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Chapter 5
Miam was sitting on the outside portion of the manor’s swimming pool, sunbathing in a somewhat modest bikini (black, of course), in a lawn chair under a black lace parasol that Loki had given her some years prior. She was rather fond of it, and unfortunately, Loki was too. He took it upon himself to use what he had of ninja skills to take it from her bedroom. Fortunately for her, she had it today. All the girl ninjalings wanted to ask her why she sunbathed under a parasol, and all the boys wanted to ask them why they would bother Miam. But either way, she had the poolside to herself, and the parasol protected her from onlookers above.
She heard a noise off to her left side. Without turning her head, she listened to the shuffling gait of the walker.
“Hello, father. You’re not trying hard this morning to sneak up on me.”
Her father said nothing, but stared stonily ahead at her. He said in a tired voice “Nancy…..”
“Father,” Miam said “I’m not going to visit her again, even if you blackmail me again!!”
For indeed, this is how Miam went to Nancy’s on her previous three visits out of the five total times she had ever gone.
“Miam,” her father said in a strained voice, “Nancy’s……Nancy’s dead.”
“What?!”
“A rafter in her cottage fell on top of her. It broke her spine, her ribs, and it’s almost certain she died from suffocation”
Of all people who were ever destined to die, Nancy seemed the least likely. She had her son, who she devotedly loved. You could just feel it, when you entered their house, the love there between them just choked you. She couldn’t be…..dead. What about…..what about……
“What about Herbert? And Chewbacca, and her daffodils? No one’s going to love them like she did! None of them will survive!!”
Her father grabbed her shoulders a little firmer than gently. This was a rather big breach in their family’s protocol. They weren’t a “huggy” family. She shook off his hands.
“What about Herbert?” she asked quietly. She shuddered at the thought of him in a orphanage, in second rate clothing, dirty, and unloved.
“He’s now under our guardianship. Actually, your guardianship. For some reason, the feds didn’t think that I would be his appropriate guardian. I can’t think why though….” Just as he said that, fire shot of the kitchen of her father’s side of the manor in a great billowing inferno. After the fire died down, and a pause, a feeble cry of “Sorry!” echoed out of the now melted window.
Her father just shook his head. He continued “It was Nancy’s wish that Herbert would be raised by relatives. You and I are his only living relatives. And you’re the only one that the government will let him be raised by.
Miam was still recovering from the shock of hearing Nancy’s death. Finally, it sunk in.
“Wait. What? Me? And Herbert? He’s three years old! I don’t know the first thing about children! And it’s been established that he does not like me, whatsoever!”
Miam’s father looked at her with poignant eyes. “You would leave him in an orphanage?”
“No! but,” she said, trying to regain her cool “I just don’t think I’m the most suitable person to raise a child. Nancy’s….child” she finished
Her father raised his eyebrows. “Well, you or orphanage, Miam.” He said. “Make the right choice.”
With that, he walked away.
Miam bit her lip. Her father knew that she wouldn’t leave him in an orphanage. Sometimes she hated him so.
________________________________________________________________________
Nancy was buried on a remote patch next to other members of Miam’s family. It was a beautiful sunshiney day. Her grave was adorned with daffodils, so many great yellow flowers that one could barely see her angel headstone:
Here lies our dear Nancy,
Beloved Daughter, sister, and mother
May she rest in peace

Miam stood there for a long time, holding Herbert, staring at the headstone. Towards dusk, she headed in. Herbert was getting fussy.

Chapter 6

Nancy had left all her worldly goods to Miam and her father. Miam did not think that she could handle a three year old and a goat, so she gave Chewbacca to her father for him and his pupils to take care of. Herbert was currently being watched by Loki, who was hopefully more child-savvy than she was. They would see……
Currently, Miam was sifting through all of Nancy’s old things. Old clothes, primarily light pastels-yellow, pink, blue and lilac tee shirts were thrown on her floor for later storage. She would take care of it soon. She couldn’t stand being messy. Loki often teased her about being OCD. But back to business. She found a store of turtle neck sweaters Nancy made her wear while she was at her house, insisting that it was too cool for whatever Miam currently had on. She tossed it on to a pile of clothes that she would keep for herself. Next came head bands. Nancy was in love with headbands. She was thoroughly convinced that everyone was prettier when you could see their face, although Miam had to disagree severely. But she kept one out for herself anyway. Then there were all of Nancy’s ornaments. Miam picked up the depictions of cute little milk maids, little Dutch boys, and exceedingly adorable barn animals, principally minute yellow chickens. It was amazing that Nancy could fit all these in her house, let alone find a surface for each one. She picked up one of the yellow chickens and put it on her vanity, next to the headband that she had left out. She remembered it being particularly special to Nancy. Miam racked her brain for why. She came to the conclusion that it was something to the effect that it was her great-great grandmothers. Finally, Miam came to all Nancy’s books. Nancy, was apparently, and avid reader, but a hopeless romantic. Miam sighed. She didn’t read much, and when she did, it was usually non-fiction. She supposed that she could give all Nancy’s romance novels to Loki. Maybe he’ll be so inspired that he’ll write good poetry…..a dream beyond a dream.
At the bottom of the book box, she saw something else. She took it out. A beautiful white leather bound book was in her hands. It had delicate imprints making Celtic looking patterns around the edge of the cover. She flipped it over, and there, in beautiful gold leaf, and flowing script was writ “Alice’s Book- a life of our dear daughter, Alice” Miam leafed through it, absentmindedly. She saw pictures of Herbert, just born, just out of the hospital, a smiling Nancy and Drew holding a tiny pink Herbert, Drew holding up Herbert’s arm so it made a wave, in front of their cottage in Montana. It didn’t look as shabby as it did now, probably because Nancy was not relying on income from the manor at the time. Nancy had laughed, telling Miam about it once. “Ninja welfare” she had called it. More pictures and writing-Herbert’s first word-“Dada!”, Herbert’s first step, Herbert’s first crawl…..it went on an on. Miam had seen it before, at Nancy’s. Miam finally closed the book, and held it to her chest lightly. Nancy had told her why there was the typo on the front.
“Oh, yes!” Nancy had laughed after Miam had asked about it. “Well, right before Herbert was born, Drew was a bookbinder. And before that, a leatherworker…..Poor Drew couldn’t keep a job for more than a couple of months” she sighed. “But he was good at what he did. Anyway! Before Herbert was born, Drew was thoroughly convinced that he was a girl!” she gave a girlish laugh, and tried to lower her voice “‘now, honey, I can feel it, this one’s gonna be a girl!’. So he made this beautiful baby book. Alice. He desperately wanted our little girl to be an Alice, after his mother, you know.”
“I didn’t” Miam had said politely, itching at the turtleneck
“Well, anyways,” Nancy continued “Drew had lost his job as a bookbinder, and went to sea to be a fisherman…..that’s when he died. So when Herbert was born, the book was so beautiful, and besides Herbert, it was that last thing I ever got from my husband. So I filled it up with Herbert’s life anyway.”

Miam leafed through the book again. She found a blank page, and put in the date, and under that put “Herbert is home with Miam”