Hauntingly Beautiful Girls

"A Goddesses' Hand (Part 10)"

For some hours, I become more convinced that death will find me today.

Then there is a cheery sound, and the mother rushes into the room. We both get swept into the main room.

There is a roll of paper with writing in my language.

I admit that I am not a scholar. I know some letters and words.

The rolled paper has confusing words.

"Cause rejected"

"Settled relationship"

"Provoked"

"Actions to disarm."

"New border: agreed"

In my confusion, the mother uses hand actions to show. "Your hands will not be cut off." "Your head will not be cut off."

She leads me in a weak stupor to the hanging cloth with images of marriage.

She points to the third scene. It causes me to reach up to my forehead. The large gem is not there. When I washed and changed clothes that gem was not put back.

That means the time later, when there was much unintelligible talking, I got married!

The mother then points down to the fourth scene (where there are children). I seriously start to tremble.

Rescue happens when the man comes and takes me back to that previous room.

This time I am one to lie on his lap.

My mother told me.

"Stay out of city center. Do not run away. That would be noticed. Just be scarce. A person of status could walk up at any time. Take you by the arm and make you work in the field. Take you by the arm and make you work in the house (cooking and cleaning). If they were a warrior and did not have a wife, they could take you as a wife."

That Goddess placed me here. Plopped far away into a bad storm with less than any young woman ought to have when facing the world.

This man was good to give me his cloak. His family is kind. This place has many luxuries.

I ought to be happy about being married.

I planned to tell him with my smile, but I fell asleep. So much stress caught up with me.

I began my life as wife and future mother the next morning.

Proving over my life that I only ever needed just that one man.