a deep blush roared up her face.
Had he a mirror handy, he would define his own expression as shock. This pint-sized warrior, more beautiful than the most perfect windup doll, had decided to turn his entire world on its ear.
When he blinked and shook his head to clear his thoughts, to clear the mesmerizing trace of warmth that lingered on his lips, Kee no longer stood before him. How long had he been standing in the sun?
Crazy Tim slapped him on the shoulder with a resounding buffet that sent him staggering into the tent. “You’re daydreaming again, Arch.”
His fingers were still tangled up in string.
***
Dilyana sat at the table and ate her food. Bit into the two pieces of hot bread filled with cheese, crisp cooked meat, and a thick slice of a red fruit she’d never seen before. She still found it hard to eat slowly, but it was so important to The Kee, she pretended to trust her meal would not be taken from her before she had finished. Made believe they wouldn’t all be dead in minutes. And for days now it had been true. She could feel her defenses relaxing. She hadn’t stolen food in two days, though she had some hidden beneath The Kee’s bed that she checked each night as soon as they all flew away into the stars.
She pretended to be amused when the big man with a voice as big as thunder pretended to throw up on someone else. She could see it was expected, that he’d done it for her. So she smiled then rolled her eyes. He looked pleased.
But what she watched was The Kee and the String Man. He was as long and thin as the string they played with. Clearly, he too had been teasing her with pretending to not know the game. He had made it fun, so she let him believe that she didn’t see what he was doing. Her mother would have liked him for being kind to her child.
Dilyana liked him too. Trusted him. He hadn’t hit her when she was sick on him. And hadn’t treated her like a baby either. He treated her as a friend might, even though he was so old. She hadn’t had a friend in a long time.
Now he and The Kee stood talking in the shadows. Dilya could still feel where The Kee had wrapped her arms around Dilya so tightly and swung her about. Held her as if she were important. As if she mattered.
She watched The Kee reach up to the String Man and kiss him on each cheek and once on the lips. At that moment, they both changed.
Dilyana could remember her parents kissing. Sometimes quickly, and sometimes, when they thought Dilya wasn’t watching, much longer. In the dark of the night, Dilya had watched them through the slitted eyes of pretended sleep as they had done even more. Removing each other’s clothes beneath the blanket and moving silently together in the night. Dilya loved the memory, because they always looked so happy. Even when they’d been frightened and lost, they had held each other close.
She had to blink hard to clear her eyes so that she could watch them change.
Would The Kee and the String Man do this?
Now the String Man stood like a statue, not touching The Kee. And The Kee moved from him, slow at first, then very quickly to the food line.
She sat silently across from Dilyana and ate her food quietly. Ate as if she were alone at the table and no one else sat near.
The man with a horse painted into the skin of his arm slapped the String Man, waking him from his standing sleep. He turned, looking into the tent straight at The Kee’s back. Stood and watched for a handful of heartbeats, then turned and disappeared into the glaring sun.
Maybe they were going to become a mother and father.
Dilyana bit into her sandwich. The question was, would that be good for her or bad? After making sure no one watched, she slid a round orange-colored fruit into her sleeve. Better to have something set aside in case she had to run again.
Chapter 13
Archie waited with John and Tim near the exit from the soccer stadium. He noted the couple of Rangers behind sandbag emplacements, appearing relaxed but
Had he a mirror handy, he would define his own expression as shock. This pint-sized warrior, more beautiful than the most perfect windup doll, had decided to turn his entire world on its ear.
When he blinked and shook his head to clear his thoughts, to clear the mesmerizing trace of warmth that lingered on his lips, Kee no longer stood before him. How long had he been standing in the sun?
Crazy Tim slapped him on the shoulder with a resounding buffet that sent him staggering into the tent. “You’re daydreaming again, Arch.”
His fingers were still tangled up in string.
***
Dilyana sat at the table and ate her food. Bit into the two pieces of hot bread filled with cheese, crisp cooked meat, and a thick slice of a red fruit she’d never seen before. She still found it hard to eat slowly, but it was so important to The Kee, she pretended to trust her meal would not be taken from her before she had finished. Made believe they wouldn’t all be dead in minutes. And for days now it had been true. She could feel her defenses relaxing. She hadn’t stolen food in two days, though she had some hidden beneath The Kee’s bed that she checked each night as soon as they all flew away into the stars.
She pretended to be amused when the big man with a voice as big as thunder pretended to throw up on someone else. She could see it was expected, that he’d done it for her. So she smiled then rolled her eyes. He looked pleased.
But what she watched was The Kee and the String Man. He was as long and thin as the string they played with. Clearly, he too had been teasing her with pretending to not know the game. He had made it fun, so she let him believe that she didn’t see what he was doing. Her mother would have liked him for being kind to her child.
Dilyana liked him too. Trusted him. He hadn’t hit her when she was sick on him. And hadn’t treated her like a baby either. He treated her as a friend might, even though he was so old. She hadn’t had a friend in a long time.
Now he and The Kee stood talking in the shadows. Dilya could still feel where The Kee had wrapped her arms around Dilya so tightly and swung her about. Held her as if she were important. As if she mattered.
She watched The Kee reach up to the String Man and kiss him on each cheek and once on the lips. At that moment, they both changed.
Dilyana could remember her parents kissing. Sometimes quickly, and sometimes, when they thought Dilya wasn’t watching, much longer. In the dark of the night, Dilya had watched them through the slitted eyes of pretended sleep as they had done even more. Removing each other’s clothes beneath the blanket and moving silently together in the night. Dilya loved the memory, because they always looked so happy. Even when they’d been frightened and lost, they had held each other close.
She had to blink hard to clear her eyes so that she could watch them change.
Would The Kee and the String Man do this?
Now the String Man stood like a statue, not touching The Kee. And The Kee moved from him, slow at first, then very quickly to the food line.
She sat silently across from Dilyana and ate her food quietly. Ate as if she were alone at the table and no one else sat near.
The man with a horse painted into the skin of his arm slapped the String Man, waking him from his standing sleep. He turned, looking into the tent straight at The Kee’s back. Stood and watched for a handful of heartbeats, then turned and disappeared into the glaring sun.
Maybe they were going to become a mother and father.
Dilyana bit into her sandwich. The question was, would that be good for her or bad? After making sure no one watched, she slid a round orange-colored fruit into her sleeve. Better to have something set aside in case she had to run again.
Chapter 13
Archie waited with John and Tim near the exit from the soccer stadium. He noted the couple of Rangers behind sandbag emplacements, appearing relaxed but
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