Forever Green

~ 36 ~ Visiting Hours

Lenesa and the bookkeeper parted ways shortly after passing through the gate. She had work to do, and it was dangerous for him to be with her. It put her heart slightly more at ease as she watched him disappear around the bend of a street, with no one the wiser of the part he had just played in helping a witch into the city.

Her attention was interrupted by a group of children running past, whooping and laughing at their newfound freedom after having been let out of school for the day. One of the children got too close and bumped into her, knocking the book with the list of names out of her basket.

"Sorry!" The boy bent to pick up the book, but froze when he looked up to hand it to her.

Lenesa stiffened. Could he see up under her hat, from his low vantage point? Though fear was urging her to run, she forced a smile instead.

"Thank you," she said, holding out a hand for the book.

Looking a bit frightened, the boy wordlessly handed it to her, then took off running to catch up to his friends. Lenesa turned away and rounded a corner before he could do so, forcing her shaky nerves aside and focusing on the task at hand.

The first name on the list was a regular of hers, Garrow MicHale. Garrow was an older gentleman who lived by himself ever since his wife had passed a few years earlier. Occasionally, he would suffer a lapse in memory, and bouts of dizziness.

Lenesa stopped before the familiar gray door and knocked twice. A cry of "coming!" sounded from inside, before the door was opened by a woman about Lenesa's age.

"Nira, I'm here to see your uncle," Lenesa said, tilting her hat brim lower as she spoke. "Is he at home?"

"Where else would he be?" Nira answered, her words popping with bitterness. She stepped back and opened the door wider. "It took you long enough to come by. He's only been getting worse. My weekly visits have become daily—and I put that request in nearly a month ago! I have a family apart from my uncle, you know. I can't spend all my time looking after him. My children need me."

Lenesa stepped inside, taking off her shoes before following Nira up the stairs to Garrow's room. "I apologize," she said. "It's been difficult for me to work lately."

"You mean with all the increased security?" Nira turned at the landing, looking slightly mollified. "I suppose it would be bad if someone like you was mistaken for a witch—I could see how it might happen. Especially after that one witch killed those guards and destroyed the river gate a few days ago. Everyone's looking for a scapegoat."

Lenesa's hand flew to her mouth before she could stop it. She had known she had caused harm, but to hear that she had killed...

Her legs felt weak. Why hadn't the bookkeeper told her? Knowing him, he wouldn't have wanted her to worry, but Lenesa felt it was worse to have the horrifying news sprung on her like this, in the presence of a near-stranger.

Thankfully, Nira had already turned away, and didn't notice Lenesa's reaction. The woman instead approached one of the doors on the second floor and knocked before twisting the handle.

"Uncle Garrow? It's Nira. The doctor's come to visit you, finally."

Though she still felt faint from her earlier shock, Lenesa didn't miss the subtle bite in the announcement.

Nira turned back to Lenesa. "I'll be downstairs if you need anything," she said. "Oh—and what do I owe you?"

Lenesa bit her lip. "Do you have any rice?"

Nira shoved aside a wisp of hair that had come free from her bun and gave a loud sigh. "Yes. I'll go pack a small bag."

"Thank you," Lenesa said, but Nira had already brushed past for the stairs, leaving her standing alone in the hallway.