#2 Shades of Gray: From Moscow, With Love
Page 44
Chapter Thirty-six
Draven And Salandra
4:15 P.M...
Nile Sector, Commorance Vicinage...
Ms. Odin's kitchen...
Tink. Tink. Tink. Tink. Tink. Melissa anxiously tapped her spoon on the counter as she stared at her barely touched coffee and watched the impact tremors ripple across the light brown liquid. Bonnie leaned her head on her mother's shoulder as Melissa cradled the little girl in her arm. Johnson moved from leaning on the back counter to Melissa's side and placed his hand on her shoulder.
"Ms. Odin, maybe you should send the children up to the little girl's room," Johnson suggested then he yelled, "Andrews... Daniels... Come in here."
She peered at him as if she didn't hear him and then glanced at the kitchen clock. "You're right. It's getting late." She looked to the droopy eyed Bonnie. "All right, time for bed. You too Chad. We have a big day tomorrow."
She stood and handed Bonnie to Daniels; he had walked into the room followed by Andrews.
Chad complained, "Awe... We were just in bed. Can't I stay up another hour?"
Melissa tried not to get too upset. "No, please don't argue." Her face showed stress and fatigue. "I need both of you to stay in Bonnie's room. I need to know you're safe, so please... Don't argue."
Ashamed of his griping, Chad bowed his head. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean..."
"It's okay." She took him in her arms and hugged him as if she were hugging her own brother. "Everything will be okay." After a few minutes, Melissa released him and started, "Daniels, please will you..."
"I'll do it." Kat stepped forward, wanting to help and wanting to leave the gloom and doom. "I can put them to bed." Something had to be done about Melissa; she was on the verge of cracking. "Kimberly," she started. "Make Melissa some tea. Chamomile if she has it." Maybe tea would break the bleak atmosphere, and she told Melissa, "It'll help you relax." She placed a hand on Melissa's hand which rested on the counter. "Don't worry. If I have any problems, Chad can help me."
Melissa looked to him, and he nodded, so Melissa said, "All right, but do call me if you have any problems."
"I will." Kat took Bonnie from Daniel's arms and headed for the door leading to the second floor. She started to pass Kim.
"Do I look like a maid?" Kim muttered.
Kat didn't answer her, she only smirked. "I'd like a cup too. Don't forget the honey."
Kimberly's view...
That woman's giving me orders like I'm some waitress. I'll take her order, and I'll whip up a plate of bad-asp and go Closer on everyone in this room, so that woman better not test me!
End Kimberly's view...
"You look very flustered," Kat commented as she paused beside Kim. "Maybe you should have some tea too. Melissa, you do have honey, right?"
"What?" Melissa had returned to staring at her coffee. "Honey. Yes, it's up in the cupboard." She pointed to one in the upper corner. "That one."
Kat felt like she should say something to encourage Melissa, but she couldn't come up with one word of comfort. Sometimes she felt so useless. Kat carried the yawning little girl up the stairs behind Chad.
Sometime passed after Kat and the children had left, and everyone in the kitchen fell awkwardly quiet.
"I see none of you are much for small talk," Kim muttered as she glanced at the three men standing around like statues and then she asked Melissa, "Do you have a kettle?"
"No," she answered. "But I do have a small pot, and it's under the sink." Melissa picked up her spoon and started her repetitious tapping again.
Tink. Tink. Tink. Tink. Tink.
Kimberly's view...
How did this happen? How did I end up being a maid to my Mark? How did that woman finagle me into this frustrating situation?
I roll my eyes and walk over to the sink. I'll get back at that woman for this. Maybe I'll make her do all my laundry, sweep the floor, wash the windows, and do the dishes when we get back to the apartment, and then we'll see how she likes being ordered around.
Tink. Tink. Tink. Tink. Tink.
I glare at Melissa from the corner of my eye as if she's challenging me with her needling rapping. I force myself to stay on task, and I find the pot. I squeeze its handle as if I'm strangling Melissa's neck.
For the love of Zeus! Someone better make her stop that insanely annoying noise; it's driving me crazy! I grit my teeth, controlling my killer impulses. I don't know what I'll do if Melissa doesn't stop.
I fill the pot with water and set it on the burner as the sight of it causes more angry thoughts to fill my head. And what's up with Katharine? Is she obsessed with tea or something? It seems to me it's her answer for every problem we have.
I quietly mock her, "Let's make tea; oh, can I have some tea. I'd really like a cup of tea. For Ares' sake! She needs to go to a TDA meeting and hang out with all those other Tea Drinkers Anonymous losers; that's her, the little tea lush." I finish my ranting and ask, "Melissa, where are the bags?"
"Over there."
"Thanks," I tell her as I move to a canister Melissa has directed me to.
Why did that woman tell me to serve Melissa Chamomile as if I didn't know what type to serve? Who does that woman think she is? Does she think I'm some novice?
I rifle through the small square envelopes in the canister. Hades! What are these? I look a second time; they're all the same cheap brand. I remove a small square envelope, open it, remove the bag, and examine the very tiny leaves within. Who in Hades calls this tea? I might as well be drinking from a bag that has already steeped in three cups. I can't believe this is all she has! Is Melissa insane? I might as well go into her back yard and snip some weeds into clippings and brew them. For the love of Zeus! I'm going to die here! I grip the counter. I'm going to die here if I don't get some real tea!
End Kimberly's view...
Upstairs...
Kat tucked the little girl in bed and glanced around the sky-blue room. White puffy clouds covered the walls and ceiling. "You have a very pretty room."
Bonnie yawned. "Thank you."
Kat turned to Chad who stood beside her. "Did I forget anything?"
"The story," Bonnie answered.
"What story?" Kat asked.
"My bedtime story, Draven and Salandra." Bonnie pointed to a bookshelf.
Kat started for the shelf.
"That's okay." Chad rushed ahead of her and grabbed the book then walked over to his sister's bed and sat at the edge. "I can read it to her. It's her favorite."
"Yes, grandpa-pa gave it to me." The little girl grabbed a doll that sat on the bed and tucked it in beside her. "He said it's an old Russian story."
"That's right, Bonnie." Chad rubbed his hand over the cover. "Melissa told me it's been in their family for years. She said her father went to great lengths to acquire the license he needed to purchase it. She said that..."
Kat saw tears in his eyes.
Chad wiped his face with his sweat shirt and continued, "She said that he had read it to Preacher when he was a kid." He opened the book and began, "Long ago, there lived a pale-white Tundra Wolf named Salandra. The wolf had golden-yellow eyes and fluffy fur. Salandra lived high up in the snow covered mountains. There were no other wolves there, but Salandra wasn't alone. Draven a large raven was the wolf's constant companion. The bird was always by her side and wouldn't let anything hurt Salandra." He shifted his weight on the bed. "A bitter winter hit the mountain and a sickness spread across a lot of the animals. At first, Salandra had little to hunt then nothing."
"Draven, I am so hungry," the wolf said.
The raven tilted his head. "I know Salandra. We must leave the mountain and look for food elsewhere. Down the mountain, I have seen fields of sheep. You can eat one of them."
"Then let us leave," the wolf said. "Before I am too hungry to move."
"Be strong, my sister in the fur and soon, your
belly will be full. You must hold on a little longer."
They made their way down the mountain and within a few days, came across a field of huddled sheep.
"Like I told you," the raven said. "There is enough food to last you the winter, but you must be careful. There is..."
Wild with hunger, the wolf ran from the woods, ignoring the bird's warning. Salandra started toward a baby sheep when a boom like thunder sounded and something hot hit the wolf's leg. Salandra fell to the snow as blood flowed from her leg.
"You should have waited!" Draven flew to her side. "Why did you not listen to me?"
"I was so hungry, I could not wait any longer."
"Quick!" He flapped his wings. "Get to your paws! We have to get back to the woods. A creature known as Man is here." Draven looked up as the hunter started toward them. "Get to your paws! I will distract him."
The raven flew at Man as the hunter raised his gun. Draven clawed and pecked at Man, and the hunter raised his hands to protect his face. Salandra slowly rose to her paws and limped back to the forest, whimpering all the way.
Man smacked the raven, knocking the bird back. The hunter raised his gun, but the wolf was no where to be seen. Draven a little stunned, flew back into the woods and searched for Salandra. The raven found her lying against a tree. The bird landed next to her.
"I should have listened to you, my brother in the feathers," the wolf said. "But I was so hungry." She whined. "Draven it hurts."
The raven looked at her leg. "I see something." With his beak, he reached into her flesh and removed a shiny object.
Salandra howled for the pain.
He dropped it to the ground. "There, I have removed it."
"Thank you." She whimpered some more.
"Quiet!" the raven snapped. "Or Man will find us." He flapped his wings, lifting himself to a branch. "Rest. I will watch over you."
"Yes, rest." The wolf closed her eyes. "I will fight back death in my dreams."
"And from my branch, I will keep death away." Draven eyed the wolf. "No one will hurt you, Salandra."
Later after Salandra slept, they made their way further down the mountain. The wolf walked slowly because of her bleeding leg. She paused, sniffing the wind.
"I smell food." Salandra hurried her pace till she came across a dead rabbit. "Look Draven, food."
The raven eyed the carcass. "Wait! Do not eat it. Something is not right. Don't you smell Man?" The raven cawed. "And where there is Man there is death!"
"But Draven, I am so hungry, and the rabbit is right there. I must eat it."
"No wait," the raven warned.
Salandra did not listen. She went to the rabbit and grabbed it with her mouth."
Chad closed the book.
Bonnie yawned. "Draven saved her, didn't he?"
"Yes, the raven swooped down and pushed Salandra out of the way. He then grabbed a stick and dropped it on the rabbit, springing the trap. The wolf ate the rabbit, and they lived happily ever after."
"Good." Bonnie hugged her dolly. "I like happy endings."
Kat noticed the boy closed the book before reading the last few pages. "Can I have a look at the story?" She held out her hand. "I'd like to look at the pictures."
"Sure." Chad handed her the book and watched her as she flipped through them.
Kat looked at each page, studying the pictures of the wolf and the raven. She'd seen these animals before; she'd seen them in Noir. Kat reached the last few pages Chad skipped and read the rest of the story to herself. She started on a page Chad had already read and backed up one line.
"No wait," the raven warned.
Salandra did not listen. She went to the rabbit and grabbed it with her mouth, springing the trap of death. The wolf howled for the pain as metal teeth bore into her head. She struggled to free herself, but was powerless to do so.
Draven flapped and cawed, not knowing what to do.
After some time, Salandra lay down and stared at the dead rabbit she so desperately wanted to eat earlier. Now, what would have saved her meant her end.
Draven landed beside her and pecked at the metal trap. "I cannot free you, my sister in the fur."
"I know." She looked to him. "I am afraid. Do not leave me. I do not want to die alone."
"I will not leave you," Draven told her. "I will never leave you."
The snow crunched as something approached them. The hunter stepped from the woods. Man looked to the wolf, lifted his rifle, and took aim.
"Draven, save me!" Salandra pleaded.
The bird flew into the air at the hunter, but it was too late. Man fired, killing the wolf and left. The raven flew to a branch in a tree over looking the trap. Draven wept for his dead friend.
"I am sorry. I could not save you. All I can do now is wait for death with you."
The raven stayed there till he died.
Katharine's view...
I close the book. No wonder Chad didn't read the rest of the story to Bonnie. It's not a bedtime story; it's a tragedy. Who would buy such a thing for a child?