011. Only Business - February/March - Rambles & Snippets - Fiction[NET]
Jairdan didn’t see his mother that night, nor the day and then night after. The next morning over breakfast where his mother was once again absent, Jairdan cleared his throat to get his fathers attention away from the morning reports, not knowing yet how he would phrase the question but unable to wait any longer.
“Yes Jairdan?” his father already sounded harassed but Jairdan cared little. Vera would be arriving in the next hour so escape would be soon and he wouldn’t have to see his father for the rest of the day.
“How is mother?” Jairdan asked, and then gave himself a mental pat on the back. It was a good way to start the conversation.
“She is resting.” His father dodged the question expertly. Drat. “See that you don’t bother her either.”
Jairdan’s over-used flame of anger flickered in the back of his mind. He didn’t bother her, his mother loved having him around. He could tell that he’d grow up to have an anger problem, having to put up with his fathers biting words but pushed that thought out of his mind for now.
“Well what’s the matter with her?” he asked, his delicate tone leaving as his voice roughened.
“Don’t speak like a street thief.” His father replied automatically. “And don’t speak like that to your father.”
“Fine. What is mother’s ailment?” Jairdan used the correct words again but his voice didn’t become anymore poised. If anything it became more biting. “Don’t you care?”
“I’m interested in only business, Jairdan.” His father sounded tired or annoyed or both. “If you’re not going to eat anymore, leave this table.”
It wasn’t a choice, it was an order and when his father didn’t sound angry, that was when it was the most dangerous to stick around.
He resisted the want to kick his chair into a wall as he left and exited the room, pulling the door closed behind him with a little more force than needed. He ran out of the house quickly, it could have been the last straw for his father easily and he could have caught him and started yelling if Jairdan hung around. He hung out by the gate, waiting for Vera to arrive and as soon as she did so he took her by the hand and they ran out to the open fields.
“That bad?” Vera sighed as Jairdan tossed himself down onto a thick patch of tall grass. “…Well, what should we do?”
“We’re going to find a way to finally leave this place.” Jairdan replied, his voice hard. “We can’t just hang around waiting for opportunity to come to us… we’re going to have to…”
“We can’t steal a ship.” Vera shrugged, sitting down beside him. “…A pirates life is to steal but to steal a ship…”
“Is just not right.” Jairdan agreed. “Right, well, brainstorming time. What possible ways could we do to earn a ship? …We could always find passage on one… and then word for years…”
<--- 010. No Reply || 012. Situation --->
“Yes Jairdan?” his father already sounded harassed but Jairdan cared little. Vera would be arriving in the next hour so escape would be soon and he wouldn’t have to see his father for the rest of the day.
“How is mother?” Jairdan asked, and then gave himself a mental pat on the back. It was a good way to start the conversation.
“She is resting.” His father dodged the question expertly. Drat. “See that you don’t bother her either.”
Jairdan’s over-used flame of anger flickered in the back of his mind. He didn’t bother her, his mother loved having him around. He could tell that he’d grow up to have an anger problem, having to put up with his fathers biting words but pushed that thought out of his mind for now.
“Well what’s the matter with her?” he asked, his delicate tone leaving as his voice roughened.
“Don’t speak like a street thief.” His father replied automatically. “And don’t speak like that to your father.”
“Fine. What is mother’s ailment?” Jairdan used the correct words again but his voice didn’t become anymore poised. If anything it became more biting. “Don’t you care?”
“I’m interested in only business, Jairdan.” His father sounded tired or annoyed or both. “If you’re not going to eat anymore, leave this table.”
It wasn’t a choice, it was an order and when his father didn’t sound angry, that was when it was the most dangerous to stick around.
He resisted the want to kick his chair into a wall as he left and exited the room, pulling the door closed behind him with a little more force than needed. He ran out of the house quickly, it could have been the last straw for his father easily and he could have caught him and started yelling if Jairdan hung around. He hung out by the gate, waiting for Vera to arrive and as soon as she did so he took her by the hand and they ran out to the open fields.
“That bad?” Vera sighed as Jairdan tossed himself down onto a thick patch of tall grass. “…Well, what should we do?”
“We’re going to find a way to finally leave this place.” Jairdan replied, his voice hard. “We can’t just hang around waiting for opportunity to come to us… we’re going to have to…”
“We can’t steal a ship.” Vera shrugged, sitting down beside him. “…A pirates life is to steal but to steal a ship…”
“Is just not right.” Jairdan agreed. “Right, well, brainstorming time. What possible ways could we do to earn a ship? …We could always find passage on one… and then word for years…”
<--- 010. No Reply || 012. Situation --->