The Death of a Bachelor

Chapter Forty-six

"Don't want to know the other side of a world without you."
- Ruelle, The Other Side.

**

“Your mother really spanked you?” Kieran’s tone was incredulous.

Elena giggled. “Yes. She looks like a big softie, but she had a lot of energy in her younger years. Use to chase Mara and me all over the house just to get us to do something we didn’t want to. The day she caught us licking honey under the table was one of the days that ended in a spanking.”

Kieran let out a chortle, shaking his head. “Your childhood was rather colourful.”

“Not as colourful as yours, I’m sure.” Elena muffled out between bites of her gingerbread. “How were your siblings as children?”

Kieran diverted his gaze from the plate of cakes amidst them upon the garden arbor bench they sat, and looked up at the cloudy sky. “If I start talking about them, I might never stop.”

“I will listen to whatever you have to say.”

Kieran smiled. “Let’s see. Ray was the playful one. He liked to pull pranks a lot, and was probably the one who got the most beatings from mother.”

“I wouldn’t doubt that.”

“When Aira was born, he met his match,” Kieran continued. “We were all excited about having a sister, and usually fought over who was to carry her. Ray whined the most when it wasn’t his turn. As she grew up, she became really stubborn. She did whatever she pleased and screamed and fought with everyone who got in her way, including me. She also got scolded a lot for it, but not like us – she was Mama’s little girl.

“But the thing is, even though we were annoyed by her antics, seeing tears on her face felt worse. So we’d do anything to make it better, and my bed was always the end result for such days.”

“You all totally spoiled her.”

Kieran laughed. “A little, yes. But she turned out alright. Sassy, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Joshua was the quiet one. Well, he was until Aira was born. He was the one who filled in for me whenever I couldn’t do some of my tasks, or watch over Ray and Aira. He was always ready to do whatever I asked, even if it meant sacrificing his own needs. It was a character I wasn’t found of, and believe it or not, we fought a lot about it.”

Elena couldn’t believe her ears. “You and Joshua fought? I can’t imagine Joshua even yelling at you.”

Kieran wore a wry smile. “We did fight, but we don’t anymore,” he replied. “He was eager to learn and quick to master. Whatever I taught him, he taught my other siblings. He didn’t want anyone to be left behind. He wanted us all to play together, just like Aaron.”

Elena sighed. “Finally, something he and Aaron have in common.”

Kieran chuckled, and a deep emotion rested in his cyan eyes.

His voice became softer. “Whenever we went running in the fields, Aaron came along. When we went horseback riding or racing, Aaron came along. He was always playing with us in those strenuous activities, even when at the end of it all, his lungs bore the brunt. He would sometimes become bedridden for a few days, but he never had any regrets.

“Father never cared, but mother would give him a terrible scolding, and he would smile all through. To him, being able to play and spend time with his siblings was more precious than his health. Because when winter came, he never stepped outside – never got a chance to play with us in the snow.