Blood Brothers! Chapter 19



At the Ellis Place, things are looking up. Hope Ellis has made remarkable improvement since her accident. She's able to be up and about, even though it is with a wheelchair.



"Mrs. Ellis your back is healing a lot faster than we had expected", said Dr. Warner.

"But how much longer will I have to be confined to this wheelchair?", Hope asked.

"Well, if you keep doing the exercises I recomended, you should be able to walk again in a few months", he said.



"That's wonderful news", she said, "Thank you doctor".



"Hayden, do you really think Mrs. Ellis will make a full recovery", asked Molly.
"Yes, I believe she will. Her progress so far, looks promising", he answered



"Molly, I'd like to come calling on a regular basis, if that's alright with you", said Hayden.
"I'd like for you to do that", she said.



"Mother, would it be alright with you and Father, if Horace Fletcher came over this coming Saturday afternoon?", asked Charity

"I'll have to discuss it with your father", she said.



"Jack, do you think it'll be alright if Horace comes calling?", asked Hope.
"Hope, you met Horace's parents when they moved to town, didn't you?", asked Jack.
"Yes, they're a lovely family", she said.

"Well, in that case, I think it will be alright for him to come calling on Charity", said Jack.

"Alright, whatever you think", said Hope



Now that that little problem was out of the way, Hope was able to give her full attention to a new romance novel, that had been delivered yesterday



"I can hardly believe Mother and Father gave their permission for Horace to come calling", said Charity.



"We're almost adults", said Patience, "We shouldn't have to have their permission for everything we do".
"Patience, you have a gentlemen caller, too", said Charity, "Turn around".


She turned around and saw Chandar standing at the window. He motioned for her to come outside "My gentleman caller is waiting", said Patience, giggling, "If Mother or Father asks, tell them I'm in the toilet".
"I will, but please be careful. If you to get caught, we'll both be in trouble", said Charity.



"This is a nice surprise, but I'm afraid my Father will catch us, if you keep coming over like this", she said.
"I wanted to tell you something", said Chandar.
"What is it?", she asked.

"Shardul is marrying Hala this coming Saturday. They've been promised to each other since they were childern", he explained, "He says he loves her, but even if he didn't, he's have to marry her".
"Chandar, do you think your father will force you to marry someone, you don't love one day?", asked Patience.

"I don't want to ever get married. Since Samir's father promised her to Nachik, I don't have to worry about that".



"Chandar, I wish I could see Hala and Shardul get married", said Patience

"Why don't you come?", he asked.
"Do you really think it will be alright?", she asked.
"Sure, I'm inviting you", he said.



"I wish I didn't have to sneak around to be with you", she said.

"You better go back inside, before they come looking for you", said Chandar.
"If I can think of a way, I'll see you at the wedding Saturday", said Patience



Over at the Indian village Hala was sitting alone in the meeting place, thinking about her upcoming wedding to Shardul.



"If you don't mind, may I interrupt your thoughts?", asked her intended. "What were you thinking about?", he asked.
"You", she answered

"I've been thinking about you, too", he said.
"You know something, I can't remember a time that I wasn't thinking about you", said Hala.



"I was lucky to have been the first male child and that you were the first female child born in the village", said Shardul.
"I'm also lucky you grew up so beautiful", said Hala, "I remember what a plain, skinny little boy you were".

"I never had any doubts about how you would turn out", he said, "You've always been beautiful".
"You're such a flatterer, you know I was a homely little thing, too", she laughed



The day has come, for Quanah to tell his youngest son that he's been promised a wife. Quanah knew, Chandar never wanted to get married, but will do as he is told, the same as he himself had done.



When Chanda arrived, Quanah said, "Come sit down.. I have something very important to tell you."

"What is it, Father/", he asked.

"At the last council meeting, you know we decided to let the three Cheyenne girls stay in our village. What you don't know is that they will become wives for Balik, Sundar and you", said Quanah.



"Father, I don't want to ever get married", said Chandar.
"You must do what the council decides", said Quanah, "Since you are the next oldest, Pale Moon will be promised to you".

"She's very beautiful, but a bit stubbon", said Chandar.
"The other women will teach her what's expected of her", he said, "She'll know her place, by the time you get married".



Chandar went into the barn. He lay on the haystack thinking about the decision that has changed his life forever.



Samir followed Chandar into the barn and climbed onto the haystack beside him

"I can feel there's something troubling you", she said, "What's wrong?"

"The council decided I needed a wife", he said, "Pale Moon and me are promised to one another".



"But you didn't ever what to get married!"



"I still don't, but I have to do what my father and the council says!".



"Samir got up from the haystack.
"Samir", this won't change anything between us", said Chandar.


"I can still be your lover. We'll both just be married to others now", he said.



Samir walked out of the barn, reassured that she still had some kind of a future with Chandar.

To be continued . . .