"Sara, I heard from Auntie Sun that you're planning to do some weeding in the yard. The uncles are just hanging around with nothing to do, so they thought they'd come over and give you a hand."
A voice called out from a distance outside the door. A few middle-aged men entered the yard, chatting and laughing, and greeted Sara, who was sitting at the entrance. Thinking it might be inappropriate for a group of grown men to visit a young girl's home, they brought along two teenagers, a boy and a girl, who looked to be around fifteen or sixteen.
Sara let out a surprised "Oh," and before she could react, one of the uncles gently nudged the young girl forward. "Go on, chat with your sister for a bit. Grandpa's got some work to do," he said.
With that, the middle-aged men turned to head toward the weedy area. Just as they took their first steps, they saw Jamie standing there with a straw hat and a sickle in hand.
The uncles froze.
Sara finally caught on and was about to thank the uncles for their kindness when she saw them pause mid-step, then all step back simultaneously.
Sara:"...?"
"Hey, walking over here and moving around a bit sure feels good, right, Zaid?"
Sara said, "…So, by 'moving around,' you guys meant just strolling over to my place?"
"Ah, these old bones," he said. "You're right, time has taken its toll. Just this short walk has me winded. I best be getting back home, rest my legs. Cough, cough, cough."
Sara: ...But uncle, you're the youngest one here. Your hair isn't even gray yet.
"Ah, Ava, don't bother your sister. Let's go home. Sara, we'll be off now. Come over to my house for dinner later."Grandpa Isaiah said.
The group left as quickly as they had come, declaring how old and useless they were. In the blink of an eye, the courtyard was empty. Sara, bewildered, waved at the air. "Bye...?"
Her delicate eyebrows furrowed, and she cautiously asked Jamie, "Do you think everyone is acting weird?"
Since returning, Sara had felt a strange atmosphere among the villagers. It wasn't hostility, just something she couldn't quite put her finger on.
Jamie rubbed the handle of the sickle twice, paused for a moment, then resumed weeding, his voice casual. "No, they've always been like this. Maybe you just need to get used to it again."
"Really..." Sara pouted, scratching her head. Eventually, she agreed with him. "I guess I need to spend more time with everyone."
Jamie responded with a simple "Hmm" and focused on his work. The weeds in the courtyard were about half a person's height. Some could be pulled out easily, but others had deep roots and needed to be cut first before being dealt with.
Luckily, the plot was only half the size of the courtyard. Jamie's quick work had most of the weeds cleared by late morning.
The midday sun was so hot it made everyone sweat. Even though Sara was sitting in the doorway, she couldn't escape the heat. Sweat kept dripping from her forehead. She grabbed a couple of tissues to wipe it off, and they were soaked through instantly.
Feeling the heat, she glanced at Jamie, who was still working under the sun. She quickly called out, "Jamie, it's too hot. Take a break."
"Just a little more. Once this is done, we can till the soil in the afternoon." Jamie didn't even look up, crouched in the dirt, pulling out roots.
He didn't stop, so Sara felt embarrassed to keep sitting. She ran around the house and finally found an old black umbrella. She hurried over to Jamie and held it above his head.
Shade fell over him, blocking the sun. Jamie looked up to see Sara's sweaty, flushed face.
