Before:
Trevor almost said something.
To the second eldest daughter, while she stood last in the room wondering where Trevor went.
He felt like mumbling something, tease her a little, but thought the better of it because he felt afraid he might startle her to the point where she might yelp and bring the men back.
He wanted to, though.
Instead, he waited until they all got back in the room, because that's where the ladies went after they made certain the men were out the door and away from the premises.
Then,
"Hi," he said.
He expected a couple of shrieks of surprise when he reappeared on the cot, but, no, these women were accustomed to keeping silent, apparently.
Two of them gasped, however, and they all backed away like he'd cracked a whip.
"Bye," he said, then disappeared again.
Now they all gasped.
"Hi," he said, reappearing. Then, "Bye. Hi. Bye. Hi. Bye. Hi." He disappeared, then reappeared, over and over again.
The last time he reappeared, he smiled and shrugged.
"It's a gift," he said, although he knew they couldn't understand him.
Curiosity replaced shock in their eyes.
The youngest daughter touched him.
"Bye," he said, then disappeared.
She gasped again, but she did now withdraw her touch. She now knew that, they all now knew that, when he disappeared, he was, in fact, still there.
"Hi," he said one last time that afternoon.
"Hi. Bye. Hi. Bye. Hi. Bye," the four ladies all said.
I hope I get to stay here for a while, Trevor thought. I like these women.
END OF CHAPTER TWO