She loved him.
Yes, is simple. People are doing this all the time, but in her case it was different. She looked from afar , stood around and talked with someone who wasn't meant to be hers right from the start. She knew it. He knew it. But sometimes...
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Silence.
Only the wind was daring to whistle, making the street to seem empty. I swallowed, a bit afraid that someone would hear the fear bursting through my veins. Kenna turned into a solemn statue, like the mused angels that were placed in the graveyard, to watch over the death.
My hands were shaking with no reason, and when a bell rang, a vail of solitude fell upon the town. I trembled, but I didn't move, waiting for whatever was coming like a mute storm from the hills.
I noticed that everyone around me straightened their frames, almost a curious expression rose upon their faces, and I understood.
For the first time in my short life, I had the chance to see such colours and sadness, all wrapped on young and old spirits.
Women of all ages, were marching in synchronization, their eyes a mask of nothingness, a pain coming from the deepest of the earth.
The young girls were walking in front of the women who could have been their mothers, while the old ladies were the ones to end the cycle. I didn't know if they were related, and later I found out that some of them were.
They were parted in groups, a small space was delimiting them. White, red, yellow, and ending with black. Their attires were covering them from head to toe, only their faces were visible for the public, and the silky materials were creating the illusion of a moving rainbow sinking the street.
Kenna started to smile, everyone was doing the same, so I followed them with no actual idea of what was happening.
The parade stopped and another character appeared. A teenager, dressed in ripped clothes, covered in mud began to cry, while the colorful ladies were giving her a dead stare, mocking her inferiority.
The girl was yelling, falling on her knees, rising her hands to touch their long gowns, wanting to go with them, to travel the town and be pure again. But the women avoided her and the people on the street burst into laughter, clapping their hands and pointing toward the girl who was mourning her own downfall.
" You should laugh, Reyna. It's the tradition." Kenna said to me, and I forced myself to offer her a smile.
" What she did? They are punishing her? " I asked, feeling bad for the girl who was still moping.
Kenna chuckled and began to applause.
" It's just a role. She is acting. It's our people way to celebrate the harvest. They had a magnificent year and now they are laughing in the face of the drought. " she pointed at the girl, who slowly went to her feet.
" Oh, impressing. She was the drought. " I spoke to myself, staring after the parade and thinking about how different I was, how strange I was in that land with unknown rules.
Without a single word, Kenna grabbed my hand and dragged me into a small restaurant. The walls were made of pieces of stones aligned into a complex puzzle, and the windows were painted in blue. The tables were occupied with an exception, and we strolled toward the back of the salon.
A man gave us the menus, winking at Kenna, who didn't bother to respond. My eyes became the size of an onion, and I bet that my skin was scarlet red. I couldn't understand a word in the menu, not even the letters.
" Kenna " I whispered, leaning toward her.
" What language it's this? "
She patted the air and made a sign for me to move my chair closer to hers.
" It's not a language. You will get used to this in time . Every restaurant has it's own ideas when it comes about their foods, and how the products should be named. "
" Fine, but I don't know what to command. Any suggestions? "
" The sun pie it's absolutely delicious, and it's working great with the blue blood sugar."
What?
"Blood? Are you kidding, right? "
" Relax, darling! I will decide for both us, you'll love it. Trust me. "
She was right, that pie was marvellous and the blood was only cranberries juice. The taste was somehow sweet, blending with the apples from the pie.
After we put our stomachs at silence, we visited a few stores, Kenna bought a pair of boots with endless heels, and a brooch with her initials. K. W.
" We should go home. My mother it's probably worried. " I told her, and she nodded gently.
" I guess it's enough for the first day. I hope you enjoy it. "
" Very much, but I have to admit that my feet hurts like hell. "
And I was the one wearing flats.
" Pain it's the price of being beautiful. " the girl flipped her hair and I shook my head, amused by her choice of words.
When we finally arrived at her home, my mother seemed relived and her worried glances made me curious to ask her a thousand questions.
Kenna went to her chambers and I spent the evening talking with my mother, while Matt was playing with his car.
" This town it's odd. " that's all I said and mom sighted.
" I was scared that you'll find it normal. This place it's looking dead under the sun, but at night it's another story. "
" What do you mean? "
She took a deep breath, enough to fill four lungs, and I placed my chin in the curve of my palm.
" I bet that you noticed that most of the stores and restaurants are closed during afternoon, that's because the city it's still asleep from the previous night. "
" Today it was the harvest thing. " I couldn't remember the name of the celebration, but my mother knew exactly what I was saying. " Did you like it? "
" It wasn't funny at all. I don't know why they laughed so freely." I stated, absently, my thoughts flying back at that crying girl.
" These people see amusement in suffering, fun in tears and life in darkness. " she stopped a little and then continued" It's not always a bad thing, but for someone with a frail and innocent heart that's terrifying. "
" That's why you and dad left? "
She looked outside the window, at the full moon that was beginning her dance.
" I was scared that I would end up like them. All my friends - "
My brows knitted and I turned my head to watch the moon .
" They all changed and died in a few nights . What hurt the most was that I couldn't recognize them. Not even their faces. "
A/ N
Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter . Let me know your opinions in the comments section.
