The Nameless

Chapter Twenty Six

*** Anyanwu ...

I wake up to an empty room, footsteps coming. I get down and roll under the bed, waiting for the maids to clean the room. The day goes the same as the previous, after cleaning myself, I put on my clothes and knock on the wall. We eat and the priest teaches until the sun goes down and I'm falling asleep. Then Elias would come to fetch me.

Just like the day before, he barely says anything to me. He paces around, again drenched in sweat and grease-as I have been corrected-undoing the buttons of his soiled shirt. I take out my night dress from the dresser and begin to undo my dress. Having changed, I put away my clothes as he's fetching his night gown. I clear my throat, watching him move to the bed to sit down.

"Do you need help with your shoes?"

"No." He mutters under his breath. I move to sit on the bed, on the other end. He pulls off the shoes one by one. Chewing my lip, I begin to loosen the braids in my hair. He's still upset from yesterday, it seems.

Maybe I did make it worse. But what did I do? We made each other happy, after which I went to sleep. Did he want to talk instead? I remember Ikenna always wanted to talk if he was sad. I would've talked to him but I was so weak and sleepy after.

I lay down, watching him put the shoes by the dresser next to mine. Taking off the rest of his clothes, he walks across the room to the bowl of water, coming to the bed after he has cleaned himself.

"Elias, can we talk?" He sighs.

"I'm tired, Thea, if you don't mind. I'd like to retire." I stare at him till he leans in to briefly kiss my cheek. "Goodnight." Laying back down, he turns his back to me.

"Goodnight." I murmur, turning towards the wall. Eventually I fall asleep.

Again, I wake up to those footsteps and quickly hide under the bed. They come in talking in hushed tones. One moves towards the chamber pot and water, the other coming to the bed. As always the one that went towards that corner of the room takes something and leaves the room. She always comes back shortly. The feet of the maid dressing the bed moves to the end and to my shock she gets on her knees and looks under, eyes finding me. I prepare myself to grab her if she begins to scream.

"Thea, I presume." She smiles, her eyes are light brown. "I'm Pragya, the Reverend told me about you, I can help you if you need anything, he says." I stare at her, frozen in place. She's dark skinned, not nearly as dark as I but close to how dark my people are. Why don't I recognize her accent? The door opens so she straightens, returning to her work.

A little while later, they leave. I come out to clean myself, dress up and knock on the wall. The day carries on like it has these past few days, eating and learning.

"Thea?" My head snaps up, eyes barely open, I fell asleep on my sheet of paper and charcoal.

"I'm sorry-"

"Don't be, it is quite late. Here, I'll see if the corridor is free, Elias might be a while." I pull myself up to my feet while he opens the door to check. He turns back to me and nods. "Have a lot of rest, I'm sorry I kept you this long."

"Goodnight." I mutter as I walk out into the corridor and down to the door. Agu pushes the door open ahead of me. The room is empty. Sighing, I take off my clothes, hiding them in a corner underneath the bed for Pragya like Peter asked me to. Then I put on my night dress and get into bed, falling asleep almost immediately.

By the next morning, he's gone, but I know he returned yesternight, his side of the bed is still warm. The next few days go the same, I retire before he returns and he leaves before I wake up.

I bolt up, wide eyes fixed on the shifting door. The dark girl with the strange voice walks in first, gasps at seeing me and rushes back out pulling the door closed behind her.

"Martha-"

"What, girl?"

"The water spilled, did we bring the mop?" The older sounding woman sighs.

"No, I'll fetch it."

"Alright." Footsteps fade down the corridor. I get down. The door opens, the girl coming in and shutting it behind her. She's smiling at me. "You're Thea." I frown at her till she laughs. "I'm sorry, all I saw yesterday was your eyes and the unevenness of your skin. But seeing you fully now, you're truly a sight."

"Thank you." I say slowly. "You're Pragya." She grins, touching her bonnet.

"I have my free time after tea, would you drink with me?" My gaze lowers over her, she's barely taller than I am, probably around my age. What could she want from me? And why does she keep smiling?

"I'm not allowed to leave these cabins-"

"N-no, I would bring the tea here and have it with you. Otherwise I'd be sitting with the old maids, trying not share in their conversation as that only earns me a beating." I think I waited too long to answer because her smile begins to fade.

"Of course, I'll have tea with you." The grin returns, "I should warn you, however, my etiquette is lacking." She laughs, halting when footsteps start towards us.

"That's fine, hide now!" She hisses. I get under the bed just as Martha returns.

"Where's the water child?"

"Sorry, Martha, I could've sworn there was a-" Martha shoves the mop at her.

"Take it back." After they're done with cleaning, I come out and prepare to leave. I knock on the wall and the priest knocks back, twice. I leave the room with Agu. As the sun slowly reaches it is highest, Peter gets up to formerly excuse himself to bring our afternoon tea. My charcoal halts.

"Actually, could I have tea in my room today?" He frowns.

"Alone?"

"No, Pragya would be joining me." He sighs.

"I asked her to be mindful of you but not to make contact."

"She seems nice." I murmur.

"She is, a very nice girl but her being directly acquainted with you leaves her quite vulnerable in case you're found out."

"Then tell her to leave." He shakes his head.

"She's helping us, wouldn't do to be rude to her. You'll go, but you have to explain to her, as nicely as you can afford to..." I stare at him, "...that she cannot be seen with you." I return to my letter writing.

"Alright." He sighs, watching me.

"I understand you're lonely and would like a frie-"

"Don't." I mutter, glancing at the sheet of paper he wrote in for reference. Then I continue writing.

My entire life, besides two people, everyone hated me. I'm comfortable being lonely, I've had to be. He shouldn't sound so pitiful of me. I'll tell the girl to leave me alone.