Arisu was still beaming when she got home, and she told Yuji and
Marlene what Reichen said.
"You won't be disappointed," Yuji said. "We'll do as much as we can."
"But remember," Arisu poured a glass of water. "I am responsible for you."
"We know, there won't be any trouble."
The next day, Arisu introduced Yuji to Arata, Goro, and Hachiro, three men in the village. Yuji told them that he needed a house built for him. After a while, they agreed that they would help him build his house.
While the men were talking, Arisu took Marlene to meet with some of the women of the village. "Now ladies," she began. "This is Marlene. She's new to this village." She turned to Marlene. "This is Miki, Jele, and Faith. I think you already know Hitomi."
"A little, yes," Marlene nodded. "Hello, it's nice to meet you." The other women acknowledged her.
"Well," Arisu whispered. "I'm going to let you stay and get to know each other. You can come home when you want to, but not too late."
Marlene sat down. Jele started talking, "So, Marlene, where do you come from?"
"Well, I was on Second Earth until I had to come down here to get rid of some of the Blue. Now they're gone, but Second Earth was destroyed. We have nowhere else to go, so we came here."
"We? You mean there's someone else with you?" Miki was interested to know.
"Yes, a man, his name is Yuji. He's with some other men in the village right now. They're going to help build our house."
"I'm going to get some lemonade. Does anyone else want some?" Hitomi asked. They all nodded, and she went into the kitchen.
"I'm sorry about what happened to Second Earth and how we treated you. I'm not sure why we didn't help you. We're all humans," Faith turned to Marlene. "We're all in this world together."
"It's all right. You didn't know. Besides, maybe the destruction of Second Earth was for the best."
Hitomi returned with the lemonade, and everyone enjoyed it. She met eyes with Marlene. "I'm also very sorry. I didn't know you weren't a threat, before, and I'm really protective of Emi."
"I can tell. She's a lovely child."
"Yes, and she's all I have."
So the women conversed all afternoon, and Marlene mentioned she was carrying a child. Miki came up with an idea. "How about, since you won't be able to move around a lot when you're pregnant, you can watch our children while we work?" Jele, Faith, and Hitomi agreed. "You're great with children, I saw that with Emi. It's a great idea," Hitomi grasped Marlene's hand. "Will you do it?"
Marlene smiled. "All right, I'll do it." She looked at her watch. 6:00 PM. "Oh! I must get home, it's time for dinner."
And so, Marlene said her goodbyes to Faith, Miki, Hitomi and Jele, and went home. Yuji and Arisu were waiting for her. "It's almost ready," Arisu said. Yuji hugged Marlene. "We start building our house tomorrow! Can you believe it?"
"That's great!" Marlene held on to Yuji. "I talked to some of the women, and they think I could watch their children while I'm pregnant."
Yuji smiled. "It seems like this is finally becoming our home."
Yuji woke up and met Hachiro, Goro, and Arata by the land where the house was going to be built. They had drawn up the blueprints the night before, so all they needed to do was get their materials. They spent hours cutting and measuring trees for lumber. They had a few other men helping, and they'd take short breaks. They finally stopped working at dinnertime, and then they would gather around a campfire, eating and telling jokes and stories.
It took them a week to finish the house. It was small, but just right for Yuji and Marlene. They were so very happy to move in and out of Arisu's house. It was hard to get used to everything and to obtain everything they needed. Everyone in the village helped them settle in. Marlene grew bigger and bigger with the new baby, and all was well.
"You won't be disappointed," Yuji said. "We'll do as much as we can."
"But remember," Arisu poured a glass of water. "I am responsible for you."
"We know, there won't be any trouble."
The next day, Arisu introduced Yuji to Arata, Goro, and Hachiro, three men in the village. Yuji told them that he needed a house built for him. After a while, they agreed that they would help him build his house.
While the men were talking, Arisu took Marlene to meet with some of the women of the village. "Now ladies," she began. "This is Marlene. She's new to this village." She turned to Marlene. "This is Miki, Jele, and Faith. I think you already know Hitomi."
"A little, yes," Marlene nodded. "Hello, it's nice to meet you." The other women acknowledged her.
"Well," Arisu whispered. "I'm going to let you stay and get to know each other. You can come home when you want to, but not too late."
Marlene sat down. Jele started talking, "So, Marlene, where do you come from?"
"Well, I was on Second Earth until I had to come down here to get rid of some of the Blue. Now they're gone, but Second Earth was destroyed. We have nowhere else to go, so we came here."
"We? You mean there's someone else with you?" Miki was interested to know.
"Yes, a man, his name is Yuji. He's with some other men in the village right now. They're going to help build our house."
"I'm going to get some lemonade. Does anyone else want some?" Hitomi asked. They all nodded, and she went into the kitchen.
"I'm sorry about what happened to Second Earth and how we treated you. I'm not sure why we didn't help you. We're all humans," Faith turned to Marlene. "We're all in this world together."
"It's all right. You didn't know. Besides, maybe the destruction of Second Earth was for the best."
Hitomi returned with the lemonade, and everyone enjoyed it. She met eyes with Marlene. "I'm also very sorry. I didn't know you weren't a threat, before, and I'm really protective of Emi."
"I can tell. She's a lovely child."
"Yes, and she's all I have."
So the women conversed all afternoon, and Marlene mentioned she was carrying a child. Miki came up with an idea. "How about, since you won't be able to move around a lot when you're pregnant, you can watch our children while we work?" Jele, Faith, and Hitomi agreed. "You're great with children, I saw that with Emi. It's a great idea," Hitomi grasped Marlene's hand. "Will you do it?"
Marlene smiled. "All right, I'll do it." She looked at her watch. 6:00 PM. "Oh! I must get home, it's time for dinner."
And so, Marlene said her goodbyes to Faith, Miki, Hitomi and Jele, and went home. Yuji and Arisu were waiting for her. "It's almost ready," Arisu said. Yuji hugged Marlene. "We start building our house tomorrow! Can you believe it?"
"That's great!" Marlene held on to Yuji. "I talked to some of the women, and they think I could watch their children while I'm pregnant."
Yuji smiled. "It seems like this is finally becoming our home."
Yuji woke up and met Hachiro, Goro, and Arata by the land where the house was going to be built. They had drawn up the blueprints the night before, so all they needed to do was get their materials. They spent hours cutting and measuring trees for lumber. They had a few other men helping, and they'd take short breaks. They finally stopped working at dinnertime, and then they would gather around a campfire, eating and telling jokes and stories.
It took them a week to finish the house. It was small, but just right for Yuji and Marlene. They were so very happy to move in and out of Arisu's house. It was hard to get used to everything and to obtain everything they needed. Everyone in the village helped them settle in. Marlene grew bigger and bigger with the new baby, and all was well.