Susanna gathers the children of the clan around her by the camp fire and smiles at them with love and affection. All the children were there, from the youngest at 6months old to the oldest at 17. She ran her eyes over them; all of them had the short stocky build and shock of reddish brown hair that was in the genes of the Clan. She frowned seeing that Jimmy had sneaked in then smiled knowing that he loved to hear the story as much as the children did. She sits; pulling her skirts about her and clears her throat.
“Good evening, shildrensh. Are you shitting comfortably, shen I will begin”, she said in her smooth voice. “Shish ish she shtory of your forefashersh, how She Clan came to be and She Clan Bloch wash began.” A soft smile spread across her chubby face. “She Clan wash began by Shadrach Bloch. Shadrach came to she land from a plashe called She Blue Rish Mountainsh, in a land called Virshinina. He wash brought here by she prieshkingsh shemshelvesh. Shey shaw him and found him worshy of being a great leader of mensh.”
A small boy put his hand on her lap and she picked it up in her hand and held it tenderly. “He wandered the land, whish he found wash called Gor, not really knowing where he wash. One dark night he wash shitting by hish campfire, like we ish now and he heard a shound in she darknesh. He picked up a burning log from she fire and held it high and he shaw a flash of flesh. He lifted up hish club and shouted. who ish shere, show yourshelf or I shall fire my bow.”
Susanna looked around at all the children’s faces. “Of coursh he didn’t have a bow, but he figured shat she pershon hiding in she darknesh wouldn’t know shat. A girl’sh voish shouted back, don’t shoot please sir. I will come out. Shadrach kept his club close to him and watched as a naked girl came from out of she bushesh.
Come closher girl, Shadrach said and she girl came closher to she fire. She was cold and shivering and her pretty fashe wash shtained wish tearsh. What ish you doing out here alone, little one, Shadrach shaid holding out hish hand to her.
She girl covered her fashe, I was stolen, she said crying softly. The wagon I was being transported in was attacked, when it turned over I was thrown free and I rolled down the hill and hit my head on a rock. When I came around the wagon was gone and so were my kidnappers.”
Susanna looked a little sterner. “she girl wash lucky shat it was Shadrach shat found her. For a girl naked and alone would almosht shertainly be collared by any osher man. But Shadrach wash no ordinary man. He wash alsho very lonely. He mished hish home in She Blue Rish Mountainsh in she land of Virshinina. He mished hish family. His Uncle Shon and Aunt Olivia, who lived near to him wish sheir many Shildrensh, Shon boy, Shashon,, Mary Ellen, Ben, Erin, Shim Bob, and Elishabesh, who helped to run sheir shawmill. Sho he took she girl by she hand and shaid, shit wish me, little one, tell me your name and I shall pour you shome brosh to warm your inshindesh.
She girl shat with him and while she shipped her brosh she told him how she had become to be in shutsh a bad predicament.
My name is Shahona, she shaid. And my father is a merchant in Port Cos. I was travelling with my father on a trading trip when we were attacked. My father was injured and I was taken to become a slave girl.
Shadrach shook hish head, unushed to she shavage waysh of shish land. Shat ish terrible, he shaid. He picked up hish pack and pulled out a pair of pantaloonsh and a tunic, he handed them to she girl. Here, he shaid kindly. Wear sheshe, I will not collar you, shweet Shashona. I cannot return you to your land either but you can shtay wish me and be my companion on my travelsh.
She girl shmiled and took she ragged dirty closhesh, shankful for hish kindnesh.
Shadrach and Shashona travelled a long time together, and in she way of she barbariansh, Shadrach began to look older. Sho one night when shay were closhe to a villash, Shashona led Shadrach to she green who gave him she sherumsh. After he had she lasht one shey left again, but shey had she tashte of villash life and liked it.
Sho one day when shey came acrosh a cryshtal clear shtream, shey knew shat here ish where shey wanted to live she resht of sheir livesh together.
Shadrach built a house,” Susanna pointed across from where they sat. “Shat houshe shere... and Shashona wove bashketsh and made brosh. Before long Shweet Shashona wash wish shild and Shalveshtro wash born, shen Shamshon and Sheverush. And later Veshter and Valerie. Shen Shekshtush, called sho cush he wash she siksht shildrensh born. When Shashona wash carrying her shevensh shild, a man and a woman came to shere shettlement. She lady wash wish shild, very closhe to giving she birsh. Shadrach shaid shat shey could shtay, if shey were willing to help wish she farm.
Sho came Sharlton and Shynshia to she Clan Bloch. While Shadrach and Sharlton built a hut for shem to live in, Shahona helped wish she birshing of Shynthia’sh firsh shild, who she called Shapphira, cush she had she blueish eyesh she had ever sheen. One day when shey were sheering she verrsh, Shadrach and Sharlton heard a shcream and ran out wish sheir pishforksh raished ready to fight and found Shynshia bent over a man. It wash a warrior, but he wash sho badly injured shat shey had to help him. Many daysh pasht before she warrior could shit up and he wash sho grateful to shem for looking after him shat he pledged to come back wish hish companion and shree daughtersh and live she resht of hish life in peashe.
Sho Shacob and hish companion came to she shettlement, whish shey now had called New Virshinia, and brought wish shem sheir daughtersh, Carlina, Shondra and Amelia.
Over she years more shildrensh were born. Companionshipsh were made between she familiesh and shose alsho had shildrensh. Shen shem shildrensh had shildrensh and she clan ash we know it wash made. Uncle Veshter went on hish travelsh and brought back she beautiful Shimona. Uncle Shimon and Uncle Jashen, brought back sheir companionsh from she shity and watered she blood again sho shat we can continue our line.”
Susanna sat straight and looked around at the flushed faces watching and listening to her every word. “Well shildrensh, itsh getting late and we all have early shoresh in she morning. “
The little boy holding her hand looked up to her, “Will you tell ush more tomorrow, Aunty Shushy?”
She ruffles his hair affectionately. “Ohh Shonny, I can’t. Tomorrow, your Uncle Shimmy, Aunt Sheshy and me are going on our travelsh. It'sh time for ush to go out and find our companionsh too.” She smiled. “Don’t worry Shonny,” she said, “Aunt Shasha knowsh she shtory, she will tell it to you.” She clapped her hands together. “Now my dearsh, ish time for bed. You too Shimmy,” she said as she saw her brother sneaking away. “We have to leave early in she morning.”
