The Forest and The Secret Love (Part One)
"In each of complete moon cycle, there will always be something strange happened in my body. Blood coming out…"
The words trapped in Alma's mouth, refused to coming out. She did not know whether or not she needed to share her story, the one that her mother told her to keep, even from her closest friends. Well, actually, her closest friends were her mother's main concerned.
"Talita walked around ready to spill any gossip like it is her duty to make everyone knows about everything. You would never know what's coming out from her mouth a minute after she showed up in front of you. If she already got the menstruation, she would be just fine, and probably would keep her mouth shut. If she hasn't got it yet, she would go around and spread words about you. Then, people would continuously ask when will you get married? You are a thirteen, but because you already get your period, people assume that you are ready to carry your baby! Ugh. Anyway, people lied all the time about their daughter's menstruation untill the daughter reach fifteen, when they are mature enough to really get married."
Her mother handed her a small fabric, just like a handkerchief, to put it down there, and managed to show her the way to use it. When she did her house core she walked in a strange manner and a little slower. Her bestfriends noticed it on their way to the forest, where Kalima people gathered the twigs to create fire.
"What is wrong with your leg. You walked like a limping man! Hahaha. What had happened?"
Ursula, one of her bestfriend among the the other two, Laluba, and Talita yelled from afar.
"Come on, the forest will get too ghostly in the evening, and there is that female ghost, Garugewa, who sucked out everyone's blood till they died dead! Do you want us to meet that shitty ugly wicked creature?"
The thought of Garugewa chilled Alma's bones. Some people admitted that they had seen the female ghost in the forest, on midday, and around sunset. She is tall, white, have long hair, and wearing a red long robe. Her face were full of scars, and when she opened her mouth, it will getting bigger and bigger, and thousand crows would flew out of it to attack the human. No one ever died, but those who met her can never fully recovered from the delirium they got. Alma did not want to meet such a terrifying creature so she forced herself to walk faster, although it felt so strange. The four girls then worked quickly. First, they looked for as many twigs as possible, then divided it equally among them. Lastly, they'd carry it home, giving it to the mother who will use it to create a fire to cook. But, they ussually took some time to talk, and laugh, and giving advice.
"Ah, that's menstruation. I got it three months ago. Have you all get yours?"
Talita shook her head.
"Oh, shit. Dont you ever dare going around talking about this."
Laluba spoke in a cold tone. She sounded like she almost hissed. Talita blushed. Her ears looked reddish.
"I got mine last month."
"Yeahhhhhh. I actually got mine too. But, looked at how you mocked me…"
Talita laughed out loud.
"Girl, you got reputation. What do you expect?"
"Some respect?"
"Oh, come on."
Alma laughed at the conversation, and it relieved the pain and the strangeness in her body. But her laughter did not last for too long.
"Raja said he had a crush on me."
A sharp knife stabbed Alma's heart. It bleed a sinful jealousy and anger. Then, a little guilt resurface as she realIzed nothing real ever happened between her and Raja. She just loved the young man's perfect face, and his olive skin. The beauty of his deep calm voice when he talked to her and the other two girls were captivating. He was always kind to all of them, now, Alma realized, it must be because he had his own thing with Talita.
"You lied."
Laluba whom rarely spoke, cut Talita's words again. Alma laughed. It was an envy laughter, but the dark cloud hanged above Alma's head was removed. The surrounding vibe got a little bit brighter, as if the colorful rainbow were around them. Alma got her hope back. Once or twice, Raja would smile and wink at her. She took it as a sign. Maybe there was something more than a friendly gesture. That young man's smile and wink sent her to an ecstasy. She did not know such an ecstasy could be formed in her body : the warmness of him swirling inside her chest. There was a euphoria, making her believe that she could do anything, even sacrifice herself to death if it is necessary to hold Raja close. Something in her knew, that her feeling was infatuation, and it could be easily turning into love in a split of a second although it was her first "love".
"Why would I lie?"
There was fiery in Talita's voice. The last time she acted so fierce was when adults mocked her mother for a marital affair. Her mother, Yasinta, slept with another slave right after her husband left. She was almost stoned to death if the slave refuse to marry her. The shameful moment, at least for Talita, ended up well with her mother's wedding. Talita was just eight years old, but she had to stand up for herself whenever any adults mocked her, and her mother at the same time. The scandal caused a heat amongst the slaves. Her mother who had been Karuna's mother friend since they were young. Buy, even Yasinta's action tore the friendship apart. Alma's mother said that it was because Kumi, Talita's father was a good man. Alma felt like it might be because her mother was afraid that her father would getting attracted to Talita's mother.
Sometimes, love is not as simple as two people fell for each other and live happily ever after. Sometimes, it is two people, and another one came in, then everything is ruined like a sandcastle blowing by the ocean waves. The divorce of her parents really affected little Talita. She used to be a quiet little girl who loves to singing, but since her father left, the melody from her voice also left. All that left is a girl who fight, and who spread all the damn thing to make up for what had happened to her mother.