[Ash]: 102.Series.Serendipity.05

Today was the day, there were white banners flying above the village. The streets were littered with rose petals, and I was leaning against my house in a white shirt and white pants, Pryia next to me in white as well. Next to her was Martin and Lila, a girl named Seapha’s parents, also in white. Here came Son and Seapha, in green and gold, the traditional wear. Seapha dropped Son’s hands and went into her mothers arms. Son came into Pryia’s, Pryia couldn’t help it, and she began crying heavily.

“My little boy…” She said and patted his hair. He pulled back and kissed her on the forehead. “You’re still going to come over for dinner, right?”

“Of course, but know it’ll be me and her.” He said and let go.

“It’s about time, you’re 27. I was married at 17!” I said as he walked over and hugged me.

“Shut up, dad.” He said laughing. “I can’t believe I’m that much taller then you.”

“You know I’m shrinking because of old age, right.” I said. He smiled and hugged me again. He moved away and met with her parents hugging them too; Seapha came over and hugged Pryia. “Hello my only daughter.”

“Hello my second mother.” She said joking. Pryia had helped raise Seapha after all, it was only right that they joke through this when both of them were crying. “It’s going to be awkward calling you mother.”

“It’s going to awkward having a daughter.” Pryia and her hugged again and she walked over to me and hugged me. “I’m glad he chose you as a bride, Seapha.” I said hugging her back.

“Thank you. Son said you’d be the one crying not Pryia.”

I had to start laughing. “I cry later, when everyone’s not looking. Do me a favor and hit him over the head.” She laughed and let go. “It’s going to be new having a father and a husband who go away and kill people.”

“You get used to it.” Pryia said and felt down at her stomach. Pryia was pregnant again. That is my entire fault and I’m happy to accept responsibility. There’s enough room in the house for four more children, but Pryia says she’s getting old. When she told me that, I laughed and told her sixty is old, I told her thirty-nine isn’t old. I’m a few years younger then she is, but that never stopped her from playing as young as she could get.

“Seapha…” Pryia said pointing a hand out. “You get pregnant quickly, I want some grandchildren. And not just one, give me a lot of them.”

“Dozens,” her mother said. Lila after she had Seapha lost her ability to have children, making Lila the only chance to carry on her blood. “I want so many we make a miniature army, except not an army, I don’t want any of my babies involved in fighting.” Lila waved a finger at Son.

“It’s a family business, all the girls will be normal, but guys we train. Seapha’s already said it was fine.” Son said defensibly. The assassin business, not matter how many times it save the village, was not what they wanted. But as the population increases, the more you’ll need assassins to protect the people. Nobody could understand this logic however.

“You’re gonna let my grandbabies become killers.”

Seapha held her head up high, grabbed Son’s hand and spoke proudly. “No, they’re going to become assassins.” That made me proud if ever there was something to be proud about.

“Six or seven more weeks.” Pryia said, her belly large, she was back in her pregnancy gown. She was sitting next to Seapha who had also gotten a belly, she was in a pregnancy dress as well. “You?”

“Three months.” Pryia smiled and put an arm around her. “It’s going to be odd him having an aunt or uncle that’s only a month older.”

“It’s gonna be a boy, that man doesn’t know how to make little girls!” She said pointing a finger at me. I laughed and so did Son, we were sitting at the table drinking, waiting for Rudolph and his wife Carrie, along with Kiddo and his new wife Leigh. Both women were pregnant, Carrie only had a couple days left though and Leigh had four or five months.

“What’s taking them?” Pryia asked. “We have to start talking about babies.”
“You know you have to start talking about Talon,” Son said looking over at them. “You know he’s been seeing this girl near the edge of the village. Maybe a new wedding soon.”

“That Kristina girl? The one with the long blonde hair?” I asked making a long hair motion. I do that when I drink, I start making motions to whatever I’m talking about. “He’s seeing her?”

“Aye, he’s been bringing her wildflowers daily. It’s cute.” Seapha said smiling up at Son. “I remember that time you put all those flowers beneath my window.”

“Yeah, that was nice, but a lot of work. Those purple ones grow way on the other side of the valley.” He said. “Next time I give you flowers I’m just going to dig up the plant and put it in a pot. Then it’ll come back.” He said trying to prove his point by moving his eyebrows.

You could tell Son was already drunk, he began acting more like a lazy slob than his normal go-getter attitude. He brushed back the hair in his face and looked over at her, she rolled her eyes and turned to Pryia, “what is it with men and drink?”

“I have no clue, I just let it. Makes married life easier if you just let things go. Like Gregory,” Son and I said ‘uh-oh’ at the same time knowing a bad story about me was on the way. “The time I was pregnant with Talon, all the time was ‘is the baby kicking’ or ‘is it moving’ or ‘if it’s not moving does it mean it’s dead?’”

Seapha began laughing. Son looked over at me and began mouthing since we could both read lips. ‘You did that?’ ‘Yeah, I had no clue about women and pregnancy.’ ‘All the time?’ ‘About once an hour. Hint for you, don’t do that.’ We began laughing ourselves and they stared.

Pryia sighed, “When they start reading each others lips, you just let it go… Plus, they’re drunk; I don’t want to know what they’re talking about.” When Pryia was muttering the last bit of the sentence there was a knock at the door. I got up from the table and walked the four feet over to the door and opened it to Kiddo and Leigh. Kiddo had grown up, but was still as fast as ever, he owned a large farm now which many of the Carithgains worked on. Leigh, his wife, was very small, I somewhat wondered how she would handle childbirth, but my worries were dismissed by Pryia who had become the village midwife when Margery, the supposed to be Predom, had passed a week ago.

“Hey Kiddo.” I said holding out a hand and having him shake it.

“Hello Gregory, hey Son.” He said walking in letting go of my hand to wave at Son. Son stuck up a t hand and gave a quick wave before returning to his beer. He came over and sat down; the beer keg was at the back of the table, in reach. He grabbed a cup and poured him some while I ushered Leigh in. “Hello Leigh. How’s the bump coming?”

“Big… well, bigger.” She said and walked over and sat down across from Pryia and I was about to close the door when Rudolph came running up, sweat on his brow and his mouthing moving. He made some funny gestures. “I’m too drunk to understand…” I said frankly.

“The baby’s coming!” He shouted and the women rushed up and moved as quickly as possible out the door. He watched as they went and he turned back to me. “What do I do?”

“Go sit next to her, tell her how good and beautiful she is and let her squeeze the Hell out of your hand. Go, run!” I said pushing him out the door. He nodded quickly and began to run from the push off. I shrugged and closed the door. “Well, that’s one of them.”

“I’m glad I have a couple months.” Kiddo said taking a swig.

“I’m glad I only have Seapha’s mood swings for a couple more weeks.” Son said taking his drink.

I sat down and picked mine up and held it above my head. “I’m glad I’ve done this like… how many are there of you?” I asked Son forgetting. He laughed and shrugged. Kiddo was cracking up.

“It’s a girl,” Pryia said walking out with a blanket of pink. She handed the bundle to Rudolph who took it gently. “She told us before she passed out that you are to name her.”

“Rose, Her name is Rose.” Rudolph said kissing her forehead.

“And the boy,” Pryia continued. “She wanted you to name him too.” Seapha walked out with a blue blanket and showed him the face. “He is a good strong boy, came out wailing.”

“What are you going to name him?” Seapha asked as she moved next to him, letting the twins be across from one another.

“Thorn. He’ll be Thorn.” Rudolph smiled and began crying. “I have a daughter and a son…” He looked up at Seapha and Pryia smiling with tears. “I have a daughter and a son.”

“Well have to have them blessed soon, that’ll be Son’s job, the blood of Predom in him.” Pryia said and began walking away. “I’ll bring the boys down; they’ll probably start crying with you.”

We did cry with him, we were drunk, and we thought it was beautiful, so we bawled. The women took the children from us since we were drunk and crying. While we were bonding through tears, the women were busy chatting, getting clothes ready and telling us to shut up. We couldn’t though, we were drunk.

It had been only fifteen minutes that we spent crying before we led Rudolph back to my house and got him drunk. He had started talking about how everything was going to be new now. “I’ll have to build on to the house.”

“I told you you built it too small.” Kiddo said swaying a bit. I had a feeling he was going to fall over soon. Five seconds later it proved correct. We all just waved him off.

“You got to make it huge.” Son added just recently finishing his house which rivailed mine.

“You didn’t assume that you’re only gonna have one baby did you?” I picked up my mug and drank a little bit more. “That’s funny. You’re not just going to bed once, you’ll go to bed a lot of time. That’s a lot of kids.”

“Dad… shut up, you’re drunk.” Son said slowly.

“I am, I think I’m gonna go lay down.” I said and stood up. If I hadn’t of had my assassin training and gotten drunk every now and then, I would have tripped over Kiddo, but I successfully made it to the door and opened it to my room. I drudged over across the wood and fell down on my soft duck feather bed. It was so soft.