Chapter 19: Kalfu
**Glenn**
"It's the Lieutenant's meeting," Merle said. "I think he should pick the four who will be going with him."
"Is he even up for the trip?" Michonne asked.
The group's 'elders' had all been called to a meeting in the dining room of the convent and to Glenn's shock he was asked to attend as well. For the longest time he was beginning to think Maggie had been right, that he was doomed to be middle management.
Still he felt like he shouldn't be there, sitting quietly somewhere in the middle of the table, eyeing the grain of the wood.
"I've been told that this man, Delgado, can be trusted completely," Grace said. "He'll be fine for the trip there and back, but after that he gets some rest."
"The longer we wait, the more suspicious he'll be getting," the Cajun said. "I think it's best to meet with him sooner than later."
"So who are you taking, then?" Sasha asked.
"Well, I thought you'd like to go and get your brother back," he began.
She nodded. "Thank you."
The Lieutenant nodded. "And, Michonne, if she wants."
The woman nodded.
"Glenn?"
Glenn looked up from the table. "Really?"
"Yeah, unless you don't—"
"No, yeah, sure. I could take in some new scenery." He said, trying hard to keep his hopeful puppy tone to a minimal cool level. The truth was he was kind of excited to hang out with the 'cool' kids for once. He never got to do that in high school being that he was the nerd they usually ignored.
The Lieutenant chuckled. "And Grace will be going with us."
"Why her?" Rick asked.
"Because I want you here and she needs to get used to being outside the walls. If she's going to start going out I'd rather it be under my watch." The Lieutenant said.
"You don't want me here," Rick argued. "You just don't want me there."
"You're right, Rick. Lately you've been on the edge and I don't want that kind of drama at this meeting."
"It'll be fine," Herschel said from his spot at the table. "I'm sure the Lieutenant will debrief us all when he returns."
"Thank you, Herschel," the Lieutenant said.
"So what are you hoping to accomplish with this meeting anyways?" Karen asked.
Glenn had to admire the woman, her people were all but wiped out just the day before and she was still in a semi reasonable, coherent state.
"Well, it'd be nice to make some friends."
"Besides," Sasha added. "They had a farm set up. We might be able to work a trade deal with them for fresh produce."
"Like what?"
"Milk, eggs, who knows what they had going on there," Merle said.
"What would we have to offer in a trade, though?" Carol asked.
"The only thing we have an abundance of is nuns," Merle replied, turning to Grace with a grin. "What do you say, Sister? Take one for the team?"
"Merle!" Sasha exclaimed.
Glenn covered a smirk with his hand, watching as Grace with all the elegance and mien her name afforded her, eyed the oldest Dixon brother quietly and evenly with her sharp blue eyes until the man began to shift uncomfortably in his chair. Only then did she slowly drag her eyes away from him, turning back to the Lieutenant and nodding for him to continue.
The soldier smirked proudly and went on. "We can go through our supplies, see what we can spare. But we'll worry about that if and when they give us the go ahead to form an alliance."
"You think they won't want an alliance?" Herschel asked.
"You never know," the Lieutenant said. "I'm not going to stick all my eggs into one basket, but the chances of them rejecting us as allies are very slim. Delgado and I go way back and knowing him he's more likely to want to turn over command of his people to me than fight us."
"Would you take command?" Grace demanded.
"Are they all military, Merle?" Carol asked.
"Hell I don't know, the head guy looked military, you can't tell with women in the military these days, so his back up could have been."
Glenn studied the way Grace looked mildly panicked with a constriction of his heart. He could tell she didn't want the Lieutenant joining up with the military again.
Smiling reassuring at her, then others, the Lieutenant went. "The military is long gone, I won't be joining up with anyone in uniform ever again," he said. "It's more than likely, Delgado thinks the military still exists in some form and like a good Marine he wants to report in for duty to a CO."
"Do you think there still could be a military?" Rick asked.
"No, if any pockets of the armed forces exists, its splinter cells and squadrons of men trying to pick a life out of the remnants, but I don't think we have to worry about soldiers any time soon."
Glenn spied Grace taking hold of the Lieutenant's hand under the table and felt that familiar sting of pain that came with remembering Maggie.
..-~-..
..-~-..
After gearing up, checking his ammo count and his emergency survival gear, Glenn ducked into the dorms in the search of the Lieutenant. He found him perched on Annie's cot, where the little girl was struggling to tie the laces on the Lieutenant's boots.
"Can I come too?" She chirped, working hard at getting the laces right.
Stopping outside the door to the room where Annie usually slept with her doll and dog, Glenn waited patiently to speak with the soldier.
"Well, not this time, but maybe there'll be other times," the Lieutenant said, eyeing Annie's work. "Through, put it through…good girl."
"You think there'll be kids?"
"Oh, I don't know, boo."
"I hope so." Finishing up, Annie beamed proudly and hopped onto the bed to wrap her arms around the Cajun. "There. I think that's right."
Sliding his good arm around the little girl, Glenn could see the Lieutenant grinning widely and smiled too. It looked like the man genuinely enjoyed the hug. Spying Glenn in the doorway, the Lieutenant unwound his arm and poked Annie on the tip of her nose. "Why don't you go and fill the canteen with water for me?"
The little girl launched herself off the bed and unhooked the beaten canteen from the Lieutenant's pack, scampering past Glenn with it in hand and her dog at her heels.
"Hi, Mr. Glenn!" She chirped on her way past.
"Hey, kid," he returned, finding the spot where Annie was already empty, the child long gone with the canteen. Turning back to the room, Glenn nervously smiled at the soldier. "Sorry."
"It's fine, what's the problem?"
"I…uh, just wanted to thank you for, I guess, picking me, maybe? I kind of thought maybe you'd be taking Merle or Daryl instead. So, thanks." He was sure why he was nervous, but it felt like talking to the cool kid in high school all over again.
"Well, aside from Michonne who's a powerhouse scrapper, I wanted people who could be diplomatic. We're trying to makes friends and I like your attitude when it comes to people."
Suddenly Glenn was more nervous than ever, he swallowed thickly. "Wow, you've given this some thought."
"Almost like I've been trained to think tactically," the Lieutenant replied with a crooked grin. "Don't worry, Glenn, you're a good man and a damned good fighter. It's time you showed the others how you do things, yeah?"
"Yeah." Glenn licked his bottom lip. "Yes, sir."
"You know, Glenn," the man began, shifting on his feet. "I didn't want to say anything, because I knew you'd felt like I was belittling you pain, but…I know what it's like to lose someone you love. I'm not talking about a mother or father. I mean…it's different when it's a lover."
Glenn bowed his head and took a step back.
"The pain never completely leaves, but it gets better. You get better. You pull yourself together and move on and sometimes it's nice to remember, but it's damned hard to forget. Don't look forward to the day you stop suffering, because when it comes you'll know you're dead." Gripping Glenn's shoulder, the Lieutenant bowed down as much as he dared to with his ribs and eyed him. "You're doing good, Glenn. Every day you're up and about, helping out, walking the wall. You're one of the most unappreciated, hardest working members of this group. You'd make a damned fine soldier, loutre."
"Did you just insult me in Cajun?" Glenn asked worriedly.
The Lieutenant laughed. "Naw, I called you a loutre," the man paused looking for the right word in English, "ah, otter. River otter, because you're fast and smart. Also you kind of look like one."
"Thank you? I guess."
"Ain't nothing wrong with being like an otter," he pointed out. "They're energetic and fun creatures capable of finding food in the harshest of conditions."
"You…know a lot about otters," Glenn pointed out.
"Yeah, well…National Geographic, you know. It's, ah, an informative read."
"Sure."
Clapping Glenn hard on the shoulder, the Cajun chuckled. "Alright then, you ready to go?"
"Yeah."
"Okay, I'll meet you out there, I have a few things to finish up with in here," he motioned to Annie returning with a dripping wet canteen and Grace on her heels trying to dab up the water from the floor with a rag.
Quietly studying the tall, lanky soldier, Glenn was very aware of why the man rose in ranks in the military. He actually made Glenn feel good for the first time in months. It was nice to feel calm and capable again.
He was only aware that he was lingering when Grace held up a roll of duct tape to the Cajun with a smile and the soldier eyed it warily.
"I hope that's not to shut me up with, magpie," the Lieutenant teased.
Grace chuckled. "If I have to," she teased.
Nodding to the both of them, Glenn turned and wandered off, not entirely sure what the duct tape was for, but pretty sure he didn't want to know.
..-~-..
..-~-..
"She's cute."
Stepping out of the dorms, Glenn spied Beth and that new young man from Woodbury lingering in the shade, Beth holding Judith in her arms, bouncing the baby gently.
Glenn eyed the man. It was hard not to hold some suspicions of him and his people, even harmless seeming people like Milton Mamet. It didn't help that his time in Woodbury wasn't all sunshine and lollipops like Andrea's had been.
"Yeah, she's pretty quiet too," Beth replied.
Heading towards them, not sure if it was out of a sense of lingering duty to Maggie or just because of his suspicious attitude, Glenn decided he'd break them up politely. Send the boy on his way.
"It's alright, son," Herschel said from a spot in the shade nearby where he was sitting with the old woman from Woodbury on a couple of lawn chairs.
Glenn paused.
"Sorry," he said. "I didn't think you'd want—"
"Believe me," Herschel said. "I have my eye on them."
The old woman – Mrs. Douglas – chuckled warmly. "Even in the end times teenagers will always be teenagers."
"Sometimes they don't even have to be teenagers," Herschel adding, fixing a sparkling, playful look on Glenn.
He felt himself flush sheepishly, face growing hot to the tips of his ears. "Well…times being what they are. Live for the moment, I guess."
"Fall hard and fast," Mrs. Douglas added with a kind smile. "That's what I always believed, even before things went to hell."
Glenn didn't know what to really think in relation to love in the days of the walkers anymore, so he kept quiet, allowing Herschel and Mrs. Douglas to reminisce about days gone by, standing in the shade, watching Beth and the young man –Noel, was it? – coo over Judith.
"—it's the ones you don't expect who flourish under these conditions," Herschel stated.
He had missed the first bit, but Glenn tuned back in on the conversation easing against the wall of the dorms.
"It's like after a funeral, you can always tell the character of a person when someone the love dies by how the act at the funeral," the old man went on. "These are the days that bring out the best and worst of us. Prime example," he said, nodding his head towards Carol and Daryl standing around the truck as the others gathered to say goodbye to the group heading on a mission of diplomacy. "When that boy came around my farm, I didn't trust him to turn my back on him. Thought he'd rob us blind. Now I wouldn't trust anyone more to have my back."
"He does look a little rough around the edges," Mrs. Douglas said.
"That's the polished version," Herschel replied. "That boy once looked like an absolute back alley mutt."
"Watch the step!" Grace exclaimed as Annie came bounding out of the dorms, her arms wrapped around the Lieutenant's pack, her face hidden behind it.
Glenn hurried to catch Annie before she could face plant off the stoop of the dorms, setting her upright and on her way as Grace and the Lieutenant emerged from the building. He noticed the soldier was free from his sling, but kept his arm to his side tightly.
"You two come back safe," Mrs. Douglas said.
"How little faith you put in me, beb," the Lieutenant said to the woman.
"When I met you, Lieutenant, you were holier than a relic, no offence, Sister."
Grace smirked. "None taken."
"Son, clear something up for me," Herschel began in that way he had that said he was about to drop some deep grandfatherly wisdom. "Why didn't you pick Daryl to go with you? I thought you two were inseparable."
The Lieutenant beamed broadly. "Say it like that, Herschel, and people will begin to think we're dating."
"Humour me," Herschel replied with a small grin.
"Daryl needs to recover and between you me and the wall I think Rick could use the company while we're gone, you know? I wasn't sure who was closest to him, but Daryl seemed like the right choice."
"I think you may have bet on the wrong pony," Herschel said. "Daryl's a good man, but emotions aren't really his thing."
"Rick doesn't need emotion right now," the Lieutenant argued. "He needs to be distracted from leading for a while."
"That's not going to be easy," Glenn said.
"No…but it's gotta be done.
"My arms are getting tired," Annie complained from the soldier's side where she was still holding his pack.
Grace swooped in and took the pack from her with a gracious smile and a soft 'thank you', while the Cajun laughed and fixed his attention on Glenn. "You ready to go, then?"
"Yeah. Yes, sir." Glenn replied, not entirely sure why he did that. The man kind of scared him into it, maybe. Soldiers and authority figures sometimes did that to him.
Chuckling, the Cajun nodded. "Alright, loutre, let's head out then. Annie, you be good for Mrs. Douglas, don't bring dishonour on your house, yeah?"
"I won't!" The girl exclaimed sounding almost insulted that he would even insinuate such a thing.
"You be careful, Glenn." Herschel said.
He nodded. "I will." Hesitating, he raised his hand to both Herschel and Mrs. Douglas. "Bye."
"Don't bring dishonour on your house," Annie ordered.
Glenn smiled as he heard the Lieutenant cackling in the background.
"I'll try not to." He offered the little girl.
The Voodoo Dialect
Kalfu - (Carrefour, Kalfou) Kalfu too controls the crossroads. Actually, were it not for him the world would be more rational, a better place. But, not unlike Pandora in Greek religion and myth, Kalfu controls the evil forces of the spirit world. He allows the crossing of bad luck, deliberate destruction, misfortune, injustice. Kalfu controls the malevolent spirits of the night. Yet Kalfu can control these evil spirits too. He is strong and tall, muscular. People do not speak in his presence. When he mounts a person everyone at the service stops speaking because he allows evil loa to come to the ceremony. He claims that most of the important loa know him and he collaborates with them. Kalfu says that some people claim he is a demon but he denies this. He is a respected loa and he is not liked much. He has knowledge of the human condition and develops ways to help individuals cope with their problems. He has experience dealing with all kinds of people. Kalfu is a magician and likes to use tree leaves in his magic. He has the ability to change people into animals and then control their minds.
The Cajun Dialect
Loutre – River otter
Quote Credit
"Don't look forward to the day you stop suffering, because when it comes you'll know you're dead." – Tennessee Williams
Yazzy x - I've been giving poor Daryl some grief lately, huh? I should give him a nice cuddling scene later...to make up for the torment.
Yulya18 - You're very welcome! Thank you for not only enjoying it, but reviewing it as well! I hope good things come your way! ^_^
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You're all wonderful reviewers! I mean it, but I'm going to have to start cutting back to the reviews that need replying. I apologize, don't think this in any way means I don't appreciate every single beautiful review I get. You lovely people!