The Gisborne Chronicles

CHR8/CH4 - The Prodigal Son Returns

The injury caused by the corner of the table did no lasting damage. As Gwyneth had suspected, there was bruising, but after the initial knock, Auriel made a full recovery. The gown she had been wearing was to be shortened, along with several others, so that all danger of falling would be removed. Guy watched over her with great care whenever they were together, and she felt cherished by his love.

Several cursory searches were made for Simeon, using valuable time that was need for other tasks around the farm, but Guy was determined to seek him out. Five days was quite long enough for a boy to be away from his loving family. All thought of punishment had gone from his mind. Simeon must come home, and in that homecoming he would feel love, not recrimination.

As it turned out, Simeon returned of his own accord, and to their surprise he also brought the sister of Alice, though to him the true circumstances were unknown. She was a girl he had come across in the woods where he had hidden himself, and they had formed an unlikely bond. The girl, whose name was Ruth, believed herself to be fifteen years old, though it could not be confirmed.

Guy had been coming from the stables when Simeon turned the bend in the lane, and all thoughts of scolding went from his mind as he sprinted towards his errant son. When he reached him, he lifted him high into the air, smiling up at him, the joy at their reunion evident in his face.

"So my golden haired boy," he said, " you come home to us at last, you have been much missed. You must never leave us again, you have almost broken your poor Mama's heart, and your Papa has missed you sorely."

"Oh Papa, tell me that I have not caused my Mama to cry, for it was not my intent. When I heard about my new brother or sister, I thought of my own, and set out to find them, but when I was halfway there, it came to me that they would not be there, nor my own Mama, so I turned back. I came upon Ruth on the road, she has also run away, but she gave me no reason for it."

"I brought her home because I could not leave her, and I knew she would be welcomed. She cries a lot when she thinks I cannot see, and speaks of her sister Alice, though she has no inkling where she is. Will you help find her Papa, I told her that you would."

Guy turned to the girl standing dejectedly in the road. Like Simeon, she was filthy, and her clothes were torn, but beneath the dirt shone a pair of startling blue eyes, eyes that were familiar to him, because they so resembled the eyes of his new dairy maid.

There was mischief there amongst the sadness, and it was as if she knew that she had reached a safe haven.Guy knelt before her so that she would not have to look up at his great height, he still held the hand of the son who had chosen to come home to him, and held out the other to the girl he had brought.

"Your sister is here," he said, " It was I who purchased her bond, she bides at the cottage a little way along the road, and is even now working away in my dairy with Glenys, the wife of my stockman. Come, we will walk there together."

But the girl was already running, to the sole family member she had been able to locate, shouting out loudly as she ran.

"Alice, Alice, I am here, I am here, where are you?"

In the moment of their sweet reconciliation, Guy learned that no matter the circumstance, family would ever cleave to family, these two girls had lived in abject poverty, they had lost their mother to sickness, and their father had cared little for them, yet one had walked many miles in search of the other.

He thanked God that their remaining brother and sister were in safe hands, and knew he would have to find them and bring the children together, no matter the cost.

Auriel stood with Gwyneth in the doorway of the farmhouse kitchen as Guy brought Simeon and the two girls across the yard, Glenys standing smiling from the dairy. The girls were arm in arm and seemed delighted to be in one another's company again. Auriel held out her arms to her returned son, and he ran eagerly into her embrace. There were no recriminations, for none were needed, her son was home again, and all was well.