The Fine Print: Daniel Knauf and HBO own Carnivale and, unfortunately, Justin and Iris.

Minutes Like Hours

By twinb80

Chapter Four: Make a Wish

The birthday party had been going strong for the last hour or so. The house was filled with the laughter and talk of its numerous guest, which included many of Iris's co-workers, the Balthus's church going friends and even some of Justin's school friends had made the trip to celebrate Iris's birthday. On the outside Iris appeared to be happy and the life of the party. She talked with each guest making them feel welcomed and thanked them for her gifts. There was music being played throughout the house and couples were dancing in the living room. Iris stood back watching the scene in front of her eyes. On the inside, she was still feeling cold from that dark cloud and she only seemed to come out of it when she was near Justin's side. He had become the life of the party and a small crowd of friends and adults had centered themselves around him so that they could better hear Justin's stories from school and his internship. Iris smiled to herself. Her brother it seemed had finally decided to try and shed that part of him that was shy around others.

Growing up it had really just been the two of them that each other could talk to. Iris thought back more on the past. Coming to America had indeed been a strange trip and adjusting to life had been difficult at times. Norman and Rose had taken them out of the orphanage and into their home with loving arms. For that Iris was grateful. They had treated and loved them like their very own children. At six years of age, Justin had still needed to be held and protected. At twelve, Iris had taken on that role and, in doing so, had distanced herself from any adults around. It wasn't that she did not come to love and honor Norman and Rose as her parental figures. She did but no one would take the place of her mother and father. Even if her father was an "evil man" and her mother was dead. She was grateful that Norman and Rose had recognized this and had never pressed the issue. But just because they had never questioned her about her parents didn't mean that others hadn't tried.

Iris's mind raced back to the not too distant past as the party continued around her. Since Iris and Justin wouldn't talk about their parents or their lives before coming to live with the Balthus other children had taken it upon themselves to call Justin and herself bastards behind their backs. Iris had not found this out till they attended the annual Methodist Church Picnic. It had been just a few months after they had come to live in America. Rose had been trying to teach Iris to cook, since she had never learned. Why should she have when back home there had been a cook to do that for them? But Iris said none of this to Rose. Not even that, back home, she had been privately tutored and had never gone to a public school. Or that she had been given lessons in singing, playing the piano, needle work, and ballet classes. Nor that was her other life that ended the night her mother died.

Norman and Rose could not afford the lessons she had been given in Russia. In Russia she had been taught how to be a Lady and all that went with it. Here in America she was just a young immigrant girl who spoke a little more English than most. The church picnic had been going well and Iris had stuck by Rose's side most of the day. She had also kept an eye on her brother, but he had ran off with some boys his age only a few minutes earlier. As Iris was putting out the dishware to eat with, Justin came running up to her tears streaming down his face. He looked like he had been pushed in to the dirt and his new pants were covered in dirt and grass. Iris had immediately ran to him and asked what was wrong.

Through his hurried Russian, Justin had let her know that Robert and James Langefield had pushed him down and called him names when he couldn't respond to their questions in English. Iris looked around the picnic area and could not see Rose or Norman anywhere. She took her brother's hand and asked him where the other boys were. They had been playing nearby the swings with the other children. Iris marched over to the playground and spotted Robert and James right away. They had seen her coming and began to snicker amongst themselves. Iris asked in halting English why they had treated her brother so badly. This only made the boys laugh harder and this made the other children take notice. Iris became more upset with each passing moment. How dare they laugh at her! Did they know who she was who her brother was!

"Stop laughing. And tell me what you asked my brother." she yelled at them. The children were taken back her outburst but soon fell into more laughter. Justin tugged at the sleeve of her dress and whispered the one word he could remember. Iris's eyes became enlarged and she screamed out "We are not bastards!" Robert and James laughed harder. At that moment, Laura Tolken who was a schoolmate, and did not like Iris shouted out, "Of course you are! That's what an orphan is...a bastard! I bet you don't even have the same Dad do ya!"

Justin began to cry as the other children snickered behind their hands. Iris stood there with her eyes blazing. How dare this snot of girl call her a bastard in one breath and then insult her mother's good name in the next. "That's a lie," Iris said between clenched teeth. Laura took one look at Iris's face and laughed harder. Before she knew what was happening, she had let go of Justin's hand and tackled Laura to the ground. For a moment no one spoke and then the air was filled with the children's shouts and screams of "Fight Fight Fight".

The adults nearby heard the screams and come running to find Reverend Balthus's new adoptive daughter and Laura Tolken rolling around in the dirt clawing at each other's faces. The surrounding children were still shouting and the younger ones were crying. Justin just stood there with shock written across his young face as Iris repeatedly hit and clawed at Laura's face. Even some of the adults were taken aback at the scene of the young girl filled with such anger shouting in a foreign tongue. The fight had ended when Norman had picked her up from the ground and told her to stand still or else. Laura Tolken tried to stand up but couldn't. Everyone could then see what damage Iris had done to her. She had blood running down her face from a broken nose, a black eye was forming and her dress was ruined.

Iris had fared a little better and had only ruined her dress and gotten a few scratches on her face. Her hair had fallen out of its ribbon but she didn't care. Before any adult could say anything Iris wrenched free of Norman's hold on her. She was still breathing hard from the fight. She looked Laura Tolken in the eye and said one thing: "Never say a word about my Mother again." And with that she grabbed Justin's hand and left the crowd of adults and children behind speechless.

The memory ended and Iris was once again in their living room. Eventually she had made friends growing up, but had never really been close to any of those friends. What Norman and Rose couldn't understand was that Iris didn't want to be close to anyone but Justin. And she thought he felt the same way to. She knew he did. Iris continued to watch her brother as he drew the crowd around in with story after story. She knew in her heart that he would make a good speaker one day, and that when he finally realized his destiny, this speaking ability would help them in the end. But that time was not now. Justin had no idea that he had a special destiny awaiting him. But Iris knew. And she promised herself everyday that she would do what ever she had to do to make sure Justin reached that destiny.