06-27-2022, 03:46 PM
How did it hurt you, Miriam said. The hand not on Malachi's leg tightened with the effort not to correct her.
No, she might not have ever seen Malachi's room at the end of the cellar, but what did that matter? So quickly, she was willing to dismiss Malachi's entire personhood. Rage very nearly had Arthur's polite smile faltering.
Finally, he glanced to the side at Malachi's plate, ensuring he'd been served and that he was eating. Even if it was not much, the last time he had eaten was already a day ago. Arthur worried about him.
"A have an older sister and two younger brothers," he said to Levi, picking up his wine glass but not drinking from it. "We all get on very well, though we had our fair share of incidents like the one you described."
Many a time, Arthur recalls having chased his siblings around with a variety of sharp things. Scissors, knives, even sticks he'd sharpened himself. Laying rotting mean in their beds, under their pillows only for them to discover too late in the night to tell their parents. Even on the days Arthur found himself bored of his usual antics, his brothers tip toes around him, never sure of what he might have done and was simply staying quiet about.
"I remember once when... maybe seven or eight? My sister tore her leg on the bed post, climbing where she shouldn't have been. I helped dress the wound and took the blame when our parents found out - I still hold that over her today."
He laughed a bit, amusing himself with the false memory and sipping his wine. He was not a fan of it.
The food, too, was again dry to Arthur's tongue. Sour with the tension in the air, and anticipation with what was to come after dinner.
"Levi, you have a daughter don't you? Your mother was telling me about her over breakfast - she sounds like a fine young woman. Oh, but have you any other children, or the desire for any?"
No, she might not have ever seen Malachi's room at the end of the cellar, but what did that matter? So quickly, she was willing to dismiss Malachi's entire personhood. Rage very nearly had Arthur's polite smile faltering.
Finally, he glanced to the side at Malachi's plate, ensuring he'd been served and that he was eating. Even if it was not much, the last time he had eaten was already a day ago. Arthur worried about him.
"A have an older sister and two younger brothers," he said to Levi, picking up his wine glass but not drinking from it. "We all get on very well, though we had our fair share of incidents like the one you described."
Many a time, Arthur recalls having chased his siblings around with a variety of sharp things. Scissors, knives, even sticks he'd sharpened himself. Laying rotting mean in their beds, under their pillows only for them to discover too late in the night to tell their parents. Even on the days Arthur found himself bored of his usual antics, his brothers tip toes around him, never sure of what he might have done and was simply staying quiet about.
"I remember once when... maybe seven or eight? My sister tore her leg on the bed post, climbing where she shouldn't have been. I helped dress the wound and took the blame when our parents found out - I still hold that over her today."
He laughed a bit, amusing himself with the false memory and sipping his wine. He was not a fan of it.
The food, too, was again dry to Arthur's tongue. Sour with the tension in the air, and anticipation with what was to come after dinner.
"Levi, you have a daughter don't you? Your mother was telling me about her over breakfast - she sounds like a fine young woman. Oh, but have you any other children, or the desire for any?"
