asked.
"I will stop with them if I ever go to school. I will stop where the numbers are."
Olea was kind to Magnolia but it was clear she was unhappy.
"Logan has someone now. What am I for?" she said to her husband Myrist.
"Lillah will need help preparing for school."
"School. What good did school ever do?"
"We would not have met and made our children if you had not taught with your school."
"Again, I say, what good did school ever do?"
Myrist shook his head and turned to Lillah. "I don't know what is wrong with your mother's tongue, but she doesn't speak for me."
Lillah had seen this in her mother long before anyone else did.
"Your brother is so important. I left my brother Legum behind to teach school, and then I heard word that he disappeared. Our brothers are the most stable relationship we have. Our love for lovers comes and goes. We tire of them. Our brothers will always love us, and we will never forget them. I wish I knew Legum was safe." She touched her ear. "He listens. All the disappeared listen."
Soon after this Olea went walking and did not return. Sometimes Lillah woke in darkness and felt as if Olea was there, watching, but the dark room showed her nothing.
• • •
The baby began to mewl and she realised she had been lost in memories, not seeing the present. Lillah kissed her nephew's head. That seemed so long ago, and now she would be travelling, seeking love, preparing for motherhood herself.
Thea joined her as the baby began to grizzle. "Shall we bathe him?" she said. "Babies like to bathe." So they filled a large bowl with water and carefully undressed the tiny thing.
Thea held him, lowered him slowly into the water. Lillah turned to collect a soft sponge.
"Careful!" she said. Thea had let the baby's shoulder slip back and his face was almost underwater.
"So small," Thea whispered.
Lillah talked and cuddled him as she dressed him and was sad to pass him back when his parents returned. Magnolia checked him all over for marks and smiled nervously. "I'm sorry, Lillah. You're not like the others, I know."
"What others?"
Magnolia held the baby close. "Everybody."
Logan kissed the crown of her head. "All mothers worry terribly. You are safe here."
Wind began to howl around them and Magnolia pulled her child even closer. The noise of the Tree increased.
"Does it have to make so much noise?" Magnolia said, covering her baby's ears with a blanket.
"It'll be okay," Logan said. "It'll pass."
Some of the more frightened amongst them packed up containers of food and warm clothing and made camp at the base of the Tree. This was the safest place when the leaves were being shed. There were stories from other Orders of people being killed by a massive Leaf. It had never happened in Lillah's Order. The Leaves of the Tree had a varied nature and size. Some could be used for plates, others to insulate walls, and there were the huge leaves, the dangerous ones.
The school would leave after the arrival of the next messenger. It was good to go out fully informed, and he would bring news from Laburnum that might be useful to them as they travelled.
He came late in the night, and his news was not important enough to wake them. In the morning they gathered to hear word of a new batch of perfume being completed, and of a school on the way containing a child who could scream so loudly the cups would shatter.
"None of our children will behave like that," Lillah said. "Ours will be a joy to look after, and the messengers will run ahead shouting, 'Oh, you should see these children! These children are the most beautiful you've ever seen.'"
"Why do you always have to be the best, Lillah? Sometimes we can just be, you know. We don't have to be known as the best school ever."
"You may not, Melia, but I do. You ask your questions; I'll be proud of what I do."
The messenger was sent back
"I will stop with them if I ever go to school. I will stop where the numbers are."
Olea was kind to Magnolia but it was clear she was unhappy.
"Logan has someone now. What am I for?" she said to her husband Myrist.
"Lillah will need help preparing for school."
"School. What good did school ever do?"
"We would not have met and made our children if you had not taught with your school."
"Again, I say, what good did school ever do?"
Myrist shook his head and turned to Lillah. "I don't know what is wrong with your mother's tongue, but she doesn't speak for me."
Lillah had seen this in her mother long before anyone else did.
"Your brother is so important. I left my brother Legum behind to teach school, and then I heard word that he disappeared. Our brothers are the most stable relationship we have. Our love for lovers comes and goes. We tire of them. Our brothers will always love us, and we will never forget them. I wish I knew Legum was safe." She touched her ear. "He listens. All the disappeared listen."
Soon after this Olea went walking and did not return. Sometimes Lillah woke in darkness and felt as if Olea was there, watching, but the dark room showed her nothing.
• • •
The baby began to mewl and she realised she had been lost in memories, not seeing the present. Lillah kissed her nephew's head. That seemed so long ago, and now she would be travelling, seeking love, preparing for motherhood herself.
Thea joined her as the baby began to grizzle. "Shall we bathe him?" she said. "Babies like to bathe." So they filled a large bowl with water and carefully undressed the tiny thing.
Thea held him, lowered him slowly into the water. Lillah turned to collect a soft sponge.
"Careful!" she said. Thea had let the baby's shoulder slip back and his face was almost underwater.
"So small," Thea whispered.
Lillah talked and cuddled him as she dressed him and was sad to pass him back when his parents returned. Magnolia checked him all over for marks and smiled nervously. "I'm sorry, Lillah. You're not like the others, I know."
"What others?"
Magnolia held the baby close. "Everybody."
Logan kissed the crown of her head. "All mothers worry terribly. You are safe here."
Wind began to howl around them and Magnolia pulled her child even closer. The noise of the Tree increased.
"Does it have to make so much noise?" Magnolia said, covering her baby's ears with a blanket.
"It'll be okay," Logan said. "It'll pass."
Some of the more frightened amongst them packed up containers of food and warm clothing and made camp at the base of the Tree. This was the safest place when the leaves were being shed. There were stories from other Orders of people being killed by a massive Leaf. It had never happened in Lillah's Order. The Leaves of the Tree had a varied nature and size. Some could be used for plates, others to insulate walls, and there were the huge leaves, the dangerous ones.
The school would leave after the arrival of the next messenger. It was good to go out fully informed, and he would bring news from Laburnum that might be useful to them as they travelled.
He came late in the night, and his news was not important enough to wake them. In the morning they gathered to hear word of a new batch of perfume being completed, and of a school on the way containing a child who could scream so loudly the cups would shatter.
"None of our children will behave like that," Lillah said. "Ours will be a joy to look after, and the messengers will run ahead shouting, 'Oh, you should see these children! These children are the most beautiful you've ever seen.'"
"Why do you always have to be the best, Lillah? Sometimes we can just be, you know. We don't have to be known as the best school ever."
"You may not, Melia, but I do. You ask your questions; I'll be proud of what I do."
The messenger was sent back
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