Disputed Love

People of Serafina

I bring up my wrist to have a glance at the time, 3.58am, anytime now.

I stood on the stairs that descended further into the river waiting for my Sun to show up.

To my right, some of the natives have come to the banks to offer morning prayers to The Sun. Against the dusky background of the Eastern sky, their white outfits stoods up like a painting.

Everyday, the rising time of The Lord Sun is assessed and is sent out by the ministry to the people of Serafina, so they can punctually offer their prayers.

Over the years, fewer people have been coming to the banks, as contemporary houses are built with a view of eastern sky at one window and western sky on the other.

I have come to the Rieka, the holy river of Serafina with my Oma, since I was about 5 years old. Since, I have not stopped coming. It is almost like a convention now.

Before the sun shows up, tincture of light shines all over the sky, staining it in faded colours and then gradually turning into bright shades of amber.

Oma said that it reminded her of ice candies, that she probably loved it more than me. Eating it was her oldest and most treasured memory. And just like that, she became my oldest memory, as all of the sky reminded me of her.

Today, I have a wish to make. A demand to command. A long standing hope. To run, runaway. Hence, this sunrise is not ordinary. After a lot of procrastination, I have made up my mind to leave the protective frontiers of Serafina and travel beyond before I apply for the job in the Ministry and get tethered to life.

But I don't know if I want to work for the Ministry either, it is my fall back plan, or may be something to come back for.

I have a lust for what's beyond the shores, behind the summits, and in the depths of woods. There is a whole different world breathing beyond the pastures of Serafina. The unknown.

After 2 days before the people of The Sun's wake up, Rosa will leave for her quest.

But before that, I have to contour my story of 'leaving to visit distant relatives in Elsora', a small island near the Serafina's and feed it on a platter void of loopholes to Emir.

Emir, my dearest foe, is an employee to the Ministry of Defence, so evidently, he oversees the ins and outs of the border. Not physically, but he manages the paperwork.

It's not that hard to forge the papers as lying and deceiving is a criminal action in Serafina, and our religion doesn't encourage such actions, hence, it's not a popular trend among the citizens, because no one wants their butts kicked by the Ministry.

There have not been any cases of illegal crossing in the past  90 years, because of the fear instilled by the Ministry and heavy protection on the borders, but am I going to be the first insurgent? Yes, as I strongly believe that no one should be held from traveling around the world.

 The world should be a free village, as we are children of nature, journey is second nature to us and owning the piece of land is a myth, utmost foolishness, we can never buy the earth, it's a barter system, it gives us a place to live and we maintain stability in return.

Sun rises all over the world, so if there is a bright morning in the small town of Zariya, it demands to be seen.

I go to meet Emir at the Ministry head office, where he sits stoic on his leather chair with his back as straight as the Cedar Tree's trunk, his head hovering the papers, as if he is threatening them to shrink or align themselves in a straight line.

Classic Emir, he works for the Ministry of Defence but he trained himself as a soldier and in fact, lives by their canons of moral codes.

'Good Morning Emir, how are you doing? Busy morning for you, I see.'

'Yeah, holiday season and people are wanting to travel, I don't understand, is it not a holiday for me too?

He hasn't looked at me, so I make myself feel welcome and take a seat opposite to his table.

'You can leave if you want Emir, but do you really love anything but this office?'

'Hahah! Your jokes always have hidden connotations, how come I hold your Elsora trip for a few weeks?'

Now, he looks at me, I can't tell, as he doesn't give away much, all I see is a set of piercing eyes that would make anyone squirm in their chair.

'Evil Emir has appeared, and here I was hoping he had laden under the weight of papers.

'Not so easily, Rosa, not until you are around.'

'Maybe, if Evil Emir would take a notch down, you can hear my joke for what it is'

'Nothing about you is just on-surface Rosa, that is one thing I have learned about you over the years of knowing you.'

He looks at me, deep in the eyes. Onlookers would say that his job trained him to look at me with a probing gaze but Emir has always been like that, he has looked at me shrewdly, since the first day.

'Is it so?'

'Cmon now Emir, I am getting late for the shopping, you are holding me up,' I say with a smile.

'Oh, why didn't you tell me, of course I would have quickened the important paperwork to accustom your shopping, that's the top most priority for me'

'Ahh...you reek of sarcasm'

'You bring that out in me'

'So, tell me, how come I never heard of these distant relatives in Elsora?'

'You don't my family, they are not as per say blood relatives, but they were like family to Oma'

I had rehearsed every possible question he could ask me. The Ministry has records of your family, there is no way Emir would believe it otherwise. But everyone knows, Oma was my only family left, so Emir won't question me further out of condolences. I know he has his doubts but to further inquire would go against basic decency.

If you want to lie and make it sound believable, don't answer the straight questions that require precision in hundred percent accuracy, and answer in clarity to the questions that don't require precision.

Simple in theory but it is demanding in actions.

'So, am I going to go or not, Emir or spend this holiday alone at home when the country celebrates the New Years with their family? I would really like some company and not be alone this year, again.'

And that was my lowest blow. To use my loneliness and wield it to manipulate him is not something I would encourage, but I am not here to teach moral lessons, I am just trying to live here.

Sympathy in him makes my gut wrench in guilt. Emir is not a bad person, he just happens to never trust me and I can't blame him for that either.

'Fine, you are all cleared' and he stamps the paper with a CLEAR seal and all my guilt transmutes into the shape of butterflies of excitement.

I was so happy that I almost went in for a hug but Emir gave me an eye, as one must have observed that he is not the most warm-hearted person, he would rather jump in an ice cold lake than hug me.