Page 19 of Waiting for Ru
Jasim swallowed hard. “I’m not.”
He watched as Ru’s eyes widened.You have no idea how bad I am, what I’m capable of.
“You’ll always be a good guy as far as I’m concerned. Well, I better get going now before it gets dark. Thank you very much for everything you’ve done. I can see they’re not the sort of horses that you’d usually have. I didn’t know much about polo, but I read about it after you gave me your card. The funny thing is that Joni could be a polo pony. She’s fast and can turn on a penny. And she’s brave. Anyway, thanks again.”
Jasim walked back with him to the house. The crow was sitting on top of the cage and flew into the air when Jasim approached. When Ru picked up his backpack, Jasim spotted the sleeping bag rolled up at the bottom.
“Where did you cycle from?”
“Dorchester.”
“I’ll get the Land Rover and run you there.”
“I’m not going back.”
“Where’ve you been living?”
“With my parents in Andover.”
“I’ll drive you.”Over a two-hour round trip. God!
“I’m not going back there either.”
Jasim began to put two and two together. “You’re sleeping rough.”
Ru frowned. “Rough? Not really. I’ve bought a tent. A pop-up one because I’m pretty sure I’d still be putting it up at midnight otherwise.” He fastened his helmet and picked up his bike.
“Do you want a job?” Jasim almost glanced around to see who’d said that.
“A job?” Ru looked…stunned. Possibly as stunned as Jasim felt.
“Stable hand. Accommodation provided. There’s a kitchen and a communal room with a TV and WiFi.”
“Yes please,” Ru blurted.
“I haven’t told you how much the pay is yet.”
“I don’t care.”
Jasim laughed. “You should.”
“I really don’t.”
You’re desperate.Jasim swallowed hard.
“What about Bela? She’s no trouble. Will I be able to leave a window open to let her come in and out?”
“Yes.”
“Then thank you. I’d love to work here. Bela!”
Jasim hadn’t seen where the crow had gone, but she flew down to Ru’s shoulder.
“She won’t bother the horses. She’s used to them and stays out of their way. She’s part tame, part wild. She can fend for herself, but she tends to come to me at night. She won’t make a mess. Neither of us will. I promise to work hard and not let you down.”
What have I done?“Come on, I’ll show you the accommodation. Georgia, my estate manager can deal with the paperwork tomorrow and give you keys.”
When Jasim reached the wooden chalet where the staff lived, he showed Ru the garage at the side. “You can leave your bike in here. The car’s for communal use.”
