door. He dismounted and walked to the door. Taking in a few deep breadths, he knocked. It was not long before a young man opened the door. He dressed in a very loose trouser and long loose top. The young man took in Leon’s clothing. Then surprise flooded his face. Leon realized that the young man had figured that he was a foreigner.
“Who are you? What do you want?” the young man asked. Leon was beginning to see that Mordelanders did not enjoy exchanging greeting.
“I’m new here,” he replied watching the young man’s expression show that he obviously knew that. “I want to talk to Cato.”
The young man did not answer. In a second, he closed the door on Leon, making him wonder if this Cato man would be seeing him at all. He did not wonder too long. The door opened again revealing a big bellied man with bushy white hair. He wore a trouser too, with a loose Kaftan on top.
“Who sent you here?” he got straight to the point.
“Ivo.”
Cato watched Leon and like the young man before him, took in his outfit. Adelonian cultural attire was very colorful robes usually decorated on the front with unique fiber. They wore a lot of robes for men and gowns for women. It was very noticeable. A bit of fascination could be seen on the man’s face.
Mentioning that he was from Ivo was of great benefit to Leon. Cato found it easier to trust him and the business of getting a house was completed swiftly.
He and his family stood in the middle of their new empty living room a couple of hours later.
“I don’t like this place,” Tycho commented to their hearing.
Even Irene who had been enjoying the journey was quite grumpy about it. “I want our old house.”
Keren just stayed quietly in her mother’s arms.
“Not everything starts out so wonderfully,” Leon admonished. “Some start a little unpleasant but as time passes, they become the most beautiful thing you ever saw.”
Tycho sighed. “They don’t smile here.”
“We’ve not met everyone. You can’t conclude for everyone.”
His son sighed again.
Leon decided to do the only thing he knew to do at the moment. “Alright everyone. Come together. Let’s speak to our Father. If anyone can fix anything, it’s Him.”
That evening Leon stood out at the front of his new house; his mind on so many things. Then he saw a young lady and a small boy strolling along the road in front of the house. He watched them and after a few seconds remembered where he had seen them before. It was earlier that morning when he came into the city looking for Cato. The lady saw him standing in front of the house and turned away but the boy kept looking. She picked up her pace, dragging the boy along. They stopped at the house to Leon’s right and the lady brought out a key to open the door. Leon’s eyes stayed on them. So they are our neighbors. In Adelon, that would have been an exciting discovery. But people in Mordelan seemed to have a totally different idea about new folk moving in.
He waved and watched for a response. The boy waved back slowly but the lady grabbed the boy. And then opening the door, she nudged the little boy in before she also walked in. Almost immediately the door was shut behind them.
Leon breathed deeply and sighed. The work seemed impossible but he was not alone.
NINE
LEON SAW THE little boy a number of times after that. Sometimes while Leon was busy fixing something outside, their little neighbor would be staring at him from his own porch. It was odd. Anytime Leon waved, the boy waved when he was alone. But whenever the young lady—who Leon now suspected was his sister—showed up, the boy wouldn’t wave.
One day, Leon had taken Tycho to see the city with him. As they returned to their house, they found the little boy seated as usual on a small stool in front of his house. Leon decided it was time they at least knew a little bit about this little neighbor. He walked up to the boy even as he held Tycho’s left hand tightly with his right hand. He smiled at the boy and the boy squeezed his face.
“Hello young man,” he began. “I’m Leon and this is my son Tycho.” He said; turning to his son.
The boy stared at them. It seemed a habit in Mordelan.
Just as he and Tycho turned back toward their house, the boy spoke.
His voice was quite low but they heard him. “My name is Manno.”
Leon pushed on. “Is that young lady I saw you with your sister or mother?”
The boy opened his mouth to say something but was startled by the sudden opening of their house door. Out came the young lady again. She gasped when she saw their new neighbors standing in front of him.
“What are you doing?” she whispered to the boy. “Do you want to get in trouble with mother? You know she is very irritable today.”
The young lady kept her eyes from the strangers and pulled the boy away from where he sat and into the house. Leon decided it would be good to also head for their own home.
A knock was heard at the door. It was afternoon. Two days had passed. The family had hardly interacted with anyone except sellers at the market. Their neighbors barely answered when they greeted except the young boy he had seen that first day. He always replied with a gentle wave, much to the chagrin of his older sister.
The knock came again. Irene rushed to the door. She opened it. A boy stood at the door. It was their neighbor. Leon came to the door. The boy was alone.
“Hello there. Where’s your sister?” Leon peeped out of the door in both directions. His eyes darted round.
“She’s working at the back of the house,” The boy could barely be heard. His looked tense; like he felt he was doing something wrong.
“Hello. I’m Irene,” She smiled at him. “Come in” Irene pulled him in past her father into their newly furnished living room. She nearly toppled Leon over. He gained his balance before that could happen.
“What’s your name?” she asked still smiling. The boy stared at her again. His face like he was seriously thinking. His smooth golden brown hair matched his brown eyes. He wore a dark blue top and wide grey trousers. This loose tops and wide trousers seemed to be the typical Mordelan attire for men.
“You still haven’t told me your name,” Irene commented.
“What’s wrong with your mouth?” his face still showed he was thinking.
Irene’s hands flew to her mouth. She ran her fingers all over her lips to check. “Nothing’s wrong with my mouth. What are you talking about?”
The boy drew closer. “Then what’s that you’re doing with your mouth? Is it hurting?”
Leon who had been watching and listening, understood what the boy was talking about. “She’s smiling. Haven’t you ever seen or heard of that?”
“Yes… I think so.” His expression remained thoughtful. “People don’t do that a lot around here.”
There was another knock at the door. Leon went to the door. It was his sister. She looked about eighteen or nineteen. She also looked the way most everyone he had seen in Mordelan looked—pale and tired. She wore a gown similar to what he had seen on the Mordelan ladies around. It was long with long sleeves. The sleeves were wide and loose. It was very simply made. She tucked some loose strands of her black hair behind her ears. Then she stared down at her fingers.
“Sir,” her voice quivered a little. Leon was surprised.
“Hello,” he smiled. It seemed to make her even more uncomfortable.
“I’m here for my little brother.”
Leon stepped aside and motioned her to come in. She walked in slowly, looking round. She behaved in much the same way her brother had when he walked in some minutes ago; as if she were doing something wrong.
Leon pointed at the living room. They took a few steps and she saw her brother standing with Irene.
“Manno, we have to go.”
The boy turned reluctantly and started toward his sister. She hardly waited for him before she grabbed his left hand with her right hand and pulled him along with her. She rushed to the door, forcing her younger brother to t
riple his speed. As they hurried to the door, the boy turned to Leon and Irene for a brief second. He’d wanted to stay longer. Leon felt a strong impression on his heart at that moment. It has begun.
TEN
“DID YOU HEAR?” Leon overheard a lady say.
Leon had come to a blacksmith’s shop for some assistance with house tools. It was a humid afternoon; and the sun hardly peeked from behind the clouds. As Leon waited patiently for the tools he had ordered, he could see and hear a stout little lady conversing with the nearby grain seller. The grain seller—a slim middle aged woman—eagerly waited for the news. She stood all ears as her customer shared what she knew of the story.
“They say it happened some days ago.” Leon watched the little lady bend her head forward. “Old man Ivo now walks without a stick.”
The stout little lady was unaware that Leon could hear every word she spoke.
“You lie,” the grain seller gasped.
“I would never lie about something like this,” the news bearer looked serious. “Almost everyone knows old man Ivo.”
“How did you know about this?”
“Martha’s son went out to his poultry farm a few days ago and saw the old man with his own two eyes.”
“But he’s walked with that stick for years and years. How did it happen?”
The little tale bearer looked round before dropping her voice. Leon could not make out what she said next. But he could sense that this news may be the start of some trouble. Leon decided that a visit to Ivo’s inn was not such a bad idea. He needed