"I hope so," Weedy declared as he started helping lay down blankets, two each on the floor for padding, and another for a cover, and, of course, pillows. "He's going to take me fishing. Ma and I have been a couple times, but she isn't very good at it, and she doesn't like 'them squishy-wishy slimy fish guts!"
Weedy laughed. "She said her brothers used to make her skin 'em an' dress 'em an' cook 'em, until one day she threw the fish back in the river and cooked up the guts!" He sobered a little. "I sort of wish I had a brother...a big one, I mean, not some baby or nothing that isn't fun to play with. You have brothers, right?" He shrugged and frowned. "Well, not real good ones, huh?"
Leah smiled, "I do have brothers, Weedy, haven't seen but one, Case, in more than a year. The others have families and live in Helena, Zeke, he lives down in Bozeman. Seems they don't much get along with our father." She explained. "Case, he's still up here, but then, you knew that."
"Now fishing, that's a good time. Relaxing on the river bank, letting the line dangle in the water while you wait for a bite. Yes, that's a pretty good time indeed." She added, then said, "A brother, that would be nice, and yes, one your age or maybe just a little older perhaps? But you have friends right? Boys you do things with, I suppose."
"Yes, Ma'am, I have friends in school, especially Wyatt Redmond." They'd never been fishing, though. "I bet he knows how ta fish, he lives on a farm and they have a big pond!" Weedy would have to check in on that!
Sitting back, he looked up at Leah. "I can be your brother if you want?" He grinned slyly, "I'll get you some pie, and then Addy will be your Ma too, right?" Now, there was an idea!
Now, that was a proposal she had never had before, a young man offering to be her brother, and having Addy as her stepmother, well, in the eyes of a child that is. "Oh, I think that would be splendid, besides, the brothers I have are all grown up, and they're not a whole lot of fun anymore, if and when I do see them."
"I had all but forgotten about the pie, and that sounds really good right about now." She said with a smile, "Now, how could I go and forget about the pie? Sometimes I just don't know about me." She chided. "Best check with Addy about that, make sure it's alright, wouldn't want us getting in 'Dutch' over it."
"We can ask!" Weedy believed that with Leah now becoming part of this odd family, Addy might be a little more lenient, and besides, how could they be discussing pie all night and not follow through.
Jumping up, he gave Leah a big hug. "I'm glad you want to be my sister! Oh, but first, we have to..." Digging in his pocket, he pulled out his pocket knife and opened. "We have to be blood brothers! Well, blood brother and sister!"
And without giving her time to reply, he cut a small slash in his left pointer finger, then held the knife to Leah.
"I can't say as I've ever done this before, I mean, I've never been anyone's blood sister." And with that, she extended her hand palm up, fingers closed except for her right pointer finger, if that was wrong, because she was inexperienced at this sort of thing she was sure Weedy would correct her.
Of course, if it happened to go badly, there was a doctor in the house, that was some comfort. then again, how bad could it be?
Weedy was actually surprised that she'd gone through with it, and in his eyes that made Leah even more worthy as a sister!
"I think there's something we're suppose to say, but I know we need to put our fingers together." He pressed the cut on his finger to hers, then thought a moment before declaring, "By the mingling of our blood, just as the Vikings and Roman Gladiators, we become brother and sister, and nothing can ever break that bond, it's stronger than just being real brother and sister." Rituals were important and dramatic to boys! "Forever!"
"By the mingling of our blood, just as the Vikings and Roman Gladiators, we become brother and sister, and nothing can ever break that bond, it's stronger than just being real brother and sister." Rituals were important and dramatic to boys! "Forever!"
"And so it shall be!" Leah exclaimed in her best dramatic voice, one not used since she was a little girl. Something that seemed to be a long, long time ago before being forced to grow up. Before her deeply ingrained convictions made her a spoiled and cruel young woman at an early age. The young woman who had to fight so very hard to be accepted in the community that once detested her.
The acceptance by Weedy, more than anyone else in her life, seemed to close that chapter in her life that was. For the moment, it was the most important validation she could have received. And just for a moment, she was that little girl once more.
Sit down, shut up, don't touch anythin'
"An' so what shall be?" Addy asked as she walked into the parlor, bearing a tray laden with slices of pie and milk. "What'er ya two doin'..."
With a frown, she set the tray on a table and stepped closer to the pair, grabbing Weedy's wrist and examining his bloody finger.
"We were..." Weedy glanced at Leah, then back to Addy as a small trickle of blood ran down his hand. "We're blood brother and sister now?" He offered a crooked smile. "So that means your her Ma, too."
"Is that so?" Addy turned her attention to Leah. "Young lady..."
"Yes," Leah responded, "I'm sorry. I didn't see the harm, well, I mean, he did cut our fingertips, I shouldn't have let him do that, well mine anyway. He had his done so quickly there was no way, so I allowed him to cut mine, bonding us as blood brother and sister forever. I do apologize if you're upset by it."
Leah's confirmation that they were indeed bonded came from a place of honestly caring about Weedy. Granted, it may not have been the smartest thing the two could have done, but they had done it. It was meaningful to Weedy, and oddly enough, to her as well.
