Vulture Wings by Dirk Hawkman

Author:Dirk Hawkman [Hawkman, Dirk]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Robert Hale
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

Adam and Bob had been perhaps nine and ten. They were still in school, and spent their Saturdays working in the store. His sons were well-behaved boys. Adam could be a little cheeky, but he was never in trouble. Bob was particularly mature for his age. When Eli and Cassie received an invitation to dinner at their neighbours’ house, they thought they could trust their boys to behave for one night when they went out.

Eli, rapt by his recollection, did not realize that he was smiling to himself. In Morriston, your nearest neighbour was a good two miles away. Eli and his wife thought nothing of the short journey. It had been a comfortably warm summer evening. Walking arm in arm, Eli and Cassie had chatted and giggled about nothing all the way. The sun had been retreating, but not even the stretching fingers of grey shadows could blur Cassie’s magnetic beauty. Her golden locks and blue eyes sparkled despite the darkness. Not for the first time, Eli thanked the heavens for his great fortune.

Dinner with the neighbours had also been joyful. Eli had become a new man since sharing his life with Cassie. Years earlier, Eli’s mind had been consumed by nothing but his next arrest. That night, over bowl after bowl of beef stew, Eli had gossiped and shared atrocious jokes that nonetheless caused roars of laughter.

The Connors shared heartfelt embraces with their friends before their stroll home. Eli was armed, of course, but Morriston (at least then) tended to be a peaceful town. The couple were not bothered by brigands nor outlaws, but on arriving home, their house looked like it had been burgled.

Central to the disarray, Eli had found Adam and Bob fighting. Or rather, Adam had been laying into his brother while Bob cowered behind hands covering his face.

Eli would not let two naughty boys ruin such an enjoyable evening, but he had to play the part of the strict father. He had barked instructions, and the boys had rapidly reversed the mess they had created.

His sons had each received a stroke from the slipper before bed. Interestingly, Adam – the more brash and boisterous son – had cried childish tears after his chastisement. Bob had steeled himself to the slipper’s bite, and dutifully apologised before going to sleep.

Eli had witnessed this so many times with his sons. Bob was stocky and tall, but was kind and gentle. Bob was big enough to defeat Adam in a fight, but he always deliberately surrendered to Adam’s fists. Eli suspected that Bob did not have the heart to beat up his little brother. This streak of goodliness in Bob gladdened Eli.

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