The noon sun shined overhead, bathing the dig site with burning light. Most of the day's work consisted of trying to regain lost ground; the sudden storm from the day before had caused the loose sand and dirt to accumulate at the base of the ruin. It was also responsible for the humidity that made being outside almost unbearable. Even so, spirits were high, and the young archaeologists were excited about the excavation.
"How's the dig going out there?" Jonah asked. Lara sighed and looked out over the site, shielding her eyes from the harsh sun. "It's going well, actually," she replied, "we had a storm come through yesterday - made a right mess of things. The others and I have been up since before sunrise clearing out the mud." Lara could hear a woman's voice on the other end of the sat phone. "Are you and Abby back together?"
Jonah chuckled, and sighed. "Yeah, we managed to work through it. I'm still pretty sure she's hormonal."
"Ah, right. I forgot she was pregnant," Lara said. "How far along is she now?"
"Four months? Four and a half months?" Jonah's voice grew dim, though Lara could hear him ask how long it had been. "Eleven weeks." He paused for a moment as Abby's voice floated through the speaker. "Abby says hi-" Jonah began, only to be interrupted by Abby again. "And she demands that you come to Texas before it's born."
Lara laughed and nodded - not that Jonah could see. "If I say yes, will she let you come out here? It's not the same without you around."
Jonah laughed in turn. "You'd have to ask her yourself."
"So that's a no?"
"It's an indefinite maybe."
Lara let out an exaggerated sigh. She wasn't lying; not having Jonah around all the time had taken some getting used to. She was accustomed to only talking to him over the phone, but it wasn't the same. Behind her, Lara could hear her name called. It seemed her call was being cut short.
"Alright Jonah," she said.
"Gotta run, eh?" He knew exactly what she meant. "I'll let you go then. Stay out of trouble for me, yeah?"
"Of course."
"No, no. I want to hear you say it."
Lara sighed. "Fine: Jonah, I will stay out of trouble." The pair laughed.
"Glad to hear it. Stay safe, bird."
Lara ended the call and clipped the sat phone on her belt. She could have sworn she heard Abby yelling something on the other end; she was probably saying goodbye. "Oh, I miss those two," she thought to herself as she started walking back toward the lunch tent. As she got closer, two small children - locals from a nearby village - ran to greet her. One of them carried a bottle of water, and gave it to her as a sort of gift. Of course, Lara accepted it, and as a show of thanks, gave the little ones a Jaffa Cake each before sending them on their way.
She chose this site because of that village, and worked alongside humanitarian organizations to supply it with aid. The village children had a keen interest in the excavation, and often came to watch; some even tried to help. A few of the other archaeologists urged her to turn them away, but Lara developed a soft spot for them. Now, they were a common sight. Many adults had also volunteered to help; Lara made sure that they were paid for their work.
"Dr. Croft!" Lara winced. She wasn't especially fond of the title; it was wholly inaccurate. "Lara is fine, Mackenzie," she replied as she approached the students.
"Right! Right, Lara. I'm sorry!" Mackenzie covered her face. She knew that Lara didn't like titles, but it was a difficult habit to break. Back at UCL, half of her instructors would drop her from their classes if she spoke to them so informally.
Lara chuckled. "You're fine. What do you need?"
"Oh, um..." The girl stammered. Mackenzie was a bright student, but confidence wasn't something she had in abundance. She reminded Lara a lot of herself at her age, and though Lara would never say anything, she knew that Mackenzie looked up to her. "I was talking to Joseph a minute ago - you know, Joseph, with the crooked nose?"
Lara raised an eyebrow at her. She knew which man she was talking about; Joseph was one the locals, well liked in both his community and among the team. Moreover, he was one of the few who could speak English, and acted as an interpretor. Still, she found it rude that Mackenzie would choose that description. Lara smiled and nodded.
"I know the name. What'd he say?"
"He was telling me that the village was celebrating the hooyo's birthday tonight. They were gonna have a feast and some kind of dance."
Lara nodded. She had never met the hooyo - "mother" in Somali. She didn't have any real power in the village, but she'd helped to raise just about everyone; the village, in turn, viewed her as the community's shared grandmother. "And I'm guessing you were wanting to go?"
"Oh...yeah, actually," Mackenzie replied. She almost sounded as if she were taken aback. "I figured since we were leaving tomorrow-"
Shit, Lara thought to herself. She's completely forgotten that this was their last night. Tomorrow, they'd leave for Aden Adde International in Mogadishu. Had it really been a month already? Lara sighed, aggravated at herself.
"Sure, that would be fine. But we're all going. I don't want any of you left up here alone." She checked her watch. "When is it supposed to start?"
Mackenzie shrugged. "He didn't say when exactly, only that it'd be after sundown."
"Alright, that gives us about six hours. Do you think we can get the rest of that mud cleared before then?" The students nodded, giving her their word. It felt out of place for Lara to be in charge. Perhaps she'd get used to it? "Good. Once you're finished, get your boots back on. I want all of you down there in fifteen minutes."
