Back to Monnie

Chapter Six

        We stumbled down the dirt path leading back toward the town, Oggy wandered along the ditch with her arms stretched out in the warm air, her long black thick braid swayed absolute pleasing that her thin ill facial structure shined in the gloomy sunlight. Oggy waved me goodbye as she roamed off home, I watched her disappear into the night fog, sensing the point of loneliness piercing into my thoughts.

        The road darkened every step I took on my way home, it seemed to me as if I were being watched  for some ominous reason. Have you ever sensed that feeling when - your alone, but in your thought, you think somebody's there with you? There's a term for it - hallucination. I believe that's the word!

         As I strolled down the road, the cold gust through the night sky, I picked up the pace, and scampered my way home. Good enough, I safely arrived in the yard of my house. I gazed up to my father plowing the thick lush grass, neighbouring next to him I took over for him, resting my weight against the plower to move, "what are you doing out here so late, dad?". I paused, and viewed at him, he neglected my inquire, and rambled passed me hurriedly.

         "Dad?". I tittered, smiling brightly at him.

         "Not now, August get inside". He speedily held wooden boards in his arms, placing them by the kitchen window. "Dad, I-". He blocked in on me, "for crying out loud, August - GET INSIDE!". He snapped directly at me. I jumped back as if I had just been slapped straight across my mug.

         I'm very much attached to my father more than my mother, it's reasonably because growing up, me and dad regularly plowed, planted, and hunted together - yes we hunted during Winter, and barely had time for Summer, and Autumn. It's because I had school to attend. Since now, dad rarely ever raised his stricken tongue at me. What can I say I'm a son to my father.

         I felt my peepers burning, I hurried off to the front door.

        "August, wait-". Dad said with a peace of his mind, "come, sit down!". He seated himself on a branched spruce log, I stumbled over, sitting down next to him.

        "I'm sorry I yelled at ya, it's just that...there's plenty going on lately, August". Dad stated, "you know - the town's news?".

         "I understand, dad". I groaned slightly to myself, "what's up with the town?".

         "Just some men causing a riot in another land...I say".

         "Why?".

         "I don't know August, but let me tell you this", dad glanced at me with a straight stern expression, "whatever happens, I want you to take care of Monnie for you're mother, got that?". I became confused, a blank gaze appeared on my mug, I blinked once at him, and slightly nodded, "y-yeah".

        "We've been thinking, me and you're mother...that we should send you and...Monnie away". He croaked. My eyes glowed, "w-what...why?". I cried, my heart sank dark in my chest. I was nearly going to gag. Dad smiled softly at me, pulling me in for a warm hug, "for safety, August...now don't go and tell Monnie or you're mother about this, alright? - It's only between me and you".

        I nodded hasty with his statement; why did me and Monnie have to go? What did we do wrong to our parents? Did we say something hurtful? Meaningless? Only god knows what we did to send us away! 

         After the dead of night, I kept still as I can in bed, still as a inflexible sculpture, Monnie swung her arms at me, sleepily arching her back a couple inches up from the bed, this is where she begins to battle in her dream. The small cries slowly converted into a hellish weep, she threw her small pudgy fists at me ungracefully. "Monnie, stop!". I shivered from the gush of winds blasting through the unsealed wrecked window, she shook her head, "no, no, August don't go!". Her voice shortened.

          The room went back to silence, all I heard was the wind blowing outside, and through the room. I spun my back to the opposite side of Monnie, attempting myself to hold back my moderate hollering.

           Before noon, I rushed around the empty room for Monnie's green daisy wool backpack, I grabbed the backpack from behind our bedroom door, and hurried Monnie out of the house. There we rambled down the road, she clutched onto my palm secured. 

          It was three or four days after, July 28, 1914. 

          I stuck to my father's word to not say a thing to Monnie, or anybody else. As we reached further into the town, Oggy appeared from behind us, she nibbled at her bottom thin lip, "hey August, you header off to school?". She asked me.

          "Yeah I am, just taking Monnie to school first". I turned back toward Oggy as we roamed down the road. 

           "Mind if I join you're walk?". She raised her thin eyebrow at me, taking a quick glance at Monnie, and back at me. "Sure Oggy, of course you can". I grinned over at her. Her grin converted into a bright smile.

            A mile we walked to Monnie's grade school, we just arrived on time before her school bell rung. "Okay, I'll see you at three, Monnie, and you wait here until I get here, alright?". I smiled softly at her, adjusting the brown shawl she wore. She nodded swiftly, cuddling in for a short hug, "bye, August". She hurried off into the school.