The Girl and the Yew tree

Chapter 7

Sasha went home to cook dinner, this was going to be her fourth attempt at any kind of soup, first it was mushroom and chicken, then leak and corn, then back to mushroom and chicken since the other one didn't turn out quite right. The smell was nicer than previous attempts, and so Sasha took this as her best, it was pumpkin soup.
The girl had been cooking since the age of seven but only now did she try anything more than bread and chicken, because only now could she reach all the high shelves, or felt confident enough to work by the hearth. Sasha dipped a tasting spoon into the soup and lifted it to her mouth but was startled by a sound; it was a chilling creak she knew well. Her Uncle had left his room.
Sasha continued to cook as if she hadn't heard him, hoping he would simply pass her by but then he spoke "what's for dinner?"
"pumpkin soup" Sasha replied, hearing the man inhale deeply and saying unenthusiastically
"smells good" he then turned to Sasha, looking at her almost curiously and told her to walk to him. She did as she was told and stood facing him. A flat, unintentional smile seemed to play with his mouth as he looked down at her, her head only reaching his mid chest and so Sasha had to look up to see the corner of his lips perking up then falling ever so slightly; there was no emotion behind it as if something inside was fighting to make its way out. The man traced the girl's face with his eyes as she stood there wordlessly. Sasha wasn't scared, she knew what this was, and when her Uncle was like this she would feel a sort of fondness, or was it pity. As she looked closer she could see a sadness hiding behind the mist in his eyes.
"You look like him, your Father" the man said whimsically, Sasha lit up, this had been the first time she could remember that her Uncle had ever mentioned her father, she wanted to ask him questions but didn't know if she should. Finely she mustered up the courage to ask simply
"What was he like?" Her Uncle's eyes remained placid so the girl knew for now she had nothing to fear. The man sat down in a chair by the dining table and spoke softly as if to only himself.
"He was a kind man, never hurt a soul. Always took care of me, when I wanted something he would give it to me no questions asked. That was how he was, so generous." His eyes looked past everything, as if though his body was here in this dark cold room, his mind was somewhere else, someplace beautiful. He spoke low, hardly audible, but Sasha tuned her ears to only his voice so as to not miss a single word "He was a simple man, would always say there are only three things in the world that he loved, and those things were me, his wife and..." as if his body wouldn't allow another word he slammed his fist onto the table. Sasha jumped, she had been so focused that the suddenness of his outburst could have stopped her heart.
She knew what he was going to say, and how she wished he had finished, if only so that she could replay his words over again every day to keep her company at home.
For a moment the girl ceased all movement, she had even stopped breathing. All her muscles and organs had come to a halt in hopes of calming her Uncle. And much to Sasha's surprise it seemed to have worked, the man loosened his fist and slid his hand back down to his lap. He breathed out loudly as if silencing a fire within him. When he turned his gaze back to the girl his expression was once again flat and nonthreatening, it allowed her to take a long needed breath.
Sasha heard a watery noise behind her and then looked back to the soup she had been tending to that was now boiling over, she exclaimed trying to break the silence while quickly taking it off the hearth "dinners ready!" seeing Sasha gathering the bowls the man gently patted the table and said
"sit, lets eat together" Sashes eyes went wide, her Uncle hadn't asked to eat with her since she was little, from the moment she had turned seven he had stopped making meals for her so she was forced to familiarize herself with the kitchen, and whenever she would make meals she would eat alone and leave his plate on the table for when he came down later in the night. An occasion like this happened very rarely, if ever, but the truth Sasha kept closer than any other about her Uncle was that though his temperament was cool in this moment, she should always be on her guard, because if she made even the smallest error it would rekindle the fire within him and he would snap, just like that.