DISCLAIMER: This licence isn't mine. The opinions express by the characters are not mine. I do not support nor encourage the illegal or dangerous acts or words present here. I can make a distinction between fiction and reality and I trust in my readership's ability in doing the same.
Chapter twenty-seven: Sisterhood
Berrykin Bloom winced. His shoulder hurt, and his whole left arm was aching. The pain has woken him up in the middle of the night… again. It started to be worrying. It was highly possible that the doctor Hazel Nutby hadn't managed to correctly put all his bones back in place. Berrykins' articulations were so tiny and delicate! But he couldn't take the liberty of loosing the use of his arm now. He had to teach his apprentices how to keep the strawberry patches alive in winter time, and the baby princesses still needed to be under his surveillance. There weren't fortifying thoughts, but, unfortunately, there were true. Berrykin Bloom sighted. He knew how he would spend the rest of the night: sitting in bed in a transitional state, in which he was too awoken to fall asleep again, but at the same time too drowsy to do something useful. He really hated this feeling of being wasting his time, but with his shoulder stabbing him, he wasn't in the mood for going out and taking care of the orchards in the dead of a winter night. It was making him feeling unusually ill at ease, almost nauseous.
-It's not the time for falling sick, he muttered, turning on his bedside lamp.
But he had felt something was wrong even before seeing Berrykin Bertram standing next to his bed.
-Aren't you feeling well, cousin? He asked with a hypocritical voice. "You should be seen by a doctor."
Petrified, Bloom curled up in his bed, trying to put as many distance as possible between Bertram and him.
-No, finally no, you shouldn't. Berrykin Bloom, forced to see a doctor… This new would spread up like wildfire… Of course, the Princess will ask Hazel Nutby a report… What if the good doctor tells her you'll certainly stay disabled after your accident?
The most disturbing thing at Bertram was his ability in reading Bloom's mind, and his tendency to exploit the information he found to make Bloom face his biggest fears. Berrykin Bloom closed his eyes, desperately trying to convince himself Bertram was lying.
-What do you think the Princess will make with you if she learns you will be useless to her community because of your wounded arm?
-It was your fault, Bloom grumbled.
-With all due respect, my dear cousin, it was yours. Last night, I only wanted to greet you, and you ran away like a scary baby. Anyway, you always been a wimp.
-Go away, Bertram! Bloom cried. He immediately regretted his words: Bertram was certainly furious now!
-If you really want to… Bertram calmly answered, to Bloom's great surprise. "Goodbye, cousin. We'll have a lot of fun again later."
When Berrykin Bloom finally dared to open his eyes, his room was empty.
Apple Dumplin' was living the most exciting experience she had never lived. For the first time, she had her own house! Well, indeed, she was sharing her detached house with a ten of teenagers, but she felt closer to them than to her sister, Strawberry Shortcake. They were adventurers, just like her. And their head, Cherry Cuddler, was like a mother for her.
-You know, we didn't really own the house, Cherry Cuddler explained to Apple Dumplin'. "But we're not doing something wrong: we needed a shelter, and this detached house was unoccupied. You can call us squatters… whatever, none of us is a beggar. We have very little resources, but we make a point of honour of acting honestly. If you want to stay with us, you'll have to win your own money. But no thefts, no begging and no racketeering. Understood?"
-Understood.
-Very well. We have to live in accord with our neighborhood. You know, they could… denounce us if they find us disturbing.
Another young lady would have been scared by these words. Not Apple Dumplin'. She used to face the lack of confort, and this shot of adrenaline shook her daily grind up.
-Don't worry, she cried, "I'll be a perfect neighbor!"
-Perfect Apple. The other rule is that we're like a big family, a family we had built all together. You had understood the guys who are living here have nowhere else to go, and have nobody to rely on. We are united by our loneliness. You can stay with us as long as you want, but you must not walk out on us. Solidarity and mutual assistance are our keywords.
Apple's good mood vanished by hearing Cherry Cuddler's speech. Until this moment, she hadn't fully realized she had left her home, but now she could no longer ignore it. Mulberry Murmur, the Café, her school, the Strawberrylanders… they belonged in the past. She felt a lump forming in her throat. She was all alone now.
-I will never abandon you, she muttered.
-Hey, don't cry Apple, Cherry Cuddler kindly said. "Let's find you something to do."
Cherry Cuddler introduced Apple Dumplin' to the police station as a newly arrived classmate, keen to do something useful for the town, and the inspector charged her to pick all the rubbish left on the floor.
-I know it's not very glamor, he said joyfully, but it will embellish our town and you won't work freely!
It wasn't the first time Apple Dumplin' had to work, but this time it was different. She was working for herself, and not forced to be a part of acts of charity (she couldn't find other words to describe the way she saw Orange Blossom's action for the Berrykins) she didn't even approve. She felt independent, free, usefull… but after a few hours, she started to find her task repetitive. She was sweating, short of breath and her back ached, by dint of leaning. When the sun went down, she came back to the police station with a sincere relief… hardly dented by he idea of having to start it again the following day.
In the police station, Cherry Cuddler and the policeman were in full discussion. Apple Dumplin' decided not to get in and to discretely listen to them… she would get her pay later.
-Miss Cuddler, you must understand this situation is thorny…
Apple Dumplin' gasped. Were her new friends threatened of being evicted?
-You can't force her to go back there! Cherry Cuddler cried.
From whom were they talking about?
-Miss Cuddler, this young girl you brought here this morning is a runaway, whom description has been circulated through all the country. I can't hide her…
-She's happy with me. Do you know what she was suffering with her sister? Why did she run away, in your mind?
Apple Dumplin' legs started to shiver. They were talking about her! The police would send her back to the Café!
-Can you prove miss Dumplin' was mistreated?
-I have no other evidence than her words.
-You know it's not enough…
-Anyway, I take her word for it.
-The report her big sister -who is her legal guardian- sent me, says that Apple is a troublesome teenager. She had certainly exaggerated when she told you about her family setting.
-How can you be sure of what Miss… Shortcake told you?
-Miss Cuddler, I see you're trying to protect your classmate, and it's extremely kind from you. However, I can't take custody of Miss Dumplin' away from Miss Shortcake without real evidence. Anyway, her neighbors assured me that Miss Shortcake was doing her best for her sister, but she has been overwhelmed by the situation.
-Of course! Cherry Cuddler ironically sniggered.
It started to become serious. Apple Dumplin' didn't know if she should appear at this moment, or if she should let them talk.
-Whatever you can say, Miss Cuddler, I must make a report. Where did you live, your classmate and you?
Apple Dumplin' remembered what Cherry Cuddler told her, sooner in the day. They were all a big family… She couldn't let the policeman discover the squat. All her new siblings would be evicted, just because of her. "You had understood the guys who are living here have nowhere else to go, and have nobody to rely on…" No, she'll show her they could rely on her.
-Stop it sir, Apple Dumplin' cried, entering the police station. "I'm here. I'm ready to go back in Strawberryland."
Five minutes later, Strawberry Shortcake was here, crying and kissing Apple Dumplin' all over, under Cherry Cuddler's questioning eyes.
-I'm so sorry… Strawberry Shortcake sobbed. "I've been a terrible big sister. I bet you, do forgive me Apple… It won't happen anymore… Never again… I'll always be here for you now… I gave the Café up."
To be continued…