“Thank you, Clemintine.” I smiled at him when he pulled away. “You’re welcome.” He went downstairs, and I stood there at the top of the stairs. I didn’t realise I was standing there for a while before I heard a small cough behind me making me jump. I moved out of the way so that Penelope could come down, carrying a few pillows. “I’m sorry.” She laughed, and dismissed it with a small wave of her light hand. “You’re alright.” Her words faded into the arrival of people in their motorcars, laughter and chatter that soon filled the hall. I went to my room, and shut the door. My sisters would love the bunnies. I couldn’t trust them with Aarnav, as much as I love him, he would overfeed them. I looked at Winston. “Are you ready old boy to see the old man and missus?” He wagged his tail a little, and I couldn’t help but smile. “Mm.” I packed my light travel trunk, and looked around. I decided on a few books for the train, and turned out the lights after grabbing my coat. I had the bunnies, Winston, and my trunk. That was all I needed for a few days. 

I came downstairs to see Alester being a whole natural as he chatted with people. Althea, Finnigan, Jeremy, and Penelope were handling well. I was surprised Alester was letting me go see my parents on such short notice, but mainly grateful. I went and got a one way train ticket to where my parents lived. It was a few towns over, but it was wonderful by train. I couldn’t help but look out the window into the darkening abyss of countryside. I fell asleep for a while until I arrived early in the morning. I stopped for some coffee and food, then I made it to my parent’s place. It was later now, and they were up. My mama was watering the plants and papa was working on getting their lawnmower up and working. “Last day in fall to mow the lawn, papa?” He, and my mama, both looked up. “Clemintine?” I nodded. My mama, even though she can be snarky at times, soon gave me a good hug. Papa chuckled as he rubbed my head. “Oh, it’s been long since we’ve seen you.” I smiled at mama as she looked up at me. “Now, you’re a young man, help me out with the lawnmower.” I nodded my head. Once getting it set up, I mowed the lawn for them. It was simple, and filled me with happiness. 

Mama was baking cookies when I came inside the house after putting the lawnmower in the garage, and cleaning off the grass and leaves from the bags, off the sidewalk, and driveway as well. I looked around. Nothing has changed. The now ever growing family pictures hung on the walls. “How is work?” Papa asked, peeling the skins of a few plantains off before dropping a little sliver into the boiling oil. “Ah, it’s great. I got hired in a different house after unknowingly uncovering the Williams’ illegality.” He nodded, and mama gave off a disappointed hum. “We read that in the paper.” I sighed. “Yeah. And all of us servants didn’t know! That’s what made it so confusing.” They smiled. Mama and papa finished around the same time, and soon we were eating together. “You’ve come home, and that’s all that matters to us.” I smiled. I knew i’d been gone for a pretty long time, and dreaded the fact that they most likely would never change, but seeing the warmth and welcoming from them made my heart seem to flutter with happiness. “I see that your opinions on me have changed.” They both nodded. “When you left, we didn’t mind. Then the house started to empty out, and the girls never really come to visit. You take time to visit us, and it makes me so happy. I guess we should have never been too loving of the female race for children.” I smiled, nodding. “Mm. Seems that way, doesn’t it?” They nodded, and papa gave off a small laugh. 

“Well, tell us about what you brought?” I looked over at Winston who retired to his corner that he usually sleeps in when he is here. I got up, and picked up the crate. “I have two more children.” They laughed at that. I opened the crate’s door, and pulled the two fluffy balls of rabbit out. “These, are the pet rabbits I got from Mrs. Sergo.” Mama gently picked one up, which made it squeak a little in alarm causing the other to squirm. “Ah mama, hindi ganyan. Tulad nito.” She let the rabbit go, and I showed her the way to officially pick them up instead of grabbing them by the ears and picking them up. “Mm.. so, that way?” Papa said, his voice going a little hoarse. “Yes.” He nodded, and picked up the other bunny. “What are they named?” Mama asked, letting Nox nibble on her hair. “Well, the one you’re holding is Nox. And Little Grey Dust is what the grey one is called. We just call him Dust for short.” 

They busied themselves with feeding the rabbits, and I fed Winston. “Mama, have you had a day off yet?” She laughed. “Even in retirement, it’s busy.” I nodded. “That is fair. I’ll be here until the day after tomorrow, so I can help.” I looked over my shoulder from where I was in the kitchen to see her aged face warp into a smile. “You’d do that?” I came in after Winston was done, and I patted her shoulder. “Yes.” She gave me a small half hug, and I looked around me. “Hmm.. what exactly needs to be done?” She told me the few things that needed to be done, fixed, or just attended to. “When my sisters are here, do they help you?” I asked as I helped her get to the top shelf to pull out a pot. “No, they just expect us to wait on them.” I laughed. “Well, I don’t mean to be rude to my own parents, but that’s what you get for spoiling them.” She sighed. “I know Clemintine, I know. We shouldn’t have. But, the past is behind us, Oo?” I nodded. “Yeah.” Papa came in, and sat down at the counter again. “Do you know how to fix an automobile’s tire?” I looked up from the dishes that I had started to do. “Yeah, I do. Why?” He explained that as he was backing the car out, the tire went flat. 

I followed him out to the garage, and he showed me. “Kailan mo huling hinila ang kotse palabas?” He frowned. “A few years ago..?” I rubbed my face a little. “Well, that's the problem. How about this? When do you guys use it?” He shook his head a little, swatting away a pesky fly that was being annoying. “We don’t use it often. Last time was a few years ago like I said.” I nodded my head again. “I’ll go into town, buy a tire, and clean up the car. You guys are not gonna have a car, but you’ll have money from it. I’m going to sell it so you can get rid of your car insurance and things like that.” He nodded. “That will save us a lot of money.” I nodded my head this time. “Yes, it will. So, I'll be back, and I expect all the stuff that is your guy’s in this car to be out.” He gave me a thumbs up, and went inside to tell mama. 

I realised, town was close to their house. Which is why they don’t need the car anymore. They didn’t have a reason to use it. I found the auto body shop, and went inside. “How may I help you?” The older man behind the counter said, cheerfully. “Hello there. Uh, I was wondering. Do you guys have a tire for a Morris Minor? I’d say… 1928 model.” He smiled. “Yeah, we carry that.” I nodded. “What do you need it for?” I explained it to him, and the guy was laughing at the end. “Well, that’s smart to sell the car. I’ve got a daughter that needs one, she’ll buy it once it’s all cleaned up. How about I put the tire in the back of my truck, and I'll help you get it to your place.” I nodded. “Thank you, sir.” He smiled. “Anytime. That's what service men are for.” 

We got it loaded into the back of his truck, and I sat in the back with it. Once at my parents house, we unloaded it. The man looked at the vehicle, seeming pleased. “It’s in top condition.” I nodded my head, and soon he was helping me jax the car up to get the tire on. “Do you know how to put a new tire on it?” I looked up at him. “Before I started to work for people in their houses, I worked in the bus garage. I can change a bus tire, oil, fix transmission, and do a lot of other things there too.” The man nodded, seeming surprised. “But you’re so tiny!” I frowned. “My height has nothing to do with my skills, sir.” He nodded his head. “That is true.” I finished putting the new tire on. “Now, do you want to stay here and watch me clean it, or go back to your workplace and call your daughter?” He thought for a moment. “I’ll go back, call her, and you drop it off when you’re done.” I gave him a thumbs up, and went to clean the car up. It wasn’t dirty or anything, there were just a few things that had to be cleaned.

After a few hours, and my parents' approval, I got in and turned the key. It still sounded amazing, which was a good sign. I checked around the car, and once all was clear, I backed out. She was still in working shape, and drove nice as I made it to the auto body shop. I turned it off, and stepped out. The same guy who helped me stepped out with his daughter. Her ginger red hair reflected the sun, and her big sunhat seemed to shield her face. “This is my daughter, Helen.” I nodded. “Nice to meet you, Ms. Helen.” She smiled. Her ivory complexion seemed to almost be blinding, but she took my outstretched hand with her own. She had a lot of red on today, which made her look like a walking red flag. I showed her the car, and she gave her approval. “How about you take me for a spin in it?” I looked at her. “No thank you, you have your licence, you can drive it yourself, yes? If you don’t I will look for someone else who does.” She shook her head, pulled out her wallet, and showed her licence to me. ‘Helen Jones’ I nodded. “Well, looks official. Now, my parents and I have set a price. £2,350.” She frowned. “What do you think I am, made of money?” I sighed. “I’ll look somewhere else.” 

She seemed alarmed at that, and put all her snarky behaviour under her skirts. “Fine. I’ll take it.” I nodded my head. She went to the bank, got the exact amount, and came back. Once it was in my hands, counted and approved, I shook her hand again. “Thank you for your business, Ms. Jones.” She nodded. “Yes.” I soon walked home, quickly because I didn’t know if she had a husband, and also because of the slight hostility she showed. Once at my house, I handed it to my parents. “You actually sold it, first shot?” I nodded. They were happy. I took them to the bank, and after they cashed the money, they were happy. “Thank you for that, son. It means a lot to us now knowing we’re going to have more money to spend on necessities.” I nodded my head, and gave my mother a quick kiss on the cheek. “You’re welcome.” 

The time with my parents seemed to fly by quickly, and soon me, Winston, Nox, and Dust were back on the train heading back to my temporary house until I got fired anyway. I was bounding the stairs, and soon the door flew open. I laughed to see Aarnav there, and soon he let me in. “You’re not going to believe what happened over the days you were gone.” I sighed. “Oh dear.. Is it bad?” He shook his head, ‘no’. “No, it was all just interesting. He was eagerly talking to me as I got to my room, put my stuff away, and came back downstairs with a few things to go into the kitchen. “And Alester was talking about how much he missed you, causing Althea and him to have a deep talk over something, and now he seems skittish over a lot of things.” I frowned a little. “Well, it’s probably a personal matter. I’m sure he will sort himself out.” 

Aarnav sighed. “I hope he doesn’t avoid you.” I laughed, and shook my head. “Aarnav, he won’t avoid me. If he does, then it’s his choice.” I heard Althea talking to someone when she came in. “Ah, Clemintine, just in time!” I turned around to see a nervous Alester. “What do you mean by that, Althea?” She smiled at me.