Staunch Fate

Chapter 4

The baby sits on her lap near the blazing fire to stave off the chilly night. He mumbles happily telling her all sorts of things. Charlie is content whereas his father is most definitely not. He is unfazed by the glares he receives. He sits amongst them as if he belongs in a traveller's camp or like he owns this piece of land they found themselves on. They are back in Wales where her journey began years ago. Anna has travelled as far south in Margate and as far north as Banchory. And yet here she is almost a decade later at the same place where her dreams became something more.

Aunty Bethy assured her their ancestors would never give her the plight of prophecy but Anna came to the realisation early on that her aunt had lied. She has been privy to too much while she fears she is blind to most. Lately, all she dreams is a manifestation of a hazy mind that belongs to none other than her cousin. It's always been him. She glimpses at a fearful and shuttered soul as it peaks out every so often when his eyes rest on hers. And they do so often enough that Anna has decided to return the toddler to him even if she wants to hold him a bit more.

Johnny sees her approaching and once more he takes off. She should be offended truly if her ego wasn't stroked by his fear. She lands on the seat he vacated the baby still in her arms. How reluctant she is to return him to his father. His half-smile appears again adorning his tired face.

"You haven't been sleeping and when you are you're not doing any resting." She accuses.

He turns to her facing her fully, arms resting on his knees and eyes downcast.

"And what do you know of my rest?" His hand reaches his son's foot playing with it making the baby rest on her more. He must be getting tired.

More than you think. She wants to tell him. More than she wants to really.

"Everyone knows." She tells him instead. "Those black circles, the fact you have barely moved since you sat down..." She exhales at the end before her tirade truly starts. "You need sleep and Charlie too. He is tired."

"Charlie's content. He never sits in one place for too long and he spent the whole evening with you, well, hanging on you as it is." He reaches into his pocket for a pack of cigarettes offering one to her. She nods and he lights it for her. "You've been with them long?"

"I hadn't yet turned eight when I ran."

"That's a long time..."

"Not really... I... I left for a while. With a few friends." His focus is solely on her the cig he just lit is being wasted in the grasp of his fingers. "After the war things got complicated."

"How so?" He prompts.

"You men came back." She averts her gaze drawing it at her friends across the fire. Heads close to each other whispering fervently, Anna can hazard a guess as to what or whom they are discussing. A deep chuckle rises from him capturing her attention once more. He did that often enough she muses.

"Your mother had once said something similar." His demeanour changes to sombre in an instant. "Did anyone hurt you?"

Anna hesitates. She heard the dormant threat laying underneath, that she figures, is a perpetual scheme he relishes in.

"No... No one got the chance' her gift was stronger by then 'a traveller's path is arduous." His eyebrows scrunched together a smirk adorning his lips yet again "what!? I enjoy reading you know!"

"There are many books here, eh? One of the vardos a library, is it?"

"Liza often compares mine to one." Her cigarette is almost done so she drops it. She glances at the child, her heart swells at the sight of him fast asleep in her arms. She wants to protect this baby, she thought of another distant dream and her deep-rooted regret takes over her. "I'm so sorry." She offers her condolences to them both.