35 Waiting

For the next three days A-Narah waited. With nothing to do her mind stirred. She was finicky and impatient. She had offered to help Feme, but Feme had turned her down saying that she still needed to recover and that she was a guest. A-Narah went back to stewing. She wandered around the village and saw all the people going about their own business. No one came up to her. They all just ignored her like she didn't exist. This treatment reminded her too much of how she felt when she had started off traveling with her guards. No one expect Feme acknowledged her.

If she had gone to talk to Adom he probably would have spoken to her, but she didn't want to see him. After their argument, she was still angry and embarrassed. She didn't think that she was wrong, but she had lost her temper. A-Narah scratched her cheek and looked down as she walked. She had never lost her temper before. She had calmly dealt with bothersome sisters who would constantly peck at her bottom line, and she would get annoyed but she had never been furious with them. To lose her temper and let go of her dignity like that…was an embarrassment. And not only to her. These people might not know who her parents were or where she came from, but her behavior reflected on her friends. She didn't want them to go out of their way to defend her from any bad impression she might have made, nor did she want them to be treated with disdain because of her.

But the thought of going up to apologize to that person—just the thought enraged her. It was best to avoid him for now. If she saw him, she would just lose all rationality and blow her head off at him again. She needed something to distract her.

"Excuse me?" a quiet voice came from behind A-Narah.

A-Narah turned at the silent voice in surprise. Someone was actually speaking to her. "Yes?" A-Narah asked.

"Um..well I…I just wanted to ask you your name," the girl said. The girl figidted with her clothes, unable to meet A-Narah's eyes.

"It's Ara. What's yours?" A-Narah asked in a bored tone. She might have wanted to be acknowledged, but that didn't mean that she liked timid people like this. They made her uncomfortable. One wrong look at them and they would burst into tears.

"Anis," the girl said.

"Oh." A-Narah turned, ready to leave.

"Wait!" Anis calledand desperately raised her hand to stop A-Narah.

"What is it?" A-Narah folded her arms and impatiently waited. This timid girl was fraying on her already ragged nerves.

"Um...Ara I was wondering if you would like to be friends?"

"Why?" A-Narah's harsh tone made the girl flinch.

"I'm—I'm just interested and want to learn more about you," Anis stuttered.

A-Narah raised an eyebrow and observed the girl. Either this girl really wanted to be friends with her or had alternative motives. A-Narah was willing to bet the latter. She wouldn't believe that a girl that was this frightened of her would approach just form wanting to be friends.

A-Narah cocked her head and sent a smile to Anis, approaching her. "Hello Anis it is a pleasure to meet you. I hope you can help show me around," A-Narah said.

Anis looked up at A-Narah and her eyes glowed. Her grip on her dress tightened as she looked back at A-Narah. "I—I will be in your care too!"

Both girls smiled at each other. A-Narah's eyes narrowed as she smiled at Anis. She would pass her time figuring out what this girl wanted, it would be a way to keep her from worrying about Elon. A-Narah felt no remorse for being insincere to the girl. She would only show her sincerity to those she cared about or those she needed. This girl was neither of them.

Anis smiled at A-Narah in relief. She had thought that Ara was going to ignore her. The men that had come with Ara treated her like a princess. If she couldn't gain Ara's favor then those men would never look her own way. They only had eyes for the foreign girl. But, if she became Ara's friend, someone important to her then maybe one of them would pay some attention for her. This was her chance to catch the attention of someone of the opposite sex, it might be her final chance to get a husband. If she didn't find a husband within the next year, she really would have no chance. All the other women in the tribe would look down on her, and it was most likely that if she didn't want to be alone for the rest of her life, she would have to sell herself to be a servant to another family. If she became a servant, all of her needs would be taken care of, but she would lose all of her rights. Whatever the wife demanded she would have to obey, and if the husband wanted to do…she would not be able to refuse. That type of life would be unbearable. She had seen some women who lived like that. The people of the tribe mostly looked away, turning a blind eye if any abuse was handed down. She did not want that to be her future.

When A-Narah and Anis smiled at each other they both had different thoughts and agendas. Maybe it wasn't an honest friendship, but they were both equally using each other.

"So, Anis, what do the people do for entertainment around here?" A-Narah asked.

"Well besides the yearly gathering of tribes, during dinner, around the bonfire, there will be music, dancing, and storytelling."

"Every night?"

"Well, no. Just whenever people feel like. Oh! If there is a wedding or coming of age ceremony there will be a large celebration too."

"Are my friends and I invited to these dinners?"

"Of—of course! All of you are the tribe's special guests." When Anis heard A-Narah's question she flushed with excitement. If Ara came to dine with the rest of the tribe instead of staying in Feme's tent then the others would come as well. Then she could sit by Ara and be able to learn more about them.

A-Narah watched Anis's poorly hidden anticipation, and smirked to herself. It was obvious that this girl wanted something, but she would play along. It's not like this was harming anyone, and this girl could give some useful information. When the tribe came together in the evenings, it would be a good time to learn more about them. She was grateful and liked Feme, but if the rest of them were anything like Adom then she should be wary.