Chapter 19: Chapter 19

Akirexer woke up at 5 a.m. like she always did every morning. She stretched herself and got out of bed yawning. She changed her clothes and quietly left the bedroom. Sharumez was still snoring softly when she closed the door. Akirexer went downstairs to clean but was surprised to see that the house had already been cleaned.

Who could have cleaned? she held her head in thought.

Akirexer heard the sound of plates in the kitchen and she went to check. She was surprised to see Emelinia washing the last plate. She watched her in silence as she dried up the sink. Emelinia picked the bin from underneath the sink and when she saw Akirexer standing at the door, she got startled.

"I didn't mean to scare you." Akirexer grinned sweetly. "But why did you have to go through all the trouble?" she asked, bewildered.

"I got up early and couldn't go back to sleep so I thought of helping you clean." Emelinia replied with her eyes on the floor.

"Help me clean? Honey you have done everything." Akirexer said, amazed. "Go and throw out the trash while I make us some tea." she smiled and set the kettle on the gas stove.

It wasn't long after Emelinia returned from taking out the trash when Akirexer finished preparing the tea. She gave Emelinia her cup and she blew on it. Emelinia was about to take her first sip when she saw Akirexer frowning at her headband. Emelinia blew on her tea again and sipped it.

"Dear, why don't you, at least take off your headband when you are home?" Akirexer asked her.

Emelinia could see that she was genuinely concerned about her insistence on covering up her birthmark.

"I feel uncomfortable without one." she briefly justified herself.

Akirexer swallowed her tea as she shook her head. "I understand that but you should at least allow yourself to be yourself here. We all know that you are a seer and none of us will make you feel uncomfortable because of that. You have such beautiful hair, let it breath for once."

Emelinia silently looked at Akirexer. She and her family have been so kind to me. I guess I should do what she is asking of me.

Emelinia took off her headband and her hair spread. Akirexer got up and neatly plaited it into one big braid so that it didn't go into her face. When she was done, she stepped back to admire her work and gently clapped her hands in satisfaction. Emelinia blushed a little and faced down with a little smile. She felt naked without her headband but was glad that she didn't have to wear it there.

Akirexer took her to the living room and put her in front of the mirror there. Emelinia was shocked to see how pretty she looked without her headband. For the first time in her life, she saw her own beauty and she felt amazing.

Akirexer smiled happily at her through the mirror and Emelinia shyly smiled back. She looked further into the mirror and her eyes widened when saw Naian staring at her. She turned to him and faced down in discomfort.

"Good morning Naian." Akirexer greeted him.

"Good morning mama." Naian replied.

Akirexer got back into the kitchen and left Emelinia all alone with Naian. She was tensed as she felt him staring at her birthmark. Her legs couldn't move so she helplessly stood still. They both heard Akirexer tell Naian that his breakfast was going to be ready soon and Naian told her to take her time. He then turned to Emelinia and said,

"Good morning, Emelinia." he greeted her and Emelinia nervously nodded her head.

Naian proceeded to walk into the kitchen and went outside. Emelinia breathed out a sigh of relief when he left. She couldn't quite understand why she felt uncomfortable with Naian. He wasn't mean or rude to her and he spoke to her the least in the house.

The sight of Sharumez interrupted her thoughts. He smiled fatherly at her as he folded his sleeves. Emelinia happily smiled back at him. She felt a lot more comfortable with him than anyone else in the house. She assumed that it was because she met him first.

Emelinia picked up the vegetables on a tray on the table and went outside. She sat on a chair on the lawn and started cutting them. Before long, she heard Sharumez approach the door and she watched him and Naian walk out. Sharumez told her that he would see her in the evening and she waved goodbye to them as they rode out.

Two women passing by saw Emelinia and when they got a glimpse of her birthmark, they gasped. Emelinia watched them whisper to each other and look at her in disgust. Her heart sank and she felt a lump in her throat. Akirexer came out of the house with a lot of laundry. Emelinia took a deep breath and her lump was gone. She didn't want Akirexer to see that she was upset because it was just going to worry her.

"I will help you with the laundry as soon as I am done with cutting the vegetables for the stew." Emelinia gladly offered.

"No I will manage. I have done a lot more than this before." Akirexer winked at Emelinia.

"I insist, ma." Emelinia said in almost a giggle.

Akirexer held her waist and took a look at the laundry again. "Alright we will wash them together. Sharaina will cook lunch."

****

The two women that saw Emelinia arrived at their homes. They wasted no time in getting the attention of the other women. A good number flocked to them and surrounded them. They murmured amongst each other as they wondered why they were called suddenly.

"Naavi and Wela, can you hurry up and tell us why you have called us all here. We don't have time to waste." one of the women spoke up.

"We have chores to do." another one with a little baby on her back emphasized.

Naavi and Wela started stomping their feet on the ground as they beat their chests and twirled around. When the other women saw that they were doing the angry dance, they became worried. They started to wonder what upset them even more.

"My fellow women of Gemhules, there is a great insult upon us." Wela said and the women gasped.

"Tell us of this insult!" some of the women fiercely demanded.

"Our sister Akirexer has been insulted!" Naavi exclaimed.

Upon hearing that, a few women started dancing the angry dance. Dust was raised as they constantly stomped the ground. At that point, more people went to see what was happening. The women danced for a few minutes before they stopped to listen to how Akirexer was insulted.

"My women, Sharumez has brought an unwed girl into his house who isn't related to him!" Naavi said and the crowd of women roared in anger.

"To make matters worse, this girl is a disgusting seer! This means that her sole purpose in that house is to be his concubine!" Wela added and they crowd went mad with anger.

One woman stepped out of the crowd. "Surely, how can you both think like this? Sharumez is a respectable man. He can never do this. What makes you so sure he is having an affair with that girl?" she expressed her doubt.

"Foolish and naive woman! Do you think that we are idiots? We saw him speak to her lovingly in a suspicious way before he left for his shop. Akirexer was nowhere in sight. She probably doesn't even know that her husband's mistress is in her house and you are here sprouting nonsense? Shut up!" Naavi rudely argued her suspicions.

"We, the women of Gemhules do not tolerate abuse of women! We stand up for each other! That home wrecking harlot has to leave this village!" Wela viciously yelled at the doubtful woman.

"Even still, what makes you think that she is his concubine?" she asked again, clearly unconvinced by the allegations.

Naavi gritted her teeth as she eyeballed her. "Your foolishness knows no bounds. Surely what other relationship can a female seer have with a man? You keep quiet or we will make you regret it!"

"If we allow that whore to stay in this village, she will come after our husbands and our sons!" a convinced woman in the crowd yelled.

"We will flog her and shave her head before kicking her out! Women like her are a disgrace!" Wela declared and the women screamed in rage.