Away From Home [Part 2]

FROM NIGHT, MORNING HAD arrived. Junas had woken up early, even before the sun's yellow had graced the earth with its presence. A habit he'd acquired from Granny Nina.

Although his eyes were open, he was still daydreaming of the sweet and hot kiss he had shared with the woman of his dreams.

Getting up from his bed, he got ready. It took him about twenty minutes. Then, he set out for granny's house. In the past, he may have spent most of his time with her, he thought.

While on his way there, a lot was going on in his mind. Twelve years had passed since his birth in this world, and finally, he had a real opportunity of exploring it.

This world, from his books, he found out was named Araxis.

Araxis is the name of a Mayurian Mythology God. A God of fertility and love. The mythology's origins lie in the far east.

It is a prominent branch of classical mythology. It is the first love of historians. Besides it, there were other mythologies, some of them being ancient and others being new.

Araxis was still going through Industrial Revolution, and seeds of a new era were already sprouting. With so many new inventions out there, dazzling the people, some even called this an Era Of Miracles. 'Then they should wait for the time when the first man lands on the moon', thought he amusingly.

Thinking of the moon, he tilted his head up. It was very early in the morning, and the sunshine could not wholly hide the moon. The moon shone, fading in the sky with a tinge of red. Though it was not entirely red currently, when it was at its peak, it would shine in a red so dark that it felt as if the Heavens were bleeding. As if any moment blood shower would fall on this earth and ransack everyone of their happiness, spreading grief and sadness abound.

Awakening him from his thoughts, he saw how a little black cat had crossed his path. He did not stop, as anyone in the village would have, but continued. Superstitions like how it is bad luck to have a black cat cross your path or how sneezing would bring good luck were also prominent here.

There were many similar things and other entirely different things in Araxis.

He mused, 'How great it would be if the two worlds just merged', a fleeting thought of his.

While walking, he looked at his surroundings and saw a silent world. Though villagers were early wakers, not many woke up at the same time as Junas.

He continued walking at a much slower pace enjoying the scenery. Looking at the orderly-built houses and the well-kept gardens and smelling the mesmerizing aroma of the morning left him enchanted.

The air in this world was much purer, nature was much greener, and the water was much cleaner.

He looked at the flowers and the bushes and enjoyed his little journey. It was Daarunda, his village.

Daarunda was a small village situated on the borderlands of the country. Despite being the borderlands, it was peaceful; no wars were going on right now. Also, there were only 20 families, so everyone knew each other. It was a huge joint family.

In this world, there are many countries and much more cultures.

Out of the many countries, the ones he knew were the ones which were relevant to him. The Republic of Mayur-the country he lived in, and the neighbouring countries Sudan Republican and the Gromar Kingdom.

The Republic Of Mayur was a subcontinent of the Crussian continent-one of the four continents of Araxis, at the southwest border of it. Being a subcontinent at the continent's edge assured the country of much safety.

Because of the terrain, the only threat to the country's peace was The Sudan Republican or The Gromar Kingdom. As Industrial Revolution was still ongoing, nuclear missiles were yet to develop, so it was a relief, thought Junas.

The ocean that surrounded the Mayurian sub-continent was called the Mayurian ocean. And because of it, the fishing industry in the south bloomed. It also generated a massive amount of tourism and trade revenue.

With all these facts, he concluded that the Republic of Mayur was the safest place he could be right. Because this world seemed so ordinary, he was sure that it was something much more than just what he could perceive.

Thinking so much had tired his brain much, it seemed. He did not want to mull over it anymore.

Finally, he stood outside Granny Nina's shack and strode inside it unceremoniously. There was no need to knock at a door which was always open.

Granny believed that she did not need doors with locks or even doors when God Himself protected her. To this, Junas could not decide whether his granny was a fool or brave.

He believed, 'If you protect yourself, then even Gods protect you.'

Letting all his idle thoughts aside, he found granny and went to the temple with her.

**

When he returned to his house, his mother welcomed him with a smile. Words started to ring inside his head, 'You can't do this to me.' 'Do you think I, my child...'

He remembered the last night's heated conversation between his mother and father, of which the topic was himself. He remembered her weeping face and the worry-filled face his father had made.

It pained him to see his mother smile so brightly while hiding deep scars of regrets behind it.

Finally, he could not take it and blurted out the words, "Stop, mother. I know it. I know about it, me going for schooling, away from here."

He paused, then looked at his mother and continued, "I know it was not right for me to listen in on a conversation of yours. But..." tears filled his eyes.

Again, with a firm resolve, he continued, "I will probably be sad. No, I will be sad if I leave, and I know it would be the same for you, but I want to study more and see more and, and..."

Not letting him finish, Isidora slapped him hard and hugged him, "Shut up! Do you think I require you to tell me how to care about your future? You don't have to convince me, you dunce. It does not matter to me if you are here or not."

Her actions and words were as contradictory as snowfall in mid-summer. Once again, Junas remembered just how much they had sacrificed for him.

He recalled the bone-chilling, wintery, cold nights when his father would go out just so that he could collect some firewood. The sweaty face of his mother on a summer noon, doing all the chores, not bothering him, who got lost in his fantasies. He remembered it all.

Suddenly someone hugged them from behind it was Nastka. "I do not know the occasion, but let's just hug." And in his hands was a book named- 'Our World- Araxis.'