The Acceptance Of Wing Beats

August 10th

The construction on the stairway is finally done.

It's not a stairway anymore, but a ramp. Now I am able to go downstairs and possibly outside.

Today Margret and Aarth both rushed into my room after breakfast. They urged me to get into my wheelchair and pushed me - much against my protests- to what once had been a perpetual construction zone.

The new ramp invited me to explore.

If it were up to me I would have declined.

But I no longer have the luxury of getting up and walking away from things I don't wish to participate in.

The ramp curved and ended at a spacious entryway. Large doors, to my right, opened and closed as people shuffled in and out.

Some shuffled up the stairs opposite us, others walked past us down the hallway. Most people waved and said hello to Margaret and Aarth, usually giving me a quick glance and even quicker nod of acknowledgment, before shuffling on their way.

All but one slender older woman, whose gray hair was pulled tightly into a bun on the top of her head. She walked up to us and wrinkled her nose.

"Arthur, more and more people come here by the day. Please don't tell me that soon we will have to be sharing these bedrooms. I can't imagine it. A stranger, in MY space? I cannot fathom it, Arthur. Please, you mustn't force that on me." She rambled leaning over and using the arm of my wheelchair to prop herself up.

Aarth smiled. For once  I don't think he wanted to. But he smiled anyway.

"Mrs. Blake," He began. "We haven't had any new families here in almost a month. You won't be needing to share your room with anyone."

She narrowed her eyes and I watched as they slowly shifted down and towards me.

"No, new entries in a month? Then who, my dear Arthur is this?".

Aarth continued to smile.

"My name is Aarth, Mrs. Blake, we've gone over this. It isn't short for anything."

Ms. Blake shrugged and continued to stare at me as though I were planning to move into her room as soon as she took her eyes off of me.

"This is Aamira, She's our niece. She and her sister joined us last month. She has just been upstairs while the ramp was being installed." He said gesturing to the ramp behind us.

"All that noise and work for one girl." Mrs. Blake said wrinkling her nose again. "I could hardly get any sleep. Hardly any sleep at all. At least it's done now, I suppose".

Ms. Blake excused herself to go follow after one of the staffers who looked as though he were trying his best not to break out into a sprint away from her.

"She's always fun to talk to," Margaret laughed when she was out of earshot.

Aarth explained that most of the people were the families of the staff of the manor. With the exceptions of our own family and Ms. Blake.

Mrs.Blake was the wife of one of Isaac's business partners. Apparently, she had arrived at her family's vacation home a few days before everyone else was expected, in order to have a few days to herself. The second night she was there, there was a knock on her door. Soldiers had come to quarter the house.

She couldn't say which side they were on. But she let them in. After they all had fallen asleep she packed a bag and snuck out of the house and walked all the way to my uncle's manor. Because if there is anything Mrs. Blake hates more than everything, it's sharing a room.