Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ A Child's Tale ❯ A Child's Tale ( Chapter 1 )

A Child's Tale

 

 

The noon day sun shown over the parks sandbox accenting a scene with two young children that couldn't be much more than 5 summers.

 

 

“hey...” the young girl said with a small smile gracing her baby face, wispy blond curls flopped over her shoulders to wrap around her face, as the wind picked up speed. “hi...” the little boy answered back with an enthusiastic grin showing his white baby teeth. His chocolate brown eyes focused on her crystal blue ones “wanna help me build a castle?” the grin never left his face, caramel coloured hair had small clumps of sand from his previous 'castles'. “yeah!” a grin that rivaled his own came to her lips and she plopped happily down into the warm sand. “my name is Jamie... I live over there...” she pointed over her shoulder and to the slide. “what's your name?” eyes went from the brown texterized sand she was packing into little balls in front of her and focused on him. “ Alex...my name is Alex....I live over there” a small giggle ended his sentence as he pointed at the jungle gym. “We should build it so that we can stand in it or.. or sit in it.. that would be soo.. sooo” he said. “cool” they both said at the same time and then the giggling started again as they squished the existing 'creations' in the box to allow room for there 'masterpiece'. “Ok...we should start by pushing most of it into a kinda pile right?” Jamie asked as she was already using her arm to collect the brown sandy goodness in her arms and pile it in a rather dump truck kind of manor. “Yeah that sounds good to me...and then we can really get going.” the statement flowed from his light pink lips that seemed to form a grin whenever he spoke. The two worked away for hours until the light was fading over the trees. “We should probably head home…” Alex stated in a rather matter a fact way. The girl took a long glance at the sky and turned her head back towards there `masterpiece' “It isn't finished yet… shall we come back here tomorrow to complete it?” her young face seemed rather passive of the whole thing, instead her gaze drifted to the slide and ultimately her home. “yeah.. we still need to build the towers and stuff.” With that the little boy stood shook himself off slightly and ran off in the direction of the jungle gym. A small giggle escaped her lips as she stood up, brushed some of the sand off her arms and hair shook her shoes to get rid of the sand and then she too started off in the direction that she came from.

 

Alex made it home in time to see the cook scurrying around the corner of the house with some, most likely disgusting vegetable that she absolutely believed could cure him of his sickness. Of course it was his imaginary sickness that she believed came to be about a week ago, it was at that time that his father had started to have the `poor' people over to `discus' issues that had come up. Of course even Alex knew that issues wasn't the right word. His father was putting people out of there job or homes, in most cases both, but the depression after the war was taking its toll on everyone so sacrifices had to be made… even if it wasn't necessarily right. The boy simply shook his head and walked into the house to get cleaned up.

 

Jamie grabbed the warm metal handle in her small hand and gave a tug grinning in satisfaction as the door swung open and she walked into the house. Her father was out again, he always seemed to be out long hours ever since the war had finally ended he was working way overtime to make ends meet. She may have only been 5 but she knew enough to get her though the day without her dad there to `baby' her. Walking into the bathroom she washed up and headed for the kitchen, it was in her best interests to grab some cold meat and most likely bread, after all she had no idea how to use a stove, and the microwave was too high for her. Soon she was in front of the television watching some cartoon as she munch happily away at her sandwich and chips. All too soon her eyes began to drop. Jamie had fallen into a deep sleep right there on the couch waiting for her father to come home…again.

 

Alex always liked to cut down the hall where his father's study was, not to peek on him or anything but because it was closest to the bathroom and he seriously needed to wash his hands and try and brush the sand from his hair, though he was only a boy he couldn't handle being dirty for long after his play was finished. Alex never made it to the bathroom though, instead he heard yelling coming from the study and like any child of 5 years he crept to the door and peeked through the small crack between the door and frame. It looked like his father was yelling at another poor man about his arguing back. He was a rather scruffy looking man, with a short beard, and speckles of gray throughout his black hair, glasses that had huge circles and reminded him of a kitchen glass made him muffle a giggle as he took in the mans clothes and stance. His father must be trying to fire him, Alex concluded. Shrugging his shoulders he backed away quietly and once again started his trek to the bathroom. Just as he was shutting the door he heard the argument take to the hallways “I have a child at home I need to leave I've already been gone long enough, I HAVE to go…please understand…you have a son you know what it would be like to leave him alone after dark right?” the glasses man sighed and turned on his heels “I will be back tomorrow…” and with that he disappeared from Alex's line of sight. He was glad he was going to be spending the day with Jamie instead of at home listening to the heated debate his father tended to have with the more `difficult' employees. Of course on that `wonderful' note they sat down at the table to eat.

 

The next day Alex dragged his heels around his room getting ready to leave, his father had totally squashed his plan to meet Jamie again today. The other night and Alex head quoted “you WILL be in this house ALL day tomorrow or ELSE.” So he had to be in the house but that didn't mean he couldn't leave for a moment right? Who would really notice his absence? The maid that was running around like a chicken with its head cut off, highly unlikely.. the cook? Nope she was out rooting around in the `weeds' again to find another `healing herb' he swore that woman had issues. One glance at the clock told Alex that now was probably going to be his only chance to make it out of the house and to the little park without someone realizing his absence so off he sped though the hallway, down the stairs out the door and too the left.

 

Jamie sat in the soft, warm sand waiting for her new friend to show up, he was late. Well at least in her mind he was. Of course her worry for him didn't last long as he came into view..running? “hey…why you running?” she asked. “cuz I'm nota suposta be out of the house…so so…so you have to come with me.” He tried to push all the words out as fast as possible. Shock graced her features and then a grin spread across her face. “ok, lets go before you get into trouble, my daddy is out until late anyways he won't notice.” Grabbing Jamie's Hand Alex took off back the way he had come her in tow.

 

Running across the crisp green grass, grins in place they ran up the concrete steps in front of the house and slammed the door behind them. You know your father told you not to leave this house. A rather angry house keeper stated when she noticed Alex walk in. a sigh escaped her lips as she watched the guilty look plaster itself to his face. Noticing for the first time that he wasn't alone her gaze fell upon Jamie, taking in her appearance she noted almost immediately that she was of a way poorer class family then the one she was currently employed for. “Just what exactly have you brought into this house?!” she shrilled. Alex had no idea what the house keeper was talking about, obviously it was a little girl? Right? Another sigh escaped her as she realized the boy had no idea what was going on. “Don't worry about it, just go into your room and play, your father is very busy and can't be bothered with `this' right now.” With that she turned and walked away.

 

“Don't worry about her, she is always like that..” Alex mumbled out and started down the hallway that held his father's office, even though he hadn't meant to do so. “Your house is pretty..” Jamie giggled out. The laugh didn't last long though as arguing met there small ears. Whatever person his father had in there seemed livid. Alex turned to her to apologize for the noise, instead of being met with questions he was shocked to see that she seemed to recognize the other voice. Walking over to the door as if in a trance Jamie pushed it open and peered inside. “Daddy?” her timid voice floated into the room. The room went silent with the voice of a child. “......Jamie?...what are you doing here?” Alex walked forward and pushed the door completely open.. “I brought her.. We were building a sand castle the other day.” He stated happily. Alex's father seemed to become angered by this, well a look of wonder crossed Jamie's. “You mean to tell me ..that you not only went out the other day without asking but you left against my orders today to go and get....her.” his father seemed more than just angry about it. “Now hold on” Jamie's dad cut in, “Jamie you're telling me that you have been playing with this kid...the one that wants to take away my job AND our money?!” both parents seemed mad for some reason, who knew that sand castles could cause so much trouble. “GET AWAY FROM HER RIGHT NOW!” his father bellowed. “She should have never set foot in this house and I will now right that problem.” Alex glared at his father while Jamie looked read to cry. Grabbing Jamie's arm her dad pulled her to his side and let go. Watching as his father yelled at him and Jamie. “But.. Daddy...it..” Alex didn't get to finish his sentence as his father cut in once more about how sacrifices had to be made because of the war. Alex looked at Jamie and they seemed to exchange some kind of child-like language as Jamie slowly padded forward toward him he too turned from his father and advanced. “Daddy... she is my friend.......and if cuts have to be made then why do people say I have too much stuff still?” Alex grabbed Jamie's hand and looked over his shoulder fro an answer. “Well son that's because.....” A look of concentration covered his face as he thought about that. `His father had done it this way, when things got tough they cut employment expenses that's just how it worked... had his son unknowingly stumbled onto something? Could it be that they should try and cut expenses in there homes first and then resort to firing people?' He looked at the man in front of him that had been employed for a good 6 years. He knew him, not well but enough, looking down at Jamie a small smile graced his face. It seemed that they had both been given children at the same time. In his head he did some light math work, if he cut expenses for himself and the two other holders of the company they wouldn't really `need' to fire anyone else.. “Daddy, please don't be mad. Alex is my friend, he helped me build a castle and it was fun not to be alone..” Jamie meekly added. A sigh escaped both father's lips and they looked at each other and then the children, “I guess....we could cut some expenses around here...and I'm sure the other two wouldn't mind a `mild' cut......so I guess it should be ok for you to keep working for us....if you want that is?” Alex's father swallowed his pride and gave the man another chance. A chuckle escaped his lips and with a nod “Yes, of course I would love to stay working with you, maybe a small pay cut for employee's would help?” he suggested. “Perhaps that is something to look into..” Alex's father stated. With a few steps he was in front of Jamie's dad extending his hand in apology and thanks. Turning the two children ran from the room in giggles. A light chuckle filled the study, “Who would have thought two kids could have taught us that money isn't always everything.” Jamie's dad ended the conversation light heartedly. “Well I guess I should get back to work then.” With that he turned and left the study a grin on his face. The war was over, he still had a job, and he learned something important from the tale of a child.