Love and Hunt

Chapter One

I had a thought that if I could go outside and meet other people, I could feel alive. But that wasn't like what my father had in his mind as it could threaten me. I knew I had kind of life that wasn't not different those people who could go outside and talk each other without worries. I looked similar with them. My parents had similar looks with them. And my brother could be considered as a guy who belonged to one of them. I still sat on this wooden chair and looked outside the window. I could see my brother and my parents harvesting those corns from our fields. From those fields, I and my family could feed our bellies. Some people from the city would come to this countryside and bought those corns from my fathers. And I could be so thankful for the condition that I had with my family. But I couldn't lie to myself. I wanted to meet a handsome guy instead of getting married with a guy that my father chose for me.

I still remembered how many times my father told me about social media. He knew that I could find other men on that social media. He also knew that if I fell in love to a guy I found from social media, I would deny the guy that he chose for being my husband. I didn't want to live unhappily. I didn't want to live away from the crowd. I knew this intention couldn't be decreased and tamed. It's caused by that social media. I could feel that my mind had been taken by that guy who only used his handsome face. I wanted to meet with such guy or the other guys that could attract me. I knew that if I wanted to find them, I needed to get out from this house. But it could be dangerous for me as I didn't know where I would stay and what kind of work that I could do for feeding my stomach. But if I decided to stay and got married with the guy that was chosen by my father to be my husband, that would be more dangerous for me. I looked away from my father and my brother and had decided.

***

Dinner came, and my mother had set those foods for me and my brother, and my father. I was sitting next to my brother, and my mother was sitting in front of my brother.

"Anna," My father said as sitting over there in this dining table. "You have to be like your mother. She can cook tasty foods for me and your brother, even for you. You have to be a good woman as you'll be a mother one day. But I seldom see you helping your mother preparing dinner. I'm worried if you get addicted to that social media."

"You can ask mom," I said. "I've helped her for preparing this dinner for four of us."

"Yes, she has, Bill." My mother said.

"And I don't get addicted to that social media, Dad." I lied to him. "You can check my smartphone. You won't find the app on my smartphone."

"But I couldn't forget the day when I found that social media on your phone." He said.

"I won't forget that." I said. "And I won't let it happen again."

I knew it wouldn't happen as I had to lie to my father. I didn't want to live as if I lived in a cage. I wanted to get out and meet other people like I found on that social media. And the love had grown stronger until I had made a plan to escape from this house and leave my family.

***

I kept shutting my eyes when I knew that my father was checking me. He wanted to make sure that I had been sleeping. I kept pretending that I had been sleeping. I didn't move my body that had been covered by this blanket and kept closing both of my eyes. I still didn't hear anything until I heard the door of my bedroom was closed by my father. Then, I opened my eyes and looked that the door of my bedroom had been shut by my father. I got my body out of the bed quietly. I didn't want anyone woke up because of the noise that I created for escaping from this house. I made for my wardrobe. I opened the wardrobe and took the bunch of blankets that I had prepared for going down from this upstairs bedroom through the window using this bunch. After wearing my backpack, I kept trying to walk silently until I could reach above my bed and opened the window. Then, I tied the end of the blanket to the hook above my windowpane. When I had tied the blanket firmly, I began to climb down to the ground outside my house by using this bunch of blankets. I kept climbing down carefully and hoping I wouldn't fall until the noise would wake my parents and my parents. I kept holding the blankets until I could land my feet on the ground safely and silently. When I looked around, I could feel the excitement as I could get out of my upstairs bedroom without waking up my brother and parents.

I could feel the growing worry inside me when I kept stepping away from my house. I knew that it could be bad if I didn't know where to go when I had been in the city, but I couldn't forget about her, Grace. She had left her family for so long for staying in the city. I had still remembered her face. And I still had the photo of her inside my bag. I realized that I kept leaving my house and my family behind as I knew what I had to when arriving in the city. And I could wipe the worry when I had been in the city as I wouldn't be alone. Grace had been in the city, and I needed to look for her. I kept walking until I walked on the empty road under the night sky with couple of stars up there. Both of them were shining as if they wanted to stay with me during my journey to reach the city. I kept walking along the road that was shone by the lamps. Those steps I had taken had been seen by no one along the road I was taking. I still heard the quietness while I was looking forwards.

***

I found a big tree next to the road. I knew that I had left my house left behind and had been far from my house. It was my first time to see that big tree in this countryside for me. I kept approaching that big tree until I could touch the trunk of it. I took a break and felt the tiredness over my legs. The night stayed still, and I sat down to the ground next to the big tree. I began to breathe normally while I was enjoying the break that I had under the big tree. The road was still quiet. I expected that I would hear a car, and I would get a ride from the driver to the city. I put my backpack next to me and cuddled it. I hoped I was fine when I decided to take a break under this big tree. I could feel that my eyes couldn't stay longer. And I knew that sleepiness grew stronger inside me until I couldn't make myself awake any longer. Grace, she would be the one I had to find first. She would be the one that could save from being lost in he city. I knew that I wasn't so close to her, but at least she knew me. We're same.

***

I opened my eyes when I got disturbed by the sound of a car horn. I tried to make myself fully awake and looked to where the sound coming from. I found a car that stopped on the road over there.

"Hi, do you need a ride, girl?" She said inside the car.

"Yes, ma'am." I said as getting on my feet and wearing my backpack. I walked toward the black car whose driver was waiting for me as she wanted to give me a ride. I could feel the excitement that there was someone wanted to give me a ride to the city. I kept walking until I could pull the door of the car and get into the car. I sat next to the woman and closed the car door. And then, I put the sea belt on.

"I didn't expect that I would find someone at the side of the road to the city." She said. "What're going to do to the city?"

"I'm going to find a job there." I said.

"I see." She said. "I hope you're going to find one."

"Thanks." I said. "And thanks for the ride as well."