Meteors: Chapter Six - Unwanted Partings

Peaceful military cemetery with headstones illuminated by sunlight, surrounded by greenery. - Credit to Maarten Ceulemans on Pexels

Read Chapter Five here.

Read Chapter Seven here.

Larry’s funeral had been last week, and Owain was still wearing black. He had loved him as a brother, and was mourning him as one now. Ruth hadn’t known what to say. Sure, she had known loss with the Nitlome, but never someone she’d known her whole life, and never someone her own age. People speak well of the dead, but Larry had been spoken well of even when he was living. It was clearly a loss to the community in a way Ruth had never seen before.

She sat on her windowsill in her bedroom, apparently it had been hers as a baby. She didn’t remember it and was currently in the process of painting a map of a fictional land on her wall. She’d taken a break and was sipping at her now cold coffee, and watching the Blue house, specifically at a little black cat resting in a solitary spot of sunlight on a windowsill that Ruth assumed was emerging from the McCrawley apartment.

It turned out that Mr. McCrawley had assumed a stray had gotten into their apartment and released Void outside the night she was lost. Owain hadn’t spoken to his dad for a week when he found that out, but had eventually realised that he couldn’t blame his dad for the actions that Larry had taken. And then he had gone quiet. Ruth looked back down at her coffee, stirring it so the honey would mix more evenly. Owain’s silence worried Ruth. Larry’s death had hit him hard, but she didn’t think she’d seen Owain even smile since, and maybe selfishly, she missed it. She didn’t want Owain to shatter. He was the only thing keeping her from shattering.

Ruth’s phone buzzed. Speaking of the man himself, it was Owain.

I’ve been informed your being a creep

Ruth squinted at her phone. How was she - ? Oh. She looked back to where Void had been sat, and she could now make out two human’s waving, one of them considerably shorter than the other, both with the same shocks of curly white hair contrasting their skin. Owain and Ivona. Ruth waved back, set down her coffee and turned to her phone

I was keeping an eye on Void, what’s your excuse? She texted back All you’ve informed me of is your lack of grammatical knowledge. He reacted with a laughing emoji. If he used the wrong ‘your’ once more she was forcing him to take more grammar lessons. She looked back across. Ivona was pulling faces, and Owain was pulling bunny ears behind her. She waved her phone. Owain understood and checked his phone. Was that a little bit of a smile on his face, or was she just making things up?

Ivona wanted to know which house was your’s He was doing this on purpose now.

Dude, why would you do this? There was a pause after Owain received that message.

Isn’t it rude to be typing on you’re phone

That’s it. Ruth sent I’m on my way to teach you grammar.

Teas in 30 mins if you want to stay Ruth looked up from Owain’s message, and made a physical thumbs up. She heard Ivona’s cheer from her house, and Owain was definitely smiling this time, she could see his ridiculously white teeth glint in that solitary beam of sunlight that had been warming Void. The aforementioned cat stood up and stretched, before lazily jumping down into the flat and wandering off in her own direction. Ruth hopped down from her own perch on the window ledge, chugging down the rest of her coffee, putting the lids on the paints. She rushed to her mum’s office, a desk in the dual dining room and kitchen.

“Am I good to head over to Owain’s?”

“Be back by seven,”

“Thanks, love you,”

“Love you too,”

With that exchange, Ruth grabbed her hat and satchel, checked she had her keys, chucked her phone into her satchel, and headed across the street to check on her only friend in this country. And to teach him the difference between your, you’re, and yours.

Locking the door behind her, she regretted not grabbing her jumper, still unaccustomed to the colder weather. She dashed to the Blue house, wanting to get out of the cold as fast as she could. She pushed the buttons until the screen was showing the name McCrawley, and then pressed the green call button. It rang for a few seconds before someone picked up.

“Oh, it’s you,” She heard Mr. McCrawley’s voice. He didn’t sound disaparaging, just confused. She could hear voices behind him. They wer slightly distressed and one of them was Owain’s. Something about Saturday. “Owain!” He called, “It’s Ruth!” The talking stopped, and a new voice replaced Mr. McCrawley’s.

“I’ll buzz you through,” It was Owain. He sounded upset, more actively than he had in these past months. She fiddled with her hands, wondering if it was usual to feel relieved to hear emotion in his voice, even an upsetting one. The door announced that it was open, and she slipped in, shutting the door fully behind her, and immediately started up the stairs. Going up the flights to Owain’s flat, she rang the doorbell, and before her finger had left the button, the door was opened by Owain, and a second blur of a small human barrelled into her, almost knocking her over. Little arms wrapped around her, and Ruth tried to keep herself steady, returning the little hug as best as she could.

“Hey there, Ivona,” She said, softly, and then looked up to the elder brother. The one she’d come here to see, “Hey Owain,”. Ivona let go, grabbed Ruth’s hanging hand and dragged her into the house, Ruth gave in willingly.

Mr. McCrawley was walking today, with the aid of a stick that he clearly disliked. He grunted when he saw her and walked into the bedroom that doubled as his office during the day. Mrs. McCrawley was out at work and Ivona, Ruth was pretty sure, was supposed to be in school. She’d probably pleaded off sick or something.

Ivona made sure Ruth sat down on one of the green sofas, then ran off to grab a phone, and shoved it in Ruth’s face.

“Look, look what I got!” She exclaimed grinning, “I’ve got a pho-one, I’ve got a pho-one,” She was saying in a sing-song voice. Ruth met Owain’s eyes.

“She’s been like this all day,” He whispered, sitting down on the sofa beside her. Ruth stared in front of her. For the brief glimpse of the phone screen she’d had, she’d seen two news notifications from the Ahldenic Broadcasting Corporation, the ABC.

The Government has enacted the National Service Act. All those aged 18 to 41 are liable to be called up for military service. And 10 things you need to know if you’re called up on for 9^th of September.

September the ninth was in a week. It was Saturday. Owain… she looked to her side, and he was watching Ivona, he looked sad, but a different sad. Not the grief she’d seen for what seemed like such a long time now, but sad. Her heart dropped to her toes.

He’d been conscripted.

That’s why he was talking about Saturday, that’s why he was watching Ivona like he was going to lose her.

“I’ve got a pho-one,” Ivona was still singing, not seeming to want any response, happy enough just to hold the oblong thing in her hand. She ran back over, “Can I have your number? I asked Owain, but he wouldn’t share it,” She looked at Owain then, sticking her tongue out at him. Ruth couldn’t supress a little smile at the girl’s antics.

“I told you, it’s better to ask her than get the number from me,”

“That’s what I’m doing, dumbo,”

“Hey, let’s not call each other names,” Ruth stepped in. She could see Owain about to protest, so kept talking, “here, you know how to put a number in, right?” and just like that, Ivona was distracted. Over her head, Ruth looked at Owain, tilted her head and raised her eyebrows. He smiled and mouthed a thank you. He looked so tired.

“Here you go!” Ivona pretty much shouted in Ruth’s ear. She only just stopped herself from wincing. As soon as Ruth had typed her number in, Ivona jumped up, hoppong in the same spot for a few moments.

“Ivona-,” Owain started

“Be right back!” Ivona raced out of the room at top speed, Ruth waited for some sound of collision, but it seemed Ivona had control over her speed.

“I was gonna ask her if she could let us chat for a minute. I need to tell you something, there’s been a development,” Owain shifted closer on the couch, leaning forwards and resting his arms on his knees.

“I know,” Owain looked up at her voice, “I saw how you were looking at Ivona,” Ruth admitted, “It doesn’t take a genius,”

Owain smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. They were full of sorrow. Owain couldn’t go to war, he was too gentle, too kind. How could the government do this to him! It wasn’t fair.

In a second, she found herself scooching forwards on the couch and wrapping her arms around Owain. She was hugging him, and she didn’t want to let go. After a second, Owain returned the hug

“I don’t want her to-,” Owain was cut off by a phone ringing. It was Ruth’s. She pulled herself away swiftly, and opened the screen, she didn’t recognise the number and was about to press ‘Decline’, but Owain stopped her.

“It’s Ivona’s number,”

“Ah,” Ruth accepted the call.

“You’re gonna get cooties,” She heard over the phone with a very recognisable giggle, “Boys are disgusting, you can’t hug them,”

“You hug your brother,” Ruth countered

“That’s different,” There was a pause, and then a sniffle, “I won’t be able to soon,” Ruth could hear the same voice and sniffle coming from the corridor. Owain and Ruth stared at each other, a quick silent conversation taking place in guestures and looks, and Ruth stood up, walking to the corridor, looking through to see Ivona sat on the floor, trying her best not to cry. She had dropped her phone to the floor beside her. Ruth ended the call, chucking her own phone to Owain, and miming a drink at him, he got the message and snuck through to the kitchen as Ruth sat down next to Ivona.

“Hey there, Ivy, you need anything?” Before Ruth could finish her sentence, Ivona had turned towards her and wrapped her in a hug. Ruth correctly assumed that Ivona wasn’t going to let go anytime soon, so made herself comfortable. She put one arm around the kid, and stroked her hair with the other. Ivona was crying harder now.

“I’m sorry, Ivy. You know I’m here whenever you need me,” That comfort didn’t have the intended affect. She quickly reached into her bag with a temporarily free hand, and rooted around until she found a packet of tissues, she passed it to her. “Wanna talk about anything?”

“I don’t want,” She hiccoughed, “To go away”

“Oh sweetie, no one’s sending you away unless they have to,”

“But they do!” Ivona cried through her words, “I don’t wanna go to Ohlendia, I don’t wanna go away,”

The pieces clicked. Owain wasn’t being conscripted. Ivona was being evacuated. She held the kid closer to her. She didn’t want to say that it’ll be okay. She had no right to tell her that, all she could do was stay here as long as Ivona needed her to. Ruth looked up, to the kitchen, hoping that Owain would walk through soon with some form of drink, preferably hot, for his little sister.

A few minutes later, Ivona’s sobs had subsided somewhat, but she was still clinging to Ruth like a limpet, as Ruth did all she could to help calm the girl down. At one point she had started singing an Ohlendian lullaby in her low, melodic voice. It seemed to be working. Owain came out of the kitchen with a tray, three mugs on top of it, one of them covered in whipped cream and marshmellows. Hot chocolate. A good shout, Ruth thought. Ivona weakly took her little mug, putting it on the floor in front of her, lying down on Ruth’s lap. Ruth looked up at Owain, asking silently whether this was okay? Owain waved his hand. He had helped her apply for jobs, he knew she had a DBS check. He also knew that when his sister decided to grab onto someone, she didn’t like being taken away. He placed the tray down on top of one of the bookshelves and sat down on the other side of Ivona.

They moved her once she’d fallen asleep. Owain picked her up and carried her to her room, while Ruth picked up the tray and brought it into the living room, sitting down on the couch. Finally, she took off her satchel and hat. Like her mum would say, she looked like she was staying. She picked up the red mug covered with daisies, the one that had unofficially become hers in the past weeks, and smelt it’s bitter aroma. Coffee, and if Owain had remembered, she sipped at it and smiled a little, honey. Owain came in after a few seconds, collapsing next to Ruth, picking up his green mug, and taking a healthy gulp.

“She’s asleep. I left the hot chocolate on her bedside table,” He looked over at Ruth, “Thank you, it’s been a… difficult day, to say the least,”

“Neither of you have taken well to the evacuation measures, have you?” Owain shook his head at her question.

“None of us have, but it’s the right thing to do. I’m just worried, is Ohlendia really safer than here?” Owain asked, staring into his tea, swirling the mug around a little, watching the ripples. Ruth regretted telling him what she’d been through in Ohlendia.

“They won’t be sending her to the Nitlome, it’ll be to the tribes who we know are safe. The important thing is that they’re neutral,”

“There was a ship last year that sank,”

“And all the kids survived,”

“Two are unaccounted for,”

“Owain,” She made him look at her, “She’ll be in the Run’anor’s hand’s,” Silence reigned for a few moments, “That’s why she’s been given a phone, isn’t it?” Owain nodded. “I thought – before, I thought it was you who’d be going away,”

“Me?” Owain sipped at his tea, “I’m too old to be evacuated,”

“I know, but the conscription, I thought-,” She couldn’t bring herself to say what she thought, “It terrified me, Owain, I can’t -,” She couldn’t look at him, couldn’t look at those searching brown eyes, that earnest expression on his dark face, “It’s selfish, but it’d break me. You’re my only friend here. I-,” She turned her gaze to the black depth of her coffee, “I can’t lose you too,”

“Ruth,” She had never heard him use such a serious tone, “Ruth, look at me,” She did. He looked positively royal in his demeanour, his face stern, eyes keen, expression set, “I have been thinking of signing up,”

She felt something inside her break.

“What?”

“I’ve been thinking of signing up. To protect my family, my home. You,” He couldn’t. He couldn’t leave them behind. “I’d rather fight because I chose to, instead of being forced to. Don’t you understand?”

She wished she could be selfish and tell him no, that he couldn’t leave them. That he couldn’t leave her, that he should stay behind and safe and away from any pain, any hurt. That he should stay with her.

“I don’t,” She sighed, swirling her coffee in her hand, “I wish I did,”

“What can’t you understand?”

“That you seem to love destruction!” She exclaimed, “you just blind yourself to it and then walk in it’s direction with no discretion. “You walk towards the war, you walked towards that alley cat, you walked towards me, don’t you have any self-preservation instincts?” She wouldn’t look at him.

“Ruth, I want to help. I’m not blinding myself. I can see it all. I know how dangerous war can be, I knew that Void could be a handful, I knew that you were damaged, and I walked towards you anyway, because I – because I want to help. I can’t just watch these things go by and not do anything. If anyone is blinding themselves, it’s you. Sobetween can’t live in it’s own bubble anymore. We can’t hide from maps anymore, we can’t hide from the world, and I refuse to,” They sat in silence for a few minutes. Void wandered in, jumping onto the sofa, and made her way past both Ruth and Owain. She realised she wasn’t going to get any attention from either of them right now, and so jumped off and went to find Ivona, meowing at the two young adults indignantly, before padding into the corridor.

Owain put his tea down, and stood up.

“Follow me, will you, Ruth?”

Whereever you go, I go, Ruth thought, imitating her namesake. She put her coffee down and wordlessly stood up, slinging her satchel around her shoulders and putting her hat one when she noticed him picking up his keys. They were leaving the house. Owain paused for a second, looking at Ruth.

“Wait here a second,” He was back in mere moments with a turtleneck, a red one, “It’ll be cold out there for you,” Removing her satchel, Ruth took the jumper, shrugging it on, and then slung her satchel on again.

“Thank you,”

“I wonder if when the war’s over, if Ivona will have acclimatised to Ohlendia the way you have,” He laughed a little, Ruth managed a small smile. They continued to walk in silence. The were out of the flat, down the stairs, out of the building, and around it to it’s main hall entrance. The entrance they used for church on a Sunday. They didn’t go in, but continued around. Ruth thought she knew where they were going, and when Owain opened the gate leading to the graveyard, she was proved correct. They weaved through the graves as they became newer. They went from cracked and weather beaten, to just weatherbeaten and overgrown, to the ones kept neat by families, and then the clean ones. The new ones. One in particular was the newest, a shining white with two symbols carved onto the back, a cross, a sign of his faith. The other a staff with a snake wrapped around it, the sign of a physician.

Larry’s grave.

“I want to prevent this,” Owain said, a wobble in his voice. She looked to her left. He was staring at the grave, tears rolling down his cheeks, “prevent the measures being taken that part families,”

“Ivona’s evacuation,” Ruth said. Owain looked at her.

“It’s not fair. She’s just a kid,”

“Oh, Owain, so are we,” They stared at each other, before collapsing into a hug, sinking to their knees. They needed this, the both of them, “These are things we must do to protect the ones we love, aren’t they?” She said, her own voice breaking. She looked up, trying not to cry herself. “I’ll stand with you, no matter what you choose,” She felt her brain slowing down, focusing on one thing, one person, the one wrapped in her arms, the one who opens himself up to destruction for love. She wanted to stay by his side even in war. She couldn’t though, she’d learnt months before that she wouldn’t be taken by the Ahldenic military, not with her mental conditions.

“And I you, you know that, right?” Owain pulled back, looking at her. Owain nodded. “We should get back to Ivona, help her prepare, give her some good memories of home. They help tremendously,” Ruth said as she stood up, offering Owain her hand. Owain took it, pulling himself up.

“She’d like some stories about Ohlendia, I’m sure you have some of those, right?”

“Yeah, just a few,” Hand in hand they walked from the graveyard back around the blue house and back to Owain’s house.