Blood Brothers! Chapter 14



Over at the Ellis Place, the doctor has come to check on Hope's condition. She was thrown from a horse and as a result is unable to move her legs. Dr. Hayden Warner, the local general practitioner had finished his examination. "Well, what's the verdict doctor?", asked Hope. "It's not as bad as it was, the swelling has gone down considerably. You do have some slight movement in your toes now. I believe after all the swelling is gone and with lots of therapy, you will be able to walk again", he said.



"Mrs. Ellis, the doctor will tell me what exercises you need and we can start them, as soon as you're ready", said Olivia.



"Thank you, Olivia. And Olivia, please call me Hope. Mrs. Ellis sounds so formal".



"Your wife's condition is still serious, but there is a slight improvement ", said the doctor, "The swelling has gone down considerably and she's able to move her toes."

"So, how long do you think it will be before she's completely recovered?", asked Jack.
"With the right therapy, I'd say maybe less than six months", said the doctor.



When his daughters came home from school, Jack told them what the doctor had said. "Now y'all tell me, how was school today?", he asked.

"The childern from the Indian village started today", said Patience, "They're really nice, not at all dirty and smelly, like Mother said".
"Well, you know your mother has a tendency to exaggerate", said Jack.

"You mean to tell things that aren't true?", laughed Charity.
"Well yes, that too", said Jack.



"When I saw you chatting with Horace, do you believe I was jealous", laughed Charity.
"Oh, I can't believe you thought I liked him", laughed Patience, "You should know I like dark haired boys."



"I wonder if Chandar would like me better, if I let my hair hang down loose like the Indian girls", said Patience.
"I don't know, but you could see how it looks", said Charity.


Patience went to the mirror and changed her hair to a long, straight style.



"Well, what do you think?", she asked Charity. "It reminds me of corn silk", said Charity, "It is beautiful."
"Do you think he will notice?", said Patience.
"Yes, how can he not notice something so beautiful", said Charity.
"Thank you", she said.



Down the road, at the Indian Village, Hala and Samir were watching . . .



Shardul and Chandar wrestling.



"I think that girl with the yellow hair likes Chandar", said Hala.
"You should have seen the look she gave me, when she saw me chatting with him", said Samir, "Can you imagine what she would do, if she knew we . . . ah." "If you what?", asked Hala. "Uh, never mind. Here comes your brother", said Samir.



"I heard my name, were you talking about me?", asked Nachik.
"Yes, I was just saying, I hope you don't like the girls at school more than me", she lied. "Samir, you're promised to me. Nothing or nobody can ever change that", said Nachik.
While Samir has a problem, pretending to be happy with Nachik . . .



Quanah has a bigger problem. When he went out to the barn to check on the horses, he heard someone call his name. When he turned around Hita tried to give him a hug. "No, go away!", he said. "Please, I just want to feel your arms around me again", she begged.



"Quanah, that night must have meant something to you", she said.



"It was the worst night of my life!", he howled.



"But it was the night you put our beautiful son in my belly", said Hita.
Then a female voice called out, "QUANAH!".



"How could you do such a thing!", screamed Marala.



"You don't understand, I had to do it. Hita wanted a baby so much, that it was making her crazy. Sohan was unable to give her one, so he begged me to do it", he explained.



"Go away! Leave us alone", he told Hita, who was crying uncontrollably.



"I don't want to believe you did this", said Marala.



"Whether you want to believe it or not . . . it's your problem, not mine", he said..



Then he walked out of the barn. Now that Marala knew the truth, Quanah felt relieved. It would only be a matter of time, before she forgave him



He saw Santosh coming across the yard and called him over. "Marala knows about me and Hita", said Quanah. "But how?", he asked. "She heard Hita and me arguring about it in the barn", said Quanah. "What did Marala say?", asked Santosh. "She said she didn't want to believe it, so I walked away", he said. "You should go back and tell her everything", said Santosh.



Quanah went back into the barn.



He saw Marala laying on the haystack. He lay beside her, then said, "Marala, I want to explain this thing with Hita to you".

"There's nothing to explain", she said, "What's done is done".

"Marala, Hita wanted a baby so much, that she was going crazy. You remember how she was", he said, "Sohan was unable to give her one, so he asked me to do it."

"You didn't have to do it, just because he asked", she said.

"He asked me at a council meeting and we voted. It was decided that I should give them a baby", said Quanah.
"You mean, four grown men, who should have known better, agreed to do something so stupid?", she asked.
"It made sense at the time", he said.



"Marala, please forgive me", said Quanah, trying to kiss her. "Don't ever touch me again!", she screamed.
"But, you're my wife", said Quanah.


"That's your problem, not mine", she said, walking out of the barn.

To be continued . . .