Ephemeral Affairs [MXM]

A New Home

In the evening when birds and bugs chirp loudly and the sun has yet to color the sky red in the Southwest—in honesty, it is still more West than Southwest.

The wind gently blows from the South bringing in the dark thunderous clouds.

"Why don't you wait until Nina returns?" Grandmama asks softly as we enjoy our last meal in this facade of a fortress.

I chew on a dried root, "I don't want to wait for Nien. I'm doing things on my own terms now."

"Then why not go back to Nil—"

"Grandmama," I smile. "If I have someone I sincerely loved and then lost her, had to marry this random dude from the mountains, and then found out I still have her but my male wife doesn't like that... What I'm trying to say is, I'm a nuisance for him, and that is the truth."

"Nuisance?"

"Yes, nuisance means that I'm an eyesore," my fake smile fades away. I pack a few days supply of food and some linens for this year's new clothes.

"Ah, the doctor is here."

I get Asahi from Grandmama's embrace who is too stunned to notice my transaction.

The doctor is alone and he guides Asahi and I from the fortress, through the town, and to a small cottage a few miles from the town that is semi-surrounded by miles of farmlands.

Even from the new place, the fairy circle and wooden fortress can still be seen as a speck on that hill.

The sun has fell a while ago, and the doctor has also left us.

The cottage is dusty like no one has lived here for a while.

To the left of the cottage is a well and polls and wires for laundry.

Inside the cottage, the left is the cooking area, the right is a living space, the far left is the washroom, and the far right is the staircase for upstairs.

Upstairs has two bedrooms, the master bed with a door and another smaller one without privacy.

I lay down my bags and Asahi to dust the bed in the master room, lie down a layer of linen on top of the bedsheets, and we sleep leaving the cleaning process for tomorrow.

It takes me about four days to make the place livable before going back to town to sell my hair for plants' seeds, a pair of chickens, and other necessities.

The following month, Asahi and I return to visit the grave of his sibling.

Then, after my greens have sprouted their first harvest, Nien, Fiona, Grandmama, and Arabret visit us.

I offer them a simple dinner as we chat as if we have some 'good old times' to discuss.

"I'm terribly sorry about Claire's actions," Nien says after we put the dishes away.

I avert my eyes, "It's time for Asahi and Arabret to sleep."

"Fiona. See to it that Asahi and Arabret are ready for sleep and do so," Nien commands and Fiona complies.

Nien focuses her attention on me, "I don't mind you living here because of Claire, but I lost over eighty percent of my followers since you left."

"It wasn't all because of Claire," I lick my dry lips. "And I'm sorry for your loss, but I don't think there are enough sufficient evidences to accuse me yet."

"I have three hundred twenty seven dead infants. The women left to get remarried to Nillin's fleeting soldiers," Nien rolls her eyes and twitches her nose.