Trigun Fan Fiction ❯ Guided Steps ❯ Bonus Interlude #2 ( Chapter 17 )

Calito scooped food onto his tray as fast as he could. He started out for the front porch as soon as it was full, going too quickly as he had to turn around to get the glass of water he forgot.

 

He practically flew out the door with the water sloshing over the rim and onto his shirt, but he didn't care. The patio door opened with a creak and slammed shut behind him as he skidded to a stop before the big white rocking chair that held the object of his concern.

 

Jacob didn't seem to notice the hubbub. He didn't even flinch or take his eyes off the horizon and Calito swallowed hard. Even though he had an incessant need to try and help the man, talking to Jacob made him nervous. Something about the way he looked at things sometimes, as if he just didn't… well, kind of like he couldn't understand the world around him.

 

“You… um… you missed mealtime again and you been out here since yer brother went back to sleep so… I brought you some more food.” Nothing from Jacob and he found himself blurting “I know waiting is hard. Dad and I waited for days to hear from my Mom an' my brother before we found out Knives had wiped out the town they were visiting.”

 

Knives flinched and looked like he might either say something or start crying, but Calito waited and there was no response. He sighed in disappointment and took the untouched tray from lunch off the little table to replace it with the new one. With one last glance he turned to go back into the house when a quiet, rough voice startled him so badly he jumped.

 

“Have you ever done anything really… bad?”

 

Calito blinked, more wide-eyed than usual with his mouth gaping in shock. This was the most Jacob had spoken to him since he'd arrived and yet his eyes remained fixed on the horizon. He made himself chew over the question for a moment before answering. “I took five double dollars from my Ma's purse one time. When she asked me I lied an' told her my big brother did it. He got in big trouble.”

 

“Did you… feel terrible?”

 

“Well, a `course I did. Felt awful. I stayed up all night with a stomachache `an I `fessed up at breakfast the next day, told `em all I was real sorry.”

 

“They forgave you because you were sorry for what you did?”

 

Calito missed the hopefull note in Jacob's voice. “Not really. Bro didn't speak to me for a week, but he came around after I asked Dad ta help me make his favorite dessert. Mama and Dad whupped me good an' grounded me, but they weren't mad no more after I asked for extra chores to make up what I took. That's when I figured it out, see?” he declared proudly. “It wasn't enough that I felt bad. When you do bad sayin' sorry don't fix it. You gotta make up fer what ya did wrong.”

 

It was a very grown-up sort of deduction and Calito was very proud of himself for figuring it out on his own. But when Jacob's eyes finally left the horizon and focused on him his hopes for some praise died.

 

After a few seconds Calito turned and fled back into the house, unable to bear the weight of the profound sadness in Jacob's eyes.

 

The food continued to go the way of the lunch before it, cooling unnoticed on the table.

 

Left once more in silence, Jacob turned back to the horizon to watch… and to wait.

 

********************

::clears throat and holds out bowl labeled `reviews':: Alms for the writer?

 

If you're a little confused, good. I'll clear up some of the mysteries in the next chapter update. One bad reunion and one good reunion coming up next!