Robin and the Red Crow

Chapter Thirteen - Otto's Letter

Thump. Thump. Thump.

A strange knocking sounded at the door in the late afternoon.

Robin, who had been watering plants upstairs, quickly grabbed the whistle around his neck and snuck down the stairs, dreading another encounter with a pear man.

Since the ladies of Sunshine Acres could use magic and see out to the front porch, they had no use for a peephole in their front door. This forced Robin to peek out the living room window, craning his neck to see who was at the door while trying to hide among the curtains.

To Robin's relief, it was not a pear salesman but the mailman, Matthew, whom Robin had gotten to know over the past few weeks due to eagerly seeking out the mail each day in search of a letter from his brother. Matthew was about ten years Robin's senior and each day, he wore a light brown overcoat with his name sewn onto a green patch on the top pocket. Robin found it amusing, significantly earlier on warmer days, when Robin was sure it would be too warm for such a garment.

"Good evening, Matthew! What brings you all the way down to the house?" Robin asked, opening the heavy front door and stepping onto the porch. "A package for Miss Ivy?"

"Ah! Morning, Robin! I was hoping you'd be home," the mailman said excitedly. "Finally got word from your brother! I got so excited when I saw it, I had to come and deliver it personally."

Robin's heart leaped at the sight of the letter in Matthew's hand.

_______________________________________

Robin P.

Miss Ivy's Sunshine Acres

Adel, Iowa, Great Plains 50003

___________________________________________

The return address only read Otto in the top corner, causing Robin to grit his teeth in frustration. Still, as soon as the mailman handed it over, Robin ripped it open, thanking Matthew profusely for delivering it.

"Of course, Robin! And here's Miss Ivy's mail, too, since I'm here." Matthew handed over the day's pile of letters, and Robin had to hold off reading his brother's letter as he held on to that day's stack.

"I hope your brother says he's coming soon, Robin. I look forward to finally meeting him," Matthew said, taking a few steps down the porch and waving goodbye.

Robin quickly entered the kitchen with the bundle of letters in his hands, hurriedly putting them in the holder by the hearth before pulling out his brother's letter.

__________________________________________________________________

Robin,

You have always been a smart one. I had no doubt you would find the right place. I'm glad to hear you made it to Sunshine Acres safely and are enjoying a break from life in London.

Unfortunately, I must admit you beat me there. I wasn't expecting you to arrive so quickly, and I am holed up elsewhere for a bit. I should be there soon, so wait a bit longer (I'll pay you back for the rooming costs since it was my error).

Otto

P.S.:

I hear Miss Ivy is quite the lady, so try not to fall in love with her. I don't want you to steal her heart before I get the chance. I hoped to get the chance when I arrived, but now you have quite an unfair advantage. Haha!

__________________________________________________________________

Robin blinked at the letter in his hand. At least his brother had answered one of his questions. Typical Otto.

However, what bothered Robin the most was his brother's implications in the postscript.

Robin's older brother, Otto Prakash, was unusually regarded as the more handsome of the two. Not only physically but also because Otto was intelligent and adventurous. Otto always seemed to be out courting a different woman, sometimes multiple at once. His tangled and messy love stories always left a bad feeling in Robin's chest. He wasn't sure how his brother had the time; it seemed exhausting.

Robin suddenly felt fearful about his brother coming to Sunshine Acres. Holly didn't need to have her heart broken again, and Robin couldn't stand to watch it happen again, let alone because of his brother.

He had half a mind to crumple the letter and burn it. He had spent all this time and money on his brother, who seemed like he couldn't care less about Robin being there.

Robin sighed and put the letter in his pocket, rubbing his forehead in frustration. He would eventually have to tell Holly about Otto's letter.

He didn't feel like watering more plants; the frustration running through his veins made him worry he would be dangerous among the ceramic pots.

Robin turned his attention to Holly's office. He hadn't entered the room since Holly had shown him the stone in the shed. Upon entering, he regretted not cleaning it earlier. All the glass cases were open, and the floor was littered with jewelry designs and small chunks of various stones.

Robin came around the desk to see the designs she had drawn. To his surprise, they were all designs for his necklace. Some had a larger stone in the center, and some had a more elaborate chain. But the design she had chosen was the simplest of them all and also the one he liked best.

Robin got to work organizing the papers and tools on the desk, carefully laying them out in an organized manner so that she wouldn't wonder where he had moved them.

When he pulled out a drawer to see how she had organized her desk, he found the largest drawer filled with dark metal material in various-sized powdered chunks. Robin realized that some of this metal was left on the top of Holly's desk, and he picked up some pieces, carefully dusting the powder into the drawer.

As he did so, he noticed something at the bottom of the drawer that caught his eye.

A newspaper was crumbled within the rocks.

Robin's curiosity got the best of him, and he pulled it free from the debris. As he un-crinkled the old paper, he noticed cuts similar to knife marks torn across it. The paper was so discolored from the metal powder and knife marks that Robin could hardly determine what was on it. The one thing he could make out was the title:

Crimson Crow Flies Off the Handle!!!

Underneath the colossal title was an image of a town on fire, a crow's shadow in the smoke behind it.

Robin tried to read the article but couldn't make out the words. He almost used his magic to fix it but knew he shouldn't snoop. Robin returned the article, carefully burying it in the debris again, wanting to ask about it later.

However, he already had enough to discuss with Holly, and he spent the rest of the day mulling over how to speak to her about his brother's letter.