Mirrored raindrops
Pt. 2
"Whats yer name?" He asks calmly. I knew he was strong but I don't even hear much of a struggle in his breath helping me up. I'm not complaining feeling strong arms against me tho. And he's really strong...it's like his biceps across my waist is like a brick covered in skin. My brain was a little fuzzy being too aware of how he was holding me. "Um yeah, I'm (y/n)..."I say knocking myself out of my thoughts when I realized I waited to long to answer him.
"I've ain't seen you 'round here before." He probes.
"I've been traveling alone. Trying to find something I guess." I say looking back at the ground watching my steps as I notice we're almost up top the hill.
"Hey Arthur! Another stray?" Says one of the men.
I got a pang in my chest hearing "stray" I barely wanted the help he's giving me now.
As we make it up top I notice a lot more people than I hoped for. I immediately looked down at my feet. The schlunch of my feet in the mud from the high traffic of people was way more interesting. He led me over to where the horses rested and helped settle gumbo. He trailed me over to the women's tents still giving me support.
"Ladies, can you help this one out? They hurt their leg or foot. I think it's best if I let the women handle it." Arthur says.
"Thank you mister." I say my voice cracked a little when I realized he was more familiar to me than the new people I was getting left with.
"Don't call me mister. Arthur's fine." He says walking away to a tent. I guess to talk to someone.
"Sit yourself down, honey. Name's Susan grimshaw." She says. She's very confident and stern. I didn't give myself a chance to hurt by how fast I sat. She took away my wet shoes and noticed how purple it has gotten and swollen. "You bumped it pretty good. You'll need to stay off of it a day or 2. Keep yourself dry too." She finishes bandaging up your ankle and pats your leg lightly. "Just a sprain. All done." Grimshaw exclaims, stands up, and dusts herself off.
She looks over to the tent Arthur walked over to and see him talking to another man. The man is wearing a very nice black suit and a dark hat. He nods her off and she turns back to you and smiles. "You're welcome to stay the night. The ladies over there will give you spare clothes and a blanket. Supper will be ready soon." Grimshaw continues. She points behind her and I see 2 women in a tent mending up some clothing. They waved and smiled at me. "Um I'm no-" I was saying to grimshaw but she already walked away from me.
The 2 girls came up to me and handed me nearly folded clothing and a blanket. "I'm Tilly. This is Mary Beth. We have your stuff for you. You can change in the tent while we cover you and just hang your clothes up on the rack in there. We'll wash them for you when the rain lets up."
After i got to change I limped out and adjusted my clothes the best i could. It was a little baggy. I had to take both my socks and shoes off and leave it in the tent. Sounded like walking through the marsh every step i took. I stayed sitting in the tent and the girls joined me after. "So, we heard you fell off your horse." Mary Beth chimed after I didn't speak for a while. "Um yeah, I think my horse seen a scorpion. He's not used to seeing those. This is his first time really traveling." I said. I felt a bit more conscious.
They seemed nice enough for me to feel comfortable, to relax a little. They talked about how they traveled a bit not detailed at all but to keep conversation. I can see people passing by through the flap of the tent. I see Arthur pass. He glanced at me but that's it. He seems busy. He changed his clothes too but still wearing his hat. There's some wet droplets still on the brim. Some falling off hitting his hand. The same hand that held me up the hill.
I barely know this man. What is wrong with me.
Over time the sun was starting to set and supper rolled around. I poked my head out on of the tent and seen that people were lining up to grab bowls and sit by the fire. I hear light chatting and plates and spoons clacking. Loud laughter that felt good to hear after the day I had.
I sat against the side of the tent. Plucking up blades of grass that popped through the crack of the bedroll floor. After a bit my stomach did growl from the smell of food. Good or not. I can't help myself I needed a snack or something. Which I left alll the way over there. On gumbo. I mentally scolded myself. I crawled carefully out the tent, bumping into something hard. I look up and get a eye full of boots and pants. I look up to see Arthur. "Hi?" I say sheepishly.
"Didn't expect a visitor at this hour." I say jokingly. And I huff a bit realizing how stupid the joke was.
"Hungry, yeah?" He says plainly.
"Yeah, I was going to get food from my horse.", I say sitting up to my knees. Wincing at the pain in my foot. I sit on my bottom near the entrance of the tent. Arthur crouches in a squat to keep eye contact.
"You have food?"
"Yeah. On my horse." I say
"You've been limping and you're gonna walk all the way to a horse?" Arthur adds.
I make a bit of a face when I look over and see how far my horse is. Honestly a lot farther than I remembered.
"We have plenty here." He says already standing to get a bowl.
"No it's okay really- my horse." I say too late. He's already half way across came getting a bowl for me. It looks like the guy cooking is making a fuss over it a few broken words
"another mouth to feed." The cook says
"They ain't eaten." Arthur adds.
"they better eat it all." He eventually gives up the bowl the bowl to Arthur. Fills it a bit more than I seen him give the others.
When Arthur comes back with the bowl he just hands it to me. "Eat." He says. "It'll help you heal faster."
I took the bowl carefully. "Thank you, Arthur." I say. The bowl was warm. The heat of his palms lingered. It made my stomach twist up a little. Or i am really just starving.
He just hums and tips his hat and walks away to the fire of the others.
I slowly ate at first until i realized how good it felt to have hot meal in my body. I scafed the rest down after it cooled off a good bit. I patted my tummy happy and satisfied. Listening to the people around the fire laugh and drink.
The ambience of the soft drips of rain that fell of trees after the wind blows a bit. The crackle of the fire and the people enjoying each other's company. Sounded like a real home? Something I'd like to make on my own one day.
Something real.
(pt.1)
