Team QueSt: The Next Generation

Trouble in Paradise Part 4

	"NOOOOOOOOO!" 
	"Hadji?!?" 
	Jessie popped her head in, and found Hadji in the same state, only
this time with tears streaming down his face.  Jessie went over to Hadji
and took him in her arms.  She bent his head down to her, and looked him
dead in the eyes. 
	"We are close enough to the end of this project that Mom can
finish it up alone.  We're leaving for Scotland at daybreak." 
	With that, Jessie kissed him on the forehead and left him alone
with his pain. 

*******************************************************************************

	Late the next night, Jessie, Hadji, and the boys arrived in
Scotland.  They made their way to the excavation and to the trailer.  The
trailer was dark, but the door was open.  Hadji found the girls' room, and
put the boys down with them.  Hadji peeked into another room and saw Jonny
asleep, and Jessie found Moniri asleep in the third bedroom, b ut there
was no sign of Miana.
	"Moniri," whispered Jessie.  "Where's Miana?" 
	Moniri was still asleep, and did not realize that Jessie was there
with her. 
	"She's out cavorting with Derrick." she muttered into her pillow. 
	At that time, Hadji snuck in. 
	"Who's Derrick?" 
	"Ex-fiancee, homewrecker who wants her back... out every night..." 
	"Has anything happened?" 
	"Dunno... lots of deep kissing... she's quiet... silent..." she
muttered. 
	"Does she miss Hadji?" 
	"No mention of him." 
	Jessie looked back and saw tears in his eyes as he left the
trailer.  Hadji walked out, and saw them coming hand in hand up from the
lake.  He ran and hid off to one side, concealed in the shadows. 
	"Well Miana, guess it's good-night.  I love you." 
	Derrick bent down to kiss her. 
	"Still can't say it?" 
	"Derrick, I'd be lying if I said I didn't have feelings..." 
	Hadji's heart sank. 
	"But--" 
	Derrick put a finger over her lips, and pulled her up into what
became one of his trademark kisses.  Hadji, in the closeness of his
proximity, could feel their passion in his mind.  They, however, could not
feel him.  Hadji stepped out from the shadows, right next to them.  Jessie
woke Jonny and Moniri, and they all went to the window just in time to see
what was going on. 
	It was a minute before their kiss broke.  Miana broke the kiss,
and just happened to look off to her side, and saw Hadji in all his pain,
standing before them in the shadows. 
	"Oh my God!" she gasped, her hands over her mouth. 
	Derrick turned around, and his eyes immediately locked with
Hadji's.  Meanwhile, in the trailer, everyone was watching in total shock. 
	"And the showdown begins!" smarted Jonny. 
	Jessie rapped him on the head. 
	"I can't believe this is happening!" she whispered. 
	"Hadji..." Miana sniffed, choking on his name. 
	"Silence!" Hadji's broken voice screamed. 
	Hadji looked Derrick square in the eye. 
	"Who are you to take another man's wife?" Hadji asked, fury
rapidly replacing tears. 
	Derrick sensed his tone, and his eyes narrowed. 
	"She was mine twenty years before you even knew she existed." 
	"And where were you all that time?" Hadji asked. 
	Jonny cracked the window so all inside the trailer could hear
better. 
	"Hadji, let me explain..." started Miana, then she gave him a
complete rundown of past and present. 
	"And now what, Miana?" asked Hadji, his voice a mix of anger and
anguish.  We have been married for ten years.  What-- what becomes of us?" 
	Hadji took Miana's arm and pulled her from Derrick's grip and
tipped her head up with a jerk. 
	"Answer my question!" 
	Tears were streaming down her face. 
	"I-I-I don't know!" 
	"I see." he whispered.  "Our love should be strong enough that you
would have no doubt in your mind that I should be the one you want to be
with." 
	"Hadji..." she cried. 
	"Be silent!" 
	Hadji regarded Derrick. 
	"May your god have mercy on your soul.  I do not envy you the
karma you have created for yourself." 
	Hadji turned around to go when Miana ran up to him. 
	"Hadji!  Please don't go!  I love you!" 
	Hadji shoved her away. 
	"Do not say that to me.  Do not come near me until you have made
your choice!" 
	Hadji walked off, and Derrick came up behind Miana and put his
hands on her shoulders.  Miana shrugged him away and ran off into the
darkness.  Miana was gone all night long, and when morning came with still
no sign of her, everyone started to worry. 
	The morning wore on, and everyone was sitting near the excavation
site, doing nothing but drinking coffee.  Derrick and Hadji shot dirty
glances at each other, but that was the only activity happening in the
circle. 
	"We should look for her." suggested Jessie. 
	"Where?" asked Jonny.  "This area is huge.  She could be
anywhere!" 
	"It's your fault, Sultan!  Your ran her off!" 
	"Me?!?" exclaimed Hadji, standing up. 
	"Easy, Hadj." said Jonny.  "It was both of you that ran her off. 
Let's leave it at that.  Casting blame won't bring her back." 
	Just then, Derrick noticed one of the crew emerging from the
woods, carrying Miana.  She was unconscious, and bloody from cuts and
bruises all over her. 
	"My God!" exclaimed Derrick. 
	He and Hadji both ran up to the man carrying her. 
	"What happened?" they asked in unison. 
	"I was taking my usual morning walked in the woods, and found her
like this.  It looks as if she had some sort of fall." 
	"Thanks, Dan." said Derrick, reaching for her. 
	Hadji pushed Derrick aside, and Dan gave Hadji a funny look. 
	"Please give me my wife." asked Hadji calmly, as Dan with strange
expression on his face, handed Miana to him. 
	Hadji carried her back to the trailer and bandaged her wounds. 
She was checked for broken bones, but all she had was some cuts and
bruises and a bump on the head.  All was quiet as they let her sleep--
everyone had too much on their minds to get any work done.  Later on that
day, Miana emerged from her room, with her hand over her bump and
complaining of a headache.  She came in and sat down in the crowded living
room. 
	"Aww, my head!  Geez, I need an aspirin!" 
	Hadji and Derrick both scrambled up to her one.  Hadji got to them
first, and handed them to her and sat down next to her and took her in his
arms. 
	"Why did you run last night?" he asked, tears welling in his eyes. 
"You had us worried sick!" 
	Miana shook her head as she started crying. 
	"Hadji..." 
	Hadji took her in his arms and started rocking her. 
	Derrick got up with a start and stormed out of the trailer. 
	"Derrick!" Miana shouted as she stood up to fast and then got
dizzy.  Hadji sat her down and then stormed off himself. 
	"Hadji!" 
	Jonny left and followed Hadji, which left Miana alone with Jessie,
as Moniri was off with the children. 
	"Jessie, what am I going to do?" 
	"I don't envy you your situation.  Do you love Derrick?" 
	"I don't know." 
	"Do you love Hadji?" 
	"Yes!" exclaimed Miana. 
	"It sounds like you've made your choice." 
	"It's not as simple as that!" 
	"It should be, if you want to keep your family." replied Jessie. 
	"I wish it was." 
	"Why isn't it?" asked Jessie. 
	"Derrick isn't just any man.  We go back twenty years!" 
	"Hadji isn't just any man, either, you've been married to him for
ten.  I don't care how much Derrick professes his undying love and
devotion for you, no man has ever loved and will ever love you like Hadji
Singh.  Before you go off looking for greener pastures, you better look at
what you have in your own yard!" 
	With that, Jessie left, leaving Miana alone with her thoughts. 
Late that night, Hadji awoke to the sound of Miana sneaking out of the
trailer.  Hadji stealthily followed her, and saw her going into Derrick's
trailer.  He saw lights come on in the trailer, and saw their shadows
through the window.  He saw Derrick take Miana in his arms, the n Hadji's
eyes grew wide as he saw the two of them begin to engage in some intense,
more serious activities.