One Teeny Lad of All Work

[wishandwait]

Here is a Sasha. A small Sasha, only about seven. He’s already sturdy, a strong lad who works hard, with a baby faced roundness to him. His clothes are neat and well cared for, though old, and no one would say he looks as if he’s not been fed enough, but there’s something odd about him, nevertheless

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[sixpearls]

"Oh, goodness." She kneels down in her long skirts in front of him. "Mr. Misurov?"

[wishandwait]

"'m Sasha," Sasha says, because if Mr. Misurov is anyone, it's his uncle.

He looks nervously at Mary. "Ma'am?" he says, confused.

[sixpearls]

"It's Mary," she says, because Mrs. Watson might be too intimidating--he looks so small and darling and like he needs a hug and cookies, and she's already attached to him that way, so deaging just makes it worse. "Are you all right?"

[wishandwait]

Big eyes, and yeees, he needs a hug. Lots of hugs. "I'm all right," he says, "Thank you."

[sixpearls]

Well, in that case, he's going to get one. He's small and there's nothing wicked about it. She smiles gently. "Sasha--am I right, Sasha? Come here," offering her arms.

[wishandwait]

Now that is so unusual Sasha really doesn't know how to respond, and his quickly developing sense of propriety says fairly firmly that he shouldn't cling to this fine boyarina, but -

He goes to her, and clings rather, as only a seven year old orphan who's been trying very hard to be grown up and not want anything at all can.

[sixpearls]

She hugs him, warm and firm and long, and finally says, softly, a little afraid of frightening him, "Darling, you're terribly cold. Would you like some tea?"

[wishandwait]

Sasha is rather cold. And, more importantly, hospitality is nice.

"Thank you very much," he says, with the politeness that will eventually drive Pyetr half insane, "I would like that."

[sixpearls]

"Come with me," offering her hand so that he can hold it while they walk. "I shall have a fire made, too."

[wishandwait]

Sasha takes her hand, carefully, carefully, and settles to working very hard at not wishing, not wishing at all.

He smiles up at Mary. He likes her. He can't wish.

[sixpearls]

Catching it, she smiles back warmly. When they get to the kitchen, she sits him down at a table and puts a kettle on to boil, and then finds soup makings. The lady has not often made soup in her life, but luckily she does know how, since she has no cook and no maid here.

[wishandwait]

Sasha knows better than to go wandering about someone else's kitchen without permission, but he watches, intently. "Would you like help?" he asks.

[sixpearls]

"Oh, no, darling, you sit and rest. I'll just try not to set anything on fire," with a soft laughter. Oh, Mary has good laughter.

[wishandwait]

Sasha glows. He likes the laughter. Mary sounds nice, and the room is warm, and he's very tired...

...In a few minutes it's a mostly asleep little Sasha in the chair.

[sixpearls]

She doesn't wake him, just turns off the kettle so the water won't boil away, and goes back to trying to make soup. When it's finished, in a few hours, then she'll bother him. In the meantime, let him sleep.