“I don’t know, but I can ask her for you. I’m going to write Devina back right away.”
“You do that, and make sure to tell her thatIwas the one who threw that bottle.” My hands were dirty from my garden work, so I brushed sweat from my forehead with my forearm.
Wilma was tall and slim, and she wrinkled her cute nose. “Why? I don’t mind if she thinks I’m strong.”
When I laughed, my sister made that pout only a youngest daughter spoiled out of her mind can make.
I shrugged. “Here’s the deal, either you tell her, or I won’t throw your answer over that fucking wall.”
“Then I’ll build myself a catapult like Devina did. It works for her.”
Watching her run to the main house of the estate I smiled with amusement, knowing full well that my sister wouldn’t have the patience to look up how to make a catapult, gather the things needed, and actually build the damn thing. She would be back asking for my help in no time.
Bending down, I picked up more of the heavy stones that I was moving from this back area of the park to the front of the house where my mom wanted a pond with fish in it. I didn’t mind the hard work. As the oldest son in the family, I was responsible for overseeing our massive lands of fields and forests, and I was no stranger to hard physical work. If a fishpond would make my mom happy, I’d make sure she got one.
“Tyton.” It had only been fifteen minutes since Wilma ran to the house, but her voice was calling out loud and clear.
“I’m up front,” I called back and kept positioning the stones I had gathered.
“Oh, there you are.” Wilma held up the bottle. “I wrote my reply and I need you to throw it back over.
“What happened to the catapult you were going to make?”
She chewed on her lips. “If you don’t want to do it, I can ask Dad.”
“No, it’s all right. I’ll do it.” I brushed my hands against each other to rub off the dust from the stones. “On one condition.”
“What’s that?”
“I get to read the letters.”
Her hand holding the bottle went to her back. “Letters are private, you know.”
“Did you mention me like I told you to?”
“Yes.”
From the way her left foot rubbed against her right shin, I could tell she was lying. I held out my hand. “Show me.”
With a sigh of protest, Wilma handed me the bottle and just to piss off my impatient little sister, I took my time opening it and pulling out the letter before reading aloud.
Dear Devina,
I’m so excited that you got my letter and replied.
Please don’t worry about me. I’m fine and was lucky enough to be born on the right side of the border. Or at least that’s what my family tells me, but I still wonder what it’s like on your side.
How old are you?
Is it true that you hate men and that all women on your side have hair on their chests?
I’m so curious to hear what it’s like in the Motherlands and I’ve often felt tempted to find a way to climb that wall just to see for myself. I know, it’s a terrible thing to be so curious, but according to my mother, I was born that way, so I can’t help it.
Here in the Northlands, people are happy. Or at least my family is. Well, except for my sister, Marni, but that’s because her husband, Henry, is an ass. It’s her fault though, since she chose him in her tournament. When I have mine in a few weeks, I’ll choose more carefully.
I can’t wait for my big day. It feels like, I’ve been waiting my entire life to get married, but I guess that’s because I have.
What about you? Do you like your husband?
