Fic: Little Bits of Joy and Tidbits of Sorrow
Author: Pearlsie
Title: Little Bits of Joy and Tidbits of Sorrow
Series: Xmas Fic: A Year, A Day (or whatever I called it)
Wordcount: 1047
Rating: G (unless... oh! It actually is G!)
Author's Note: My sister insists on Elephants being in this story. So I have now mentioned them. Elephants. In Santa hats!!
Christmas Eve was cool and clear, without a hint of snow. Children's gleeful shrieks filled the winter air. Small forms raced around a small, dirty little yard in the small, crowded village, chasing each other in the esoteric circles of childhood. There were five of them, four little blonde ragamuffins and one shock of messy brown hair. Anne Baker leaned against the doorway, dishtowel drying in her hands as she watched her youngest children play.
There was no distinction made between girls and boys, save for dresses versus breeches. The two girls shoved and were shoved just as hard as the three boys. The two youngest were three, and still retained a toddle in their tiny run. Albert was six and paused at various moments to direct the milling pack just as he saw his father do his workers. Anne couldn't help but chuckle at her tiny dictator.
As much as she would like to, though, Anne couldn't let them play forever. She sighed and absently wiped her hands on the towel. Straightening up, Anne stepped into the childish chaos, wading through children and dogs (and one cat) in search of her charge. She didn't want to return him, a reluctance that possibly showed in her slow steps, but she knew she had to. His mother was lucid enough to wish him there. His father... As usual, his father wasn't home.
She found him wrestling with one of the dogs, a gangling mutt with a scarred nose. The irony was not lost on her. Chuckling, Anne pulled the boy up straight and beat the dirt off his clothes as he wriggled and shrieked. Charlotte scurried over to her playmate, giggling at his torture. Anne dropped James on the ground and shoved the old dog away with her foot.
"Now, young mister, you'd best be coming with me."
Green eyes widened in worry. "Why, Mama Anne?"
"Yeah!" Chimed Charlotte, "Why?"
"It's time for James to go home." Anne sighed, gently stroking the girl's curls.
"But I wanna stay wif Lotty!" James protested. Anne had expected that. She didn't blame him for wanting to stay. That house was no place for a child.
"Yeah! I want Jimmy to stay with us! Can't he please, Mama?" How Anne hated having to argue against those precious blue eyes, so wide and pleading.
"No, honey-sweet, he can't. James has to go home tonight."
"Why?" The indignation in the two little voices rang clear and loud. Albert turned and paused in his oration. Anne thinned her lips. It was tough enough on good days.
"Because tomorrow is Christmas, and James should be with his family."
Charlotte and James looked at each other, bewilderment clouding their flushed, grubby faces. Then, slowly, Lotty enunciated their shared thought.
"Then why's he going away?"
Anne bowed her head and closed her eyes. Lord God give her strength to do what was right...
"James. Come." She grabbed the boy's hand and tugged him away from Charlotte. She opened her mouth, but her mother interrupted her with a clipped order.
"Charlotte. Run in and get yourself cleaned up." The girl hesitated. "Now!"
As Charlotte's bobbing head disappeared through the doorway, James lower lip began trembling.
"But I don't wanna go! I don't wanna go!" Anne fought back a groan as the lad's face screwed up and he began to bawl. Promising herself that she wasn't going soft, Anne scooped the boy up and carried him inside, hushing and petting him the entire way.
Inside the house stockings and shoes were placed back on chilly, red little feet. His dirty face was wiped clean with the dishtowel, and his coat and hat tugged on. Anne carried him back out, pretending not to notice the sorrowful wave he gave her daughter as they passed.
Once they were on the street the tears finally dried up. Anne set him down and let the boy run back and forth across the village street, greeting passers-by with cheerful "Allo's!" and chubby-handed waves. Up and down the road, mud frozen in crusty waves that wooden wheels clacked and scraped across, a little bit of holiday cheer was spread by a tiny boy. Anne felt that flickering warmth of love blooming deep in her chest. The boy was a miracle.
By the time they reached the bridge, however, his legs had tired. Anne let him linger there, knowing how much he liked to watch the water rush past. But even after that amusement, she had a hard time moving him on. Finally, temper growing short, she snatched him up and slung him against her shoulder.
"You, young man, are being rather rude today."
A breeze danced across her shoulder.
"Speak up, Jimmy."
"I said I don't wanna go back."
Anne sighed. "I don't blame you dear, but you must."
"Why? Momma's just sad, and Raven's mean."
"They're your family, Jimmy, and like them or not you should be with them on Christmas."
"But, but, I like Lotty, an' Albert, an' Henry, an' Caroline better. An' you’re more like a Mum than Momma." He wriggled around so he could face her. Anne glanced at him, then bent her head and huffed up the hill. It was only an excuse to not reply.
"Why can't I live wif you, Mama Anne?"
Lord on high but the lad was persistent. Just like his dear grandmother, bless her soul. Anne could still remember that fierce old lady from her childhood.
"Because I'm a housekeeper, and your daddy's the squire. Now shush."
"But I like Bobby better than Daddy." A thoughtful pause. "I see him more, too."
"Hush, lad. Enough talk. I'll be by to get you at noon tomorrow, alright?"
"Noon?"
"Noon," she confirmed, though she knew it would mean little to him.
His cherubic mouth gaped wide in a yawn, and the last thing she heard him say was, "I hope Noon comes soon..."
She eyed the back garden gate, and hefted the child in her arms. Stretching her sore fingers, she wrestled the gate open and hoped Mel was there by the kitchen door. She'd not be able to open it with the boy in her arms.
Title: Little Bits of Joy and Tidbits of Sorrow
Series: Xmas Fic: A Year, A Day (or whatever I called it)
Wordcount: 1047
Rating: G (unless... oh! It actually is G!)
Author's Note: My sister insists on Elephants being in this story. So I have now mentioned them. Elephants. In Santa hats!!
Christmas Eve was cool and clear, without a hint of snow. Children's gleeful shrieks filled the winter air. Small forms raced around a small, dirty little yard in the small, crowded village, chasing each other in the esoteric circles of childhood. There were five of them, four little blonde ragamuffins and one shock of messy brown hair. Anne Baker leaned against the doorway, dishtowel drying in her hands as she watched her youngest children play.
There was no distinction made between girls and boys, save for dresses versus breeches. The two girls shoved and were shoved just as hard as the three boys. The two youngest were three, and still retained a toddle in their tiny run. Albert was six and paused at various moments to direct the milling pack just as he saw his father do his workers. Anne couldn't help but chuckle at her tiny dictator.
As much as she would like to, though, Anne couldn't let them play forever. She sighed and absently wiped her hands on the towel. Straightening up, Anne stepped into the childish chaos, wading through children and dogs (and one cat) in search of her charge. She didn't want to return him, a reluctance that possibly showed in her slow steps, but she knew she had to. His mother was lucid enough to wish him there. His father... As usual, his father wasn't home.
She found him wrestling with one of the dogs, a gangling mutt with a scarred nose. The irony was not lost on her. Chuckling, Anne pulled the boy up straight and beat the dirt off his clothes as he wriggled and shrieked. Charlotte scurried over to her playmate, giggling at his torture. Anne dropped James on the ground and shoved the old dog away with her foot.
"Now, young mister, you'd best be coming with me."
Green eyes widened in worry. "Why, Mama Anne?"
"Yeah!" Chimed Charlotte, "Why?"
"It's time for James to go home." Anne sighed, gently stroking the girl's curls.
"But I wanna stay wif Lotty!" James protested. Anne had expected that. She didn't blame him for wanting to stay. That house was no place for a child.
"Yeah! I want Jimmy to stay with us! Can't he please, Mama?" How Anne hated having to argue against those precious blue eyes, so wide and pleading.
"No, honey-sweet, he can't. James has to go home tonight."
"Why?" The indignation in the two little voices rang clear and loud. Albert turned and paused in his oration. Anne thinned her lips. It was tough enough on good days.
"Because tomorrow is Christmas, and James should be with his family."
Charlotte and James looked at each other, bewilderment clouding their flushed, grubby faces. Then, slowly, Lotty enunciated their shared thought.
"Then why's he going away?"
Anne bowed her head and closed her eyes. Lord God give her strength to do what was right...
"James. Come." She grabbed the boy's hand and tugged him away from Charlotte. She opened her mouth, but her mother interrupted her with a clipped order.
"Charlotte. Run in and get yourself cleaned up." The girl hesitated. "Now!"
As Charlotte's bobbing head disappeared through the doorway, James lower lip began trembling.
"But I don't wanna go! I don't wanna go!" Anne fought back a groan as the lad's face screwed up and he began to bawl. Promising herself that she wasn't going soft, Anne scooped the boy up and carried him inside, hushing and petting him the entire way.
Inside the house stockings and shoes were placed back on chilly, red little feet. His dirty face was wiped clean with the dishtowel, and his coat and hat tugged on. Anne carried him back out, pretending not to notice the sorrowful wave he gave her daughter as they passed.
Once they were on the street the tears finally dried up. Anne set him down and let the boy run back and forth across the village street, greeting passers-by with cheerful "Allo's!" and chubby-handed waves. Up and down the road, mud frozen in crusty waves that wooden wheels clacked and scraped across, a little bit of holiday cheer was spread by a tiny boy. Anne felt that flickering warmth of love blooming deep in her chest. The boy was a miracle.
By the time they reached the bridge, however, his legs had tired. Anne let him linger there, knowing how much he liked to watch the water rush past. But even after that amusement, she had a hard time moving him on. Finally, temper growing short, she snatched him up and slung him against her shoulder.
"You, young man, are being rather rude today."
A breeze danced across her shoulder.
"Speak up, Jimmy."
"I said I don't wanna go back."
Anne sighed. "I don't blame you dear, but you must."
"Why? Momma's just sad, and Raven's mean."
"They're your family, Jimmy, and like them or not you should be with them on Christmas."
"But, but, I like Lotty, an' Albert, an' Henry, an' Caroline better. An' you’re more like a Mum than Momma." He wriggled around so he could face her. Anne glanced at him, then bent her head and huffed up the hill. It was only an excuse to not reply.
"Why can't I live wif you, Mama Anne?"
Lord on high but the lad was persistent. Just like his dear grandmother, bless her soul. Anne could still remember that fierce old lady from her childhood.
"Because I'm a housekeeper, and your daddy's the squire. Now shush."
"But I like Bobby better than Daddy." A thoughtful pause. "I see him more, too."
"Hush, lad. Enough talk. I'll be by to get you at noon tomorrow, alright?"
"Noon?"
"Noon," she confirmed, though she knew it would mean little to him.
His cherubic mouth gaped wide in a yawn, and the last thing she heard him say was, "I hope Noon comes soon..."
She eyed the back garden gate, and hefted the child in her arms. Stretching her sore fingers, she wrestled the gate open and hoped Mel was there by the kitchen door. She'd not be able to open it with the boy in her arms.