The house quiets down as hours pass. The women walk through several times, occasionally stopping to look at my efforts. After I have several pages of ideas and sketches, I want to begin building. But I know evading their strict watch over me will be difficult. Reviewing my work, I find that I can make the stable larger than I had previously constructed. I play with different ideas. I draw a water trough and a hay bin, as well as an attached shed for all of the horse’s supplies leaves me feeling accomplished.
Finding myself staring at the paper, I realize I’m not making any more progress, possibly because there’s nothing else to be done. When I hear a knock at the door it gives me an excuse to set my work aside and stretch. Answering the door, I stand to the side and let Driesen in. Removing his dome shaped hat and his long brown coat he hangs them on the coat rack and extends his hand in greeting.
“Hey, how are things going?” I ask, shaking his hand firmly.
“Well, since yous decided to put me up for bein’ in charge I was bombarded. I’m now committed.” Despite his reluctance in wanting to take control, he smiles.
“I know you can do it.”
“It’s not goin’ ta be up ta just me here soon. We’re going ta have an election for a city committee. Each sector of the city will have a representative and no one person will hold the power. Everyone seems to be rallyin’ behind that idea.”
“Seems like a good plan.”
“I was just passin’ through and wanted to let you know what was goin’ on. I also wanted ta check in on Miss Emma.”
“She might be in the kitchen, or maybe the other side of the yard.” I pause for a moment. “She’s not going to like having to stay here when we leave again. I’m going to need you to be there for her.”
“Where will yous be goin’?”
“It’s a very long and complicated story. You want the truth or a lie?” I smirk.
“Eh, gimme the truth.” Driesen shrugs.
As I explain our precarious situation, a curious look crosses his face and I’m not sure if he believes me. However, he stands there quietly after I’ve finished, as if pondering his next question.
“So, yous have no controls over it?”
“We all wish we did. The last time we were in got me these eyes.” I point to my pitch black eyes.
“I was wonderin’ ‘bout that.”
“That’s a longer story. Come by tomorrow and maybe I’ll share it with you. But you should go find Emma. She’ll be glad to see you.”
“Sounds good.” Driesen takes his leave through the kitchen door and I’m left to myself again.
Finding I have some time, I venture outside, looking over my shoulder to see if I’m going to be scolded. It’s late in the afternoon and I pine for something to do which won’t land me in trouble. The groups have all but dispersed. There are still a few people wandering, but it’s quite empty now.
Remembering that Ami said previously they usually pick up non-historical books from different times, thoughts of searching for a library pop into my head.
Was Evalyn was serious about helping me search for my past? I might just want to do it alone.
Emma or Driesen would know where to find a library. I better ask Driesen though. I don’t want to stir up any trouble by asking Emma to take me.
Walking around the outside of the house, I pass the piles of new building supplies gifted to us for the destroyed stable. As I reach the other side of the yard, Driesen is still talking with Emma. They’re huddled together suspiciously and she has him pulled down to whisper in his ear. Upon seeing me she lets go of him and he simply nods.
“Driesen, I need help with something,” I interrupt them. I squint at Emma and frown, wondering what she is being secretive about.
Driesen makes his way over to me. Playing the same game, I turn away from Emma so it’s harder for her to hear.
“What’s up?” he asks.
“I’m feeling a bit constrained. I need to leave the house. Is there a library of information around here?” I glance over my shoulder and watch Emma, but she hasn’t moved.
“Yeah. There’s a library ‘round heres. It’s in bad shape though.” He drops his voice to conceal my own secret.
“If you’re not too busy, could you take me there? I need to do a little research.”
“I can dos that.” He claps me on the back and looks over his shoulder. “You don’t want them ta know right?”
I nod.
“All right. Here’s what we’re going ta do. I’ll conceal yous in my coat as I’m leavin’,” he whispers. “My feet are big enough for yous ta stand on. I’ll do all the walkin’ until we are out of their sight.”
“Okay, I want out of the house pretty bad but that sounds a bit awkward.”
“Nah it’ll be fine. Yous will face outward and I’ll just cross my arms ta hold yous in place.” Driesen peers over his shoulder again to make sure Emma hasn’t snuck up on us.
This plan might work. It’ll give me an opportunity to step away and with good luck it will be a while before anyone notices I’m gone.
“Let’s do it then,” I tell him. “I’ll head into the house first and upstairs to turn my light on and close the door. It might fool them into thinking I’m still home.”
Back around the other side of the house we enter the living room. No one is there. I make my way upstairs, stepping soft to avoid the creaky areas. Grabbing my dark brown cloak, I throw it over my shoulders and return to the doorway. With the light on and the door shut, I creep down the stairs to find Driesen waiting. He opens the door and we are out onto the lawn, readying to go.
He pulls the long flowing flaps of his coat open. I move to step onto his enormous feet but he stops me and spins me around to face outward from him.
Stepping backward onto his feet, he closes the flaps of his coat and crosses his heavy arms to hold me in place. He moves his first foot forward and then the next, but rather than walking he’s waddling.
“Move your legs with me,” he whispers loudly.
I do as I’m told, bending my knees as he bends his, and we begin a slow trek across the park. Unable to see because of the coat covering my face I can only guess at which way we’re going. Stifled by my own hot breath being reflected back at me by the fabric, I maneuver to the seam for fresh air. It opens a little and I can see part of the city in front of us, but because it all looks similar I still can’t tell too much about the direction.
It seems like forever, but we arrive at the edge of the park and he opens the flaps of his coat for me to step out from. Though we are away from the house, we are still in visual range, and I use his bulk to hide me. He looks over his shoulder before leading us into the city at an increased pace. When we feel we are safe, our pace slows.
“Let’s never do that again,” he chuckles.
“Agreed. Next time you can put me in a barrel and just carry me out,” I laugh.
We travel down the street several blocks before he turns right, down a new one. I feel a sadness looking at the decrepit buildings left as a reminder of better times.
Such amazing architecture destroyed. I hope they can return the city to what it once was.
The silence between us is awkward, and I’m not sure if it’s because I still have the idea of him thrashing Emma’s shop in my head or if there’s something else. Still, I feel I have to speak.
“Tell me about your wife,” I say, my voice hesitant.
“I met her when I was fightin’ in the ring.” He sighs, but smiles. “She was a fan girl and she attended every one of my fights. She followed me after them just to ask me out. It took a few months, but I finally gave in.”
“Sounds a bit obsessive.” I look up at him to gauge his reaction.
“Oh, she was. But we hit it off pretty well and we gots married after a year.”
“Did she know about the bad times with Denis?”
“Nah, she thought I was still fightin’. Never knew the difference because I was still gettin’ paid. Even after
yous showed up I didn’t have the heart ta break it ta her.” His face turns sour.
“You said she got sick?”
“Yeah. I don’t have any proof, but I think Denis was behind it. A lot’a people got sick back then and those that fell in line with him got better at the hospital.”
“I’m sorry you lost your wife.”
Is she in here? Is she in the despair? Or did she die peacefully?
“It wasn’t your fault.” He looks down at me and I can see there’s no malice in his eyes.
“I feel like it’s my fault because I intervened when he was a kid.” I struggle against a feeling of responsibility. “I’ve been thinking that if I hadn’t interfered, he might’ve turned out differently.”
“Yous can’t think like that. Denis was an entitled brat. I’ve a feeling it would have been the same even if yous hadn’t.” He places his hand on my shoulder briefly to reassure me.
Deep in the city we find our way to an open concrete area, a lone building in the center. It’s four stories tall and its stone structure has weathered Denis’s storm a little better than the rest of the city. But though it’s structurally intact, its exterior is rundown. Painted with lettering all across its sides, different colors and styles appear to write out names and I ponder the significance. Its large, wide staircase up to the massive double doors is uninviting. There are a number of ragged looking people strewn about both it and the lawn.
“So, why the library?” Driesen asks.
“I have to find out about the history of this area. I don’t know who I am and I’m hoping to find some clues to the past.”
“Well, I wish yous luck. I have some business I need ta see ta.”
“Thanks Driesen. Take care.” I extend my hand and he shakes it firmly.
Parting ways, I look up at broken windows of the building once again. While I’m uncertain if I will find anything worthwhile I feel I must check.
I was king of Asta at some point, but how many were there before and after me? I will have to see if I can find any mention of a ‘Drake’ in the history books as a reference.
Moving up the large staircase to the front doors, I pull them open and they creak loudly. Continuing inside I can see the state of disarray in here matches the rest of the city. It’s spacious inside, all four levels visible from the ground floor with stairs leading upward to the next floor on the left side of the room.
Lit only by a few random lights, I see toppled shelves. Books are strewn about and any semblance of organization it might have held once is no more. Along with the books, there are scattered people loitering about. People have made a home in the building. Their makeshift beds are made of destroyed chairs, tables, and piles of books littering the room.
Making my way around the first floor I stay quiet so I don’t disturb the inhabitants. I search for any sections pertaining to history but after walking the entire floor none of the labeled sections are what I need.
If I find the right section, I’m still going to have to look through all the books around it to hopefully find what I want. I could probably spend days here searching, which wouldn’t be a terrible way to pass the time I suppose.
Up on the second floor it’s more of the same while I hunt for the historical section. Though I pass many vagrants, most of them barely look up at me. Despite the fervor of those who surrounded the house after Denis’s reign had come to the end, none of these people seem to either notice who I am, or care.
Finally, on the second floor near the back of the building, I come to the section pertaining to local historical facts, but books are strewn about in piles. While trying to figure out where to start I see a grey bearded man burrow into a pile of books, creating a blanket out of them and I’m not sure what to think.
I’m left with the task of trying to find books not being used which might pertain to me. I start with what remains on the last standing shelf in the area. Picking up a couple I read their titles and I can tell they are in no particular order. Thumbing through them one by one I search for anything about kingdoms, castles, kings and queens. Something to lead me in the right direction.
Hours pass as I flip through many books, but most of the books are about the past few hundred years, some not even pertaining to history. Setting books down in a pile on a nearby table I eliminate them from my search. When I pick up another book and flip the pages, it’s fictional. I become disheartened.
With books from other areas of the library mixed into the history section, this just got harder. If one exists which has any information about me in it, it could be anywhere. I’ll end up having to search the whole building just to find something! Maybe I’ll have better results tomorrow.
I let out a huge sigh and move back toward the staircase. Leaving the heap of books I had looked through on the table, I hope no one mixes them back into the mess before I return. Being unable to find anything useful is disappointing and I’m mentally spent.
Outside, the dark sky meets me and it seems I’ve spent more time in there than intended. Wandering home through the darkened streets it’s quiet, despite a decent amount of people milling about. The stroll is casual and though the city has only begun to recover from Denis’s reign of terror, it appears things are becoming livelier.
The air is cold and I pull the cloak’s edges up over my shoulders, thankful I had grabbed it. Examining what I already know during my solitary walk home brings no new answers. By the time I reach the park I’ve let my mind go blank. I see lights beaming from the windows on both sides of the house. Around the side of the kitchen I see shadows moving in the light from the window. At the door, I peer in and all four women are bustling about. Eve sees me and gestures in an animated manner.
I open the back door slowly, anticipating a berating for disappearing all day. I poke my face in. The door swings open, ripped from my hand. I fall forward, nearly falling face first to the floor. Agatha catches me and Eve grabs me, leading me to the table. Instead of being scolded for leaving and not telling them where I had gone, I’m sat down at the table where several dishes of food are placed near my spot. Ami, Emma and Eve stand to the sides, I presume in front of their respective dishes.
“What is all this?” I ask, suspicious of any answer they’re about to give me.
“Oh nothing, we just wanted to make you different foods,” Ami says innocently.
I raise an eyebrow, cross my arms, and eye the three of them.
“Okay. I’ll play.” I sit up in my chair and rest my forearms on the edge of the table. “Whose is first?”
“Mine!” Emma jumps up and down with her arm raised. “This is a chicken and rice dish with a spicy peanut sauce!”
She pushes it in front of me and I pick up the fork to take a bite. Chewing, I notice the sauce coats the chicken and rice thoroughly and it’s quite delicious. But despite her claim of spiciness, it’s mild compared to what I assumed it would be. I put two more bites into my mouth and the spiciness from the first bite kicks in, burning my tongue and throat. I cough and cover my mouth so I don’t spew food all over. Choking the mouthful of food down only makes it worse and it becomes difficult to breathe. Eve and Ami laugh while Agatha hands me a glass of milk. Guzzling it down doesn’t seem to help, but after a few moments of panting and fanning my tongue with my hand, the fire in my mouth dies down.
“It wasn’t that bad was it?!” Emma looks sad.
“No, I just was expecting it to be spicy right away. I wouldn’t have stuck those other two bites in my mouth if I knew it was a delayed reaction.” I cough again while pounding my chest a couple times.
“My turn.” Eve hastily pulls Emma’s dish away and shoves a bowl of soup in front of me.
As it sloshes back and forth, vegetables float up and settle to the bottom again. When I pick up the spoon in the bowl I stir up the chunks.
“It’s only vegetables and seasonings. Living in the desert, you make do with what you have and this was what I came up with,” Eve offers her insight.
Picking up a big spoonful with chunks of celery, potatoes, carrots and onions, I blow on it to cool and then put it in my mouth. As it moves about in my mouth the power of the pepper and salt is too much for me to take. I can’t force myself to swallow the spoonful. My eyes water and I’m forced to spit it back into the bowl. Emma laughs, bending over in hysterics.
“What are you doing?” Eve cries out, offended.
“I can’t eat this!” I exclaim. “Were your first ingredients water, salt and pepper?”
Ami joins Emma, and Agatha is there to offer me another glass of milk which I guzzle. Eve shoots the other women a dirty look, crosses her arms and looks out the window.
“Rude!” she huffs.
“All right. I’m up!” Ami pulls the bowl away and places a plate of pasta in front of me.
Long, flat noodles spiral the plate with a white creamy sauce drizzled over it and green herbs sprinkled on top. It looks appetizing, and I’ve had Ami’s cooking for the past couple months so I’m unafraid to eat it. Picking up the fork I stab it into the pasta and twirl. I put the bite into my mouth and chew.
The creamy texture and bold flavors of the sauce intermingle with the taste of the thick pasta. It’s enjoyable, but for the sake of the other two, I pretend to have a hard time chewing it, over-exaggerating the movement of my jaw. Making an awkward face, I swallow hard and grab for the glass of milk. I can see Ami’s look of disgust at my reaction. Before anything is said she snatches up the plate from in front of me, grabs my fork and shoves a large bite into her mouth.
“There’s nothing wrong with this, Rain!” she yells through a mouthful of pasta and scowls while chewing.
“Eww! You ate off his fork!” Emma sticks her tongue out and makes a disgusted face.
“You’re so juvenile,” Eve laughs. “Rain and I have intertwined our tongues in a passionate kiss.”
“What?” Emma yells and readies to punch Eve. “Try it again and you’ll have to go through me!”
“Shut up Eve. No one wants to hear how you forced yourself on him,” Ami slams the plate down and waves the fork menacingly.
I shrug and Agatha giggles from behind me.
R.E.solve (Rain Experience Book 2) Page 16