…Your Lucky Stars
By Brian Conley
My daddy always told me to value what I have.
Truth be told, my daddy told me a lot of things and I never really paid much mind to them, just passed them as humdrum and insignificance. All advice, I'd taught myself, was pretty worthless in any run, I mean, why learn from others when learning yourself is both more fun and fulfilling? This was my life, darn it and I would live it like I wanted.
This one line always stuck with me, though, maybe because Mama backed it up or because Daddy always made it the tail of every bedtime story he told. All the other nonsense went out the window, stuff like 'Always stay strong. or 'Always call for help'. Moral advice is so subjective I could puke over it. I do value what I love, though. I love my daddy and my mama, I love my town, the buildings and the people. I love old man Ray who patrols, I love the shopkeepers and traders who come through weekly. I love the town hall and its creaky floors. I love the smell of the desert on every sunset wind—I love it all and I do value it very dearly.
As I sit here though, all I can do is recollect.
It was midweek, the traders had come and gone already and my Mama had purchased more than her fair share, awash in caps from Daddy's latest job. She bought two round roasts of Brahmin meat, a sack of fresh potatoes and carrots and enough Sunset Sarsaparilla to last us until month end. She was as happy as I as she went about cooking it. The wood stove lit proudly to her matches and before too long, the air was waft with the delicious scents of dinner. This I remember clearly, a feast of roasted Brahmin and vegetables, it was spectacular.
It came with price, though and that was my Daddy telling us that our meal was paid for on advance and that h is job was yet to be done. He told us the parcel he was to deliver: a pair of bright-silver die, all cast with copper in the numbers. He said they must be worth more caps then we'll ever see because Ol' Mr. Nash had set Daddy up with two very fine payments, both now and when he came back alive.
He would come back alive, of course. My Daddy is the best courier in the desert. Always sly enough to act normal and quick enough to shoot first, he's professional in his ways and me and Mama learned to trust him for it. I trust him for it now, I still hold onto that.
The next day my Daddy left and I followed as far as he'd let me, just to the foothill dunes outside of town. I sat atop the tallest one and watched until the sun was starting to dip away. With my feet tired and stomach hungry, I began to head back, walking slowly to enjoy the air and appreciate my town, aglow from the windows in the many buildings.
He approached me then, a man with a wolf's head on his, a helmet, I suppose. He came from seemingly nowhere and one of the men with him grabbed my shoulders.
"Got one here." He confirmed. The wolf-man leaned down on a knee and jerked my head at the chin. He looked here and there, running fingers across the nape of my neck to my brow. He squeezed at my ribs and lifted the hem of my dress to look at my legs.
"She's small, yes, but she'll be good for breeding, at least."
"So we keep her?" A follower asked.
"Yes." The wolf-man jerked my head to look into my eyes, "You're coming with us now, understand? "
I shook my head, "I don't wanna."
The wolf-man said nothing, simply stood again and turned towards town.
"Take her back to the Cove." He said, "Fit her with a collar and report back. Tell Caesar I'll be back in three days."
"Yes, sir!" A follower barked and took me by the wrist. I protested and loudly but it was to no avail, he tied my hands and effortlessly pulled me onto his shoulder. For hours we walked, and that soon turned into a day. By the time we'd reached our destination, it was again sunset. The Cove, as he called it, was a tiny village by a large river. I liked how it looked but before I could even let it sink in, I was thrown into a tiny room where a man much larger then I undressed me, sprayed me down with something and clicked a tight collar around my neck. It hurt to wear.
I missed my mama and my daddy and my town and I love them all so much, is this my punishment for lack of morals? No…no, don't worry. I love my daddy and mama and they'll realize I'm missing and come after me. I know they will.
I'm writing this now on a piece of paper I found on the floor, with some charcoal I found besides. Tomorrow they said that I was to be put on the raft towards camp, but I'm not worried. My Daddy'll come and get me, because I love him and I value…I value my love for him.
He'll come.