The Market Day
Year of the Lilies
Torrid Season
The Hut
Kintil
•Isla•
TODAY DAY is a market day which means that most of the adults will be going to the market to buy and sell some much needed goods. I sleep in a little and wait just long enough for my parents to leave for the market.
I pull my fur blanket tighter over me and wait to hear my parents' departing footsteps. The Torrid Season is characterized by freezing cold nights and scorching hot days.
Mavli lays snoring softly beside me, I sit up and watch her sleep for a while. I notice the way her chest rises and falls at intervals and the way she breaths out through slightly parted lips, she looks so frail and vulnerable in her sleep as she curls up into a ball. By the way her fists clench and unclench I can tell she's dreaming.
I hate to wake her up but daylight is wasting. I shake her bony shoulders as gently as I can manage.
"Mavy," I say in a sing-song voice," it's time to wake up."
She mutters something and turns the other way, giving me her back. Grinning sinisterly, I turn the other way so I'm facing her again," wake up, sleepyhead."
She groans but keeps her eyes shut. I was hoping she'd do that. I pinch her nose in between my thumb and index finger and watch her toss and struggle to get my hand off.
"Get off me!" She exclaims amidst sputtering.
I can't help laughing as I jump to my feet, leaving her on the mat. She mutters a few words and stands up stretching.
"Come on, Mavy. You're slept half of the morning away," I say.
"Says the girl who woke up a second before me," she retorts after an open-mouthed yawn.
I roll my eyes," I was awake the whole morning, just didn't bring myself to stand up."
"Sure." She gives me a mocking grin," I believe you." I decide to let it slide.
I can't wait to be out of the rumbled calico dress. Commoners like us can only afford calico and the poorest of us wear sackcloth or homemade animal hide. The nobles and royals wear the finest silks, satin and velvet. I've always dreamt of the day I'll be free of the rough clothing I was born into and don the softest silk instead.
~•~
Mavli and I sit on the mat with a bowl of roasted maize cobs and a bowl of goat milk mother had milk from our nanny goat — Valri at dawn.
I was given the honour of naming her when she was just a newborn kid. When I first laid on her frail and scrawny form, I knew just the perfect name for her; Small which translates as Valri in Kintilese. Mother had immediately agreed with me. But now, Valri is anything but frail, scrawny or small; she's strong, stubborn and friendly.
We also have a few hens whose eggs we consume as we please. We let the hens and Valri roam free during the day looking for food and once it's evening, they loyal animals return home to the back of our hut where father had built a shed-like structure out of bundles of dried grass for them.
I eat without tasting the food, Mavy and I take healthy sips of the milk till we see the bottom of the bowl. We finish our breakfast before the twinkle of an eye. And we head out to the river to have our bath carrying only a jar of the gel-like soap father had made from fronds and resins in a pouch which also holds a change of clothes neatly folded.
"Mavy," I say while we take the common path to the stream," it seems you are angry with me."
I run my dry tongue over my gritty teeth and cracked lips. My lips sting in response and I stifle a wince. We only stepped out of the house a few minutes ago and my lips are already dry and cracked. I need to get to the river as soon as possible.
Mavli only scoffs and tugs at the tall thick grasses along the narrow path. She doesn't say anything and we walk on a few more minutes. I try to distract myself with the sounds of crowing cocks, mooing cattle I can sight amongst the tall grasses. The pungent stench of dung is carried to my nostrils by the hot dry torrid breeze. If only... I shake my thoughts away like a dog would shake water off its coat.
The merciless sun sits high above our heads and sends it's unforgiving heat to us in hard waves. My underarms are damp and sweat runs down my forehead in rivulets. My calico dress is damp from perspiration and some of my hair sticks to my forehead. I wipe salty sweat off my brows and turn to my sister who seems unmoved by the heat. My throat is blistering and my tongue is as dry as wood.
"Mavli!"
My sister and I whirl around at the same time to the sound of her name. I narrow my eyes at the running figure as it makes it way to us running unbelievably fast for the heat.
"Cirok!" Mavli's face lit up as the lean male catches up with us and bends at his waist panting like a dog.
"Hello, Isla." He greets me amidst pants.
I give him a stiff nod. My eyes travel along the length of his body; he is lean and tall, the bones of his face are angular and sharp. His hair exists in tiny curls and are bleached copper by the sun. My gaze rests on his lips, they are cracked and dry as I'll guess mine to be but they are really plump, as plump as a woman's. Tearing my eyes away, I force myself to look anywhere else except the male in front of me. I notice a flock of egrets flying south — to where the mooing cattle are grazing.
"I saw you girls from afar, was trying to call out to you-" he says as he wipes sweat off his forehead with the back of his hand.
"So you ran to catch up with us?" Mavli smiles at him," that's so sweet of you!"
I roll my eyes, forcing my body to turn around and move I continue our journey to the stream. I'm starting to stink, I can't wait to be immersed in the cold water, sadly it's going to be very shallow thanks to the blistering season.
I can hear the now distant chatters of my sister and Cirok. I'm not patient enough to wait for them, they'll just have to meet me at the river.
Surprisingly, the bridged river is empty. I expected to see a crowd of people and then I remember; It's a market day and it's almost noon, must people had their baths hours ago.
We usually have our baths at a smaller stream which is hidden by the human-length grasses and weeds. Unfortunately, it's waters wasn't a match for the reckless Torrid heat.
Peeling off my stinky dirty dress, I drop my pouch containing our soap and new change of dresses by the bank before wadding my way in. The water is cold, my toes curl up and a chill is sent up my spine.
I sigh wistfully and walk in. Squatting, I scoop a handful of water and wash my face with it. The feeling is refreshing and I feel renew, revitalized almost immediately. I scoop some into my dry mouth and swish it around before spitting it out downstream. I try to make every inch of me wet by scooping water and pouring on my dry skin and immersing my hair in the water
I rub the sweet smelling soap all over my body and extra on my face. And my hair making it lather. I scrub my hair fast and vigorously, not wanting anyone — even Mavli and especially not Cirok — to see me in such a vulnerable position.
Once I'm convinced my scalp is clean, I immerse my head again and rinse the lather off. My wild, shoulder-length tresses shrinks and darkens, it forms a mop of ringlets and corkscrew curls. I proceed to wash my face and rinse soap of my body when I'm interrupted.
I hear the slap of feet on the ground before I see the person.
The Onyx Year of the Lilies Torrid Season The Path to the River Kintil • Mavli• "IS SHE OK?" Cirok asks me watching Isla as she quickens her steps, her springy hair bouncing on her shoulders and soon disappears from our sight. I shrug my shoulders. "She's fine." I reply. I'd do anything for a cold drink at this moment, I can't wait to dip in the river to evade this torturous heat. "How did you sleep?" Cirok asks with his huge eyes on my face. I wonder what he sees when he looks at me. Frankly, I'm no beauty compared to Isla, I'm very plain. The only attractive feature is the small mole
The Storm Year of the Lilies Torrid Season The River Kintil •Isla• MAVLI RUNS TOWARDS ME, her feet slapping loudly on the hardened earth. She is smiling and yelling my name. "Isla! Isla!" She runs into the river with full speed splashing water on me and drenching her dress. "What is it?!" I ask terrified," what happened? Where's Cirok?" I glance behind us but there's no sign of the tall male. Panting, Mavli kneels in the river to catch her breath. I quickly rinse the last of lather
Year of the Lilies Torrid Season The River Kintil •Mavli• SOAKED TO THE SKIN, I run as fast as my legs can carry me. My dress clings to me like a second skin and I feel my dripping hair stick to my forehead, cheeks and nape. I just knew she won't be happy for me. But I didn't know her envy ran so deep that she unleashed a storm and in the Torrid Season! What would the people say? Would people suspect her? The stupid girl is going to get herself hanged if she doesn't control her witchcraft. My heart is beating as loud as the talking drum and my legs wobble under me. I have to reach the market as soon a
Year of the Lilies Torrid Season The Orchard Altsas Kyan I HAVE JUST RETURNED from my hike and I am yet to greet my parents after three weeks of being apart. I am reluctant to face my parents especially my father, I'll do whatever I can to evade his concerns on marriage. The old man keeps smothering me each time he sees me and that is part of the reason I go on frequent hikes. The other reason I evade the Kingdom and my identity as Prince is to find myself and remind myself that there's more to life than delicious food and impressive clothing and a beautiful throne. Exhausted and parched, I trot to the palace orchard and sit under the nearest tree. I free myself from the weight of my sword and
The Raid Year of the Lilies Torrid Season The River Kintil Isla I LAY STUNNED ON THE WET GROUND, my fingers are digging into the dirt, my hair and dress are plastered to my body and I'm sobbing; the salty tears roll down my cheeks and some seep into my mouth. I don't know how long I've been lying down here but I know that it's been long enough for the storm to be an ugly memory of a few moments ago. The soft wind that blows is icy and sends shivers down my spine. The hair on my body stands on end and I feel goosebumps rise on my skin. My head is throbbing aggressively and my heartbeat has lessened to a numb thump in my chest cavity. And one name pulsates in my throbbing,
The Scars Year of the Lilies Torrid Season Unknown Road Unknown Place Mavli MY EYES OPEN SLOWLY and I immediately wish it hadn't. I want to sleep this nightmare away. I wish I'll woke up in the hut beside my sister like I did yesterday. Yesterday feels like another lifetime. It's funny how I took the simple bliss of being at home, of being with my mother and father and sister for granted. I'd give anything to be with them right now. I wish I can turn back the hands of time. The huge cart moves beneath me almost fluidly, its rhythm is almost comforting. I can hear the cantering hooves of the horses that pull me further away from the only life I've ever known.
The Thirst Year of the Lilies Torrid Season Unknown Place Unknown Place •Mavli• AS THE DAY PROGRESSES, the heat of the Torrid Season becomes more apparent. And the stench of our unwashed bodies becomes more unbearable. My nose burns and itches at the smell. What have we done to deserve this? The naked girl in the cage beside mine is still eating rigidly and staring at nothing ahead. Her slender fingers grab the bars of the wooden cage tightly. I wonder how she manages to sit with perfect posture when we are in so much pain. Swarm of flies buzz enthusiastically around us and a generous number of them hover around the scarred boy's face. He doesn't make any move to chase them aw
The Sale Year of the Lilies Torrid Season Market Altsas Mavli WHEN THE HEAT does not relent and the heavy stench in the air becomes unbearable, I feel bile rising up my throat. The churning of my stomach becomes excruciating. Can I hold on a little more? I lean exhausted in my cage, I'm so dehydrated and my tongue is dry and my teeth are gritty. When will we arrive our destination? As if on cue, stone towers appear at the horizon and I feel very uneasy. I suddenly wish we do not reach there so soon. From the shadow our cart casts on the ground, I can tell it's late in the afternoon. I let my weak eyes roll until they land on the li