Writing Letters

Fili - 10, Kili - 5

The bickering had been going on all week and Dis was sick of it. Physically and emotionally she was still recovering from a miscarriage three weeks ago. The boys didn't know, nor would they understand. Well, Fili might be able to understand, but she didn't want him to be burdened with that knowledge.

"No, Kili. Leave me alone!" Fili shouted.

"I want to play," Kili whined.

"I don't want to play. Go away."

"I'll tell Mama," Kili said.

"I don't care."

"Fili, Kili," Dis spoke sternly. She stood in the doorway of their bed room. Fili was sitting on his bed, holding his new slate and chalk. Kili was standing on the bed, and it was obvious he had been jumping on it before Dis walked in.

"Kili won't leave me alone," Fili said. "I'm trying to write my letters." He spoke with an air of superiority.

"Fili won't play." Kili said.

Dis could not be angry with them. Normally they got along so very well, but once in a while, Kili's endless energy and immaturity of his five young years would bother Fili, who tended to be quieter and was excited with his newly learned skill of reading and writing.

She would separate them for a while and try to give Fili the peace he desired.

"Kili, I'm about to go outside to hang up the washing. Would you come with me and keep me company?" Dis asked.

"Can I hold the pins?" Kili asked.

"That would be most helpful."

Kili hopped off the bed and without another glance at Fili, he was out the door. Dis smiled at her elder son. "There. Enjoy a bit of quiet so you can practice your letters."

"Thank you, Amad," Fili smiled. She left him alone and with a grin, Fili turned back to look at his practice book his tutor had given him. With great care and precision, Fili copied the letters onto his slate.

Kili had been wrongly named, Dis thought as she watched her son play in the garden in front of their home. Instead of Kili, he should have been named Luhn, after the great river that ran through the Blue Mountains, because like the river, Kili never stopped running. No wonder poor Fili had been so frustrated.

After hanging up the wash, she and Kili had knelt in the garden and pulled up weeds. He had talked and asked questions so quickly, Dis couldn't keep up with him.

She was glad to see her husband coming up the path to the house. He would distract Kili for a while.

"Daddy!" Kili crashed into his father's legs.

"What have you been doing today?" Joli asked.

"Helping Mama."

"Where's Fili?"

"Practicing his letters," Dis answered. "He needed a little peace this morning, so we have been working out here."

Joli kissed his wife. "How are you feeling?"

"Better. It's been good for me to be out in the sun," Dis answered.

They sat outside for a while longer, basking in the warm sun, talking and watching Kili chase a butterfly and be chased by an upset bee. They didn't see the sad little face peek out at them from the window.

Finally Dis said it was time to eat and they three of them went in. Dis went to their kitchen and Kili was sent to the washroom and told he was not allowed to come out until his hands and face were completely clean. Joli went to see Fili and invite him in to join them for lunch.

Fili was sitting on his bed, his back turned to the door.

"Fili, my lad," Joli said. "Are you hungry for lunch?"

Fili sniffed. "I'm not wanted."

"What?" Joli went and sat on the bed. He tried to put an arm around his son, but Fili pulled away. "What makes you think you're not wanted?"

"Amad took Kili away and didn't invite me to come out."

"I thought you wanted to be alone so you could write your letters without Kili bouncing all over you." Joli didn't understand what the big deal was, but it was apparently very important to Fili. "She would never keep you and Kili apart if she knew you wanted to play with him."

"Really?"

"It's hard, isn't it?" He put an arm around Fili's shoulder. "Kili is young and he doesn't understand the things you do because you are older. Amad and I understand you need time without Kili. When you want that time, all you need to do is ask, but when you are done with your quiet time, Kili will be waiting for you."

Fili nodded. "One day Kili will learn his letters and he'll need quiet time too," Fili said.

"Somehow, I don't think Kili and quiet time go together. Do you?" Joli laughed.

Fili laughed too.

"Will you show me some of your letters?" Joli asked.

Fili pulled out his slate and drew several Khuzdul characters.

"My goodness," Joli said, taking the slate and looking at his son's handiwork. "This is perfect. I dare say Master Telchar will be very impressed. Not even your Uncle Thorin writes so well as this."

Fili's eyes lit up. That was a high compliment, indeed.

Over lunch, Fili's slate was passed to Dis and Kili.

"I want to learn to write letters!" Kili excitedly spoke.

"I can teach you," Fili said.

"Really?" Kili hopped up, ran to Fili's side and threw his arms around him. "you're the best big brother ever! If you teach me, then we can always play together."

Thanks to all of you who are following this. I stole Joli's name from the ItalianHobbit's stories - Race Against Time and Illusion. Both brilliant stories that will make you cry.