Magic Senegalese [Wen Spencer's Elfhome]

Chapter 7 - Celebration

After they let Falcon out at the hospice, Naomi sat unmoving in the car and stared at the unprepossessing building of the hospice. Her mother's healer friend, Rye, worked here. Twenty-one years ago, the woman had committed a crime by participating in Naomi's birth. What a strange culture this was.

"Are we going anywhere?" Miranda asked impatiently. She was curled in the back seat, beside the bags of oatmeal, pasta, and rice.

"Yes." Naomi restarted the car. "Miranda, do you have a place to go?" She didn't expect a positive answer and didn't get one.

Miranda shook her head, her lips trembling. "My house, but I'd be all alone there."

"You should come with me. Between us, we'll figure out what you should do."

"Thank you," the girl whispered. "If Dina agrees to let me stay."

Dina was already home, finishing a tapestry with a marine motif. Naomi hadn't seen it before. The silk ribbons Dina used for the waves made the image come alive. It reminded Naomi of the Mediterranean, when her father had taken her on a trip to Italy after her high school graduation. She wanted to swim in those warm, silky waves emerging from Dina's clever fingers.

"It's so beautiful," Naomi breathed. "You're a great artist."

"Thank you." Dina beamed. Then her eyes alighted on Miranda, who cowered behind Naomi. "Who is that?"

Naomi told her.

Dina gasped at Naomi's adventures and shook her head at Miranda's and Falcon's plight. "If that filthy worm caught me last night, if you didn't rescue me, he would've taken me to the same place. To cut to pieces." Her voice spiked. She hugged herself and rubbed her arms, as if warding off a chill.

"We got lucky," Naomi agreed. "Dina, would you mind if Miranda stayed here?"

To her surprise, Dina objected. "No. I can't feed her. Not for long. She can stay for a day or two, of course, but then she should go."

Naomi frowned. "Where? She has nowhere to go?"

"I can work," Miranda said.

Dina pursed her lips. "You're too young. Mom would never agree to take on another mouth. The money is tight as it is, and she is sick. Besides, I remember you and your friends from school, a couple years behind me. Your mothers were druggies, probably deported by the elves. I bet their daughters are just as useless."

Miranda wilted. "My friends are dead," she said tonelessly, her big eyes filling with tears.

"Drat!" Dina averted her eyes.

"You can't send her to the streets alone," Naomi said. "If she can't stay here, I'll pack my stuff and go with her. We'll go to the house where she lived with her friends before being kidnapped and figure out what to do later."

"But I'm alone too," Dina said in a small voice.

"I know. Maybe we'd better stay together. We have another month until your mom comes home."

"If then," Dina said. She fiddled with a scrap of silk turquoise ribbon, twisting it around her thin fingers.

"I hope she does and soon," Naomi said firmly. "Until then, we should find the solution to Miranda's problem. Together." She really couldn't leave either of the girls alone. They both looked preadolescent. She felt the only adult in the house. Definitely the only teacher. She had minored in teaching after all.

"Fine," Dina relented. "She can stay. I'll make a bed for her... in mom's room. For now," she added grudgingly.

"Thank you, Dina." Miranda unfolded like a flower. Naomi didn't notice how tense the girl had been, until that tension flowed out of her. "You could teach me to knit."

"My dream coming true," Dina retorted. "You should both take a shower. You stink."

"I know." Naomi winced. "It's the Mace. It clings. Could you find Miranda something to wear? She is practically your size."

"Yes." Dina sighed.

Naomi smiled with approval. Good deeds should always be rewarded. It was the secret of any successful teacher. "Wonderful. It's the right decision, Dina. After our shower, we'll celebrate Miranda's safe delivery. With cake and candles. Could we buy a cake and have it delivered?"

Dina snorted, but her eyes warmed. "You're as bad as my mother," she said.

Naomi snickered. "Thank you, darling. It must be a compliment."

She let Miranda take the shower first. As soon as she heard the water hit the plastic curtain, she went back to Dina. "Look," she said. "I didn't want to tell you this in Miranda's hearing, but I'll pay you for her."

"No, you shouldn't. You already saved my life."

"Yes, I should. Your mom is going to come home after a major heart surgery. It'll take her a while to recover. You'll need the money."

"I hope mom is okay," Dina said. "Why hasn't she written? It's been two months."

"She'll be fine. Maybe the mail got lost or something." Naomi hugged the girl. "Meanwhile, I'll help. I'm here."

Dina bit her lower lip and swiped her arm furiously across her face, wiping away the unwanted tears. She pushed Naomi away. "Go have your shower. I want to sneeze from all that Mace." Then she brightened. "Do you think I could get one too, for myself?"

Naomi grinned. "That's the spirit. We can check the superstore tomorrow. If they sell it, we'll buy one for you and one for Miranda."

Afterwards, she took a long shower and pondered her mounting problems. She had enough money to support Miranda for now, but what about after she returned to Earth. She couldn't stay here forever. Maybe she should seek out Rye after all and ask for her help with Miranda. Or at least for advice. The woman was a healer and an elf. She ought to know what to do about a half-elf child.

According to the treaty, as a half-elf, the girl couldn't move back to Earth with her mother. Besides, her druggie mother didn't seem to want her. Did the elves have something like orphanages? A fostering system? And what about the assassin who took the freezers with the organs to Earth? He would come back in a month and resume his murderous activities. What could she do about him? Leave him to the elves?

She pushed away the troubling thoughts and presented an optimistic facade for the girls during their dinner. Tomorrow, she would worry. Tonight, they all stuffed themselves with grilled fish and chocolate cake. The candle flames in the silver candlesticks flickered merrily over their table, and the ribbons on Dina's tapestry fluttered like water sprites.