns, Ms.Weaver. You are very lucky that my father didn't press charges. However, he thinks you've suffered enough."
Kerry sniffled, her bottom lip quivering. Mlungisi's eyes widened. She was going to cry again.. No more crying.. He stared at his hands and grasped hers again. "It is okay miss.. Tomorrow. We will go tomorrow."
********
A mud covered shoe poked at the soft flesh beneath Luka's ribcage, causing the doctor to grunt sleepily. "Stop, Dan.." He muttered thickly, rolling over on the green grass and wrapping his coat tighter around himself.
"Danijela is not here Luka.. You are laying on her grave.. On the graves of my grandchildren. Go home Kovac." Nikola said sadly, clutching the sick bouquet of flowers in his wrinkled grasp.
"I.. I am home.. I belong with them." Luka started to weep openly and his father in-law shifted uncomfortably, turning away.
"You are not dead. You are not the only one who has lost a loved one. But you are the only one to have found love again. You have to move on." The man held out his hand and helped Luka up.
"You have a new woman in your life.. A good woman.. Be with her. Be grateful that you have found love twice in a lifetime. Cherish that. Go home Kovac."
********
"What about bilingual? Both English AND Croatian?" Carol offered.
"Do you KNOW how to spell 'Croatian Sunrise' in Croatian?" Doug muttered crabbily.
"Well... No.."
"Do you see any Croatian/English dictionaries laying around?" He glared at her.
"Well... No."
"Then it's settled. It'll be in english." Doug grumbled. "Hand me the mitre box."
******
"I've finished painting the upstairs, maybe we should camp out tonight.. Sleep under the stars or something." Benton walked down the stairs and outside. He looked at his friends staring down the lane. "What's wrong? Where's Kovac?"
"He went that way." Dave mumbled, his arm outstretched and his finger pointing down the road where he'd disappeared a few hours ago.
"You're kidding me. What happened? Where's Kerry? Did she relapse? He took her to the hospital??!"
"No.. I think I saw her sleeping in the orchard. We don't know where Luka disappeared to." Elizabeth sighed.
**********