Women of Clay

Part 3

During the train ride, he would gaze out of the window only to see the same boring stretch of farmland repeated repeatedly in an endless loop. Hills covered with electricity towers and low quality housing amidst the rice fields. Tiny figures in straw hats riding tricycles and barefoot kids staring at the marvel of technology that passed in front of their eyes.

Once they got off at the destination, they boarded a bus that would lead them directly to Lily's village. The seaman found the two-hour bus ride quite inconvenient. Too many peasants dressed in ten-dollar suits who reeked of cigarette smoke and sweat. It seemed to be okay to smoke inside the bus. The scent from the cheap cigarettes made him want to puke out his guts but he silently endured the suffering. Their country, their rules.

The view outside the window was quite impressive. On both sides of the road were bamboo forests and hills covered in green. Farmers in straw hats were working on the fields using none of the conveniences of modern day technology. The people here and their way of life had nothing to do with the China that he was familiar.

Lily's extended family lived in a two-story brick house. Her parents and brother's family lived upstairs while her grandparents occupied the ground floor.

A feast was prepared to celebrate her arrival. After handing out gifts to everyone, Lily helped with the cooking while the seaman sat outside with the other members of the family. Her brother's kids said "hi" almost a hundred times but did not know any other English words.

They offered him green tea and sunflower seeds. The only thing he could do was smile and say xie xie every time someone gave him something. His Chinese was not much better. Not that it mattered anyway. Most people here only spoke the local dialect.

During the meal, everyone asked him questions-which Lily translated. They were concerned about his income and whether he was going to marry Lily. He answered with a straight face and drank every time someone filled his glass. This way everyone was happy.

In the evening the seaman and Lily took a stroll outside. There were no streetlights-it would have been pitch black if it wasn't for the dim lighting that came from the front porches of the houses.

The village was not too big. They kept on walking until they were out of it. They were now standing in the middle of a field. It was unnaturally quiet here. The only sound were the sound of their shoes on the soft soil.

The seaman put his arm around Lily's waist and laid a kiss on her neck.

She pulled away from him instantly as if her fellow villagers were watching her.

"What's wrong? Nobody is watching us."

"In places like these there are eyes everywhere."

"How about we enter that bamboo grove over there? Find a nice little spot."

He was pointing straight ahead at the end of the fields. At this time, it resembled a void that was about to swallow whoever dared to enter.

"No way."

"You've never made love under the open sky?"

"This only happens to girls that get raped."

"It's boring to always have sex indoors."

"Is it common for people in your country to do it outdoors?"

"If the weather allows it. Some people do it outdoors and in public."

"That's gross."

"Maybe one day I'll take you to a small island on the Aegean and we can make love on a sandy beach."

"You foreigners are all perverts!" said Lily. She turned around and headed back to the village. He went after her.

He took hold of her hand and they walked side by side.

"Even if I did want to make love outdoors, that would be impossible," she said.

"Why do you believe so?"

"That place you pointed is a holy place and nobody goes there," said Lily seriously.

"A holy place?"

"An ancient Goddess lives there. Some old women bring her food."

"Do you really believe in such things?"

"Everyone around here believes in her."

"It would be interesting to see what a living Goddess looks like," commented the seaman.