It was exhausting to get the kids ready to go outside, but once the boys were outside, it was worth it. Brian let Maggie pull him all around the yard. Varden clapped his hands, encouraging the mayhem. The group worked their way up the hill to the aerie. Mia did her best to explain what had happened along the way. After she had finished, Lazar was quiet for a while. Mia left him to his thoughts and corralled the boys.
“Time for a good roll down the hill,” she said, pointing to the northside of the hill where Murphy had worked tirelessly on making it a smooth grade down to the old pasture.
Lazar watched Mia and the boys play as he digested what she had told him. He knew from reading Cid’s mind when he came home that something happened. He didn’t have any memory of the events, but he trusted Mia, Murphy, and Burt’s telling of the story. He knew that the men were worried but were at odds as to what they could do now. Lazar was familiar with volo candles. His grandmother wanted to use one to get his leg back, but he refused. He was glad he did, considering what happened with Burt’s wish.
Maggie barked with joy. Lazar focused beyond the Martins, who had worked their way to the bottom of the hill, and saw Dieter and Mark walking back from the stream. They were carrying fishing equipment. It looked like a pastoral painting, apart from the ghost who watched them from the trees.
Lazar didn’t quite understand his role in this assemblage. He knew he wasn’t simply an employee. The Martins weren’t the type of people to have employees, even though he and Susan Braverman were payed very well. He felt more like family. His mother kept nagging him during the wedding trip that he should be thinking about starting his own family, not simply taking care of other people’s kids. He had met a young woman who was interested in him, who didn’t seem to be repelled by the absence of one of his legs. But it was early days yet. He knew he still had problems of withdrawing within himself that he had to work on. Until he could live with what the war had brought him, he couldn’t expect any woman to deal with the scars he had.
“I caught the most fish,” Mark bragged.
“We let the little ones go,” Dieter said, “so I caught the most eatable fish.”
“Did your Uncle Burt teach you how to clean them?” Mia asked, more to remind the boys that she expected them to clean the fish and not to foist them off on Lazar or Cid.
“Yes. Do you think we could eat them tonight?” Dieter asked.
“If Cid hasn’t already made plans. I suspect he hasn’t. He and your dad have been playing games all afternoon.”
“Cool,” Mark said. “I’m inviting myself to dinner since I’m supplying most of it.”
“Half of it,” Dieter reminded him.
“Mark, you’re certainly welcome. Dieter, could I talk to you for a moment away from little ears?” Mia asked.
“Sure,” he said and followed Mia a few yards away.
“Could you contact Roumain and ask his permission for me to visit him at his convenience?”
“No problem. Is everything alright?”
“I have some questions that I feel only he can answer. Plus, I would like to mend a few fences.”
“I’ll contact him as soon as we get the fish cleaned,” Dieter promised. “Mom, be careful around Roumain. He likes you a lot, maybe too much.”
“I have never led him on, and I wouldn’t hurt him, intentionally,” she promised.
“Can you bring Murphy with you?” Dieter asked.
“This time, I have to ask about things Roumain may not want to answer in front of Murph.”
“Okay.”
“Dieter.”
“Yes?”
“Thank you for being the voice of reason in my chaotic world.”
“You should tell Old Lady Templeton that. She would fall off her high horse.”
Mia put a finger to her lips and whispered, “Cid’s dating her.”
“Much to the disgust of Mark and myself,” Dieter said. “I better get these fish cleaned.”
Murphy watched Mia join the others and Mark run to catch up with Dieter. He wanted to be part of this but didn’t want to crowd Mia. She looked over at him at that moment as if she could hear his thoughts. She smiled and waved him over.
He hefted a bale of straw up and walked over and set it down.
Lazar looked at the bale.
“Sit,” Murphy said.
“I can sit on the ground,” Lazar snapped.
“It’s harder to get up off the ground. Plus, you’re killing my grass.”
Mia kept out of it. She knew better than to explain Murphy’s intentions.
“I’m sorry to be rude, but I don’t want to be coddled,” Lazar explained.
“You are rude. I’m just trying to be hospitable. Your mother would offer me a chair in your house, wouldn’t she? This is my home, and I’m offering you a chair.”
Brian had become interested in how this was going to end.
“Well then, I’ll accept your hospitality, thank you.”
Brian decided all was well. He spoke up, “Lazar, my dad let me use the computer.”
“Really?”
“Yes, he also said if I was more helpful and less an ass, he would make me a computer of my own.”
“Whoa,” Mia said. “Did he really say ass?”
“No, I just thought it would add color.”
“I’ll add color to your bottom if you swear again in front of your mother,” Murphy warned.
“Ah gee, I thought we were all adults here,” Brian pouted.
“Ahem, what about Varden?” Lazar pointed out.
“Him? He doesn’t count.”
“Yes, he does. Now you’re just showing off.” Mia knelt by her son and said, “I know it seems like we’re picking on you, but there is a reason for our concern. You see, if you
