My heartfelt apology for not being able to give regular updates. My exam had started. Another starting from 20th, 21st, 22nd, 23rd, no gaps in between and post graduation is hectic guys...im sorry...i m hoping you guys understand.
Thank you to those still supporting the story...please do not stop supporting...an only request....
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It would have become any other usual day for Ruqui.
Him getting up in the morning, after a hearty breakfast, although not enough to fill his growing body, but with the rise in growing scarcity of food, it would have to suffice his hunger.
The crops were not doing any good with the rising darkness and less sunlight reaching the fields. The harvest, this year too were not good and the panic amongst people grew further more.
"I'm off to the fields!"
He declared, stepping out of the small dwelling. By saying so he would make his adopted mother know that he was leaving.
On the way, he was stopped by Ralph. He stood before him. Ruqui looked up at him.
"Do not stay behind too late!"
Ralph said. Ruqui did not say anything at first. Ralph never cared about his whereabouts. When he got out or when he would return back with the cattle...
Since last night, things were only getting weirder. The dream that he had of his childhood...seeing the same man that conversed with Ralph, talking with his father back then...
"I mean it boy!"
"Yeah...yes, sir! I will remember!"
Ruqui nodded, breaking out from his reverie. Ralph gave him a scrutinizing gaze before walking away.
Ruqui watched the man walk away through the gate. He remained static on his spot.
"What you looking at left over grey head?"
A stone was pelted in his way. It was Dunnie, Ralph's youngest, standing by the door frame and smirking at him.
The boys never accepted him into their family even though their father bought him to their home.
Their mother had never treated any differently than her five kids...four sons and one daughter.
They called him different names and one of them was 'Left over Grey head'. Left over because Ralph had found him on his way in the wetlands.
And Grey because of his hair. They were not even white or the mixture of grey, or both, it was the purest form of grey and it made him stand out in the crowd.
Ruqui did not bother to answer the bully back and stepped forward. He picked up his rareing stick from the stables and then moved out.
On his way, he spotted Ramirez. He knew that she had heard all of what that wolf and Ralph had been talking about yesternight.
She was peeking at them and there was no hiding about it. He could not approach her directly either because that would send a wrong message around the village.
A boy like him who was of the age approaching a girl, who would be of age sooner sent off the wrong message that he was pursuing her. And he did not want that.
Neither could he leave his cattle and then go talk to her. She was laughing away with the girls, waiting in their line to get their share of water from the village well.
One of them noticed him staring over and she approached him. He tried to look away and move forward but she stopped him.
"Ruqui? "
It was his sister, or more like Ralph's only daughter, Cynthira. A lovely lass amongst her unruly siblings. Only she was soft towards him just like her mother.
"What is it?"
He asked her trying to act unfazed as if he was only passing by. Cynthira smiled at him.
"You were looking over at us...the girls are talking about it."
"What?
I was not looking."
He said in a monotone. He saw Ramirez staring at him as he conversed with his sister.
"You can be honest with me, Ruqui."
Cynthira insisted. She knew him to be very shy and timid, mannered unlike her brothers. They were all a a heckler. She was aware of the way they treated him and she could not say or do much being only a girl.
It made Ruqui think if he could ask his sister to help him get close to Ramirez and talk with her in a secluded place? Would that work?
"You would help?"
He implored. Cynthira nodded, very willingly.
"I need to talk to Ramirez...alone and in a secluded place."
He let out. He had hoped that she would question him as to why he needed to talk to her bit to his utter surprise, she agreed without even further investigating about it.
"I would get her to go and meet you in the field...how does that sounds?"
And in that moment to him, she was really an angel. She would grow up to be a finest woman and he would kill any soul, without a second thought if they dare hurt her.
"It sounds perfect, sister!"
He smiled and dropped a sweet kiss on her cheeks before walking away with his herd of sheep.
The wind was not the same anymore. The change was visible and if it were in the mind of people before, but now they could actually feel it on their skin if not be able to see through it.
He waited in the fields for Ramirez to show up. The cattle were grazing as he stood in between them.
As the sun shone over his head indicating that it was already midday and the time was only ticking away fast as he waited away impatiently.
"I hope you have a valid reason to make me stand out amongst the village girls."
He turned around to see it was none other then Ramirez. She was standing on the edge of the valley leading down to their village way.
She came towards him holding onto both the ends of her petticoat. Her hair tied in two ponytails had resembled the birds nest as she walked past through the blowing wind.
"They think that something is up between the two of us..."
She said, coming up to him and standing before him. She was not that short or tall either. He still towered over her petite figure.
"There is nothing of such kind."
Ruqui right away dismissed her words. Ramirez chuckled.
"It is not up to you, cattle boy, to cook up a rumor.
It is the obligation of the village folks."