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Chapters (50)
  1. Cover
  2. About the Author
  3. Dedication
  4. Epigraph
  5. 1
  6. 2
  7. 3
  8. 4
  9. 5
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. 8
  13. 9
  14. 10
  15. 11
  16. 12
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. 20
  25. 21
  26. 22
  27. 23
  28. 24
  29. 25
  30. 26
  31. 27
  32. 28
  33. 29
  34. 30
  35. 31
  36. 32
  37. 33
  38. 34
  39. 35
  40. 36
  41. 37
  42. 38
  43. 39
  44. 40
  45. 41
  46. 42
  47. 43
  48. 44
  49. Acknowledgements ♦ Diolchiadau
  50. THIS IS JUST THE BEGINNING

‘Can he do it?’ Nefyn was standing waiting for him. Her voice startled Hamza as he closed the door behind him.

‘Yes.’

‘How long will it take?’

Hamza shrugged. ‘A couple of weeks.’

Nefyn nodded. She had watched him last night. Restless once again in his sleep. Nefyn had sensed him getting up in the middle of the night. Had heard the door opening. She had got up herself and looked out at the cliff-top. She had seen Hamza pray. Asking the night if someone was there. He had prayed like a child. Diligently. Honestly. Uncynically. A sense that anything was possible. Nefyn had watched as he raised his head once again and listened to the sound of the waves reverberating in the cove below.

When he had returned to the house, she had lit the fire. He had made some coffee and they had sat exchanging stories, some from Nefyn’s childhood, some from Hamza’s. Each story drawing the other near. Hamza telling her of how, when he was a child, his family had time to enjoy each other’s company, to recount stories. How they had always been told, rather than written down, changing as they moved through the mouths and the minds of their tellers. Nefyn told him the things her mother had said of the sea. How windows on the deep would sometimes open for a few chosen fishermen, how sometimes they would come across smooth patches of sea, mirror-like and clear, revealing cities on the seabed and winding rivers. Glimpses into another world. They talked in this way, each common theme warming another, until dawn infused their words with light. After that, they had become silent. Both their thoughts centring on the boat, on its repair, and on their imminent separation.

This morning, Nefyn had followed Hamza to the cliff edge but had been unable to follow him down to the cove, the reality of his return home resting on her heavily. She had turned back and waited for him. Now Nefyn watched as he took his seat by the fire.

‘It could happen,’ he said quietly. ‘I had hoped … but … it seemed so far away.’

Nefyn moved towards him. He took her hand, studied it, and then he pulled her down into his lap. Felt the nape of her neck with his fingers. Her hair over his face.

‘Two weeks,’ she whispered, but he silenced her. Her lips cold under his, her taste invoking a thirst in him that he had not known was there.

26

Map ♦ Kharita ♦ Map