A God's Mercy (Apollo x OC)

Chapter 34

Something strange happened when she reached the village. The smell of hot supper seeped into the humid air and already some of the villagers began to light doorlamps as they gathered inside for their evening meal. Melantriche thought she might pluck up the courage to ask Apollo where he might go now—and a very small part of her wanted very much to ask him if he might join her and her friends for supper—but when she looked to her side, there was no one there. Perplexed, she glanced around, but he was gone. She felt a pang of disappointment, but oh well. He was probably bored with their walk and went off to some much nicer place to do some very exciting, godly things. Figures. Well, he could've at least said goodbye...
Ah, whatever. She'd gotten used to his curt nature, and not even that could dim her current mood. Still amazed, she lifted the leg that had been broken minutes ago, but now wasn't. He had healed her. But why? She was sure that he hated her. Maybe she was wrong. Oh, how lovely would that be, if she had been wrong? If maybe, even if he didn't like her as much as she liked him, he at least felt a little bit of mutualism. That would be the most perfect blessing of all... no, she was getting ahead of herself, like always. After all, gods didn't think in the same way humans did. They had no motives, only whims, and that was a sound enough judgment for them. How else could one explain his actions? Rescuing her, then bedding her, then ignoring her, then rescuing her again, to castigating her and then—this. It was too mind boggling to even think about. Then don't, she scolded herself. After all, you can't rationalize the way milk turns to cream and butter. Yes, for now all she could think of was the way her tummy now rumbled and the face Karana and Brisa would have when they found her completely and utterly well. With that happy thought, she jogged gloriously through the field.

Due to Melantriche's light mood, she was feeling rather playful when she reached the house. The window slats were slightly ajar, so she climbed over the bushes and pushed her face through. There was Karana inside, throwing wood chucks into the stove and Brisa sitting at the table with the other girl—the black one—which Melantriche had not yet been properly acquainted to. Yet, after today's events, she decided she was going to change that starting now. "Boo!" And the 2 little girls jumped out of their seats. Melantriche laughed at their astounded faces and ran to the front, entering through the real door this time. Karana stood there, looking as white as a sheet. "Come on, don't make such a serious face. I was only fooling around."

"I—well! I think I've got a right to!" Karana's expression quickly recovering into a perturbed one. "We were so worried about you!"

"Why?" Melantriche's gaze wandered to Brisa's, who suddenly looked a bit guilty. "Oh, right."

"Hey, Melanie's walking!" The girl cried suddenly, pointing at her leg. Melantriche knew she was just trying the dodge the subject of gossip, but she grinned anyways and started to dance around foolishly on her tiptoes.

"Yes, isn't it fantastic? As you can see, Lord Apollo was quite hospitable to me."

"Hey, stop that! You'll knock something over!" Melantriche stopped, but at her falter the 2 girls began, mimicking Melantriche's funny dance with vigor and giggling high pitched squeals. Karana sighed heavily, but there was no mistaking the smile in her eyes. "Well, that's one of my problems solved, I guess."

"Yes, but I'll still hold onto this cane." Melantriche tossed the crutch lightly between both hands. "It's very handy, and I really do treasure it now."

"Huh, now you're making me wish I put some real effort into the thing. It's not so special, just some old tree branch I smoothed up. Hey, since you're so dandy now, set the table. You 2 rascals, behave yourselves or no dessert!" The black girl stopped her antics to gawk at Karana.

"There's dessert?!"

"Yeah Magnolia, it's called doing the dishes!" Everyone erupted into laughter, and Melantriche couldn't help but smile as she laid out several plates onto the table. The supper had been a simple helping of fish, beans and hot pita rolls. Melantriche ate with more appetite than she'd ever felt she'd had, and discovered some things had changed. Brisa was much more talkative than she'd ever been in Melantriche's presence, inquiring more about how she had spent the remainder of her day with Apollo. "Did you kiss?"
"Brisa!" Karana scolded. Then the girl, Magnolia, who had crumbs on her face that Karana had to wipe off with a napkin, giggled, "they totally kissed." Melantriche just smiled and shook her head. Then the dishes were done, and only then did Karana reveal that there actually was dessert: cold yogurt with walnuts that one of their neighbors made a surplus of and felt like sharing. They drizzled the treat with honey and the girls gobbled the whole thing up. It wasn't long after that that they began to yawn off and both eventually slipped off to bed. All of this, Melantriche found, felt so warm, yet so natural, like a heart beating. She sighed. Just when did this house start feeling like home?