by J. N. Chaney
“It’s been too long, Mulberry,” Mable said with a smile, although it wasn’t her patient smile. A happy smile, yes, but different. More familiar maybe.
Clementine shifted beside me, watching the interaction between the two just as closely.
“Have you decided to give up a life of piety and return here, where you belong?” he asked in his low voice.
Mable shook her head. “I’m sorry. You know I’ve never felt at peace here.”
His smile disappeared. “And you know that while I respect your decision, I’ll always hope that you change your mind. I’ve even tried praying a couple of times, just to see if someone was listening.”
Mable giggled. “I just need your help with these two. I found them in… well, a situation.” She leaned in closer and whispered in Mulberry’s ear.
His eyes slowly widened, drifting to look at us. As Mable pulled away, the man chuckled. “They did that?” he asked, surprised. “That must have been quite a sight.”
I flinched and didn’t know why.
“I’m not so sure I can take them in, but maybe we can figure something out,” Mulberry said.
Mable didn’t seem convinced. “Just look at them. They need a place to stay, and I have nowhere else to turn. The Church will bury this and the two of them along with it. They’ll be sent away to some awful place. You’ve heard about the government orphanages, haven’t you? Delinquents, all of them.”
“What sort of folk do you think we are, Mable?” he asked with a chuckle. “There ain’t no one but delinquents in this place.”
She paused. “Better the devil you know. Isn’t that right?”
He smirked. “Is that what they say?”
“Besides, you don’t have to expose them to those things. I can get you lesson materials for their education. I only need you to house and feed them. It’s only for a few years until they reach seventeen.”
“A few years? They’re still babies,” he said.
“We’re twelve,” said Clementine.
The old man looked at her with surprise, like he hadn’t expected her to respond. “Still,” he said, turning back to Mable. “Five years is a long time to babysit.”
I looked away as Mulberry turned toward us again, and as close as I was to Clementine, I could feel her do the same.
“Please,” said Mable, and this time, her voice was soft and gentle, more than I’d ever heard from her before. She leaned closer to him, and he seemed to relax. Finally, he smiled. “Anything for you, Mable.”
Mable blushed. “Thank you.” She leaned in and kissed his cheek.
He smiled again, bigger and brighter than before. Mable backed up and gave him some space, allowing him to turn his attention to us.
He wasn’t an ugly man, but the way all the emotion seemed to instantly melt from his face made him a little terrifying.
Clementine and I pushed back into our seats as he came to a halt right in front of us.
“Girls, I understand that you’ve had a busy evening,” he said. “I hope to make it at least a little easier. I just need to look at you for a moment, and then we can find some beds for you to spend the night in.” His voice was that same low rumble, vibrating from his chest. It seemed to fit him, considering his thick frame, at least to my mind.
Clementine and I stood from our seats awkwardly in front of him.
His eyes were brown and lingered on every part of our bodies. It felt like an inspection, as if we were animals in a pet store window.
He squatted down to Clementine, running his eyes up and down her. He suddenly pressed his hands against her clothes to show what the slack had been hiding. She gasped and took a step away from him, and he moved back quickly. He didn’t apologize, but I could sense he meant no ill toward her. “Not much meat on you,” he remarked. “What are they feeding you at that church, eh? Scraps and slop?”
“Funding has been a problem, but they’re given as much as they want,” said Mable.
He scoffed. “Hardly. The girl looks like she can barely lift a knife, let alone—” He stopped abruptly, swallowing as he shifted his weight to face me. “Well, never mind. Your turn, kiddo.”
He did the same to me. His touch was deft and delicate, like a doctor’s, and with similar precision. I made a point not to pull away like Clementine had, but I wasn’t comfortable either.
Finally, he stopped and stood to his full height—shorter than Mable, but not by much. “I can’t make any promises,” he said, and it took me a moment to realize that he was talking to us, not to Mable. “But I think you’ll both do fine here. The work will be hard, so you’ll need to build some muscle on you, but a few months of feeding should do the trick. Mabel here says she’ll pass along some school supplies so you don’t turn out total fools.” He cleared his throat. “That cushy lifestyle you had as orphans will be behind you. You’ll have three meals a day, a roof over your heads, beds to sleep in, and warm clothes to wear, but you’ll work for what you get, and you’ll do right by this woman, the way she did right by you tonight.”
He paused like he was giving us a chance to speak, but neither of us did.
“You will do as I say,” he told us. “No questions. No arguments. If you don’t, I’ll toss you out into the street. I’ve got no reason to keep you here, except what I owe to Mabel. But you? You’re both nothing to me, which means it’s on you to earn your place.”
Clementine raised her hand. “What we will be doing here?”
He paused, and I wondered if he was considering whether to tell us or not. His face was all but unreadable. “Honest work,” he said after a time. “We do our business here, and you’ll have no part in that, but we need a few sweepers and moppers, and I’ll wager you two should do just fine.”
I felt my jaw clenching as I imagined my life back at the Church. It wasn’t the easiest—certainly not “cushy,” as this man had called it—but it also wasn’t the worst place to live. We had Sister Mable. We had decent food. Most of all, we had each other. There was a certain element of comfort to it, especially after living there for these past seven years. It was my home, and I didn’t want to leave it behind.
I thought about the two options in front of me. Go and take my chances in the world or stay and trust this stranger to look after me. If Mable could keep us out of the government orphanage, maybe I still had a chance to make something decent of myself. If I couldn’t go to a university, then maybe I could be a nun like her. Dress up in a habit and veil like all the others, take my vows, and never marry. Devote myself totally to the gods.
Mabel was so happy and kind. She helped so many people, and the world was better for her being in it. Would a life of service truly be so bad?
No, I didn’t suppose it would. I wanted to go to school, read, and find my own way, but I’d be happy helping others. I wanted to be like her.
Clementine jutted her chin out, facing Mulberry down. “I’ll do it,” she said with fierce determination in her eyes. “And that’ll be the best decision you’ve ever made, mister. I promise.”
Mulberry chuckled then looked back at Mable, who beamed an easy smile at Clem. The stout man gave my friend a nod and then turned to me, waiting for my answer.
I clenched my jaw, curling my hands into fists. I could almost hear my heart beating in my chest as I stared up at the stranger in front of me. I’d never decided like this—not in my whole life. No one had ever given me the chance to decide my own fate.
I didn’t know what to do.
Clem nudged me in the ribs. “I—I’ll do it,” I blurted out, surprised at my own words. But as I said them, I realized they were right. I’d chosen best because Clem would be with me. I couldn’t leave her now, not after everything.
Sister Mable frowned as I said the words, but I didn’t know why. Hadn’t she brought us here for this very reason? Why did she look so displeased?
“Okay, then,” said Mulberry. He craned his neck, looking at the nearby door. “Pearl! Get your ass in here!”
; The sudden change in his pitch jarred me, so I flinched. No more than five seconds passed before a woman appeared in the corridor. She was taller than Mulberry, with the same lean build and short black hair tied up in a bun. I couldn’t tell her age, but she seemed close to Mable’s.
Mulberry eyed her for a second. “Pearl, please show these young ladies to their bunks. They’ve had a long night and need sleep.”
The woman glanced at the two of us. “Them?” she asked, balking. “I thought we were done recruiting preteens. They’re barely old enough to feed themselves, and you want to—”
“They won’t be working,” he corrected. “Not like that. They’re your new cleaning crew. Mops and buckets. Dishes and drains. You follow?”
“Ah,” she said, stretching out the sound. “In that case, both of you come with me. I’ve got the perfect room for you, near the north wing.”
“All the way out there?” asked Mulberry.
“Better that way, don’t you think? Less congested,” she explained.
“Ah,” he said and then nodded.
Clementine followed, but I paused for a moment to look back at Mable. “Thank you, Sister Mable.”
She hesitated but quickly gave a warm smile. For a moment, she looked like she had in the refectory earlier that day, and it made me want to do the same.
“You’re going to be safe here, Abigail,” she said, leaning towards me. “I promise you. Mulberry is going to see to that.”
The gruff man chuckled, a stark contrast to a few seconds ago when he had looked so serious.
“Thank you too, Mr. Mulberry,” I said.
He paused at that, as though my politeness had thrown him, but then he cleared his throat and nodded. “You just worry about doing a good job, you hear?” As I reached the door, following after Pearl and Clementine, the old man added, “And it’s Mr. Pryar, kiddo. Mulberry Pryar.”
3
Sunlight flooded my eyes, making it impossible to keep them closed and dragging me from a deep sleep. I groaned, trying to fight it. I still needed a few hours.
My eyes blinked open as I squinted at the daylight breaking through the window beside my bed. Its glare was harsh, but the warm light felt good against my skin. I pushed myself off the bed and settled my feet on the floor. Clementine was staring out the window, just waking up and still lying in her bed.
Pearl stood watching us next to the door. She wore a heavy brown coat over a dark green vest. My eyes immediately focused on the weapon strapped to her waist. I’d never seen a gun before. It was hard to look at anything else once I caught sight of that.
“Rise and shine, girls,” she said, and her voice sounded different than it had last night. Had I been too tired to focus? My brain had been foggy for half the night, after all.
We dressed quickly in our day clothes. When we finished, we lined up in front of her, ready for instruction. She indicated with her head for us to follow, and we did, imitating her silence. Memories of the night before felt vague, like it had been a dream.
The truth was right in front of us, though. New place, new day, new life. I’d never seen a house like this before. Damp halls, dusty cabinets, and no sign of any children our age.
We reached what looked like a dining hall. Unlike the one in the orphanage, this one was old and dirty, and the smell turned knots in my stomach.
After receiving our plates, we took our seats. There were other people there, but none of them spoke to us. We sat alone with Pearl at our own table, eating in silence. I toyed with the mush in front of me that looked like porridge but smelled like meat.
“It’s a meal mix,” Clementine said after a moment of poking and prodding her steaming food.
“All the carbs, proteins, and nutrients a body needs for sustenance during the day,” said Pearl.
Clementine leaned in, brave enough to taste it. She didn’t look convinced. “It needs salt.”
“Eat,” commanded Pearl flatly. “We have work to do.”
I leaned in again and sniffed the food. It was still hot, and while the smell wasn’t particularly appetizing, my stomach told me not to care, so I ate.
The taste was different. It felt like it should have been sweet, but it wasn’t, and it took a few more tries to get used to that. Still, after six or seven spoonfuls, I hardly noticed. Definitely not the best meal I had ever tasted, but I sure did feel better.
Pearl left us to eat, only returning once we’d finished our bowls. She carried two brooms in her hands. “Just because Mr. Pryar accepted you into the complex out of the kindness of his heart doesn’t mean you won’t have to earn your keep while you’re here.” She gestured around at the rest of the mess hall.
Clementine looked reluctant, so I decided to take the lead. I stood, dropping off my bowl at the washer and grabbing the broom. It wasn’t like I had never done chores before, even if I had shared those chores with the other girls in the orphanage.
Clementine followed my example and picked up the other broom, and we both began to sweep.
Pearl stood by and watched. She didn’t seem happy about looking after a pair of girls, but that was only a guess. Maybe the scowl on her face was normal. I had no way of knowing.
With the floor swept, we moved on to wiping down the tables. Scrubbing the grease and dried-up bits of mush took forever, and when we finished that chore, Pearl was right there to hand us another. My fascination with the gun she carried faded as my muscles ached from all the cleaning.
Clementine complained about the work, grumbling under her breath. At one point, as Pearl walked nearby us, Clem raised her voice loud enough for Pearl to hear. Pearl’s only reaction was an amused grin as she gave us a pair of mops and showed us into a new area to tidy up.
The high-ceilinged room spanned a large area. The sheer size of it made me groan at the prospect of mopping the bare concrete floor.
Pearl glanced at my wide eyes. “Don’t worry, little one. You won’t be scrubbing the whole place. Not today anyway. Just clean up that mess over there.”
She pointed at a corner of the room, where a bunch of knives and swords were mounted on the wall. A bright blue square was on the floor with rust-colored stains appearing over it.
“What is this place, miss?” I asked.
“An exercise room,” Pearl said, annoyed. “No more questions. Just clean.”
I pressed my lips together firmly and did as she said.
As I worked, I thought about how every room we entered seemed empty. We couldn’t be the only ones in the complex, since everything was such a mess. Maybe Pearl was keeping us away from everyone, or maybe they were all out for the day. I had so many questions but decided it was better to stay quiet and observe instead.
Our midday meal of stir-fried vegetables with egg noodles and chicken came and went in a flash. After working up a sweat, the food wasn’t half bad.
The break was short, though, and we were back at it too soon, room after room, cleaning and scrubbing, wiping and washing.
Blisters formed on my hands, and my muscles burned, begging for rest. We had agreed to follow their instructions to the best of our abilities, and I intended to keep that promise, so I didn’t complain.
By the time dinner came around, I was finding it hard to keep my eyes open, even though I was starving. Even more breakfast mush sounded good at that point.
To my relief, they didn’t serve us mush, but chopped beef with steamed vegetables. I scarfed down my portion and eyed Clem’s as she finished. I could have eaten two, maybe even three plates.
Pearl told us to rinse our dishes and sent us back to our room. We climbed gratefully into our beds, ready to let the day go.
But the second the lights flicked off, I found myself awake again, unable to rest. I tossed for ten minutes before Clem said my name.
“Hey, Abby?” she asked in the dark.
“Yeah?” I answered.
“Do you think we made the right choice coming here? Staying here, I mean?”
I turned aroun
d, barely able to make out my friend’s shape in the dim light. “I don’t know. I think so.”
Clementine turned to face the ceiling, rustling her sheets. “Yeah, me too,” she said softly, and then fidgeted under her blanket. “I’m just glad you’re here with me. It’s nice to have someone to work with, even if it’s just stupid sweeping and cleaning.”
“Me too,” I told her.
She turned to face me, propping her head up on her hand. “Hey, I just realized something.”
“What?” I asked.
“We’re sharing a room, and it’s just the two of us now. It’s kinda like we’re sisters. Real sisters, you know?”
I smiled at the sound of that. “You think so?”
“Definitely,” she said emphatically. “I’m technically older, so I’d be the big sister, but that doesn’t matter. You both look after each other. That’s what sisters do.”
“I’ve never had a sister before,” I said.
“Well, now you do!” she said like that was the end of it.
A flush ran down my chest. I felt so excited. “Okay!”
We both giggled at the idea.
Clementine straightened up. “Now there are rules about sisters, just so you know,” she said very seriously. “For starters, it means we gotta stick together, no matter what.”
“Right,” I said with a firm nod, although I knew she couldn’t see me.
“And being sisters—that lasts forever. It’s not something you can just change your mind about.”
“I never would!” I insisted, partially sitting up in my bed.
“Okay,” she said, and I could almost hear her smile. “Then, as of now, we’re real sisters. If anyone asks, that’s how it is. You and me, Abby.”
“You and me, Clem!” I exclaimed, so excited that I could barely contain it.
Clementine rolled back into her bed, and I rolled back into mine. We laughed together, there in the dark of our room, smelling like soap and talking about all the things we would do when we grew up.
And whatever they were, we decided we would most certainly do them together.