chpter 4 : a new friend

"I think that the Lord has given a message to me, Anna." Amy said one day, after days of sulking in her room. "Men are not the intellectual, sensitive kind we have often given them credit for."
Anna did not actually agree to Amy's - or the Lord's statement - but, as she was just the hired hand & a friend, she nodded mutely while patting her friend's hand sympathetically.

At that moment, Anna was feeling incredulously happy for finding a good friend like Amy & Adam (in just less than a season!)... But she was also feeling murderous towards the Pharaoh of her land, as he had broken her friend's heart - again.
'How could he do this to my friend?' Anna thought in her head. 'How could he ruin one of their reunion nights by informing her of his arranged engagement? How?' she thought scathingly.

Anna could never imagine the pain Amy had to suffer when Jeffer told her about his sudden proposal to a young woman named Shameeka under that beautifully lit starry sky.
She could never have said that the tears in her eyes were tears of joy - when the truth was, the fresh tears were actually tears of sorrow, disappointment... & betrayal.
But Anna could not help but admire Amy's bravery to risk her heart with such treatment from the boy she secretly loves.

"Don't worry, Mada- Amy. Jeffer will come to his senses sooner or later." Anna said encouragingly.
"Yes... So I've been told numerous of times by you. & I'm happy that I am blessed with such a supportive friend. But I do not know how much I could take of this. Really, I do not." Amy sniffed as she grabbed a golden cloth from her cupboard & pat it gently at her eyes.
"Have strength." Anna gave a smile & hugged her dearest friend before exiting her mistress's chambers & walking straight to the stables.







'How amusing it is that 10 days ago, I did not know where the stables were. Now it seems to be marked on the back of my hand!' Anna thought with a smile.
As she passed the kitchen, a woman's voice called her name.
She turned around & gave a smile at Mrs Geraldine, one of the most important members of the houehold, being the only chef for the family & the staff... But even more importantly, being the mother of Adam.
"Anna, dear. Could you be a darling & pass this jug of water to my son? I know you are heading to meet him anyway." the plump woman said & gave a smile.
"Uh... Yes." Anna said & hoped that her face did not turn bright red as it felt.

She walked on until she reached the stables - the familiar smell of murky horses. At first, she had thought it foul. Now, Anna smiles at the mere sense of foals.
Just as she reached the door of the second stable - she had learnt that Adam always groom the horses in that particular stable - a girl her age rudely knocked Anna off & barged into the stable, without so much as apologizing for knocking Anna off.
In the nick of time, Anna caught the clay jug. A few millilitres of water had been spilt but she still let out a sigh of relief - as long as the jug did not break, she was safe.
The stable-door kept swinging back & forth from the incredible force given from the girl.

"Ramley! Guess who came to visit you!" a shrieky voice - presumably the girl's - cried.
'Ramley? Who in the... Oh, right. Adam.' Anna thought.
"Why, if it isn't my favourite girl in the world! Come here, you!" a familiar voice said in the same volume.
'What? Favourite girl in the world? Who in the Lord's name is this?' Anna thought & kneeled, pretending to be mopping up the spilt water, but actually peeking under the stable doors to get a better view.

The stable doors creakily came to a slow halt - slow enough for Anna to see Adam hugging the girl tightly.
Crash!
The two looked outside the stable doors & saw Anna staring at them, teary-eyed, pieces of broken clay & a puddle of water at her feet.

"Anna? Wait. No, it's not what you think!" a faint voice cried as she ran off to her lady's chambers.











"Now do you agree with the Lord's message?" Amy asked & patted her friend gently on the back.
Anna nodded & buried her head with her arms laid on the table.
"Would you like me to fire him, Anna? Tell my uncle that Adam had been secretly rich all along & not donating a mediocre of his wealth towards the Zeddy company? Surely, he would be dead ni less than a week. Shot, I am certain."
Anna shook her head mutely & said, "No. Then I would not have the pleasure in having the credit of his death myself."
Amy did not know whether Anna was being serious or not. Her friend was a humourous, sarcastic person but at times like these, she was never certain whether she was joking or not.
Anna stood up, as if she had finally risen from the dead like the Phoenix rises from the ashes, & headed towards the door.
"I have chores, dear friend. Maybe I could take my sorrow, rage on that." she said, more to the door instead of facing Amy.
& with that, she slammed the door.








A week. It had been a week since the youngest of the female servants had said a word to the horse-keeper.
This could not be said of with Adam, of course.
He had tried countless times to explain what had actually happened in reality. Obviously, the poor lad had gotten immuned to the slamming of doors & the girl walking away from him, passing him coldly that he was amazed that he had never gotten icicles growing on his shoulder.

Sometimes, the conversation would normally go like this. "Anna, really. Listen to me. She was just m-"
"What was that, Master Jukri? More of the imported Japanese silk? Hold on!" she would yell up from the basement.
"Anna! Why can't you listen to me? She's just m-" he would grow a temper & start sounding more irritable, than begging.
"Is that not the sound of one of your more favourite girls in the world calling your name? Do go. It is rude to leave them waiting." Anna said as she searched recklessly for the silk labeled Japan.
"Oh for... Would you like to know what is even more rude? Not listening to people."
"Yes. But that does not imply for playboys like you."

& with that, she would walk pass him with a roll of exotic silk under her arm.








Knock knock
Anna turned around, her long, dark brown hair swished behind her.
Her face had not smiled for nearly 9 days. Just a blank expression left on her face.
Amy did not know what to say to Anna as she too was grieving on a man.
But at that day, Anna allowed an emotion to flicker over her face : hatred.

The girl who was seen with Adam was standing in the doorway, looking nervous, scared & embarrassed all at once.
"May I help you?" Anna said stiffly.
"Yes, you may. It's just... I do not want to disrupt your relationship with Adam. It seemed that the two of you were truly in lov-"
"I don't think this involves my assistance in selling these merchandises." Anna cut her off sharply, which caused the girl to blink.
"Well, yes. But I did not ask for any sort of cloth for my clothes. I'm just fine. I am only here to introduce myself. My name is Abbigail Benjamin, daughter of Lord Benjamin."
Now it was Anna's turn to blink.
'Benjamin?' she thought. 'Why does that sound so familiar?'
"Ah... It seems you recognize the name. Well, it is the same surname as my brother - half-brother, to be precise, Adam."

A sheepish smile broke out on Anna's face.
How could she have treat Adam without listening to his explaination? She felt so ashamed & foolish, yet giddy with delirious happiness.
"Oh. Oh."
"I'm sorry but I think now that things are clearer, I have to say that I cannot believe that you thought I was sharing a romantic relationship with Ramley! How... Revolting, I think is the precise word."
"He is not that bad. Really." Anna smiled. "Are you from around this land? You have a little slur in your speech. Wait... Are you an Asian?"
Abbigail nodded with a smile as Anna gaped at the girl.
It had dawned that Abbigail had been donning pale skin - something unusual in this land - & lips as red as blood. It almost seems like she's a japanese woman.
'A geisha, they call it, I think.' Anna thought to herself.

"Well, yes. Now that that's sorted out, I hope we can be friends." Abigail said as she cleared her throat.
"Oh yes. & I'm sorry I've been rude to you... & your brother." Anna said, to her feet, if more appropriate the term.
"Apology is accepted. But all I ask of you is to tell that to Ramley yourself."
Now it was Anna's turn to blink - also, her turn to allow another sense of emotion on her face : embarrassment.

She nodded mutely. "Thank you, Abigail. For... Clearing the misunderstanding."
"No problem."

As Anna headed to the door, Abigail called for Anna one last time.
"& Anna?"
"Yes?"
"My friends call me Abby."











He wasn't at the stables.
Nor was he at the kitchen, helping his mother.
He was at the foot of the Hilltops. It was his most sacred hide-out.
A runaway from reality, he said.

[plop!]

Anna tried not to make a sound as she inched closer towards Adam, who had a faraway gaze as he threw pebbles into the clean lake.

[plop]

"They say..."
Adam looked up & looked back at the lake again, completely determined to pretend that no one was towering over him.
"They say that for each pebble you throw in the lake, a wish deep in your heart shall be true."

Adam snorted.

"Although, they say that every time one says the wish outloud, throwing the pebble at a farther distance, the chances of the wish coming true is higher." she said as she sat down on the soft grass next to him, couldn't help noticing that he looked so handsome under the moonlight, his hair over his eyes.

She picked a smooth pebble & threw it with all her might, saying, "I wish that a dear friend of mine would forgive me."
Adam turned around & looked at Anna, looking as if he was experiencing a dream he just couldn't believe it true.

"Now it's your turn." she said, handing Adam a pebble.
He looked down at his hand as hers held his wrist gently & placed the pebble in his palm.
She was about to move her hand away, but his hand suddenly grasped it tightly.

My hand... Looks so delicate comparing to his, she found herself thinking.

"Anna... For the past week, you have been ignoring me, completely not listening to my explainations. & just one night, you ask me to forgive you?" he said, his voice sounding (oddly) strained.
"I'm sorry, Adam. I haven't been listening to you, blinded by fury... I guess that I was a little..."

'A little what? Disappointed to find a girl in his arms - & that girl was not me? But then he might think I'm in love with him...' she thought.

"A little... Sad. Until your sister explained everything."

The dark cloud looming over his face for the past seven days had finally lifted - & his face was beaming.
Suddenly, he realised that he was still holding Anna's hand & abruptly let go, thinking that Anna may feel uncomfortable - even though she felt far from uncomfortable.

He looked down at the pebble & stood up. He threw the pebble as far as he could across the lake - which was pretty far - & said loudly, "I wish that my dearest friend knows she's forgiven."

Anna looked up at him & forgot all about her fears of her secret love for Adam being revealed.
Instead, she stood up & hugged him.
With joy.