Devil's Cacti (Part 3 of 3)

Chapter 70

Our resident midwife, as we used to call her, Olga, had accompanied Carmella to Granada for a final scan before she was due in a month’s time. I was busy with administration when Oscar and Manolo burst into my office, quite animated.

“Paulo, the lab said we needed to increase our production of spines. The pharmacy companies have increased their demand, in fact doubled it.”

“Yes I saw that in my Email too Oscar.”

“Well Paulo the harvesting of spines is a tedious process and the dry ice thing is cumbersome.”

“OK you guys, what do you suggest?” I asked knowing full well that they had come up with a solution. They dragged me out to the compound where they prepared the cactus stems ready for the fermentation. They led me to a window looking out onto the processing area where a row of six stems were resting on what looked like steel plates. “Who’s going to explain the purpose of this contraption?”

“I think Oscar should, it’s his idea,” interjected Manolo rather too quickly.

“It was Manolo who designed the machine and got it built. I only went to him with the problem,” said Oscar quickly giving Manolo the credit for the invention as I suspected.

“Tell me Oscar and Manolo can fill in the gaps.”

“The Octopus positions the stems onto those sharp protrusions and the plates rotate slowly. That machete thing then shaves off the spikes. Look I will demonstrate. Manolo, you operate the remote control. You see Paulo we can have anybody operating this machine in safety from here. You always wanted the minimum of workers in the compound. You see the spines are shaved off and they drop into the funnel and down through a flap into the container.”

“I can see that but when do you transfer them into the dry ice?”

“We don’t. The container is full of an industrial alcohol solution which immediately milks the spines. That’s what they use in the lab. It takes ten minutes or so. We leave it for maybe half an hour. The lab men say it doesn’t matter how long the spines are in the solution.”

“Very clever. So you then take the full container to the lab?”

“No Paulo, we just drain off the solution and send that and we can wait a few days until we have three or four containers. Saves rushing off to Granada with a bucket full of spines in dry ice.”

“So who got this idea?” I asked.

“Well Oscar came with the problem and we talked it through,” answered Manolo.

“It was Manolo who solved the whole problem when he rang up the lab and talked to the technician there who said the dry ice wasn’t necessary and possibly hindered the milking process at the lab.”

“Are you telling me that I wasted all this time, effort and cost when I was studying, rushing off with samples to the lab?”

“I’m afraid so Paulo. It seems the guys who actually process the stuff know more than their bosses.”

“I suppose that applies to me too then?”

“Well no Paulo but we didn’t have all the necessary information before and the demand was low. Now we have to up production to industrial levels,” said Manolo gravely.

“Well that’s brilliant. Now what happens to these stems after the potato peelers has finished with them?”

“We inspect them for any spines left on them and then invert them with the octopus and rack them up as before. They are no longer dangerous but we still don’t take the risk. The spent spines go into the grinder and mixed with the pig and chicken feed. Nothing wasted Paulo.”

“So we don’t go out with my spud gun contraption to harvest spines anymore?”

“Well we were wasting a lot of spines when we cut down the stems. Now all of them are used. I don’t think we need to go out and harvest spines in the old way. Oscar now just damages the stems with an octopus arm so that they start budding for new stems. We don’t have to get out of the machine now and no longer bothered by the dogs. It’s much safer now Paulo.” 

“I like all this. I like it a lot. As you know I’m always concerned about the safety element. Now we don’t have to walk around the compound. That’s brilliant,” I said and followed on, “I can see that you guys can manage better on your own without me.” 

At that moment Lena came into my office with her mobile phone and handed to me muttering, “It’s urgent!”

“Why are you handing me a mobile Lena? The reception is none existent around here in this valley.”

“Didn’t you know that Arnold the Finn fixed it? He put in a booster antennae on the mountain up there with Manolo’s help. 

“I wish somebody would keep me informed. Holla, Paulo here. Oh hi darling, how’s it going? Oh a problem. What? They are going to take you to surgery for an examination and maybe a small op. today! I’ll come over straight away. What do you mean that I don’t need to? I’ll come anyway. OK, OK, I’ll put you onto Lena.”

Chapter 71

I had problem finding a spare vehicle until Lena offered her small Fiesta. I thought I would have problems with my long legs but managed to jack the seat back to a comfortable position, turned off Lena’s CD player blasting some Spanish pop music and drove off, remembering to check the fuel. Sods law came into play as treble amount of traffic hit the twisting road to Lanjaron and beyond until the motorway to Granada. The traffic in town was again against me so that it took me at least twenty minutes longer than usual to get to the hospital. The Receptionist already knew of my impending arrival and told me not to worry and that all was fine with my wife and that the porter would take me to the waiting room in the theatre area and someone would bring me coffee right away also that I might have a long wait.

The waiting room was empty apart from Edo sitting and snivelling in the corner. He rushed up to me and hugged me until I managed to peel him off.

“What brings you here Edo and why are you crying?”

“I’m so sorry Paulo, so sorry. I don’t like hospitals Paulo and I had to come when I heard that your wife, Carmella, had been taken to hospital with a small problem. She is like a mother to me. They wouldn’t let me see her when I came. I came on the scooter and beat the traffic.”

“I didn’t know you had the nerve to venture beyond Orgiva on your bike. Now tell me what you have heard about Carmella’s condition?”

“Not a lot Paulo. They told me that she had an X-ray and was being prepared for surgery to investigate something. I was told to wait here, stop crying and that someone will come and tell you all about it when you arrive.”

“OK Edo, we will have to wait and see. Sit down here in this comfortable arm chair instead of that upright. Bit more comfortable.”

“Alright Paulo but Carmella insists I sit on hard chairs so that I don’t slouch as I used to. Watch this,” said Edo as he strode purposefully to the door and back. “See, see, I can walk properly now. Your Grandmother and Carmella insisted on that and I no longer have to march. I can swing my arms just a little like you do Paulo. I know my way to the hospital on the bike because I used to bring the ice box to the lab for you. Oscar followed me in his car the first time. It’s a shame I can’t do it anymore since the canister is now too big to strap on the back.”

“I didn’t know they used you to do it?”

“People found it a bore to do it regularly and I loved it. Carmella said I should stop in the Rambla Bibba for chocolate and churro’s. They are so delicious there. Imelda knows me and gives me an extra portion. Don’t be cross Paulo. Everyone has been so good to me.”

“I’m not cross, just surprised by all your goings on. I thought you were with your pigs and chickens.”

“I have more spare time now that you have reduce the herd and Manolo has set up automatic feeding and watering system for me so that all I do now is check the feed in the hopper and check on my stock in the pen at feeding time. I never go in the compound Paulo. The stock comes to me in the pen through the gate at feed time. I lock the hens up at night. Many of them like to be in the sheds rather than outside. I have to chase them all out when I clean out with the tractor.”

“Tractor? I didn’t know you drove the tractor.”

“It’s only the old small one. Oscar showed me how and now I can clean out in no time and do a far better job than with brush and shovel. The sheds are big you know and collecting and packing eggs takes most of my time. I like rearing the chicks though. Would you like me to speak to you in English? I sneak into the English class in Orgiva after my agri and technical classes. I have four certificates now.”

“Well done Edo, I didn’t realise you were doing all those things. I knew about your new qualifications. They are hung up in the office with the others.”

“Well why should you Paulo. I’m a full time responsible worker now and don’t have to bother you with little things. My mum is really proud of me.”

At that moment the door opened and a young man that I recognised from the past strode in wearing a smart grey suit, white shirt and dark blue tie.

“Hey Franco.. or should I call you Francis, what brings you here? I haven’t seen you for ages, years in fact, before I settled here.”

“Hola Paulo, it’s good to see you looking so well and you Edo. Do sit down both of you. I heard that you would be here on the grapevine and that you would be waiting around a long time getting bored so I thought I would see you on a business venture. One of the surgeons who I know well, an old college friend, asked me to inform you about Carmella’s wellbeing.”

“Why didn’t they send in a doctor?”

“They are busy and they assumed that I was ‘family’ so asked me to bring you up to date.”

“Go on then Francis, tell me all. I’m getting worried.”

“My friends and enemies still call me Franco. I know we didn’t get on as kids Paulo. I was stupidly jealous of you and showed it with some aggression. I’m sorry. Now let me tell you what I’ve been told to tell you. Carmella came in for a routine check with Olga and they noticed some complication so they did a series of blood tests, followed by scans and X-rays to confirm the problem.”

“What problem Franco?”

“Patience Paulo, you need to hear the sequence of events. It appears that one of the twins was not developing as well.”

“Twins! I didn’t know she was having twins?”

“Olga tells me they were keeping it a secret from you. Now let me tell you the rest. The blood test showed early signs of blood poisoning which they had to investigate. The scans showed that the second twin that was not developing properly was probably not alive anymore therefore, after more x-rays they decided to perform a Caesarean to abort one twin and save the other. That’s all I know Paulo and she is in the theatre at this very moment undergoing the anaesthetics. It will be some time before we know and in the mean time you will have to wait. The procedure could take a couple of hours or more. They don’t suspect any danger to your wife. That’s all I know Paulo. We’ll get an update once they start the investigation. Now Edo stop the fuss, it’s unnecessary. Sorry that I’m the chosen emissary Paulo. I know we didn’t get on in the past and it was my stupid fault. I have learned since that my dad and the General fixed to send me off to senior school in Madrid followed by Engineering at Reading to keep us apart. He paid for all this you know.”

“I didn’t know, but you were a pain in those days. I did hear that you were doing well for yourself in Toledo.”

“Yes, I’ve done well and dad, Antonio to you, wants me to take over the business here. I know, I know there are other brother’s in line before me but they all agree that I should take the overall lead.”

“Isn’t it a bit small time for you or so I believe and I thought Alf was to take the lead?”

“It is Paulo, I am just as ambitious as you and have followed your phenomenal growth with interest. That’s why I’m coming to you with a begging bowl and yes Alf will take over Dads business.”

“With a begging bowl? How can I help? My business is way away from construction and engineering.”

“I know but I would like you to invest in my Company. An insubstantial investment, a share, to be on the Board. Antonio said he would come and ask you but I insisted on approaching you myself. I’ve just been in a meeting with my bankers when I heard you were here, kicking your heels as they say in England.”

“I still don’t understand why you’re asking me Franco?”

“You know how things work in Spain. Influence, patronage and reputation and I need some of that to kick start my business in Granada. Dad was and is a small time builder I want to get into construction of bridges, motorways, hotels and shopping centres. My brothers will do the small stuff around here. You have a reputation as an astute businessman, a maverick and I would like some of that to rub off. I have proper business plans drawn up and approved by the banks for finance.”

“So why do you want my money?”

“It’s not your money I need it’s you approval of my project. If I state that you are my partner then it will open doors for me to get contracts of my own. OK, in the beginning I shall be subcontracting to the giants but I have to start somewhere on the ladder. I need the helping hand if I’m to succeed.” 

“And where will you set up your business?”

“In Granada of course with a subsidiary in Madrid. I shall move down from Toledo.”

“Excuse me interrupting. Which of you is Paulo?”

“I am. Have you news of my wife?”

“I have but who are the other gentlemen?”

“It’s OK, they are family.”

“Well you wife has been in surgery for the last two hours and they have aborted one twin who unfortunately wasn’t fully developed. We are now carrying out further tests to ascertain that we have corrected the problem. You wife will be in the operating theatre for another hour at least. You wife is stable and in no danger. I’ll report back in half an hour and I’ll get you some refreshments whilst you wait. I must go, I’m needed elsewhere?”

“Twins, I’m still in shock over that. I never knew. I wonder why Carmella never let on.”

“No doubt to surprise you Paulo. The shock of another set of twins would have been too much for you I can only surmise or was it just a devious plot on the part of your wife. We need to meet Paulo. I couldn’t be at the wedding but I’ve heard lots of things about her, all good. We must arrange a dinner party and you can meet my fiancée, an English girl from Yorkshire. We met at Reading University. I’m sorry to put forward my proposal at this time but I thought it might take your mind of things and pass the time quicker. I don’t expect any decision today, no way.”

“Thanks Franco. Our families have been close for years so I have to give your proposal serious consideration. How much would you like me to invest?”

“Not a lot Paulo. It’s a new start up. Toledo will become a subsidiary, I will invest, family will invest, the banks and hopefully you. We’ll all have a share with me and family having controlling interest. All the equipment will be leased so very few capital outgoings. I’ve already got fingers in the pie for work. OK, the initial jobs will be loss leaders but if we perform as I’ve already shown with my Toledo outfit then we should get the more lucrative contracts. Look at all the road and rail building going on in Granada alone never mind Andalucia, plus all the repairs. Ah here comes the coffee, let’s take a break and talk about you and your plans.”

An interim report assured them all was well then after two hours I was called into a private ward to see my wife who was still under the effects of the anaesthetics and was very groggy. The chief surgeon carefully explained the procedures they had gone through during the operation. The first twin was aborted successfully but with the complication that it had been physically attached by the hip to the second. The separation took a while. The second twin was tested for septicaemia which proved positive. Efforts were then made to save the second twin but further test showed that it was also developing abnormally. To save the mother the decision was taken to abort the second foetus and approved by Olga. The mother was given a full blood transfusion and further tests carried out for septicaemia in the mother. All was well and the surgeons put her together again and sent her off to the intensive recovery ward. I stayed with Carmella until she awoke fully compos mentis and was quite cheerful but sheepish about not letting on about the twins. Within two days she was happy to be back home at the Monastery.

Chapter 72

“Come and lie beside me on the bed Paulo and cuddle into me,” said Carmella as she tugged at my arm as I was sitting on the edge of the bed. “I need you close.”

“But what about the wounds you’ve got?” I answered in a very concerned voice.

“Oh their not that bad and I’m full of painkillers. That’s it, a little closer. We need to talk and clear the air. I’m sorry now that I didn’t tell you I was having twins. It was a bit of a mischievous thing and as time went on it became a secretive thing and I wanted to surprise you. In fact surprise everybody. I knew you wouldn’t mind.”

“Of course I wouldn’t have minded but we all would have been more careful of you.”

“That wouldn’t have helped you know. It’s all fate, hand of God or more likely hand of Darwin. Olga was surprised that my body hadn’t aborted them earlier and is distraught that she hadn’t spotted the problem months ago. My only regret is that I had to go through the pregnancy period with all of its discomfort for over eight months.”

“How did Olga suddenly discover there was a problem? She checked you over regularly enough.”

“Yes, but it was my fault that I wouldn’t go for a scan. I was too tired and fussed to go to Granada along those windy roads. I know in hindsight I should have gone but Olga was with me all the time and she or we used to listen to their sweet little heart beats through her stethoscope. The other day, Tuesday, she suddenly couldn’t make out the second heartbeat. At first she though they were in unison but her senses told her something was not right. She also though that the babies weren’t growing as fast as she imagined. That’s why she insisted on getting me to hospital and when the hospital started delaying my admission and giving me an appointment in two days’ time, she made a big thing of it quite rightly and I was rushed in with all sirens blazing. It was for show as she told everybody here.”

“Yes, I was told that and not to worry but I would have been a wet rag if I just hung around so I drove directly to the hospital. I’m so glad as it turned out.”

“You poor thing. They did a scan as Olga insisted and immediately saw a problem. All the consultants came to give an opinion but Olga insisted they do a caesarean whatever. The hospital is geared up to do these at a drop of a hat. That’s when you arrived and they put you in the cooler until they could give you some proper facts. Olga insisted that she would be in the theatre to make any decisions which absolved the surgeons somewhat.”

“I don’t understand. What could Olga do that the surgeons couldn’t?”

“Well, some of the consultants thought the sound baby could be deformed in some way and they were right. One of the consultants told me later that with Olga being present they could have saved the second baby but there was only a ten percent survival and it would have only lived on a permanent life support machine. Olga took the hard hearted approach after checking that my systems were OK to continue breeding. I thank her for it. I’m not sentimental that way. I’d rather have a normal baby to bring up rather than checking a machine every minute and getting emotionally attached.”

“Wow, I didn’t expect all these complications.”

“Well I didn’t take part in all of this. I was unconscious on the operating theatre but Olga took the life and death decisions and stressed that I was the first priority and the children second. I thank her for it and so did the surgeons for taking a decisive view. She said that was what I would have wanted and I think she was right. I know she was right.”

“Did you see the foetuses?”

“No and Olga insisted that they don’t show them to me. She said it would be too upsetting. She told the consultant to dispose of them immediately that is after they did a sort of post mortem for legal reasons. Now can we change the subject and talk about something else. I hope you weren’t too worried in the waiting room all that time by yourself.”

“To be honest my mind was taken up with lots of other things. Edo was there before me. I was held up in the traffic and he came on his scooter. I had to placate him most of the time. He thinks you’re his mother then Franco appears with the news about you being prepared for surgery. Franco or Frances is one of Antonio’s sons who I didn’t get along with and he’s doing great things in Toledo.”

“Yes Rosario was very proud of him and I wondered why he wasn’t going to take over the family business.”

“He’s too ambitious and arrogant. He tried to make life hell for me here but Granddad sent him off to University in Madrid so I saw little of him until the other day. He apologised profusely for being such a dick head and wants to make up. We talked at great length.”

“What about?”

“Well, he wants us to invest in his new venture. He’s setting up a large construction company working on large infrastructure projects, motorways, shopping centres, factories, things like that.”

“Has he the expertise? He’s only been in business for a few years and why does he want us to invest? Can’t Antonio’s clan rustle up the money?”

“It’s not even that. He wants to start slowly as a subcontractor and build up and the reason he wants us or our Company to invest is for prestige not the money. He wants me to be a Director. He says with me and my local reputation on board he is more likely to get awarded the contracts. He has sent me the business plan and he’s had it approved by a number of banks with lots of cash forthcoming.”

“But if you’re directly involved and the whole thing folds, won’t you or we be implicated?”

“That’s why I need to check his plans, cash flows and all that and even get Steve to give them the once over. What he told me was quite sensible and risks fully calculated. With me on board he reckons to minimise these risks and he’s not asking us for any major capital investment only a minimum.”

“Well we should do it once you’ve checked the bills and balances. We are indebted to the Antonia clan and I would do anything to support them. Do it Paulo, do it!”

“Well thank for your support. I must say my first instincts were to say yes but I needed to check a few things out. He doesn’t want an answer yet and in fact it was just fortuitous on his part and to some extent on my part that he was visiting a friend, a doctor at the hospital, when he heard that I was waiting around. It took my mind of things. We have booked a meeting in a week’s time at Dennis’s place in Granada when you can meet his fiancée, an English girl he met at Reading University.”

“Brilliant and that reminds me of something else we need to talk about. It just makes me realise how fragile we all are on this world. You were at deaths door in Mexico, I was on the edge just now and poor Sandra is in a worse state. She rang me before you arrived to take me home. She’d heard of my plight and we had a long chat. Her cancer is incurable, that is they haven’t got any medical treatment and she has some six months to live they say. Hold on let me go on. She has taken it philosophically. She is fed up with all her treatment, the radiology and chemo which is making her feel like death warmed up. She’s giving it all up and moving to a hospice on the banks of Lake Geneva and let nature take its course. I must say I agree with her. Hang on. I suggest that we go out there once I’m mobile and spend some time with her and Dennis, take them out and enjoy the sights. I’ve never been to Switzerland.”

“I have a better idea. I think we should take a few months off when you have fully recuperated and do our grand tour, visiting Sandra and Dennis on the way. We could do the high spots of Europe with the twins.”

“That’s a brilliant idea and we must stop calling them twins. You know why!”

“OK but what are their real names? Ouch that hurt.”

“Now before I was incapacitated guess who called me?”

“Go on, I won’t be able to guess.”

“Richard and he was wondering if you were foot loose and fancy free to do some wonders as you usually do in divining some water in the Algerian desert for six months at the most.”

“I hope you said NO!”

“As a matter of fact I didn’t. He wasn’t persuasive but having enjoyed Namibia so much, the working together as a team, I said I would broach the subject.”

“The smoothy! He approaches you to do the dirty work on me!”

“No it wasn’t like that but you were out inspecting some site in Granada and weren’t available so I made him spill the beans.”

“Why did he choose me or us?”

“Well you opened your big mouth in Cape Town as I remember and told him about these water tunnels running underground for miles into the desert and feeding oasis.”

“Oh I remember. I was so intrigued by these qanats or fugarras as they are called that I made a personal study and found these occur all over Middle East and Asia, plus North Africa of course. Some go back thousands of years apparently, supposedly originated in Persia.”

“Yes, your big mouth has landed you or us in a big project in Algeria to resurrect these in a modern way as you intimated it could be done and turn the desert into a ‘garden of Eden’ ….. your words.”

“When does he want us to do this? I say us because you used the collective word.”

“Well I wasn’t going to volunteer because I would have two screaming brats to look after but that’s not the case now and I loved Namibia. He says we can choose the timing but intimated it’s a big project and he wants you to kick start it then other minions will follow on.”

“Surely there are more people better qualified who could do the same or better?”

“Yes, he has these in the wings but the whole project is very sensitive with the locals and he can’t find the right kind of guy with the diplomatic experience to carry the project through. There’s also some danger with it. The locals don’t like Western intrusion but he said if we could make a breakthrough and establish an oasis or a number then the locals would settle rather than go marauding and upsetting the local communities.”

“But wouldn’t that put us in danger? I don’t like that at all.”

“Well, the thinking is that a family would be safer since we would appear less of a threat than single people with gung ho attitudes.”

“Still don’t like it one bit.”

“He said he had a local chief who is sympathetic to the cause and has the powers to protect us. The project if successful would give him kudos amongst his people. This fellow would also provide the necessary labour and protection.”

“I need to study Richard’s proposal before I commit us into this. On the face of it I’m quite excited but we need to approach this with caution and we have enough on our hands here anyway.”

“Hey you said yourself we are redundant here. I’m off the books child rearing for next six month and all your cacti and wine making has been taken off you. We have lots of good people looking after the shop and if we do go off we are only a phone call or a few hour flight away if need be. I think we should do Europe and carry on to Algeria and God’s work there. Get in touch with Richard and plan it out. He even said something about funding or finding an appropriate tutor for the kids whilst we are out there so they don’t miss any schooling not they are of that age yet. Caution to the wind I say.”

“Hey you have got fire in your belly. Where has this come from?”

“It’s our fragile life we lead and if we don’t do things now the opportunity will pass and we will regret it.”

“Any other bombshells you have for me?”

“I can’t think of any at the moment. Oh yes I think I have a candidate for our Mr. Henryk to keep him tied down, a sort of golden handcuffs you guys keep talking about. You know Gloria Gonzalez the accountant that Steve proposed to us and came second in our interview process. Our Mr. Henryk has taken a liking to her me thinks and has suggested that she might just be suitable as his PA.”

“PA? What’s he want a Personal Assistant for? Well I suppose he is going to play a major role in the future of the company and she might be useful. She sounded very competent and came a close second in the interviews.”

“She came a close second because of my vote. I’m afraid I found her too pretty and became rather jealous. Sorry but I didn’t want any competition for the men’s affections but since I’m going to be away she can turn her sights onto Henryk who I think is somewhat besotted. We should have taken her on in some role anyway to bolster up our management resources since we are expanding and what better role than to understudy Henryk and if it leads anywhere then so much the better. That’s what I say so there.”

“Wow that was some speech and admission. I suppose we all enjoy a bit of admiration. Remember all the award ceremonies we attended and had our egos massaged? We thoroughly enjoyed it even though we knew there were a hidden agendas and ulterior motives behind all that. So I’ll have to get my skates on and brush up my water works.”

“Probably the wrong choice of words there but given a bit of recovery time I would like to drill for more kids even if another set of twins result so make sure you’re ready to perform.”

“Sure thing darling. I’ll leave you now to rest and bring you supper later. I’ll also invite the twins to eat with us, all together here with you, a family affair.”

“Yes, I’d like that but before you come please discover their rightful names!” 

Chapter 73

It took over a month to settle all outstanding issues associated with the business before we could consider packing even though Carmella professed to be fighting fit within a week. Jessica and Maria had time to get excited and became utter nuisances pestering the life out of us with loads of questions but mainly constant series of questions mainly on why all the delay. I made an executive decision to take a nanny with us for the European section of our journey to give Carmella some well-deserved rest and relief.  The twins chose Elena to come with them since she was their favourite member of the service staff and she jumped at the chance to travel around Europe first class. She was a delightful Latvian girl that Carmella had picked up and saved off the streets of Orgiva. She had been with us for over six months and proved very capable. She also spoke a number of languages including Italian which I thought would come in useful. Finally after huge quantity of hugs and kisses we drove out of El Monasterio amid hooting of car horns and fireworks on their way to Geneva to visit Sandra and Dennis. We decided for the sake of the children to reduce the distances in the car to manageable chunks so that we could visit interesting places on the way that I could show to Carmella.

Our first overnight was at the delightful seaside resort of Peniscola. The beach was a wide expanse of beautiful golden sand ending at the promontory with a fairytale castle. The whole area had been made famous by the filming of El Cid on the magnificent beach. Whilst Maria and Jessica played on the beach overseen by Elena, Carmella and I explored the old town within the castle. We found a bar terrace overlooking the beach and treated ourselves to a glass of Papa Luna, a local liqueur distilled to the glory of the past Pope that had resided there. It gave me an idea that we should do something similar for the Monastery to add to our range of offerings. I was fed up of the aniseed drink Pacheran that’s traditionally served up as a complementary drink at the end of a restaurant meal in Spain.

Our next stop was in Barcelona to visit Sagrada Familia the famous church designed by Gaudi. We stopped in front of it some distance away and Carmella burst into tears, completely smitten by its beauty and originality. The twins insisted we explore every nook and cranny including the towers. I bought them each a book and model to remember it by. Figueres was our next overnight to visit the Dali gallery and museum. Maria and Jessica spent much time giggling and laughing at the incredible exhibits. We stopped the night at Flores and were invited to have a splendiferous dinner at the famous three Michelin starred Buli restaurant. I promised to send them up some of the Monastery meats and hams. The Roman amphitheatre at Nimes was fully open to visitors and the girls practised their cartwheels in the stadium to the amusement of the tourists. The next stop was the Pont Du Gard Roman aqueduct which always amazed me. The girls were more interested in the carriage ride to the site and the paddling in the river than the magnificent structure.

On the way to Valance we stopped at the Montelimar services for a bar each of their special local nougat. As a boy, dad and mum used to stop there every time for me to indulge. Again I thought of all the walnut trees we had at home plus the ones further down the valley which the farmers for some reason failed to pick. Marcia, wife of Antonio, always loved the blossom and sweet perfume in February. I said to Carmella that we should pick them and make our own version of the Spanish turon which is like the Jewish halva which I also loved when dad brought some back on his business trips to Jerusalem.

The journey through the foothills of the Alps, along the Isere valley was so spectacular that Carmella insisted on travelling further into the Alps so I turned off the motorway and headed for Grenoble and towards Albertville. We then followed the Grande Route Des Alpes and much of the Tour de France route, over the Col Des Aravis into the pretty ski village of La Clusaz. We stopped for a break when the girls noticed the cable cars operating up to the top of low mountain top of Beau Regard and wasn’t it rightly beautiful when we got to the top and watched the cable car disgorge a stream of mountain bikes who were going to zoom down the mountain to the village below. It was so marvellous that we decided to walk down to the village and stay in one of the chocolate box mountain hotels for the night.

The next morning we were sorry to leave but the journey down the valley towards Annecy was enchanting especially the huge cliffs of the plateau of Glieres which during the second World War was a French Resistance fortress that kept over a hundred thousand German troops occupied and away from the front. On the road to Geneva I set them all a task to spot the extremely high fountain that shot up from Lake Geneva. The first one was guaranteed an Italian ice cream. Unfortunately the girls fell asleep in the back of the car and Carmella was too busy absorbing the verdant green countryside to notice the fountain.

We were graciously welcomed by Dennis and Sandra who made a fuss of the twins. We were accommodated in a guest suite on the site of the hospice which overlooked the lake with wonderful views of the snow-capped mountains. Dennis had arranged for a private launch to ferry us over to a pretty lakeside village for lunch. I noticed that both Carmella and Sandra were teary eyed after their long tête-à-tête, no doubt recounting their problems. We stayed a wonderful five days with them and I left Dennis my car and we flew to London where Dad and Mum met us at Gatwick and drove us to their home in Surrey. The next day we caught a train into London and did the main sights of the Tower, London Eye, Westminster and Buckingham palace plus a river boat past Greenwich to the globe of the O2 Arena where we took the cable car across the river. To ease the strain mainly on Carmella we took every type of public transport there was in London. The tube, the red bus, black cab, rickshaw and even a Boris Bike along the Thames footpath to the Thames barrier with the girls sitting on the handlebars which caused a mixture of amusement and equal amount of frowns and critical tutting from the passers-by. We left the girls to be utterly spoiled by their grandparents and went with Elena on a vulture culture trip to the city, tramping around most of the public galleries allowing Carmella to feast her eyes on the world’s best exhibits. We arrived in Surrey totally exhausted and spent the next day relaxing. 

All good things must come to an end and we said our farewells at Ashford station, catching the TGV to Paris where we were due for a meeting with UNRA, the United Nations Relief Agency, to thrash out the details of the work we were to engage in. They wanted a showcase renovation of ancient underground water systems and I argued that a low key approach was safer for my family and more likely to be accepted by the locals. They wanted the job done quickly by flying in supplies, labour, building materials by helicopter and I insisted, with Carmella’s support, that we hire locals including beaten up trucks without UN emblazoned on every surface.  Since I was going to fund the whole venture the committee thought I was going to do it on the cheap but I gave them a list of materials that I required that I had prepared earlier that satisfied them that it would be a thorough if not excellent job.        

We arrived back at the hotel totally exhausted but pleased with the outcome. The girls arrived back soon after us having been to Disney Land with Elena. None of us had the strength or the desire to go out and eat in a restaurant so I perused my tablet for a caterer that delivered and we all chose different dishes that we wanted with some champagne for the adults and a six pack of Orangina for the girls. The twins fell asleep over their meal and were put to bed. Elena recounted what they had been up to at the park. The girls had met up with a Mexican family from Los Angeles and spent their time all together talking in Spanish and enjoying the rides and sights.

Our flight to Florence was uneventful with most of us asleep for most of the journey. The Hotel had sent a car to collect us at the airport which was a boon. We had four days in Florence and we intended to catch a train to Sienna on one of the days. We took the sight-seeing at a leisurely pace even though Carmella was champing at the bit to see more. We put a peg in the ground that on the way back from our work in Algeria we would visit Sienna in time to see the Palio in the square, even booking a hotel for three days prior to the event to take in the sights and see the proving races and preparations for the main event. The high speed train ride to Rome marked the end of our tourist trail. We were to be met by representatives of the UN who would help us to resource the materials and equipment we would require. I insisted that I would place the final orders as a private individual since I reckoned that the UN officials would be overcharged. I was proved right and with some judicious bargaining I managed to supply the whole expedition at half the price that the UN had been quoted. We even managed to secure a converted bus with essential air-con to be our camper van and hidey-hole for the duration.

Chapter 74

Tears in abundance were shed at Rome’s Fiumicino airport as we all said our farewells to Elena who had been a fairy godmother to the children and an enormous help to Carmella and I. Elena strode off to the Madrid gate whilst we sadly made our way to the gate marked ‘Algers’.

“I wish we had arranged for her to come with us,” I whispered to Carmella.

“I was getting a bit jealous of her. She was so good with our two but it’s for the best. I only hope the tutor that UN are providing us is half as good. At least she will know the territory,” answered back Carmella gripping my arm tightly as the girls skipped ahead.

The flight was tedious with the girls fortunately sleeping most of the way, Carmella checking her photos of our European visits and I was trying unsuccessfully to read my notes on the project and double check my lists of supplies. My mind was elsewhere, mainly on Sandra’s plight and the monumental effect this would have on my brother. I only hoped she would survive our trip or adventure in the Algerian Sahara.

“What are you thinking about?” asked Carmella with a light dig in my ribs to cast me from my day dreaming. “You look so sad.”

“True, I was just thinking about Sandra and Dennis. It just seems so unfair.”

“I know darling but she has come to terms with it and she is adamant that she keeps off the medicines and chemo, maybe painkillers if it comes to that. The sad thing is that she admitted that they were planning to start a family this year.”

“Wow, that’s just another devastating blow to their lives. I’m surprised that she even raised the matter.”

“I’m afraid that seeing the twins just set her off but she was glad to see them and hopes that we visit on our way back from Algeria. I only hope that she is with us then.”

“I hope so too and in a fit state to appreciate Janice and Maria. I’d hate for them to see her in her full illness. Anyway we need to wake the kids and get them strapped in. We are landing in a few minutes. Take them to the loo first because we may be busy at the airport.”

A delegation of officials met us off the plane and we were quickly escorted to a private room on the airport and our baggage would be brought to us. I questioned the arrival of three crates and handed over the paperwork associated with them and was assured that all would be well. There were two Government Officials to greet us and thank us for our generosity plus two local officials from the UN who would escort us to our hotel. I had to remind them that we needed our passports stamped appropriately to avoid any future misunderstanding. A minion came to collect them and I was surprised that he didn’t fall over with all the frequent bowing he did. Even the girls noticed but were too amazed to burst out in giggles.

With our luggage intact and passports duly stamped we were driven in style to our hotel where we were escorted with much aplomb to a palatial suite for our three days stay in Algers. I only hoped I wasn’t paying for this extravagance. The following day the trouble started. I had the UN official contact the cargo and customs offices at the airport to check the clearance of three small crates I had brought over on the flight with me as excess baggage but as I expected they were taken over to the cargo area rather than the baggage carousel. I was told only two of the three had arrived, the third one hadn’t been loaded. This was sheer bunkum and I demanded to be taken to the cargo area accompanied by the UN and a Governmental official. On arrival I was told by the manager in French that the third crate hadn’t been loaded and wasn’t on the flight manifest. Having been warned of such problems I was forearmed with evidence.

 Firstly I had taken a few photographs through the plane window of the baggage trolley, the first one arriving at the loading belt with my three crates and moving off empty. Secondly I had specifically checked with the Steward that the crates were listed on the manifest and took a photo on my mobile of the entry. These I showed to all. Thirdly I took out my wallet, counted out fifty dollars and questioned who I should bribe, the manager or the Government Official to get my crate found and released. This caused the embarrassment I wanted along the lines of corruption. There was a brief exchange between the official and the manager in Arabic which I couldn’t understand but the manager rushed off whilst the official tried to calm us down. Within ten minutes the manager had returned with a happy face and announced that the third crate had been found and all three had cleared customs and were ready for pickup.

We drove to the Customs shed and the three crates were there ready on a trolley. These were loaded on the boot of our car and I slipped the loaders a few dollars as tip which brightened their day. I insisted that the crates were to be taken up to our suite in the hotel for safe keeping. Having said farewell to the Government Official, the UN guy called Savier recounted what arrangements had been made for trucks, camper van and supplies I had ordered. I was pleased with his efficiency. He showed me photos on his tablet of the four trucks, three with hoists, two trailers to be towed by the trucks, a large cement mixer, and a dilapidated bus converted into a motor home plus an array of supplies including a water bowser. I was delighted that these were already on their way to Laghouart on the southern side of the Atlas Mountains and some hundred kilometres from our destination. He had also supplied us with a large Toyota Hilux four wheel drive pickup with a driver for me as a site vehicle and a huge Toyota Cruiser plus driver who would ferry us about. Savier also informed us that he would introduce the tutor or nanny for our children to us after lunch and she would be with us for the whole duration of the project.

We had a quiet lunch in the main dining room of the hotel where I broached the subject of a new nanny to the children. Jessica immediately wanted to know if she was as good as Elena whilst Maria wanted to know what she looked like and what clothes she would be wearing. I was scolded by Carmella for not having more details. A waiter brought me a note stating that Savier and Frunella was waiting for us in the main lounge when we were ready. I mentioned this to the girls and they were up, even leaving their deserts half finished, sprinting towards the lounge.

The lounge was empty apart from Savier and Frunella sitting near the windows overlooking the swimming pool. They stood up as we entered to greet us. Frunella was tall for an Arab girl and was dressed in a blue shimmering coverall with matching hijab, headscarf covering her hair. A very pretty oval face which broke into a dazzling smile as she saw us approach. Maria and Jessica suddenly turned shy and clung onto mother’s legs as we approached. We were formally introduced and sat opposite Frunella and Savier who immediately instructed a waiter to bring tea and fruit drinks for the girls. 

Frunella introduced herself in English and told us of her background. She had been born in a village on the outskirts of Algers and had been educated to University level and hoped to become either a teacher or a tourist guide. She spoke in halting English which worried Carmella. She also spoke French as the official language in Algeria. This happily satisfied Carmella in that the girls could learn French whilst Frunella brushed up her English. I noticed that under her blue gown she was wearing jeans and sporting dainty trainers plus the ubiquitous mobile in her hand. A modern girl was our Frunella.

Carmella suggested that the girls take Frunella outside and show her the swimming pool that they had been using all morning whilst I had more administrative matters to attend to. Savier gave us a copy of her CV which showed that she had done well, extremely well at her education and was always top of her class. She saw this assignment as an opportunity to improve her English and experience firsthand with foreigners in the event of her becoming a tourist guide. As an elder girl in a large family Carmella was satisfied that she had experience of looking after siblings. We looked out of the window and saw the girls holding Frunella’s hand and talking ten to a dozen as if they had known her all their lives. This bode well for the future.

 

Chapter 75

I suggested that Frunella accompany Maria and Jessica in the back of the Land Cruiser with the two drivers whilst Savier, Carmella and I drove in the Hilux pickup. The girls would get to know Frunella and we could discuss our project with Savier, particularly Carmella’s role which wasn’t fully defined. Savier drove us out of Algers then I took over since we had a long days drive. Even Carmella wanted to take a turn at driving. The roads to Laghouart over the Atlas Mountains were quite good and with plenty of drivers we made good time with numerous short stops to allow us all some exercise and for Frunella to show the girls the variety of goods on the market stalls that inevitably crowded the lay-bys. Carmella was happy that the girls were being well looked after and not wanting their mummy. The regular stops were also required by our two drivers who needed to smoke some vile smelling cigarettes which Carmella forbidding them to smoke in the car, nicely stating it was for the health and benefit of the children. We finally arrived at our hotel in Laghouart at dusk so we didn’t see much of the town.

I planned to stay there at least three days to check out our vehicles and supplies and particularly the metal forms I had ordered to be specifically made for me to make up concrete pipes and liners for the tunnels. The next morning Savier took me to a UN compound to inspect the trucks and the supplies that I had ordered plus the motor home. I was particularly concerned about the tents that would accommodate my workers. Having been shown pictures of these sprawling Arabian tents or marques I decided to have one for my family. They seemed far more fun than the grotty converted bus which I decided was going to be my office. Savier again showed his efficiency and ordered an extra truck with hydraulic hoist plus a truck that could carry a builders container. Having ticked off my list I had to start another of all the extras that Savier had arranged and what I hadn’t thought of. There were two drivers of each truck who would also double up as workers. Fortunately they spoke good French and all mechanically minded having much experience of driving across the desert. I had them start up each vehicle and checked that they had sufficient spares to keep them going especially serviceable tyres. We then started up the two generators, the compressor, the large cement mixer plus the three fridges and chest freezer to keep our food fresh. Again Savier showed his worth by providing an extra truck which towed the water bowser and also carried drums of fuel. I felt somewhat inadequate with my planning.

In the afternoon I visited the metal factor who had been manufacturing the forms for the concrete elements I needed to cast plus other essential steel items. I was delighted with his work. Amin had manufactured the steel casings exactly to my specifications and all this was done by hand. Not only that, he had already cast a number of concrete tunnel shapes to demonstrate his skills. I got his men to assemble the three elements. The V-shaped base plus two curved sides which created a vaulted heart shaped tunnel that a man could easily crawl along. The base had outstanding edges so that iron sleepers could be laid to hold rails for carts to move waste from the tunnels to the shafts. Amin brought out these rail elements and we roughly positioned them in the tunnel to demonstrate the system. The wheeled carts or platforms ran easily along them. Amin’s workers were enthralled having seen their work demonstrated for the first time. I did a high five with Savier and Amin and his men insisted on doing the same with us.

 I was delighted especially with the circular cages that he constructed to go down the shafts. They were designed with spacious flip down platforms for workers to stand on whilst digging and clearing out the sides of the shafts and steel mesh flaps at the top to protect the workers from falling debris. Amin demonstrated by hoisting a bucket up through the flaps which repositioned after the bucket was pulled through. I doubted that health and safety of such proportions every existed in the past since my research showed that constructing qanats was a most dangerous occupation. On the strength of this demonstration I ordered another two cages and six more sets of tunnel forms.

I had planned to line the shafts with concrete pipes to allow for future safe maintenance and stop further debris falling into the tunnels. I mentioned this to Amin who beamed and took me to the edge of his compound and showed me a stack, three high of concrete pipes. There was a rickety wooden ladder resting against the stack and I was encouraged to climb up and inspect the inside. Not a lot to see I thought but was quite mistaken. Each pipe had four holes piercing the concrete and in the holes were wooden planks which formed a sort of platform or steps that could be used for climbing down in safety. I had designed the holes to hold iron spigots but Amin had refined the design to local requirements since wood was more readily available than iron. In the two top holes was an iron scissor arrangement used for lifting and lowering the pipes into position. The scissor action ensured that the heavy concrete pipe wouldn’t slip and once in place could easily be unhooked. I was pleased and held up my thumbs to Amin who was eagerly waving me down to tell me that the steel casing form was at the concrete works and they already had cast forty pipes.

 I calculated that would be good for a forty metre shaft and my researches indicated that some shafts were over sixty meters deep. I would need a lot of pipes. Amin informed me that he had made two steel forms and I immediately told him to make me a dozen more which pleased him immensely. I told him that I would need a lot of pipes and they needed time to set in their casings. Having seen his good work I showed him some more plans for further casings to handle shafts where two or more tributary tunnels met. He understood immediately and handed the drawings to his foreman to start the job immediately since I wanted them urgently. I should have sent these on ahead but wasn’t confident of the workmanship at the edge of the Saharan desert.

Savier took me to one side and asked, “Paulo, why I are you ordering such large quantities?”

“Few reasons Savier. Firstly I only have six months to renovate and line your qanats and secondly the project you have given me covers some twenty kilometres of tunnels and maybe a thousand or more shafts of variable depth,” I replied.

“But you’re not going to line the whole length are you?”

“Probably not and this will depend on the underground rock but I’m planning to do you a good job that will last a lifetime with minimum maintenance.”

“Yes but the cost. You seem to be spending your money like water. You’re funding all this don’t forget.”

“Oh I haven’t forgotten that element but if it is successful as I think it will be, then you have a maintenance free bargain. The thousands of operating qanats or fugarras in the Middle East can vouch for that.”

“I suppose so. I do hope it will be a success.”

“It will be and I am leaving behind a blueprint plus basic materials for any engineer worth his salt to follow. Don’t forget, I’m not inventing this process just refining it around the edges and bringing it up to modern standards of engineering and safety issues.”

“Oh and I thought you were a genius. Sorry but I’m impressed by your foresight and ingenuity.”

“Look Savier, if I was a true engineer then I would have had much of this preliminary work carried out earlier and arrived just to supervise and implement. I’m learning on the job. It’s a good job the tunnel builders of the past were so good at it. I just hope to put their past endeavours to right.”

“I suppose so Paulo. I looked you up on the UN website and we have glowing reports on you. I now know why they sent you rather than some know-all engineer. I shall look and learn.”

“You don’t have to massage my ego Savier, we have work to do. Take me to the Builder’s Merchant. I need to check on the supply of the Portland quality cement I ordered. I need the tunnel linings to be of the best quality. I don’t want them collapsing and undoing all my hard work. The pipes for the shafts are less of a problem and the locals can make them up for me with their normal cement.”

“So you are going to cast the linings on site Paulo?”

“That’s correct. I need to ensure quality control in terms of the right proportions of sand, grit, cement and water. That’s why we have a concrete mixer. The pipes I will have made at the local sand quarry and we will truck them into position.”

The builder’s merchant had a goodly supply of Portland cement and assured me that he would maintain his supply. We shook hands and I asked Savier to drive us back to the hotel whilst I updated my spreadsheet and accounts. I already had spent thousands of Euros but by my comparison of prices given to me by Antonio in Spain as a benchmark it was chicken feed. The costliest items would be the Portland cement and the fuel for the vehicles and machinery. I was eager to be off.

I got back to our room tired but elated to find it empty. I enquired at reception and found that my family had left and wouldn’t be back until the late afternoon. I was puzzled but decided a short nap wouldn’t come amiss, then maybe a beer at the bar. I woke up two hours later and rushed down to find Savier already at the bar updating his notes on his laptop.

“Hi Savier, what are you drinking?”

“I’ve just ordered some mint tea for myself and I’ve just nodded to the barman for a cold beer for you. You look as if you need one and deserve one.”

“Thanks, any sign of my family?”

“No they won’t be here until half three or so. They are at the Primary school not far away. Frunella left a message for you and me at reception. I picked up mine. She has to inform me and you of all her movements with or without your children. Security! If you want we can stroll over there after you have finished your beer. They are in good hands. There is a security guard with them.”

“Security guard! Isn’t that going too far? I don’t feel threatened around here.”

“UN policy for foreign visitors in Algeria. As a precaution I have arranged two armed guards to accompany us and be with us at all times when we are out in the desert. There are some marauding tribes out there who like to steal and plunder. The sight of armed guards usually sees them off. You will find a self-loading shotgun in the back of your Hilux, ostensibly for game but more useful as a deterrent. I checked that you have a gun licence in Spain.

“Yes but that’s for clay pigeons.”

“All the better. You know how to handle a gun. Now let’s stroll over to the school and see if your lovely children are now fluent in Arabic.”

The school was pretty drab place but the classrooms we passed were all full with children working attentively. We were met by the Headmistress who insisted we adhere to the local custom and have mint tea. We eventually were escorted to a covered playground, screened from the sun and stood and watched a large group of children of similar age to mine playing games and singing nursery rhymes in French, all ably led by Frunella whilst their teacher and Carmella watched from the sidelines. Carmella spotted us and came over.

“Did you get our note? I expected to see you sooner.”

“I didn’t check with reception and felt tired so had a snooze. We are here now. How are they getting on?”

“As you can see, marvellously and Frunella is great with them, great with them all. Their teacher over there says she is a natural with children and has them mesmerised. You have just missed our two singing happy birthday in English then in Spanish. They want to come back tomorrow if they can and I’ve been asked to give a sort of history lesson to the older children about the Moors in Spain. Don’t look so dumbfounded! I’m going to show them slides from my laptop, project them on a wall of all the things the Moors, their ancestors, have achieved in Andalucia.”

“I suppose you’re going to do this in French or Arabic are you? I’d like to see this.”

“No silly, I was proposing to borrow your Savier for an hour or so and he can ably translate into French or better still into Arabic which I think would be most appropriate for the subject. How about it Savier?”

“I would be most delighted Carmella. Paulo can handle his own matters and I don’t need to ask stupid questions.”

“Great that’s settled. You’re looking quizzical Paulo?”

“No it’s great, it’s just am eager to get started although another day getting ducks in a row won’t harm. Have you got all the pictures you need?”

“If I haven’t then there’s plenty of places to get them on the internet. I want to make the pictures personal with me and the children on them.”

“Talking of our beloved ones, what do you intend doing with them, sell them on the slave market?”

“They will join their class and Frunella will hone her pedagogical skills.”

“OK that’s settled. We leave day after tomorrow. Is that OK Savier?”

“Yes, I had pencilled that in thinking you might need more time to check and organise, Let me warn you that we need to arrive in the late afternoon and be welcomed by the local Chieftain there, who goes by the name Al Salhabin. He’s the one who agreed to you doing all the good work for him gratis. It will make him rich and powerful in the community and it will spread the word of UN’s good works.”

“You are very optimistic Savier. How do you know we will find water? It may all have been pumped away already.”

“Ah Paulo, what we haven’t told you or the world because that’s what would have happened at half the cost is that an oil drilling company came across no oil but detected a pleasantly high water table. That’s why we chose the area. We want a slow use of the water as in the olden times when the fugarra were operative. A pumping operation would have squandered the water and quickly made the soils sterile with salt accumulation. Do you know, the UN sometimes learns from their mistakes?”

“Thank you for that lesson and insight. Can I have a peek at the oil drill charts?”

“No you can’t and they won’t tell you any more than you will find out when you clear the first shaft. We don’t want Salhabin to invest in drilling and pumping equipment.”

“Anything else you are keeping close to your chest Savier, away from me?”

“I don’t think so but you will have to employ up to twenty of Salhabin’s men from his village and pay them the going rate.”

“I can handle that. Is there an overall agreed rate or do I have the say?”

“There is a labour rate and a portion of that goes as a backhander to Salhabin to keep him sweet.”

“OK, that’s normal, I can cope with that. Does the UN pay the wages as with the drivers or do I, directly to the men?”

“As you please but I read in one of the resumes on you that you had a special system for payments.”

“That’s right. I will pay and feed them and a percentage will go to the Chief. That means I can control the work rate and attendance. It will be a two edged sword in that if they don’t turn up or go walk about I dock their wages and Salhabin gets a lesser share.”

“I think that’s admirable Paulo. A good system if you can implement it.”

“Hey Paulo, you’ve come to admire your daughters at play rather than discuss boring business.”

“Sorry Carmella, but Paulo and I haven’t had the time yet to discuss the nitty gritty and the detail. I was going to raise it tomorrow on our journey. By the way, Salhabin will provide accommodation for however many nights you need with him.”

“I would rather have my own space wouldn’t you Paulo?”

“I think you are right Carmella. I don’t think our Salhabin would like to maintain your family and crew too long. I think one night would do and then let him show you the location of the shaft you have chosen as your first exploration. I think the whole village will turn up to watch you set up the encampment.”                

   

The convoy of ten vehicles set off early in the morning bound for Salhabin’s oasis some hundred kilometres away. They kept a large distance between each vehicle to keep the dust down now that they were off the black top and onto dirt roads. They drove at a steady pace with the motor home leading and Paulo with Savier bringing up the rear in their Hilux pickup. Some twenty kilometres from the oasis, at the edge of the huge alluvial fan, Paulo radioed to the motor home driver and stopped the convoy. They didn’t even pull off the road since little traffic used it. Paulo instructed his driver to divert up a side road followed by two of the trucks. This track led to a quarry which dug and sorted gravel from the alluvial fan which comprised of loose rocks and gravel washed down the mountain valley over many thousands of years and had built up in a huge sprawling fan shaped slope stretching far into the lowlands.

The quarry manager was expecting them and after the customary cup of mint tea Paulo got down to business with Savier translating where necessary. Paulo ordered truck and container loads of fine sand and crushed grit plus contracted the quarry man to make up hundreds of concrete pipes in the three steel forms that he had brought plus the a form for the round topping covers. A deal was agreed and the containers were filled with fine sand and grit whilst the truck offloaded the steel forms near the cement mixer. The quarry manager was rubbing his hands together since this was to be the largest contract he ever had and would keep him and his family busy for months.

After joining the convoy and we set off again for the oasis which we hoped to reach in the early afternoon. Soon ahead we saw a gash of striking bright green of the oasis followed by a crowd of barking dogs and children running out to greet us. As we reached a clearing outside the village I saw Carmella arranging the parking of the vehicles in an orderly fashion, in two rows facing each other which seemed novel but Carmella explained it was a precaution against theft since it would take more time for a truck to be reversed and driven off. She even suggested chaining them together at the front. I didn’t think all that was necessary but it got me thinking that out in the desert we might just do that because we would, in time, attract a lot of attention and I read in papers during my research that stealing of trucks and equipment was one of the worst problems encountered by drilling outfits in desert regions of North Africa.

The whole village came out to greet us and Salhabin in his finery led us into his large villa or palace and into the large patio covered from the searing sun with blinds and with dusty faded carpets on the floor. We sat and were offered the customary mint tea followed by a banquet of huge round dishes of couscous covered with a meaty sauce which we had to eat with our hands. Carmella and I knew that the custom was to crunch the couscous and gravy into a kind of ball using the right hand only. I noticed Frunella making up the balls for Jessica and Maria as they stared wide eyed at the strange surroundings and the number of people in different attire. Only small talk was allowed during the meal, the main discussions would take place after the banquet.

I shall only give a précis of the discussion and negotiations that Savier and I carried out with Salhabin and four of his henchmen in a variety of languages. Savier and I had already discussed our strategy for the negotiations and agreed our key price marks and it would be up to our skills to reach a friendly agreement well below our budget levels. In the end it was no problem since Salhabin saw that this would be a once in a lifetime influx of large amounts of money and the creation of new oasis with the water we would be providing would make him rich beyond his dreams. This is how the discussions went cutting out all the pleasantries and expansive dialogue that seems to accompany this type of negotiations.

“How many men labourers can you provide?”

“As many as you require.”

“I will need them to work full days and seven days without break.”

“My men will require time to work on their own gardens.”

“I understand and they can go off after seven days and return but they will lose their status and respect.”

“How can they do that?”

“The most important workers will be the ones working underground and their jobs will be replaced when they return home to their gardens.”

“You will need workers on the surface in support.”

“Yes, but they will be lower in the hierarchy. The man in charge of the cement mixer will be next in line and so on.”

“My man returning would expect to be upgraded quickly.”

“Yes, but all the men on site expect an upgrade in status and a man returning will have to start in the kitchens preparing food with my own chef.”

“But if many men return at one time they all can’t be in the kitchen?”

“No, but if a number of men leave at one time and you don’t replace them then you will lose much money since you will receive a percentage of their wage.”

“And what will that be?”

“It will be a fair wage and if we finish on schedule you will receive a substantial bonus.”

“Will my men receive a bonus?”

“We can arrange that but it will have to come out of your pot. We believe that your men will be happy with a steady stream of new money into your village. We consider it shouldn’t be too much since they might even consider leaving your village to work in the towns and cities and you will not have enough families for your new oasis.”

“They will not leave my village.”

“But we already know that many have left. Look at all the empty buildings. They will earn enough money for tools, clothes and a few luxuries but not sufficient for them to fund them leaving for the towns. With money they can set up stalls in towns and lead an easier life. The ones that left before have gone to beg. With new wealth in your village and new prospects you will attract some of them back.”

“How many men will you employ?”

“Maybe twenty to start with and that will probably increase as we get more experience and more work can be done.”

“I can provide them.”

“We suggest you spread the work out amongst your people so each family has a share of the prosperity.”

The discussions went on in that vein without actual numbers being quoted but with much of the wealth ending up in Salhabin’s greedy pockets. His money would slowly disperse amongst his flock. The most important point we got across was that with regular supply of workers he would maximise his cut and achieve the substantial completion bonus. The wages for the men were quite paltry but set at a rate that wouldn’t suddenly change the balances in the local economy. I suddenly had a large surplus in my budget to cover any emergencies. These discussions went well into the night and finally we shook hands on the deal and I immediately updated my terms and conditions that I had prepared on my laptop and printed out a copy for Salhabin to peruse and gloat over at leisure.        

       

Chapter 76

Salhabin in all of his finery led the way riding his caleche pulled by two fine horses then came a multitude of people, some on donkeys, some on camels and mostly on foot. The convoy followed slowly behind with some of the older folk and infirm riding in one of the empty trucks. I perused a copy of a map I had made from satellite information and a print of the google earth view which clearly showed the line of the qanat by the regular ‘bomb’ craters along its length. At the end of the qanat was a broad depression showing abandoned dwellings and fields. This is the area that I was to revive into a flourishing garden.

 Progress was slow but it allowed me to pinpoint the course of the qanat we were following and note down the exact positions of the craters according to my GPS. This allowed me to estimate the quite accurately the length of the qanat and its three tributaries that fed into it. Over a quarter of its length was within the alluvial fan, in the crumbling, friable, soft rock and I estimated that was the area of greatest collapse and these lengths would have to be shored up with my concrete pipe work. I just hoped that the rest would be in more solid rock and wouldn’t need the full scale concrete linings. I had planned to line all the base of the qanat with my concrete channels similar to the ones used in modern sewers to allow good flow and avoid accumulation of silt. I would have to create settling ponds at intervals to remove the silt even though these hadn’t been specified on previous renovations that I had researched. At least I wasn’t constructing the tunnels from scratch just clearing and renovating them. I was quite excited by the prospect and anxious to get started. 

When we finally arrived at our chosen shaft Carmella was already planning and marking out the encampment and position for the vehicle park. The five huge Arabian style tents or marquees were quickly erected having much labour to help. The first would be our kitchen and dining area, the next four would be our sleeping quarters and those of our drivers and labourers who decided to stay the night rather than going home to the village. I made a point of not offering to truck them back and forth on a daily basis which would waste much time and precious fuel. I decide that the antiquated motor home should be our site office and store for valuable equipment. Fortunately the crowd left to get home before nightfall and I reminded Salhabin that I would be sending the truck to pick up the workers at daybreak. I also gave him an advance to keep him sweet.

Once our visitors had left, with our drivers and guards we set up the site starting with the kitchen area. We left our resident chef to set up the cookers, fridges and preparation areas. We had brought with us three large fridges plus two chest freezers with contents. I supervised the setting up of the small generator that would provide us with lighting in the tents and run the kitchen equipment. Carmella supervised the setting up of our camp beds and inner tents that I had brought to keep out the creepy crawlies and flies. Frunella had her own sleeping tent and so had Savier within our marquee. There was plenty of room for two trestle tables and some chairs. Savier had thoughtfully brought some large carpets to lie on the ground to prevent the dust getting everywhere. When Savier and Frunella questioned why the need for inner tents I had to explain that they would provide some privacy which us Westerners were used to and also provide some insulation during the cold nights.

A shout and banging on a steel tray brought us to the kitchen tent where trestle tables with benches were set up and huge trays of food in the middle of each. The guards and drivers sat at one whilst Savier, Frunella and my family sat at the second. The chef came up and assured Carmella that the children would enjoy this meal since the meat content was chicken and young kid of known quality. I asked the chef to join us as some point since we needed to discuss feeding of all of our men and this was going to be an important task. He had already ascertained that he could get a good supply of basic vegetables from the village and that he had arranged a regular supply of frozen meat and basics including fruit to be delivered on a regular basis from his suppliers in Laghouart. He also mentioned that once we were known in the district peddlers would flock to the site to sell their wares so we wouldn’t be short.

My last task was to set up the perimeter security with the aid of our two guards. I had brought with me six large flood lights with movement sensors and we set them up on poles connected to our generator. The nightfall came quickly and we had fun checking the sensors until the whole perimeter was covered some hundred metres out. I arranged for the guards to patrol the perimeter and change every four hours. Abdul made a good suggestion that we get a couple of guard dogs that would sense living things way out into the desert. Satisfied with the arrangements I went back to our tent and found Frunella playing board games with the girls whilst Carmella was hanging up the girl’s clothes in their inner tent.

“Carmella, come over here at the table. I want to discuss tomorrow’s events. Savier, would you also like to join us?”

“Of course I will. Don’t forget that as well as recording your progress I am here to help as much as I can.”

“Thank you Savier. I want to record and register all of our workers. I already have our drivers, guards and chef onto the system but tomorrow when the men arrive early I want them in the dining tent and we’ll give them breakfast for starters and we’ll pick off one at a time and register them on the laptop.”

“I’ll also, with Savier’s help, take a pic of each one so that we can distinguish one from another whilst you observe them and choose them appropriate jobs.”

“Great idea Carmella.”

“I’ll need to train them all in all the jobs so we can ensure continuity down the tunnels if some take time off which I’m sure they will initially until they understand the system.”

“Why don’t we start a tally system? They take one at the beginning of their shift and hand it in at the end.”

“Good idea Savier. That will give us a security count at the end of the day that we haven’t left one down the tunnels also if they don’t hand it back and skive off they don’t get paid for that day. What can we use for tags?”

“The girls have got plastic counters and I’m not sure that they would mind letting us have them. I’ll paint numerals on them, string them so that they can wear them around their necks. We can then see if they have registered for the day so that there is no dispute on pay later.  I can handle the register as Savier hands out the tools and torches for the day.”    

“Brilliant, are you OK with that? Don’t forget we start early at daybreak and work through to sunset.”

“Well the girls are up early so will we.”

“OK that’s sorted. Let’s get some sleep and be ready for tomorrow.”

“What task have you planned for tomorrow Paulo?”

“The most important Savier, the safeguarding the shafts so that nothing falls down them whilst we are working and injures anybody. I suspect that this one could be twenty metres deep.”

“OK Paulo I will watch and record with interest.”

The next morning the truck arrived just as the sun was rising with twenty five men, more than I required and expected but we herded them into the kitchen tent and our chef was handing out mint tea and small round loaves of freshly baked bread. I had everyone sit and got Frunella to read out the instructions for their conditions and pay in both Arabic and French. She then explained what we were here for and for how long. I saw a number of them calculating and smiling what they could earn in that time. I got Frunella to finish with a warning that anyone disregarding orders or working in a dangerous manner would be immediately banned from working on site and we would get replacements from the town.

Whilst they were gathered Carmella started the registration process and had no trouble in finding volunteers to start the line since many crowded around intrigued and enjoyed having their photo taken and shown to them. I spoke to the chef and suggested he took on the three young lads and he thankfully agreed. When Carmella had finished I had the drivers bring in boxes of helmets and safety boots for all to wear. There was some confusion as how to wear the helmets over their turbans or underneath. They soon got the hang of it with part of the headscarf under and some looped over. We had to show them how to tighten up the boots to fit.

I then led them outside to the shaft which had been cordoned off and a tarpaulin hung to one side to provide the shade. Savier explained what I was going to do and demonstrate that this job was safe. A truck had been position near the shaft and its hoist had been raised over the shaft opening. I stuck a miner’s lamp on my helmet with the battery on a leather belt then stepped into a harness as used by climbers. The driver positioned the hoist over me and I hooked on. I spoke into my radio clipped to my chest pocket and was hoisted up half a meter off the ground. The crew looked on with open mouths as I was carried over the gaping shaft at my command. I got the driver to lower me gently down the shaft. The workers wanted to crowd around but Savier and the drivers held them back. They could see the cable unwinding as I was lowered, then coming to a stop. Eventually I was raised and deposited in front of them on terra firma. Prior to being lifted out completely I had taken a depth reading with my laser which read out eighteen and a half meters which was really deep.

I certainly had their interest with my dramatic performance and asked for two volunteers to try the next task. Five showed interest and I took them to one side and fitted them out with lamps, harnesses and radios. They all listened intently as Savier explained and the driver hoisted up a cylindrical steel cage and with the help of ladders I climbed in with two others. I showed them how to clip themselves to the sides and lower the platforms to stand on. The driver closed the top flaps and hoisted us up into the air and lowered us up and down a few times to show how safe everything was before he hovered us over the shaft. At the top of the shaft the cylinder fitted easily but I suspected as it was lowered it would get tighter and tighter at which point the workers would have to chip away at the protrusions before being lowered further. On the radio I instructed the driver to lower us slowly into the shaft.

 We went down and down occasionally scraping the sides until we were stopped by an obstruction. I used a pick and cleared the boulder which fell to the bottom and we lowered ourselves a little further. It didn’t need my instructions for one of the men to pick up the pick axe from the rack and clear the obstructions and we continued down to the next when I called a halt and had us raised to the top where we climbed out and at ground level this time to be surrounded by the men asking questions. When the noise abated I motioned to the other three to climb in with me and we went through the same procedure but went down to about fifteen metres before we were stopped by a ring of protrusions. The men seemed to know what to do and demonstrated that they had to cut away the shaft side to allow the cage to be lowered. I stuck my thumbs up for OK and had the cage brought to the surface where everyone was waiting with an excited air of expectation.

 I waved five other men over to the cement mixer which was positioned next to the four pallets of the special Portland cement I had brought. Everyone looked on with interest as I got two men to start filling the three buckets with fine sand and another two filing the two buckets with fine grit and the fifth man I appointed as the mixer man and showed him how to start the machine. It was his duty to get two buckets of water from the bowser and bring over a bag of cement. When the buckets of sand and grit were brought over I ensured the men levelled them off to the top. They all seemed to comprehend what I was doing having probably mixed concrete before but probably not to such fine specification. I then instructed the mixer man to throw in one bucket of water, then the two buckets of grit, the bucket of cement, three buckets of fine sand and finally the last bucket of water. I then crossed my fingers that I had calculated the right amount of water to these bone dry ingredients. We let the mixer grind away whilst I got the men to drag the steel forms to the mixer and assemble them with nuts and bolts and position them with the open end uppermost.

 I stopped the mixer and got the mixer man to feel the state of the concrete. It was just right but I needed it to go off, to get the chemical reaction going. I showed him an egg timer and got him to set it to ten minutes whilst I got the other four to get a feel of the concrete. After ten minutes the men were startled by the egg timer going off. I grabbed some concrete and felt the heat building up and passed the ball around so that the men could feel the difference. Nodding my head I had my team of five fill the buckets and tip them into the forms and tamp the concrete down with a stick to exclude the air. Once full to the top one of the men knew what to do, picking up a trowel and skimming the top smooth. I was pleased that the men instinctively knew what to do. They all had probably built or repaired their own houses and I had forgotten that they were basically farmers who had to be jack of all trades. This was simple construction process even if I had introduced some innovation, sophistication and technology and I was glad they saw it as that. It made my job easier and greater optimism of success. All we needed to do is to find a good source of water and on my trip down the shaft I detected a significant change in colour which I put down to a high water table which hopefully was still being replenished high up in the Atlas mountains range. 

I detected that I was taking the training process rather too slowly and not involving all the men so I decided to increase the instruction to a higher level.  I explained to my five initial recruits that I wanted them to continue excavating down to the rubble level and I would come by and describe the second stage. In the meantime I took the other group sixty metres down the line to the second shaft and repeated the process but at twice the speed. I immediately got ten volunteers of which I chose seven more by instinct than judgement and sent one off to the first shaft to bolster up the team to six there. I rode down the shaft alone mainly to satisfy my position of the water table and check its depth to the rubble level. I rode down with two of my chosen men in the cylinder and they instinctively knew that they had to clear any obstructions with a pick axe, shovel or mattock. I brought them up and took two more down then left the team to it. Back at the first shaft the men had reached the base of the shaft where the rubble had filled it. I brought them up and this time took a couple of buckets down with us attached to rope from the surface. I told them to fill a bucket and radioed for it to be pulled up. They immediately understood the system so I had the cylinder brought up and had a chain attached to the cylinder. I had the cylinder lowered with two men and allow the chain to slip down as they were lowered. When they got to the bottom I had the chain fixed to a hook on a steel beam which straddled the shaft. Now it was fixed in place and wouldn’t slip down the shaft any further accidentally as the men cleared the rubble. All this was relayed to the men below via radio by the driver in Arabic.

 Soon the buckets of rubble were coming up and I got some of the spare men to handle this element. The men below had worked out how to lift the flaps to let the buckets down into the cylinder. I went back to the second shaft to check on progress. I was pleased. With luck I would have cleared both shafts by the end of the day so I got some men to offload six concrete pillars and showed the four shaft diggers on the surface what I wanted and they understood immediately especially when I used the spirit level to which they were well accustomed. A shout from the driver stated that the men had uncovered the top of the horizontal tunnels. I told them to continue until they uncover the base then come up and I would send replacements with the concrete pillars. After many buckets of rubble a message came up that they had reached the base and had cleared the shaft to the width of the cylinder.

I went down with the next group to the very bottom of the shaft. The men had done a good excavating job. I radioed that I need six half buckets of concrete to be sent down which I presumed the men would mix by hand. We raised the cylinder to the height of the concrete pillars and positioned them on either side of the tunnel so that they would bear the weight of the cylinder. Satisfied, I had the men concrete these in position and we were hoisted up and out of the shaft. Now started the delicate operation of lowering down the concrete pipes the same diameter as the cylinder to rest on the pillars we had positioned. After each pipe was lowered I inspected its position with binoculars and search light and was satisfied that they were building up evenly. After six pipes were lowered I got a shout that the team in the second shaft had reached the rubble level so the whole process was repeated there.

By lunch time we had both shafts dug out and partially lined. I was ecstatic that it had gone so quickly and easily. Whilst the men were fed I took some measurements with my laser equipment that gave me the depth of both shafts and the dip or slant of the underground tunnels. To my satisfaction the tunnel was virtually horizontal. Now I needed a good supply of concrete liners to continue with the work. I sent off a truck with its two drivers to Laghouart to collect the extra forms that my steel fabricator was making for me and another truck and trailer to the quarry to bring back any pipes that they had made. I didn’t expect many but I had to keep my workforce occupied. After lunch during the heat of the day I planned for the concrete team to remove the forms around the shapes they made earlier and make another batch of concrete. I would then demonstrate to the other group how I wanted the liners to be laid. I had sufficient of well hardened ones made by the steel fabricator for demonstration purposed only. I made sure the men compared the ones we had made earlier with these that I had brought which weren’t a patch on the ones we had made, full of holes and the concrete crumbling and breaking off in places. 

I went for a bite to eat and found that Carmella, Frunella and the kids missing. I was told that they had been driven with a guard to the village and they were going to check out the school but they would be back mid-afternoon at the latest. I was glad that they had taken a guard with them. I also hoped that she would be back in time to check the men clocking off work. I grabbed something to eat and was then lowered into the first shaft on a harness to the very bottom and was thrilled with the concrete lining and the pillars were in place and showed no sign of strain. I had more idle hands than needed but since they were interested in all that was going on it didn’t matter. I would keep them busy particularly if the job went as well as today. I already had plans for speeding up the project.         

        The afternoon sped by quickly spent largely showing the men how to construct the rail system comprising of steel sleepers and steel strips for rails which all fitted neatly together. I had copied this system from a film crew that I had observed moving their huge cameras on site. The men had fun sliding on the trolleys pushing themselves along with their hands. In the end I had them make up some sixty metres of rail so that they were familiar with the workings. Carmella arrived back and I decided to call an early halt to the day. Frunella and Carmella clocked out the men and told them each how much they had earned that day. The men working on the shafts earned the highest followed by the concrete worker, then three categories of general labourers. They all seemed pleased. I collected up all the gear and set the lamps to be recharged. Carmella told each worker that they had to be back the next day at sun up and that they would only be paid when they had done seven full days of work. She also told them that they could if they wished stay on site and would be served an evening meal. Most decided to go home. The Chef managed to persuade or coerce the three boys to stay overnight. I think they were delighted to be away from home and have a good meal fit for growing lads.

Chapter 77

The following morning I was up early eager to get started. I went to the dining hall to scrounge an early cup of coffee. The chef was up and made me a jug of coffee and gave me the first hot bread bun out of the oven. I asked him if he thought any more men would stay overnight and he replied that a number had gone home to collect their felted capes that they used as sleeping bags to ward of the morning chills so he was preparing to serve more evening meals. He also said that the boys were a great help and asked if he could keep them on long term. I was pleased with that. I would have to re-evaluate my worker categories. I took a coffee and a bun to Carmella who I knew would be awake. 

As the sun rose the first of the workers appeared eager for their breakfasts. Carmella and Frunella had set up their laptop and were clocking in the early arrivals. Some had forgotten their numbers of the previous day which delayed the process but Frunella had an answer to this and wrote their number on their chest with indelible ink which they were unlikely to wash off. Of the twenty four that turned up the first day only nineteen arrived but another ten new recruits turned up which I hadn’t bargained for. We registered them but turned them away with promises that we would find work for them the following week.

The truck from Laghouart returned with Amin the manager of the steel fabrication plant. He wanted to see his work in action and I presumed he wanted to drum up more business. I immediately ordered six more sets of the tunnel forms and six more of the pipe ones then sitting around the table with Frunella as translator and Carmella, I tried to explain that I needed six strong collapsible cages in steel mesh to protect the workers in the tunnels whilst they were laying the concrete liners. I didn’t want the tunnel to collapse on them. I drew my design in my notebook and Amin took my pen and started sketching something more elaborate but far more practical that I had thought of. It was in three pieces with two mesh walls and a strengthened curved top that fitted and bent into shape within the walls and allowed the contraption to fit virtually any size of tunnel I may encounter. He was then keen to show me the forms he had brought and we went outside to inspect them as the driver was offloading them near the cement mixer.

“Hey Paulo the workers are waiting.” Whispered Carmella touching my arm as I was still inspecting the steel forms and in a daydream.

“Ah yes, thanks,” I muttered and quickly got into action issuing orders in French. “Hey Azarhadim and Hurdez, take your trucks and position the hoists over the two shafts as before. Nadar, and Hasan, I’m appointing you two as supervisors of the underground team. Choose six men each and ensure you have two sets of these concrete shapes at your shafts. Menar, I’m appointing you as the supervisor of the cement mixer. Pick six men and start filling all the forms we have. Now before you all go off I want you to pick up your hard hats and safety boots. The underground teams also need harnesses and lamps plus I will provide each team with a bag of tools that they will need. OK you may start.” With that the supervisors chose their teams and I had one man left over and he would be my goffer. It had worked out well. I already had prepared the bags of tools and equipment the night before and handed them over to Nadar and Hassan and allocated a shaft to each.

I took Nadar to the first shaft and ordered Hurdez the driver to lower myself and one of Nadar’s men down the lined shaft and told him to lower a second man down after us speaking to him on the radio to check full communication. When the second man was lowered I had the men clear out the tunnels either side of the shaft so that we could shelter in them as the concrete forms were lowered. I had the men position the two bases level with the help of a spirit level and pack around them with the spoil so they were solidly embedded. The two sides were then positioned and I affixed a metal strip at the top join to which I attached a laser pen and set it to be perfectly level and shining down the tunnel and hopefully reaching the second shaft unhindered. I took out two narrow planks of wood the length of the height of the concrete tunnel and positioned them in front of the laser light and marked the position with a pen on each. I got one of the men to drill a small hole with my hand held drill and showed them that when positioned the laser light shone through the hole and this piece of wood could be used as a secondary levelling device when laying the bases. I had them pack the side pieces with spoil to solidify the tunnel. I found the spoil wet and churning into mud which was a good sign that we were below the water table and ground water was seeping in. I left the men a radio and told them I would be hoisted up and do a similar thing in the second tunnel.

Hassan and his team were already waiting for me at the mouth of the shaft and I was lowered with my bag of tools followed by two of the workmen. Fortunately I immediately detected the laser beam meaning that the top of the tunnel was clear of fallen debris and when the two men arrived I warned them that they must at all cost to their eyesight avoid looking into the laser beam. I had them position the two slabs according to the level of the stick with the hole in it. I explained that if the laser shone through the hole the bases would be exactly level with the base of the other shaft. They seemed to understand and I had them erect the two sides and pack them tight. I radioed to the men at the other shaft that they should get themselves raised out of the shaft and they radioed and also shouted down the tunnel that they had understood.

At the surface the mixer was onto its second mixing and I assembled the two crews and drivers and instructed them that I needed two other shafts cleared that day and lined if we could get the finished liners from the quarry. I showed them the two shafts. The first was one up from the first we had cleared the previous day and I hoped it marked the confluence of two tunnels. The second was further up the main tunnel. The drivers immediately picked up a cylinder each and drove their vehicles into position. The whole operation was now stretched over two hundred meters and Savier asked if I would be extending my operation over a longer area since he thought we may need more guards. I responded that we may be working over maybe a kilometre of workings at any one time and agreed we could do with more guards since Carmella had gone off with one of the guards to do school duty in the village. So far all was going well and I wandered from one shaft to another, to the concrete operation, checking that all was in order. 

I sent a driver to the quarry to collect any finished pipes with a message that they had to use more cement to make them stronger and more fine sand to make the pipes smoother. I told my goffer to stay at the new shafts with a radio and let me know immediately they had any difficulty. I was pleased with the way the work was proceeding. When I went to see the new shaft I found that the men had worked out a novel method of clearing the obstructions. Instead of using a pick to clear away small obstructions they had the driver lift the steel cylinder and drop it half a metre which allowed the bottom edge to cut through the obstructions. I wasn’t too keen on the new method but the team were progressing faster than the second one. I decided to number the shafts according to the google earth map I had and had my goffer construct some signs and number them. I would eventually paint the numbers on the protruding pipes.   

We all stopped for lunch and I gave them a couple of hours of break since we were progressing so well. The truck arrived from the quarry with sufficient pipes to line one shaft. I planned to have both shafts ready for lining by the end of the day. The concrete workers had made plenty of bases and sides, sufficient for me to start lining the first stretch of tunnel when Amin brought the protective cages which he had promised. I decided to have the men work from both ends and meet somewhere in the middle. I was hoping for them to start using my unique system of rails and trolleys to move men and materials along the tunnels. Once the men were familiar with the operation then I would leapfrog the shafts and work the longer tunnels which I reckoned to be about hundred and twenty metres in length. I would cap off the intermediate shafts which would save me time and cost of lining with pipes.

That afternoon Carmella and Frunella returned with the girls and as the sun was setting started clocking off the men. Half the men had come prepared and brought their felt capes and carpets to stay the night which pleased me. It meant that we could start earlier and work longer especially on the concreting of the liners. I was worried that we wouldn’t keep up production to keep the underground crew fully occupied. Savier seemed pleased with the progress and spent most of the evening checking through his films that he had taken. I took the opportunity to catch up with my Emails on the satellite link that I had set up. Carmella sent messages with photos back to the ranch in Spain plus special messages to Dennis and Sandra in Geneva giving all our news.    

  

Chapter 78

The third morning of work started more smoothly with most of the workers needing no encouragement or instruction to get to work. A few didn’t turn up but they were replaced by new men who appeared on the off chance to get a job. I made it clear that the missing men wouldn’t get their jobs back until a vacancy arose again. The quarry manager Abdul came along with the next consignments of pipes to check if I was satisfied. I think he expected me to offer him some more money for the extra cement he was using but I kept changing the subject so he went off on his motorbike after I had instructed to make some pipes with a crenulated top. These would be the ones protruding from the ground and the crenulations would allow air to circulate. I discovered to my amazement that in the morning the sides of the lined shafts were glistening with dew which was running down into the tunnels. This would be an additional source of water.

I got one crew working underground and laying the linings. I instructed them to lay the bases butting up closely together but to leave a gap of a couple of fingers width between the covering slabs and ensure that these were packed tight with rubble. In fact they demanded buckets of spoil to be sent down to them from the surface for the packing. Apart from the head lamps, I had provided the men with extension cables running from the generators so that they could plug in some neon light tubes which helped them immensely with their work. By the end of the week I was hoping that Amin would bring the rest of the form work and the safety cages and then I could take on more underground crews.

At the end of the seventh day the crews were excited because they were going to get paid by Carmella who had undertaken all of the administration for the site had made up envelopes for each man that had completed their seven days of work which was more than half of the workers and a hefty package for Salhabin who had promised to come and view the operation and no doubt collect his dues. The men were ecstatic with their pay whilst the ones not being paid were quite mournful. Frunella explained to all the men that they could be paid every seven days they worked or could leave some or all of the money to accumulate until whole project was complete in five to six months’ time. Many eventually took this offer up since they were saving up to buy either a piece of land, some animals or a motorbike. For any worker that hadn’t bothered to turn up they forfeited the money unless they had worked seven full days. This took a while to register but quickly the message spread and the slackers begged to be taken on just to finish their seven days.

On the eighth day we moved camp since the tunnel work was progressing quickly and I didn’t want the camp to be way away from the area of work. It took less than a day and gave us a change of scenery. With all of our equipment in place and full production of liners and pipes on stream I had three underground team working simultaneously plus two crews working on the shafts. We quickly hit a problem with ground water which was seeping into the tunnels and flooding them. This was what was planned but it slowed down the work so I installed pumps which brought the water to the surface. It seemed a waste but I hoped that most of it would sink back underground.

Within a couple of weeks, we had a clear mode of operation and all I had to do was drive up and down the line checking on the work and occasionally giving advice and instructions. One drawback of our substantial operations was that we attracted a lot of nomadic vendors hoping to sell goods to the workers. Fortunately we had more guards and they kept these people away from the workings. I was more concerned from the safety point of view and I had the guards draw up lines in the sand which the vendors were not allowed to cross without our permission. I was also aware that our tools and equipment would go missing if we allowed these people on site. Eventually we had to mark out our site with yellow tape to set up the demarcation zone. Even so the guards had to use their whips frequently to keep back some of the unruly ones. I had to give an order that no one was to trade with any vendor that crossed the tape with the penalty of sacking if they transgressed. This quickly got the message across and controlled the vendors. Secondly Salhabin sent some of his men over to solicit dues from the vendors for the privilege of selling to us and that thinned down the crowd somewhat. 

Within a month our encampment had grown substantially with many of the workers bringing their families along to stay overnight for days at a time. We had to resort to setting up another large tent to accommodate them all. I insisted that we provide them with three meals a day and I’m sure that was an attraction. Since they were all living on the edge of poverty I didn’t mind. They would go back to their village ever so often to work on the land and for the children to attend the school that Carmella and Frunella had organised in the village. They attracted the children to attend by providing them with a meal at the beginning and end of the school day. 

 Frunella was a good story teller and had arranged lessons in the afternoons for the children at the camp. They and the mothers all sat in the dining tent, on carpets, spell bound by tales which had an under layer of wisdom which was the main point of the lesson. Weaved into her stories she described the importance of hygiene, good diet, modern medicine, inoculation against disease, household finance and good agricultural practise. Later as the children played the women would surround her and raise questions on the topics of her stories. There was a lot of laughter at the expense of the men who were only good for one thing and too conservative to adopt new measures. Frunella always suggested drip feeding by repeating her stories within earshot of the men. Some wanted Frunella to teach them how to read and write in French so that they could handle official matters with more confidence and not always rely on translators and scripters who they knew took bribes from the officials. So in the evenings before the main meal a number of women would sit around a table and Frunella would explain and demonstrate how to deal with frequent financial matters they encountered.

On a weekly basis I would pay for a doctor and nurse to come from town and deal with any medical problems of my workforce. These were usually grazes and crushed toes when some refused to wear the safety boots which they found ungainly but those who wore them escaped injuries. This didn’t seem to satisfy some of the miscreants until I insisted on sacking anyone failing to wear boots and these men couldn’t return for seven days and only if there was a vacancy. These men got more trouble from their wives and women folk because they couldn’t spend time in the encampment where they and the children were fed, watered and had lessons.

Chapter 79

“Paulo, we are in the second month now and the work is going a pace, where are we according to your schedule,” asked Savier as we were eating our evening meal sat around a table with Carmella, Frunella and the twins.

“I would say we are two weeks ahead of my schedule but we are working in soft rock of the alluvial fan. Why do you ask?” I replied with a questioning look.

“Just interested but I do have an ulterior motive,” answered Savier.

“OK, spit it out. You knew we were well ahead and hoping to complete all the tributary feeder channels in the next two to three weeks.”

“That’s why I’m asking now. I think the UN would be wise to bring in a team of engineers to observe and learn your methods so that we can replicate them on future projects.”

“I don’t think I can teach proper engineers much. All this work was done more by gut feel and based on my intensive research.”

“You belittle yourself Paulo. Do you think this is the first qanat renovation project the UN has been involved with? I can tell you they have attempted a number. Many had to be abandoned, one or two were successful.”

“Why were some abandoned? You can see it’s not a complex operation. Any ordinary builder worth his salt could carry out this work.”

“Looks complex enough for me but I’ll take your word for it Paulo. The thing is that you, Carmella and Frunella have ensured that this is going to be a success by your diligence and management of the workers and their families. The UN guys only saw the renovation as the key element but you have in a way involved the whole village in the project and got their backing.”

“That’s just good management and one has to adapt to the situation at hand.”

“Yes I understand that but not everyone has the skill or the nous to do what you guys have done here.”

“So the UN have been miserly in the past?”

“Yes and no, but probably the project managers in charge were not as aware as you and Carmella of the other benefits you can bring. I’ve researched your background and work that you both have done for the UN and various agencies in the past and I am most impressed. I know why Richard insisted that we employ you not some highly qualified engineer on this particular project.”

“So why bring in a team of engineers at this time Savier?”

“If I had known that you would progress so quickly and in such a competent manner I would have suggested it earlier but I’m asking you and even begging you to have some engineers to come on a fact finding tour and see you and your teams in action.”

“OK, I accept but on the condition that they come and work on site for at least two weeks. Looking and secretly criticising in a superior manner of a qualified engineer may be one thing but when they get their hands dirty on the job then they may even come up with better and more efficient methods and they will get a basic grounding of the job in hand. I would also suggest you get some young Algerian engineers to get some experience here so that they can carry on such work in the future, with the financial aid of the UN of course.”

“There you go again Paulo producing even better ideas and advice out of the hat. OK I will talk to my people and get them to second two or three engineers at a time to be trained up if you agree.”

“Of course Paulo will agree,” interrupted Carmella, “But as you say we had opened new venues in child and adult education which could be copied. Just rustle up a few Frunellas and we could start up a Peoples University here.”

“Frunella is doing a great job and it’s a shame that these people don’t get more help around here. Oh, I understand the difficulties of breaking down the conservative barriers but whilst we are here, doing something for the people we should extend it to some schooling to give the people a taste. What is your view Frunella?”

“It’s opened my eyes to the possibilities open to our Government to do something but you must realise Paulo that we have taken these people out of their villages and out of their comfort zone and they are therefore more willing to take on education particularly since you have taken the chores of feeding off their hands.”

“Very perceptive of you Frunella,” broke in Savier. “I don’t think Frunella would have so much success in the normal village environment.”

“Well,” answered Frunella, “I understand that on most projects the UN don’t allow family members on site and in fact discourage them.”

“You are right and I was surprised that Paulo almost encouraged them to stay and bring their families along.”

“Yes but my motive for that was to ensure I had a regular workforce that could work from dawn to dusk. I didn’t know it would work so well nor was I bothered about the budget since I am paying for the whole thing. I have to praise Frunella and Carmella who took it on themselves to run the school in the village in the mornings and the same thing on site here in the afternoon and evenings. If I was alone I would just ensure there was enough cold beer for Savier and myself.”

“Lots of truth in what you say Paulo. We are somewhat blind to what people need and what we can offer in these projects and I lift my hat off to you three for showing the way here. Frunella, would you mind if I get some more educated girls to come and help you on the pretence that they are looking after you children Carmella?”

“I see you point,” answered Carmella quickly. “We can’t force things on people here but we can provide simple opportunities for them. If Salhadin finds out then I’m sure he will dissuade the people coming here. He will probably think that they will drift off to the towns.”

“You’re right Carmella but if we can teach these people some basics they will be able to handle the modern life more comfortably,” stated Frunella.

“You are all right and the local Government has agreed to providing electricity to this oasis if the project succeeds and that brings with it radio and television which will be the villagers main form of education. Frunella’s educational stories reminded me of the soap operas that are broadcast here in towns and they are all full of hidden advice and also good propaganda.”

“So when are these engineers and budding Frunellas turning up Savier?”

“The engineers are ready to pack. Your extra nannies may take a little while but I’m sure I can persuade the University to send some bright student over. Leave it with me. Now I have a more practical question for Paulo and Carmella. One task Carmella had to do was to check out the agricultural potential of the new oasis and I haven’t seen any sign of any work in that direction.”

“Can I answer that?”

“Sure thing Carmella, the floor is yours.”

“Well Savier, Paulo had to ensure a goodly supply of water and he tells me that is now the case so I will start the excavation of the surface irrigation channels and the apportionment of gardens when Paulo starts on the main drain, sorry I mean the main water tunnel. And I haven’t been twiddling my thumbs. I have been poring over google earth printouts and planning the full extent of the oasis including the new village. Most of the problems with the past oasis fed by these fugarras have been the contamination of the water upstream from the oasis itself, people washing, defecating in the running water and animals splashing through the channels. I have decided to have them covered until the water spills out onto the gardens.”

“I’m sorry if I gave the impression that you weren’t working on you topic but again I have agricultural students in the background who can help and learn from you.”

“OK guys, I think we will stop the inquisition at this stage. Carmella has to put the children to bed, Savier has to chat up Frunella and I have to get on the internet and see what’s going on in the big wide world, especially my bit in the Alpujaras in Spain. Come Maria and Jessica, give your daddy a big bedtime hug.”

Chapter 80

Two weeks later three engineers arrived at the camp in time for dinner early evening, a Frenchman, a German and a local Algerian. Savier made the introductions at dinner and asked each one to give a brief account of their past experience. Gerhard our German made a precise description of his life, and professional experience whilst Francois was more voluble and finished off with an interesting view of Algerian wine. Mehdi who was straight from University with only six months experience of working in an engineering factory was the only one with actual building site experience. Gerhard was a structural engineer with six years of building bridges and Francois had spent four years on a car assembly line. When I questioned them none of them had any experience of man management or taking charge of any large projects but were all keen to help the poor in the world.

Savier introduced Carmella, Frunella, myself and our two new nannies. I noticed that the three engineers had discounted the women folk and steered all their reports and answers to Savier and myself. Savier made a big thing of the ladies particularly Carmella who would be the king pin of the project in setting up the agricultural plan for the new oasis plus the layout of the new village to be built. Frunella, Sala and Nassia were introduced as teachers rather than nannies and their work was tutoring adults as well as children in the village and in the camp. Again Savier made their work sound very important in the scheme and certainly changed the instant impressions of our three engineers.

I already sized them up and allocated in my mind the tasks that I would give them tomorrow. My brief description of the project had their attention and I let Carmella describe the work she was involved with at the oasis. The siting and building of the village was new to me and a touch on my arm prevented me asking further questions on that subject. I presumed that she had discussed the matter with Savier even though I hadn’t even considered it as part of our project.

The following day instead of showing the engineers the site I threw them in the deep end by allocating the concrete works to Gerhard, the qanat lining to Francois and the shaft clearance to Mehdi. By now I had six teams working, one on concrete, three on lining and two on shaft clearance. On three of the completed shaft we had positioned the cranes which Amin had designed for me and they were lowering the concrete castings to the lining teams below. A driver was responsible for the winch on each. The two trucks with hoists worked on the new shafts again with truck drivers responsible. Nassim and Hamza, my two gofers looked after the pumps, kept me informed and helped out on the surface where needed.

After positioning each engineer with brief description I returned to see Gerhard who I found was taking copious notes and photos of the men carrying out their tasks. Occasionally he would ask a worker a question but seemed to be there as an observer. Francois on the other hand was nowhere to be seen and I was told that he was working on one of the tunnels along with the labourers there.  Mehdi I saw down a shaft in a cylinder chopping away at the sides with a mattock. I left them to it and caught up with some administration in the camper van which at least had some air con. I told Nassim and Hamza to keep a weather eye on our engineers and keep me informed of their whereabouts on site and what they were up to.

My concentration was broken by Nassim hammering on my door and beckoning me outside. I had made a rule that only Carmella and I could enter the van since I kept a lot of important equipment in there. I stepped out into the searing heat and immediately got Nassim to erect the awning to protect us from the sun. He informed me that the German Engineer demanded to know if I had a compressor on site. I questioned Nassim on the tone of the request or order and Nassim assured me that it was an order from a high boss or chief to an underling. I wondered if the request had lost something in translation but decided not to mention anything just yet. I told Nassim where the compressor was to be found and requested that he let me know what it would be used for. My next visitor was Hamza who wanted a pair of safety boots for Francois and a helmet with light. I just hoped he hadn’t gone down into the tunnels without basic safety precautions. My third visitor in quick succession was Mehdi who also came for a helmet and boots but also told me that one crew had reached the bottom of a shaft or at least the men told him to tell me they had reached the top of the spoil. I decided to accompany Mehdi and view progress myself.

As we approached the shaft I was pleased that the team was already lowering the cylinder down and paying out the chain. The iron girder with the hook for the chain was already placed at the side of the shaft. By the time we had reached the shaft the chain had been hooked on, girder positioned across the opening and the men were tightening the chain by wedging blocks of wood under the girder, a novelty for me but I appreciated the ingenuity. Mehdi, as we walked up to the shaft, was telling me exactly how the men were excavating the shaft and why. Finally he questioned me why we were missing out some shafts which was a perceptible question. I explained that with our rail system which he hadn’t yet seen, we could cover a longer distance since there was less spoil to hoist and we would just cap the intermediary shafts and not bother lining them. Mehdi then answered his own question that he was going to pose by telling me that the underground tunnel men would continue with the overhead liners to stop debris falling in and blocking the channel over the shafts. I nodded in agreement. He beamed with understanding and continued to tell me with much authority what the next stage of operation would be on this shaft. I shook his hand in agreement and asked him to continue whilst I checked out progress on the next shaft.

I was late for lunch and arrived quite cool having been ensconced in air con whilst the others apart from Francois who had spent all morning in the coolth of the tunnels. Mehdi and Francois were recounting their experiences of the morning with eyes on Frunella, Nassia and Sala who were listening intently and laughing with the two engineers. Gerhard was sitting back, drinking his beer straight out of a bottle and not taking any part of the conversation, brooding. At an appropriate moment I asked Gerhard if there was anything he could add to the jolly experience but he just took a pull at his beer and waved a hand for the other two to continue. He didn’t look happy. I would have to confront him in private.

“Gerhard, I have a feeling that you are not comfortable with the way things are run around here. Would you like to enlighten me of your issues?”

“Well Paulo, since I’m the most senior engineer here and most experienced I would have thought you wouldn’t have given me a trivial task of mixing concrete.”

“Fair enough but you must admit that the operation here is a simple task apart from the inherent dangers.”

“Yes I can comprehend all that. In fact I’m not sure why the UN didn’t employ experienced construction workers rather than engineers?”

“I’m sure they will in the future but they want an engineering view of the operation I’m running here. As you probably realise, I only have a modicum of engineering or construction knowledge although I know a lot about water and drilling. The UN employed me on this pilot project in Algeria for my man management skills that they have seen on other projects I’ve managed for them. I and Carmella have honed these skills over many years running our own successful businesses and projects for the UN. Any experienced builder could do the construction but could he sell the idea to the people? Many projects like this have faltered and been abandoned because the local people are either suspicious or uncomfortable with what’s been done for them. You have to win them over to your side.”

“Maybe you are right Paulo. This is my first project and I was hoping to utilise my skills rather than mixing concrete.”

“Mixing concrete is only part of the job. The forms don’t get filled by themselves. That is an important task as I see it. Once the tunnels are lined then they will last for our life time but if the concrete is weak then frequent problems will occur because the ground around here is shifting all the time.”

“You seem to have organised the job pretty well Paulo.”

“Well, as a structural engineer I was hoping that you might cast a critical eye over it and may suggest some improvements. I was only following the scant information available on the subject of lining the Qanats.”

“Yes there are a number of improvements I can suggest. You have managed the most important element which is using the correct proportions for the mix but the tamping down of the concrete in the forms with sticks is neither efficient nor effective. Secondly the shapes just butt up to each other and there will be enormous leakage.”

“Hang on Gerhard, I have butted up the linings in the alluvial fan area to allow seepage of ground water into the qanats not out.”

“Maybe, but when you get beyond the water table you will lose a lot of the water.”

“I accept that and the original builders accepted that problem but they still managed to get water to their oasis. I did consider some form of a seal using clay or bitumen when we start lining beyond the water table. Have you any suggestions Gerhard, you’re the engineer.”

“I would suggest that you change the shape of the steel forms to create an overlapping lip as they do in ordinary drainage pipes. That will minimise the loss and if you seal them with a simple flexible sealant or mastic you will have no loss and you can probably extend the area of cultivation.”

“There you go Gerhard. You have proved your worth already. I was concerned by the potential loss of water and you have solved the problem for us. I shall get my steel factor to manufacture some more forms to your specification.”

“No need Paulo, we can just alter the ones we have by welding on a piece of metal. You have the equipment here and I can do that.”

“Great and what other elements can you improve?”

“Plenty, next time we move the mixer we need to raise it so that the concrete can flow directly into the forms. We can get some old roller beds to lie on the ground so that we can move them around easily. We then need the compressor you have, with an attachment to mechanically tamp down the concrete and the linings will be twice as strong without voids or air bubbles.”

“OK Gerhard, you have proved your worth. I was going to keep each engineer on their current job for three days and change them around. How long will it take you to implement these changes?”

“It doesn’t need me to do this. Any of them could so I would be grateful for a change in three days please Paulo.”

“Now Gerhard comes the most important element. You have to talk through these changes with your crew and convince them that these are improvements that they will accept and they won’t lose their job or earnings.”        

 “Is it up to me to do that? I thought that would be your job Paulo?”

“Influencing and encouraging people to do their work well is the most important task on these projects. Just telling them is often not enough. If in the future you are going to take on a project like this then you need to develop these management skills. It’s not like in Germany, where people will just do your bidding. Here they need to be encouraged and motivated before they work for you with a will.”

“They seem to be working here without your or my intervention.”

“Yes but that is because I have set up foremen or supervisors with some status amongst their workers but if you don’t intervene soon and support your foreman they will gradually ignore him and defer to you for any decisions. You have to delegate the responsibility to your foreman. You need to talk to him and get his opinion first and foremost and let him pass the orders onto the men.”

“This sounds like a lecture in management Paulo. You haven’t been anywhere near me to know how I work.”

“No I haven’t but news travels fast that you have been aloof and not talking, or even passing the time of day, with your workforce.”

“Oh, I’m sorry Paulo, I had no idea but I will make an effort. And another thing, you don’t need to use the high quality Portland cement, stuff half the price will do the job just as well.”

“There you go again Gerhard, using you expertise to save me a fortune in costs. I now need to talk to the other two engineers.”

“Are you going to put them in their place as you have me?”

“I will give them some pointers such as wearing safety boots and hard hats on site.”

“OK, OK Paulo you have made your point.”

Chapter 81

“Hey, what’s this about building a village for the workers? That wasn’t in the plan.”

“Not in your plan Paulo but it’s obvious they will need accommodation and we might as well plan something better than they are living in at the moment.”

“You’re right Carmella, it was amiss of me. We will need to provide them with a water deposit and dry toilet pits.”

“I’ve already thought about all that and I want the village arranged near the fugarra or qanats as you call them. You told me that some houses had air shafts bringing cool air from the tunnels, a kind of air conditioning. I want to implement that if possible.”

“I don’t see why not. I’ll give it some thought. We should get our Chief Salhadin to allocate the garden plots and get the men to build their own houses. We will provide the materials. Gerhard has just provided me with a way of providing all the cement we need within our budget.”

“That’s a brilliant idea. I now know why I brought you here with me.”

“Less of the cheek! Now if we waterproof the tunnels there will be far more water available for your gardens since less will soak away therefore you should plan to extend the area beyond the boundary of the old oasis.”

“No problem with that Paulo. The old Oasis was in a broad valley so we just continue along it. I will order twice as many palms.”

“OK if you say so and I’ll get a digger to clear the channels, dig the latrines and I suggest we sink the buildings to provide them with a kind of basement where it will be cooler. Who is going to design them Carmella?”

“I’ll get some designs printed off the internet and each family can choose its own design with a shelter outside for the cooking and any animals. The current buildings in the village are collapsing and not very suitable for modern living. We will have to do something there too.”

“Instead of a water engineer I’m being turned into a house developer and builder but I suppose that when they bring electricity and TVs the locals will want to improve their lot.”

“I’m not sure how the Chief is going to allocate the new plots but I assume he will transfer people from the village. This will be a good opportunity to extend the plots for each family. The current ones can hardly allow the families to survive. We will have to convince the Chief Salhadin of this. Also we don’t improve the village until the new Oasis is allocated and settled otherwise the villagers won’t want to move if their existing housing is improved.”

“The Chief intimated that many families will return from the towns once they know they can get a plot. He will encourage that to improve his own wealth. I only hope he will spread some of it around his people. I’m going to suggest that he funds the building of a proper school house.”

“Good idea. He’s making a fortune from us alone creaming off the workers pay. I only hope he can see into the future and not just squander his wealth and truly investing in the local infrastructure.”

“Well he did agree to the UN project so he must have some ideas for the future. I suppose his only income from the villagers was dwindling with many going off to the towns so he saw the writing on the wall.”

“Savier was saying that at one time the old oasis was a major stop on old trading routes. This might be resurrected and it will again revive the old fellow’s fortune not that he needs it.”

“If he does well out of this then others will follow. According to my maps there are a number of abandoned oases along these mountains and I suspect that the qanats have collapsed depriving them of water. I don’t think the French during the occupation of Algeria were too keen or bothered to upkeep the qanats. A lot of their problems emanated from the desert Berbers.”

“Will there be enough water Paulo?”

“I can only go by what we know here. The ground water levels have risen and if the other villagers haven’t installed pumps then they should be fine. It’s a shame to allow the drift of these desert people into towns where there isn’t much work anyway.”

“Do you think some of our new engineers are up to the job?”

“Technically they are but I suspect that they will need more experience of man management. I’ve already had a word with Gerhard who expected his workers to behave as minions. I still need to check on the other two. I think Mehdi is a little young but he seems competent enough. Will the workers respect him I wonder?”

    “Sala told me that he is a son of a dignitary in Algers so he may have some inherent clout. I wanted to ask you how long will you continue working backwards, up the alluvial fan and when are you going to start down the main qanat because then I can start my fieldwork in earnest as we get nearer the new oasis. I know you said I shouldn’t venture out there on my own because of security but I’m dying to get started.”

“Well from what I have learned today, that is we can get more water to the oasis than was possible before, I don’t think I will excavate all the tributary qanats. I reckon we should start the main qanat in five weeks and when we get beyond the soft alluvial fan deposits and onto solid rock we will double our speed. We will only need to lay down the base and not the side flaps since the rock is less likely to collapse. But I still don’t want you to go off on your own to the oasis until we are less than five kilometres away. That will be in radio contact.”

“You’re very protective Paulo. I’m not sure it’s necessary.”

“Savier is concerned. There are a number of roving bands in this area and he reckons there will be more attracted by this operation. We can’t be too careful. Don’t want you to be carried off to join the white slave trade. One more thing, tonight I want Frunella and Mehdi to sign off the workers and I want you to observe at a distance.”

After three days I changed my engineers around and they all relished the new experience. It was soon clear that Mehdi the least experienced engineer was going to thrive and prosper in this work. He had experience of building sites and that was clear with the understanding what manual work involved and he was good with the men, encouraging and helpful but demanding respect and following orders particularly on the safety front. 

Francois was good but was too keen to get involved directly rather than delegate. At times he missed the big picture and often his men stood idle waiting for instructions. Gerhard on the other hand was very efficient but the workers took a dislike to him and would find ways of slowing the job down and asking unnecessary questions. I wasn’t sure that another talk would change things.

At the end of the two weeks Savier approached and I asked, “Right Savier, the engineers have finished their two weeks. How have they fared in your opinion?”

“I was going to ask you the same question since I’m going to employ them in the future. Apart from observing the progress of the work and taking copious videos and photos I noticed you checking on them.”

“True I was and I was trying to assess which of them could take over the next job?”

“Have you got a candidate in mind?”

“I have but I need a second opinion. Mehdi is rather young but is competent and so is Francois but I have a feeling that this task is beneath our German fellow. He would be happier building bridges than digging holes. This is not a task for him. OK how did I do?”

“I agree with you on Gerhard. If you need a number of qanats renovated at one time then he is your man to organise the work and supervise the management. Both Mehdi and Francois could easily manage one job each with or without Gerhard overseeing them. Mehdi is young, inexperienced but is the one who sees the long term benefit of this work. He’s a local and the men respect him not only for the fact of his high breeding. I would give him the next qanat to clear, ahead of Francois.”

“OK I see your point Paulo. I was hoping that you would say all three would be ready for the job.”

“They are but I wouldn’t rush this. There’s a lot more to this job than just renovation, there is the social side and you have to take that into account. Carmella and our three nannies are doing the major task in selling the project to the wives through education and example. They are going to be most important when we get the water to the new oasis. I will be a redundant gofer at that point.”

“I understand what you are saying but it’s not easy finding a couple like you to head up such tasks. I’d like you working on this full time but I understand that you have other responsibilities Paulo. What recommendations would you suggest to continue this work?”

“Well I have given it some thought. We are a third of the way through this work and the majority of time will be setting up the new village and arranging the water supplies. I would employ Mehdi here full time to work with Carmella to get experience of the agricultural side of this task. Frunella is also learning a lot from Carmella, so on the next project I would employ Mehdi and Frunella as the team managers then you have the best of both worlds. Frunella is unsure of her future career and probably hasn’t considered going into the outback and pioneering improvements but I’m sure she is more than delighted with her current function.”

“Very perceptive of you Paulo, I hadn’t thought it through that far but it still leaves me with a dilemma of starting a number of similar projects.”

“You are in too much of a hurry Savier. Let the benefits of this project get around. These people are very conservative and they have every reason to be, living in such hostile environment. I suspect others potential villages are looking with expectation but will need a few years to be convinced of the success of this venture. Some may just want a quick gain in cash from the UN in employment and may even abandon the new Oases so you have to tread carefully. Each of these projects will take about six months to complete so I would recommend your Mehdi and Frunella just continue one a year and you will be able to measure how successful the whole project is.”

“Very wise. I think our superiors want instant success but if we blitz this desert area we could run into trouble with manning these oases. I will send my report in tonight with your recommendations and let them dwell on it, thank you Paulo. This has made my task so much easier or should I say more comfortable.”     

Chapter 82

At the end of the third month progress was fast through the harder rock beyond the alluvial fan and Mehdi was a boon. Rather than lining the shaft every second, I decided to experiment with one every three and that speeded our progress immensely. It was mainly through sandstones and hard shales and we only needed to line the base of the tunnels. I had some forms made with a lip and these we sealed together with a water-based mastic which Mehdi assured me would remain supple whilst water was running down the qanat maintaining their water tight seal. That was a huge bonus for the oasis since I reckoned that previously much of the water sank, wasted, into the underlying rock. 

Frunella had taken her task to heart and was devising all kinds of lessons to promote good husbandry, hygiene and financial matters. My internet connection got a caning. I accidentally helped her case when a peddler brought along an old television set, satellite dish and a small generator to power the whole thing. We didn’t need the generator but I asked the man to get me a larger television in colour and a VCR player which he obliged. Frunella was in charge of the control and chose the programmes with care again consulting the web for educational programmes for the children and women folk. In the evenings the adults could watch recorded western films with subtitles which encouraged the illiterate to sign up for classes.

By now Jessica and Maria were more than comfortable with the local Arabic spoken by the children. Frunella, Sala and Nassia spoke to them only in French, Carmella in Spanish and I was delegated to keep their English up to scratch. They coped well and switched from one language to another with ease. At time it seemed that they were mixing their languages but they were only using a different word if they were short or wanted to express themselves better. At dinner we all spoke in the language we were comfortable with and people generally understood the conversation and if not would refer to the twins for a translation. 

The men were happy with the method of payment I had devised and the progress in seniority if they missed a day. They saw it as an equalisation of their wages. The ones on the top rate would take a couple of days off to work on their farm and come back to work on the lowest rate but knew they would progress up the wage ladder and they took the process to be fair. My take had been different in that I wanted them to be penalised if they took days off and discourage irregular attendance but the system the men had accepted seemed to work.

Since we were working from the water source, flooding of the tunnels became a problem so we had to dam up the qanat in the ground water area. This had good and bad effects. The local goat herders used to rely on us for watering their flocks and we no longer provided water. I had a large tarpaulin laid in a depression filled with water so initially the kids could bathe before the goats arrived in the evening. I had trouble with that but I assumed that I was conserving the ground water and hopefully preventing other enterprising locals in investing in water pumps which could quickly devastate the supply.

Whilst Frunnella was busy with her educational business it was Sala and Nassia who were helping Carmella with telling the villagers of the plans for the new oasis and how it would be divided and allocated. They also managed to persuade Chief Salhadin to reallocate the gardens in the current village so that each household had a larger plot.  This took some time and involved monetary inducements. His real objection was that the new oasis was not yet proven and that malicious gossip was spreading that since we had stopped pumping water to the surface there was a shortage and the new oasis would be a failure. Nassia was an artist and drew three designs for the new dwelling we would be building and the allocated families would have the chance to choose their preference. This encouraged them to make a decision to move particularly when I stated that I would leave the television in the new oasis.

 By now Savarin had assured me that the local government had agreed on providing electricity to a number of oases in our vicinity. I still warned Carmella not to venture alone into the new oasis area since we were still ten kilometres short and out of radio range. We made several site visits but on mass for safety reasons and Carmella had to rely on Google earth and maps she had drawn of the area. To help her building programme along, the concrete crew were tasked with using spare mix to make up hollow blocks. Again Mehdi proved his worth by getting the men to throw in two extra buckets of sand since the blocks didn’t need to be so strong. We already had a full lorry load taken and stacked at the oasis.

I was in contact with my Spanish business on a regular basis and was quite miffed that all was running smoothly without me or Carmella. The building extension to the monastery was in full swing with the steel work all up waiting for the next stage of concreting the floors and cladding in glass. Franco kept me informed of his business growth in which I had invested and was now operating six trucks and four concrete mixer trucks, subcontracting to a major builder on a road extension to Malaga airport. Henryk had surpassed himself by buying up two defunct restaurants at knockdown price in Granada and opening them up as under new management with minimal refurbishment, with staff from our own catering school. He said our food with the Monastery touch will speak for itself and we needed the extra revenues to pay for the extensions and refurbishments at the Monastery. He didn’t elucidate on his love life but did mention that his Personal Assistant was very capable.

 He had employed Matrinez Elba from a well-known Bodega in Ribera Del Duero region of Spain to manage my new Bodega in Granada. He commented that Martinez liked the free hand he had in blending or correctly manufacturing good wine for the restaurant trade. At least he could make a consistent product without the vagaries of climate and grape yield. I sent him a welcoming note and suggested he try and produce a liquor like Papa Luna and an after dinner drink like Pasheran. My butcher Rodreguez who abandoned the monastery for a better location on some industrial estate in Granada was bragging that he had upped his production and sales threefold and couldn’t keep up with demand being short of experienced butchers. He had resorted to advertising in Poland and Czech Republic also in Morocco for skilled Halal butchers since there seemed a good market for goat and mutton along the North African coast. I must admit I hadn’t thought of that area as a growing market for good quality meat. I wish he could send some over to us here in the desert. I was missing the mystery ingredient and having withdrawal symptoms.    

Carmella and I thought our clinic would suffer through the building programme but Alf assured me that the disruption had been kept to a minimum and visitors actually enjoyed seeing the builders at work. The eight rooms in the under-build, the original garages and storerooms were fully occupied and favourite with the infirm who couldn’t manage the stairs too easily. I now realised why Carmella insisted on installing lifts to all floors as part of the new development.

Antonio was back from Galicia. He couldn’t stand the cold weather and the rain in winter and was back attending all the lunches and keeping the visitors  amused with his stories of old Andalucia and the Alpujaras. He also liked to view the clinic staff in their starched white uniforms. I wondered what his wife Marcia had to say on that subject. The more information I got from Spain the more I felt abandoned and unnecessary in the running of our expanding business empire. I secretly admitted to myself that I would rather be digging wells and renovating qanats for the underprivileged people than checking balance sheets. I wrote a cheeky note to show I was still in charge by asking all divisions to carry out a thorough audit of customer satisfaction and operational efficiency for me to review on my return. I felt a bit of a fraud but with our rapid expansion we had to have regular measurements as a basis of good management practise. As I was closing down the Email in the nicely air conditioned van I saw Mehdi running towards the door. I opened it and let him in to catch his breath.

“Paulo, we have run into some soft sandstone that’s crumbling and falling into the Qanats. We will have to shore the tunnels up as before. I’ve set the concrete gang to make some more top flaps.”

“Well what’s the emergency?” I asked rather puzzled. Mehdi normally takes the initiative on these things.

“Yes but I knew you were here in the van and I hoped to catch you so that you can order some more cement.”

“That’s no problem. I’ll set up the satellite phone and call him straight away.”

“No need, you can contact him on Email. I can do it in Arabic for you,” he said as he sat in front of the computer and logged into his Email. I also wanted to talk to you about Frunella.”        

“No problem I hope?”

“No none but I was chatting to her earlier and she wants or would like to spend more time with Carmella and learn more about the gardening side.”

“I thought she was doing that already?”

“She is but since I talked to her about joining me in the next project she would like to immerse herself with Carmella so that she can include more good propaganda in her educational lessons.”

“Oh I see. I think the word ‘propaganda’ is a bit strong but it’s a good point you have made and I shall include it in my final report. How did Frunella react when you proposed for her to join you in the next venture?”

“Oh she was delighted. She has enjoyed the whole experience immensely and would like to join the UN as a career and so would I. With good experience like this I believe there maybe opportunities for us to travel outside of Algeria and visit other countries in the Middle East and beyond. I’ve been doing some research and found qanats or similar systems all over the world in arid regions.”

“That’s good. Savier has already earmarked you to become a resident expert on Qanats in Algeria and you should look up google earth and spot and list all the qanats in Algeria and beyond, along the Atlas Mountains. You can clearly see the bomb crater like depressions and check if they are in use by the state of the oases.  I’m not sure that Savier wants you to join UN as a permanent member yet. He thinks it may be better for you to be part of the Government where you could have a foot in each camp.”

“I see. I’m worried about corruption. You have the purse strings here on this projects but I can see greedy official wanting to skim off some of the money their way other than the local chiefs and village elders.”

“You need to talk to Savier about this. For all I know the UN hierarchy have already paid off some people for us to work here. I purposefully didn’t ask but having someone in the Government might just quench their greed.”  

“I might do that,” said Mehdi with a sad look on his face.

“Hey don’t look so sad. I thought you and Sala were hitting it off. She’s a nice and clever girl.”

“It’s not Sala I’m after, it’s Frunella. I love her but we have major problems. That’s why you see me with Sala.”

“What problems? She certainly has eyes for you I’ve noticed and in the future you may be working together.”

“That’s the second problem. Algeria is into class systems in a big way and the French didn’t help much. It’s ingrained in their culture too. I, as you probably have guessed, come from a wealthy and high status family and that’s why the workers here kow-tow to me. I know, I know but Frunella comes from a low level family of stall holders and traders.”

“Yes, but she’s been educated to the highest level and you should be above that in this modern world, and you should secure your own future.”

“I agree Paulo but it’s easy for you to say that. If I took Frunella home my mother would kick her out and probably me as well. Mother and father are still very traditional and want me to marry well. I don’t know what to do. I would have to run away with her to America or somewhere far away but I love my family and my brothers and sisters. I couldn’t just do that.”

“I see your dilemma. Could you get Savier to talk to you parents on your behalf may be.”

 “No, he’s just as lowborn as Frunella but has risen through the ranks and made a career for himself with the UN. I’ve talked to him but he has the same problem in reverse. He met a girl at University in Algers but she was high born and her parents sent the girl off to France when they found out.”

“Oh I didn’t know that.”

“No, why would you? The problem is he also has eyes for Frunella and they would make a good match but that would make me so unhappy. Both their families would bless that union. But it leaves me with a problem and heart ache and I don’t know how I can solve it amicably.”

“I wish I could help but other than talking to you parents I don’t know what else I could do. I’m sorry.”

“Do you think Carmella could talk to my mother and put in a good word for Frunella? My mother is the matriarch of the house and father does what she advises. She is more likely to listen to a lady who not only is an expert in agriculture but also a wealthy business woman. I’ve looked you up on the net and it’s most impressive and also on the UN web site. You both have many decorations and awards plus you are very wealthy, I know, and mother is impressed by that. I’ve already sent her letters telling them whom I working with and she is most impressed that her son has been taken on to lead more projects for the UN.”

“We’ll have a talk with Carmella at some stage when I have primed her. Would you mother meet Frunella?”

“Well only on an official stage otherwise she would not deign to speak or look at her.”

“I see but when this project is complete then Savier will be arranging a dinner with presentations and awards. All families will be invited plus a number of high ranking Government officials. I’m sure your parents won’t turn down an invitation to see their son awarded by the UN and probably by your Government for the splendid work we have done here.” 

“Oh I didn’t realise that. Will Frunella be presented?”

“Undoubtedly she will. She has done a fantastic job, way, way above the role we appointed her for. She was taken on as a nanny for my two but she showed she was better as an educationalist for the villagers. That’s why we have had so few problems on this project. Sala and Nassia were employed to help Frunella and also to look after my kids.”

“I didn’t know that. Please, please have a word with Carmella and let me plead with her to have a word with my mother. I will engineer that my mother invites your family to my home and of course Frunella has to come to look after your children, then you can broach the subject. I think that’s an excellent idea. Thanks Paulo, I’d better be off and see the workers. Wow I’m getting excited!” 

 

    

Chapter 83

I was tired and hot after a long journey to Laghouart to collect the next month’s payroll from the bank and now sitting in the air conditioned van I was sipping on a cold beer and contemplating what a wonderful life it was at the moment with no worries or cares. The business in Spain could be on the other side of the world for all I cared. I was here in the coolth, beer in hand, perusing yesterday’s operational report and considering that maybe we might be a whole month ahead of schedule which was good but I wasn’t in the mood to go back to the predictable work back home. The twins were having an experience that they will never forget with proper schooling and learning Arabic into the bargain. I was thinking of employing some Algerians so that they could maintain their language skills. I wondered if I could entice Sala or Nassia to come and work at the monastery for a year or two. Clever girls and would be an asset in any area even as my Personal Assistant. Would Carmella be jealous? I’d better stop the musing and concentrate on the report which showed another lorry load of hollow bricks and concrete beams for the roofs had been delivered to the oasis. I wondered how many houses worth there were down there. 

Got me thinking about the water channels and distribution of water at the oasis. I’d planned to have concrete pipes manufactured and laid to minimise evaporation but Mehdi suggested it would be easier to pour the concrete in situ between wooden forms and have slabs to cover the channel. I picked up a map off the desk showing the layout of the channels in the oasis and was pleased to see we had added another third to its original size. With the unlined lined qanats of the past I considered that more than half of the flow would have soaked away into the underlying rock. My musings were interrupted by my radio buzzing and showing that channel six was calling, the emergency channel which we hardly ever used.

“Hello Paulo speaking, what’s the problem?” I answered more curious than worried. “Who’s there?”

“It’s Carmella here Paulo and we have an issue,” said Carmella in French.

“Where are you?”

“We are at the oasis,” she replied sounded rather hysterical and then before I could reply she said in Spanish, “Just believe we are at the Oasis and speak French.” I heard a shout in the background, “Parlais Francais!”

“What’s going on?” I said in French.

“We have been kidnapped, me and the kids plus Frunella, driver and guard,” in a hysteric voice.

“Calm down Carmella and give me the detail,” I replied in Spanish quietly.

“I’m pretending to be hysterical and weeping so don’t worry but listen carefully,” she said in Spanish and again I heard in the background, “Parlais Francais!”

I considered the situation carefully. They couldn’t be far away. The signal was too clear so they must have travelled from the oasis to at least five kilometres away or less for the radio to be so clear.

“They want the payroll for our release,” wailed Carmella, “They know you collected it today.”

“Are you all OK?” I asked quietly in Spanish.

“They haven’t hurt us but they want the payroll,” she shouted with fear in her voice.

“How many are there and are they armed?” I asked.

“Ten and yes,” she answered in English and again in the background, “Parlais Francais.” 

“Who is their leader and anyone from our village?” I asked in English.

 “I don’t know,” she replied in French then in English, “The guard and four I recognise,” I could hardly make out what she was saying with all the sobbing.

“Put the leader on. Let me talk to the one in charge!” I shouted hoping that it would be overheard. I heard some shouting in the background and Carmella shouting orders in French and I heard rustling as the radio was being handed over.

“Hello, hello is that the manager,” shouted a voice in poor French. “We have your family here.”

“Who is this?” I replied, “Give me your name!” there was a pause.

“No names, no names!” screamed the man.

“No name, no deal,” I answered as calmly as possible. “I need to know who I’m dealing with and don’t shout, calm down so that I can hear you clearly,” I replied as calmly as possible even though I could feel my heart pounding and panic mode entering.

“OK Jamil,” came the reply brusquely. 

“Now listen carefully Jamil, I will bring the money box to shaft number one hundred and twenty five and you send a man there to check the money. I will then take the box to the new oasis and hand it over to you for the exchange. Understood?”

“You come alone,”

“I will come with a driver. I’m too tired to drive. I’ve just returned from Laghouart. Expect me in an hour at shaft one hundred and twenty five understood?”

“OK, OK.”

“Make sure no one is harmed. Be patient, be calm and you will get the money,” I said as confidently as I could but my insides were churning up so that I could hardly stand. I switched to channel one and asked Mehdi and Savier to come to my office straight away.

Fortunately Savier was nearby and Mehdi would be with me in five minutes. I explained to Savier what had happened and he immediately told me to set up the satellite phone and internet and was immediately talking to his superior. When Mehdi arrived I asked him to accompany me and fortunately he agreed without question other than saying we should go armed. I assured him I had a shot gun in the box of my pickup but I didn’t want any show of arms. Savier informed us that he had been in contact with the local police, the military and his superior. The military were going to send a helicopter with troops but they couldn’t be here for a couple of hours which was good in that I hoped we would have got my family back safe by then.

I put the money box in the pickup and Mehdi drove whilst I tried to calm him down. He was so angry and embarrassed that this should happen when we were doing good work for the locals. We were approaching shaft and saw two armed Arabs, in all their garb, waiting for us. I told Mehdi to stop well before them and tell them to put down their arms and one of them to come forward and I would show them the money. Mehdi stood on the back of the pickup and shouted to them in Arabic. There seemed to be an exchange which I didn’t understand but I saw the men put down their rifles and one of them started walking towards us. I got out with the money box and met the man half way. I spoke to him in French and told him that I would show him the money and asked where my family was? He told me as I suspected that they had been driven back to the Oasis. I opened the money box on the ground and showed him that it was full of money. I even got a wad out and waved it to the other man to see. The man was nervous but I managed to get him to use my radio and tell Jamil that he had seen the money and the box and that we were driving down to the Oasis. I made sure that this was done in French.

I walked back as calmly as I could to the pickup even though my instincts were telling me to run and told Mehdi to drive. The men started to run after us expecting to get a lift but I told Mehdi to drive on. There would be two less at the oasis to contend with. I looked back and saw them waving but I wasn’t going to have two armed men in the pickup with us. I could see a group of people at the edge of the oasis and recognised Carmella who was waving to us. I got Mehdi to stop quite a distance from them and got on the radio to Jamil.

“Jamil, I have the money box here and we will do the exchange this way.”

“How do I know you haven’t taken the money out?” he asked.

“OK, this is the way we do it. You send an unarmed man and I will open the money box and he can see it is full of cash and I will send him back with the key. When he is back with you then I will place the box by the number one shaft. When I get back to my vehicle then you send my people over and send one man to collect the box. Understood?” 

“OK, OK,” he replied. I heard him order a man to walk over to us. I could hear some argument. He hadn’t switched off the radio. I saw a man put down his rifle and start walking towards us. He looked frightened when he arrived but I tried to reassure him, opened the box and showed him that it was full of notes. I again picked out a bundle and waved it for the group to see. I made a show of shutting the box with a clunk and gave the man the key.

“Hello Jamil. Your man has seen the money and is bringing the key to you now, Understood?”

“OK, OK.” He replied as I walked over to the shaft and the man ran back to his group waving the key. I positioned the box to be clearly seen on the mound of the shaft and walked back to the pickup.

“The money box is in position and you can see it,” I stated clearly. “When I’m back to the pickup you can let my family go and send someone to pick up the money box before it falls down the shaft.” I said the last for good measure. So far so good at least I felt I had control over the whole situation. 

As soon as I reached the pickup I saw Carmella picking up Maria and Frunella picking up Jessica and running towards us. I saw a bunch of men running towards the cash box. I couldn’t resist running towards my family and Mehdi had the good sense to drive behind me.

“Get in, get in quickly,” I shouted as I opened the doors and bundled them in. “And you driver and guard can stay behind and come back in the Land Cruiser if they let you have it back.” I hardly managed to get in as Medhi spun round with pebbles flying as we drove off.

“Hang on,” he shouted. “I want to distance myself from that lot.” I managed to lean over and give all of them a hug and kiss. I don’t think the children understood what was happening.

“Paulo, you were as cool as a cucumber,” said Carmella holding my arm. “As if you had done this before. You were marvellous the way you took charge.”

“Course I haven’t done this before but I’ve seen plenty of crime films. I was surprised that they allowed me to take control. I don’t think they were into kidnapping and ransoms.”

“I haven’t heard of any in Algeria for a long time,” said Mehdi. “Frequent robberies but not kidnapping. The police have been brutal and wiped out that sort of thing long ago.”

“Anyway, I’m so glad you’re all safe and sound. I didn’t know you were planning to go out to the oasis. I warned you not to go.”

“I know, I know,” said Carmella. “It’s just that we wanted to mark and stake out the village so that the truck drivers can dump the bricks in the right place. I certainly won’t be going out there again without an army to protect me.”

“I should jolly well think so. At least you weren’t harmed. Did you suspect something? You mentioned the guard.”

“Yes but at the time thought nothing of it. When we started off the guard insisted in going to the stalls and on his way back our driver went out to meet him and they had a heated argument. I can only suggest that the information was passed on to the bandits. Secondly the guard was treated differently to the rest of us when they rounded us up. They took the shot gun off him but not the pistol. The driver was OK and kept the kids amused but he looked daggers at the guard. We were well treated Paulo. Rather deferentially I would say. The driver was most upset and wouldn’t look any of them in the eye.”

“Well he must have been complicit in this some way and I have no compunction of firing him. He should have refused to take you. That’s it!”

“The Militia will jail both of them when they catch them,” said Mehdi. “You didn’t seem to worry about the Land Cruiser Paulo. I would have thought you would have factored that into the exchange.”

“I didn’t even think of that. All I wanted was for the whole exchange to go peacefully which it did, thank God. I couldn’t care less about the Cruiser.”

“And what about the money? There must have been a fortune in that box.”

“Not worried about the money either but they’ll have fun opening the box.”

“But you gave them the key Paulo. I saw it.”

“That’s right Mehdi but it’s not an ordinary lock on that box. You have to turn it a special way to open it. It’s like a safe and the manufactures say its bomb proof. Its toughened steel and you need a special industrial saw to break it open. If they use a torch the contents will burn up, same with explosives.”

“Wow, I didn’t know you were so prepared?” said Mehdi.

“The UN supply these boxes specially made in Birmingham. I’ve used one on all of my projects.”

Savier was waiting for us when we got back.

“Why didn’t you radio that you were safe Paulo. You had us all worried. I’m glad you are all safe. The police from Laghouart should be here in an hour and the military have sent three helicopters to intercept the criminals and the military promised to carry out exercises in this region to keep an eye on us so expect some activity. I talked to Chief Salhidan and he is furious. I suspect he is worried about his income and bonus. He is going to make enquiries and hang the culprits even if they are from his village.”

“That’s a bit drastic Savier. I presume that the military will jail them if they catch them.”

“Hang on Paulo,” said Mehdi gravely. “The law in Algeria demands the death penalty for kidnapping I believe.”

“Let’s not talk about that in front of the kids and thank you Savier and Mehdi for you vital support. I’d better get some food for the children and also for us. Come Frunella, you’ve had a shock today,” said Carmella with much concern.

I waved Savier and Mehdi into the van and brought out three bottles of beer. They didn’t protest. As we sat in the chairs under the van awning we heard the roar of three gun ship helicopters as they sped over us.

“They’ll never escape those,” said Savier. “I just hope they don’t fire on those men. They won’t stand a chance. I hope they don’t damage the Land Cruiser for you Paulo, had a job getting one for you in the first place. Now Paulo, where does this place you and Carmella on this final phase of the project?”

“Shocked, surprised and dismayed that this has happened,” I said thoughtfully taking a big pull at my beer. “I’m most concerned for the children. They certainly didn’t come to harm and probably didn’t even comprehend their situation thankfully. But if it had turned nasty then I’m not sure how I would feel. Let’s say that at this moment I want to finish the project but I want to consult with Carmella first.”

“Of course, of course Paulo. I’m surprised that you have taken it so calmly,” answered Savier. “My heart hasn’t stopped beating a pace. I’m still in shock and I wouldn’t be surprised if you both decided to pull out.”

“Hang on Savier, both Carmella and I are finishers. We don’t do half a job so we will consider the whole thing carefully with future security in mind especially for the children. I’ll discuss this whole thing with Carmella and I’ll give you the answer tomorrow.”

“What are you going to discuss with me Paulo?” asked Carmella approaching us with a plate of nibbles. “If it’s staying on and finishing the project then I’m for staying. No one was harmed and the whole episode was more comical than dangerous. Anyway I have some important news to impart. I used my pad since the internet was still switched on. No don’t go away Savier and Mehdi, this in a way concerns both of you. If one of you get me a cold beer and a chair I shall impart my news.” Carmella with hands on hips waited whilst Mehdi rushed for a beer and Savier proffered Carmella his chair. She waited until Mehdi arrived with a cold beer and sat down drinking a long draft as we waited patiently. “Oh that’s good. I needed one of those all day. Now where shall I begin? I had a long Email from Sandra and Dennis from Geneva. Wait, wait, the Email Sandra wrote a week ago and it tells of her decision to undergo euthanasia.”

“What!” I blurted out.

“Now hang on Paulo. It was a considered decision. She was in great pain as she wrote and the pain killers were so strong that she was in a zombie state, unaware of her surroundings or even people, even the presence of Dennis her husband. The irony of it was, writes Dennis in a follow up Email, is that she died in the ambulance on the way to the hospital where they were to perform the last act.”  

“Wow! What a courageous woman,” said Savier taking an encouraging pull at his beer. “And she was an integral part of your Company I believe?”

“Yes she was,” I answered sorrowfully, “She will be missed and I think we under-rated her ability and contribution. How is Dennis coping?”

“He says he is well and mighty relieved that Sandra’s pain and misery is over. It’s been a long haul for him and he says he is totally knackered and has been sleeping till lunchtime and going for long walks in the Swiss foothills.”

“I wish I knew what we could do for him? To comfort him and get him back to his former bubbly self.”

“Well he answers that himself in his Email. I have been writing long mails to Sandra about our life here, the children, your exploits and the simple life we lead. Dennis is flying out here this week to be with us and see for himself what his little brother has been up to. He’s arranged a car and driver so we don’t have to meet him. He says it will be his own little adventure into the outback.”

“That’s a brilliant idea,” I blurted out. “But, but…”

“There’s no ‘Buts’ this means that we are staying and finishing this project. That’s my decision. No wait Paulo, the incident today was a paltry affair. They couldn’t organise a piss up in your English brewery. I had to tell them what to do and how to get the money safely. The radio com was out of range so we had to travel along the qanat until we got a signal to you. I was in charge and they went along with my plan. I felt quite safe and for the children. I kept the situation calm and told them you would bring the money box with all the money you got from the bank today. They believed me.”

“That was cool Carmella,” uttered Mehdi with some concern in his voice. “I think I would have panicked.”

“That would have aggravated the situation. I had the children to consider. Now I’ve made the unilateral decision to send all the workers, wives and their children home tonight. We won’t be working tomorrow. The police will be making their enquires and I suggest we stop coseying up to these people. We have been making their life too easy. We change the system and we truck the workers each day from the village and subtract transport costs. We stop feeding their families only the workers on site. That will send a message that we are truly angry with the situation and you Paulo withhold the baksheesh for the chief and tell him to get his house in order. The peddlers have already fled expecting a backlash.”

“I agree to all of that,” I said solemnly, “I wasn’t going to go that far but I believe you’re right. We need to make a stand and a show of it. Make the situation more grievous and important than it is or at least we believe it is.”

“I also agree,” retorted Savier in an angry voice. “I didn’t know what action we should take but you are correct Carmella. I now have something pertinent to add to my report to the UN. You guys are amazing.”

“I have learned more about management in ten minutes listening to you Carmella than all the course work at University. I have been pondering on what action we should take and you have made an instant decision. I am so grateful to be associated with you. I’m learning so much,” blurted out Mehdi. 

“Now let’s lighten up the conversation. Savier get another round of bottles, my thirst needs quenching. Now Paulo, see these rattan like chairs we are sitting on, made out of palm leaves stems. I like them so much that I’ve ordered fifty of them for the monastery. Give the local cottage economy a boost. I may even get some side tables made of the same stuff. The agent is bringing me some samples.”

“Well Carmella, you are spending our money like a man with no hands as they say in England.”

“Paulo, they are cheap as chips. The shipping will cost more. I’m considering filling a small container.”

“Well don’t forget a herd of stuffed camels.” I said.

“Now don’t be cheeky or I won’t tell you the next bit of my news. OK then I will. I believe I am pregnant again. Take that incredulous look off your face Paulo. No, it’s not immaculate conception either. I know the tents haven’t been very private but the dunes have been inviting…. warm sand and all that.”

“Hey you’re embarrassing poor Mehdi. Anyway he will discover these things with his luscious Frunella in time.”

“Aren’t you going to congratulate me?”

“Of course I am darling but you have taken me by surprise and I’m still a little shocked by the thought of another set of twins.”

“Yes congratulations Carmella,” said Savier giving my wife a kiss on each cheek. “I hope you will be happy and have a glorious future as a family.”

“Thank you Savier and Mehdi, are you going to congratulate me or are you too shy?”

“Congratulations Carmella and Paulo. May Allah bring you much joy, happiness and wealth.”

“Well said Mehdi. To celebrate I’m going to crack those bottles of champagne I’ve been saving to mark the completion of our project. Come on folks, let’s make sure the crowds have departed so that we don’t have to share our bubbly.” 

       

  

Chapter 84

 

The local Police or Militia arrived early evening and spent the time ushering the locals back to their village. There was a lot of anger from the men that their future livelihood was at stake. The women were sad and angry that their lives would go back to the old drudgery of home and that they would miss the good food and schooling for them and their children. The children were crying mostly for missing the television and recorded Disney films that they loved so much. The trucks, carts and donkeys saw them depart regretfully escorted by the local militia.

I had Carmella and Frunella write comprehensive statements of their experience and actions in both French and Arabic for the Militia. This I would hope reduce their interview process. I got Mehdi, Savier plus myself to write similar statements so that we had all corners boxed off. Savier also included his report to his senior in the UN. The Capitan of Militia arrived, read the reports and decided to abdicate any responsibility for interview to his superiors. We for once had a quiet meal with all the usual crowd missing apart from some celebrating of Carmella’s news. I even had the decency to refrain from restricting Carmella’s consumption of champagne. We got through two bottles and even Mehdi imbibed a few glasses for medicinal purposes to steady his nerves he said. Late in the evening we heard the gunships return to base and quietly hoped that no one was hurt.

The next morning a military convoy arrived with armoured cars, light tanks and military jeeps bristling with machine guns and other heavy weapons. The Captain introduced himself and reported that his contingent would be in the local area carrying out manoeuvres and exercises and as a result would give us protection until the project was complete. Carmella butted in and asked how many men there would be for lunch. Suddenly the demeanour of the Captain sweetened and he would be delighted and his fifty men to join us for lunch. Carmella strode off to warn the chefs whilst I escorted the Captain, Savier and Mehdi into the coolth of the van to find out how the operation went against the kidnappers.

To our dismay we heard that the gunships had easily found the gang who split up and run off in various directions. The ships opened fire and killed three and wounded four more before they all gave themselves up. The Land Cruiser was also abandoned since our driver had set the gearbox in crawler mode and the new driver didn’t know how to release the system. It had gone so slowly that the occupants had run off on foot. The money box had been recovered and would be returned to me shortly to check. The men had been imprisoned in Laghouart and were being interviewed to find out who were the ringleaders. The Captain made it plain that the truth would be forced out of the captives with a comment that this was Arab country not the soft West. I decided not to impart that news to Carmella. We gave the Captain copies of our statements which he read and asked me to Email them to his superior in Laghouart to verify the stories of the incarcerated prisoners.

After an affable lunch I gave the Captain a copy of the google earth map showing the position of the new Oasis and where he could get good water supply for his troops. I also offered him our bowser which he kindly declined stating that he didn’t want his troops to get too soft. On the other hand, with a mischievous wink he said he would be a frequent visitor at our encampment at dinner time to carry out further questioning. With that he heralded his troops and the convoy moved off in a cloud of dust and honking of horns in appreciation of a good meal.

The four of us sat around the table in the cool of the van and discussed our strategy for the next two months. Part way through our meeting Mehdi suggested or even implored that we invite Frunella to the meeting so that she can observe and learn the process of project and people management. Whilst he was away we took the opportunity to discuss his relationship with Frunella and how we could progress it along and get his parents acceptance of the match and even their blessing. No one had a concrete suggestion.

“I know, the thing is obvious and staring us in the face.”

“What the hell is so obvious!” interjected Carmella. ..

“We have three empty tents, marquees call them what you will. We can put up the whole of Laghouart if we need to. Dennis is coming to stay. Why don’t we invite Mehdi’s parents and family? They are proud of their son and would love to see him at work and what he’s achieved and hopes to achieve in the future.”

“Brilliant Paulo, we can convert one of the tents into a Sheiks Palace with carpets and sumptuous furnishing and I shall sing Frunella’s praises from the palm tops and how important she is to this and future projects.”

“You’re right Savier, we need to show her in good light and you also need to promote her good will within the UN organisation. But where are you going to get the sumptuous furnishings and what is more why haven’t we got some?”

“Leave it to me and when they have been impressed sufficiently and gone happily then maybe I can share my largess for the next few months since we won’t have a hoard of people and kids monitoring our movements. I’m right in thinking that we have agreed not to let the villagers back into our encampment.”

“Agreed but only to show that we don’t take this incident lightly and any future infringement however small we treat it severely. We should start cutting back on their suddenly found income. Here comes Mehdi and Frunella. Savier, you broach the subject of parents coming tonight, not in this meeting. Right Savier, you act Chair and welcome Frunella and let’s get on with the agenda, we have a lot to decide.”

It took us well into the evening to finalise the plans and since Frunella was now fully part of the operational team, leaving her educational and propaganda duties behind we had covered all aspects of organisation, control and leadership. After some initial shyness Frunella volunteered many good points for consideration and inclusion in our plan. As the discussion progressed I was taking notes on my laptop and developing them into a time line on my spreadsheet which converted the information into a critical path showing which jobs had to be done first so as not to delay the following operations. The lining of the qanat was straight forward but the layout of the oasis and its development was more complicated. On the spot I decided that we would delay the start of the work by one more day and go through the planning process again in more detail, bring in some key workers or supervisors and allocate the tasks. 

After dinner Mehdi invited Frunella to help him go over the detail on my laptop to check the timelines and allocations and familiarise themselves with the methodology. I nodded to Savier who got the message that he had to go over and have a chat with Mehdi and get him to invite his parents whilst we had the accommodation.

Sala and Nassim were now full time nannies looking after our two and we allocated a guard to be with them at all times. Savier had ordered four more armed guards to bolster our security and I had suggested that we employ one of the kitchen boys as our driver now that the kitchens were less busy.

It was on the second free day that an army truck arrived with the Captain towing our Land Cruiser behind it. Apart from being dusty it seemed in as good condition as it left us. I jumped in, started it up and switched off the crawler gear and sped off on a quick test run. All was good to my relief and the bonus was the tank was still three quarters full. I expected that someone would have siphoned off the fuel. The bonus was that the Captain handed over the money box and key, ordering me officially to open the box and check the contents. I fiddled around with the key making more moves than necessary apart from the three final moves and we heard the click as the key engaged and the lid smoothly opened. Inside the lid was clipped a note showing the total monies in the box as I had recorded and the actual compartment was full of notes with coins at the bottom in a bag. The notes were banded by denomination as they had left the bank. I counted them and passed them over to the Captain to check. The coins I tipped out and we both arranged them into piles. Everything checked out according to the Bank slip.

The Captain then asked the obvious question had I taken the box to the bank empty and was there any other monies? I smiled and told him that I had left a float, the remains of the money with Carmella and it was in her satchel all the time and the kidnappers had failed to search for it. This at last brought a smile to the Captains face who then produced an official receipt that I had to sign that the box and contents were intact.

Having gone through the official business I invited the Captain to dinner on a regular basis and told him to bring some of his Officers. This became a regular occurrence and ensured that his troops were never far away. Chief Salhadin arrived in his beaten up car as the Captain was driving off. He was most apologetic about the incident and said it didn’t involve any of his villagers until I pointed out that three men, with wives and families in his village, were in custody in Langhouat. He countered that these families had been sent packing from his village so technically they didn’t fall under his jurisdiction any more. He then must have heard that the money box had been returned to me. I nodded in affirmation and showed him the box but told him that the key had been bent and showed him it wouldn’t work anymore and that I would have to send to an Alger bank for my replacement so until it came no one would be paid. He looked most dismayed at the news and asked how long it would take for a replacement to reach here. I told him that there could be a long delay with all the bureaucracy, police checks and counter checks and the fact I may need to go to Alger in person to collect the key. 

To show off his cunning mind he changed his argument and stated that if his men were not to be paid then he had no option but stop sending them to work. I countered that if the work stopped he wouldn’t get his money owing to him nor the huge bonus on completion. That nearly had him dissolve into tears. I said I would compromise and pay the men out of my own personal money and some petty cash left over but not his share until the box was opened and that I would send the trucks over next morning early to pick up the men that I had allocated with their gang leaders. That appeased him somewhat so I added that the money was safe in the box with me and he would be paid and if he didn’t trust me then I would give him the box to keep. I knew that trust was most important to him and it would be a slight if he took up my offer. He declined and left hurriedly saying he had to visit his daughter in another village. I was glad that I had once more confirmed with the Chief that a huge bonus was due to him on and only on satisfactory completion of the project. We needed him on our side.

I was woken early when it was still dark by the trucks revving up ready to go and pick up our workers. Instead of turning over I got up, dressed and went over to the kitchens to see if I could snaffle some early breakfast and maybe a coffee. I was beaten by Mehdi and Frunella who were already sitting at a table in deep discussion that they didn’t notice me slip in. The boy handed me a couple of hot buns on a plate and a large builder’s mug of coffee. Rather than breaking up the tête-à-tête I took the opportunity to sound the boy out on becoming a driver for me. He was so taken aback by my offer he nearly dropped the hot jug of coffee. I explained I needed a replacement driver and the kitchens were now over staffed. I was embarrassed as he knelt down and kissed my feet and told me that he couldn’t exactly drive but he had read a lot of car mags on the subject. I told him I would teach him after he had served breakfast since I needed to go to the oasis when the men arrived. He ran off in delight to tell the news to his pals and chef in the kitchen. As I turned I saw the others entering the tent, Carmella with the twins, Savier, Sala and Nassia, all rubbing their eyes having been woken early by the departing trucks. I made a quick executive decision that the trucks would overnight in the village and give us some peace in the mornings with the plus that the workers would be here earlier. 

After a quiet breakfast we heard the first of the trucks arrived with Zaki and Omar as the gang masters. They were set on to carry on with the Qanat lining at separate shafts. I instructed Zaki to first of all release a good flow of water down the qanat by lowering the dam we had constructed in one of the shafts. I wanted the water to start flowing in a controlled fashion into the oasis and start flooding the fields. Also we could level the fields out so that water wouldn’t be wasted. I also hoped the goatherds would come to water their flocks and naturally start fertilising the soil. The second truck arrived with Nadi and Rabah as the gang masters. Their task would be to construct the main water distribution channels in the oasis firstly with open ditches which would subsequently be concreted and covered to stop silting and loss of water through evaporation. I had already sent a mechanical digger there earlier to assist and speed up the operation.  The third truck soon followed and these were my house builders led by Malek and Farouk. Farouk was an experienced worker who had a job on a huge building site in Alger and could read plans. He would be working under the watchful eye of Carmella.

The fourth truck was the motley bit and bobs of a crew who would be constructing the fields and paths according to plan. This crew would be controlled by Frunella with the help of three of my most stalwart leaders. They were Yousef, Brahim and Kamel who all had distinguished themselves on the qanat operation, being reliable and self-reliant. They would shape their rabble of workers into productive force and get the job done to Carmella’s satisfaction.

Carmella, the twins plus their nannies were already seated in the Land Cruiser and the new young driver Walid was eagerly behind the wheel adjusting his seat. I jumped in beside him and told him to go. He smiled and held his hand out quite rightly for the keys. He inserted the key in the slot, wiggled the gear lever, and twisted the key as the motor burst into life. So far so good. To prevent the embarrassing kangaroo starts I pressed the crawler gear button and asked Walid to depress the clutch and move the gear leaver back one notch. He knew what to do next and slowly raised the pedal and nothing happened to his surprise. I told him to ‘brum’ it. He understood and slowly the vehicle moved forward and the smile nearly split his face in two. We crawled along at about three kilometres an hour and I directed him to the track and follow the convoy. Fortunately his steering was instinctive so I told him to change up a gear and we doubled our speed to every ones delight but we were still lagging well behind the convoy with the Hilux with Savier, Mehdi and two armed guards following on behind us at an appropriate distance to avoid the cloud of dust. I was confident to get Walid to change to the third gear and then out of the crawler gear to the normal driving gears. We quickly caught up with the convoy and I was pleased that our new driver slowed down to keep pace and out of the dust cloud. I patted him on the back and pretended to relax and go to sleep.

Chapter 85

I watched and waved to the two forward trucks as they peeled off to their appropriate qanat shafts. Soon the wide dusty valley of the former oasis appeared with stack of hollow bricks in various places interspersed with sacks of cement. We would use the local sand and gravels in the lower oasis to make the concrete as needed. By the time Walid parked the men had jumped down from the trucks and were off loading their equipment amongst which were a dozen huge wooden ‘A’ frames which were causing a lot of interest. I was about to explain their use when Farouk took over and demonstrated their use for quickly finding a level on rough ground. Once the plumb bob centred they could swing the arm around and find a new level until they could draw contours along the landscape. They all nodded in understanding and Farouk allocated the frames to the three teams and called them all over to the exit of the qanat and quickly demonstrated how to mark the course of a level channel then sent them off to their allocated locations. I was pleased to be redundant.

I followed the group who were to build the dwellings up on a slope above the qanat. The rough positions were already market with bright orange pegs. Kamel decided he would take on the first build, looked at the plan and paced out the area to be dug out for the underground basement marking the corners with pegs. The men didn’t need further instruction but with hammocks and baskets started digging and clearing. The other two teams watched for a while and wandered off to their sites to start the same process. We were to build a dozen dwellings in the first instance, a water deposit, a series of out-door toilets linked by pipe to two septic tanks which would eventually provide good fertiliser. Frunella decided to make a competition of the building works with the first team to finish a dwelling get a prize of a whole roasted goat and spiced couscous. I wasn’t sure how that would work and if it was enough incentive but I was proved wrong. I think it appealed more to their pride rather than the prize.

The digger was following the line marked out by the ‘A’ frames and scooping   out a valley so that we could start laying the main channel. Men were already fixing wooden forms in place ready to pour concrete and the mixer was already grinding away, supervised by Mehdi. I went over to see Frunella setting out the garden plots and again the ‘A’ frames were being put to good use with the plot outline following the contours of the broad valley. Between the fields the men were constructing broad pathways and trenches to carry the water to each field. I was amazed by the instant progress being made until Frunella pointed out that the men were following the old field patterns which were distinct enough to be seen from certain angles.

   Seeing the progress I decided that for security reasons we should move our own encampment to the oasis since we were on the final phase. Savier, with a driver, a guard and I took the Hilux and a truck back to take down the camp and re-site it at the edge of the oasis. We reckoned that with the cooks we could do the job ourselves and let the good work carry on. On the way back I paid a visit the qanat teams who again seemed happy enough with their work but did complain of the water flowing down. They told me later that they took their trousers off whilst working to keep them dry. The chef and cooks weren’t too pleased to be told to dismantle their equipment and load it onto the truck whilst we dismantled the large tents. We planned to leave two up for transfer the following day. One was going to be for our guests who had agreed to come, en mass, to see their son at work. I still wondered where Savier was going to get all the finery to furnish the said tent.

Arriving back at the oasis we were confronted by the whole military contingent parked on a bluff above the oasis. A jeep with the Captain came down to greet us. He told us that they had come to see our operation and would help if needed. I took this to mean that he needed his men to be fed so I invited them to stay for lunch and evening meal if they helped to set up our kitchen and sleeping tent. The Captain also offered the use of his digger which he used to dig out fox holes to hide his vehicles out in the desert. I called over Carmella who instantly took up the offer and had the driver digging out foundations for the water deposit and the septic tank plus the ten basements for the dwellings. The experienced driver made short shrift of the work and suddenly the hillside looked like a bomb site. By the time the digger got onto the basements the three teams had progresses sufficiently in digging out and levelling their own basements in readiness for the concrete to be poured for the foundations. Again the military digger was useful in bringing up large bucket full of concrete to the sites from the large concrete mixer we had near the channels. Progress was fast that day.

A shout followed by an ear splitting whistle which brought me out of the van expecting some disaster. Instead I saw a worker at the mouth of the qanat waving his scarf and beckoning me to come. I rushed forward followed by Savier, Mehdi and a number of nearby workers. The man pointed to the ground in front of the qanat which had changed colour. Water was seeping down and disappearing into the dry ground. I grabbed Savier and we danced a jig of joy that our system was working even though the lining hadn’t been completed. Instead of a flow we had a trickle but the base of the unlined qanat was being saturated with water and eventually we would get a flow. I estimated that within a week the lining teams would be within a kilometre of the mouth and we would be getting a good flow, sufficient to flood the higher fields. I rushed off to impart the good news to Carmella and Frunella. By this time the children had come to see what the commotion was about and immediately started making mud pies.

Fortunately the chef had had a delivery that day so we were able to feed not only our workers but all the military personnel. The Captain informed us that he would be off on manoeuvres deep into the desert the following day but would leave a platoon to guard us and his digger which we could have use of. This would help us tremendously especially with moving concrete and digging out gravel. By the end of the day all three teams had concreted the foundations and laid the first layer of concrete blocks so the work was neck and neck. The channel team had poured two hundred metres of channel and had boarded up a further fifty metres ready for next day. Frunella was proud to report that five fields had been fully restored with raised paths between and water channels marked. She also announced that the children had dug a small channel to the top field and were racing twigs down the trickle and a brown wet patch was gradually spreading over the field. Even the workers were impressed that we had brought water to the oasis. By next day I hoped the trickle would turn into a stream. I had all the gang leaders join me and my team including the military officers at the top table. That not only gave them the choice cuts but they had the pride of place, a position at the high table.

I woke up early next morning with a crick in my back reminding me to reposition my camp bed a little more carefully. It was still dark but I was anxious to see how much water was flowing from the qanat. Dressing quickly I grabbed my torch and carefully unzipped the inner tent not to waken Carmella and the twins and crept out into the brisk star lit exterior. The smell of fresh coffee and fresh bread made me divert to the kitchen tent where I found the twelve soldiers already there, playing cards and sipping at mugs of hot coffee. The chef saw me entering and already had a mug poured alongside a fresh bun, split and smeared with cream cheese. I thanked him with a sleepy nod and he was off to empty the bread ovens without a word. With a bite at the bun and a careful sip of the scalding coffee I made my way outside towards the first field. It was light enough by the stars to see my way but I couldn’t make out how much of the field had been soaked. Turning on the powerful torch I was amazed to note that more than half of the field was a darker colour and where the water was streaming in pools and glistened in my torch light. I was so delighted that I stepped into the mud with my sandals still on my feet and felt the squelch of soft mud. I couldn’t resist cupping a hand of water and splashing it in my face in delight. It even tasted sweet not salty.

“You have done well Paulo,” said a voice quietly in French which I recognised to be Frunella’s.

 “We have all done well Frunella, to reach this stage and just think what this will be like in a month’s time with water gushing down the qanat and drowning the fields. This area will be green like England. What brings you out so early?”

“I couldn’t sleep. Too much on my mind and I was also intrigued by how much of the field was wet. I’m glad you brought your powerful torch so that we can see the full extent. Carmella will be excited by this. Do you know what she intends to do with these fields?”

“I believe that she will sow alfalfa initially as green manure and it will also attract the goats for further natural fertilisation I hope. Have you spoken to Mehdi?”

“Yes and he tells me that his parents and family are coming to visit next week. I am nervous and very anxious meeting with them. What if they don’t like me?”

“No worries on that score I’m sure but the more important concern is that they accept you as a wife for their son. You will have to be confident and demonstrate that you a major player in the team around here, more important than Mehdi. He’s only digging ditches, you are preparing for a new society to come and live here, so be determined not to hide your skills or your contribution to this project.”

“I have been discussing our future with Mehdi and even if we don’t get approval to marry then we still intend to take on the new project if it’s offered to us.”

“Good, I’m sure that Savier is impressed with your skills and the experience you have gained here.”

“Yes, it has been invaluable thanks to you and Carmella’s involvement and encouragement, but we understand it could be six months to a year before the next project is approved and Mehdi and I would love to come to Spain and work for you in any capacity to gain more experience of commercial life in the West. We wouldn’t need any pay, just accommodation. We have earned a lot on this project and saved every penny.” 

“Well I think that would be a delightful idea. We already have a number of students working for us as interns where we provide work experience, full board and even a substantial salary based on the students input.”

“But we couldn’t accept pay.”               

“Well that’s the only basis that we take students on. We’re not into cheap labour or modern slavery. Mention your desires to Carmella. Say I approve and she will find you a position in our organisation. She’s good at that but mainly scrounging the streets of our little township for drop outs, who are in need of a leg up. You two don’t even fit that category. Come on the sun’s coming up and my feet are wet and freezing in this mud. Let’s go for some breakfast and we can discuss this in more detail, especially your tactics of wooing Mehdi’s parents to your side.”

The dinning tent was busy with the first truck load of workers already tucking in to their breakfast. I filled up my coffee grabbed a bun and sat at our usual table when Carmella strode up behind me and asked, “Hey Paulo, have you seen the field. I thought you would be the first to check it out.”

“No I left the privilege to you darling.”

“So why the torch and muddy feet? I caught you out!”

“So you have. I couldn’t sleep so had a wander around and happened to step into a mud bath. Oh, here is Frunella, she needs a word with you but first of all make sure you don’t overdo it. You have to take extra care of yourself.”

“Don’t worry about that. I sit in the shade of a sun shade that the men have fixed up for me and watch the operation through binoculars, with the twins beside me all the time.”

“Good, I’m pleased. I’ll have a chat with the Officer in charge and see how he can help us today. Don’t worry I’m leaving the digger with you today to complete the footings and whatever else you want, chao!” and went off to ask the Officer if his men and truck could bring and re-erect one of the large tents we had left behind.   

Chapter 86

-

“Carmella, I have ordered more of the roof lintels and pillars to be delivered today. The quarry man said he would come with them. Do you want any more hollow blocks? I can get him to make up a couple of truck loads for you I don’t think our mixers can keep up with all the concrete we are using.” I asked whilst Carmella was in the midst of demolishing a huge breakfast.

“Might as well,” she said between mouthfuls. “They delivered some funny ‘T’ shaped bricks yesterday. I got the men to put them to one side. What are they for?”

“They are for the roof. They fit like lego between the concrete joists and then we’ll screed over them with concrete.”

“Sala said it would be nice if we tiled all the floors.”

“The budget will stand it. Also tile half way up the walls. It will be cleaner and we don’t have to render or plaster them so much. Next time I’m off the Laghouart, come with me and choose.”

“Why don’t you ask Sala to go with you? I don’t need two child minders.”

“Will do. Have they asked you about internships back at the Monastery?”  

“Yes, Mehdi, Frunella, Sala and Nassia all came together which surprised me. I had wondered how the twins could keep up with their French and Arabic and there’s your answer. They can go to college in Orgiva when they are not looking after our two and doing bits to help. I think it’s a good idea but Mehdi and Frunella are a different case. I’m not sure what they require training wise?”

“Well if all goes well with the parent thing then I will employ Mehdi as my Personal Assistant and Frunella can do the same for our Henryk. We have plenty of cars cruising between the Monastery and Granada or she can get her own wheels. She’s OK with English and French and she’ll pick up Spanish easily enough.”

“There you go Paulo, a solution for everything. I checked my Email this morning before you got up and there was a reply from Mehdi’s family accepting our invitation and one from Dennis saying he’s just picked up a flight from Geneva to Algers. So he should be with us in a few days. I’ll get accommodation ready for him. Now what’s happening with the accommodation for our honoured guests?”

“That’s in Savier’s hands. The army boys will be erecting the tent today and it’s up to him to furnish it as he has promised. Have you seen him this morning?”

“No but the Hilux is missing when I checked the field. He must have taken it. Now have you seen my field, its waterlogged all over and I shall be diverting the water to the second field sometime today. Then I shall be planting my first crop of alfalfa. Just watch me paint the desert green!”

“I’m just as excited as you on this. When are the date palms and other trees and shrubs going to be delivered?”

“Probably in a few weeks and we will get the men to plant them according to the plan. All this is going to cost Paulo!”

“Can’t spoil a ship for a pennorth of tar can we? This is a flagship project and we are saving quiet a lot on food. The men are forgoing their evening meal to get back home and if we run over budget I do have a contingency.”

“Well you might just have to delve into that. I’m off to check on the builders. See yah!” 

Savier returned early afternoon and set about ensuring the extra tent was erected as he had stipulated. I accosted him and asked about the furnishings and all I got from him was a tap on his nose for me to mind my own business. I went back to check on progress. Everyone was busy, too busy to chat so I took the Hilux, driver and guard and set off to check the progress of my qanat lining team. Again they were too busy to chat but told me the good news that they were well ahead of schedule and should have finished a week ahead. I assured them that there would be plenty of work for them at the Oasis when they finished the qanat. I got a smile and an indication that I should leave them to it. I later learned from Mehdi that all the workers were highly embarrassed by the incident and that’s why they were working doubly hard to please me.

On the drive back to our encampment a couple of enclosed trucks caught up with me and I let them pass and allowed time for the dust to settle. On arriving at our camp I couldn’t see the trucks and wondered where they were unless they continued southwards but there were no current visible tracks leading into the desert. I thought nothing of it and went to the van to cool off and get a beer. Mehdi was in the van working on the communal computer.

“Hi Paulo, I’m just completing the progress report for the morning whilst the information is still in my mind. Did you see a couple of trucks on your journey down here?”

“Yeh, I saw them and they were determined to pass me. Where are they?”

“Ah, that’s the secret. Savier had them drive into the big empty tent to unload and we are not allowed in there under the pain of death until he’s finished. We presume the trucks brought the furnishings and we are all intrigued. By the way I got a message from your brother Dennis that he is due here this evening. I’ve already got an inner tent and bedding set up for him.”

“Seems I’m redundant here, at least I can get you a beer.”

“Paulo, I do enjoy your beer but please don’t serve me any when Frunella’s family are here. They would object to a good and faithful Muslim boy imbibing alcohol.”

“Understood. Looking forward to meeting your family. We need some different faces about here and an occasion to celebrate. I hope you and Frunella have got your stories worked out. Don’t want the whole thing to go sour when we have gone to such trouble.”

“Well Carmella has promised to sing Frunella’s praises and is going to get mother to one side and mention what a good match we would be. I only hope it works. I’ve asked the chef to pull out all stops and lay on a banquet in the honour of my parents and also for your brother. I’ve given him some extra cash to fund it.”

“No need for that. I can reimburse you Mehdi. We all enjoy a party.”

“Yes but I do want to contribute to this one. Please let me.”

“OK, OK Mehdi but don’t tell Carmella.”

“I already have and she has graciously accepted my contribution. I am pretty wealthy in my own right and feel it is my duty to contribute. You folks have done so much for us.”

“OK, OK, sorry if I appeared ungracious. I’m off to inspect the flow in the qanat.”

“You’ll be pleasantly surprised there Paulo. The men have lowered the dam by a brick and the flow is quite brisk now. Maria and Janice are a little unhappy that their twigs float down too quickly. The second terrace is now completely wet and if you look carefully at an angle at the first field I’m sure you can detect the first green shoots of the alfalfa coming up. I shall have the men erect the fencing otherwise the goats will trample it all down before it has a chance.”

“Good thinking batman. Have you got the fencing?”

“We had a delivery yesterday made out of woven palm and lots of wooden stakes. I’ll get the soldiers onto it. They are bored and getting in the way.”

I nodded and went off to inspect. Sure enough the volume of water had doubled and the twins were nowhere to be seen. I went up to the building site and found them there with Sala and a guard playing board games under an awning whilst Carmella was giving some instructions to two of the foremen.

“Hi, what’s going on here?” I asked Carmella in English. She immediately replied in French for all to hear.

“Fine, all ahead of my schedule but we are all more intrigued by what’s going on in Savier’s domain. He’s warned us all off until after dinner tonight.”

“Daddy, daddy Janice won’t let me win!” said Maria in perfect Arabic then did a quick translation for me in Spanish. Janice stuck her tongue out and told me in French that it was untrue and that Maria was cheating. Sala got them back to concentrate on the game in hand.

“Paulo, you are to take Sala tomorrow to the tile warehouse and she is to choose the tiles for the houses. We need them so the men can finish off the first two.”

“Fine but what about the competition? Who will finish first?”

“I think it will be a dead heat,” said Sala in English, “So that both teams can claim the prize. They are not daft as you think Paulo. They have considered that you will provide a feast for both teams that way.”

“The scheming devils! It’s the same with pay. Why is it so difficult to incentivise them?”

“They would rather share in their fortune rather than one group take the spoils.”

“Well I applaud their generosity. I will have to employ different tactics to get them to work harder.”

“I don’t think you do Paulo. They see that you are a fair master and they will work according to how much you pay them.”

“So Sala if I paid them more they would work harder and get more done?”

“Maybe but Carmella thinks that they are working as hard as expected so you won’t get much more out of them and have probably pitched their remuneration correctly.”

“That’s very perceptive of you Sala. I will have to give this some thought. It is certainly different in Western society.”

“I think we will eventually catch up when the general economy improves and conditions improve for the lowly workers. The quarry manager was here earlier and he’s got a second project from the government casting thousands of concrete posts or pylons. He thinks they will be used for relaying electricity to these oases then all of them can have radios and television to spread the Government’s propaganda,”

“That’s a bit cynical Sala but I take your point but why not telegraph poles?”

“I suspect we will leapfrog that and have mobile phones instead. Much easier to set up a couple of relay masts on the hills.”

“You have an answer for everything there Sala.”

“I wish I had but we all hope that the politicians will encourage the economy to allow all of us to benefit. We are a proud nation and corruption is on the decline particularly with improved communications and education. You have witnessed how the people here on the fringes of the community have been lapping it up. As far as I can see the education part has overshadowed your qanat project.”

“Thanks for that vote of confidence, but I see your point Sala and I think Carmella needs to consider building a communal hall here to provide lessons and show the TV programmes plus recordings. Any thoughts on that Carmella dear?”

“You are all right on that. We have been considering the basics but forgotten the social and educational side. I’ll get Mehdi to draw up plans for a hall of some kind. Doesn’t have to be grand. Something on the lines we built in Africa. Basically somewhere to keep the sun off, keep the animals out and cut out the prevailing winds and if inquisitive people look over the wall so much the better.”

“OK folks I will fund that but we have a tight schedule to keep and as soon as the housing is complete I want all the effort go into the fields and ensure that they are well irrigated and productive before we go.”

“Have you seen the first growth coming through in our first field?”

“Mehdi told me but even with all my imagination I couldn’t muster up one blade of grass.”

“You will have to take a look when the sun is going down Paulo,” said Sala. “Then you will see the green of England I’m sure.”

Chapter 87

Dennis arrived just before the sun was setting and he was hot tired and hungry. I told him to strip off and jump in the pool that I had erected for the goats and our children to play in, that is before the goats had messed it up. The water straight from the qanat was cold and chilled him to the bone but revived him as much as the bottle of cold beer. Maria and Janice decided that they wouldn’t miss out on the fun and climbed in with Uncle Dennis with their clothes on to splash him. It was good to have him back in the fold. After he had finished his beer I hosed him down and wrapped him in a towel and the children led him off to our tent to show him his new accommodation. 

Dinner was served to the workers and the rest of the top table waited for Dennis to rest a little and arrange his belongings. Savier joined us but wouldn’t be drawn into any discussion of his marquee which we had now nicknamed Savier’s Palace. Dennis sat between Sala and Nassia with Savier and the Captain on the opposite side flanked by Carmella and myself. The Foremen had eaten earlier and were off back to their village. Dennis started off the proceedings after he was introduced.

“Good evening all and thank you for the wonderful welcome. I’ve heard a lot about you from the regular mails from Carmella and Paulo my brother here. As you are aware my wife died recently after a long and painful illness and she wrote a long letter to Carmella describing her wishes. She doesn’t want anyone to mope and mourn over her and wants everyone to carry on as before. In fact she suggested I should come out here and said we should not discuss her at all after the initial formalities that we are going through now. I want to respect her wishes so treat me as a normal visitor and don’t pussy foot around me. I’m OK with it all I had nine months to prepare for it all so if you will now join me in a toast to Sandra. To Sandra!”

“To Sandra,” we all stood and toasted her with bottles of beer and glasses of juice. Sitting down Dennis immediately launched into his adventurous journey of getting here, all embellished for a good tale. We were all hungry and the chef had surpassed himself with lots of side dishes to go with the roast kebabs of succulent lamb and kid. Dennis said he had brought presents for all and would dish them out tomorrow when he had sorted them out and repacked them.

As the meal came to a natural end Savier stood up and clanked two bottles together to get every bodies attention. “You may all have been wondering what I’ve been up to all day away from my usual duties of recording every grain of sand and every drop of water moving. Well I now invite you all to inspect Savier’s Palace in all of its glory. For Dennis’s sake I must mention that this has been done for a specific reason that no doubt Carmella will impart at some stage so please follow me and be amazed and astounded.”

As we approached Savier gave a piercing whistle and two Arabs all in fabulous regalia of the Berbers, flung back the door curtains and we could perceive a strong waft of incense blowing our way. The transformation of the huge marquee was altogether stupendous. The whole floor was covered in rich carpeting with scattered cushions everywhere and the walls and ceiling were hung with silk drapes that truly converted an ordinary tent into a palace. We clapped in joy as the two Berbers brought us trays of mint tea. I saw Frunella looking tearful, embraced by Mehdi. Carmella embraced Savier and kissed him on the cheek in appreciation. Dennis of course had to jest that we needn’t have gone to so much trouble for him. I just gaped at the finery. Savier approached us as the group scattered inspecting the finer points and disclosed that his uncle in Laghouart was a carpet merchant and all this was on loan from his warehouse. The inside was lit up by old fashioned kerosene lamps which gave off a warm glow. The smell was countered by numerous joss sticks smouldering on platforms fixed to the supporting poles.

We all sat or lay down on the cushions in Arab style whilst Savier took a number of photographs and videos of us enjoying the luxury.

“Hey Paulo, do you know what I’m thinking,” said Carmella as she snuggled up to me on the soft ornate cushions.

“I have an inkling that you want to pick up the whole caboodle and teleport it to Spain. I know I’m right by your mischievous smile. Could we afford it I wonder and where would you put it?”

“Don’t be so negative Paulo. Not like you. Just think of the effect this would have on our visitors if we had a wild desert party every week for our guests. Just think how appropriate this would be in our Alpujaras which was overrun by the Berbers for seven hundred years. We would just be recreating some of the history and reminding the locals of their probable origins. Leave it to me and I’ll have a word with Savier and if the package is reasonable than I’m going to do it. We own the tent after all.”

“Maybe but just look at the carpets and hangings, I don’t think they are the cheapest on the shelf.”

“We shall see but we need something to fill our container to stop our palm chairs rattling around.”

“OK, you win but I will check our personal finances.”      

“Ah, but this cost will come out of my own Monastery budget and you keep telling me that it’s all rosy on that front. After all it won’t be for personal use. Can you see us lugging those huge things in the boot all the way to a camp site?”

“Have it your own way.” 

The following morning Dennis woke late and came round to the van in search of me and especially some coffee to refresh him. I took pity on him and took him to the kitchens where the chef always had a pot of coffee on the go and we were lucky to get some fresh buns filled with cream cheese straight from the oven.

“Hey, brother you seem to have a good set up here. I’m now eager that you show me the sights especially these tunnels that you are excavating.”

“Not excavating them but clearing them, renovating and lining them so that we don’t get the massive leakage into the substrata of old. I’ll show you around the oasis first then we’ll take a trip out to the qanat shafts.”

“So that’s what you call them. Can I have a look inside one? Can we go down a shaft and have a look see.”

“Of course, I’ll put some lamps and hard hats in. I believe you have a pair of sturdy boots with you and you really need them in this environment. Come on then let’s do the managerial walk around the site and I’ll introduce you to the key people.” 

We watched the workers pouring concrete into wooden formers extending the main irrigation channel way beyond the sixth marked out terrace whilst the field workers were levelling up the retaining walls for the fifth terrace. From there we were almost level with the first field and it was definitely taking on a tinge of green. Then second terrace had been seeded with alfalfa and the third terrace was now being flooded. We met Mehdi and a team erecting fences to keep out the goats to give the alfalfa a chance to germinate and take root. Mehdi suggested that as the alfalfa grew we should scythe it to provide the first crop of hay that can be stored for fodder. He also told us that rather than the makeshift fencing he would be planting a thorn hedge.

The building site under Carmella’s supervision was progressing nicely with all the foundations poured and the first course of blocks laid clearly marking out the basements.

“Paulo, you need to order the tiles or we shall be behind.”

“Yeh, I’ll go tomorrow but I need to catch up on my reports. I’ll take Sala and she can choose.”

“Can I come with you Paulo? I won’t be much help but it could be more interesting than just seeing builders at work.”

“Better still Dennis, why don’t you go with Sala and she’ll show you around Langhouat. You might as well take a truck and bring a load back and Paulo can do his admin. Mehdi’s parents are due to arrive in three days so we shall be busy entertaining.”

“I’d love to do that Carmella. I would feel that I’m doing something positive rather than getting under your feet.  OK Paulo, take me to see the tunnels and complete the picture.”

We took the Hilux with driver and guard to the first shaft that the men were lining and I explained the operation and process to Dennis who was eager to get down to the tunnels and explore. We were hoisted down and found the men half naked working in the wet laying the concrete basis, level according to the laser set in the roof. Dennis was impressed by the simplicity of the system and its capacity to transport ground water over such huge distances.

“Hey Paulo I am impressed. I didn’t think my younger brother was so competent across such a wide range of activities from divining water, to poisonous cacti, to making wine and so on. Now how far are we from the exit at the oasis?”

“A rough calculation I would say less than two kilometres, maybe a little more.”

“Do you know what I’m thinking? Yes, we crawl to the end just like the potholing we used to do in the Dales years ago. We’ve got lamps and helmets so ready to go. Are you game for it my little brother? It would be quite exciting.”

“Apart from exciting there is a bit of danger to it from the roof collapsing on us.”

“That’s not going to happen if we are careful.”

“OK, I’m game but it will be wet so let’s take our trousers off and wrap some of this sacking for protection to our knees. The driver can follow us along the length and we’ll shout up to him at each shaft we pass.”

The men helped us wrap our knees securely and we set off at a slow crawl along the muddy bottom. Every so often we came across a roof fall which dammed the water creating a lake allowing the water to soak away underground. We broke these down with our trowels and carried on. As planned the driver was waiting for us at the next shaft and seeing our lights shining up we shouted to him that we were OK and carrying on to the next shaft. The debris at the bottom of each shaft dammed up quite a lake and we had some back breaking work opening the channel. We had no trouble with the crawling with the roof being quite high and well above our heads. I was surprised that so much water was still seeping through the regular obstructions from roof falls and debris falling down the shafts. It took us three or more hours to get to the exit and we had a large welcoming committee waiting and cheering as we emerged. We looked a sight, all muddy, in wet boxer shorts and bound knees. Savier was there to record it all. We plunged into the pond to clean up and Mehdi kindly showered us down with a hose. We were quite elated and particularly pleased that we had cleared the water channel and the flow had improved considerably.

At lunch we had to recount our adventure in great detail particularly for Maria and Jessica who also wanted a trip along the qanat. Dennis fortunately diverted the conversation by handing out presents to all. The girls got a beautiful black doll each dressed in traditional Arabic costumes, Carmella received a gorgeous gold necklace, I got a book on divining water which went down well, a book on achievements of the UN for Savier, Sala and Nassia got a French/Spanish dictionary, Mehdi was given a book on people management and the Captain a book on Alexander the Great and his Military achievements. We were all pleased and toasted Dennis with beer and fruit juices.      

Chapter 88

Mehdi’s family arrived in a convoy of dilapidated Peugot 402’s and were all in quite a state having broken down numerous times on the way. Fortunately these cars were sturdy if not comfortable in this harsh environment. Some urgent coaxing and liberal use of a hammer got them moving again. The family and friends were exhausted and we packed them off to rest in their palace of an abode, sending in chilled drinks and sweet meats to help their recovery. Mehdi was in a state of shock and Frunella had to calm him down as much as she could. Even though he was the youngest boy in the family he was still seen as a baby, incapable of anything that mother requested. Father apparently just settled down on some cushions and demanded Mehdi to sneak him in a bottle of cold beer wrapped in a cloth to disguise it. Mother found fault with everything according to Mehdi until she fell asleep and normality in the household resumed.

Mehdi then described his family or at least the ones that had ventured this far. There were three uncles, four aunts, two brothers, three sisters, two personal servants, a cook and three other hangers-on that Mehdi wasn’t acquainted with. They had all travelled in four ancient Peugots 402 cars, overloaded with passengers and roof racks bulging with bedding and tents. Mehdi wasn’t capable of organising accommodation for them in the desert they assumed. Fortunately the Captain came to the rescue. He was fully aware of the etiquette required on these occasions and helped Carmella with setting out the evening reception and banquet which he insisted should be held in our ordinary, functional dining tent to show what effort Mehdi had gone to make his parents comfortable. The contrast would settle them down he said. He even drew up the seating plan with the key people, me, Carmella, Frunella and Savier in the high place of honour with mother, father and the Captain himself to sell the praises of the women. The rest including Mehdi would be seated on the lower table with the family and friends plus Dennis, Sala and Nassia. At the last moment Salhadin made an appearance and space had to be made at the top table for him.

Communications with the palace were through their servants and at sundown they were invited to the dining tent where formal welcome and introductions were made orchestrated by our Captain who should have been in the Diplomatic Corps the expert way he handled the formal proceedings. Our visitors were enchanted and after a round of soft drinks and sweet meats the top table guests were ushered to their seats. Mehdi was left to arrange the lower tables. The proceedings were all carried out in French and not a word of Arabic was spoken apart from Mehdi dismissing his parent’s servants who were hovering over the mother and getting in the way.

The meal was sumptuous with generous touches of Western fare, probably more than we were used prior to this visit but that was directed by the Captain to provide some ‘je ne sais quoi’ and place the visitors at a little disadvantage. My impression of the Captain rose fourfold the way he handle the guests and steered the conversation. Frunella’s CV was expertly manipulated and embellished that made her blush intensely. Savier went to great length in support to such an extent that Carmella and I felt secondary not that we minded. The whole point of the exercise was to show Frunella in best of light. The Captain rounded off Frunella’s many assets by announcing that Nassia would be showing the family around the site tomorrow since Frunella and Mehdi had important tasks to perform. Dennis who was more than interested in overhearing the conversation at the top table admitted to me later that we should pressgang the Captain to work for us in Spain.

Mother and father glowed with pride when I praised Mehdi’s engineering expertise and his effective man management. Savier then added that Mehdi was an important asset to the UN Relief Organisation in Algeria plus Frunella and he hoped to employ them both on important future projects locally and in other Countries.  They seemed genuinely impressed as the Captain led the discussion to their wellbeing and their sumptuous accommodation that their son had organised. They kept turning around to take a glimpse at their son who was being show to them in new light. Frequent glances in the direction of Frunella also demonstrated their interest in this wonder woman. I also discovered the Captain’s name which he had withheld from us as a matter of security as he had said. Captain Ferers was a Commander of an elite squad of men and Mehdi’s father Hakim told me that his men formed the protection guard for the Government Ministers and Captain Ferers rank was much higher in normal Military circles. I still continued the protocol of addressing him as just Captain as he requested at our first meeting.

At the end of the meal the Captain suggested that the women retire to the palace tent for further refreshment whilst the men would continue to discuss politics, high finance and indulge in some imbibing of illicit alcoholic beverages though the latter wasn’t announced. The Chief had to be literally poured back into his car for the journey back home. The Captain formally finished the proceeding at midnight and sent everyone back to the quarters. A jeep whisked him away before I could thank him and we saw Frunella and Mehdi walk away together up beyond our building site into the desert no doubt to discuss their first impressions of her meeting Mehdi’s parents. I only hoped the next few days would be just as impressive for both their sakes. Tomorrow or the day after Carmella had planned to waylay the mother and check the feasibility of the match and also inform her of our intention to invite a number of the senior staff here to further their education, training and experience with our organisation in Spain. 

Mehdi’s mother Rabah was a feisty woman and obviously in total charge of the household. Hakim the father just let her have her way even though he had held high office in the Government.  Rabah, a portly woman, dressed in an expensive gown and head scarf immediately summoned Frunella to her tent after breakfast for interrogation. Then it was Savier’s turn followed by Carmella’s. I hoped to have escaped but no, I was summoned and grilled mercilessly. She had certainly summed up the social situation on site very clearly, with me on top of the pile followed by Savier, Carmella and then came Mehdi. Frunella wasn’t listed so far but with more prodding I had to place her just under Carmella. I then had the difficult and awkward time of explaining her relationship with Mehdi and Mehdi’s position in the organisation. I tried to explain that Mehdi as an engineer was employed by the UN to get experience in renovating qanats whilst Frunella current task and future important tasks would be to ensure that the people adapted to the changes in their circumstances. I tried to say that her role was most important in the success of such projects but she clearly understood and told me just that. Then came the sixty four thousand dollar question, what was her current relationship with her son? I had to admit that they were very interested in each other according to my observations and would make an admirable couple. She frowned and switched to another topic. I learned later that her interrogation had followed a similar path with Carmella and Savier but with more questions about Frunella’s position and prospects also digressing to her ability to control children which we all took to be a good sign.

The week with the parents came to a happy ending with the mother agreeing with Carmella to consider Frunella for her son with some seriousness. This according to Mehdi was a good sign and he promptly downed a bottle of cold beer in celebration. I arranged that Mehdi should drive his parents to Laghouart in the comfort of the Land Cruiser with full air con rather than the overstuffed Peugots. I hoped that would help to seal the deal. Mehdi returned without an answer but not crestfallen which was the best sign we had.   

Chapter 89

“Carmella, are you awake?”

“Yeh, I can’t sleep, too much on my mind.”

“Like what?”

“Do you know I’m getting home sick, strange but true and it’s nought to do with my pregnancy. I’m perfectly fine so no worries on that score. Jessica and Maria are missing the village kids and are asking when we will be back at the Monastery where they have kids of their own age to play with.”

“I hadn’t bargained that by sending the families away we would be denying our two playmates companionship.”

“We did the right thing. There would be complications now that we are on the site of the oasis. They would all want to live here seeing the accommodation. When are you going for the tiles? We desperately need them to finish the first two dwelling which will be our show houses.”

“Dennis has volunteered to go but he’s going to take Nassia. What do you make of that?”

“She’s a lovely girl and very competent. Does any task I give her quite expertly and the people, even the men respect her. She doesn’t volunteer her services but does all I ask willingly. What are you getting at?”

“Nothing but I have noticed that Dennis is taking a lot of interest in her or haven’t you noticed?”

“Not aware but I’ll check it out. You know her background don’t you and she’s a mature student, much older than Frunella and Sala. I doubt it will develop too much.”

“If you say so. I had a mail that the first load of palms will be delivered tomorrow. How are you going to plant them?”

 “I need more men to dig holes. Have you any spare Paulo?”

 “I’ll get the military digger driver to dig holes for you. He’s far more expert than ours and less likely to do damage to the fields. My qanat operation is nearing its final phase so I’ll take one of the crews off and get them to help.”

“Thanks but won’t that slow down your operation?”

“It will but if they finish too quickly we will have problems with more water flooding down before the irrigation channels are finished. I’d like coordinate the two to coincide so we have a ceremony and party to celebrate.”

“Good thinking Batman, I’ll sleep easy, night.”

Early next morning I heard the truck depart with Dennis, Nassia plus the driver and guard. After a quick breakfast I checked Nassia’s file in the comfort of the van. Her photo showed an attractive oval face with a slightly crooked nose which had been broken and not reset properly. I gave her a mischievous air but only added to her interesting face. She was the youngest of eight children and had to look after an ailing mother hence the delay in her education. She was in her thirtieth year and her ambition was to be a secondary school teacher after she had completed her University course which I learned was modular so that she could work to earn money and then follow a stint of studies. I wondered if anything would develop with the relationship but put it to the back of my mind.

Inspecting the first two finished dwellings I found the workers brushing out the dust and building debris and constructing a wooden ladder to reach the roof above the open terrace. The main building was enclosed in a dome which allowed the hot air to rise and escape. This was a new development in the locality but a common feature in hot countries. It was more expensive to build and the farmers needed the flat roofs for drying and threshing their crops. We had provided this element with the terrace roof which also provided much needed shade from the searing sun. I found Carmella nicely ensconced sitting on a palm chair with a table at her side, under a large canopy, positioned on a hillside to receive maximum breeze.

 Jessica and Maria were busy playing with their new dolls on the carpet covering the ground. As I talked to them numerous labourers would come to report progress and check the next stages of their work. I was surprised that all this was carried out in Arabic. Carmella had a smattering of the language but was probably more competent in the builders needs than anything but the majority of help came from her two daughters who were obviously practiced translators and filled in any gaps in the communications. I commented to Carmella that the girls were already trained women multi-taskers since they could translate and concentrate on their game at the same time. Sala, I found was doing the rounds of the site taking notes and photographs for our records of progress. 

Most of the builders were now working on building up the block walls of the other buildings and I noticed it was going at quite a pace and with more care than I had seen elsewhere. On questioning one of the workers he told me they had to build a flat surface for tiling and now they were in a habit of doing a good job on the rest. One of them admitted that he hoped to set up as a builder in Laghuoart with the money he had earned after this job was finished. I hadn’t realised until then the amount of new capital and seed money we had introduced to the local community with our project. Even if the oasis failed some good had taken place.

It was in the heat of the afternoon that I noticed the dust cloud heralding trucks arriving. I looked out of the van window and saw Dennis’s truck plus an unknown truck all fully laden with pallets of goods covered with sacks of what I presumed cement. They were totally covered in dust so I couldn’t make out the occupants clearly.

“Hey Paulo, give me a cool beer, I’ve just been in a hot oven for three hours. I’ll just dust myself down and come inside in a minute and bring you up to date.” Whilst Dennis was brushing himself down, I got two beers out of the fridge and a juice for Nassia who I expected to join us.

“You look shattered but elated. So sit down and tell all.”

“You’re right. Travelling in this country is murder without air con. Open windows just let the dust in and the air filters have been taken out since they get blocked up so frequently. Do you ever get used to it?”

“Not really but one adapts slowly. The first thing is to take things at a snail pace and carry a water bottle even to douse oneself down now and again. You’ll get used to it. Now tell me all. Where’s Nassia?”

“Oh she’s off to tell Carmella the good news. She was wonderful, I just stood around smiling. A bit of an idiot me thinks. Anyway, we went around the markets and saw millions of tiles to see the range, then the wholesalers and finally we got to the factory where they make them. At each point the price halved so I think we have a good deal. They grade the tiles into three, premium, best and rejects. Funny grading but the rejects are the ones most households buy. The best are for hotels and offices where large exposed areas are covered whilst the premium ones are for export and government buildings and the personal use of Government officials.”

“I hope you secured all the premium ones for us?”

“You may jest but I could hardly make out the difference. Anyway Nassia negotiated for the lower quality ones but they only had four pallets of those left so cleverly she suggested that the manager give us the unsorted ones straight from the kilns at the same price. Smart move since the sorting process was quite labour intensive.”

“So how many tiles did you buy?”

“More than enough for Carmella. We also bought the adhesive cement and cutting tools plus a few crates of beer to stock up your fridge.”

“Brilliant, we were getting low.”

“Nassia then diverted us to a vineyard and we bought a couple of case of their passable wine. Not as good as the stuff you make with our secret ingredient but quite quaffable. Cor, I miss that cactus juice, don’t you?”

“I must admit that there is a certain craving. The food here could do with a spike of that stuff. I should have brought a few barrels to see us through.”

“Most amiss of you brother. I miss the old Monastery of ours, don’t you?”

“Carmella was talking in the same vein last night being a little homesick. I reckon we will finish here in a month. The planting is to start today so I’m expecting a few truckloads of palms any time soon. We shall leave Mehdi and Frunella here for at least a month when we leave, to settle in the families and sort out any problems. How long will you be staying with us? There’s no obligation for you to stay to the end.”

“Oh, I haven’t given it a thought but if you can keep me busy then I’ll stay to the bitter end. It’s quite an eye opener for me this UN relief thing. I see you in new light brother. Most impressed. I shall be there when they pin another dozen medals on your chest. Now let’s open another couple of bottles, a man could die of thirst around here!”  

A couple of hours later another cloud of dust on the horizon marked the convoy of trucks bringing in the date palms and plants Carmella had ordered. I radioed Carmella with the news and also pre-warned one of my qanat teams to finish their current task and come and help with the planting. Seven large trucks arrived heavily laden with mass of trees with their roots bound in sacking. I wondered how we were going to manoeuvre and plant these heavy trees but as they say in Yorkshire, ‘Don’t try and teach your grandmother to suck eggs.’

Frunella had everything in hand as I just watched. The military driver was already digging holes with the back hoe of our own machine, men were filling the holes with water from hoses attached to an electric pump, and Frunella was instructing one of our drivers to use their truck hoists to unload the trees. I watched, fascinated that the trees were transferred directly onto a cart like contraption which the supplier had brought. I suddenly realised its purpose when I saw a gang of men wheel the first palm into position and upend the cart so that the root ball fell directly into the water filled hole. Another gang back filled the hole, stamping the ground firmly with their feet. My qanat team had arrived. They watched the simple procedure and set to with a couple of carts to repeat the task further down the line. I then spied Dennis under a big brimmed hat, wearing an Arab coverall with hose in hand filling in the holes with water. Again I felt a little useless at that point so I decided to help by joining the watering gangs and letting the man help with the heavy carts. I got a good soaking for my pains with a carelessly directed hose held by my brother. I refrained from reacting since Carmella and the children were arriving to see the new planting in progress.

Within a couple of hours we had completed the first field and were onto the second. When I questioned Carmella on the point, she didn’t seem concerned that the alfalfa seedlings were being trampled into the ground. The girls decide they wanted to do the watering so Dennis and I handed over the hoses and went to inspect the work of the digger. I was pleasantly surprised that Frunella had colour pegged each planting position and the colours determined the type of tree or shrub to be set. It wasn’t as haphazard as I had first thought. Even the depth of the hole was predetermined according to the driver who was at least a field ahead of the planting. Looking back we suddenly saw a forest of green fields and green palms thrusting up to the sky amidst a backcloth of brown desert and deep blue sky.

“Hey Carmella, what a wonderful sight,” I shouted to Carmella who was approaching. “You’re turning the desert green!”

“Yeah it seemed almost impossible and incomprehensible that that we have reached this stage. It’s all down to my magician here who once again provided the secret ingredient, pure water that’s turned the valley green again.”

“He’s done it again my clever brother. I’m proud of him even though his mother called him a useless piece of no good. What wonders is he going to perform next?”

“Well I’m going to tie him down to a desk at the Monastery for a good number of years Dennis and train him to be a good father and bring up his children in a stable atmosphere. If we continue this type of life they’ll end up gypsies.”

“You haven’t done so bad so far you two. I’m envious of your achievements but I suppose you have responsibilities to your children. I probably don’t fully understand that and just as well Sandra and I didn’t produce any in the circumstances.”

“It’s the first time you have raised her name Dennis?” asked Carmella.

“Yes, but I do think of her all the time, well most of the time. Coming here has been a godsend for me. It’s taken my mind off the tragedy and seeing life in a new way. This project is a demonstration for me that desert can be brought into life where there is a will and it has given me new perspective for my future and I can only thank you two for the opportunity you have given me.”

“Wow, that’s a bit strong brother but we are always here to support you as you know. It’s up to you to decide what path you take.”

“I have made some decisions. I want to go back to Spain but not sure what position I should play in your organisation. Hear me out Paulo. I’m not sure I’m suited to the restaurant trade seeing the work that your superman Henryk has been doing. He is professional, I’m just an amateur. I’m thinking of taking over your wine trade Paulo if you will let me, even buying up some vineyards locally so we have our own supply of ingredients. I’d like to do the champagne trick of turning indifferent wines into elixirs, that’s how that monk in the Paris basin discovered it and we have the advantage of living in a Monastery for starters.”

“We will support you in any venture you choose Dennis, won’t we Carmella?”

“Of course Dennis. We are a family and we will look after each other.”

“Well thank you but I do have my own means so if I get a burden to the organisation you can tell me to clear off. Hey we should stop here, look the workers need our help or at least our praise for the work they are achieving. We need to slow them down. Their current efforts in this heat must be taking a toll.”

The workers were definitely excited by the transformation and since some of them may have been on the list to take up gardens here, they were working at extra pace. I called a halt to the work, told them to take five, have a drink and ensure all the plants were watered and stamped in. I put Dennis in charge of the offloading onto the carts and told him to slow it down. The girls had got fed up with the watering and had gone off to play with Sala. I got two of the workers to take their place. From then on the work proceeded at a calculated pace. I went off to have a word with the chef to include the drivers and workers for an evening meal and probably breakfast and lunch tomorrow. He had already calculated that and had also ensured that there was sufficient space for them to sleep in the workers tent. Again I felt redundant so I went off to the van to check my mail and update my progress report. I also moved the van to a better position so I had a view down the valley and the oasis. It looked splendid from my new view point. 

I could see Dennis giving instructions for the offloading and I observed that with him was Nassia standing rather close. I observed them for a while and I recognised all the signs of serious flirting between them. I radioed Carmella and told her in Spanish that she should also take a peek in their direction and confirm my suspicions. I got a call a few minutes later and agreeing on the matter and suggested I should broach the subject with my brother and give our blessing. I couldn’t concentrate on my report so I decided to check on my brother and also on Savier who was busy filming the planting.

“Hey Dennis!” I called over to him, seeing Nassia walking off to some workmen. “You’re getting very friendly with our lovely Nassia I noticed?”

“Yeah, she’s is quite something. If I was in a town I’d be asking her out for a date. I’m not sure what the protocol is out here in the desert?”

“I would suggest that you commandeer the Hilux and a trip to the dunes to observe the setting sun and don’t forget to take a bottle of the wine you brought and a couple of glasses, for medicinal purposes of course.”

“You’re a devious bugger Paulo. So you think it would be in order for me to ask her out?”

“Hey since when have you asked your brother’s permission to pursue a girl? Go for it I say. You know she’s coming to Spain for at least six months as an intern with Frunella, Sala, and Mehdi.”

“I knew Frunella and Mehdi were coming at some time but not about Nassia and who’s paying for all that?”

“I am or we are as part of our social contribution. It was Carmella’s idea. We train them up, give them experience and send them back here to carry on the good work.”

“But in case of Nassia she won’t be involved with qanat renovation or will she?”

“I doubt it but the experience will be good for her don’t you think?”

“So I will be able to ask her out in civilisation and dine the lady?”

“So you are serious then. If it’s of any worth Carmella and I approve.”

“Thanks Paulo, so you have noticed. You don’t think it’s a bit early?”

“Dennis you have been grieving for the last year and it’s time to stop and enter a new phase in your life.”

“Thanks.”

I went off in search of Savier and eventually found him in the palace tent with two of his Berber guards. I thought that they had gone but they were busy packing up the interior, rolling up the carpets and folding the ten gorgeous linings.

“Hi Savier, I’ve been looking for you. I was wondering how we were going to take down the interior but you’ve already started I see.”

“These are my father’s men and I asked them to stay to do the packing but since you have bought the whole caboodle then I’ve got the men to pack them extra carefully and they are going to bundle the furnishings in these esparto grass mats that were used as an underlay for the carpets. That should be enough protection during the transit.”

“Thanks. I probably wouldn’t have thought of that. We are also going to take this tent so we will take it down carefully. Hey tell me truthfully, has Carmella got a good bargain on all of this.”

“Well you work it out. You have all of these medium priced pieces at wholesale price. If you had bought them at the market or one of the town shops you could have bargained your life and not got down to these prices. Carmella didn’t even ask for a discount.”

“I’m ever so very grateful to you.”

“Well, we made our usual wholesale mark up so we or my father is satisfied. I’ll have his men deal with the tents get them to mark the covers to make it easier to erect in Spain. Will you be taking the posts?”

“Yes the lot, I think they will look more authentic than local poles. If you could, take some photos as you take it down as a record to help the erectors at the other end.”

“I’ll also mark up the poles to make it easier. When will the container arrive?”

“I’ve booked it in a week’s time and the driver knows to pick up the palm furniture first. I’ve also sorted out all the shipping details out of Alger.”

“You’re well ahead then. I’ll have my men stuff the container for you. They are quite adept at that. The carpets and tents we will stack in a pile. They won’t come to any harm here. Now I need to get back to the filming of the planting for the records.”

“What are you going to do with all that film?” I asked as we wandered over to the gardens.

“Well I’m putting together a fifteen minute film with music and commentary as a full documentary record and then a three minute film for the UN media people to use. I’ll make sure you get a copy of both. I quite enjoy filming.”

  

      The planting was progressing at a measured pace controlled by Dennis at the trucks. Carmella and Frunella were supervising in the fields and slowly a forest was growing in my oasis.

“Aren’t these thing a bit close together?” I asked.

“The planting underneath will require shade,” replied Frunella. “It will also reduce evaporation.”

“So what planting are you going to do prior to the people moving in?”

“Look, I have a plan drawn out here. We will plough furrows with the motorised rotivator Carmella has brought.”

“I didn’t know she got a rotivator?”

“It’s only for our use to get the thing started and speedup the process. The water will flow down the inter-winding furrows and then we will plant beans, millet, greens, carrots, various types of pumpkin. Carmella has bought lots of varieties and we will see which flourish best. When the people move in they will have something to crop immediately. With the heat here things grow rapidly and with proper crop rotation the locals will get numerous crops a year?”

“Sounds good but what are you going to do with the alfalfa?”

“Well that will be ploughed in but some will continue to grow in between the planting. We are going to encourage the locals not to pull it out so that when the fields are fallow the alfalfa will grow and provide natural fertiliser to the soil. Also the farmers, if they do weed, will be shown and taught the ‘chop and drop’ method as adopted by permaculture.”

“You’ve turned into quite a farmer Frunella,” I commented as she coloured up.

“Your Carmella has taught me much and I have spent a lot of time talking to the locals and picking their brains. After all they have spent generations farming these irrigated land but we are trying to establish best practice from around the world. The individual plots are large enough for each family to produce a decent surplus which they will be able to sell.”

“But getting to town is a problem being way out here.”

“Yes, but Carmella has instructed me to form a cooperative where the farmers can sell their surplus produce and the co-op will then arrange transport to market at appropriate times.”

“Sounds good but will the locals accept that?”

“They will if they can buy bits and pieces from the peddlers with the cash coming in. You have already set the system up by paying wages and the peddlers are eager to come and trade. The Co-op will provide and ensure better prices than from the peddlers and traders, which will set a benchmark.”

“So I have introduced them to a capitalist economy then?”

“Well let’s say you have kick started their needs by providing them with cash but they will soon be dragged into the modern world with the coming of electricity. Abdul from the quarry has arrived and will no doubt talk to you. Now that your work is drying up it’s been replace by a Government contract to supply thousands of concrete pylons. Not only is he casting them but has to distribute them along the roads. He showed me a map and both the oases are included. He asked me to broach a subject with you. He wants to purchase one of your trucks with a hoist when you have finished with it here.”

“He must have done well out of us. Tell him to come and see me and I will make a deal with him. I have to check with Savier, he might have need for them on the next qanat project.”

“Well why don’t you rent them to him? It will be some months before the next project is approved.”

“Good thinking Frunella. We’ll make a business woman out of you yet. I’ll go and find Abdul and see if he will store all the metal work that we have accumulated. The quarry is far enough from the main stream of life and our things shouldn’t go missing too easily.”        

Later that evening the trucks left to bring more plants and when I inspected the fields I found about half already planted and a man was walking up and down the top field behind a rotavator leaving neat furrows behind him, ready for planting.

Chapter 90

The last terrace had been planted with palms and the fields were all resplendent green with the vigorous Alfalfa when I got an urgent message on my radio instructing me to go to the qanat opening.

“What’s the urgency,” I asked of Savier and saw Carmella, Frunella, Dennis and Nassia all congregating around the gaping entrance to the qanat.

“Hey Paulo, this is the day you have been waiting for. The men are about to appear here finishing the renovation.”

“But, but they are supposed to be working into the qanat from this end.”

“Yes, but I thought it would be more dramatic if they broke through to the surface like miners so I can video it. They only have twenty metres to line and if you look carefully you will see the rails poking out. They are doing the full roof lining as they approach the entrance. This is exciting. Look, Sala is bringing your Jessica and Maria and Dennis is off to the fridge for the beer crates. We will have an initial celebration when the men appear then the full wiz bang at dinner tonight.”

“Not sure we should give them beer but I suppose the labels have come off in the fridge and they look like coke bottles. Savier, it wouldn’t be right to show them coming out with beer bottles.”

“Don’t worry your pretty head Paulo, it will be all discrete but the men will enjoy the glory.”

A helmeted head appeared out of the opening then disappeared. The rails shifted and were withdrawn down the tunnel then we heard the rattle of the trolleys on the rails and looking up the tunnel we could see men with helmet lights flashing as they lay the base concrete forms and more rattling of the rails then more base forms appeared and then there was silence and we all waited expectantly when suddenly the rails were thrust out of the opening at least three metres and dangled on the ground when suddenly a man with an orange helmet came scooting out on a trolley, screaming in delight and rolled off the end, into the water. He sat up and shouted towards the tunnel and a second man scooted out then a third and fourth and fifth, all screaming in delight as if they were on a roller coaster. A huge cheer went up from the spectators followed by clapping as the helmeted workers stood up dusted themselves down, even though they were wet through and hugged each other with broad grins across their faces.

We had at last completed the renovation. A few finishing touches at the mouth of the Qanat and my main job was done. With a beer bottle in hand the men weren’t done yet. They were gabbling down the radios and Savier translated that they were giving the orders for the dams, some eighteen kilometres up the qanat to be broken down. I queried the matter since the radios had only a range of five kilometres at the most but was assured by Savier that the message would get through by relay of radios at intervals that Mehdi had set up.

It was a good twenty minutes before we heard a woosh of the water and a further ten before a wall of water hit us in a wave, knocking my children over and wetting all of us waiting expectantly at the mouth. Apart from the initial fright and surprise everybody cheered and a water fight ensued with everybody drenched in the cooling water. As the water subsided to a steady flow Carmella and the twins gave me a huge hug as tears of joy flooded my eyes. Savier and Mehdi gave me a hug and patted my back in congratulations. Without any instruction the men set too, to finish off the last few metres so that the water flowed along the concrete channel into a shallow tank from where the water split two ways down either side of the oasis. The twins already had their wooden boats ready and were chasing and racing them down the two channels, searching for them where the concrete covers were still off, followed by Carmella and Frunella.

 As the men were tidying up the mouth of the qanat, Savier and I jumped in the Hilux and drove to the end of the oasis to see how far the water would reach. We were all excited, shouting and yelling to each other. I just overheard Mehdi yelling that he would follow the channels and open the sluices to flood all the fields.

I drove recklessly down the rough track alongside and slightly above the oasis as it meandered gracefully through the desert lands. Immediately what struck me was the vivid and incongruous gash of green that covered the floor, as if a giant had spilt a canister of emerald paint. It was even more vivid when I raised my sun glasses. We reached the end of the green fields, jumped out and rushed to the end of the main aqueduct as I started to call the channel. It was still dry which gave me a chance to view my surroundings. A stone wall supported a high terrace which was green with alfalfa and a number of date palms waving slowly in the breeze and other bushes that I didn’t recognise. The aqueduct opened out into a long concrete trough which I was pleased to see, to water the migrant goats, camels and any passing wildlife. I suddenly realised the value of the high terrace wall which was so neatly built out of the surrounding rocks that even the surefooted goats would have a task scaling and getting into the fields above.

This was a definite marker of boundary of our new extended oasis. I wondered who had designed or planned this frontier and more over what skilled person had built it.

“Hey Savier, I’m impressed by this terrace wall, particularly by its construction.”

“Yeah, good, isn’t it. Frunella designed it and had one of the local stone masons build it to her exact specification. If you notice it is crescent shaped to make it stronger.”

What I’m impressed about is that it is goat proof. If we can get locals to build like this then we should have built the houses in the same way rather than using expensive concrete blocks?”

“I agree but it was sheer circumstances that allowed this wall to be built this way. Our military digger driver exposed a band of uniform sandstone just over the hill there and quarried it for Frunella and trucked it over for her. The mason plus a number of helpers just quickly built it up like wooden blocks children play with. Frunella still wants to top it off with a wire fence until the living fence grows. She still thinks it’s not totally goat proof and it will provide some shelter from the seasonal winds.”

“I shall have to commend her and the mason if he is still around. Please introduce me to him. Look, look, there is a trickle starting to appear. The channel is showing signs of moisture.”

“Does this mean we will be wasting water if it gets to here Paulo?”

“Not necessarily. I have planned that the Oasis will have a water controller and he will ensure that only a certain amount flows down to these troughs and most of it he will control with the sluices that fill the fields. Look the flow got heavier then subsided. Someone is opening the sluices higher up. If the troughs do overflow then I know Carmella has planned for that eventuality and has seeded this area with alfalfa which will sprout and feed the goats and wild life.”

“Paulo, here comes Mehdi. Hey, you’re looking a bit hot. Shouldn’t run in this heat!”

“Yeah, but I’ve been adjusting the sluices along the channel and so has Nassia on the other side. Any water appearing here?”

“There is a good trickle but the flow has been sporadic as you have been setting the sluices. What do you reckon Mehdi, have we got enough flow?”

“I would say so, more than enough. I have set them at a quarter high and the fields are flooding well. When the ground is fully soaked then I believe you will have water overflowing those troughs. Don’t forget we will start pumping water up to the water deposit in the new village. I’m not sure how much that will affect the flow. Not much I reckon.”

“OK guys, let’s drive over to the opposite aqueduct and check that, then we can all drive back to camp and get ready for the celebrations.” I drove down across the dry river valley and onto the other side where we met Nassia and also Carmella who had been following Maria and her floating boat.

“I’m afraid Maria has lost her boat. It should have floated out by now given the speed of the water,” stated Carmella hugging a sobbing Maria in her arms. 

“Don’t cry Maria,” said Mehdi kindly. “I’m sure we’ll find it. It probably floated off into one of the fields through one of the sluice gates that Nassia’s been opening. Please don’t cry Maria. We’ll find it for you. I think the same has happened to Jessica’s boat and she’s probably looking for it on the other side.”

“OK, all of you jump into the truck and daddy will cross over and find Jessica with Frunella and we’ll all go back to our camp and get ready for a big party. You and Jessica will love that.”

“Hey daddy dear, we are all so proud of you that you have achieved your goal,” shouted Carmella as she reached over and gave my shoulder a squeeze.

“We should all be proud. We have achieved this as a team. I’ve just sat in the van with air con full blast contemplating my beer bottle all day!”

“You don’t fool us Paulo,” shouted Savier above the din of the Hilux. “You spent all your time in there planning and plotting to get the whole project completed on time and to the best possible result. We salute you Paulo and Carmella, our project team.”

“OK, OK, enough of the eulogies! We shall party tonight and then we will do a total review of what we did right and what we did wrong so that Mehdi can construct a manual on how to rejuvenate an oasis for the benefit of the locals. Don’t forget that was the true objective and renovating the qanat was secondary even though we focussed on that totally. Now let me drive whilst Savier and Mehdi, serenade us home!”  

 

Chapter 91

How is it, in this God damn desert, that news of our celebration dinner travels so quickly? Looking northwards out of the campervan I can see a small cloud of dust approaching. On checking with my binoculars I see it to be Chief Salhadin in his battered Peugeot 405 pulled along by two camels. Has it broken down or is he just mean with the petrol. To the South I see a much bigger cloud made by a jeep and an army people carrier. Captain Ferrer must be arriving with a posse of his officers. Already six families have arrived by donkey. I’m sure our chef will be aware and cater accordingly.

My team arrived at the campervan to be out of the searing heat to finalise the allocation of plots in my new oasis. I was pleased to note that we had more applicants than plots available. That was a good omen but we had to devise a way of distributing them fairly.

“Come on, squeeze in, help yourselves to drinks from the fridge. We need to complete this fairly quickly since we have visitors arriving. Anybody have any idea how we should allocate the plots fairly. Can I have ideas from our locals first since they will understand what fair play means to these people. Yes Nassia?”

“I think we should only allocate plots to the families who have worked on the project.”

“That would be fair,” added Sala, “But all the applicants have worked here.”

“What about giving priority to those that have worked the longest hours?” added Mehdi. “Though I’m not sure how fair that would look to these people. Some had responsibilities back in their village.”

“There is also Chief Salhabin to consider. He may have his protégés that he wants to plant,” added Savier.

“I can deal with the Chief if he objects to our choice. A little money will bend his will.” I added.

“What if we have a lottery? Names in a pot and get the Chief to draw.” said Nassia. “We could make a special occasion for him. I think that would be seen as fair.”

“OK, I go along with that. Any objections? No, good. Mehdi, can you draw up the names and talk this through with our Chief and we can do the draw at the beginning of dinner before he gets too drunk. Yes Carmella?”

“We also have to allocate the dwellings fairly.  Frunella, can you handle that?”

“No problem. Again I will ask each family to write down which plot they want and I suggest that will also determine their new abode. If we get more than one person wanting the same then we have a draw.”

“That’s OK Frunella but all of them will want the closest one,” said Savier.

“Ah but that’s what they all will think and probably consider they would have a better chance getting a plot further away as their first choice and not the last one. They are quite clever to work out the odds.”

“OK, we’ll leave that to you Frunella, after all it’s not a huge distance to the far end of the Oasis. Yes Nassia?”

“I think the far plot will be in demand. They can graze their goats nearby whilst they work on their land. Also some might just plant an additional date palm or two beyond the oasis. There seems to be plenty of water. One of the farmers needs to be put in charge of water management so that everyone gets their fair share.”

“I think we all agree on that. Mehdi, you sort that out. Also if there is too much water then whilst you and Frunella are here for the next six months bedding things down you may consider closing off one of the tributaries. Last thing we want is a wastage of water.  OK, let’s close the meeting and greet our visitors.”

Chief Salhabin was the first to arrive, alighting his car pulled by two splendid camels, grasping a coke bottle with unknown contents which left him in a splendid mood. On seeing me he rushed over, gave me a hug, which was unusual and proceeded to demand his bonus. Fortunately he was three sheets to the wind so I managed to placate him by telling him that for that amount of money I would have to make a special trip to Langhouart.  I guided him gently by the arm to the dining tent, sat him down in a comfortable chair and ordered a beer for him. As I left the tent to greet my other arrivals, I saw his two wives or concubines fussing over him.

Captain Ferrer arrived with a number of officers that I hadn’t met and he promptly introduced them. I noticed that they were much senior to him in rank but they all deferred to him. They insisted to be showed around the new oasis. I suggested the local officers make themselves comfortable in the dining tent and took this group in the Land Cruiser on a tour of the new village and the new oasis which was verdant green with alfalfa sprouting everywhere and the date palms and other trees looking as if they had been there for years.

They questioned me at length in French and then when we met up with Mehdi he went through the same inquisition. They insisted that they see the opening of the qanat to see for themselves how I had used the concrete channels and covers and then wanted to see the steel forms that they were cast in. Fortunately they were still to be loaded on one of the trucks to be stored at the quarry. Captain Ferrer admitted to me later that he had described the process to these Officers earlier but they didn’t quite believe him. Lastly they wanted to see a lined shaft. I had to drive them out about a kilometre along the qanat until we came across one that hadn’t been covered yet. Fortunately I had a torch in the car so that they could peer down the shaft and see the running water. Satisfied with all they had seen, Captain Ferrer suggested I drive them back for some well needed refreshments.

I sent Mehdi off to collect Savier and the ladies so that I could make the formal introductions and Captain Ferrer sat his men in a circle and told them that the importance of the project was to repopulate these old oases and bring some social stability, improving the economy of the region. He expressly informed them that the most important work was done by the women who they would be introduced to in a moment. They were the ones who had educated the villagers in hygiene, health matters, efficient farming methods and the importance of teaching them and their children to read and write. I just sat there and nodded as Captain Ferrer lectured his officers and felt quite proud of our achievements here.

After the introductions Colonel Montier insisted that Carmella tell them of her role in this project. Carmella deftly told them that she was just an instructor and observer and that the credit should go to Mehdi, Frunella, Nassia and Sala. She asked Frunella to describe the work that had been carried out by the team which she did with great confidence given the high status of the party. Fortunately the chef and his boys brought trays of tea and drinks and the party lightened up. Dennis arrived with the twins to be introduced. They had been driving out into the desert to inspect the dunes beyond our dry wadi.

The senior officers insisted to be seated between the ladies at dinner so that they could question them more. Sitting next to Captain Ferrer, he informed me why these officers were so interested in what we were doing here. Repopulating the old oases would create a new frontier and cut down on the marauding bands that caused trouble. With the introduction of power, bringing along better communications these bands would have little place to hide and would probably disband and bring peace to the province. I hadn’t thought of those benefits. The Captain also added that having witnessed the work we had completed these senior officers would support and encourage further oases to be resurrected in the same way, providing the likes of Mehdi and Frunella with magnificent careers.

I then asked the Captain if he had been sent out to specifically spy on me and my group. He replied that he insisted in going out into the field on a regular basis and it was opportune that the incident had occurred here at my oasis. Having seen what we were achieving he had sent back detailed reports to the Ministers in Algers and recommendations that this work should continue with or without UN help. He also told them that he was more than astounded that this particular renovation had been funded personally and that Carmella and I should be decorated for our achievements. I insisted that we didn’t particularly want any awards but the Captain insisted that the Ministers would want the publicity just the same as the UN. He told me that Colonel Metier would arrange a helicopter to fly us all to Algers for the ceremony.

The dinner was a jolly affair after the officers had lightened up and stopped their interrogations. Chief Salhabin was poured back into his car and dragged back to his village by his camels. I never found out if the car had broken down or was just out of fuel. The officers departed at midnight back to their camp out in the desert and we sat around a table with mint tea and discussed what we had made of our august visitors. We decided that the publicity would be beneficial to further projects.

A week on and all the concreting was complete and the mixer loaded onto a truck ready for storage. A truck was fetching two or three families who had been allocated a plot to view their new surroundings and all were especially delighted with their accommodation even though it was stark and empty. They were to move in two weeks’ time after they had packed up their belongings and finally harvested any ripe crops on their old gardens. Frunella had spent much time with them discussing their needs and aspirations. She had assured them that Mehdi and her would be with them for the next six months to ensure all was well, especially the water supply which in my mind was more than adequate. Mehdi had in fact blocked the tributary to slow down the run off. The fields were getting a good dousing every day and a steady steam was flowing down to the animal troughs at the end. 

Two weeks after the visit from our officers Savier got a message that the helicopters were to arrive in two days’ time to ferry us to Algers to attend a UN presentation gala evening. Even Dennis was invited as a representative of the company that had funded the project. All our first thoughts were that we had nothing smart to wear but Savier assured us that we had all day to purchase suitable attire and the ladies would be booked into a beauty salon not that I though they needed any improvement.  

The presentations were held at Government House in Algers and all the Government and UN dignitaries were present. We were all asked to give a short speech and Carmella ably organised us so that we didn’t duplicate our statements. She also insisted that we use different languages so Carmella spoke in local Arabic, Dennis in his best Spanish, Mehdi in English, Frunella and I in French. This confused the audience at first but we used a powerpoint presentation, voice activated, that provided an immediate translation in all five languages on screen. Savier glowed under the spotlight of his achievement and also received a well-earned award from the UN and the Government. His short video recording the progress and developments were much appreciated especially his time elapsed view of the oasis as it turned from a brown desert slowly to a vibrant green with waving palms. We all later congratulated him on his artistry.

At the closure of the presentation and the formal dinner Mehdi, Frunella, Nassia and Sala were surrounded by journalists and photographers bombarding them with questions. Fortunately Captain Ferer appeared from within the audience and took command of the interviews and ensured that they all came through the ordeal in the best of light and that the correct questions were asked. I later found out that a TV company had recorded this session and much of the footage was broadcast throughout Algeria on a number of occasions. On hearing this Savier obtained a copy which Mehdi showed to our villagers plus his own longer video. They were thrilled to see their faces on the silver screen.

A large party was held at the original village with at least six goats being barbequed to mark our leaving. I took this opportunity to handover a large bag of coins to Chief Salhabin as his bonus which I surmised was well earned since we had little disruption from him throughout the project. Savier made a long speech praising the Chief and all of his villagers telling them that the success was totally down to their hard work and support of their Chief. He also informed them that Mehdi and Frunella would be with them for the next six months to ensure all was well and that they would then go onto another village to renovate their qanat and irrigations system. 

Towards the end of the evening we quietly left the party bound for Langhourt for a night’s stay in a hotel then onto Algers for connecting flight to Rome and Madrid. We said goodbye to Savier who promised he would come to Spain at some stage. Sala and Nassia were to come along too, for initially six months, as interns. Mehdi and Frunella planned to come after their babysitting stint at our new oasis. It was sad parting from all these good people and we all hoped it would boost their lifestyle and make their lives and chance of some prosperity more stable. I just hoped that Salhadin wouldn’t squander his new found wealth and show some largess to his flock. 

Chapter 92

  It was exciting to meet friends and family back in Spain but Carmella and I missed the rough edge of the life we led for over six month in the desert. The twins settled quickly back into the Monastery life with Sala ensuring their Arabic and French was continuing at a good level. Dennis’s romance with Nassia flourished and wedding arrangements were being made. This was to happen in a large holiday hotel complex in Tunisia and it was likely to be a double wedding with Mehdi and Frunella. Both Frunella and Nassia thought it would be better for their own families sake to have the wedding on neutral ground.  Depending on Carmella’s state and the date of the happy event a contingent from the Monastery planned to fly out. Even Henryk showed every desire to join us with his beloved PA of course.

Blanco from Namibia didn’t take up the internship with us that he was offered. Instead he set up business selling and repairing mobile phones. He Emailed me regularly and now had twelve people working for him mainly in the villages. His next project was to erect transmission masts in villages with no signal. Carmella and I agreed to send him some money to kick start his efforts which also included selling banking facilities using mobile phones instead of cash which was growing rapidly following in the footsteps of Nigeria. 

Dennis took over the overall management of our wine and water business even though our resident manager Martinez Elba was more than competent. Not only had he consistently improved the quality of the wines but also reduced the production costs by buying tankers of grape juice within Spain and Portugal. Dennis was left to do the Marketing which was an easy task that didn’t task him too much and left him time to search for an ideal vineyard to purchase and develop his own brand.

The most dramatic change at the Monastery was the new glazed extension which overshadowed everything by its size. It took Carmella and I some time to get used to it. It certainly altered our dining experience on the terrace whereas before we looked down the valley and at the solid stone block of the old Monastery, we now had a superb reflection of the mountains behind us. The occasional rainstorm in the area would dust them in resplendent snow. Our visitors and clients were overawed by the dramatic sight.

Lena who was now fully in charge of the site management was sceptical of the value of all the additional clinical features we had proposed and had slowly dismantled them so only a small number of treatments were available such as massage, physiotherapy, osteotherapy, gone were the colonic irrigation and such, instead clients were encouraged to take classes in yoga, pilates, tai-chi and trekking tours of our vast grounds. Even the white uniforms were replaced by discreet name badges. With full bookings I couldn’t complain.

The other highlight for our clients was the Arabian Palace as we called it. The huge tent had been erected on one of the lower terraces fitted out with carpets and hangings brought from Algeria. Each week we had an event down there with music and dancing in a mixture of Arabian and flamenco style. Carmela had made a short film describing the seven hundred years of occupation by the Arabs of the Alpujarras which neatly placed our Arabian Palace in local context. It was also used as a wedding venue by the local Spaniards.

Even I was without a job since Oscar and Manolo were managing the cactus business so well. To keep busy I would go and visit Franco who had just acquired a major project at Malaga airport as a subcontractor. I would time my visits when he was entertaining major contractors at one of our restaurants, firstly to get a filling meal and secondly to check on the service and quality. Franco admitted that the regular use of our restaurants helped him to secure good contracts. His business was flourishing and he went to great lengths to show me his books and balance sheet. His ambition was to reach the dizzy heights of being a main contractor on major projects rather than just a subbie. I even put forward a proposal to our main board that we should invest heavily in Franco’s enterprise. That was accepted and I became a full director on Franco’s board.

Over what I called a frugal lunch at the Monastery with Henryk he showed me the details of a house he was about to purchase in Granada and the plans for its renovation. It pleased me to think that he was putting his roots down and staying with us for some time. His main occupation was now seeking out new premises for restaurants and hotels along the Costa. He had a simple formula of buying up a dilapidated hotel, immediately developing the restaurant with our proven ingredients and renovating the accommodation to a high standard on the back of profits from the restaurant. These projects were self-financing and eagerly sought for purchase by major hotel chains. The profits were astounding and allowed us to share regular dividends amongst the board and also our workers. All benefited from our largess.

I was concerned that by selling our doctored supplies of meats and wines to what I saw competing restaurants from our wholesalers, we were shooting ourselves in the foot. Henryk convinced me that the sales weren’t harming any of our businesses and the meat sales profits were staggering. He assured me that our competitors were only buying selected products rather than the whole array so it was pot luck if a lucky customer chose one of our meats off their menu. He added that if he was an independent restaurateur he would base his whole menu on all of our products and make the similar profits to us. I could sleep easy on that point.  

Regular Emails from Frunella kept us informed of the continuous good progress being made at both the new and old oasis. Frunella was now spending more time on education than agriculture for both the children and interested adults. Mehdi had fixed the satellite dish permanently onto the cab of the Hilux so that it could be easily transported between the two villages with the television set. The TV was the inducement to get people to come to the lessons after which they viewed a programme that Frunella had recorded. With the coming of electricity and communication in the next six months then a permanent TV would be provided for each village, to provide entertainment as well as education. With enlarged plots in the old village, the agriculture was flourishing even providing a small surplus which was sold to the co-op enabling the villagers to buy tools, new clothing and materials to improve their dwellings.    

The two major events on my horizon that I was looking forward to was the birth of our twins in two months’ time and Dennis’s wedding to Nassia which was to take place at a resort in Tunisia.

 Carmella was in good health and the pregnancy was progressing well with regular checks, tests and scans. She was fully grounded, a full sabbatical from the business and spent much of the time with the children on our complex.

Life is grand.