Bertie is forgotten

Bertie sat at the kitchen table and kicked at its leg. There was no one there to stop him. He had been allowed to come home for Sunday dinner, but there was no dinner on the table, and he had found his Ma sleeping in her bed.

He had been looking forward to Sunday dinner – his Ma always had something good. They had something good every day at the keep, but that meant that it wasn’t special. It was more fun to have something good at home with his Ma and his Da and even his sister and brothers. Plus Egelric was usually there on Sundays.

But today there was no one. No one but him.

Maybe they forgot Sunday.

Maybe they forgot him.

“Hallo, Bertie,” Wynnie said as she came into the kitchen and climbed up onto the chair next to him.

“Hallo, Wynn.”

“How come you’re here?”

“Well, I guess I come for Sunday dinner.”

“But we aren’t having Sunday dinner on Sunday. ‘Cause Da and Egelric went to the castle, and ’cause Ma is sick.”

“Well, I guess no one told me.”

“Well, didn’t you eat nothing?”

“Well, no. I guess I was ‘specting to have some dinner to home. And they was having rabbit over to the keep today, too.”

“I’m sorry, Bertie.”

“Well, don’t worry about me. I guess I can survive without eating dinner. I guess I won’t starve. Not completely. But I guess no one would be sorry if I did.”

“Oh, Bertie, I guess I would be sorry. I guess I would cry.”

“You’re a good fellow, Wynn. I’ll remember you and take care of you when I’m a man, if you need some help.”

“Thank you. But maybe you should ask Ma if she will fix you something?”

“She’s sleeping. Say – what kind of sick is she?” he asked, suddenly remembering what Wynna had said earlier.

“I don’t know. Some kind of sick where she’s tired all the time, and hot and feverish. We been having Aelfie to make the bread, and she don’t make it like Ma. Sometimes it’s real sour.”

“Sometimes it’s sour at the keep too. The cook isn’t real good like Ma. But we have lots of gravy always so it’s all right.”

“That’s real good, Bertie.”

“Well, Wynn, I guess I should go back to the keep and see if there is any rabbit left, or even some bread and gravy. You tell Ma I didn’t want to wake her.”

“All right. Well, you kiss everyone for me, except Dunstan.”

“You still mad at him for trying to kiss you?”

“I guess I am!” she sniffed.

“Aw, he was only practicing. He didn’t want to kiss you, he just wanted to kiss.”

“Well, you can just tell him to go – tell him to go kiss a toad! Or a hedgehog!”

Bertie laughed. “Say, that’s a good one, Wynn! I will!”