A new home two
Chapter two
"Mother I would like you to meet Maya she would be staying with us for a while." Wylan introduced Maya to Marya. Maya didn't speak Kerch yet, but she shook Marya's hand. Marya had some red in her gray hair, but her face showed very little wrinkles. "She speaks very little." Wylan explained to her his expression hard when he said it. Maya hadn't seen his hard expression as she was pulled into a scene, feeling herself being pulled by a strong woman catching herself in a mirror. Marya looked so young with short red hair with freckles on her face.
"I am not sick. I am perfectly fine… where are you taking me!" Maya felt horror as she was forced into a shower having been unclothed and was held still as cold water was sprayed onto her. "You will stay here until you stop fighting us, we are here to help you." An orderly who worked at Saint Hilda's sanitarium the asylum that Marya was forced into by Jan Van Eck. she wondered what would drive a woman not to speak. "Are you okay?" Wylan asked.
"You, okay?" Wylan repeated placing a hand on her shoulder pulling her out of her vision. "I'm sorry what?" Maya asked, taking a step back. "I asked if your, okay?" Wylan looked concerned for Maya as she shook herself out of it. "I am fine, sorry." Maya mumbled. "You sure?" Maya nodded her head shakily, wondering if he knew the extent to Marya's ill treatment. Marya walked off Wylan went after her. Marya didn't walk more like shuffled her feet. Maya had seen some horrible things in her time, but she had never seen a shower used against someone before and although she didn't understand the language, she knew what a threat felt like.
"She went back into her room." Wylan said returning to Maya. Maya had time to pull herself back together. "She's so frail." Maya couldn't help but say. "She's old." Wylan answered curtly. "She probably won't remember you she has a hard time remembering faces. She doesn't like to be approached by strangers, but she won't be alarmed by your presence." Wylan instructed her. "So why introduce her to me?" Maya asked. "To show you what I'm risking by taking you in, Jesper and Kaz talked me into it. Scare that woman even a little bit and got help me you're a goner." Wylan warned her. "I understand." Maya answered. "I hope you do." Wylan said walking away. Wylan introduced her to his mother the day that they agreed to take her in.
Wylan introduced her to his mother the day that they agreed to take her in. Maya wondered what Jesper said to talk Wylan into letting her stay despite not knowing her all that well. "Why did you talk Wylan into letting me stay?" Maya asked Jesper. It was the first question she asked him directly when she was sure she could communicate with him. Jesper was tall and had gangly limbs, gray eyes, and a nice smile in Maya's opinion. "It was Kaz really, you sounded determined not to want to get into another boat and after seeing the state of the boat you arrived on, I don't blame you. Ketterdam isn't the type of place you want to enter solo."
"You felt sorry for me." Maya said. "I wanted to give you a chance." Jesper corrected her. "I can also show you routes around Ketterdam. You are gaining weight and that's good getting lean by running in the mornings and evenings plus your speaking Kerch perhaps we can start your writing lessons?" He questioned. "I guess." Maya blushed when she realized she said it in English without even thinking and repeated it in Kerch. Learning to write in Kerch was slow going.
Wylan and Jesper took Maya to a fabric store in the business district where they became good friends of the owners. An old couple in their sixties Derick Van Woert and his wife Jorien. Jorien had brown skin, brown eyes a wide nose and small eyes, Derik had a freckled complexion with a tan skin a narrow nose big eyes both sporting white hair.
"Jesper, Wylan so good to see you both." The woman called out from behind the counter that stood in the middle of the room standing beside Derik. The fabric shop was full of color and vibrant. The husband and wife wearing colorful colored suits which Maya could appreciate. The walls had pokadots in many different colors. "Who is that lovely young woman you've got there?" Jorien asked after Maya. "I'm Maya Spencer." She introduced herself holding out her hand to shake. Mya is interested in buying some fabric." "we have tons of those." Jorien said pointing to the shelves that were in shelves based on the type of fabric.
"You wouldn't happen to have a sewing machine, would you?" Jesper asked. "Sewing machines those are quite expensive." Maya never really thought of sewing machines as expensive, but she never had to worry about the cost of something before now. "Well, you know we're good for it." Jesper pointed out. "Of course, Mr. Fahey. I have a couple in back if you want to take a look." They were led in the back by Derik in a plain looking room where two sewing machines sat as Maya caught her on one. "This one here is Louis Beckh." He said proudly seeing her expression. She caught a look at the price tag however and was quite disappointed.
"As I said its quite expensive." It was a metal sewing machine painted black, it was smooth and curved decoratively. "May I?" Maya asked holding a spool of thread. "Be my guest." He said watching as she set up the spool of thread expertly putting the thread in just enjoying memories of setting up the thread as she did every day back home. Derik handed her some fabric and she set to work making a medium sized flower, A water lily. "Miss, you seem to be enjoying yourself." Derik commented after she was done. "We'll talk over the cost why don't you go in front and talk to Jorien about the fabric and thread you might want." Jesper suggested. "Oh no its too expensive, I can thread by hand." Maya suggested.
Wylan caught Jesper's eye and sighed inwardly. "It's okay Maya go see what else you might need while we talk to Derik." Wylan said feeling he can make a deal with Derik as he looked disappointed at the prospect of losing customers. He and Jorien did okay on selling thread and fabric, but he had a feeling they only had two sewing machines as they sold poorly. "Jorien!" Derik called before Maya can object. Jorien came in the back and started chatting Maya up practically pushing her to the front.
"They friends of yours?" Jorien asked as Maya looked at fabrics of every color, she did the calculations on how much fabric and thread she needed for a wardrobe of clothes. "Distant cousins." She answered. "Are you opening a tailor shop or something?" Jorien continued as Maya compared prices. She rather liked the silk fabrics never really liking the restriction of cotton but thought she could make it work, and some linen. Jesper told her that it was common for people of the barrels to wear flashy clothes, so she went for bright colors picking out some tone ones as well just in case. "Something like that." Maya answered getting lost in the fabric, picturing what she can make out of each piece and setting Jorien to work cutting out the measurements that were needing. Jorien had tables on the side a huge slicer on a board that was designed for cutting cloth evenly.
Jesper and Wylan met her in the front when she was almost finished bringing Maya back to the fact that she was staying in a mansion she couldn't afford board too, feeding her and now they were clothing her as if she were a stray cat, they felt sorry for. Maya ran out of the building needing fresh air feeling panic strike her she had to breath in out of her nose. Jesper joined her outside. "You okay Maya you look like your panicking." Jesper said sounding concerned. "It is because I am panicking why are you doing so much for me? I can't possibly pay you back for any of this." She wanted to scream. "First just breath."
"In and out just like that." Jesper continued calming her down. "We're helping you because the barrel is a bad place for people." Jesper said leaning against the wall of the fabric shop. "Are you trying to talk me out of joining Kaz's gang?" Maya asked. "I wish you wouldn't, some of the worst things I did was for the gang and continue to do when Kaz asks me." Jesper confessed. "Why continue?" Maya asked feeling her anxiety leave her. "Because Kaz needs me." Jesper answered. "Can I see your tattoo?" Maya asked. Jesper showed her his right wrist where the crow drinking out of a mostly empty cup was. She caught glimpses of it but hadn't asked to see it until now.
"Kaz likes crows because not only do they warn the other crows of unfriendly people but also remembers the faces of those that were nice to them. That's what I want to be to you Maya a friendly face that you will remember. You will do bad things for good reasons and good things for bad reasons but remember the world isn't as cruel as that place is." Maya nodded looking away. "If you ever need anything once your in the gang and feel like you can't go on, I want you to come to me and we'll get you that boat that will take you away from this place." Jesper assured her.
"You don't need to buy me a three hundred kruge sewing machine to convince me of that." Maya insisted. "We got the price down and we're having it shipped to our place later on." Jesper said. "Where will I store it once I move out." Maya asked. "Kaz will have a room ready for you, top floor of a place called the slats where he has designated rooms for the members. No one will enter your room without permission anyone caught doing that is punished severely." Jesper said. "So, he has rooms for all his members?" Maya questioned. "No, only the high-ranking ones but having a room will give you status." Jesper said. "Status I haven't even earned." Maya pointed out.
"Kaz saw you fight, you were disoriented and tiny, but you managed to beat up a man and was ruthless enough to kick out a few teeth. He thinks you have what it takes in his gang and wants to give you a chance to earn yourself his gang tattoo. The fact you don't have one means although you have status you have to prove yourself and do the jobs no one else wants. Keep your eyes and ears open for anything." Wylan appeared a few minutes later. "We got everything you wanted its going to be sent to our house." Wylan informed them. "Thank you both so much for this." Maya said.
A few days later While Maya was upstairs in her room setting her designs into clothing Kaz visited them. Kaz sat in a black armchair, Jesper seated on the couch beside the chair. "How's she doing?" Kaz asked. "She's doing good. Runs three times a day learning Kerch like a pro, what are your plans for her?" Jesper asked. "I want her to infiltrate the lower ranks make sure they don't run any initiations that puts my gang in jeopardy." Kaz replied. "You want a spy?" Jesper was taken aback. "Why?" Kaz leaned on his cane. "I've been hearing some rumors. Three times a day huh." He took out his wallet and gave Jesper kruge "Half of what she got just like we agreed. Did you really have to get her a sewing machine?" Kaz asked as Jesper slipped the money in his wallet. He paid half of what Jesper, and Wylan got her preapproving to pay half of what Wylan and Jesper got her in clothes not anticipating she would want to make her own. Jesper merely shrugged in answer.
"She doesn't know I paid for it too, right?" Kaz asked. Jesper shook his head. "Good keep it that way. Their going to know her affiliation with me that's unavoidable since I am giving her a room on the top floor." He gave Jesper a look letting him know he wasn't happy with it. "I want you to start having her visit the barrel. Have her start learning where things are." Kaz instructed. "Now? Kaz it's only been two months." Jesper said. "Yet, she's speaking Kerch. You can't keep her safe forever she needs to learn the ins and outs of The Barrel eventually. Besides she's going to be a well-dressed young woman she can't just come out of nowhere when she joins. It would give some credence when I recruit her. Which reminds me, we need to know how well she fights. She's working out which is good she's got self-incentive. I want to start having her train to fight. I want you to send her to this address."
Jesper shifted uncomfortably. "What?" Kaz asked. He didn't like how protective Jesper was becoming of Maya. What are these rumors you've been hearing about?" Jesper asked. "Nothing I can confirm but we have four months to build Maya up so lets get her training." Kaz said dismissively. "I'll send over two guys to train her daily." Kaz said. "The only reason you agreed to allow her to join your gang was to use her as a spy?" Jesper asked. "No, I never asked her to join my gang I allowed her the opportunity to join my gang was because she wanted to, the reason I helped buy her fabric is because I want something from her. Remember. Never something for nothing." Kaz reminded him.
"She can still leave whenever she wants." Jesper reminded him. "Why would she want to leave she's putting in this effort to learn Kerch." Kaz reminded him. "If you were to tell her she's being used as a spy than I bet it will thrill her. Of course, I'd rather you didn't and let these guys do their jobs." Kaz said. "I don't like the way you think sometimes." Jesper told Kaz bluntly. Kaz shrugged. "You get new recruits all the time why not speak to them." Jesper countered. "You don't think I've tried that?" Kaz asked annoyed. "Their tight lipped but I do have you, and I want her prepared for anything.
Jesper was glad he set the agreement to six months even though it annoyed Wylan. She was learning to read Kerch slowly and he wanted her to be able to at least do that before pushing her into the gang life. Perhaps she would change her mind between now and then the only downside to that was that he would have to pay
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