Chapter Thirteen
Like Mother, Like Son
Songs of love struck males filled the air. Their shrill tweets, pips and warbles filled every corner of the village. They sang as loud and proud as they possibly could. They would tapper off and wait to see if there was a female that was allured by their song. If none answered, then they would start once again. Some considered it nothing more than an annoyance. Others thought of it as a true sign that spring had finally arrived.
Will thought of it as the beginning of his father's and grandfather's trips.
The roads that they traveled would be thawed and filled with the ones that were adventurous enough to venture forth. Some wanted to see who had survived the harsh winter. Others needed find ways to restore their depleted larders. Few just wanted whatever the adventurous one had on them. It was a dangerous time to travel, but it was something that the Black men had to do every year.
It was a ritual that he could remember happening since he was little. His father and grandfather would pack up all the tools that they had made over the fall and winter, while his mother and grandmother would make and pack several days' worth of food. Buying and selling is what they would be doing on the road. Selling the tools they've made and buying as much metal as they could. Every town along that road would need something that broke over the winter. Every town would have some spare metal to trade. It would take some time to obtain all that they needed. They would be gone for quite some time. It was always so hard for Will to wait for them to come home.
"Can I go this year?" Will asked as his father as he packed.
His father only chuckled, "Not this year my son. You're just not big enough and the roads are filled with danger."
"I'm big enough!" he protested, "I help in the shop! I pump the bellows! I make trowel heads and sharpen knives! I can carry my weight!" he went to his father's bag and tried to pick it up.
He pulled and tugged with all his might, but his father's bag wouldn't budge.
"Will," his father picked up the bag with ease, "I know how badly you want to go, but I need you to stay here with your mother and grandmother."
"But…," Will started to argue, but his father's glare made his silent.
"Son…," he sighed, "When I was your age, I too had to stay at home while my father and grandfather went off into the world. Every year I would beg to go, but my father always told me the same thing. You know what that was?"
Will shook his head no.
"He told me that I needed to look after my mother and grandmother. That was my job while they were away and that I was the man of the house," his father placed his heavy, rough on his son's shoulder, "Your ten now and you're strong just like many a Black man before you, but you're not ready. I didn't get go until I was thirteen, but when I finally did you know what I kept thinking of?"
Will shook his head no once again.
"I kept thinking of home and if my mother was okay," he smiled, "And you know what? I still think of home when I leave, but," he sighed, "I know that everyone is safe, because my son, Will, is looking out for them. Do you understand what I'm trying to say?"
Will nodded his head, "Yes. But one thing."
"Yes son?" his father smiled.
"Can I go with you and grandfather this time and stay home next year?" he asked.
His father rolled his eyes with a sigh, "No. You have to stay home," he picked up his son, threw him over his shoulder and headed out the shop door.
They came out into the cool light of the early spring morning. Their breath could be seen trickling out of their mouths and nostrils. There was still a thin glaze of frost on the ground, but it quickly disappeared underfoot. Numerous trails could be seen heading off in all sorts of directions. They showed how much life there still was in the sleepy little village and how much they were willing to get out of their homes after such a long winter. A set of slender shoeprints come from the Black's home and lead up to the only road out of the village. Will recognized them instantly and wiggled from his father's grip. He followed them as quickly as his feet would allow. Just up ahead stood the figures of his mother and grandparents. They looked to see the two of them approaching.
"There's my big strong boys," his mother held out her arms to her approaching son, "Come to see your father and grandfather off?" she gave him a little peck on the forehead.
"Yes," Will wiped away the little kiss.
"Where's mine?" his father walked up to his mother.
"I haven't forgotten," she gave him a quick peck on the cheek.
His father looked disappointed, "Is that all?"
"No," she wrapped her arms around him and brought her lips up to his.
"Eewww," Will turned away from his kissing parents.
"I know. Right?" his grandfather winked down to him.
"Oh," his grandmother put her hands on her hips with a huff, "You don't want yours then?"
His grandfather's eyes went wide, "I wasn't saying that! How else can I go if my Etty won't give me my goodbye kiss," he started to tickle her.
"Oh stop it you!" she tried not to laugh.
Soon Will's grandfather had her in his arms and they were engaged in a long kiss.
"Eww," Will had to turn away from them.
Soon lips were separated, though some wanted to linger just a bit longer.
"So gross," Will shuttered.
"Oh," his mother noticed his reaction, "Did I forget my biggest man?" she bent down and gave him a big kiss on the cheek.
"Mom!" he pulled away and rubbed his cheek clean.
"Ha ha," everyone laughed.
"Alright," his grandfather snorted, "It's about time we headed out. These tools won't sell themselves you know," he eyed Will's father.
"I know, I know," his father smile, "We need go. We'll be back soon Sephire," he gently kissed her between the eyes.
She shyly smiled, "I know. I'll be waiting every day until you do."
His grandfather rolled his eyes, "Enough of that," he quickly turned to Will's grandmother and gave her a kiss, "It's time to go," he slung his pack over his shoulder, "Come on William. The road is calling and I'm not going to ignore it," he slowly started down the path.
"Better go before he gets too ahead of himself," his father picked up his sack and the pack tools, "Be back soon," he blew one last kiss to his mother.
They all said their final farewells and watched as the two men disappeared down the dirt path. Will wanted so badly to go with them, but he would respect his father's wishes and look after things. Though he really didn't understand what it meant 'to be the man of the house' meant.
"…Well…," his grandmother clapped her hands together, "That's enough of that. We have plenty to do today," she looked to his mother, "We've got a lot of bread and pies to make and the day ain't stopping for us. Come on then," she motioned for her to follow.
"Um… mother?" his mother giggled, "Did you manage to get any fruit?"
"Oh…," his grandmother stopped in her tracks, "I might have forgotten to ask around for such things. Hmph," she growled, "I guess I have to go to the neighbors before we get started, but," she thought for a moment, "Those loaves of bread need to get started too. And that will take the both of us to do so…"
"You can start the bread and I can go get the fruits and such," his mother volunteered.
"… Or I can go," William raised his hand.
The two women looked to one another, then smiled down at him.
"Oh my sweet child," his grandmother patted him on the head, "I'm sure you have more important things to do than our errands. Don't you want to go play or something?"
He thought for a moment, "Playing is fun… but," his father's words echoed in his head, "Father told me that I have to look after you while he and grandfather are away. I'm not really sure what that means, but if it means that I should help you out then that's what I'm going to do," he proudly puffed out his chest.
His grandmother looked back to his mother who only smile and nodded her head.
"Alright then," his grandmother turned back to him, "This is what we need. Go to our neighbors' homes and ask if they have any fruit to spare. Tell them that we will give them a loaf of bread in exchange for what they've got. Understand?"
"Fruit for bread… got it," he nodded his head.
"Good," she seemed pleased with his response, "Come back with whatever you can. Now go on," she shooed him away.
"And remember to be polite," his mother warned him, "and don't go too far and don't go into the woods."
"Yes mother," he called back as he grabbed a basket from the side of the house.
Off he ran like he was on the most important mission ever. He still wasn't sure if what he was doing meant that he was being a man, but he did want to help his mother and grandmother. Maybe if he did a really good job, they would make him a special treat. He smile at the thought of a yummy treat. He would definitely make sure to gather as much fruit as possible.
From house to house he went. From door to door he knock. The answer was the same however. Everyone's larders were just about empty and any kind of fruit had disappeared long ago. They were sorry that they couldn't help, but wished him well as he went on his way. He remembered to be polite, as his mother said, and thanked them. The morning was gone and there were no more people to ask. He would have to return to his mother and grandmother empty handed. He sighed as he dragged the basket behind him.
"Why so glum?" a voice surprised him.
"Oh!" he let out a yelp, "Miss Abbigail. You surprise me," he greeted her.
The slender woman stepped out from the shadow of the house. She was always a quite woman and somewhat strange to Will. She would often come by his father's shop and linger. She would twirl her golden hair around her finger and ask his father all sorts of silly questions. She would sway her hips back and forth and giggle at whatever his father would say. His father would roll his eyes and say that he was too busy to talk with her. She would just say that just being with him was fine enough. Soon his mother would come into the shop with a pail of water or something to eat. Will would notice that Miss Abbigail would give a slight growl when his mother would come in. She would suddenly say that she had something else to do and leave quickly. She always spoke so kindly to him and his father, but to his mother she would be quick and sharp.
"I'm sorry my child," she gently patted him on the head, "I didn't mean to scare you. I just saw you going all about the village from door to door and was wondering what you were doing."
Will looked down to his empty basket, "I was trying to gather enough fruit for my mother and grandmother, but nobody has any," he sighed, "My father said I was the man of the house while he's away, but I don't think I'm doing a good job…"
"Poor thing," Miss Abbigail frowned, "How disappointed your mother will be… She and your grandmother make the best of pies and pastries…"
"I know," he sighed once more.
"Too bad I can't give you some of mine," she brought out a basket filled to the brim with plump blackberries, "I need them for my poor ailing mother…"
Will looked over the berries with awe. They would be prefect for mother's pies and tasty treats.
"Please Miss Abbigail," he looked up to her, "My mother is willing to give a loaf of bread for any fruit and for these she would probably be willing to give you two or three loaves. Please Miss Abbigail," he begged, "may I have these?"
Miss Abbigail clicked her tongue, "I'm so sorry my dear," she ran her fingers through his black hair, "but as I said, these are for my very sick mother who is carving them, but," she rubbed her chin in thought, "I could tell you where I got them and then you mother wouldn't have to give away bread."
"Oh yes please," he grew excited.
She smiled, "Just outside the village in a clearing, there are bushes loaded with blackberries. Too many to be picked. Your mother would have enough to last through the early part of spring. She could make so much money…," she pointed to the line of trees that separated the village from the forest.
He looked out onto the forest. He had been there many times, but never without his parents or grandparents. And his mother had specifically warned him not to go into the woods. There were many things that lived in the woods that were dangerous... wolves… boars... bandits… and all sorts of creatures that couldn't be described. He had never been out there alone.
"I should go get my mother…," he started to walk away.
"And take her away from what she's already doing?" Miss Abbigail smirked, "It isn't that far… and everything should still be asleep… I'm sure that you could just pick what you need and no one will be the wiser…," she smiled as she walked away, "Goodbye Will…"
"Bye Miss Abbigail…," he continued to stare at the woods.
It was true that he didn't want to disturb his mother. She was probably had at work making bread and it was always difficult for her to stop.
"If it's not that far…," he looked around, "… then I shouldn't be too long…," he headed for the woods.
He didn't have to go far to find the clearing that Miss Abbigail had told him about. Everything was quiet and nothing seemed to be awake. He looked around to make sure that it was all clear. The light layer of frost only showed one step of shoeprints coming in and out. They must have belonged to Miss Abbigail.
"There doesn't seem to be anything around," he snuck from his hiding place, "and here more than enough berries," he approached the bushes quietly, "and they do look so good…," he reached out to pluck a particularly plump black.
Click, click, click, click… something angrily chattered at him.
He looked around, but he couldn't see what was making the clicking noise. It must have been a squirrel or a bird that was letting him know it was there and unhappy with him. He just shrugged his shoulders and picked the berry. Popping it into his mouth, he savored the sweet tartness that filled his mouth. It was so juicy that he had a hard time keeping it all in his mouth. Giving one good swallow, he let out a contented sigh.
"Mother will love these," he started to pick handfuls of berries and place them in his basket.
Click, click, click, click… something continued to chatter at him.
"What is that?" he started to grow uneasy.
The blackberry bush he was just picking from started to shake and tremble. He took a few steps towards it, not sure what was causing it. The shaking stopped as he approached. He stopped and listened for any kind of noise or movement.
Click… SCREECH!
Something hard and black jumped out at him. It clicked its sharp mandibles as it tried to cut into him. He struggled to keep the thing away and pushed with all his might to get it off of him. He was finally able to slip his foot under the belly of the creature and push it away. The creature landed a few feet away from him and thrashed about trying to get off its back. Will quickly got to his feet to see what attacked him.
It was the biggest beetle he had ever seen. Its jet black shell shimmered in the morning light. It clicked and screamed as it tried to right itself. Will knew better than to stick around. He started to run back the way he came, but stop suddenly. His path back to the village was blocked by a swarming mass of black beetles. They clicked and squealed at him in anger as they surrounded him. He soon had nowhere to go. Every step was closer to a beetle and they seemed hungry.
"Go away!" he shouted at them, "SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME!" he prayed that someone would hear him.
One got too close and snapped at his ankles.
"NO!" he put out his hands in front of him.
His hands suddenly felt warm. He was sure that the beetles were all over him. He shook his body to get them off, but he could feel nothing on him. He slowly opened his eyes. To his surprise, the beetle that had taken a snap at him was screaming in pain as it burned into a pile of ash. He looked to his hands and saw that there were trickles of flames coming from his fingertips. He whipped his hands about to put out the flames, but they wouldn't go away. Looking up, he noticed the beetles had backed away from him.
"Yeah…," he called out in a shaking voice, "Come near me and I'll… I'll…," he looked to the flames once more, "I'll set you on fire," he pushed his hands towards them.
Nothing happened.
He tried more, but the flames had started to fade. The beetles took notice to the dying flames and started their approach once more. Will flicked his hands and tried to keep the flames alive, but they soon disappeared altogether. The beetles clicked and screeched as they came closer. He was soon up against a tree and didn't even have a stick to beat them away with.
"MOTHER!" he screamed at the top of his lungs.
The beetles readied to pounce. As they took flight, a brilliant flame of blue and orange filled the clearing. Husks of burnt beetle shells fell to the forest floor. The sounds of their clicking and squeals disappeared as the shells collapsed in on themselves. Only the beetles were burned; not a single blade of grass, leaf or even the delicate frost was singed or melted.
Looking up, Will saw his mother standing in the clearing wide eyes and pale. Flames of blue and orange surrounded her, but soon died down as she ran towards him.
"WILL!" she threw her arms around him, "Are you okay!? What are doing out here? I told you not to go into the woods!" she looked so worried.
Will was still in shock about the way his mother was able to summon such intense flames… how he was able to… He looked down to his hands and then to his mother.
"What's wrong?" she looked him over carefully, "Did those creatures hurt you?"
He looked from the husks of beetles to the one that he had burned. She must have notice his distress and took him close to her.
"It's okay my son… it's okay," she soothed him, "Everything will be alright…"
"But…," he finally found his voice, "How did I… how did you…?" he looked up to her.
She sighed as she wiped away a tear, "You don't have to fear, but you cannot tell anyone of this. We must keep this between us."
"What about father…?" he asked.
"Even him. No one must know," she hugged him once more, "I was so afraid of this… I hoping that you would never have to live through my terrors… but now," she looked into his eyes, "your power is waking inside of you…"
"I'm scared mother," he held onto her tightly.
"Shh… my child…," she kissed him in between the eyes, "I will teach how to control it. You will see that within you is an amazing gift. One you can use to save others… or cause great pain… that is for you to decide… I can only guide you… It is your choice on how you wish to use this gift…"