"Sven sixteen when happen..."
He was larger than most his age. His arms bulged with each blow of the ax to the wood. The summer sun glistened upon his sweat soaked torso. Sven hummed as he cut the wood. They would have plenty of wood this winter for the fire. Sven cut as much as two men.
"Sven! Come in and eat. You've been at it all day." A woman called to him from the modest house.
"I'll be there in a moment Mama. I'm almost finished here." He slammed the ax down upon the wood two more times, splitting the last pieces. Large arms lifted the wood and set it in the pile.
"Do you know where your father is?" Sven's mother wiped her hands upon her apron as she came out to him with soap and cloth.
"He said he was taking the wool into town."
"He should have been back by now." Sven could see the worry in his mothers eyes.
"You want me to go and see what is keeping him?"
"Let's wait till after super. If he isn't home then, you can go and see what is keeping him. Maybe he just got sidetracked in a tavern. You know how he loves to tell stories."
Sven and his mother ate in silence. They both stared out the window, watching, waiting and hoping that their father and husband would return.
"I'm not very hungry Mama. I think I'll head into town."
Sven's mother didn't argue. She knew that he was as worried as she was and would not rest till he knew his father was safe. She watched her son fade into the growing darkness.
Sven walked down the darkened streets. The taverns were full of noise, men boasting about how strong they were to impress the women. Sven just shook his head and moved on down the road.
They hit before he knew what was happening. He felt the blow to his back. He buckled for a moment, and tried to turn to face his assailants. He felt his hand find a throat and he began to squeeze as the others relentlessly beat him. He felt a pain to the side of his head, then felt something warm running down his face. Before darkness took over he heard one of them yell. "You killed him! RUN!"
Olga squatted at the river and washed the dishes off. She had tried to keep herself busy while she waited for Sven and her husband. Her mind was lost in thought. She didn't hear him as he came up behind her.
"EEK!! Dammit you big lug! Don't sneak up on me like that!"
"I didn't mean to scare you love."
"Where's Sven?" She looked around her husband.
"Isn't he here with you?"
"He went to find you. But that was hours ago."
"Then he should be here by now. Sven isn't one to hang behind."
"Let me get these dishes back and we can go find....." Olga never finished her sentence. She stood there and clung to her husbands arm as she stared at the site before her. "Oh my God."
A man began to approach them. In his arms he carried the limp and bloody body of Sven.
"Excuse me. I was told that this young man lived here?" The stranger approached with caution.
"Yes, He is our son." Stefan moved between his wife and the man.
"I found him in an alley. I sent for a doctor, that's how I found out where you lived." His face was strained. "Is there a place I can set him? He's awfully heavy."
"Forgive our manners..please in the house." Olga moved quickly to the house, pulling the covers back on his bed so that the man could set him down.
"Love, go get some water to wash these wounds with." Stefan placed a gentle hand upon her shoulder. She nodded and moved passed him. "My wife and I can't thank you enough."
"It was nothing. I'm glad that I could help."
"STEFAN? OLGA?" An older voice called from outside.
"Come on in. It's Sven. He was hurt really bad." Olga held the pan of water and motioned for the doctor to follow her to Sven.
"What happened here?" The doctor raised a brow as he looked at Sven.
"This man found him in the alley, beaten like this."
The doctor began to examine the wound upon Sven's head. He washed it carefully so that he could get a good look.
"How long has he been unconscious?"
"No one knows for sure. He was this way when I found him."
"It's going to be a long night." The doctor sighed heavily as he worked on Sven.
No one noticed as the stranger slipped out into the night. He had reunited a family, he only hoped that it would turn out to be a happy reunion.
When Sven woke days later, he could neither speak nor walk. His mother worked with him, once again teaching her son how to speak, and to walk... she knew that he would never really be the same.
He was larger than most his age. His arms bulged with each blow of the ax to the wood. The summer sun glistened upon his sweat soaked torso. Sven hummed as he cut the wood. They would have plenty of wood this winter for the fire. Sven cut as much as two men.
"Sven! Come in and eat. You've been at it all day." A woman called to him from the modest house.
"I'll be there in a moment Mama. I'm almost finished here." He slammed the ax down upon the wood two more times, splitting the last pieces. Large arms lifted the wood and set it in the pile.
"Do you know where your father is?" Sven's mother wiped her hands upon her apron as she came out to him with soap and cloth.
"He said he was taking the wool into town."
"He should have been back by now." Sven could see the worry in his mothers eyes.
"You want me to go and see what is keeping him?"
"Let's wait till after super. If he isn't home then, you can go and see what is keeping him. Maybe he just got sidetracked in a tavern. You know how he loves to tell stories."
Sven and his mother ate in silence. They both stared out the window, watching, waiting and hoping that their father and husband would return.
"I'm not very hungry Mama. I think I'll head into town."
Sven's mother didn't argue. She knew that he was as worried as she was and would not rest till he knew his father was safe. She watched her son fade into the growing darkness.
Sven walked down the darkened streets. The taverns were full of noise, men boasting about how strong they were to impress the women. Sven just shook his head and moved on down the road.
They hit before he knew what was happening. He felt the blow to his back. He buckled for a moment, and tried to turn to face his assailants. He felt his hand find a throat and he began to squeeze as the others relentlessly beat him. He felt a pain to the side of his head, then felt something warm running down his face. Before darkness took over he heard one of them yell. "You killed him! RUN!"
Olga squatted at the river and washed the dishes off. She had tried to keep herself busy while she waited for Sven and her husband. Her mind was lost in thought. She didn't hear him as he came up behind her.
"EEK!! Dammit you big lug! Don't sneak up on me like that!"
"I didn't mean to scare you love."
"Where's Sven?" She looked around her husband.
"Isn't he here with you?"
"He went to find you. But that was hours ago."
"Then he should be here by now. Sven isn't one to hang behind."
"Let me get these dishes back and we can go find....." Olga never finished her sentence. She stood there and clung to her husbands arm as she stared at the site before her. "Oh my God."
A man began to approach them. In his arms he carried the limp and bloody body of Sven.
"Excuse me. I was told that this young man lived here?" The stranger approached with caution.
"Yes, He is our son." Stefan moved between his wife and the man.
"I found him in an alley. I sent for a doctor, that's how I found out where you lived." His face was strained. "Is there a place I can set him? He's awfully heavy."
"Forgive our manners..please in the house." Olga moved quickly to the house, pulling the covers back on his bed so that the man could set him down.
"Love, go get some water to wash these wounds with." Stefan placed a gentle hand upon her shoulder. She nodded and moved passed him. "My wife and I can't thank you enough."
"It was nothing. I'm glad that I could help."
"STEFAN? OLGA?" An older voice called from outside.
"Come on in. It's Sven. He was hurt really bad." Olga held the pan of water and motioned for the doctor to follow her to Sven.
"What happened here?" The doctor raised a brow as he looked at Sven.
"This man found him in the alley, beaten like this."
The doctor began to examine the wound upon Sven's head. He washed it carefully so that he could get a good look.
"How long has he been unconscious?"
"No one knows for sure. He was this way when I found him."
"It's going to be a long night." The doctor sighed heavily as he worked on Sven.
No one noticed as the stranger slipped out into the night. He had reunited a family, he only hoped that it would turn out to be a happy reunion.
When Sven woke days later, he could neither speak nor walk. His mother worked with him, once again teaching her son how to speak, and to walk... she knew that he would never really be the same.