The Prophecy and The Northern Star (Part Two)
The mother and the daughter could survive without him if they leave. The option to leave scored higher. To minimize the risk of death, because he could carry the black magic with him, he would stay. Alma would survive. Maybe, this is how she wold fulfilled her prophecy.
"Fucking old ass Berima never told a lie, huh?!"
His memory went back to the first year of his marriage life.
**
His wedding day were celebrated by all the slaves. The elder and the youngsters, male and female, they all danced under the full moon all night long. The drum beats swirling in the air, working its magic to put all people into ecstasy. The next morning, the village was almost shut in silenced as the slaves took a rest after a wild night that never happened before.
It was after all the noisy celebration, both of the newlyweds had to go to Ditaka for a marriage advice.
"It is such a joke that a virgin mother, the one who got no husband had to give us the advice. We should listen for that kind of advice from my mother. She got the experience."
"A psychic didn't need to suffer the illness to give the cure. By the same logic, my mother didn't need to get married to see that a marriage could have a problems, and she might have a solution to avoid it just by watching how other people did it."
"You think so?"
"We haven't been together more than two days, but we already had this disagreement?!"
"Okay, whatever."
Yakota didn't really like Karuna's mother. He sensed a lot of hidden wickedness in her actions. When people spread rumours on Karuna's real parents, she did nothing. She had to stand up for her daughter, but she kept her silence. On the other hand, he understood that Ditaka did not have much power. Kalima people believe that an unmarried woman did not have enough experience in life because she could not even get a husband. All the unmarried women's voice was shut. He held the same belief too. But, why she didn't even try to rebel and shut the bullies up?
Both of the newlyweds sat uncomfortably in front of Ditaka. Karuna paid attention to the face of a stranger she called mom since she could speak. There were no secret between them, ever. Her mother even told her that she was not her real daughter since her early age.
"Don't you wish any comforting love words or act from me. Even a hug would be too much. You may call me mother, because I have been taking care of you since you were a baby. But, I am not your real mother. Your parents left you alone in the ship. I did not know why, i did not know how you survived the cold harsh wind. But, I did know that I need to save you, because you are a human being. it was as simple as that."
The lines on her forehead getting deeper. Her cheekbones getting sharper. The light in her eyes getting dimmer.
"Karuna, I am getting older. Maybe I will die very soon. A slave who had been working hard for the master, sometimes could not pass the age of fifty. I saw you hanged out a lot with Yakota. Why didn't you ask him to come and meet me?"
Karuna thought Ditaka never liked her lover. She could feel the heaviness in the air everytime this two most important person in her life stood near to each other. Ditaka would put her resting bitch face, while Yakota started to whistle random songs and looked around to show Ditaka that the not so secretly hatefulness between them is a mutual feeling.
But, she gave them a blessing to get married. She even paid for a cow that slaughtered for the wedding feast to feed all the slave. She was the one who asked for permisson from every land owners for the slave to get two days free from their labor. It was the biggest feasts day, and Ditaka looked stunningly happy. Yakota's mother, Inya Dawa, gave her blessing, but could not care much about all the wedding stuff. She said that she had been poor her whole life, so she could not afford a party. Ditaka used all her money for the feast, without even complaining.
"I see you two are coming for a marriage advice from a single woman, huh?"
There was a faint smirk on his face. Oh, the cold war between the two have not ended yet.
"Of course. The single one is always the quickest to notice every problem exists in a marriage couple's life. That is why these people avoid marriage."
"I saw your insult skill is getting better young man! I am so proud of you. It must be my daughter who shared her own wittiness. As you know, women are smarter than men, and are more capable to arrange the most epic wedding feast, without any help whatsoever from a man."
Yakota blushed. He had spent all his savings on building the farm house. Therefore, he let Ditaka arranged the wedding. But, ah, she used it as an excuse to put him into silence.
"We actually come here because our tradition said that a day after a wedding day the newlyweds should ask for advice from the bride's parents, and we did not know how reach the spirit world to talk to Karuna's real parents."
He made his point by throwing his most ultimate weapon : Ditaka's real status. A second later, he knew he made a huge mistake when Ditaka sighed.
"That one was not from Karuna, right?"
Karuna looked at him carefully. There was a fire in her eyes, a truthful fiery anger. He was swallowed by his pride, and got too far. He knew, Karuna wanted him to ask for forgiveness. Ditaka might not be her real mother, but she is her only mother figure. She fed her, raised her, taught her the lifeskills necessary for a woman to survive the world…
"I apologize, mother."
Karuna shooked. She never thought that his now husband would call Ditaka as mother. He ussually called her by name because that's the custom in Kalima.
"You should."
Karuna held her breath. She knew her mother never said sorry nor giving unnecessry apologize.
"I don't have any advice. But, i have to let you know something…"
Karuna could hear hundreds of sparrow gathered on the mango trees, next to her mother little farm house, started to sing their own ancient song about life and love.