The Tattoo (formerly Unbreakable)

A Birthday is a Birthday Even if it's Late

Meriddion's father had texted her to come to his office, that he had a gift for her.  It was unusual for him to be anything other than disinterested towards her since her mother died.  She had assumed that it was some combination of her worldview and her reminding him of his dead wife.

For him to extend the offer of a gift was concerning.

She had left Ellie with the slave when her phone had gone off, not wanting to make her father angry by keeping him waiting.  She found him seated in the chair behind his desk.  He didn't look up when he came in.

"I didn't expect you so soon."

"I'm sorry if I angered you, father."

"You'll have to wait for your gift to arrive."

"If that's what you want."

"Sit."

She sat in one of the chairs on the other side of his desk and tried not to look at him too much.  Eventually there was a knock at the door.  Gerald entered at Arnold VanShay's call, dragging the slave boy with him. Meriddion buried her face in her hands.

How dare he.

"I realized I didn't get you anything to celebrate your sixteenth birthday."

"You haven't gotten me anything for any of my birthdays since mom died."

"Sixteen is an important birthday."

"You're eleven months late."

"Would you stop being so ungrateful?'

"I'm sorry sir, thank you very much."

"Take it now, go."

Meriddion just nodded and took the lead that Gerald held as she hastily left the room.

"What's the point in giving her another slave?  She only treats that girl of hers like an equal."

"The boy tried to escape on the way to the plantation didn't he?"

Gerald nodded his response.

"He has a reputation, a friend told me about him.  The slave refuses to be broken.  It's driven all of his previous masters to sell him. The girl of Meriddion's at least follows orders, if the boy doesn't, perhaps it will frustrate my daughter into a proper mistress."

"Perhaps, but is it worth it?"

Arnold didn't answer, Gerald already knew what he would say.

"Is everything as it should be on the rest of the plantation?"

"Aside from a collapse in the fields this morning."

"Did you solve the problem?"

"Pulled one of the kitchen boys to complete the row.  We don't have much time to finish the harvest."

"Tell Meriddion to put her boy to work doing the kitchen boy's duty."

Gerald nodded and left as Arnold took a phone call.  He made his way to Meriddion's room where he found her sitting on her bed, the slave lounging in one of her chairs. He growled at the boy, but only got a defiant glare as a response.

"Pierre needs help in the kitchen, your father wants your boy down there."

"I won't do it," the slave spoke.

Gerald snarled again and began to stalk forward.  Mary stopped him.

"I'll take care of it.  Pierre will get help."

"See that he does."

Meriddion watched as Gerald left, the slave spoke again when he was gone.

"I'm not going to do it."

"I never told you to."

-Photo:Arnold