Chapter 47 - Past Meets Present

Naian looked at Tamithra, unsure of what to say or do. He hadn't seen or heard from her in years. She was the last person he expected to visit him and yet there she was.

Her smile took him aback. The last time he saw her smile like that was on the day they met. He had completely forgotten about her pretty smile of freckles because all he could remember was how she left him---sore and broken.

As the memory of that dreaded night came flooding back, feelings of anger and resentment penetrated his heart. His tongue stuck to the top of his mouth as his jaw clenched. His eyes plain but dark.

Tamithra tucked her lips and fiddled with her fingers. As the feeling of awkwardness took over, she breathed out silently and forced a grin. Internally hoping that it would ease the tension.

"Naian, I will be returning soon. I am going to check on the wood we ordered." Sharumez suddenly said and the two broke their eye contact. "Tamithra, what a pleasant surprise. When did you return?" he asked her.

"I returned half an hour ago." Tamithra answered with a warm smile. "I thought of dropping by to say hello."

"That was so nice of you. I am glad to see you after so long. How many years has it been?" Sharumez asked her.

"It has been five years." Tamithra answered.

Sharumez feigned surprise with a smile. "It's great to have you back in the village." he said and went over to Janala.

Left alone with Naian once more, Tamithra tucked her hair behind her ear with her shaky hand. "May I...h-ave a seat?" she stammered.

Naian reluctantly offered her a seat and he sat down with his hands folded. Tamithra sat opposite him with her shoulders up, back straight and legs locked together. She fiddled with her fingers some more and Naian jerked an eyebrow up at her empty ring finger.

"I just got divorced." Tamithra explained when she noticed that he was stunned by her ring less finger.

"I'm sorry about that." Naian blankly answered.

"I know you hate me for what I did to you. I just want you to know that I am so sorry. I was wrong." Tamithra further said.

"You don't need to apologize to me." Naian answered, his expression blank.

A tear escaped Tamithra's eye and she delicately wiped it off by tapping on it with her handkerchief. "I need to for the sake of my conscience. After enduring an abusive marriage for so long, I have come to realize that money isn't everything."

Naian was silent.

"Leaving you was the biggest mistake I ever made." Tamithra croaked as more tears poured.

Naian eyed the shop for customers and averted his eyes back to Tamithra. "Just forget it. What's done is done." the coldness in his voice chilling. "Pull yourself together. It won't be right for customers to walk in and see you in this condition."

Tamithra wiped her nose. "You're right. I'm sorry." she apologized, ashamed.

Janala stared at them with so much amazement in her eyes. She couldn't hear what they were saying but their body language made her see that there was tension between the two.

None of them noticed Janala leaving the shop and returning with popcorns. She ate the popcorn with her legs crossed and a wide smirk on her face.

"So how have you been over the years?" Tamithra asked with a teary smile.

"Great." Naian simply answered.

"Is there a way we can meet up later? I have missed... talking to you." her cheeks turned pink with shyness.

"I'm afraid that will never be possible."

"Why?" she looked at him, flustered.

Emelinia walked into the shop and Janala widened her eyes. The little drama before her had just gotten interesting. Naian left Tamithra and went over to Emelinia.

Tamithra felt her chest tighten when she saw Naian's wedding ring as he took the basket of food away from Emelinia. Her throat became dry and palms sweaty when she gazed at Emelinia's rings. She faced away, her eyes reeling as everything sank in.

The sound of shoes walking on wood forced her to look at them again. She swallowed hard and squeezed her purse in an attempt to keep her composure. The sight of Naian holding Emelinia's hand made her feel like a cat was scratching her insides.

Tamithra forced a smile and extended her hand in greeting.

"Emelinia, this is Tamithra. She is a close cousin of Liss." Naian introduced Tamithra and she nodded her head. "Tamithra, this is my wife Emelinia."

It was at that moment that the shop became too small for Tamithra. She started to feel dizzy. She had to get out of there.

"I'm pleased to meet you Tamithra." she heard Emelinia say but kept her eyes on her friendly smile.

"Thank you. It is nice to meet you too." Tamithra answered without smiling back at Emelinia. "I should be leaving now. My aunt and Liss are expecting me." she said and excused herself, dashing out without looking back.

Janala shook her head at her with a wide smirk. She leaned back and put her feet on the table.

"She was definitely an ex." she threw a popcorn up and caught it in her mouth---laughing to herself as she chewed.

"She looked so upset. I hope nothing is wrong." Emelinia said with concern to Naian as she served him and Janala.

Naian smiled warmly at her. "Everything is okay. Please don't worry." he assured her and she nodded her head.

Emelinia watched Naian and Janala eat and chat. Over the months she had gotten so free with Naian. She remembered the times when she was so scared of him. Now when she looked at him, she saw a friend. A best friend for that matter. She believed that he genuinely cared about her because of the way he treated her.

She turned away from Naian and Janala and sat on a chair away from them. She looked lovingly at Naian and when he looked back at her she abruptly snapped back to normal and sat straight.

"Come and eat with us." he said to her, his hand covering his mouth full of food and his dimples sticking out.

"No thank you," she declined. "I already ate at home with mama." she explained and he gave her a look of disappointment before turning back to Janala who was busy stuffing her face.

Emelinia's heart warmed up at Naian's dimples as he laughed at Janala. It always brightened her mood to see them. Would she ever get tired of seeing them? She shook her head playfully.

Never. she internally giggled.

His dimples weren't the first dimples she had ever seen but they were the most enchanting. At times, she would get tempted to poke them but she could never muster the courage. So she instead admired them from a far.

Emelinia felt a little jealous that Janala made Naian laugh. She fidgeted on her chair as she thought of how she never made Naian laugh at all. She shot a glare at Janala because she was doing it with ease.

Emelinia stepped outside and folded her hands. A frown lingered it's way in as guilt took over.

"I shouldn't be jealous of Janala. She is really nice and sweet." she said to herself and leaned on one of the shop's poles, hugging herself as the wind gently blew her hair.

"Will he ever love me?" she asked herself with sadness.

Emelinia looked over her shoulder and longingly looked at Naian giggling and talking to Janala.

"Perhaps one day he will." she slowly turned away.

Four soldiers walked passed her in long strides. Emelinia joined everyone in the streets looking at them afraid. The soldiers got into a bakery shop and the next thing that was heard was a slap.

A dark bald man went out stumbling down to his knees. His little daughter held his hand up as she hopelessly tried to get him off the dusty ground.

"Please, I will pay you my taxes. I just need more time." the man pleaded, practically in tears.

One of the soldiers snickered. "Do you honestly think that we will listen to that? We have given you more than enough time."

"Please I beg of you, don't lock my store."

One punch sent him falling to his side. The villagers looked away in fear. Some of them who had the courage to move their feet, walked away. Emelinia sadly looked on at the little girl crying beside her unconscious father.

As soon as the store was locked, the soldiers walked away laughing. A few villagers helped the man up and took him away.

The sight was now the order of the day. Ever since King Meelzib came to power, shops were forcefully shut down due to high taxes. The soldiers who were once kind and considerate turned into monsters in uniforms. Emelinia shook her head and went back into the shop.

She noticed that Naian and Janala had finished eating and went to clear the table. Emelinia felt Naian staring at her and she tucked her hair behind her ear. He silently watched her put the dirty plates and lunch boxes into the basket. When she was done, she turned to Naian who was still staring at her.

"Is there a problem?" she asked him.

"No, there's no problem." Naian answered and got up. "I will be a little late today because I will be attending Karnam's bachelor party." Naian told Emelinia.

"Okay, what time should I expect you home?" she asked him.

"I will be back by 10." he answered her. "Don't stay up and wait for me though. You need your rest." he smiled at her and she slowly nodded her head with a smile of her own.

****

Sharaina was in a group of five students. She looked over her shoulder and saw Naraygeous and Zentz in their respective groups of five. They were all in one of the plain fields.

A man in a plain red tutor's uniform approached Sharaina's group. He was at least six feet and had a permanent scowl on his hairy face. Sharaina and the other students bowed in respect to him.

"Listen, in today's training exercise; you will be learning how to open portals." he began. "In your theoretical classes you learnt that you had to focus your gamarax to the tips of your fingers and draw a circle in the air while thinking about where you want to go. I expect you to do that today. Here is what is going to happen; you are to open a portal in front of the Pala tea shop at the market." he instructed them. "Anyone who fails to do this but goes home instead will be expelled!" he threatened with a raised finger. "Do you understand?!" he raised his voice.

"Yes sir!" they all answered at once.

The students focused their gamarax to the tips of the fingers and drew their portal circles. They were so excited when the portals appeared. One by one, they started to disappear into their portals.

When Sharaina stepped out of her portal, she was shocked to find herself in a vast and sandy land of rocky hills. She looked at it all in amazement.

"How did I end up here and not at the tea shop?" she wondered.

Sharaina took a step closer and felt the piercing discomfort of a rock in her boot.

"Oh yes, that's why." she sat down and took off her boot. "I was thinking of the rock in my boot instead of the tea shop."

She shook her boot and down fell the pebble. She then put her boot back on and stood up to further admire the mysterious place.

Sharaina's eyes glowed red as she scanned the area for life forms. She was surprised to see that there were none. It was as though nothing had ever lived there.

"What a lonely place." she thought.

Having seen enough, Sharaina drew another portal. This time she was careful to only think about the Pala tea shop.

Sharaina was met with a powerful scowl when she stepped out of the portal. Her tutor gritted his teeth and grabbed her by the collar.

Everyone else looked on with pity in their eyes. They believed that it was over for Sharaina. She was going to get expelled for having disobeyed orders.

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