Sweet Satisfaction (Purple UGC Winner 2014)

Sweet Satisfaction - Fifty-One

Fifty-One

“We are approaching the camp.”

“Hmm,” I responded vaguely, still frowning. Why did I have to stay in the village of Reaurez before Ludmilla told me of this danger? What was this danger? Would John be alright by himself in the house, in his fragile mental and slowly improving physical state?

We started walking through the makeshift houses. The people stopped their cooking to bow to me, spicy aromatic scents wafting out of their saucepans, and the grey wisps from their fires rising into a sky ablaze with streaks of violet, orange and red.

We reached a triangular-shaped tent. Ludmilla pushed the tassels around the opening to reveal a confined, dark space, smelling of some foul smoke.

Empty glass bottles surrounded a small man with matted long hair, curled up in an abundance of fraying blankets. I blinked.

“Katachatchawen!” Ludmilla snapped. He opened a bloodshot eye, murmuring and grumbling.

“Si?” (Yes?)

“Elsie is here.” So my arrival was planned, then? His eyes opened further.

“Elsie no es pequeña.” (Elsie is not small/tiny.)

“Yo…” (I…) Then they were arguing away in Spanish, English, and a language not even known to my ear.

*****

A few hours later, I was sitting around a large campfire, eating mostafas, a special type of rice, listening to the fiddles, general conversation, the clink of bottles, and the squeal of breathless girls as they dared one another to take a puff on a pipe. My hair was in two loose plaits, and Ludmilla had given me a new dress of white silk, and a leather belt that held a small dagger which made my skin prickle with unease.

Did I need this to protect myself from the danger? Was my brother really murdered, my little brother? Why had no-one told me before? Did Mary know, and if so, had she told Emma? How long would I have to stay here, their Queen, waiting for danger?

“¡Hola! Hello! Kawai!” I turned to see a girl of about my age, with a flowing river of gold down her back, sitting down beside me. She was extremely beautiful, more so than Emma, with a soft glow around her, a genuine smile and friendly demeanour, in contrast to Emma’s mysterious, dark, seductive beauty.

“Me llamo Elizabeth Emily Moneypenny.” (My name is Elizabeth Emily Moneypenny.) I smiled at her, and the three girls behind her. Elizabeth gestured at them.

“Maria Gongalez, Maria Mortenez y Raiweysha Wodukü, known as Rain.” (y= and)

*****

We quickly became very good friends, if a little unusual a group: Elizabeth, the confident American; the two Spanish Marias, bubbly, bright, loud and giggly; Rain, the native from the village, with sky-blue eyes, dyed blonde hair and brown skin; and me, their Queen.

Everyday, we swam, danced, laughed and behaved frivolously; painting our faces, running barefoot and climbing trees. I felt part of something, and slowly I tried to forget the fact that my innocent brother was probably drowned on purpose, my incestuous mother was pregnant, my own lover had kissed Susanna and that Ludmilla never took her eyes off me. Not even in her sleep.