Quick footsteps clattered on the ground. The hard soled shoes hit with such force of the cobblestone that echoes reverberated down the street. Out of breath, the man didn’t stop. He just headed straight for the wooden door, banging on it a few time. When the missus opened the door, the man tried to compose himself, taking off his raggedy hat as he spoke to the woman.
“Mrs. Lindon. I do beggin’ the interruption, but might your husband be home?”
Leticia Lindon, a person who believe she was of wealth, could be defined as your typical rich snotty socialite. Except for one thing. She wasn’t rich. She tried to act the part, but she would sometimes fail to do so. Her hair was tied back in a bun, yet a few strands dangled in front of her face. Her skin was as white as could be, and her stomach showed a little roundness too it, signifying new life to becoming in their family. Verdant seas looked into the tired man, giving a smile as she nodded your head.
“Why, yes sir he is. But may I ask what has you in such a rush?”
“Please m’am, may he come to the door. He needs to head down to the stables. Ai be having her puppies!”
At this comment, the woman excused herself, hurrying to her husband who was sitting at the desk.
“JB dear. There’s a gentleman outside that would like to talk with you.”
“Not now Leticia. Can’t you see I’m busy with Ai’s new training schedule. We got to work her twice as hard after she has those puppies. She may have won her last battle, but that could have been by a fluke. I will not have my name tossed around by ‘the fat mokai who won by sheer luck’.”
“Well…it’s funny that you mention Ai.” (The door banged again.)
“Not now Leticia.”
“Well, should I just tell the gentleman out front that he should just worry about birthing Ai’s puppies all by his lonesome?”
This caught JB’s attention. “…What? Blasted woman, why didn’t you tell me!” Grabbing his coat off the rack, he hurried towards the door, finding the man, hat placed back on his balding head, still standing there. “Ai’s having her pups?”
“Yes sir. She’s had one right now, and looks to be more.”
JB didn’t respond. He was already heading for the gate by the time he had mentioned the start of the word ‘yes’. If someone had never seen a chubby man run so quickly, they were about to do so now. The man who had came to the door footsteps were quick, light, but JB’s were just the opposite. He was a much heavier set man, so his footsteps sounding like little earthquakes down the street. It didn’t take long to get the stable, but both men were out of breath by the time they arrived there.
Composing himself, JB took out a neatly folded white handkerchief from his hand, wiping the sweat that began to bead on his fat rolls of his neck. Another moment to catch his breath, and then he entered.
“Where’s Ai?” he demanded, walking to the small crowd of people who had begun to accumulate at the stall with the golden name plate.
“Back away, all of ye.” He stated, pushing past the group, staring into the stall. It was messy, obviously from the birthing process. His dark eyes spotted his little fighter, appearing to be very tired, she was laying on her side, three small, almost hairless, blobs crying and trying to nurse at the same time.
“That be all of them?” He asked to no one in particular, though someone did speak up.
“It seems that way. She seemed to have settled down about five minutes ago. We are all curious as to what their genders are.” You could hear the girls that around giggle excitedly, just as JB entered the stall.
Ai, extremely tired, still managed to raise her head, eyeing her large master suspiciously. She kept her emotions in tack however, even as much as she wanted to raise a lip to the large hand that went to grab the first puppy.
“Oh, oh! That one was born first! The silvery one!” A kid squeaked out, barely able to hide her excitement.
Flipping over the puppy that squealed with discontent (and caused Ai’s ears to perk forward, pin back, and perk forward again), JB announced, “One boy.” A smirk grew. Hopefully this was a good sign.
By this time Leticia had made it down to the stalls, dressed in her finest, with her white attire accenting her own pregnant belly. (“This one’s a girl.”) she heard JB say from inside the stall, his voice holding a bit of disappointment in it. Her green eyes watched as he picked up the last puppy.
“And this one is…a…girl…” he sound totally deflated. “Only one boy, argh, Ai.”
The crowd begun to dissipate after the announcing the genders of the litter. “Congratulations JB, they are precious! We hope to see them in the fighting ring one day!” a few couples had said before they left, leaving the husband and wife duo alone in the stables.
“One boy, huh?” Leticia asked, her hand resting against her bump as she leaned against the dirty stall door.
“Aye.” He looked over at Ai, who had begun to nestle her shrieking puppies back to warmth. She gazed up at JB, giving a little wag of her tail.
“Well, I like that one.” Leticia had pointed out the darker girl of the litter. “We will call her Kita.”
“But I wanted a boy.”
“Hushposh. I like that litter girl. And I want her. Therefore she is mine. You will not sell her, understood.” The wife’s voice held a ‘no-nonsense tone’.
“…Yes m’am.” If JB sounded deflated before, he was most certainly even more now.
“Oh, darling! I love you. Better call the sire’s owner to let him know.”
“I’ll do that,” he gave Ai a pet, raising to his feet. “Take care of them pups, Ai. We’ll be back.” Her turned to his wife, taking her by the hand and leading her away.
[END - WC 1033]
