Lady woke up feeling blissful and unexpectedly energetic. Her bad leg was now but just a dull feeling. She hopped off her bed and got out of her hut. The sun had still not risen from it's home and the gray streaks of dawn were still adorning the day.
In an elegant manner, she walked to the big tree and picked up the broom under it and started sweeping the compound. Her lips opened on their own accord singing softly a melody, unknown to her how she had learnt it but also familiar. She felt like she had had a dream the previous night but her mind couldn't conjure up the pieces of the dream just that she knows she dreamt of a place where she felt safe and belonged to.
Soon enough, the little pricks of the broom had covered the compound of her family making it clean for the day. Lady straightened up and wiped the few beads of sweat that had gathered up on her forehead. She stretched and bathed in the golden soft rays of the rising sun, exhaling a breath. She knew the rest of her family had returned from accompanying her elder brother but she wasn't going to dwell on the fact that she had been left behind but instead how she was going live out the rest of her days without feeling broken and dejected.
She entered the kitchen hut and took the large basin she uses to fetch water and started on her way to the stream to fetch water. On her way she met no one but she didn't feel scared, if anything she loved the solidarity she had found. She arrived at the sandy bank of the stream and placed her basin down. She went further down the steam where the shrubs and bushes along the banks were thicker and longer to hide almost all of her frame and smiled. Glancing around to make sure no one was around, carefully, she untied the cloth draped around her body and folded it neatly. She patted a space on the ground and placed the folded cloth. She tested the waters by first placing her right thumb in and smiled when she found the temperature to be just right for her. Next, she bent down and removed the rag that had been wrapped around her bad leg and entered the stream.
She went in deeper into the water, cleaning her body. She swimmed and splashed the water around for a bit and just settled at one place closer to the bank and relaxed. Just then a big fish, the size of her head swimmed closer to her. It was of golden colour with dark stripes along it's body.
"Wow, what kind of fish is this!" Lady gasped when the fish was now very close to her.
The fish swam around her for three times before it stopped right in front of her. The fish stared at her for a moment and then wagged its tail. Suddenly, the fish opened it's mouth and started singing the song Lady had sung previously in the morning. Her yes widened and she became speechless. A fish was jus singing a tune melodiously in front of her. Awe stricken, she watched the fish as it's sang and wagged its tail.
Then a voice sounded from a little far away " Who goes there?"
Then the fish stopped singing and it vanished as if it had just been like the morning breeze. Lady blinked and blinked again, her mind confused beyond belief and her face scrunched up beyond imagination. Was it just an illusion or had she truly witnessed a singing fish?
Then the voice sounded again, this time closer and louder "Who goes there?"
Lady blinked from her dazed stupor and hurriedly replied " It is I, Lady" and stepped out of the stream, covering her body with her cloth again and bundling her bad leg up.
Lady stepped out of the thick shrubs just in time to see a silhouette of a man approaching with heavy but firm footsteps. Finally the man appeared fully and Lady realised that it was the man he had met at the feast.
"We seem to be meeting quite often" the man chuckled.
""But I beg to differ, mister" Lady politely protested " we have only met twice, now and the other day at the night feast"
"Oh, you don't remember that one, do you?" the man chuckled again.
"Excuse me?" Lady blurted out in confusion.
"We have actually met three times. You failed to mention the first time" The man paused and scratched his chin " I had help you from a trap with your family"
And that was when Lady finally realised that indeed, she had been right the other day at the feast, he was indeed the kind man who had helped her.
"Oh, so it is really you. Our fates must be closer to each other" Lady laughed a courteous laugh, covering her mouth with the back of her hand.
"Yes, it is me and I remember telling you that call me Vesi"
"Okay, Vesi. I am-"
"I know who you are, everybody in this village knows you. The young beauty from one of the most prestigious clans, the most courteous and second to none, Lady from the house of Gazi plus I also made that known to you last time we met"
Lady's eyes widened a bit and she blushed " Thanks for your kind compliments, Vesi and please forgive my short memory fails"
"You are welcomed and nevermind at all" Vesi said and walked closer to her "Now can I help you fetch your water so we leave already?" Vesi proposed and pointed to the basin sitting not far away from where Lady stood.
Lady nodded and went to take the basin. Vesi helped her dip it into the stream to fill it up and helped her carry it in her head also. Then they began a trek home. Lady noticed that as they started on the walk home, Vesi placed a large brown shawl over his head that it hid some of his features, making it hard to recognize him.
She wondered why and wanted to ask but remembered that she was now a woman and a woman wasn't supposed to be so inquisitive. However, she was in a gentle and calm conversation with Vesi, laughing lightly as the convo demanded. Vesi was a nice company for her, she concluded in her mind when they had almost reached her family compound and she would absolutely love to have him around more often than not.
"Lady, I think I will have to leave you here" Vesi smiled and said when they reached Lady's family compound.
"Sure, and many thanks Vesi. It was nice meeting you" Lady replied with a blushing smile.
Vesi catching the flushed look of Lady chuckled and smiled wider " I hope we get many chances to meet in the future. I'll take your leave now"
Lady nodded her reply and watched Vesi take a few steps back and then finally waving and turning around to go. Lady still stood by her place looking at his disappearing figure as he glanced now and then to wave again at Lady. Now when, Vesi had finally gone, Lady also turned around and walked into the compound straight to the kitchen hut and emptied the contents of her basin into the large tank that they use to store water. She placed her basin down making mental notes to make another trip to the stream to get another basin full, but for now she had to apply some cream to her body before it became too dry.
She walked into her hut and applied cream to her skin and hair accordingly and after being satisfied with the results, changed her clothes, draping a green cloth around her upper torso and tightening a yellow one from her mid section to her waist. She braided her hair and finally came out of her room. She wasn't known as beauty for naming sake, she worked hard for it.
She lifted her eyes and saw her mother coming out from her father's hut, it was one of those days when her two parents shared the same hut for sometime . The bitter memory of being left behind resurfaced in her mind but she brushed it off with a smile, she was now different from the person she used to be, she had to prove to them that she was strong and had no place in her heart for grudges.
She approached her mother and bowed slightly " Greetings Mother"
Her mother just scoffed, glared at her and spat the end product of the chewing stick in her mouth right beside her, just like you would do to an unwanted animal.
Nevertheless Lady still continued " I thank the gods that Mother is still doing well, I would like to get back to my activities now"
She straightened herself knowing that she wasn't going to get an answer but she couldn't help but wonder why her mother was acting so cold early in the morning. But then again, she was now not dwelling on these matters anymore, her mother could move heavens to show how she loathed her and she wouldn't be bothered by it. So plastering a beautiful smile on her face, she raised her chin and turned around to go.
"Wait!" her mother called out to her after she had taken a few steps away from her.