Dawn Of Twilight

Tobi had been so lost in his own thought, that he didn't notice or sense the arrival of Nana.

"What the meaning of this? Is this how you treat your fellow woman? If it were any of you in her predicament, would you say anything about it?"

Nana was becoming more and more infuriated, seeing a bunch of mȧturė women behaving like children and accusing and shaming an innocent woman, with her arrival she had made the clatter stop.

Some women wanted to retort but were shun by her, others were just mumbling under their breath. Christy had moved out to apologize.

"There's no need to apologize, Christy."Nana said. "I only wanted to let some naive people wake up from their slumber, and oh is this our little DC?."

"Young man, how old are?" She asked curiously with a gentle smile on her aged face.

"Three years and a few months old, and you?"Tobi felt incredibly stunned and stupid at the same time, that he just blurted out what came out of his mouth.

His words had caught her by surprise, making her more interested in the little boy than her previous rage. 

"At least a few decades to the grave." She replied sarcastically.

Christy was shaken by Tobi's sudden words that she had no time to cover his little mouth, from speaking. 

"Your son seemed pretty smart, for his age."

The room was once again resounding with a clatter, but this time they were all flabbergasted as they discussed what Nana had said.

"Did Nana just called a demonic child smart?"

"Isn't this the first time Nana had ever praised a person before?"

Her words had caused quite the commotion, with many stunned and surprised comments.

Tobi wouldn't just let such an opportunity to talk to someone slip by.

"Grandma Nana...."Suddenly he realized that he had subconsciously added grandma. "Can you heal my big sister?"

"And what would you pay? In exchange for her treatment?" Nana's reply would have normally been different, but her interest had been piqued by a child known to be demonic in nature. As she found him amusing to her.

"I can work as your apprentice," Tobi replied before realizing, he was acting all stupid again. Was it because it was his first time communicating with someone outside his family?

'Dammit! Anyway, it shouldn't be too bad if she accepts, it like hitting two birds with one stone. I could also treat sister's illness and earn money to improve our family.'

"Really? And what can you do exactly?"

"Yes, Tobi. What can you do?"Christy was stunned. Inwardly she wanted to know what her little son could do too? But to the outsider, her foot was furiously tapping the floor in annoyance, and her eyes could almost shot out laser beams, Tobi was sure he was in for some serious talking.

"I could sweep the floor, and help be your little errand boy." He said with a low apologetic tone, staring at her face.

"I'm sorry Mother, I just wanted you to know that am a big boy now."

The chattering increased in volume. Christy was incredibly surprised, and how much of what he had said was true, and could he do?

She wanted to Know. But not in front of strangers, and when everyone was now starting to stare at them with a hint of admiration.

'Nana seems really impressed. Maybe this is a turning point in Tobi's life if she takes him as her apprentice. We could have a physician in our family, I can't ruin this opportunity for him.' Christy thought silently to herself.

Christy kept her silence and wondered about her son's future, just maybe this could show the villagers he was just a normal child too.

"Would you please be willing to show me?" Nana asked laughing for the first time.

'Here goes everything.' Tobi thought.

Someone had quickly rush to bring a broomstick, as they handed it over to Nana before passing it to him.

Taking the broom with both hands, he began wiping the floor that had slight sand and dust on them. 

"Oh, wonderful!" Nana couldn't help laugh in admiration again, as she watched his clumsy figure moving about on the floor.

She could see more of herself in him, she had once been a precocious brat. When she was his age, making Tobi a sight to behold.

Usually, women do much of the household work like washing or sweeping, and men provide for the household.

And again, village boys were usually blockheads and lazy. They were more inclined to only wander about the village chasing skirts or betting, or thinking of becoming a knight.

"Now I want you to do something for me. Can you try packing the little dirt you just sweeped?"

Tobi nodded in response.

"It does not matter how many leftovers remain."

Tobi could not comprehend the reason for such specific requests but had nonetheless complied.

Squatting down a bit, he was given a flat metal with a handle on its body. Tobi could not afford to be a man of steel, so his focus was peaked trying to make his lack of control convincing.

...

For the first time, Nana was actually amazed. "My name is Maidea, but everyone knows me by Nana."

"Why Nana?" The name Nana was usually used in terms of endearment used for family grandmothers.

"Of course because am old, and apart from that when I was still a young beautiful maiden everyone called me by my name. But then time passed, and I became old after helping so many children come into this world they started calling me grandma. After even more time had passed, those children had children of their own, and they all started calling me grand Nana." She said ruffling his black hair.

"I have a proposal for you. Now are you too small, but when you have clocked six or seven years old, instead of just attending school like that, together with those dumbheads, you could come over and I will teach you things you need to know.

"Mother, is what she says the truth?" He replied while hiding behind his mother, only half his face visible between her legs.

Christy didn't know whether she should cry or laugh. Her dream had come true, but her son didn't even understand how grave what he was turning down.

"Please, excuse him, Nana. He is just three years old, he has no idea what he is saying. He doesn't even know the importance of apprenticeship."

"This little brat, three?."Nana repeated. "It's seemed almost too good to be true, but you are right. Kids would always remain kids.

"Well, we'll have this conversation again three years from now." She rubbed Tobi's head, looking him straight in the eyes.

"If you don't become as dumb as all the other boys in this village, I'll take you as my apprentice. Of course, if you're still interested."

Tobi nodded, grabbing his mother's gown seeking for her protection.

His weak and timid appearance hid his wild thoughts.

'Three years? You might as well let my sister die before then! And all because of you, greedy ba*tard.' Tobi thought. He was already sick of seeing his sister's going through such circle of pains, and not being able to even help her.

What if I bite her on the neck? Wouldn't I be able to turn my sister into a vampire?