Like My Mother

Chapter Nine

I refuse to stand there and watch them destroy my paradise, I head off somewhere along the pond bank. I don't know exactly where I'm going and I don't care because their laughter and voices start to drone out. And soon it's just silence, I trip over a huge hidden rock and nearly miss landing in a mud puddle. But when I try to get up, my ankle profoundly refuses and screams with pain. I look down and see that it's covered in blood and I groan loudly.

"You've got to be fucking kidding me!" I yell.

"Are you alright miss?"

My head shoots up at the sound of the unknown voice laced with a British accent and I'm immediatley astonished. It's Fishing Boy, he's wearing those same ragged clothes and he has a stick pole slung over his shoulder. He wears a face of concern as he nears me.

"It's just...it's my ankle."

He heads straight over to it and holds it gingerly. Carefully examining it, he takes off his shirt and rips some of it to wipe away the blood. "Oi, I can't quite see the injury because it's keep bleeding." He puts my foot down and reaches in his pocket and pulls out a small bottle of water, he pours some over my ankle and the coldness of it makes me wince. He looks at me apologetically and then takes the other half of his shirt and uses it as a tourniquet. He ties it firmly around my ankle and then comes over to help me up.

"Alright in one...two...three..." He lifts me up almost effortlessly and lifts my arm over his shoulders and wraps his other arm around my waist. "You ok?" he asks me as he begins to walk me back over to the part of the pond where he was fishing.

"Yeah I'm fine, I just tripped over a rock and fell."

"Right nasty fall you had there, guess it's a good thing I was walking around eh?" he says.

"Yeah." I chuckle, "Thanks by the way."

"Ah no worries, the only decent thing to do." he replies and he sits me down on a flat rock on the ground in front of a small fire.

"I was just about to cook up some of this fish that I caught, take it back to some of my blokes." his brown eyes gleam in the sun.

"What blokes?" I ask.

"The blokes I live with. Yeah it's me and my brother and a couple of his friends, we got a place not too far from here. It's over on the other side of these woods." he points behind him. "They're cheeky bastards." he smiles as he puts some fish fillets on an old skillet that's over the fire resting on a metal grate.

"Where's your parents?" I ask without even thinking.

"Died in a car wreck when I was young chap, my brother raised me since then." he answers without hesitation.

"Oh." I answer solemly.

We sit there for a few awkward moments while he works on his fish fry. I don't really know what else to say and then I realize that I don't even know his name. "I'm Emma by the way."

"I'm James."

I smile as he takes his fish off the skillet and wrap them in paper towels before placing them in a plastic container, he places it in a knapsack and then finds something to extinguish the fire. I watch him as his well defined muscles work and grow with each flexing. The light layer of sweat makes them shine under the sun and I enjoy the sight in front of me.

I suddenly realize just how late it is and try to stand up but I cry out in pain when my ankle still rebels. James jerks around and notices and rushes over to me.

"Oh I don't think that's quite a good idea love." he says as he gently lifts me back down.

"I need to get back to my family though."

"Well then, I'll help you. Here, where exactly are we going?" he asks as he lifts me up, this time completely picking me up and carrying me bride style.

I point to the other side of the pond where the small figurines of my mother, Daniel, and Syrie still stand playing in the water and laughing. "Alright." James starts to walk that way, staying close to the pond bank. His strong arms hardly let me bounce and I hug his neck with my arms. He expertly walks over rocks and logs and around stumps and I end up resting my head on his warm shoulder.

"You're a right small thing." he says as we get closer to my so called family is not watching.

"I don't think so." I reply, Daniel stares at me, completely surprised.

James looks at me, "You are, you're perfect."

I smile and try to hush my blushing cheeks.

"Who is that bloke staring at me?" James sounds nervous.

"Oh that's just Daniel, he's my mom's boyfriend."

"Ah, and I take it the little bird is your sister?"

"Yea that's Syrie."

Soon I can hear Daniel's voice, "What happened?" he calls.

"Oh nothing I just..."

"She had a fall and hurt her ankle pretty bad." James intervenes.

"Well is she ok?" Daniel asks as we now come face to face with them.

"Yea she's fine, I bandaged her up real good, she just needs to stay off of it for awhile."

"Well then I don't see how she's going to get home then." my mom chirps in, I can tell she's annoyed. She probably thinks that I did this on purpose, or that I'm faking it.

"It's alright, I'll carry her." James offers.

"No that's alright man, I can get her." Daniel says approaching us. My mom's face is burning red at this statement.

James looks distrustful of Daniel for some reason but then hands me over into Daniel's waiting arms. My ankle singes a little bit in the transfer but soon I feel Daniel's strong arms holding me up as my mom and Syrie take off on the way home.

"Thanks again James." I say.

"Like I said, no worries." he reassures me. "So I'll see you around sometime?"

I smile at him, truly grinning, "Yea."

He smiles back and bids us goodbye as we part ways. I watch him walk away over Daniel's shoulder until he becomes so small that he doesn't exist.