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Desire
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The dark blue sky was invaded by a million stars and her head felt hazy, by looking up at them.
Ruth was surrounded in a field of liquid red roses, the scent in the air was sweet, a balm to the soul. Her veil was the colour of the sun, a lovely yellow.
Her grandmother stood far off, beckoning her to come closer. She looked younger, there wasn't a wrinkle in sight, and she was dressed in a red kalasiri.
“Grandmother.” Ruth ran across the field of roses, but the closer she got, the further her grandmother seemed to be.
“Grandmother,”she cried, desperately. “I can't get to you, come close.”
Her grandmother only smiled. “What are you willing to do for love?”
The question caught her off guard, she paused, staring at her grandmother.
“Ruth,” and finally, her grandmother was making steps towards her, slow taunting steps.
The moon hung lower, closer than it had ever been, and the ground seemed to drag Ruth to stand right in front of her grandmother. She smelt like the field.
The tears gathered in her eyes, and her heart stuttered, a choked sob escaped her lips.
“Hush.” The woman placed her finger on Ruth's trembling lips. “Don't cry.”
Ruth held in the tears.
“Now. What are you willing to do for love?” Her palms were placed on Ruth's cheeks, a loving embrace.
For a moment, Ruth wasn't able to say a thing, she was overcome by the sweet sensation, the sudden peace, the wonderful haze—
It must have been seven years ago, when Ruth was a girl of fourteen. Her breasts had grown, like little buds of grapes and her undergarments leaked a shameful red. It was that stage in her generation's life, where the boys used their bravery not only for killing bears or lions or going through abandoned caves, but for kissing girls.
Ruth would tell her grandmother how much she hated how brazen the boys had become, how they asked her questions like if her breasts had grown, and how big they were since they couldn't see it with the dresses she wore. Her grandmother would laugh through it all, a twinkle in her eye.
“I have no desire for love, grandmama.” Ruth once said, as they carried up the water from the well.
“That's nonsense. All women desire marriage.”
“I guess, I'm special. I desire food and dancing and music, and all the friends in the world, and fields full of camels. Oh and more linen dresses from Egypt. ”
“That's wonderful dear,” her grandmother said, as the water in the well came up. Her grandmother carried it off and for a moment all her strength was drained.
“Let's sit shall we?”
“You okay, grandmama.”
“Nothing to worry about. Let's just have a seat.”
And they left the water they carried, walking away to sit on the grassy hill, where the sun met the earth in a warm glow.
“You'd be a fool to desire only marriage. That's not what I'm teaching you.”
“It sounds like it. It sounds like what everyone is saying.”
“—You’d be a double fool, to ignore that it's a desire in your heart.”
YOU ARE READING
Ruth: Reimagined
Romance"I want you to belong to someone Ruth." Adira said, her voice softer. "I want you to be able to breathe in a world where everything is placed on a woman's chest, on her back and tied to her legs and then she's told to be beautiful, to be good enoug...
