Spending Time With Friends, Part IV
Later that day, Oshal returned to the library, looking for his sister. Sure enough, she was there, filling out cards with Aonva. This time, they had company.
“Oshal, long time no see,” Kurgm said. “Pull up a chair.”
Oshal sat down. He heard another pair of footsteps creeping closer to the table, and a thread he didn’t recognize got closer.
“Back!” Sirshi snapped.
Her outburst was accompanied by the sound of one hand hitting another.
“What was that?” Oshal asked.
“People keep trying to mess with our cards,” Sirshi said. He sensed her glare on the culprit. “It’s my job to get them to leave us alone!” She emphasized the last three words.
“She’s good at it, too,” Kurgm said. “How’re you doing? Still figuring out what you like to do?”
“Yes. I’ll be fine, though. I wanted to spend time with my friends.”
“Where there’s so much for you to do,” Roshil muttered.
“It’s fine,” Aonva said. “Really, Oshal, if you want to stay here, you can.”
“I’m happy for your company,” Kurgm said.
“I’m just here because I can get away with hitting people,” Sirshi said.
The four of them continued their work, while Oshal sat and listened to them mutter to themselves.
“Need more books,” Aonva said. Something slid over the table. “These ones.”
“On it,” Kurgm said. “Oshal, you want to come?”
“Sure.”
Oshal followed Kurgm through the library.
“It’s great having someone else here for this,” Kurgm said. “I’m not gonna make you hold books or anything, but I like the company.”
“I’m glad I can help.”
Kurgm looked through the shelves, then started humming to himself.
Oshal smiled, then started humming with him.
Kurgm stopped.
“You know that song?”
“Whenever we were near Torpn, my father would sneak me and Roshil into the theater. Or even near it, if we could. It was nice to hear the music. Everyone was so happy to be there, it was so warm and inviting.”
Kurgm grabbed the books off the shelf and started walking back to the table.
“Our Lord True Knight has this friend, Yindar. I think they’re in a relationship, but he says it’s complicated. Anyway, she’s a violinist that travels all over the kingdom performing. I go see her play whenever she’s here. You should come next time.”
Oshal smiled. That sounded like fun. He wondered if Nourd would want to go. Nourd loved poetry, and singing was like poems with music.
“I’d like that.”
They sat down at the table.
“I think I found something Oshal likes,” Kurgm said. “Music.”
“Like those boring concerts our father used to drag us to see?” Roshil asked.
Their father enjoyed seeing performers. He said it was like lying, but in a good way. Roshil’s disinterest had not changed.
“I enjoyed them,” Oshal said. “Even that one time we got thrown out.”
“Only because someone tripped and forgot the escape route father told us,” Roshil said, her giggles betraying her.
“But you came back for me,” Oshal said, smiling.
“Yeah, because I’m a pushover.” She playfully shoved him, still giggling.
“There are concerts around here all the time,” Aonva said. “I’ve never been to one, but I’ve read about them. Skwyr Court’s nothing like Torpn, but there are still concerts here.”
“Torpn’s not that great,” Sirshi said.
There was an edge to her voice that betrayed an underlying eruption waiting to happen. Oshal had always liked going to Torpn, but if it was going to set off Sirshi, then he decided that it was best to avoid the topic.
“Master Grund and I worked on the stage during the cold season,” Roshil said. “Because while they won’t make the performers play in the cold, making us build in it’s not a problem.”
“Maybe we could all go together next time they play,” Kurgm said. “All six of us.”
Roshil was the first to react to Kurgm’s suggestion. A gray mote of boredom clouded around her, but some sparks went off too. She had ideas that were good enough that she didn’t mind going to a “boring concert”.
Aonva’s immediate reaction was panic, as usual. It was probably the thought of being around so many people. She closed herself off inside a cave and started pushing a rock in front of it.
“It’s okay if not everyone wants to go,” Oshal said. “I’m fine if it’s just me and Kurgm.”
“That’s a lot of people,” Aonva said.
“Don’t worry,” Roshil said. “If it gets too bad, I’ll make a distraction so you can escape.”
“Just make sure you remember the escape route,” Oshal said. “If you forget it, father and Roshil will never let you live it down.”
Aonva laughed a little.
“I guess I could try it.”
“Well, that’s four,” Kurgm said.
“I’m sure Nourd will want to try it,” Oshal said, hoping it wasn’t just wishful thinking. Nourd was his best friend, after all, and he always hoped that Nourd would be open to the things he liked. Instead of just being “hanging out with friends” (a phrase he’d had to explain did not involve bats), now it could be “listen to music”.
“Sirshi?” Kurgm said. “Care to make it six?”
Sirshi drummed her fingers on the table.
“It’s okay if you don’t,” Oshal said. “I wouldn’t want to make you do something you didn’t want to do.”
“Fine,” she said. “Next time there’s something going on, I’ll go. I mean, if everyone else is. Someone’s got to look out for you. You’re all too nice.”
Oshal smiled. This was what he wanted. To have fun with his friends. He’d forgotten about the concerts, about the music. It wasn’t always easy to remember his old life, especially knowing that it was all gone. But he had a piece of it back. He didn’t need to have a lot of friends. Just five good ones.
“Glad that’s settled,” Roshil said. “As Master Grund would say,” she cleared her throat and grumbled, “Now everyone get back to work.”
Everyone laughed, even Aonva, if a little hesitantly. In that moment, that perfect moment, Oshal knew that this is what he wanted to do.