4 min read
Familial Ties - Part 1
July 8, 2017 - Morning
Clunk. Clunk. Clunk.
A loud knocking was at the front door in the early hours of the morning.
Clunk. Clunk. Clunk. Clunk.
It didn't cease. It continued for a few moments before it awoke Ryder.
"I'm coming!" the frei called, floating down the hallway mid stretch. He didn't care to be disturbed, and since Reuben hadn't gotten to the door, the toadstool knew that his guardian had to be meditating or away doing something else (because heaven knows Reuben would be awake at this hour).
Hair a mess, eyes half open, the frei opened the door to a delivery man who looked at him with a strange, wide eye. "Uhh, d-delivery!"
"Thanks," Ryder stated annoyed, grabbing the envelope from the man's hand and closing the door, only to see him through the window a moment later running away as if he feared for his life. Geez, had he never seen a raevan before?
Upon inspecting the letter, it was addressed to Reuben, of course. But why didn't the mailman just drop it through the slot? Why have a courier deliver it? It had to be important. Ryder set it on the kitchen counter and went back into his bedroom, not wishing to be disturbed any longer.
A loud knocking was at the front door in the early hours of the morning.
Clunk. Clunk. Clunk. Clunk.
It didn't cease. It continued for a few moments before it awoke Ryder.
"I'm coming!" the frei called, floating down the hallway mid stretch. He didn't care to be disturbed, and since Reuben hadn't gotten to the door, the toadstool knew that his guardian had to be meditating or away doing something else (because heaven knows Reuben would be awake at this hour).
Hair a mess, eyes half open, the frei opened the door to a delivery man who looked at him with a strange, wide eye. "Uhh, d-delivery!"
"Thanks," Ryder stated annoyed, grabbing the envelope from the man's hand and closing the door, only to see him through the window a moment later running away as if he feared for his life. Geez, had he never seen a raevan before?
Upon inspecting the letter, it was addressed to Reuben, of course. But why didn't the mailman just drop it through the slot? Why have a courier deliver it? It had to be important. Ryder set it on the kitchen counter and went back into his bedroom, not wishing to be disturbed any longer.
"Oh my god," a soft voice came from the kitchen as Reuben read the letter.
Ryder was at the kitchen table eating a bowl of wet bark Reuben had collected on a walk earlier that morning. "Oh, yeah, you got that letter this morning. What's it say?" he asked, curiously.
"M-my dad...he's dying."
Ryder's eyes widened. All he knew about death was that the victim was no longer of this world, even though their physical body was. And, of course, that their physical body began to decay. He also had noted that death wasn't typically a good concept, especially of friends, family, and others that's lives are tied to yours in some way.
"Okay, what're you going to do?"
"My mother wants me to come visit him. Wow. I haven't heard from any of them in years."
Silence filled the room.
"What're you waiting for? Go," Ryder stated mid-bite.
Reuben's eyes narrowed, he crinkled the letter and walked over to the trash and tossed it away, shaking his head. "No, I won't," he said, voice soft and shaky.
Ryder raised a brow. It wasn't any of his business, he knew that. But he could sense something deeper was going on in his guardian's mind. And he knew that if Reuben didn't go, he'd just be miserable and mopey. If anything, Ryder knew he needed to talk to him just to alleviate that negative vibe in the house that would occur if he didn't go.
With a sigh, he spoke up, "Well, you don't have to go. But wouldn't you regret it if you didn't at least try to see him one last time? I don't know a lot about your family since you've never opened up about them. I just know what little I do from the stories Calista has told me. They didn't seem like nice people from what she had to say. But, if you're just going to sit there and be angry about it, wouldn't it be good to go for a visit. Maybe get some closure, perhaps?"
Reuben leaned up against the counter and sighed in return. His charge was so wise for his young age. "You're right. Let's pack up and go to Modesto," the man stated as he walked to his bedroom.
Ryder's eyes widened, almost spitting out his most recent bite. He didn't suggest that so he could tag along. He didn't want to go. When he swallowed the food in his mouth, a heavy sigh escaped his lips. Slowly, he rose from the seat and made his way towards his own bedroom. "Why do I do this to myself?" he stated as he closed the bedroom door.
Ryder was at the kitchen table eating a bowl of wet bark Reuben had collected on a walk earlier that morning. "Oh, yeah, you got that letter this morning. What's it say?" he asked, curiously.
"M-my dad...he's dying."
Ryder's eyes widened. All he knew about death was that the victim was no longer of this world, even though their physical body was. And, of course, that their physical body began to decay. He also had noted that death wasn't typically a good concept, especially of friends, family, and others that's lives are tied to yours in some way.
"Okay, what're you going to do?"
"My mother wants me to come visit him. Wow. I haven't heard from any of them in years."
Silence filled the room.
"What're you waiting for? Go," Ryder stated mid-bite.
Reuben's eyes narrowed, he crinkled the letter and walked over to the trash and tossed it away, shaking his head. "No, I won't," he said, voice soft and shaky.
Ryder raised a brow. It wasn't any of his business, he knew that. But he could sense something deeper was going on in his guardian's mind. And he knew that if Reuben didn't go, he'd just be miserable and mopey. If anything, Ryder knew he needed to talk to him just to alleviate that negative vibe in the house that would occur if he didn't go.
With a sigh, he spoke up, "Well, you don't have to go. But wouldn't you regret it if you didn't at least try to see him one last time? I don't know a lot about your family since you've never opened up about them. I just know what little I do from the stories Calista has told me. They didn't seem like nice people from what she had to say. But, if you're just going to sit there and be angry about it, wouldn't it be good to go for a visit. Maybe get some closure, perhaps?"
Reuben leaned up against the counter and sighed in return. His charge was so wise for his young age. "You're right. Let's pack up and go to Modesto," the man stated as he walked to his bedroom.
Ryder's eyes widened, almost spitting out his most recent bite. He didn't suggest that so he could tag along. He didn't want to go. When he swallowed the food in his mouth, a heavy sigh escaped his lips. Slowly, he rose from the seat and made his way towards his own bedroom. "Why do I do this to myself?" he stated as he closed the bedroom door.