Heart To Heart || Neteyam Sully

8. There Goes Toruk Makto

"Where'd all the time go?

It's starting to fly."

Neteyam's POV

"We are leaving in two days." That was what dad had told us earlier. All of us knew it was coming ever since we overheard their conversation in that tent a few days ago. Though none of us expected it to be this quick.

In two days, dad would no longer be the Olo'eyktan of the Omaticaya clan. And mom would not be a Tsahik anymore. After the ritual for the initiation of the next Olo'eyktan, we would all have to go and leave someplace far from here.

Dad did not mention when we are going to come back. He probably doesn't even know. I totally understand why he chose this decision, but a part of me wished he had chosen the other option.

I would surely miss the forest. It has been my home since I was born. A place filled with good and bad memories. One that has provided me with all the experiences I have, including meeting a certain girl from another planet that looks just like us.

I shook my thoughts away. I've been thinking a lot lately. A bit much for my preference. And it's even more frustrating that most of those thoughts included Eiwa. And there she was, walking towards me with a smile on her face.

It's always on her face that sometimes I doubt whether it is real.

"I bet no one has approached you for the past hour," she said as she took a seat beside me. "You look like an angry grandpa."

"You're right in the first half, but you got the last part wrong," I told her. "What have you been up to? Haven't seen you since this morning. And it's almost dinner now."

"I have been a good newcomer who is trying to fit in and learn," she replied as she handed me a neatly wrapped meal. "By being a useful member of society. Unlike someone."

"Isn't this supposed to be for dinner?" I asked her, raising an eyebrow.

Eiwa groaned, "Why are you so uptight?"

"I was just making sure that you're actually a good member of the society," I returned it back to her who was already pouting, "Who does not let other members starve."

She took the meal in her hand as she walked away, muttering something along the lines of regretting giving it to me and that she should've just waited for Kiri.

"What are you smiling at brother?" Kiri sneaked up behind me.

"I'm smiling?"

Kiri ignored him as she followed his gaze and smirked once she spotted Eiwa, "Ha! I knew it. You've got a thing for her."

"What thing?"

She rolled her eyes at me, "You know what thing."

In reality, it took me a little while to actually know what she meant, but I chose to just play along at that moment.

"So," Kiri began. "Do you think Eiwa should join us?"

"What?"

"She doesn't have a family here and she's new. The closest people to her are us," Kiri said. "I worry for her."

I looked down, finding myself worrying about her too.

"You see me?" Kiri pointed at herself, "I was born and raised here but just because of these extra fingers, no one really accepted me. Other than you, Mom and Dad, of course. Imagine what Eiwa would feel, being a newcomer and all."