Eden's Root (36 page)

“Maggie,” she cried and rolled again. “Maggie,” she murmured several more times. Asher listened, holding his breath, but Fi seemed to settle. Seized by a feeling of protection, he took his position sitting up against the wall once again. He couldn’t slack tonight. No one had watched over this girl in a long time, he thought. Tonight she sleeps safely, if not in peace. Determined to stay awake, he squeezed his forearm and gasped at the sudden pain. Tears sprang to his eyes and adrenalin coursed through him, lighting him up. There was no chance he would doze off now, he thought as he settled in.

----------- Fi -----------

In the dim violet light of sunrise, Fi awoke with a start to Asher gently shaking her arm. She sat straight up and instantly regretted it as pain shot along her ribcage. “Agh,” she cried and clamped her mouth shut. Good morning, she thought with a cranky pout.

“It’s time,” Asher nodded toward the light in the sky. Sean was already up and setting his pack against the wall.

“Good morning Sleeping Beauty,” he joked. Though he was attempting to be humorous, she felt only pain when she looked at him. His face was just destroyed, she thought, her eyes skittering over the bruises and cuts. Her face didn’t feel too great either, she realized, so who knew what she looked like. At least Sean was good enough to be chipper though, she chided herself.

“Yeah, you should talk,” she fired back at him. She stretched carefully and stood up, putting her stuff away and hauling her pack up to the wall next to Sean’s. Though she was still exhausted, she was ready to get out of the City. “Ok Asher,” she said as she turned to him, “you lead the way,” and she gestured to the wall. Asher clambered up with a grunt and pulled each one of them to the top. When she jumped down, Fi’s feet hit the ground and she strapped on her pack.

“Follow me,” Asher commanded and Fi and Sean fell into line behind him and began their scurry out of the City. It felt strange to do it in daylight, she thought. Worried, her head swiveled as they passed from shadow to shadow, working their way toward the bridge. Fortunately, it was still so early that it was barely light outside. Once, Asher stopped them.

“Wait here,” he said and jogged away. For a split second Fi felt panicked and then she chastised herself. What kind of Leader was she? To break down and rely on someone else after a year of relying on yourself. As she was finishing this mental dressing down of herself, Asher reappeared.

“Ok,” he said. “We have to work our way a bit westward to avoid crossing through one territory,” he explained while Fi and Sean listened. He described the little detour and they nodded. It was kind of Asher to give them the information, Fi thought, so that they could make it on their own if they were separated. Interested, she realized that he was a natural Leader. She hadn’t spent any time with anyone else who’d done what she had. As they flitted from street to street, she realized that she couldn’t wait until they got to the point that they could talk again. As the blocks disappeared behind them, they weaved their way toward their goal. With Asher’s knowledge of the territories, the trio managed to avoid encountering any other gangs.

After two hours, they reached the damaged bridge out of the City. Fi pointed out the area where the broken struts allowed for a way to climb up.

“There,” she pointed. “This is how Sean and I got in.” Despite Fi’s confidence, she could tell that Asher had his doubts about this option. Of course, she thought, that was sensible. It was definitely going to be harder going up than it had been for them to come down. Still, she smiled to herself, this probably won’t be the last time he underestimates me. She cocked an eyebrow.

“Follow me,” she urged. She leapt and grabbed onto the broken strut above her. With the full weight of her pack hanging from her back, she took a deep breath and then swung her legs up and around the beam. Her thighs squeezed tight as she held on, still bearing the weight of her full pack. Then in one motion, she pulled with her arms and spun her body around the steel, until she was seated on top of the beam. From there, she pulled herself onto the train tracks above and then turned to wave them both up after her. Asher’s mouth hung open into a wide, silent ‘O’ and Fi bit back a laugh. The boys nodded and followed her lead and they made their way over the bridge and onto the mainland.

They jogged in silence, lost in their thoughts as they headed north toward the forest. Fi felt ready to put the City behind them, though the finality of it saddened her. It felt very official, like the City was truly gone now. Even the memories seemed to be fading away for her as they were replaced by the newest ones…ones with gangs and destruction and fear. She shook her head. It was better not to dwell. Just focus on running, Fi, she told herself. The pain of breathing alone should be enough distraction. That was the good thing about physical pain, she realized. It was very helpful for ignoring emotional pain.

For another hour they moved like soldiers in formation. Their footfalls were light and their breathing even in the moist spring air. Because they were traveling in the daytime, it was essential that they make good ground to get out of the metropolitan areas. After a few hours they made it to true forest where they could risk whispering to one another.

“Let’s stop next time we see a good place to take a break,” Fi breathed. The boys grunted in agreement. When they came upon a cool pool of water surrounded by the cover of boulders, they stopped to rest. They drank water and nibbled their jerky. At least hard exercise killed your appetite, Fi thought. You didn’t want anything more than a nibble of jerky. Until you got home and found that you were starving, she thought ruefully. Her stomach gurgled as if it were listening.

“So Fi,” Asher said out of the blue. “Why do you call your mother ‘Maggie’ all the time?” Fi choked on her water, startled. Asher’s eyes widened and he quickly apologized, “I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean anything by it.” He narrowed his eyes in confusion as her shoulders began shaking with laughter. She held her hand over her mouth so that she wouldn’t spit her water.

“It’s ok Ash,” she said.

Sean’s head spun around with surprise. If Fi had been paying attention, she would have seen the fury on his face, but she didn’t look his way.

“Gonna go relieve myself,” Sean said, pointing. Fi nodded but didn’t turn. She was smiling at Asher as Sean stomped off. She frowned for a moment as she looked over her shoulder at the noise. Why was Sean crashing around in the underbrush like a scared boar all of the sudden, she wondered? He disappeared. Oh well, she thought, maybe he’ll tell me what’s wrong with him later. She turned back to Asher whose expression was still hilariously confused.

“The reason I laughed at your question,” Fi explained, “is because that is a good observation, considering how long you’ve known me.” She laughed out loud and Asher joined her with a chuckle.

“Ok,” he said, confused.

“Well,” she stood and stretched her arms above her head and yawned. “I do call her Mama sometimes, when I speak to her. But we all call her Maggie because,” she paused, “she
is
Maggie.” She tried and failed to explain, her face slightly exasperated at the struggle. How could she possibly explain Maggie? “That doesn’t help you very much,” she admitted, turning to face him. Asher grinned and shook his head.

“Still a mystery,” he said, his palms up. Sean came striding back and Fi turned to him.

“Sean,” she waved him over. “Help me explain to Asher why we call Maggie by her first name instead of ‘mom’.” Though Sean’s face had appeared annoyed when he’d walked toward them, it softened instantly at Fi’s request. Sean grinned.

“Well,” he thought about it. “The reason that everyone calls Maggie ‘Maggie’,” he paused. “Is because she just
is
Maggie.” Asher and Fi both burst into laughter and Sean looked confused.

“You see Ash? That is exactly what I told him,” she explained to Sean while they both doubled over. Sean rolled his eyes.

----------- Asher -----------

“Oh God,” Asher clutched his stomach. “Oh, that is funny. You two know each other really well, that’s for sure,” he sniggered and looked up. Fi was still bent over with laughter, but Sean was just staring at them both. He looked annoyed again. Asher’s laughter slowed and he wiped the corners of his eyes. Of course this guy hates me, he thought. Could you blame him? He made a mental note to apologize to Sean personally when he got a private moment with him. It wouldn’t do to apologize with Fi there. He was certain that would embarrass Sean.

“I think I can explain it better while we walk,” Sean pulled on his pack. “Shall we go now?” he asked with aggravation. They agreed and gathered their things. “Walk or run?” Sean asked Fi.

“Walk, for now.” It was always a balancing act, moving quickly and conserving calories. So they walked and chatted. Sean started.

“Maggie isn’t your average woman,” he began while Fi nodded in agreement. “Because of our family’s connection with Fi’s, she’s been like a second mother to me. I think of her as Aunt Maggie…but I call her Maggie like everyone else. That’s because there really is no other way to describe her besides her name. Maggie is like a force of Nature like…like a loving Hurricane.”

“A loving Hurricane,” Fi murmured to herself. “That’s really nice Sean,” They were quiet for a moment. Asher noticed Sean touch Fi’s hand just for a second and then pull away. Then Fi picked up where Sean left off.

“Let me paint a picture of Maggie for you,” she began. Fi described her mother with the love that only a child can have. Asher could picture Fi’s mother bent over an illustration with her dark waves pulled into a topknot stuck through with various brushes, pens, and pencils.

“By day’s end,” Fi joked, “I always saw her as a crazed geisha, covered in paint spots and dotted with tools like a pincushion. The more things she had tucked into her hair, the more engrossed you knew that she was in the current project,” Fi explained. She shared the way Maggie took time each day to cook with Fi and her little sister Kiara, and how much Maggie had loved Mike, the way that they had looked at each other every day. Asher wasn’t sure how she made it through the stories with her father. It made his throat tighten just to hear it. Of course, he thought, that is probably because my father is gone too…at least, he might as well be. Asher sighed and turned his focus back to Fi’s stories.

Most of them were funny, but when she got to a story about her little brother Luke she choked up and stopped talking. For a moment, they all walked in silence then, the laughter stilled. In the brief silence, Asher mulled over this new information about Fi. He was starting to have a better understanding of this complex girl, part Leader and part child, deeply damaged and yet intensely kind, a crack shot and a gentle nursemaid. She is an enigma, he determined, shaped as much by her loving family as she was by this crazy life.

In time, Fi recovered herself. Her recovery was of equal interest to Asher. What kind of girl can just step into tragic memories and then back out of them at will? At least she focused on her funny stories again. She told one about the time her third grade teacher had called Maggie in to tell her that Fi was cheating. Asher raised an eyebrow. Fi didn’t seem like a cheater.

“Maggie took these things seriously,” Fi laughed. “So when she learned that the teacher actually meant that I had been dividing up the seat-work whenever it was assigned, she was not happy.” Sean chuckled. “Maggie sat back in the little kid’s chair where the teacher made her sit,” Fi said, “and she said to the teacher, ‘
Did you tell them that they were not allowed to split up the workload?
’” Fi imitated her mother’s protective, acerbic tone. Though he did not know Maggie, Sean’s laughter told Asher that Fi had her mother’s tone down pat.

“The teacher was really startled,” Fi continued. “She got all defensive saying stuff like, ‘
That is hardly the point Mrs. Kelly’
.” Sean laughed even harder, anticipating the coming punch line. “So Maggie gets quiet for one second and I’m telling you Asher, I was worried for that teacher. She said, ‘
That is exactly the point if you ask me. If you think that I’m going to teach my daughter that teamwork, cooperation, and leadership are traits that are not valued, then you have another think coming
.’” Fi laughed, joining Sean. “Maggie loves that phrase, ‘You have another think coming’,” she explained to Asher. “So Maggie stood up and grabbed my hand and said, ‘
If you don’t want them to split the work, then just tell them that’
and she pulled me and we both walked out. I swear, that teacher’s mouth is probably still hanging open to this day.” All three laughed at this image as they walked together, their laughter floating in the air with the sounds of the forest.

Next it was Sean who had a story to share, recalling the time that Maggie had defended him against some older neighborhood bullies. Fi had told him that Sean was like her brother, that he’d been part of her life since she was born. But to see them like this, telling stories from when they were kids…it was moving. Asher had never had a brother or sister and he’d never felt like he’d missed anything really, until now. Focus, he reminded himself. Sean’s telling this story for me. Well, at Fi’s request. He was pretty sure Sean wouldn’t be saying anything to him if it weren’t for Fi. Sean’s voice grew warm as he told his story.

“Maggie showed up at the basketball courts and sat off to the side, watching,” he began. “She knew some bigger kids had been shoving me around and she came down when they tried to take my ball. Of course the kids gave me shit when they saw her coming,” he said. “Stuff like, ‘Got your mommy here to defend you?’ and other crap like that.” His voice sounded annoyed. “I remember thinking that they had made a big mistake. “I will never forget it, I said, ‘She’s not my mother, she’s Maggie’.” Fi choked, suppressing her laughter and Asher smiled. These two definitely get a kick out of Maggie. He tilted his head as he considered Fi. Maybe he was starting to understand where her fire originated.

“A protective Maggie is a dangerous thing,” Sean explained to Asher. “Plus, these guys didn’t know that Maggie had played starting shooting guard for her high school team. She baited them with a deal, ‘Game to 21, Best of three, Winner keeps the ball.’” Sean laughed. “It was genius. They looked stupid if they played and then lost, and they looked stupid if they refused to play. I mean all the kids were watching at this point,” he added.