Well, I'm back! I hope you like this one!
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Kyna paced around the room, clutching her skirt nervously. It had been about three hours since Dairine went to discuss her payments with Bill.
He hasn't hurt Mum, has he?
After a little while, the girl walked over to the bed. She and her mother shared it, as they could not afford two of them. Climbing in, she reached over and grabbed her dusty doll. She soon closed her eyes and silently waited…
Some time later, the door opened and closed. Kyna opened her eyes and saw her mother's outline in the dark.
"Mum?"
Dairine looked over at her.
"I'm back."
The woman lit a small lamp and set it on the table next to the bed. Her mother's lip was split, and there was a small cut on her neck.
"What happened to you?"
"Oh, nothing. I just fell…"
Despite this excuse, Kyna could see the tears forming in her mother's eyes.
"Did that man hurt you?"
"It doesn't matter. I'm home with you now, sweetheart."
She took off her shoes and slid into the bed. The child stared at her mother, who looked back at her. Reaching out, she stroked the woman's slightly reddened cheek. Dairine clutched Kyna's hand and kissed it.
"Let's go to sleep now, love."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOO
A few days later, Dairine allowed Kyna to walk around outside a bit. The weather was a bit on the warm side, and being shut into a tiny hovel wouldn't be good for anybody. Kyna had run into Quinn again, and he was keeping her company while her mother was away at the market.
"How old are you, Quinn?"
"Twelve."
"Oh, that's only two years older than me! I'm ten."
"How long've you been here for?"
"Since I was one. But it hasn't really been steady living around here."
"I get that," the boy replied. "Dad's actually off trying to find some form of work, but he didn't look high in spirits when he left this morning. I don't blame him."
"Me, neither."
Quinn smiled at Kyna for a moment.
"So which part of Ireland did you come from?"
"My parents got married in Dublin. That's where I was born, but I don't remember. Do you miss home?"
"Ah," Quinn shrugged. "It was alright. Still, it was sort of good that we left."
"Too many bad memories?"
"Yeah."
Kyna nodded as they reached the barbershop hill and sat down.
"I wish I could leave," she said. "There's not as much starving as before, but it's not that much better here. I didn't think so many people would hate us."
Quinn nodded.
"Yeah, we're just trying to survive. Those Natives seem to think that we're rats or something, that they're better than us."
"You two should keep your voices down."
The kids looked behind them. Walter "Monk" McGinn was coming down the path from the barbershop.
"Sorry, sir," Quinn muttered as Monk bent down to their level.
"People are listening all over the place," the man said. "They'll think you're planning a miniature gang or something."
Kyna couldn't help but giggle at the idea. Monk turned to her with serious look on his face.
"I'm not kidding with you, missy. Some Natives would think nothing of killing a child."
"Kyna!"
Relieved, the girl turned to her approaching mother. Dairine looked at Monk and smiled.
"I see you've met my daughter, Monk."
Monk smiled politely and went towards her.
"Aye, and you should tell her to hold her tongue and not speak about the Natives." He turned back to the two kids and spoke a bit less harshly before departing. "Good day."
"Thanks for keeping my girl company, Quinn. Do you need an escort home?"
"No, ma'am. I'm all right. Good day, Kyna."
"Good day, Quinn."
Dairine and Kyna watched him leave before approaching their place.
"Were you and him bad-mouthing the Natives, love?"
"I don't know about that," the girl answered. "All we were saying is that they shouldn't hate us so much just because we're trying to survive."
"Well, try not to voice that opinion from now on. Understood?"
Kyna hesitated a bit before nodding.
"Yes, mum."
"That's a good girl."
OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
"Mum?"
"Hmm?"
"Will you tell me about Dad tonight?"
Dairine chuckled, putting her arms around her daughter as they lay in bed.
"Again?"
"Please?"
"Very well." She shifted slightly before continuing. "He was the finest man I've ever known. When I first met him, he was dancing a wonderful jig in some pub."
"Was it love at first sight?"
"Yes, you could say that. Our eyes just…connected, in a way."
Kyna smiled. The woman did the same, but her grin soon faded a bit.
"But we didn't have a lot. After you were born, the famine got real bad. So your dad raised enough money to take us here. All he wanted was the best for you and me. He was so full of love, even at the worst of times."
Dairine looked at the child and ran her fingers through her hair.
"Remember what he used to say about you?"
"Not a lot. What did he say?"
"He used to look at you, and play with your hair like I'm doing now. He called it a river of red."
The girl giggled as her mother moved a strand of hair behind her ear.
"Fion was a good man, lass. He loved us both very much."
"I miss him," Kyna whispered.
"Me too."
After a while, they both drifted off to sleep.
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I hope you liked it!
