Lebada

"Lebi can you settle down, you're jumping around like a headless chicken." Masha teased her younger sister.

"Promise me you won't tell mother what I'm doing today, I am in no mood for one of her lectures about what a woman's place is" Lebada's frantic pacing continued

"What's in it for me to keep silent? You are going to owe me a big favour little sister" she said with a mischievous glint in her eyes. "And you must tell me EVERYTHING that happens between you two. I seriously doubt that there will be any learning going on."

"I told you Lupin is not like that! He genuinely wants to teach me to read and wr..."

"Lebada!!!" The sudden stentorian voice of their mother made the two conspirators jump with fright.

"Coming mama!"

The two sisters approached their mother nervously, she eyed them both with suspicion.

"What are you both up too? Why do I get the feeling you are hiding something from me?" her eyebrow cocked accusingly.

"No mama Lebada would never do anything sneaky." Masha wasn't trying very hard to sound convincing.

"Hmmmph, Lebi I have something I need you to do"

"Mama I'm ,um....busy this afternoon....I need to get my shoes recobbled I have holes in my soles" Masha was shaking her head visibly as Lebada spoke the lie.

Mrs Albescu's faced soured immediately, "holes in your soles?"

"Yup"

" The shoes I just bought you last year? Let me see, I am going to beat Iccab to death with his own inferior craftsmanship!!" Her face turning purple with anger.

"Um....I don't know where I left them, don't worry yourself Mama, they really aren't that bad." Lebada has no skill for fibbing and every time she opened her mouth she made it worse.

"Nonsense if the man is selling inferior product he should be made aware of it."Mama was doggedly persistent on quality.

"It is really not important mama, what do you need me to do?" Lebada conceded to her mothers indomitable will . The day she had dreamed of for weeks; flying away like the migrating birds.

"Hmmmph, some time I wonder what your head is full of Lebi. I need you to go to the post, your uncle has sent a letter. When you finish your carousing with Lupin can you take it to the Abbott for him to read for me."

Lebada stood paralyzed with the words coming out of her mother's mouth. She will need to change her clothes because all the stress has made her become drenched in sweat.

Masha on the other hand was doubled over in laughter, clearly enjoying her sister's discomfort.

The fountain pen never sat easily in her hand, after an hour of trying to write something legible Lebada was ready to admit defeat. Maybe girls were not built for intellectual pursuits like mama always said.

Looking at the incoherent blobs of black on the paper, her ink covered hands, her ink covered dress. She just sighed

At least reading wasn't as difficult, she mastered all the vowels and consonants and their sounds. Lupin felt genuinely happy with her progress.

After the pen clattered to the tabletop for what seemed the hundredth time Lebada sheepishly voiced her frustration. "I don't appear to be very good at this Lupin" the way he thoughtfully looked at her made her heart skip a beat.

"Lebi you are just too nervous, just try and relax" he placed his hand on her bare shoulder.

She felt like her skin was on fire, lit aflame by his intimate presence.

"Here let me show you again."

This time he stood behind her, wrapped his ink covered arms around her slender shoulders. Lowered his head to be eye level with hers, his warm breath raising gooseflesh on her neck. The mere thought of those subtle lips in close proximity to hers made her swoon.

Embracing her hand lovingly in his own soft hand, everything became a blur. Before her eyes something magical happened. A word appeared, letter by letter, a word she understood L-E-B-A-D-A.

She was stunned more so by the fact that by the time the word was completed only her hand remained on the pen.

"See! I told you that you clo..." 

Lebada was so overcome with joy; she did something very rash. Jumping to her feet she spun grasping Lupin's face in both of her hands, and kissed his perfect lips.

He just stared back at her with a dumbfounded look on his now scarlet and black face.

"Oh shit! Oh shit Lupin it is dark already I've got to go!"

Lupin's response was an incomprehensible "uh huh", Lebada ran full speed out of the room. Only to stop at the doorway.

"I almost forgot! I have letter from my uncle, my mama wants the Abbott to read it! I got to go Lupin. Thank you so much!" Her heart was beating fervently in her chest.

Lupin slumped down in his chair in a daze, " uh huh"