[Annunfuiniel]

Mausi's children

"Does your leg hurt much, Kali?" Ella asked her little brother, her tone reflecting the worry of an older sister who saw herself as responsible for her younger siblings. The recess had begun and the children streamed out of the classroom to the open air. Ella and Mondy surrounded Kali, eager to speak with him after the obligatory separation during the lesson.

"No." came Kali's solemn answer but his teary eyes revealed the truth he tried to hide in an attempt to appear a 'big boy'.

"Oh yes it does!" Mondy all-knowingly stated the obvious and pointed with his chalky index finger at Kali's leg. "See, you'll have a nice bruise right there." The three all took a closer look at the spot to verify that the pea had indeed left its mark on the boy. Kali forgot all about his pains and his eyes shone again in excitement: showing off ones scratches and bruises, the deeper and bigger the better, was the best thing - definitely a big boy thing - he knew.

But Ella had another opinion in this matter. Her brow furrowed and she pursed her lips (this was an often seen expression on her face when she sensed trouble coming) before speaking in a hushed voice.

"But what will mima say when she sees that? She wants to know all - and she will be angry when she hears it was the Biggie boys..." Her whisper faded away and she took a quick look around before continuing; "What do you think about them Biggies?"

Kali stared at his toes while muttering an answer. "Edmund is mean... But he likes animals as I do. Squirrels..." The young hobbit couldn't quite put his thought into words but somehow he understood that one who liked animals couldn't be all that bad.

"The twins are funny!" Mondy began; "And that girl that threw her slate at Will!" The older brother mimicked the scene very lively after which the trio giggled in unison. Even Ella felt somewhat better, hoping that maybe her mother would understand that these things happened; for despite the troublesome start she had begun to like this school thing. Suddenly finding new courage from these thoughts she decided to do something she had never done before. And so, leaving her brothers and walking warily across the horse pen, Ella came to where little Lily was sitting on a hay bale with Kari, the Big Folk girl. The two were engaged in a conversation and didn't first notice the newcomer. Ella coughed, then piped in a voice that echoed strange in her own ears;

"Hullo, my name is Ella. May I sit here too?"

[ October 25, 2003: Message edited by: Annunfuiniel ]

[ November 03, 2003: Message edited by: piosenniel ]