Inside the Azra household, tonight seems a bit special, for the first time in a long time, it was peaceful, not shouting, no crying, no sounds of beating going on. And for the 2 souls in the house, tonight was a special night for both of them, for the first time, Natasha finally felt as if her dream of getting a loving husband has comes true. Azra her husband has not laid a hand on her, insulted her or even disregards her. Their conversation was pleasant and calm. In the night of the disaster that would come tomorrow, she felt that this is nice, and what may happen tomorrow doesn't matter anymore.
".…I know that I haven't been a best husband or partner to you for a long time, Nat…. but after I've been so long staying in the darkness…crippled and hurting…. I dumped all the negativity onto you…. which is…by all means….is not right at all…".
"...Honey, don't say that…. I know you were hurting this whole time…and marrying me…which is a forced onto you…pained you even more…. I am okay being treated like before…. I am fine working for you…It is what a wife and a woman like me should do…". (Natasha)
Natasha felt bad for me, she leans on my shoulder and just gently rubs my forearm. This woman is truly a prize, she ate all that abuse and still said it was fine, and in fact accepted it as normal. Then again, the norm of this post-apocalyptic world is very skewed for me mastered it all in a single day.
"So…from now on…I decided to be a little wiser….and hopefully a little gentler to you…".
"Thank you, Honey…. I would really love that…". (Natasha)
I meant it when I said this, and personally I believed that this woman is someone that I can trust with my life. She knows that I've changed, but yet she treated me the same as she always been, and she were even much nicer to me. She is quite consistent, for now, I decided to hold back on telling her my secrets/origin story, I find it not really a big issue, logically I am still her husband only the souls got exchanged. Also, I know that she probably would take a long time to understand even if I were to explained it to her.
"...Honey, I think the food is done steaming now…let me, tied the door curtain tightly first….". (Natasha)
"Sure, go ahead…".
Natasha stood up and tied the door curtain tighter, making sure that no one would be able to peek inside our shack. I've shown her my Inventory, I pulled out my lunch box out and in, in front of her. Naturally she was shocked, but I explained to her, by saying that today as I come to a sound mind, I decided to use my mother heirloom that have an advance space bending capability that enable me to store something inside a private space, and I used my Smartphone as that miracle item that responsible for it. Lucky for me turns out, there's exist in this world the same sort stuff like this as well, and it belonged to the aliens, a small box that capable to store enormous amount of item in it. So, thanks to that, she believed me, and she even became more cautious than me, she even said that the water can also become an issue, that we might be killed to even know how to create such a clean water, so under her insistent, I stored those 5 gallons of water inside my inventory.
"Come and sit with me, Nat…. here…this…is chicken curry cutlet and rice…. try it…".
My lunch box thanks to it made using an aluminum, I can just simply steam the entire box, so the meal does come out steaming hot. I divided the portion into 4 parts, naturally. The rice was a lot and there are 4 cutlets in it, so the 2 portions can be eaten tomorrow, on these arrangements, Natasha also agreed. But even with a smaller portion, she was content with it, and as soon as she received her portion and sat with me at the table, her eyes were glistening.
"Wow…. I have heard about this in a tale…. a food smells so delicious and looking so delicious…
"Haha…I glad you liked it, Nat…".
Seeing her, moaning whilst she was devouring her meal. That moaning of hers are dangerous to me, she's a beautiful woman looking so vulnerable and were doing that, are really dangerous. Our small dinner, went by with us speaking about her day, as mine were basically not that interesting enough for her. I learned that she actually worked at Rosa's Waters, a stall that sells clean water, she worked there as a water porters, she pulled water from the well, haul it back and forth from the well to the stall. Just from the story, I know that was a hard work, and she's do it for 12 hours a day. And also, it turns out that there were a lot of undesired women in Rat Town, and the reason they were able to survive is because all of them always grouped together, they got their own community circle, their own housing and even work place, all created by their own.
"...That's amazing…I supposed they can make their own town. If they wanted to…right?".
"No, they can't….if they do…they will become a massive easy target…targeted by Savages, Mutants and even other settlement…we undesired woman…are not trained to fight…our age also our weakness…and the men, traders and settlement…will never sell any weapons to women's in a large scale…we…can only rely on the protection of the settlements provide for us and live in it…..beside, if we were independent…we all might have to forget our desire to be married and get a family….".(Natasha)
The bitterness was apparent in her face and words, another odd norm that I need to get used to. Such a sad situation but that is the way the world goes; it was bad but it is what it is.
"By the way…how much do I owe the town again?".
"145 coins, Honey…. also…it's not your debt alone…it was OUR debt…". (Natasha)
My burden is her burden, that is what she said and she is adamant about it.
"So, it is unavoidable that we will be kicked out, right?".
"Yes, we had to leave tomorrow…or we will be beaten by the guards and dragged outside…". (Natasha)
According to Natasha, it was thanks to her effort of paying 2/3 of the debt that our punishment was only banishment, originally both of us were going to be sold as a slave to pay for the debt. And it took her from the start of our marriage until now, to pay that 2/3 amount of debt. Meanwhile the entire time, the old me were just being a dick the entire time.
"Hmm…what will happen…if we paid off all that debt…".
"Well…we can start living in the town again…but we had to start anew…new house and a new job…we also cannot commit any crime and expected to be let go easily...". (Natasha)
"...Can we still trade with the Town…after tomorrow? I mean…we are not living in this town…. but come here to sell and buy things…can we do that?".
"...Let me take your plate, Honey...Well…if it's trading…I believed we can….I mean…I can do it….but, you can't….according to the rules of the town…we need to settle your debt first…before you can set foot in this town, honey…..but, don't worry…I can come inside on my own…and do the job….".(Natasha)
Both of us already finished eating so, she took both of our plates and went inside the bathroom to wash the plates, whilst still talking with me, as I still sitting before the fire place.
"I see…".
I am banned for life as long as I don't pay off the debt, but her, she is not ban from anything. After all I am the one that were in debt not our family or her, I am the burden here, I supposed the Rat Town leaders and rules are not that absurd either. After done with the dishes, Natasha went on and prepared the bed casually, dragging the sleeping rags closer to the fire pit, tonight was especially cold. Then without saying anything, as if it was normal, she went and put her arms under my armpit and lifted me up and put me down slowly on the sleeping rags, and gently moved my legs as well.
"Umm…Nat, thank you, but…you know…I can walk now…".
I stood up and walked a little bit inside the house, everything she did just now, completely take me off my game. And then I remembered that I also paralyzed previously.
"Oh, dear god!!!…. you're healed!!…. Honey!!…this is great!!…oh lord heavens!!…". (Natasha)
I forgot the entire time she was home; I have yet stood up or walk, make sense that she was shocked right now. I guess another good news for her is great, I guess.