The Seclusion

Mila stared at her phone for a long time. Her phone is almost dead now. She missed the times when it beeped every minute with a message of Luke or Ella or anyone. In her lonely home, those made Mila smile, at least for a minute. Mila checked the network again. It is zero. For a moment Mila wished to go back to her home, to Luke, to everyone. She felt like they caged her inside Flovalwood. No, Mila tried to leave that thought. She will return, just two months she will go back. Nothing is working on her phone now. There was no calendar anywhere in her home. Mila wrote the days and circled them when it is over. She is counting sixty days from now to go back.

There was no message from Luke that night. Mila took the note from her purse and send Peter's contact number to Luke. She felt bad about him. Mila came straight home and talked little to her grandma. Irvin visited them in the evening, and Mila faked sleep. He brought the special dish with him. At dinner grandma served it, but Mila took only a little of it. She checked the phone again at night. There was no message from anyone. Mila felt sad. It has been only three days and everyone forgot her.

The next morning when Mila woke, she heard the soft voice of a lady.

"It is not his fault. That girl, she is eyeing him whenever she saw him. And Irvin, he is a fool. He just looks for beauty and never sees what's beneath that. And that girl, a lot of boys, is after her. That's why her father keeps her inside all the time".

Mila entered the hall, and the lady stopped. She had curly hair and a bony figure. On seeing Mila, she smiled.

"Hi. I am Lara. Staying near the river. You must have seen my daughter, Lola. I just came to take this vase. Lola was mistaken. I told her to bring this here. And the other vase is for Jon." Lola's mother placed a simple, freshly crafted vase on the table. "And she mistook this scarf as ours. I am sorry. Don't feel bad. The girl is very careless".

Mila took back the half stitched scarf from her and smiled. The lady continued gossiping and Mila went inside her room. She smiled at the message from Luke. But that was not good news.

"The number is not working".

That was it. She checked other messages, there was none. Mila tried to remember the path she carefully observed on her journey. And typed a message.

"Luke, there is a town named Hanedale. There is an enormous tree at the junction. Then you turn to the minor road on the left of the tree. You will find a path with rocks on either side. You can go straight for some time. Then you will find the village. A wooden board shows the name of the village. I am sorry for what I said. I want to see you. Please come fast".

She messaged, "How are you?" to all other friends and again pulled out a book.

A few minutes later Lola entered the room. Her face was pleasant, as always.

"You are always reading. Don't you get bored staying inside all the time". Lola examined the paper crafts and book. Mila was extra careful this time.

"I grew up like this. Mother has been sick, and I had to stay inside all the time. That's how I started reading".

"I am sorry." Lola stopped for some time. "Come with me. I will introduce you to my friends".

"No, Lola. I am a little worried today".

"I can see it. That's why I called you. You went with Irvin yesterday. Then why not me?"

Mila could sense gossip from her voice and she agreed to go out.

Lola was a pleasant companion, like Irvin. And she joked and laughed more. They went straight to the grassland. There were more girls and Lola introduced them to her. She soon made friends with everyone. Mila differed from all. In her clothes and way of talking, but the girls said nothing offending. Still, Mila felt left out. Soon the boys came to the ground and Irvin waved at her. Soon the girls started gossiping and making rude comments about them, and Mila left there. She walked through the smooth grass and breathed some fresh air. She missed Luke and their trips from the park. Lola ran towards her and showed her gardens and a river near the grassland. Windmills were rotating in the strong wind, and Lola said they give electricity to the entire village.

She fed the fishes and complained. "Irvin always fishes here. Look, the fishes are only a few now".

Mila has seen a lot of fishes inside and could see that Lola is lying as always. But there is something good in Lola. She fed every animal or bird or anything she saw on the way. Her pocket always had grains or nuts or fruits, probably stolen from somewhere. The apple she threw to a parrot was from Mila's room. But she didn't ask. Mila was not like that, she allowed nobody other than Luke to touch her things. She wondered how she changed like this.

Lola brought them cookies from somewhere.

"We don't need this. You must have stolen from your home. Your mom gossiped yesterday to Lilly that I stole the cookies." Lia, a brown-haired, short girl, complained.

"No, it is from Charlie's shop. You can taste it if you want".

The girls snatched the cookies from her and Mila looked confused.

"Take it. It is from Irvin's mom. Really tasty." Lola tasted one herself.

"I have money, Lola. I can pay for it." Lola and the other girls laughed aloud.

"You have been here for days and still don't know about here. There is no money here. You just ask for something and they will give it to you." Mila thought the girls were joking and asked Irvin the truth when they returned home.

"She is right. We don't use money like you people. We just give things. Like I give Charlie milk and cookies for the shop and he gives me rice, vegetables, cattle feed everything. Lola's dad and mom make furniture, crafts, and pottery. Then your grandma stitches clothes. Like that it works".

"And what about the tax? And what about things which are not available here?"

"Tax, we don't need that. What is it? Peter will take care of anything outside this village. Just give him something good. He will sell it there or he will do some job there to get money. "

"That is why the village is absent in all government records".

"Mila, there is a lot for you to know about this village and I don't think I am the right person to tell you that. Just know that we have everything here. Excellent food, milk, animals, everything. The only person who brought things from outside was Mila. Some books and some materials for her craft and Peter liked her and he never complained." Irvin went on talking till they reached the house. Mila knows the people are good and the harmony of the villagers. But she felt uncomfortable. There is something strange in here.