Farfarello looked at the small child that referred to him as 'Daddy'. Her
hair was as white as his was. And her eyes were a mix of yellow and brown,
but leaned more to amber.
He cast a glance to the woman in front of him holding the child. She had changed too. She was older and taller.
" Is there some place we can talk?" Her voice broke him out of his thoughts and made him look her directly in the eye.
He considered her question, and then walked around her to go to the kitchen. When he sensed she wasn't following him he paused in the doorway.
" Are ye comin' or aren't ye?"
***************
Cherry smiled at his question. He hadn't changed at all. He was still the same. She wondered if 5 years would make a difference, but she had her answer.
" Schuldich." She turned in the hallway.
Said German opened his door and poked his head out.
" Ja?"
" Würden Sie zuschauenden Aidan für ein wenig während bedenken?" She handed him the smaller child.
" No problem. I'll watch the little rugrat for ya." He took Aidan and balanced her on his hip.
" Take good care of her."
" I know what I'm doing! Now off with you, go do what you gotta do!" He waved her off and went back into her room.
Cherry shook her head in amusement and walked back towards the kitchen to where Farfarello was waiting.
************
" Cherry? Yer name used ta be Jezebel."
" Had to change it. Besides, when you kissed me, you said I tasted like cherries. I suppose you're wondering why I'm here after all this time?"
" The thought did cross my mind."
Farfarello and Cherry sat across from each other at the kitchen table. Farfarello still had his butterfly knife in his hand; lazily flipping it open and closed as he listened to Cherry speak.
She told him about some man that had attacked her and Aidan; claiming that her father killed his family. Cherry said that he broke into their house, he came down to her school and he got her fired at work.
" What 'tis it ye want me ta do?"
Cherry searched through her purse for something. When she found it, she pulled a small pocketknife out of her purse and slid it across the table to him.
" A pocketknife?"
" That's all she's ever wanted. A pocketknife and me to stop worrying. Do you know your daughter likes to hunt small animals just to kill them? I can't tell you how many times I've had to take off work to go pick her up from a baby-sitter because she killed a dog or cat."
" She killed them all by 'erself?"
" Yes, your daughter killed them all by herself. The first time it was an Irish Setter. The last time it was a German Shepard. That's another reason why I came, so you can talk to your daughter."
" A German Shepard? Wait, what do ya mean 'your' daughter?"
" Oh come on Farfie, why else would she get it from? You said you used to kill small animals when you were little didn't you?"
" Aye."
" Case in point then."
" That still donna answer my question. What 'tis it ye want me ta do about this guy followin' ye? I told ye then tha' the child was yer responsibility, not mine."
" I know that. I can take care of her. I always have. It's just, this time, I'm not sure I'm capable of protecting her. "
" Is this what ye are wantin' me ta do?"
Cherry reached in her purse again. She pulled out a picture and slid it across the table to him. Farfarello caught it this time.
It was a picture of Aidan as a baby. She had big, amber innocent eyes. A snowpuff of hair on her head. Her skin was slightly tanned; even though it was naturally brown. And she was in a white dress with white buckle shoes.
The picture was so adorable, even Farfarello had to smile. To think, he had a hand in creating something so beautiful. That was his daughter in the picture. Someone who loved him and didn't even know him.
" Could you honestly let her be killed in some vengeance act she had no part of?"
Normally, that was an automatic 'yes'. But, now that he was looking at the picture; he wasn't so sure. Of course, he'd seen a lot of children and babies in his 'berserker' outbursts and had no problems killing them or witnessing them be killed. To think of that little girl's body in a pool of her own blood.he couldn't do it.
" ..No. I couldn't." He heaved a heavy sigh. Then spoke; not taking his eyes from the picture." I will protect the little one."
" Thanks. That's all I wanted. I'm late for work, so I'll just be on my way." Cherry stood up and walked towards the living room.
" Wait. What about ye?"
" Oh, me? Don't worry about me Farfie. I can take care of myself." Cherry pasted a fake confident smile on her face.
Farfarello stood up and walked over to her. He snatched her shades before she could duck or block him. Behind her them was a blacking eye. It hadn't started to show anywhere but around the bottom.
" Oh yeah, ye take real good care o' yerself don'cha?"
" I could say the same for you." Cherry the five scars across the side of his face.
" I donna' 'ave a 5-year-old ta provide for either. I can do whatever I want. Ye canno' do the same." He pulled away and tossed her her shades.
" So I suppose you want to take care of me too?" She leaned against the counter lazily.
" Jist until this is ova. I'm not askin' for yer hand in marriage." Farfarello walked back over to the table, pulled a chair out and sat down in it backwards.
Cherry shook her head in amusement. " Whatever you wanna do. But as I said, I'm late for work, and I have a child to provide for."
" Where do ye work anyway?" He went back to playing with his butterfly knife.
" Digital Underground."
" Yer're a stripper?" He looked up at her in shock.
She shrugged. " Hey, I'm a single mother and the money's good. The next best thing to prostitution; which I swore I'd never do. Plus putting money in the bank for going to school."
" School?"
Cherry laughed at his astonished look." Don't sound so surprised. I'm an artist Farfarello. That's why I found you so interesting. All the times I came to see you, I was never writing. I was just drawing you."
" But, ye said ye had a term paper ta write. An' ye weren't lyin'."
" No. I still had a paper to write. And I wrote it. Some people take notes with words. Others take notes with pictures. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm really late for work."
Cherry went to grab her keys from the table. As she was drawing back, she pressed her lips to Farfarello's cheek; leaving a red lip mark there.
As soon as he realized what she did, he took a swing at her; but Cherry was out of range. She laughed as she cut through the living room to get to the front door.
" Smooches!"
He cast a glance to the woman in front of him holding the child. She had changed too. She was older and taller.
" Is there some place we can talk?" Her voice broke him out of his thoughts and made him look her directly in the eye.
He considered her question, and then walked around her to go to the kitchen. When he sensed she wasn't following him he paused in the doorway.
" Are ye comin' or aren't ye?"
***************
Cherry smiled at his question. He hadn't changed at all. He was still the same. She wondered if 5 years would make a difference, but she had her answer.
" Schuldich." She turned in the hallway.
Said German opened his door and poked his head out.
" Ja?"
" Würden Sie zuschauenden Aidan für ein wenig während bedenken?" She handed him the smaller child.
" No problem. I'll watch the little rugrat for ya." He took Aidan and balanced her on his hip.
" Take good care of her."
" I know what I'm doing! Now off with you, go do what you gotta do!" He waved her off and went back into her room.
Cherry shook her head in amusement and walked back towards the kitchen to where Farfarello was waiting.
************
" Cherry? Yer name used ta be Jezebel."
" Had to change it. Besides, when you kissed me, you said I tasted like cherries. I suppose you're wondering why I'm here after all this time?"
" The thought did cross my mind."
Farfarello and Cherry sat across from each other at the kitchen table. Farfarello still had his butterfly knife in his hand; lazily flipping it open and closed as he listened to Cherry speak.
She told him about some man that had attacked her and Aidan; claiming that her father killed his family. Cherry said that he broke into their house, he came down to her school and he got her fired at work.
" What 'tis it ye want me ta do?"
Cherry searched through her purse for something. When she found it, she pulled a small pocketknife out of her purse and slid it across the table to him.
" A pocketknife?"
" That's all she's ever wanted. A pocketknife and me to stop worrying. Do you know your daughter likes to hunt small animals just to kill them? I can't tell you how many times I've had to take off work to go pick her up from a baby-sitter because she killed a dog or cat."
" She killed them all by 'erself?"
" Yes, your daughter killed them all by herself. The first time it was an Irish Setter. The last time it was a German Shepard. That's another reason why I came, so you can talk to your daughter."
" A German Shepard? Wait, what do ya mean 'your' daughter?"
" Oh come on Farfie, why else would she get it from? You said you used to kill small animals when you were little didn't you?"
" Aye."
" Case in point then."
" That still donna answer my question. What 'tis it ye want me ta do about this guy followin' ye? I told ye then tha' the child was yer responsibility, not mine."
" I know that. I can take care of her. I always have. It's just, this time, I'm not sure I'm capable of protecting her. "
" Is this what ye are wantin' me ta do?"
Cherry reached in her purse again. She pulled out a picture and slid it across the table to him. Farfarello caught it this time.
It was a picture of Aidan as a baby. She had big, amber innocent eyes. A snowpuff of hair on her head. Her skin was slightly tanned; even though it was naturally brown. And she was in a white dress with white buckle shoes.
The picture was so adorable, even Farfarello had to smile. To think, he had a hand in creating something so beautiful. That was his daughter in the picture. Someone who loved him and didn't even know him.
" Could you honestly let her be killed in some vengeance act she had no part of?"
Normally, that was an automatic 'yes'. But, now that he was looking at the picture; he wasn't so sure. Of course, he'd seen a lot of children and babies in his 'berserker' outbursts and had no problems killing them or witnessing them be killed. To think of that little girl's body in a pool of her own blood.he couldn't do it.
" ..No. I couldn't." He heaved a heavy sigh. Then spoke; not taking his eyes from the picture." I will protect the little one."
" Thanks. That's all I wanted. I'm late for work, so I'll just be on my way." Cherry stood up and walked towards the living room.
" Wait. What about ye?"
" Oh, me? Don't worry about me Farfie. I can take care of myself." Cherry pasted a fake confident smile on her face.
Farfarello stood up and walked over to her. He snatched her shades before she could duck or block him. Behind her them was a blacking eye. It hadn't started to show anywhere but around the bottom.
" Oh yeah, ye take real good care o' yerself don'cha?"
" I could say the same for you." Cherry the five scars across the side of his face.
" I donna' 'ave a 5-year-old ta provide for either. I can do whatever I want. Ye canno' do the same." He pulled away and tossed her her shades.
" So I suppose you want to take care of me too?" She leaned against the counter lazily.
" Jist until this is ova. I'm not askin' for yer hand in marriage." Farfarello walked back over to the table, pulled a chair out and sat down in it backwards.
Cherry shook her head in amusement. " Whatever you wanna do. But as I said, I'm late for work, and I have a child to provide for."
" Where do ye work anyway?" He went back to playing with his butterfly knife.
" Digital Underground."
" Yer're a stripper?" He looked up at her in shock.
She shrugged. " Hey, I'm a single mother and the money's good. The next best thing to prostitution; which I swore I'd never do. Plus putting money in the bank for going to school."
" School?"
Cherry laughed at his astonished look." Don't sound so surprised. I'm an artist Farfarello. That's why I found you so interesting. All the times I came to see you, I was never writing. I was just drawing you."
" But, ye said ye had a term paper ta write. An' ye weren't lyin'."
" No. I still had a paper to write. And I wrote it. Some people take notes with words. Others take notes with pictures. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm really late for work."
Cherry went to grab her keys from the table. As she was drawing back, she pressed her lips to Farfarello's cheek; leaving a red lip mark there.
As soon as he realized what she did, he took a swing at her; but Cherry was out of range. She laughed as she cut through the living room to get to the front door.
" Smooches!"