Prelude
by sloanranger
Part 5
Simza, against all her pleadings, had been left behind to make the xarista, a fried cornbread with the blackberries added, that they'd found yesterday. Of course, there was strong hot tea.
As soon as the women arrived Sofia was introduced to Slyfesta and Simza.
"But guli chey," Vadoma presented her daughter. "I'm sorry – my very sweet girl," she explained.
"No," Sofia turned to Vadoma, "I understood. My husband's mother was Rom."
A look passed between Slyfesta and his wife. Vadoma, smiled inwardly. Yes, this was good. The woman was practically Rom and the boy had Rom blood.
They all sat down to breakfast and afterward, Slyfesta left to help Merival and Sofia's son with the bringing of their wagon and goods.
"Simza, you will do the wash today, no - while I show our Sofia around the camp?"
"Yes, Mama."
The girl slung the full blanket over her shoulder that contained the laundry and walked to the stream.
She was sitting at the edge of the rushing water a few hours later. Beating the wet clothes against the rocks now and again and wringing them out, she saw her father and the boy approaching. For no reason she could think of she began trembling.
Her father began: "Simza, this is our new guest, the son of Sofia - Anayus." The girl rose and bowed her head slightly as was proper with introduction of a new male her own age.
"How goes the washing?" her father asked.
"It is almost finished, Papa," the girl answered.
"Leave it for now and come eat, your mother has the meal ready," he said.
Simza pulled a skirt from the stream and hastily half-wrung it and added it to the pile of wet laundry atop a flat rock.
Mama had added the farmer's vegetables and a rabbit to the stew and everyone praised it. All through the meal Simza had worked to quiet her trembling and done a good job too. But the shy glances between her girl and Sofia's boy were not lost on Vadoma.
Slyfesta took his after-dinner pipe from his mouth. "It gets dark earlier," he said. "You will finish the wash now, is it, girl?"
"Yes, Papa," the girl rose.
"You are our guest, Anayus," Slyfesta continued, "but perhaps you will assist my daughter?"
Vadoma shot a quick look at her husband who pretended not to see it.
"Yes, Dom," the boy said, scrambling to his feet and the two young people left the camp.
(To be continued).
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Prelude - @Short Story
Romance@SHORTSTORY: HF, Romance. Romany (gypsy) girls become women early. 14 year old Simza learned she had the 'sight' when she was 4 years old & kissed by another toddler. She could 'see' in her palm he was her future husband. A boy comes to join their g...
