Description
A Greater Society - Chapter 25: A Taste of Freedom
by Ratte
Story
The next morning I was woken up by a very excited little boy, eager to put on his normal clothes and start the day. With no time to mentally prepare my door swung open, the small child clinging to the doorknob as tight as he could.
The sudden bright light from the hall had me reaching for my comforter and pulling it over my head with a tired groan. I had spent much of the evening getting some extra work done to fill some of the financial hole the chair order had dug and wanted to set more aside to buy Riv some clothes and new bedding, if possible. I know he'd also want some other things before long-- things like new art supplies or coloring books, and I wanted to get him a stuffed animal or two if I could find any. He was such a cuddly boy so I was sure he'd like that.
Despite the lack of some simpler things he never did indicate any kind of wanting for more, happy to receive what he could. Even so, he should have the chance at a normal life and I was happy to finally be in a position where such a thing was possible. The help extended by Daniel, Ulimi, and the ramiotrans from the carpentry shop was simply indispensable.
"Father! Father!" cried Riv. "It's time to get up!"
I groaned again from behind my blanket shelter. I liked mornings, but this was too early.
"...Five more minutes," I grumbled, rolling over.
He did not like this answer.
Riv crept over to the edge of the bed, climbing atop the mattress and crawling into the large space between the wall and I. Maybe he figured out how tired I was because all I felt from there was his flopping over to lie down beside me. I blinked my sleepy eyes open to see him looking back to me with his big wondering eyes of his. I reached my hand out through the comforter to softly pet his head, after which he scooted closer. I was careful to keep myself as covered as possible, given my current position and lack of suitable clothing beneath my comforter. I was hesitant to proceed, but eventually relented and laid my thin arm over top of him.
"You sure are excited this morning," I yawned. "It's awfully early. Is the sun even up yet?"
"...Uh," he thought about it.
"Probably not, then," I smiled. "If you really want to get up, well, I can't really stop you. Please allow me a few minutes to get ready for the day, though, okay?"
"Okay!"
In a flash he hopped off the bed and sped to his room to give me some privacy.
I slowly sat upright, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes and quickly shaking my head to wake myself up. Another yawn and a deep stretch of my arms and back finally brought me well enough into the waking world that I could start putting myself together for the day. Sliding off the bed and standing up I stretched my cramped legs each step from there to my dresser. Looking at my change of clothes I wondered if I'd ever have the opportunity to wear anything but dark, muted colors.
Maybe someday.
Regardless, I grabbed my clothes and quickly put them on. I couldn't stand looking at my unsettling scrawny body and damaged, fibrous skin any more than absolutely necessary. Running my comb through my hair real quick I was ready for the day, or about as ready as I could be.
I grabbed the knob and opened the door, bringing in some of the better light from the hallway so I could turn my lights off. The excited child was already standing in the doorway of his room, likely having waited there the whole time as I got ready. Opening my arm he skipped over to me, grabbing and hugging me tight around my small waist. This was the happiest I'd seen him in quite some time.
"We still need to get the usual morning routine out of the way, remember," I laughed, rubbing his back. "Let's go downstairs and put some breakfast together."
It was nice to see him so happy.
We began making our way to the lounge. Only a few staff seemed to be around at this hour, though I can't say I minded this too much. We passed Kuri on the stairs as he went on his way to his room to sleep for the day, patting Riv on his little head before reaching the upper floor.
Breakfast was a simple assembly of bacon, eggs, toast, and apple slices with peanut butter and honey. With a glass of milk each it made for a filling breakfast, the child seeming to agree. After finishing I washed up the dishes, looking outside to clear skies and a gentle breeze, hoping it would stay this way all day.
Shortly afterward Daniel arrived carrying a bag of food from Ulimi's shop. Last night I had given him some more money and my empty containers to pick up some food today. In the bag was bread, ham, cheese, a package of eggs, a few bottles of milk, a small order of cornbread, various fruits, and one of those pastries Riv likes so much. I took the bag and started putting things away.
"Was thinking maybe we could eat outside for lunch if the weather stays nice like this," Daniel said, looking out the window. "Definitely nicer than it's been lately."
"I wouldn't mind that, though not sure there's much for places to sit," I said, putting the milk away.
"You got the whole ground," Daniel said. "The world is literally your chair."
Riv laughed at that one.
With everything put away and the air outside warming up we all walked down the narrow back hallway. Pushing the door open we all together stepped outside and onto the soft grass. Riv looked around cautiously, unsure of his next move before looking up to both Daniel and I.
He turned his head from the reaches of the back yard and back to us. We looked down to him, then to each other. Finally, after scanning the open area, I looked back to the boy with a smile and a nod. With a huge, excited grin he took off, running around and through the tall grass as it tickled his legs. For a couple minutes we both stood back to watch from afar, watching his attention turn every which way and chasing various bugs. He seemed so happy and free, finally out of the confines of the house without worry about those from town.
He slowed down a little bit to look at the small plants scattered around the untamed yard. Much of the yard wasn't cultivated and just grew whatever seedlings took root, creating a wild and untouched area perfect for exploring. With my hands in my pockets I sauntered after him, Daniel following close by.
Climbing on a downed tree Riv managed to get up to its highest point, sitting atop and looking out across the yard. He was fascinated by the mushrooms and lichens that had pioneered the treebark, gently patting the moss which had begun growing in a shadier spot. For once he could be like any other normal child, and I like any other normal father.
"Do be careful up there," I called out as I advanced. "I don't want you falling and getting hurt, now."
With those words he slowly climbed back down, sure to not fall. He was alright with staying on the ground and looking at the little flowers below, picking up and playing with whatever insect would humor him. He was also quite fascinated by the soft muhly grass if running through the patches over and over again was any indication.
"I'm glad we could do this," I said to Daniel as we walked after Riv. "He's been stuck inside so long it just felt cruel."
"What happened with all of this exactly?" Daniel asked. "I heard about the assault, but did something else happen?"
"Yes," I recalled. "A short time ago I had some errands I needed to run and finished work to drop off when I was still mostly freelancing. I took him with me as I hadn't any remaining volunteers and I didn't feel comfortable keeping him here by himself at his age."
"That makes sense."
"...Well, when I took him into town just about anyone who saw him would just stare at him like some kind of trespassing wild animal. When I tried to enroll him in the school system here they wouldn't allow it. The most they gave me was an academic outline and from there I made the materials myself. Those are the forms and assignments he works on in the lobby."
"Geez. Nice of ya to make him some stuff anyway. Not sure a lot of people would bother."
In the distance Riv was climbing atop a large boulder. He seemed to have a thing for climbing, probably to better see the world around him. I looked over to him and waved as he happily waved back.
"From there we went to the carpentry shop, where I had originally placed the order for his table and chair," I resumed. "The ramiotrans there really liked him and remarked how cute he was. There's a reason ramiotrans tend to frequent the house-- so far they've been very helpful and trustworthy, unfettered by the faraden schism. Without their help I don't even want to imagine what could have happened down the line."
"I can't really blame ya on that one," he awkwardly chuckled.
"...The biggest problem occurred when we were on our way to buy groceries," I said, looking down to my feet as I walked. "We were harassed by a group of dock workers yelling obscenities. I tried to cover Riv from behind me but I know it wouldn't have done any good. They started to come toward us and I have no doubt they intended to cause harm, but thankfully Ulimi, the shop owner, came out to drive them back and get us inside. Riv was horribly shaken from that."
"So that's the lore with keeping him inside, then."
"...Back when I took him into the house he was very wary of pures, myself included. I don't know exactly what he lived through in Stipa, but it was...his behaviors were familiar to me. I hate to admit, especially now, that I was uneasy around him just the same. Now I...can't really imagine life without him. While I have the right to turn away anyone for any reason, I can't do such a thing in good conscience."
"Honestly, this far south that's quite remarkable," he said, looking back toward town. "I've noticed a spread of weird extremism in the general south region for a while now, though fortunately not every place is willing to play to their tune."
"I wonder if Stipa had been one such place," I thought back. "He was the only new type of twelve children taken in after that storm."
"Hm. You say that his behaviors were familiar? Might I ask how?"
"Um..."
Daniel stopped and grabbed my wrist, making me stop just as well. His grip was firm, but in an oddly comforting way.
"Reverend, could you please elaborate on that?"
"Just...I've seen it before, is all. Please don't worry about it."
His ears reclined as he sighed, "Alright, I can't force you to tell me anything. I know something is up, though. A person doesn't become a corrupted or act like a beaten animal for no reason. I hope you learn to trust me a bit...maybe with time."
"Daniel, is this...just a matter of a job for you?" I asked.
"It'd only be a matter of a job if I were on the clock, Reverend," he replied, a small grin creeping along his face. "It's Saturday and I technically ain't required to be here, but I like ya and your kid and want to get to know you both as people. I don't do ulterior motives or play mind games."
"I'm...sorry," I said, looking down. "...I didn't mean to get defensive."
"I'm just gonna go out on a limb and assume that, just like your kid, you have reasons for being the way you are," he said, releasing my wrist and instead grabbing my shoulder. "I genuinely care about both of ya. Please trust me enough to talk to me about these things at some point; you'll feel a lot better having some kind of confidant."
"I'll...think about it."
We both caught up to the exploring child, running around with him and playing tag. This was the most energetic and free he's probably ever been and I hoped we could make a habit of this in the future.
The three of us set back to return to make lunch, though as I turned around I thought I saw more of Morissey's staff watching us. We were too far for me to tell for sure, but I could feel eyes on me...and not kind ones. I tried to shrug it off, determined to make some nice lunches for my child and friend.
Daniel and I both made some hot ham and cheese sandwiches in the skillet accompanied by some sliced pears, cornbread with butter and honey, and a tall glass of milk. We carefully took our plates and glasses outside to eat out back, taking our seats on the ground itself and enjoying the midday sun.
---
Riv greatly enjoyed himself outside, coming back home covered in seeds, grass, and new cuts and scrapes from all the climbing and exploring. They didn't seem to bother him so I didn't pester him aside from asking he go ahead and shower before bed. I retrieved his dirty clothes after he locked himself behind the metal shower stall door, wanting to get these and a few other things clean before the grass stains could settle further.
As I left the bathroom with the spent clothes I saw more shadows of the staff, frequently looking back toward me. My face tensed, but I tried to ignore it, resuming my walk back downstairs.
Daniel was still here, helping me wash the small pile of clothes I brought downstairs. Kuri had gone outside to watch over the grounds now that it was a little warmer.
As I scrubbed I mulled over how Riv had been getting bolder with coming into my room while I was still in bed. While I didn't mind this for what it was, it had me thinking.
"...Daniel, could I ask a...rather odd favor of you?" I asked, scrubbing grass stains out of Riv's jeans.
"Uh, sure?"
"This is going to be weird to ask, but...if I give you some money, would you mind, um, picking up some nightwear for me?" I shyly asked.
"Got a date or something?" he laughed, wringing out a shirt.
"Eugh, no," I grimaced. "Sometimes Riv comes into my room while I'm still in bed and I would like to, uh, maybe not be indecent should he continue to do so? I don't...want him to see what all the clothes normally hide."
"If I can get down a set of measurements for ya I can do that," he said, draping the jeans over the edge of the tub. "I've got a measuring tape in my station I can go grab when we're done with this here."
"O-Oh, sure. We should be just about done anyway."
After a couple minutes we were finished with laundry, everything rinsed and ready to be dried. The sky was clear so I hoped the clothes would be safe if left to dry overnight.
Daniel and I went upstairs to take my measurements, which was more than a little awkward but the ends justified the means, I guess. It was weird getting numerical values for how comically small and underdeveloped I was, but I would prefer to have clothes that fit. I gave Daniel how much I thought such things would cost and he said he would see what he could find tomorrow. I wasn't terribly picky as long as I was covered.
Riv was soon finished up with his shower. I offered to brush his hair in my room before he could ask-- an offer which he happily accepted. I brushed through his damp umber hair, delicately untangling his locks from all the adventuring he had done today. Just for him I brushed a little longer, the child growing sleepy from the massage.
With Daniel heading out and Riv going to bed, I decided to turn in for the night, my own pent-up restless energy finally spent.
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Tarov
MemberFinally! Riv get's to be a kid. Ever since chapter 2(?) when he came to the home, he's not been so happy as in this chapter. Also that's a really cool "backyard" and I wish I had something like that lol
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