Your Loyal Servant

(4) There's a Whole Backstory to This?

Huffing, I said, "Yes, you've said that before. But what does that mean? Why are you here?"

Howard smiled a polite smile. It wasn't exactly that condescending grin people get when they're talking to idiots. It was just a simple smile, more out of habit than anything else. With an innocent tilt of his blond head, he asked, "What would you like answered first?"

"Well, the two answers go hand-in-hand," Dad chimed in, dragging my eyes away from Freaky.

An eyebrow perked. "Do you know why?" I assumed, pinning Dad with a fierce gaze.

Dad nodded. "It was explained to me once at your birth and again just last week."

My patience was running thin—and it didn't take that long for that to happen. Throwing my hands up in the air, I demanded, "That's great, but could someone just explain to me what's going on?"

"Howard is here because it is his duty," Dad summed up.

Yeah, 'cause that clarified everything.

With a nervous chuckle, Dad suggested, "Howie, how about you take over? You're probably better at explaining this than I am."

I trained my eyes on his silver ones, my gaze hard and intimidating. It was a look any normal person would shrink away from, but Freak didn't do that. He just looked back unfazed, almost pleased that I was looking at him.

"Would you like me to start at the beginning?" he asked, voice sweet. I couldn't tell if he was patronizing me or if he just had a kind disposition.

I refrained from groaning as I complained, "This isn't going to turn into a history lesson, is it?"

"Rose, just listen please," Mom reprimanded.

Sucking in a breath, I crossed my arms and pursed my lips, keeping silent—which would be a miracle if I succeeded at it for longer than five minutes.

"The first patriarch of the Connors family fell into trouble with a local gang, and ran for his life. Before the members could capture him, the first patriarch of the Orrie family stopped them," Howie, The Freak, explained, as though he were telling a story before a fire at summer camp.

My eyes rolled.

There's a whole backstory to this? Oh, give me a break.

He took a deep breath, his silver-gray eyes penetrating into mine. "The Connors patriarch went to give his thanks, but upon his return, he tripped on a train track, as one was speeding towards him."

I released a loud laugh, which earned a stern glare from my parents and a smile from Freaky.

He conceded, "The early generations of Connors were known as klutz."

"No kidding," I muttered under my breath with a small lopsided grin.

Ignoring my comment, he continued the tale, dropping back into his campfire-storyteller voice. "The Orrie patriarch saved his life, and the Connors became indebted to your family."

With a quirked brow, I inquired, "And so your being here has something to do with what happened a long time ago?"

He nodded once as my mom said, "He hasn't finished the story yet, Rose. Practice patience."

I gave her a dry look—we both knew patience was not a virtue I possessed.

Freaky smiled softly at the slight detour and then brought us back on track. "When the Connors arrived to repay his debt by servitude, the patriarch of the Orrie family had fallen ill. As Connors sat by the dying man's side, Orrie said, 'To repay the debt your family has unto mine, the tenth generation of yours shall serve in humility to the tenth generation of the Orrie family. Once you have served your life as their loyal servant, the debt shall be relieved.' And with those words, the Orrie patriarch died."