Chapter Text
January 20th, 2018
Knock knock knock
Ava stirs in her bed, halfway out of a dream about ice cream and puppies. She feels the soft fabric of her pajamas on her skin, the warmth of her bedcovers, the plushiness of her pillow. No one and nothing can ruin this grasse matinée.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
She startles awake and grabs blindly at her watch. It’s seven AM on a Saturday. Better not be solicitors.
‘’Uuuuuuuuuuugh…’’ Ava lets out an exasperated sigh, sits up, stretches, quickly combs her hair with her fingers and runs to the door. She opens it halfway, hiding her pajamas. A short man with a bald head and a thick mustache greets her.
‘’Miss Ava Silva?’’ He asks, far too eagerly considering the hour.
‘’That’d be me.’’ Ava says and hides a yawn behind her hand.
‘’My name is Pablo Pérez, I’m an attorney. I’m afraid I have some unfortunate news about your uncle Francesco Duretti. May I come in?’’
Ava opens the door, entirely surprised by this little man. She quickly clears last night’s dishes from the kitchen table and offers him a seat and a coffee. The brunette sips her own espresso, hoping it’ll wake up her braincells. The attorney opens his bag and spreads a series of documents on the table.
‘’So, as I said, I have bad news about your uncle. I am terribly sorry to announce that he has passed.’’ He pulls a tissue from his pocket and offers it to Ava in a movement that he must have a lot of practice with. Ava declines, in shock. She was not close to her uncle, but she had liked the man and had fond memories of him.
‘’What happened to him?’’
‘’He was hit by lightning. Absolutely tragic.’’ He nods vigorously and puts the tissue away. ‘’Now, I am not here only to be there bearer of bad news. Mister Duretti tasked me with the important mission of his inheritance. Since he was never married and had no children, and you are his closest living relative, he has decided to pass on all his assets to you.’’
Ava is gobsmacked. She had not seen this coming when she was stuffing her face with pizza and beer last night.
‘’Assets?’’
‘’Well yes. As you may remember, your uncle had a sizeable piece of land with a house on it, in Spain, near the town of Briones. He also had a considerable amount of savings, and after the tax on inheritance,’’ he looks at one of his documents, ‘’you’ll be receiving some 256 800 euros!’’
Ava nearly falls off her chair.
‘’What am I supposed to do with all that?!’’
‘’Well, whatever you want, Miss Silva.’’ The bald man smiles and gestures at the paperwork.
‘’Give me a minute to think.’’ Ava stands up, walks around the table slowly, twice, and sits back down with a decisive expression on her face.
‘’Will you help me uproot my life here and move to Spain? That’s what I want to do.’’ Ava bounces her hand on the table and gives a wide smile.
‘’For my usual fee, I most certainly will, Miss Silva!’’ the man says cheerily.
While the attorney pulls more papers out of his bag, Ava stands up, grabs her cellphone and calls up her workplace.
‘’Hey boss. Guess what? I quit! Yeah? Well, vai pró caralho!’’ She hangs up, laughs hysterically and jumps for joy.
Ava and the attorney start working on the inheritance papers, application papers for Spain, cancelling her lease…
***
Within eight days and three meetings with mister Pérez, Ava is all packed up, has her one-way train ticket to Haro – several connections, but cheaper than flights, she was not about to waste her newfound money -, and is ready to start a new life.
She steps onto the train with her carry-on after handing in her single checked-in luggage. She is traveling light; there was no need to drag old stuff into this life-changing adventure. She can leave her crappy boss, her soul-killing job in marketing, her ex, JC, and anything else weighing her down, behind in Lisbon. It is a cool, sunny morning, and the future calls.
The first train stops in Madrid, where she has paperwork to sign anyways to justify her sudden move to Spain. It takes her a whole day of trudging through bureaucracy, which is not so bad, all things considered, but she is exhausted by the end of it. On her way back to the station, where she will catch a night train, Ava is caught by a delicious scent coming from a food truck. She enthusiastically stuffs her face with a large helping of cocido madrileño. The brunette then runs, her stomach full of pork stew, to catch her train. She arrives there in a sweat and pulls out her cellphone as soon as she is on board. She dials a number that she hasn’t called in a good while.
‘’Hey Camila! It’s Ava! How have you been?’’
‘’Hey cousin! Long time no talk! Been good, busy with the café, how about you?’’
‘’I have some big news! I’m moving to Spain, to Briones, on uncle’s farm! I’ll be at the Haro train station tomorrow afternoon and I’ll catch a taxi from there.’’
‘’What?! No way! That’s awesome! I mean not awesome that Uncle Francesco died but… anyways! Don’t get a taxi, I’ll come and pick you up!’’
‘’You’re too sweet Cam. I can’t wait to see you again; it’s been so long! Alright, I’ll try to get some sleep on the train so we can catch up tomorrow. Good night, love you!’’
‘’Love you too!’’
Ava hangs up and sighs contentedly, relaxing into her seat. Things are going to fall into place, she can just feel it. Her days of searching for meaning are over.
***
Camila and Ava run into each other’s arms as soon as they spot one another on the train station’s platform. The warm embrace of her cousin washes away Ava’s soreness from the long trip.
‘’I am so glad to see you.’’ Ava says, holding the smaller woman by the shoulders and examining her face. ‘’You’ve become even more beautiful than I remembered. The girls must be dropping like flies seeing you!’’
Camila blushes and giggles. She slaps Ava on the arm. ‘’Look who’s talking, miss drop dead gorgeous! Let’s not waste any time, you must be exhausted! Let’s get you fed, I’ll give you a quick tour of the town and then I’ll drop you at uncle’s farm.’’ They loop arms and start walking while dragging Ava’s luggage. ‘’I can’t believe you just up and left Lisbon to come live here. What’s gotten into you?’’
Ava shrugs and smiles. ‘I wasn’t happy anymore in Portugal. I needed a fresh start. And you know how much I love gardening, and animals. This is the perfect opportunity. I bought a bunch of books on permaculture, too!’’
‘’We’ll make a farmer out of you yet, Ava Silva!’’ Camila laughs.
They reach her car, load Ava’s stuff in the trunk and drive from Haro to Briones. It’s a short ten-minute drive to the small town. They stop at a restaurant with a terrasse for lunch. They share a generous plate of lamp chops and some red wine, after which Ava feels revigorated. Camila shows her around to the ruins of the Castillo, the haunted house and the church. They then drive to the farm, on the outskirts of town, near one of the elbows of the Ebro river.
Coming up to the farmhouse, Ava gasps.
‘’Meu Deus! This thing is a fixer upper, isn’t it? It needs some tender loving care.’’
‘’Yeah… I could never convince uncle to put some money and effort into renovations… and he declined all help. I know a good contractor if you need to hire someone.’’
The main floor is ancient, and made of stone, with old stained glass windows. There’s a relatively modern wooden porch in the front. The second floor is more recent than the first, and made of wood, with a tile roof that seems damaged in several places.
They park, and Ava spots a man in a clerical shirt and white tabs sitting on the porch. He gets up and approaches. The two women step out of the car to go meet him.
‘’Hi Camila. How are you, my child?’’ He has a deep, soft voice.
‘’I’m good, thank you, Father.’’
The priest turns to Ava. ‘’You must be Francesco’s famous city-dwelling niece, Ava. I’m Vincent, I work the local parish.’’
‘’It’s nice to meet you, Father.’’ They shake hands awkwardly. Ava is not a religious person. They all turn to the house. Right away, Ava can see that there’s missing planks in the porch’s floor and some cracked windows on the main floor. Father Vincent hums and rocks on his heels.
‘’I’ll be happy to help you fix up this place, in memory of my good friend. I’m sure I could also enlist the help of the local farrier, Mary. She’s a do-it-all-yourself kind of gal. As long as you provide lemonade and pie, that is.’’
‘’That is extremely kind of you, Father, but I don’t want to impose.’’ Ava says, touched but embarrassed at the offer.
‘’Nonsense! You’re in a rural community now Ava. People look out for each other here.’’ He gives a small smile and starts walking away. ‘’I’ll see you soon Ava. Feel free to call by the church whenever.’’
Camila and Ava wave as he goes.
‘’Let’s see the inside, shall we? Gotta make it at least suitable for sleeping and eating, right?’’ Ava says, her previous enthusiasm a bit tempered. She gets the key that mister Pérez had given her out of her pocket and unlocks the door. It winces on opening but doesn’t fall apart. They step inside and discover Francesco furniture still all there, with a thick coat of dust everywhere but the most used pieces; the living room couch and one of the chairs in the kitchen. Ava checks the water taps in the kitchen; thankfully, they work, and the water is clear. ‘’That’s a good start!’’
Camila chuckles. ‘’Let’s see the upstairs. I bet uncle’s bed is still undone. By the way, I brought some fresh sheets and a mattress protector, figured you could use it.’’
‘’Meu amor, you are the best! Always so thoughtful.’’ Ava exclaims. They climb up the stairs, where they find an office and two bedrooms. One of them is entirely untouched, with a made bed, and the other must be Francesco’s. The bed is unmade, the covers are halfway on the floor and one of the pillows is ripped in half. The cousins look at each other.
‘’How even?..’’ Ava points at the destroyed pillow. Camila shrugs.
‘’Let’s get you settled in the other bedroom until this one is all fixed up.’’ She grabs one of Ava’s luggage, drops it in the guest room and goes back downstairs to her car.
Ava opens the curtains and the window to get some fresh air in the room. She takes the old bedding off the bed, folds it and puts it away on a dusty chair. Camila comes back up with a bag containing the promised furnishings, which Ava immediately starts installing, and a bucket full of cleaning products and paper towels.
‘’You came prepared!’’ Ava laughed. ‘’You are too kind Cam, I don’t want to be a bother. Plus you have your café to run!’’
‘’Don’t worry your pretty face about it Ava. I have two employees now, I’m not doing it alone anymore. The café is a real hit with tourists. I took the next few days off to help you clean up this place. Let’s at least get the bedroom and kitchen done today so you can start living in here! You’ll also have to call the electricity company to get the power back on…’’
And so they start dusting, scrubbing, wiping, brooming, mopping and talking to catch up on each other’s lives.
‘’Should we go to the café later to have a small dinner? I’d love to see what you’ve done with the place since the last time I saw it in pictures.’’ Ava scrubs the windows on the main floor vigorously.
‘’Sure thing! We make some mean albondigas, you like those, right?’’ Camila asks, wiping the counters.
‘’Are you really asking me if I like meatballs? Who doesn’t like meatballs?’’
They clean up some dishes and dust the cupboards before taking a break for a glass of water on the porch.
‘’Are you still dating that girl, Dora?’’ Ava asks teasingly.
‘’Nah, we broke up. If you can believe it, she left to be part of a convent of tactical nuns, or something.’’
‘’Whaaat? No way.’’
‘’I know! It sounds crazy when I say it. I guess it’s one way to put those dreamy muscles to good use.’’ The two cousins burst out laughing. ‘’Anyways, I’ve got my eye on someone else now…’’ Camila admits, blushing.
‘’Oooh? Is that right? Tell me all about it!’’
‘’There’s not much to say really. Her name is Lilith, she’s the chief of the local firefighters –‘’
‘’A firefighter! Girl! You have a taste for strong women, don’t you?’’
‘’That I do.’’ She laughs. ‘’She comes by the café a lot, so I’ve been trying to send some signals, but so far nothing. She seems quite shy.’’
‘’Maybe you should make the first move.’’ Ava suggests.
‘’Maybe I will. Let’s get back to it. This old house isn’t going to clean itself!’’
By the time they finish cleaning the guest bedroom and kitchen, and getting the power back on, it’s already early evening, and the girls are all caught up on each other’s latest adventures. They hop into Camila’s car to go back to town and drive straight to her little establishment, Camila’s Coffee House. There are only a few locals and tourists in at this hour. They greet the barista and pick a table further away from the door. They order and soon enough, Ava dives headfirst into paradise as she savours the meatballs Camila had promised. The bell of the door rings joyfully.
‘’Whoa, who’s this tall glass of water?’’ Ava whispers, hiding her full mouth behind her napkin and nodding in the direction of the entrance. Camila turns around discreetly to identify the newcomer, but she immediately turns around with a blush on her face.
‘’That’s Lilith.’’ She says in a hushed, excited voice. The firefighter is all long dark hair, high cheekbones, lean muscle and towering height. Ava can see why her cousin is into her.
‘’Damn girl, she is maravilhosa! Get it!’’
‘’Nobody’s getting anything at the moment, Ava, she’s not responding to my hints!’’
‘’So stop hinting and start hitting on her, ya goof!’’ They both laugh and Camila slaps Ava’s arm. The noise catches the attention of Lilith, who approaches with her coffee in hand.
‘’Hi Camila.’’ She speaks softly. ‘’How are you?’’ She gives Ava a quick glance, in which the brunette detects a hint of jealousy.
‘’Hi Lilith! I’m good, thank you for asking. This is my cousin, Ava, she’s new in town, she has just moved into Francesco’s old farm.’’ Camila introduces. Lilith’s face lights up and she smiles.
‘’Hi Ava, it’s nice to meet you, I’m Lilith. I’m the chief of the local Firehouse.’’ She extends her hand for a shake.
‘’Hi Lilith! The pleasure is all mine. Camila told me a lot about you!’’ Camila kicks her under the table as the Ava and Lilith shake hands. The tall beauty blushes and clears her throat.
‘’For your information, I think your uncle had refused the last fire safety inspection on that house. It is ancestral and all, so you might want to get that done sooner rather than later.’’ Lilith says.
Ava jumps at the opportunity. ‘’Oh that’s great! Yes! Let’s do that! You should come by when Camila and I are cleaning sometime, and we can sit down with a beer after!’’
At this point, Lilith’s ears might spontaneously combust. ‘’Hmm-mm, yes, okay, sure.’’ The chief nods rapidly. ‘’I’ll see you soon then.’’ And she disappears, nearly fleeing out of the café.
Camila hides her face in her hands. ‘’What have you done, Ava?!’’
‘’I’m getting you laid. Sooner rather than later.’’ Ava winks.
They finish their meal, grab some groceries – mollete, olive oil, tomatoes, onions, potatoes and eggs –, and Camila drives Ava home. ‘’I’ll come tomorrow to have breakfast with you, and then we can clean whichever room you want, yeah?’’
‘’Camila, I hardly know how to cook…’’
‘’I’ll show you how to make a decent Spanish omelette and some tomatoes on toast. You’ll be fine.’’
‘’Thank you, meu amor. You’re the best.’’ They hug and part ways.
Ava puts away the groceries, brushes her teeth and goes upstairs to the guest bedroom. She changes into her cozy golden retriever-print pajamas and lies down, staring at the ceiling. An urge to shake all her limbs overtakes her and she jerks around in bed, laughing uncontrollably, overly excited.
Ava Silva, you are crazy!
***
Ava is awakened by her phone’s buzzing on the bedside table and the song of a rooster in the distance. She grabs her phone blindly and answers it. Camila’s voice pulls her out of her slumber.
‘’Get up you lazy city girl! You got to get on the farm life schedule! I’m waiting on the porch.’’ She hangs up.
Ava yawns, stretches, jumps out of bed and runs down the stairs. She opens the door in her pajamas, her short hair looking like a messy chicken nest, and Camila laughs as she steps in.
‘’You’ve already got the bird coop look pat down.’’ She says, pointing at her hair. She walks straight to the kitchen and starts pulling ingredients out of the fridge and cupboards. Ava goes to the bathroom to fix herself up and comes back fresh and ready.
‘’Show me your cooking ways, cousin. I want to learn!’’ Ava stays, wiggling and smiling as she gets a knife and an old cutting board out of the cupboards.
Camila teaches and Ava listens and tries her very best. Most of the food is only very slightly burnt by the end of the lesson. They sit down to eat on the porch and Ava loudly hums in approval when tasting the Spanish omelette.
‘’This is some good stuff Camila. You rock.’’ She says around a mouthful of eggs.
Camila gives her a thumbs up as she eats her tomato toast. ‘’You did pretty well for a first Spanish breakfast!’’
As soon as they’re done, the two cousins get to cleaning the bathroom and living room, which are covered in dust. Thankfully there’s no mold around the sink and bath.
That’s a win. Ava thinks as she wipes the mirror. The girls put on some music and sing their hearts out as they clean, occasionally using the duster or the mop as a microphone. When they’re finally done, the living room is finally liveable again, and the bathroom actually looks like it’ll get you clean.
They get lunch in town and Ava goes shopping for a small vehicle to get around, while Camila does a little check-in at her café. The brunette ends up choosing a Rieju urban electric scooter, in black, which she pays in full at once. She hops on, straps her helmet and drives to the café, thrilled with her new acquisition. There, Camila is in conversation with Father Vincent and a woman, one of the rare black people she has seen in this town so far. Her long hair is tightly braided, keeping her face free and open. She has a kind smile, but her eyes remain serious and her gaze is piercing as it lands on Ava.
‘’Ava, let me introduce you to Mary.’’ Father Vincent says, gesturing to the other woman. ‘’She’s the local farrier, and often helps around farms for all kinds of tasks.’’
Ava and Mary shake hands, Mary’s grip much firmer than Ava’s. ‘’It’s good to meet you. Father Vincent tells me you need some help fixing up your family’s old farm?’’
‘’Oh, like I told him, I don’t want to be a bother. I can hire someone.’’ Ava says shyly.
‘’Nonsense. I’ll be there this weekend. Just know that I love cheesecake and I take my lemonade very sweet.’’ Mary nods and leaves. Ava looks at Camila, a bit taken aback.
‘’Don’t worry about her, cousin. She takes a little while to warm up to new people, but she’ll like you.’’ Camila says. Ava shrugs, they bid farewell to Father Vincent and drive back to the farm, Camila in her car and Ava on her scooter. They clean until late afternoon, the entire house is almost spick and span, when a knock comes at the door. Ava’s got her hands in the mop bucket, so Camila goes to answer. She opens the door to find herself face to face with Lilith, in her firefighter’s uniform, black shirt and badge, and her brain freezes. They stare at each other for a second that seems to last forever. Lilith’s cheeks take on a lovely pink hue over her sun-kissed skin.
‘’Hi.’’ Camila says, shaking herself out of it.
‘’Hi. I’m here for the inspection?’’
‘’Of course. Come in, chief.’’ Camila giggles. Ava lifts her head and smiles brightly.
‘’Hi Lilith! Thanks so much for dropping by! I’ll let you do your thing, let me know if you need anything. Would you like a coffee?’’
‘’I’m good, thank you. I’ll start upstairs and make my way down to the cellar, if that’s alright?’’
‘’That’s fine – wait. There’s a cellar in here?’’
‘’Oh yeah, I forgot about that!’’ Camila exclaims. ‘’Let’s check it out and make it presentable before Lilith gets to it.’’
The gorgeous firefighter makes her way upstairs while Camila shows Ava a trapdoor that she had not paid attention to. It creaks when opened and reveals a wooden inclined ladder.
‘’Mysterious!’’ Ava steps down the ladder and stops halfway. ‘’I found some candles in the cupboard yesterday. Could you grab me one?’’
Her cousin goes and brings back a lit candle for her. She joins her down in the cellar, which is giving haunted house vibes in the dim, shaking glow. Camila finds the light switch, on the right of the ladder. The light reveals a gorgeously ancient stone and mortar domed cellar, complete with a collection of unopened vintage wine bottles, including a small barrel of red, and a section for vegetables - that have all gone bad -. The two women gasp and look at each other excitedly.
‘’Vino!’’ They exclaim and laugh hysterically. They begin dusting and clearing out the rotten vegetables off the shelves. By the time the firefighter captain climbs down into the cellar, the girls are almost done brooming away an impressive amount of dirt.
‘’Wow!’’ Lilith says. ‘’I had never actually seen this part of the house.’’
‘’It’s fucking awesome!’’ Ava’s voice bounces off the stone walls. ‘’How was the inspection? Am I in imminent danger of spontaneous combustion?’’
Lilith chuckles. ‘’You’re all good. The only thing you’re missing is a new fire extinguisher. Because this old one,’’ she lifts an ancient looking cannister, ‘’is not going to put out any fires.’’ She presses the handle and only dust comes out the nozzle.
‘’Ah. I see.’’ Ava scratches her head. ‘’And where would I got about finding a new one?’’
‘’No worries, the hardware store sells them. Let me drive you both there and we can grab a beer after?’’
‘’Sure thing! My treat!’’ Ava says.
Camila smiles coyly and hides her lower face in her hand. They drive to town in Lilith’s red pick-up, Ava buys her new safety device, and they plop down at the local bar. A beautiful young woman in a white shirt, black pants and a short gray apron approaches with a notepad ready.
‘’Hey Yasmine! How are you?’’ Camila asks.
‘’Great, thank you. How are you ladies? What can I get for you?’’
‘’I’ll get an Alhambra, please.’’ Lilith says.
‘’An Estrella Galicia for me.’’ Camila orders.
‘’I’m paying. What would you recommend for a first drink in Spain?’’ Ava asks, eyeing the barmaid’s pretty face, full lips and dark eyes.
‘’Let me get you a Cruzcampo Especial.’’ Yasmine jots down the order and elegantly dances around the patrons of the busy bar to reach the taps.
The beer is cold and refreshing after a day of hard work. Ava and Camila sigh in contentment. The three women chat comfortably, Lilith slowly getting at ease.
‘’We should exchange numbers and do this more!’’ Ava says, handing her phone to Lilith and holding out her hand for hers. They type in their respective numbers and then it’s Camila’s turn. Ava watches intently, amused as Camila and Lilith swap their phones and blush when their hands touch. They spend the rest of the evening talking quietly, Ava exposing her dreams for the farm. Lilith later drops Ava home first, then Camila.
‘’It was really nice hanging out with you, Lilith.’’ The smaller woman says.
Lilith smiles wide. ‘’It was lovely. Let’s do it again soon?’’
‘’Absolutely.’’
***
The weekend comes quickly. With Mary’s guidance, Ava buys tools and materials necessary for the repairs on the farm. The first few days, they focus on the most urgent stuff, notably the roof. Ava picked out some different colored tiles to create a quirky eclectic look. Mixed in the original tan orange tiles, she’s thrown in some yellows and reds. Father Vincent also comes to help, holding the ladder while Mary works on the roof. Ava busies herself on ground level, replacing the broken planks of the porch, sanding and staining them, all under the guidance of the priest, who apparently knows his way around a homestead.
‘’I grow vegetables on a small acreage. It helps pay my bills and keeps me sane.’’ He explains when Ava asks.
They take frequent breaks on the porch steps, during which Ava serves a generously sweetened lemonade. Vincent and Mary tell Ava about the history of the region, the farm’s previous owners, how her uncle came to buy it on a dare and turned it into a vineyard with relative success. They describe his descent into dementia, and how he got hit by lighting during one of his delirious escapades.
Ava regrets not having been there for him. ‘’I had no idea he was doing so poorly.’’ She says, her voice strained.
‘’He isolated himself and refused all outside help. We couldn’t force him, and then it was too late.’’ Father Vincent sighs. ‘’But you’re here now, and you can do good. With the right help, you can breathe new life into this place.’’
‘’That is what I intend to do. I want to dive deep into permaculture and turn this place around!’’ She exclaims, gesturing at the decrepit vineyard.
With the help of her new friends on the weekends, and hard lonely work during the weeks, it takes Ava a month to make the place suitable. She moves into the master bedroom, replaces all the broken furniture, gets the couch re-upholstered, tears down the old shed in the back of the house.
At the end of February, she invites Father Vincent, Mary, Lilith and Camila to celebrate the farm being ready for new projects. She cracks open one of the vintage wine bottles from the cellar and prepares tapas for everybody with Camila’s help. Everybody cheers with a wine glass in hand, except for Father Vincent, who opted for Ava’s now famous lemonade.
‘’You’re going to need a new name for this farm, Ava. Have you thought about it?’’ The priest asks, sipping on his non-alcoholic drink. Ava gives a toothy grin, and her eyes shine with pride.
‘’I’m going to call it : El Regalo de Francesco!‘’
They all cheer and the party goes on until late. At some point during the night, Lilith and Mary end up sitting on the porch together while the others are refilling their glasses inside. They glance awkwardly at one another.
‘’I’m not angry with you, just so you know.’’ Mary makes the first step.
Lilith tenses up. ‘’I know. I just… I don’t know how to act around you.’’
‘’Just be yourself. I’ve missed you. It wasn’t your fault. No one’s responsible for what happened. It was an accident.’’
There was a long silence, only filled up by the sound of birds chirping.
‘’I wish I could have saved Shannon.’’ Lilith croaks out.
‘’Me too, Lilith. Me too. I miss her everyday. I’m sure she would have wanted us to keep our friendship alive.’’ The two women hug tightly, dry their eyes and join the others inside.
The next morning, Ava sits down at the kitchen table, rubs her eyes and opens her laptop. She’s going to need some help around the farm, and she’s had the perfect idea. She writes up an ad on WWOOF, includes some pictures, promises food, shelter, fun and adventure in exchange for work on her permaculture project. When she’s done, the brunette has another brilliant idea. She calls up Father Vincent.
‘’Hi Father Vincent!’’
‘’Hi Ava, what can I do for you?’’
‘’I was just thinking, now that I have a farm and all, I’m going to need a guardian, yes? Do you know of any place around here to get one?’’
‘’I know just the place. Come by the church this afternoon, I’ll introduce you.’’
When Ava arrives, Vincent is already waiting on the church steps. They walk in comfortable silence on the cobble stone streets of the town, until they stop in front of a small building.
El refugio de animales de Briones
The priest pushes the door open, ringing the entrance bells. ‘’Hello Suzanne! I have a client here for you.’’ Ava looks around at all the cages and crates, all neatly cleaned, nearly all housing an animal. There are dogs, cats, birds, rodents, reptiles, making an incredible cacophony when they first notice the intruders… A woman, in her forties, with a scar across her right cheek and a stern look on her face, comes out from behind a large cage she was cleaning.
‘’Buenos dias Padre. Is this the aspiring farmer you told me about?’’
‘’Hi, I’m Ava. It’s nice to meet you.’’
Suzanne nods at her, cleaning her hands on a towel. ‘’What kind of animal are you looking for?’’
‘’I was hoping for a farm or a shepherd dog, if you have any that need a home.’’
‘’That’s all I have, animals that need families. But for your purposes, let me introduce you to Paco.’’ Suzanne leads Ava to a crate where a young Basque shepherd dog is snoring. He opens up an eye as the brunette crouches and extends her hand for him to smell. The puppy accepts the introduction, and his tail starts wagging.
‘’He’s adorable.’’ Ava squeals. The older woman opens the crate and Paco jumps up to lick Ava’s face. She ruffles his fur and he flops onto his back for belly scratches. ‘’That’s it. He’s the one.’’
Suzanne smiles and goes to get the adoption paperwork. ‘’You can come and get him tomorrow, I’ll have all of his documentation ready. He’s vaccinated and neutered. Come to the counter to pay the adoption fees please.’’
The next day, Paco the dog is running happily around the farm, exploring the land around the house. For the first time, Ava does the tour of the whole six acres land. The puppy alternates between being glued to her side and smelling everything around. Ava takes pictures of her new best friend and adds them to the WWOOF ad. The young woman feels hopeful and content.