‘Well,’ I thought, ‘Andrina’ll be here in five or six hours’ time. She won’t be able to do much for me, but it will cheer me to see the girl.’
Andrina did not come that afternoon. I expected her with the first shadows of the evening: the slow opening of the door, the soft spoken ‘good evening’, the gentle shaking of her head as she saw the things that needed doing. But I had that strange feeling that often comes with a fever, when you feel that your head does not belong to your body.
When the window was blackness at last with the first stars shining, I accepted at last that for some reason or another Andrina couldn’t come. I fell asleep again.
I woke up. A grey light at the window. My mouth was dry, there was a fire in my face, my head was beating worse than ever. I got up, my feet in cold pain on the stone floor, drank cup of water, and climbed back into bed. I was shaking with cold, my teeth banging together for several minutes, something I had only read about before.