Long time ago, there was a Pharaoh named Jeff R. Nobody knew why the infamous Pharaoh kept his initial R a secret but they called him "Jeffer" for short.
Pharaoh Jeffer ruled a country successfully & the citizens did not neccessarily love him like the usual citizens in a folks' tale do because Pharaoh Jeffer was a very arrogant boy.
He ruled over a country but mainly focused on a village. In that village lies a story which no one knew about.
... until now.
'Lord, please do not punish me for my sins of not following the rules of punctuality...' a girl thought as she ran as fast as her legs could take her, a basket under her arm.
She knew the village's secret shortcuts to the Hut like the back of her palm. Cross the old woman's home, pass the streets in the Market, turn right to the alley & nearly there...
CRASH!
All the clean silk material from the basket went flying in the air & landed on the ground, being dusted with golden sand.
"No...." the girl said into her hands.
"Are you alright? I'm so sorry! Oh Lord, I did not mean to... Please pardon me..." came a faint voice with a hint of worry.
The girl looked up & saw a girl probably around her age, half her face hidden behind a cloth of thin silk, her face framed with a loose silk scarf.
'Oh praise the Pharaoh! This is a wealthy woman I have ran into!' Anna thought.
"Beg my un-gracefulness! I am so sorry. I did not mean to..." Anna started to babble while picking up the scattered silk material on the ground.
"No need, no need. It was all my fault." replied the girl.
"What is your name, girl?" the mysterious girl asked.
"M-my name?" Anna stuttered.
In all her 13 years, no one had ever asked her for her name - let alone right after she had crashed into them by accident! If she had crashed into the Master, she would have been whipped ten times.
"I am... Anna." she whispered softly.
"Anna? & what is that you are carrying? Is that silk, I see?" the maiden asked.
"Y-yes..." Anna said, even softer this time.
"Is your master... Mr Zeddy?"
"Y-yes." Anna said, startled that the girl knew her master.
His merchandise - silk, of course - was brilliant, high-quality. Yet their hut was never very popular. Anna often wondered whether it was because of Master Zeddy's cocky high prices or because of his notorious rude manners.
She did not know that Master Zeddy could be known.
The maiden looked at Anna with wide eyes & gasped.
"Are you the new girl Master Zeddy took you in for from orphanage?"
"Y-yes." Anna perked up. Who was this girl? How did she know of her story?
To the others, Anna was invisible.
"I am Mr Zeddy's niece! Amy!" the girl said.
"Oh!" Anna gasped as Amy jumped & hugged her.
"It is so good to meet someone my age! My name is Amy! But I think you already knew that." Amy giggled & looked at Anna.
"Here, let me help you..." Amy said & helped pick up the dirty cloths on the floor.
Following Anna's every move - fanning at the silk in hope of the tiny specks of sand coming off.
After that, they folded the cloths of silk & placed it gently in the basket.
Amy & Anna walked along the path & finally, reached the Hut.
"ANNA, is that YOU?" a voice boomed from within.
"Y-yes?" Anna stuttered.
"Come in... NOW." the voice said.
"Yes, master."
With her head down, she dragged her feet onto the floor & went inside the Hut, a building made out of pieces of cloths being held up with a few thick sticks.
"Where were you, girl?" he spat. "Where is my silk? Did you drop it? For your sake, I hope not. Or my new cane may need another replacement."
Anna kept silent. Amy stared at her uncle in aghast at his cruelty.
Master Zeddy picked up the cloths & examined it.
"Hmm... Well, you dropped it. I know you dropped it. You, Anna, could never succeed into walking without tripping over your own feet!" he laughed at his own joke & stopped abruptly.
"But you managed to try & get the sand out of my silk. Very well. I shall not cane you for today. Now go to your tent & rest. Tomorrow there shall be another day of tasks."
Amy followed behind Anna into a tent of what seemed like rags.
Anna crawled on all fours into the tent & laid at a heap of torn cloths.
"Wh-? Is that your bed?" Amy said, horrified.
"Yes. I think I am lucky that Master Zeddy is showing me kindness."
"Kindness?" Amy cried. "This is not kindness! How could anyone be so cruel-hearted like my uncle? Even the great Pier would never be this heartless!"
"No. This is truly kindness. Out there is a world... A world that us 13s should not be exposed to. We are innocent - or... you are innocent. I have already been out there, not being sheltered." Anna said sadly.
"For nearly twelve years, I have been sleeping on the floor, hard or sandy, either one while the little ones get the heap of rags. I consider this extremely generous. I have never been so fortunate." Anna continued.
"Anyway... I should have warn you. Please do not follow me. I do not mean to sound cruel but please, for your respect, do not. No maiden should be caught with a girl like me, in heaps of rags. It can do many for reputations." Anna said & looked at her dirty hands.
"No. I shall not. You are my friend & I never want to abandon a friend." Amy said confidently.
"But... What will your uncle say?"
"To the Underworld my Uncle!" she said.
Anna still looked sad, even as she gave a little smile to Amy.
"But if it troubles you that much... I shall ask my uncle for you to be my... servant." Amy said, wincing at the wod.
Anna perked up. "Really? Do you honestly want me to be your maiden?"
"Of course!" Amy laughed, surprised at Anna's enthusiasm, & not her bitterness.
"Well then... It is settled. You are now my maiden till now & henceforth!" Amy said & hugged Anna.
'A friend... A real friend...' Amy thought happily & hugged Anna tighter.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment