So Much for Details

Writers: AL, Vix
Date Posted: 30th June 2008

Characters: Vanea, Neata, Neana
Description: Vanea assigns Neata to look after her grandmother and Neata tries to make use of that time by questioning Neana about the past.
Location: Emerald Falls Hold
Date: month 10, day 3 of Turn 4

"But why do *I* have to stay with her?" Neata whined, hands crossing over her chest. It wasn't fair. She was asked to do everything.

"Because I can't," her mother replied with an exasperated sigh.

"Why can't Binea stay?" Neata suggested, looking to her younger sister.

The other daughter looked up from where she sat, pulling on her shoes. "Because I did it yesterday and am expected to help in the laundry this morning." "But...but..." Neata's hands dropped to her side and clenched into fists. So much for her plans. "Fine. But you're watching her tomorrow." She'd have to send a message to Shayta and Kindal. Hopefully they could meet another time.

Vanea's hand went to her hips as she regarded her elder daughter. "You've been removed from your usual chores for the day and reassigned to this task. I don't understand why it's such a problem for you to do your share." Neata lowered her gaze, watching as she shuffled her feet. "Fine, fine, I'll stay with her." She really hoped Gram didn't have an episode on her watch. And her mother was right - at least she didn't have to do her chores. She just didn't have any free time either.

The Headwoman shoved back a strand of hair from her face. "Just stay with her, take her for a walk, see to it that she has lunch. I'll try to get away and to give you a break." "Okay." Maybe she could meet her friends then. No..maybe not. Vanea probably wouldn't let her off at the appointed time. They would have to wait. "I'll see you later then." It was then that another thought occurred to Neata. Maybe she would have a chance to talk to her Gram about the time when it was more common to have women crafters. At least, if one of her past relatives had been a harper, didn't that mean it had been more common back then? She wanted to find out and the thought that she could made her time watching her grandmother seem a little less like a chore.

"Send for me if you need me," Vanea told her. She stopped at the doorway, indicating that her younger daughter should proceed her. "Though I doubt that you will." And with that comment she was gone, closing the door to their quarters behind her.

Neata stared at the door for a moment and sighed. She loved her Gram, but she had plans for her life and it was hard to do the things she wanted to do when she had to look after her. Yet, the memory of that conversation hung at her and Neata decided that yes, this would be a good time to tug at her grandmother to tell her more about the past.

Neana sat in the rocking chair, her special place in the common room of the family's living quarters. Her body swayed back and forth, in rhythm to the creaking of the chair's runners against the floor. Her fingers picked at a stitch in her lap quilt, pinching at it but not quite able to connect and lift it. She had heard the others arguing but had ignored them. After all, what concern was it of hers?

Her granddaughter moved back into the commonroom and stood there, watching her for a moment. Finally, she moved over to take a place at her grandmother's feet. "Gram...will you tell me more about how things used to be?"

It took the woman a moment to register that the girl was looking up to her and still another moment to realize that she had no idea who it was, only that she felt threatened. She tightened her hands on her lap quilt. "You can't have it." Neata's face fell. She had hoped her grandmother would be more lucid. She had her good days and bad days, but evidently this was one of her bad ones. "I don't want it grandma." She sighed softly. "I just wanted to hear about history."

Neana's frown deepened as she considered the girl's reply. "What's that?" "Tell me about how things were when you were little." The girl tried again. "Tell me about your mother. She was a harper, right?"

"She loved me." The old woman's brow furrowed as she considered that, ending in a smile. "She's dead, you know." "Will you tell me about when she was alive?" Neata pressed, hoping her grandmother would reveal _some_thing. "She was a harper...you said she was a harper."

Neana shrugged. "She was always busy." "But she was a crafter, right?" Neata felt like she was getting somewhere. "Did you want to craft too?"

The woman shook her head. "There were more important things to do." "I want to craft." The younger woman sighed wistfully. "I want to be a Harper, to be in theatre..."

"That's nonsense – you're a girl." "But your mother was a harper." The girl pointed out gently.

"She gave it up to have children. Too many had died, all the women needed to help. It was something the male harpers couldn't do." She spoke the words in a monotone, reciting them as if she had heard them often.

"Did she wish she could have kept crafting?" Neata urged, then asked, "What about you? Did you ever want to craft?"

"Mama did her duty and so did I." Neana glared at her granddaughter as she said these words.

Neata flushed and pulled away from her grandmother. She had thought that maybe since her own mother had been a crafter at one point that she'd be more supportive. Evidently not. Neata quickly stood. "I'm going to make some tea." With that, she turned away. So much for getting much more in the way of details.

Last updated on the July 3rd 2008

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So Much for Details