A Life Of 'Shine - Lem Fike

4

Nora was the one to look after her brothers for five years following their parents death. Thinking back on that tragic night, she realised she had never learned what killed them. Her aunt, mother's sister, informed the girl of her parents passing and that was all she was willing to tell her and the boys. Never did she delve into details, just a simple "your parents died."
Aunt Marge had always been blunt, rude and a scary person. She offered to take the three in, but Nora decided it would be better for her to look after the boys until they were capable of looking after themselves.

That was all in the past now and she would occasionally think about how they could have turned out if she weren't the one to raise them up into the men they were now. Aunt Marge was a wealthy woman, proper and well educated. As was their mother before she married a "filthy man from that class" according to Marge. She knew they would've turned out significantly greater than they did now, but they also wouldn't have been happy.

"Aunt Marjorie was harsh, I can remember getting mud on my dress when I was but a little girl and in return I ended up getting my hand whacked by a ruler. Mother wasn't happy that her sister resulted to hit me for one tiny mistake, but she never warned her for it. Aunt Marge wasn't cruel though, it was how she was raised and what she grew into, there are far worse people out there."

Nora looked up at Lem who nodded, patting the back of her hand sympathetically. A sweet gesture which triggered a smile from the girl.
After a trip to Valentine, picking up some more ingredients for Marcel before being dismissed for the day by Maggie, Nora and Lem had returned to the small house he had been staying in during his time back.

"What was your mother like?"

The question caught him off guard. He cleared his throat with a short cough before shuffling around in the space to get comfortable, he wasn't ready to talk about his mother yet but didn't want to dismiss the girls attempts of getting to know him a little better.

"Sorry, I shouldn't have asked. I think I had been spending too much time with Trelawny, the man always talks and yet he doesn't talk at all. Got used to someone being talkative I disregarded the possibility that it's a sensitive topic." She held a genuine, comforting smile. Lem nodded in her direction before standing up from the table they sat up.

"Thank you. I'll tell you about her eventually, it's just not something I'm too fond of discussing right now. Sorry." Lem smiled at her, walking over to the cabinets that made up the kitchen before passing over an old photograph.

"Kinda all I got left of her, that and the stories Maggie tells sometimes." A photo of his mother, sitting in front of camera in a dark dress. Her hair in loose ringlets around her face, she saw Lem in her of course and Maggie no doubt.

"She's a pretty lady." Lem nodded before gently taking the photo away from Nora.

"How old are Harry and James anyway? I figured they would be the same age as you." This responded in a chuckle from Nora who shook her head in disbelief.

"They're eighteen, nineteen in may." The other nodded, suppressing his shock at the age of the boys. He always thought they were around Nora's age or maybe two years younger at most, never figured that they were practically still teenagers.

"Guess that's insulting, thinking they were a lot older than they really are."

"Guess years of not living in luxury does that. No roof over their heads since they were fourteen, which is funny because I taught them how to hunt and the like and they're a lot better than me." Both shared a moment of laughter before Lem had placed two bowls of stew on the table, the food having been prepared and cooked during their entire conversation.

"So, who's these friends who live down near Rhodes you speak so fondly about?"

"Matthew and Leia. Sweet people, met them a while back. We bonded over our mutual love of art and books, nothing too interesting I'm afraid. Also, both had an interest in different countries."

"I want to go England I do or Scotland."

Nora nodded, using the spoon she was provided to eat the stew to play with the chunks of vegetables. Lem noticed how she wasn't eating just yet, maybe just waiting for it to cool down.

"Wales is lovely. That's where we're from, me and ma and pa. Moved when I was, three or four?" She commented before eventually beginning to eat the meal in front of her.

"I always forget Wales. Sorry, it's not really discussed I guess. Maybe when money for travel is available we could go. Me and you, maybe your brother's as well." Nora smiled at the other, finishing what she could of the stew with two more mouthfuls.

"I don't remember it, at all. It's a shame, father used to speak so fondly of it. My parents moved here after aunt Marge proudly claimed it to be a land of opportunity, not so much opportunity now with the revenue agents and falsely accused crimes which leave you speculating when you're going to be hanged." A saddened sigh, that was the only noise left between the two after Nora's subtle outburst. Lem took this as a que to reach forward and place a gentle hand on the younger females arm, once again comforting him in the way he knew how.

"Sorry, I'm still not entirely over that. Scared almost, I'm pretty sure I should be dead by now but here I am. Hiding amongst everyone while also living normally. It's not easy."

"It never is. I was locked up too don't forget, I was never sentenced to death although they discussed it often. They only had plans of moving me to sisika after Maggie returned, I would've died locked behind bars no doubt." Nora smiled, never really finding anyone else to share experiences behind jail with anyone.

"You won't go back there. I'll make sure of it, okay?" She nodded in turn to his kind words before collecting the empty bowls and walking over to the sink.

"Thank you. You're sweet, really sweet." The two shared one more chuckle for the evening before Nora had to take her leave, walking away from Lem's to return home. Before she mounted Beanz however, she placed a soft kiss to his cheek. She waved one final goodbye before riding off back home.