The Scavenger's Daughters by Kay Bratt

Author:Kay Bratt
Language: eng
Format: mobi
Tags: Drama World, China
Publisher: Lake Union Publishing
Published: 2013-08-13T06:00:00+00:00

Finally the festivities were over. Jet had left for home, Calli had finally relented to Benfu’s demands and was sitting with her feet up, and Benfu sat rocking Poppy to sleep as he watched the girls preparing their hair for bed. The routine was a nightly ritual that usually calmed them all before sleep—all except Jasmine who wiggled and squirmed because she’d rather wear her hair loose.

The girls all got to choose whether they wore their hair long or short, but most of them chose to wear it long because of their Nai Nai’s stories. Calli had told them how when she was but a teenage girl, the party had mandated that all girls keep their hair chopped off to the level of their earlobes. Calli had specifically hated the style but in fear of retribution had complied. She’d had enough against her being distantly related to a landowner in the family; she didn’t want to tempt even more attention to herself. But despite the shorn hair and the shapeless green jacket and trousers she was forced to wear, the night Benfu had met her, he had seen through it all to her true beauty. It wasn’t in her clothes or hair—it was shining through her eyes and all the way down to her compassionate heart after she found him hiding in their courtyard and brought him food. Years later she decided her hair would never be cut again and now she could weave a rope with it if she pleased.

As the girls took turns braiding for one another, Benfu felt unusually unsettled. In the kitchen Linnea used her cloth to wipe down the last of the messes left behind from the meal. Sure the day had gone well, the food tasted delicious, and the gifts Jet brought had put the celebratory atmosphere back in the air. Yet Benfu couldn’t shake the cloud of melancholy that talking of the old times had settled over him. Maybe it had to do with Jet and the mystery surrounding him, but it hadn’t been the time to ask more questions on a day meant for celebrating.

He looked over at Lily braiding Ivy’s hair and sighed. That was another subject that had made him overly contemplative this evening. There were only a few tasks that Lily felt useful doing. More and more these days the poor girl was being left behind as her twin struggled to grow into the independence that being a teenager usually brought. It was a sad situation. Ivy and Lily were identical in almost every way. They carried such a deep connection, yet Benfu could see that Ivy had given up much of her freedom to care for her sister. How could he help the two begin learning to live their lives as two separate people rather than one?

“Benfu, are you okay, dear?” Calli asked. Benfu looked up from his deep stare and met her eyes. He stood and went to her, then whispered in her ear.

She turned, her eyes searching his.

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