"… what I'm trying to say is, I would like to spend the rest of my life with you."
In a beautiful candle lit room, a sick looking man with unnatural white hair is on one knee, holding a golden ring, looking up earnestly at the slender woman in front of him. The woman brushes her flowing black hair behind her ears and leans forward on the plush chair she sits on.
"So would you honor me by being my wife?" The man places the other hand on his chest as a smile starts to form on his lips. The woman looks down at him with a smile made brighter by the candle light.
"Yes." The word leaves her mouth and seems to echo through the man's ears as a sharp pain rips through his chest.
He squeezes his eyes shut and gasps in a deep breath of air, then lets it out slowly as he opens his eyes to find himself sitting on a paved street, with stone buildings on either side of the pavement. A small distance away, a horse without legs lies dead in a sea of blood of wood splinters. The man looks up and sees the slender woman carrying a young girl in her arms. A spear immediately plunges through both of them, and he looks in shock as their bodies drop to the ground. Pain erupts in his chest again and his eyes squeeze shut.
After another deep breath, he opens his eyes. He is now sitting in what appears to be the remains of a leather seat, with wood splinters all around. His right hand is numb, and it hangs in awkwardly. He takes his head up again and finds the woman and the girl lying unconscious. They are painted red from the wood spikes sticking out various parts of their bodies.
The woman gasps and opens her eyes, then turns her pupil to look at him. "You said you'd spend the rest of your life with me Nel." The man looks at her in horror and confusion as her lips and eyeballs move separate from the rest of her body. "But you got yourself killed."
"Anselm!" The man's head jerks left and right. Where did that voice come from.
"And you left us all on our own in this world." The woman's raised voice draws his head back to her.
"Anselm!" he looks up and around. Who's Anselm, and where is the voice coming from?
"Do you have any idea what happened to us?" her voice gets louder, and as he looks at her, his heart squeezes and pain bursts in his chest.
"ANSELM!!"
A boy springs up on his bed with a gasp, looking terrified and sweating profusely. He crunches forward and places his hands on his chest to feel his heartbeat.
"It's alright" he feels a warm hand on his back, and looks up at the worried middle aged woman sitting by him. "It's fine. You're still alive." He exhales and drops his head
"Did you see them again?" the boy nods at the question
"And let me guess. She's still angry at you for letting them die." Anselm looks up at the door and sees a woman leaning against the door frame with her arms folded. She has her hair tied in a bun, and has similar facial features – though younger – to the old woman on the bed.
"Well… sort of." Anselm says. "This time she said I left them all alone in the world."
"Ma, I won't get tired of telling you we need to take him to see the oracle."
"But all the local priests we've been to said he's fine." The old woman looks up at her daughter.
"Well none of the local priests can see what the oracle sees."
"Leia," the old woman sighs. "It's too early to talk about this. Can you get breakfast ready for us?"
Leia scoffs and turns around. "Breakfast will be served soon!" she calls after walking a few steps.
"Grandma, I'm not cursed."
"I know, but we can't know for sure. I'm starting to think Leia is right about taking you to the oracle."
"But I'm not cursed."
"Then how would you explain frequently dreaming about people you've never met before blame you for their death." Anselm is taken back by his grandmother's burst. She sighs and moves her hand to his head. "It's just a possibility son."
Anselm drops his head once again. "I know this sounds strange, but I feel like they are from a past life, and they were very important people in that life."
His grandmother ruffles his hair. "Freshen up and get ready for breakfast son. I got some water heated for you." She gets off the bed with a smile and starts walking to the door. "Today is a big day, remember."
'Of course she ignored me.' Anselm regrets telling his grandmother anything. Hopefully she would not think too much of it.
That aside, she is correct about the day being a big one for him. He could barely even get himself to sleep the previous night from the excitement. And thinking about it now, his anxiety has started to build again. He looks down at the earth floor and around his small room equipped with only a small cranky bed and small box hosting an empty candle holder. He then takes off his shirt an studies the connected – circle tattoo on his right hand that extends from the back of his hand to his shoulder. This is an invaluable gift God granted him, and he has to do his best not to let his family or community down.
After taking a warm bath with water from a small pail, he dresses up, then he opens the small box by his bed, takes out a small leather bag and folds clothes from the box and stuffs them into the bag. When he is done, he walks out, passes through the corridor and enters the small living room area, furnished with only a few worn out bamboo chairs and some candle holders erected on the wall. He walks further back to the dining area where the rest of the family has already gathered around the table chatting.
"Ughh! What took you so long?" A boy his age draws the family's attention to him. "I'm starving."
"Don't you know how bad it is to keep everyone waiting?" a young man in his mid-thirties speaks from the top of the table
"Sorry papa." Anselm says, then rushes to take his place by the boy
"Can't you clean up without grandma helping you?" his grandmother asks at her spot beside him – at the other head of the table.
"seriously, how long does it take to get yourself clean?" the boy says.
"Enough with the questions, lets offer our prayer and eat." Leia speaks from beside the opposite side of the table. A girl in her early teens sits by her, fidgeting with her spoon.
They all hold hands, an Leia offers a prayer, After which they all dive into their breakfast merrily.
After the meal, the man drops his wooden spoon, and clears his throat.
"Anselm," His voice silences the rest of the table. "I want you to know that we are all very proud of you. Though how you found out you are not Leia's born child was really unfortunate," he glances at the girl and she lowers her head. "I hope you understand that we have never thought you to be less than Lara and Leo. So as you leave this house today remember that we are always have you in our thoughts and prayers."
"Ever since you were four," Leia jumps in immediately after. "You've been plagued by nightmares of..."
"Leia, this is not the time to talk about…"
"I don't care ma. You three may see no problem but I'm not convinced." She looks at Anselm sternly. "You'll be heading to the Kingdom's center, where the oracle resides. I want you to promise me that when you get there you will seek an audience with the oracle, and write back informing us of whatever they say."
"I promise." Anselm says.
"It's settled then." Grandma says. "Hurry and get packed up so we can head out." Leia and the boy - Leo - leave their chairs and start clearing the table.
"I packed up already… that's why I was late."
"Are you that eager to leave us?" Granma laughs and and stands to leave the table too. "Suh. I you to draw some water."
"No need Ma, the jug are..."
"I used them."
Suh looks and the other 2 still seated and back at Grandma, then quietly follows her, leaving Anselm behind with lara, whose arms are tightly crossed on her chest.
"I know should have said this earlier, but I'm really sorry… for everything." Lara breaks the silence. "You may never be able to forgive me but..."
"I forgive you." He says, and Lara looks at him confused. "I don't hate you."
"Really?"
"Yes"
She exhales and unfolds her arms "Sometimes it's hard for me to believe I'm almost 3 years older than you." she says.
"Well it's no wonder given how dumb you are."
"I guess I need a new brain."
"I can lend you mine."
"No thanks. It probably Won't fit."
They both go silent with smiles etched on their faces.
"I heard you could be gone as long as ten year." Lara says, slumping down in her chair.
"Yes. That's what they said."
"Would you be able to visit us."
"I think so."
Lara sighs. "I'm going to miss you."
Shock flashes on Anselm's face for an instant before his lips curl in a smile. "I'll miss you too." She is the last person He expected to hear those words from, and her confession has just given her one less thing to worry about.
Leia calls to him from the kitchen and asks him to get his bag and he immediately gets up and walks to his room. He gets on his knees and pulls out a pair of sturdy boots from under the bed, wipes the sand off his feet and slips them into the boots, then picks up his small leather bag and slings it over his shoulder.
He walks back to the living room and finds them waiting for him by the door, then they head out together.