Current...Past...Sin...Alexander...Forum...Notes...Survey...D-land

Ana Ba Hebak.
2003-06-18 - 2:32 p.m.

Before Adhemar arrived back at home, Ella came down the stairs, and wished us a good evening, then said, "Has Sebrine fed yet, Sindor?"

"No, I completely forgot� I would have brought something�" I replied.

"It is alright, Sindor," she answered. "I will fetch something, as I still have to go feed. What about you, Henmi? Have you eaten?"

Henmi shook his head 'no.'

"Well, then I will get you something as well," Ella replied. "I will be back soon, then." Henmi thanked her, and then closed the door behind her as she left. He sat back down to wait for Adhemar to return home.

Just when I began thinking that Adhemar was taking too long, he arrived back at home. "Sorry, sorry�" he apologized. "Took a while to find something. Miss me?" He smirked. Henmi smiled up at him.

Adhemar knelt down in front of Henmi and kissed him quickly, and, noticing Henmi shiver, he said, "Cold?"

Henmi nodded quickly.

Adhemar slipped off his own jacket and placed it around Henmi's shoulders. "Come on, let's go in the kitchen. We can start up the stove, and that will keep you warm." Adhemar pulled Henmi to his feet, and then said to me, "Coming, Arnon?" I stood up to follow them.

When in the kitchen, Adhemar knelt down in front of the stove to inspect it. "How do you work this thing?" Adhemar said confusedly. "I haven't used one of these in a couple years..."

Henmi smiled and helped him start it up properly. Afterwards, we placed our chairs around the heat, Adhemar sitting close to Henmi. Sebrine followed, and laid down next to my chair.

Of course, Adhemar and I were only near the heat to be closer to Henmi, for the cold really did not hinder us.

Henmi pulled Adhemar's jacket closer around himself and then leaned over and rested his head against Adhemar's shoulder, closing his eyes. He looked adorable, like a child. He had not had much time to be a child, and certainly no time to be an adolescent, for we were forced to run Impuret�. But Adhemar was giving him that time now, letting Henmi be free and innocent, and I appreciated Adhemar greatly for taking such good care of Henmi. Impuret� was not a place that Henmi had deserved, and I felt slightly guilty for having had him work there. But what else were we to do? If we had run away from it, we would not have been able to survive without making our lifestyles even less innocent.

"So, Arnon," Adhemar said turning away from Henmi. "What should we do? It's too cold for Henmi to be out and about tonight. We should just stay here."

"Alright�" I replied, not knowing what we could do. "Well, Ella said she was going to bring back something for Henmi to eat�"

"Hmm� well, let's wait for Ella to get back, first of all," Adhemar said. "Then we should force Henmi to play with Sebrine."

Henmi's head shot up. "No. I don't want to�"

"Aww, you're no fun�" Adhemar replied. "She really won't hurt you�"

"No," Henmi repeated, then leaned against Adhemar again.

"Fine, fine�" Adhemar replied, putting an arm around Henmi. "Shall I tell you a story?"

"About what?" I asked.

"About my life and death adventures, of course," Adhemar replied with a smirk.

"You exaggerate," I replied monotonously.

"I do not," Adhemar retorted. "There was this one time� when I was fifteen, I got bitten by a snake. I saw its skin pattern, the diamond-like markings on its back, and I knew it was poisonous. I thought I would die� I don't know what happened really. My mother said it was a miracle that I came out of the ordeal unscathed�"

"Scary�" Henmi replied. "But there are a lot of snakes around here, too. And crocodiles in the swamp, but I haven't seen those, only heard about them."

"Shall I go fetch one?" Adhemar replied, smiling.

"Are you crazy?" I asked, raising one eyebrow in skepticism.

"It could not hurt me, really�" Adhemar replied.

"You are strange�" I replied with a sigh of exasperation.

"Oh--something else interesting," Adhemar continued, starting up another story. "When I was twelve, I heard my mother say very quietly to my father 'ana ba hebak.' I didn't know what it meant� I asked my father, for I thought he would tell me. But instead, he got very angry with me, saying that I should not have spoken those words, for they were sacred. I think that is one of the only times that my father has ever been angry with me. He said I should not say those words to just anyone, for it would be improper for me to do so�"

"�what does it mean?" Henmi asked timidly.

"Well, it is something that should only be said to the person most beloved in your life," Adhemar replied. "It means 'I love you.'"

"�could you say it to me?" Henmi asked curiously.

"Of course I could say it to you," Adhemar replied. "Ana ba hebak, my love." Adhemar kissed Henmi deeply. I thought they were beautiful together, but their affection only made me more lonely, more desperate to see Alexander.

A moment later, Ella arrived back at home, a body over her shoulder and food for Henmi in her other arm. She called Sebrine in another room so that Henmi did not have to watch Sebrine eat, and then came in he kitchen with Henmi's food. Henmi thanked her again and then ate.

The remainder of the evening was spent hearing more of Adhemar's banter. The four of us, I decided, would become closer and closer if we spent many evenings together in this fashion.

*All the rights to Sindor (the graphics and text included) belong to Leah Jenner. No reproduction or republication without written permission.