📸 Photo

and Karl had gone to check on the progress of the raft, and a short while later Lázaro, Don Jorge’s young brother-in-law, came to our hut.

‘The gentlemen want you to come see the raft,’ he informed us.

‘What for?’ I asked. ‘We’ve already seen it.’

‘It’s ready now. They said you should come see.’

‘Tell them we have complete and absolute faith in their judgment,’ Kevin said irritably, never taking his eyes off his book.

I explained to the boy that since we had already seen the raft, if Karl and Marcus weren’t in need of help, if they just wanted us to come take a look, we would rather stay where we were and rest.

‘Forget it, Yossi,’ Kevin interrupted me suddenly. ‘Let’s send them a message.’

Kevin dictated a silly letter, and I wrote it down:

Dearest Karl and Marcus,

As you are already only too aware, we are lazy slobs and goof-offs, and are quite content lying here in the shade. We have complete, total, and absolute confidence in your inspection of the raft, but if you should be in need of our assistance, you have only to take off your boots, Karl. The smell of your socks will come wafting our way, and we’ll be there like a shot.

Yours truly,

Kevin and Yossi,

the good-for-nothings