<div style="text-align: center;"><a class="postlink" href="http://i.imgur.com/NHlFgsv.png">[ img ]</a><br/><span style="font-size: 150%; line-height: 116%;"><span style="color: #BF0000"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><span style="font-style: italic"><span style="font-weight: bold">You said you don't have to speak...I can hear you.<br/>I can't feel all the things you've ever felt before...</span></span></span></span></span><br/><br/><span style="font-weight: bold">• • • •</span></div><br/><br/>The man watched the stranger with intent eyes, eyes that were calculating, suspicious and in need of satisfactory explanation from someone who thought it prudent to speak to a lady. He had to be from far off if he thought it fine to speak to a woman; custom dictated you spoke to the head of household as they always knew best.<span style="font-style: italic">I’ll need to speak to Bellen after this…</span>he thought with annoyance.<span style="font-style: italic">She should know better than to linger at the gate speaking with someone she doesn’t know, that <span style="font-weight: bold">I</span> don’t know.</span><br/><br/>When the man started speaking, he felt himself stand up a little taller. His accent was so thick that it took him another minute to understand what it was he said. While they were both speaking English, Senor Reyes was not as fluent as he’d have liked. This man spoke with such an accent that the hard sounds and lack of familiarity hindered his coherence. But, if there was one thing that he understood above even the spoken language, it was the pursuit of work and money. Money was the currency that moved mountains and changed the course of one’s destiny. So, though he disliked the man’s approach to speaking to others not of his culture, he appreciated his pursuit of an honest day’s work.<br/><br/>“I wasn’t looking to hire anyone, but we could use a bit more hands about the property,” he began, arms crossing as a hand stroked his chin in thought. Still uncertain of the man, he continued, “We, however, don’t need someone to handle horses or cows. We need those who know how to paint, how to maintain a property. Keeping of the grass, making sure our plants are watered, any siding that needs repair will need to be kept up with, projects of that nature. Some work in the house, as well, but only after we see you’re proficient enough in the work that’s on a broader scale. Inside, you’d be asked to fix things that break of a more delicate nature.”<br/><br/>There was a pause as his eyes swept over the man. “We’ll pay you for your services, and we do have housing for those who work for us. Your language request, however, will have to be filled under proper supervision. Yours is broken and will require time, time which I don’t like to waste. If you’re serious, you can have sessions with my daughter, under my watchful eye. Things may be different where you’re from, but we do things a certain way here. Should you take issue with that, then I’m afraid I’ve nothing more that I can offer you.”<br/><br/>“Do we have an accord?”