In Tonga we are working for our accommodation, and Sven has some projects for us to do around the place.
He gives us our first two days off to get adjusted, but on the third day, we begin. New shower fixtures need to be installed in all of the guesthouses, and new gutters on the main buildings; we also need to build a footpath of stones – and there is always gardening to do if we get bored.
We get to work after breakfast, and finish at lunchtime: roughly four hours per day for our keep.
John has a look at the plumbing, and sends me into the tool shed to find a crescent wrench, vice grips, wrenches of various sizes, plumber’s tape, washers, and a flashlight.
My first order of business, then, is to learn the names of basic tools.
We encounter several problems, like existing leaks inside the walls, wrong-sized fittings, and a broken shower head; but we put our heads together, and we manage to finish all the plumbing in two days.
We spend the afternoons at the beach. I read my book, and then wade into the water when I get hot. John, always full of energy, kayaks around the reef, looking into the clear, shallow water. I can see him in the distance: a silhuette dangling from the edge of the boat, reaching into the water to collect coral.
* * * * *
One night, the rain emerges suddenly – a downpour that silences all other sounds.
The wind whips the trees together, and bright claps of lightning strobe and streak across the sky. A deep, threatening rumble of thunder follows.
The next day we’re meant to hang gutters, but we give up after two hours. The rain is incessant, and, although it’s still 25 degrees, discouraging. We change into dry clothes, make hot chocolate, and spend the day indoors, writing letters and watching movies. John makes curry.
We make up the lost hours the next day, when the rain stops. After evicting a gecko from my ladder, I’m ready to measure things, and use a drill to hang the brackets for the guttering. Then we cut or glue the gutters together, until they’re the right size, finally installing them perfectly with a flick of the wrist.
After six hours as John’s assistant I’m exhausted, although, to be fair, he did most of the work.
I spend the evening in bed reading, listening to the waves, the wind, the crickets. The next day is Sunday – our day off. In this moment, I am completely happy. I can sleep as long as I want to, but I’m in no hurry. I’m clean, full, comfortable, and entertained.
I finish my novel and dream about snorkeling.
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