This is from Ivan's perspective.
My body ached all over. I hoped that I would have taken it easy, relaxed, and recovered after my bike ride. Instead, I spent the day working on the property at Derrick's speed. Hell, my gut felt like it had been jiggled through a cheese grater from all the bending and lifting. Despite the pain, I had a sense of accomplishment. The new group had pulled their weight and then some. Even without Gattor's promised meat, they'd earned their keep.
With Derrick and Malcom off escorting Tsu to Bill's farm, I finally had time to just sit and relax. I settled onto my favorite chair by the fire pit, closed my eyes, and let the gentle trill of birdsong and the rustling of the wind in the leaves wash over me. It was almost enough to lull me into an impromptu nap until the sound of more children than there should have been yanked me back to reality.
I cracked open one eye and scanned the area. Maria was kneeling by the cabins, surrounded by a gaggle of kids under the trees. I blinked, trying to make sense of what I was seeing. There were six kids in total, but as far as I knew, Maria only had two, and Malcolm had two as well. The extra pair was a mystery.
I was going to ask if I was wrong about the number of children. But after opening my mouth, I realized I would have to deal with whatever the answer was. I closed my mouth and closed my eyes again, and listened to the birds, wind, and kids.
"Vanya, we are back. Can you help out?" Tsu's voice called out just as I had settled into a space just above slumber but well below awake.
I sighed, feeling the fatigue in my bones, but pushed myself to respond, "Coming." I wasn't going to make my beautiful wife wait on my tiredness.
I trudged around the house to the garage and found Tsu, Malcolm, and Derrick carrying four baskets of eggs between them. My eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Why do we need this much?"
Tsu giggled, the corner of her eyes crinkling with amusement. "Well, first, we have what, twelve people in the home now? And Bill had excess. So he gave me a deal."
"Fair enough," I mumbled, stepping forward to take one of the baskets from her.
As I adjusted the weight in my arms, I noticed Malcolm standing off to the side, his eyes unfocused and a creepy grin playing on his lips. I glanced at Derrick and jerked my chin toward Malcolm, asking, "He okay?"
Derrick smirked and replied, "Yeah. He's thinking."
I glanced at Malcom's face again and shrugged.
Just then, Malcom blinked and turned to face us, the grin still plastered on his face. "We have manpower excess and deficits near everything else, and if this power takes too much longer to fix, we need to grow local produce."
Tsu, Derrick, and I stared at him, puzzled by his sudden change in topic. "Huh?"
"Never mind," Malcolm said, blushing and waving a hand dismissively. "I have an idea. I'll work it out later. And then explain what I'm talking about."
I looked at him with a mix of worry and concern. I glanced at Derrick, who shrugged and said, "He has an idea. His head got louder than the world. So he zoned out the world, worked on his idea, then snapped out of it. Normal for him."
I looked at the blushing Malcolm. "You got me worried that you broke or something. Freaked me out there." I was going to joke about having to put down a feral Ivan, but Derrick may or may not understand the joke.
"Sorry," Malcolm said, shaking his head as if to clear it. "I'm working out an idea. Give me a day."
I shrugged and walked into the garage, breathing in deep for a sigh. The stench of body odor hit me like a punch to the gut. I coughed and gagged. "You two need a dip in the lake."
Tsu laughed. "Honey, you aren't a flower yourself."
I was about to argue but realized I'd been working with Derrick and Malcolm all day, so I was probably just as bad. Looking at my arm, I saw that the grit and grime of our labor were clinging to me like a second skin. Eww.
After helping put the eggs in the root cellar for cold storage, I decided I was done for the day. That was enough adulting and productivity. "I think that's enough stuff for the day. I'm going to jump in the lake to bathe while the sun is still up and the air isn't freezing. You should join me."
Derrick looked scared for the first time in the day I've known him. "Is it cold?"
"It's a lake, not a pool or a bathtub," I replied, my voice rough from exhaustion, masking my amusement and internal laughter. "Change into swim clothes, grab a change of clothing, and meet me by the dock."
Derrick and Malcom walked away towards the cabins. I'm not sure what they were talking about, but at some point, Malcom patted Derrick on the shoulder like comforting a scared puppy. That was taller than him.
With them finally out of earshot, I allowed myself to giggle.
Tsu looked at me, confused. "What's funny?"
I pointed to Malcom and Derrick, and she looked and giggled too. "Awww. They are so cute!"
I looked at her weirdly and rolled my eyes. "How?"
Tsu smiled. "It was like a pair of brothers trying to encourage each other to be brave."
I smiled and tried to hug Tsu. She danced just out of my grip, laughing and saying, "No, no, You stink too much. Get clean, then you can have a hug."
I pouted and exaggerated my slumped shoulders. Then I popped up and pointed at her. "Hey, you stink too?"
Tsu looked offended. "How dare you! I'm a lady! I don't stink."
I couldn't keep a straight face, busting out laughing. Tsu laughed as well, walked up to me, and pushed me out of the garage. I fake pouted, slunk my shoulders, and walked away towards the banya. I glanced over my shoulder, but Tsu wasn't there. I stood straight and kept walking.
I grabbed a few extra towels and ambled down to the lake, the sun flirted with touching the horizon. The wind was picking up rustle through the trees, carrying with it a hint of pine and the damp earth of spring. Malcolm was already there, trying to reassure Derrick, who stood a few feet away from the start of the dock, his massive frame tense with apprehension.
"Dude, we're too far north for alligators or snakes," Malcolm said, his voice calm but insistent. "And it's spring, so the water shouldn't be that cold anymore."
"Shouldn't be" and "is" are two different things, I thought wryly, chuckling to myself. I dropped off the towels and changed clothes on the bench by the banya and called out to them. "It's easier to jump off the end of the dock and climb back out."
Derrick looked utterly miserable. "Is it cold?" he asked again, his voice betraying a mix of fear and annoyance.
"Find out," I grinned, enjoying his discomfort. We walked to the end of the dock together, the wood creaking beneath our weight. Without further ado, I jumped in. The icy water enveloped my body, momentarily driving the breath from my lungs. I swam to the surface as Derrick's voice got louder and louder.
"Shit!" Derrick yelled, watching the water droplets scatter around me as I surfaced. "No! That splatter was ice in liquid form. I'm not going to jump in!" He stormed off the dock, making Malcolm bounce and sway.
"Baby!" I shouted as I climbed back onto the dock, beads of water dripping from my hair and skin. "You still need a shower!"
He flipped me off, his eyes dark with determination. "I'll make a fucking shower!"
"Good luck with that," I muttered under my breath, squeezing the excess water from my skin and hair.
Malcom sighed and turned towards the lake, took a few deep breaths, and jumped with a running start, splashing me with cold water again. I sat down on the dock chair.
I watched Derrick's retreating form, his anger propelling him like a fire up his butt toward my Uncle's warehouse. Malcolm surfaced beside me, sputtering and gasping for air, making me look away from Derrick.
"Damn, that's cold," he managed between breaths.
"Refreshing, though," I said, my muscles twitching and shivering slightly. "And now you don't stink. This is good for your heart, your kidneys." I tried to sound upbeat, but the frigid water had left an icy grip on my bones. This was fun after warming up in the sauna.
It's too bad it wasn't working without electricity. I should figure out how to get the wood stove my Uncle had in his old banya to work again. He switched because it burnt the old banya down.
Malcom struggled to climb out. With effort, he managed to roll onto the dock, get up, and shake off the extra water. We made our way up the dock and over to the banya, the Slavic-style bathhouse at the closest possible distance to the lake we legally could have built.
Malcolm eyed it curiously. "What's this building?" he asked.
"Basically, it's a sauna, jacuzzi, tea room, showers, and observation deck rolled into one," I explained with a sigh. "Unfortunately, it doesn't work without electricity."
Malcolm nodded, his eyes lingering on the structure before we continued drying off and changing into clean clothes. My muscles ached less; the cold water had done wonders to wash away the stiffness, grime, and sweat of a long day's labor.
Derrick reappeared, a small wood stove balanced on one shoulder and a metal trashcan dragged by the other hand. I was sure the stove weighed about 130 pounds. Derrick made it look light. His face was set in determination, the anger from earlier replaced with steely resolve. "Where can I make this work?" he asked, gesturing with the stove.
"Uh, at least a hundred feet from the lake, so anywhere beyond the banya," I said, trying to hide my surprise and curiousness. "Where did you find that?"
"Your uncle's warehouse," Derrick replied, already scanning the area for a suitable spot. "Figured there might be something useful in there."
I exchanged a glance with Malcolm. He wasn't as surprised as me. Evidently, he was used to Derrick's antics. He looked more curious than anything else.
But come on! How much energy and stamina did this man have! I was getting tired and aching again just from watching him.
"Let's see if he can pull it off," Malcolm whispered. I nodded. I mean, who would say no to someone else working.
"Alright," Derrick muttered, dropping his supplies and marching back to the warehouse. I turned the deck 2 chairs by the banya towards Derrick's chosen spot and motioned for Malcolm to sit down. We were still wet, just in case Derrick was successful.
Malcolm and I watched him disappear inside before returning moments later with a bundle of firewood and an armful of 2x4s. "This'll have to do for now." He set to work nailing together a basic frame as Malcolm and I watched, debating what he was doing, still shivering from our icy dip in the lake.
"Man's got some talent," I whispered, my voice shaky but impressed.
Malcom nodded, equally fascinated by Derrick's quick efficiency. Throwing some wood and cardboard into the stove, he lit it with matches he had gotten from somewhere. With large steps, he walked over to the well and, after a few minutes, came back with the trash can. He hoisted it onto the now hot wood stove.
Without a word to us, he then stomped away to the warehouse again and came back with a box rattling full of random stuff in one arm, dragging a new metal trashcan and ladder with the other. He put it on the ground and rummaged through it, pulling out random things, only a few of which I recognized in the twilight.
"Think he'll actually pull it off?" I asked Malcolm, my teeth chattering as the sun dipped to the tree line.
"Absolutely," he replied, his eyes locked on Derrick as he returned with an old showerhead, a ladder, and another metal trash can. "He's determined and will definitely make it work."
As we watched, Derrick drilled a hole in the second trash can with a crank drill and secured a showerhead in place, positioning it just so within the makeshift frame. With a grunt and some improvised handles made from a pair of socks, he hoisted the now-steaming can of water atop the structure using the ladder to make sure he could get high enough and poured its contents into the top. As the water began to cascade out of the showerhead, he glanced over at Malcolm and me, realizing that both of us were gawking, slack-jawed, at his handiwork.
He grinned as he squatted under the stream of the steaming hot water, rubbed his curly hair, stood up, and scrubbed his body. I was jealous and thoroughly cold now.
"Damn," I murmured, shaking his head in disbelief. "He really did it."
"Looks like it," Malcolm agreed, rubbing his hands together to stave off the lingering chill. Around us, I noticed other members of our community slowly gathering, curiosity etched on their faces as they caught sight of Derrick's makeshift shower.
"Hey," Malcom said, nudging me with his elbow. "I bet that'll make things a helluva lot easier for everyone, huh?"
"Definitely," I replied, shivering my brain blank and jealous.
"For sure! That's good!" Derrick exclaimed as he scrubbed himself vigorously, steam visible in the chilly air.
Tsu walked up, her arms crossed over her chest, as she watched Derrick with a mixture of amusement and envy. "Why didn't you make me one of these?" she asked, turning her gaze toward me.
I shrugged, trying to hide my own sense of jealousy at Derrick's handiwork. "I've only been back for a day! Plus, I didn't know it was an option, and the lake was good enough."
Tsu rolled her eyes and called out to Derrick, who was finishing up a makeshift shower. "Derrick, mind running that for the fairer members of our community?"
Derrick glanced at Tsu, his cheeks flushing a deep red that I didn't know was an option for his complexion. He turned to see the rest of our group gathered around, their faces mirroring the curiosity and interest that Malcolm and I had shown earlier. "Um, yeah, sure," he stammered as the water ran out.
I sighed and helped Derrick fill and heat water for everyone one by one. To give the girls some privacy, Malcolm Derrick and I went behind the banya, Derrick being the only one clean and warm.
I asked Derrick, "What inspired this little construction project?"
Derrick smirked. "A hot shower was the only thing that got me through basic. I wasn't gonna supplement it with a cold ass lake."
Maria's voice came from the makeshift shower. "We are done, and the water is out."
Malcom, Derrick, and I walked over and refilled the water to finally get Malcom and me warm and clean after the lake after everyone else had a go.