Gladioli in August

 

 

Blurb:

The work place is volatile and the volcano is restless…
Jael Stevens questions her decisions after she ignores her brother’s warnings and takes a sabbatical to work as a nurse on the volcanic island Tiampu. The position isn’t what she imagined. Long hours, difficult working conditions, and frequent rumblings from the nearby mountain are only made bearable by the joy of helping others and a certain set-in-his-ways pilot.

Micah Norris has dedicated his life to God and is more than content with his permanent bachelor status. But after his childhood filled with abuse, could it be that keeping his distance from others is self-preservation? When Jael Stevens shows up, Micah isn't prepared to like her. He sees the new nurse as just another in a long line of caregivers from "civilization" who have no idea what life on a remote island will be like, and he is tired of constantly having to train new professionals who don’t last.

But Jael makes a big impression. With her Christ-centered focus and her kind treatment to patients, she may be just what the doctor ordered. His confirmed bachelor status may be in serious trouble. Can he finally let go of his painful past, and will he have enough time to do so with a volatile workplace and a restless volcano?

Extract:

Micah scowled as he took off. He didn’t say another word until they landed again. He simply pointed to the house and sat back in his seat.
Jael sighed and taking the box, exited the plane. She walked up the steps onto the porch only to find a woman in an apron brandishing a broom. Jael retreated down the steps.
Micah laughed from where he sat.
Jael’s face burned with humiliation. What was it with these people? “Are you going to help or just stand there?” she yelled at Micah.
He grinned at her and got out of the plane. He crossed the small space and went over to the woman, speaking rapid Tiampian. Then, he beckoned Jael over.
She slowly headed back, although she really just wanted to go home.
Micah grinned. “You got dirt over her clean porch. They believe that to be bad luck.”
“Tell her I’m sorry.”
Micah turned back to the woman and had another rapid-fire conversation with her. “She says leave your shoes at the bottom of the steps and you can come in. She also doesn’t believe you’re a nurse, because you’re wearing a dress.”
Beginning to wish she’d never left England, Jael bent and unfastened her shoes. She slowly went up the steps and followed the woman into the house. At least Micah followed her this time and translated for her.
The next six visits were all in the same vein. All of them were dressing changes involving semi-irate patients, who didn’t like the time of the visit, or her clothes, or her lack of language skills, or a combination of all three. Totally dejected, Jael leaned back in her seat as Micah took off. She closed her eyes. Maybe this wasn’t what God wanted her to do after all. Maybe she should just contact head office and have them send someone else. Or ring the hospital and see if they needed her back there, because then she’d have an excuse to go home without losing face.
Micah glanced at her. “Not what you imagined, huh?”
“No,” she whispered.
“You ain’t seen nothing yet. Wait until the next visit. Mr. Finch. His wife is bedridden. They live on a plantation to the north, and its something different to what you’ve done so far.”
“Oh?” She looked at him.
“Bedsores and a dressing change.”
“Great,” she whispered.
Micah brought the plane into land hard and fast. “There’s a tree fallen across the end of the runway. We had to come in a bit short. Might be hard taking off, we’ll have to see. I’ll turn her around while you’re inside, but I’ll get your stuff over the tree for you first.”
She nodded slowly. Taking the pack, she climbed from the plane and followed him to the tree. It was huge, but Micah made short work clambering over it.
“Toss me the pack and come on over.”
She threw the pack and gazed at the tree. “I don’t know that I can.”
“Why not?”
“In a dress?”
He gave a short laugh. “And? You wanted to wear a dress and heels.”
She hitched up her skirt, just grateful Micah didn’t comment as he got a good glimpse of her legs and stockings, but still she couldn’t do it.
A whistle came from the other side of the tree and Jael’s face burned. Someone else was there. She turned away, tears filling her eyes. Could today possibly get any worse? “Forget it,” she said. “We’ll come back tomorrow. Once the tree is cleared.”
Micah climbed back over the tree. “Hey, I’ll speak to him, tell him that’s inappropriate. He’s just a kid, didn’t know any better.” He tucked her hair back behind her ears. “Don’t let something like this scare you off. I know we don’t know each other well yet, but you don’t strike me as the type of person to quit at the first hurdle. Well, as trees go, it’s a pretty big hurdle, but even so. I have spare clothes in the locker at the back of the plane. Go put them on. I’ll wait here for you. We’re here now and you can be in and out in ten minutes, just like the others.”
“Thanks…” She all but ran back to the plane. Hopefully it’d be scrubs, but she doubted it. The clothes turned out to be shorts and shirt belonging to Micah.
There was no room on the plane to change, so she reluctantly stood behind the wing, hoping it’d shield her. Glancing at the two men she yelled, “Turn around.” She waited until they had before turning her back on them. She clambered into the shorts and did them up before tugging off her dress and stockings. The shorts were way too big, as was the shirt. A couple of safety pins from the first aid kit inserted into the waist band solved the short problem.
Jael rolled the shirt sleeves up to her elbows and knotted the fabric firmly around her waist. She slid her feet back into her shoes, regretting the heels now. Tomorrow she’d dress differently. Turning, she made her way back to the tree.
Micah grinned. “Wow, looks so much better on you than on me, honey.”
She pulled a face. “Thanks.”
“Any time. Now try.”
She clambered up, catching her heel, but she managed it. Micah grabbed her hand, helping her over the last little bit. She smiled. “Thank you.”