Kardia

Chapter Four - My Guardian Angel

When we reached the train station, the engineer informed us that the next locomotive wouldn't come for half an hour.  This gave me an excellent opportunity to interview my unexpected hero.

"So, how old are you?  I'm twenty two."  I said, tucking my skirt under my legs as I sat down on a sturdy bench.

"Twenty six and proud. Have you always lived in Kardia?"

"For as long as I can remember yes."  I answered.  "My parents moved here when I was a small child, and died from an easily preventable illness not long after."

"That's unfortunate."  He said curtly.

"Most people would say they're sorry for my loss."  I said with a scoff at his rudeness.

"Most people spend more time wallowing in the past's tragedies and not enough time trying to prevent future tragedies."

What he said took me by surprise.  I suppose I never thought about it in such words.  What good is done by mourning the loss of my parents everyday is there is no action that can revive them?

I put as much space between us as possible on the bench out of habit, but I didn't despise the idea of sitting closer.

After a long silence filled by watching the sun rise and the crows pecking at the ground, he turned to me and cleared his throat as though he were going to speak.

"What makes you different?"  He asked me.  "What makes you unique?"

I changed seating position and pondered the question for a short moment.

"Well I suppose, my hearts intentions are unlike any other, because no other has my heart. I am more patient than most, and I have more love in me than I could give away in a life time. I judge others' beliefs not, but I cherish my own.  I defend the weak, and I congratulate the strong.  I am not perfect, but I aim to be.  That's what makes me different."

He smiled, and I could have bet every ounce of energy to my name that his charcoal eyes flickered with approval and grace.

"I believe I will thoroughly enjoy getting to know you, Miss Odynia."

I smiled slightly, and tipped an imaginary hat.

Within a few minutes the roaring train thundered into the station, bringing a crowd of people with it.  After the swarms of people fled the station, the few of us waiting to embark so early in the morning boarded.

I had never gone to Pleonexia early out of choice, but hopefully, after this journey, I would never have to visit that factory again.

Mr. Sinetos gave me a choice of which seat I would choose, and to no surprise I chose the window seat. While gazing out at the beauty of the nature zooming past my fingerprinted window, I noticed a small deer drinking from a small, silver lake near a small cabin.  I greatly envied this animal, it's freedoms and liberties. It had more opportunities than I ever had.  Why couldn't I have been born an animal in a wondrous forest?

As we pulled into the familiar copper gates of Pleonexia, I reflexively cringed.

"If you don't mind my asking, why six years?"  Mr. Sinetos asked.

"I beg your pardon?"

"When I offered you five years, you asked for another?  Was there an intent behind that barter, aside from greed?"

"I am indebted to the owner of this purgatory, and will be for the next six years of my life.  But if you keep your word, and I gain six years worth of energy after aiding you, I may be able to free myself and find a career worth having.  It's hard enough for a lady of my age to find a job, let alone when she has a debt hanging over her head like a shadow."

He tilted his head sympathetically, but said not a word.

We left the train and paraded through the huge doors, up the groaning stairs, and into the haggard office where Skeeler sat feasting on roasted quail and potatoes.  He looked up at us with bags under his heinous eyes.

"Skeeler, I have a proposition for you."

He cocked his head back and swallowed, wiping the meat fat off his lips with a silk napkin.

"I'm listening."

"I will pay you back my debt in full, if you allow me to leave work for a short time."

Dinami stood off to the side with his hands in loose fists.

"And why would I want to loose a perfectly fine worker that quickly?"

I knew he would say this, he didn't even care about the energy, only the free work.

"But we had a deal that I would work until my debt was paid, if I can pay it off early..."

"If you leave,"  He said raising his grating voice as usual. "I will fire you.  And no one will take a poor, beholden, street bitch like you."  The glimmer of hope that had been feeding my dreams fizzled out like an extinguished candle.

I turned to Mr. Sinetos with shrug of apology, as though to say "I tried my best, and failed."

"Now wait a moment."  Dinami said, walking toward the desk with with fire in his steps.  "If the agreement was made that she would pay you back, she will, but I need her more than you do."

Skeeler gazed at Dinami with a look of superiority.

"Find someone else," Skeeler retorted.

"No, you find someone else."  Dinami said with a modulated tone to his speech.  "She will pay you back twice of what she owes you, and you will relieve her of her work in this..." He said looking around with disgust. "...nightmare."

At that point Mr. Sinetos was leaning over the desk, and in Skeelers face, as though Dinami had seen all the times he had done the same thing to me.

I almost noticed a sense of panic in Oteeta's eyes.  Would he agree?

"If you want the girl, you can have her."  He said nonchalantly.  "But I will hold you to your word when you say I will receive twice the original pay.  If you fail to do so, I will end both of you."

Skeeler weakly shook Dinami's hand on the deal.

I left the office with a sense of relief, like I could breath clearly for the first time in my life.

"Are you really going to pay me twelve years worth of energy?"

"Absolutely!"  He said with a hop in his stride.  "You're the perfect example of the people I am trying to help!  There needs to be laws in place to protect people like you from monsters like him."

With a beam of faith in my heart, and a renewed vigor in my eyes, I raced him to the train; and off on a journey to the capitol we ventured.

I wondered if he was as perfect as he sounded, because if he was...he was without a doubt my guardian angel.