Song Of The Hummingbird

Chapter 2: Brothers In Arms

I was sitting idly by in the porch, rocking the chair, singing a lullaby that leads men home.

I pray to my faith that he may return, but it had been two years since his departure.

He frequently sends us letters, one for each of us, the longest letter always being sent to mother, he misses her so.

"This worries me you know, what if he's already gone.." I said

"How dare you Priscilla! Have you not faith for your father? He will return... I'm sure." Mother said to me in a frustrated voice.

I looked down on my feet fidgeting the toys my father gifted me long ago. 

"But these letters were written months ago, What if he's gone now?" 

My mother tears up and stands up to frustratingly walk away, I try to follow her but Mischia stops me at my feet.

"What were you thinking?! You know she's not been doing well since, what makes you think it was a good idea?" He said angrily.

"I'm sorry.. " I replied still looking down on my feet.

He tells me to prepare dinner and he'll take care of mother. 

I walk away to the kitchen with tears almost coming out of my eyes, I proceed to prepare dinner and I greet Kalvin when he finally arrives home.

"Where have you been?" Mischia asked him

"I went to town, I hear there's been a job opening." 

"You know you shouldn't go to town, what if they conscript you?" Mischia says to him.

Kalvin breathes a sign and disregards the conversation. He places down a piece of paper infront of us.

"What's this?" I asked.

"I got it, I got the job. I'll be working as an errand boy, it has enough pay to give us enough food." Kalvin said.

"And if you get caught? Your birthday is coming up, sooner or later they'll find out you're way past the training age. You'll be sent to war. " Mischia stated.

"I won't, this guy runs an underground smuggling ring. They'll make sure I wont get caught. " Kalvin reassuring us with confidence.

"And you think you can trust crooks?" Mischia rebutts with tenacity.

They argue back and forth and I was too tired to try and keep up. I walk back to the kitchen to continue my duties and I proceeded to cook dinner.

A little bit goes by and I whippednup something, it was much but it proved to be a good worker's stew. I placed the bowls and utensils on our dining prayer and I called mom for dinner.

She just sits there by the lone tree in the middle of our field, she sits there for hours sometimes entire days just waiting. She barely interacts with us and only ever comes in to eat or ask us about our day.

Nevertheless she tried her best to support us, she even stopped tending in her gardens and went to work at my Auntie's flower shop. 

I felt sad at the sight of it seeing my mother slowly crumbling down, I felt guilty knowing that I contributed to it by making her overthink more.

She misses dad so much, she always stays up late to read the letter he sent her, hours upon hours reading and rereading everything.

I wanted to help her but I couldn't, I was young and a girl so we were immune to being conscripted, my mother ushered me to continue school and to study so that I may support them properly.