The Doctor's Proposal

Naomi walked cautiously and soundlessly to the entrance of her room. After their first encounter, shehad not crossed paths with Sebastien and she wanted to keep it that way until she could finally figure something out and leave. She opened the door to see someone sitting in a chair beside the bed.

Matilda turned to the entrance. "Has he gone to sleep?" She asked.

"Yes," She answered and closed the door softly behind her. She came to the bed and sat on the edge.

"I think it would be better to sit in bed to give those muscles some rest," She suggested.

Naomi nodded and sat fully on the bed.

"I made you some tea," She said.

"Thank you," Naomi had to admit that she felt like a princess for the first time in her life, well… since Ray. She had always had a tough life where she had to do everything for herself to survive but here that had changed. "Thank you for everything," Matilda had set everything in place for the talk that they had postponed. She had been working all day but the woman instead of sleeping was willing to listen to Naomi's story.

"You are welcome dear," She said. "Okay," She took a quick sip of tea and put it back on the nightstand. "I am all ears."

Naomi smiled nervously and sighed deeply. "I am from a village in Alderis but I travel a lot to the north to sell leather items."

Matilda nodded for her to go on.

Usually, I leave home for weeks at a time and I take Abel along with me," She paused for a bit. "But this time in particular I left him in the care of my... fiancé." She looked Matilda in the eye, waiting for her to let out a gasp or widen her eyes in shock but none of that came. "Got back yesterday only to I found out that my fiancé…"

********

The day before...

Naomi sat next to a talkative middle-aged woman in the cramped wagon. It contained more people than it should have but that was just how things were. Not to mention the fare, when Naomi heard the price she was tempted to walk all the way but paid anyway. There was a plus side at least, it was winter so Naomi and the other passengers would be insulated against the cold. As they travelled due south that road beneath them became less visible as the snow on its surface increased.

Finally, they got to Karin. One could not call it a town because it lacks a lot of infrastructure compared to others so it was often referred to as a village despite its moderate size. Its inhabitants were close-knit and there were barely ever any new faces. The woman who had been taken to Naomi was Mrs Fletcher. She was a round woman that walked with a limp. People said that it was from her weight but Naomi disagreed because the woman was too active in her opinion. It had to be an incident in her childhood. She was stingy and known well as a gossip monger. They were the only two people highlighted from the wagon while the rear continued with their journey. Naomi rubbed her hands together to warm them as Mrs Fletcher walked with her into Karin."So are you sure that he can be faithful?" Mrs Fletcher asked.

Naomi before now had been giving her one-word responses because she was not interested in the rumours she wanted to spread but this question got her attention. "What do you mean?" Mrs Fletcher was referring to Raymond, the man she was set to marry a few months from now.

"Come on," Elbowing her. "You know."

"I do not," She replied, trying not to sound curt. "I trust Raymond."

"If you say so, honey." She said unconvinced. "Don't put your hopes up because he asked you of all people."

Her words were meant to hurt and it worked. Naomi did not let it show through and raised her chin. "Thanks for your concern." She told her.

Mrs Fletcher huffed and walked away.

Naomi had to admit she had always had doubts. Raymond was a local doctor loved by many if not all. He could have chosen anyone else yet he had chosen her. She could not even be rated among the top ten most beautiful girls in the village. It was generally accepted that to be beautiful one had to have to be pale but with all her travelling and strenuous work under the sun over the years, her skin had darkened. A girl with golden locks was always preferred above the rest but she had dark hair. It was an unusual extreme shade of black like tar. Maybe if she would have let it down she would have been more attractive but with her work, that would have been a heavy price to pay for beauty. She was not plain looking either because of her rather eccentric facial features. Her lips were full, too full in the villagers' opinion as though she had been stung by a bee. The highest cheekbones one could ever have and a nose well suited for the peculiarity of her face.

At least, she was endowed with brilliant blue eyes. They were so beautiful they looked unnatural. They resembled sapphire jewels and there was a hypnotising effect they had on anyone that held her gaze. Luckily for the villagers, she was not the type to maintain eye contact except when she was at her stall selling her goods. People said they could have belonged to a mythical creature of some sort. They always seemed out of place to her. The other village girls when they were growing up never let her forget it.

"You don't deserve eyes like that," they would bitterly say when they bullied her.

"You must have stolen them,"

"They would look better on Rita," they said.

"You make them useless," they would disparage.

Once a merchant had come to the village and when he laid eyes on her, he made an eerie offer. He had suggested she allow him to take her to another of his fellow merchants, who would pay in fortune to have her eyes. Naomi refused with a smile. He had been joking. At least that was what she wanted to believe. Aside from that, she would not make the most gracious wife. Except when she was running, climbing or sewing her goods, she was the clumsiest thing to ever be in existence.

She could never wear a dress without falling over. Thank God for trousers, even if they were frowned upon for women. In the kitchen, she was an utter mess. She was not charming to the adults like Rita was, especially with the older women. Among the men, she was better liked which only made the women dislike her even more. Then out of nowhere the beloved bachelor doctor of the village asked for her hand in marriage. Everyone had expected that he would ask Rita, the village beauty. They would have looked so befitting for each other. Rita was petite, blond and graceful. Raymond was a tall, green-eyed, brunette with charm and a likeable character. There was no such thing as a better match.

She remembered his unannounced visit on that warm summer afternoon. She had been sowing one of her leather bags for the next market day. Abel was on a mat beside where she sat, having his siesta when there was a knock on the door. Naomi paused and raised her head, confused. Her neighbour the creepy Mr Augustine would knock twice and not announce that he was at the door. Mrs Klaus would knock repeatedly while she shouted for her to open up. She barely ever had any visitors so memorising the way they all knocked was easy. But this one was peculiar. It was five in rhythmic succession and no announcement. She waited as she racked her brain for who it could be but no idea popped into her mind. She placed her work on the table, got up and dusted herself. She made her way to the front door and paused again before opening it. It had been Raymond in the flesh.

"Doctor," She managed despite her nervous surprise. "What brings you here?" She asked, rubbing her sweaty palms on her trousers.

"Good afternoon," He greeted and flashed a charming smile, revealing perfect whites. She was used to those stained with tobacco at the market. "Naomi,"

She stood there dumbfounded. He knew her name. He had said it in a way that sounded strange to her. It was too clean, too effortless as though he had been practising beforehand. "Good… afternoon," she stumbled.

"May I come in?" He asked, wiping sweat off his face with a black handkerchief.

She blinked before she understood and moved out of the way to let him pass. He walked past her and entered. She had an unintentional whiff of him in the process. He smelt of disinfectant and maleness that was not overwhelming to her. Just right, she thought. Perfect. She had never been this close to him before.

She came out of her daze and closed the door. She rested a while on it to collect herself before taking a deep breath and turning around. Raymond was standing in what she would call her living room. He looked so majestic compared to where he stood which made her insecure.

She swallowed before speaking. "Have a seat, please." She gestured towards one of the two couches, forgetting which was lumpy. She prayed she had chosen the right one.

He sat without hesitation after which he looked expectantly for her to sit down as well.

She sat down on the second couch and thanked the heavens that it was lumpy. She had chosen correctly.

"Naomi," He started while looking warmly into her eyes.

She gulped again, he did not understand the effect it had on her. "Yes?" She hoped she sounded feminine enough.

"I want to marry you." He said without missing a heartbeat.

It took a while before she could process what he had just said but when she did, her market woman persona took over for her. She sat up straight and raised a suspicious brow. "What?"

He cleared his throat before he went on. "I understand that it might come as a surprise since we do not relate."

"We never relate with one another, doctor," She deadpanned.

"I know but…"She did not let him finish. "We have never had any type of interaction yet you ask for my hand in marriage?" They had been in the same village since childhood still he had always acted like she did not exist but what exactly could she have expected? He was the village heartthrob and she was an outcast simply for the way she was. She had always fancied him no matter how many times she tried her best to deny it. Every woman did and who wouldn't? He was charming, academically outstanding and successful. His face was just a plus, he already had everything he needed to steal anyone's heart. But he had never glanced in her direction even once since she knew him and it hurt. Maybe he was one of her motivations to prove that she could make something of herself even if no one else thought so. Her dedication to her craft was born out of frustration with the way she was always rejected by everyone else. Except, for Sharon but she had married early and left a long time ago.

He bowed his head and somberly said, "I am sorry I fed into what others said about you," He raised his head. "I want to make amends, please give me a chance." He pleaded.

She hated the way she softened since she was not done. "What changed?" She was dying to know what he had seen all of a sudden.

"It is in your eyes," He said.

"Huh?" She asked, confused.

He came forward, shocking her by holding her hands and looking searchingly into her eyes. "I see it in your eyes, Naomi. The passion that I have been looking for." He said quietly

"W… what?" Her confidence had disappeared. He was so close.

"You are unlike any woman I have ever met before. You are strong, independent and filled with passion for the ones you love. "

She could not find her voice and just stared at him before she shyly said. "And an oddball."

He chuckled. "Yes, a lovely oddball."

She gulped at his compliment and felt her face flush.

"I know all that I am saying might not make any sense but it is all true."

He had been watching her all this time without her knowing it. He had seen all she was capable of. He still found her odd but in a good way.

"I want to know the person behind that incredible woman, I want her to be my wife." He declared.

"I… I don't know, doctor." She finally said.

"Call me, Ray," He told her with a smile but he did not dismiss her hesitance. "I understand that it is a lot since we don't know each other but I am willing to wait for as long as it takes."

She got up quickly, pulling away from him "I will think about it, doc… I mean Ray."

He got his feet as well. "Don't worry, I will not pressure you to make a decision."

She said nothing to that.

He made his way to the door and opened it. He turned again and said. "Send my greeting to Abel." He finally left.

After that day, he had been with her every time he could. He seemed genuinely interested in her craft. He asked questions that she was always eager to answer. He went with her to shop for leather and never seemed bothered that she would always have Abel with her. It was the opposite since he built a very brotherly relationship with him in no time. He also introduced her to his family which only consisted of his brother, Jeffery and grandfather. Jeffery had a creepy aura about him and reminded her too much of Augustine but other than that she was fine with his family. It was not like she was the one to talk, she and Abel had no parents either.

Everyone knew the story of his parents and how they had fallen victim to a mysterious illness that took both their lives. He told her that was his reason for being a doctor. He wanted to be able to give hope to those who were battling illnesses. What was there not to love about him? Naomi often wondered.

Everyone talked, most of it, not good things but Ray stood by her. She finally accepted the proposal after a month and the wedding day was set. Her life was stable and she should have been content if not for a clandestine truth. A secret that could destroy everything put in place. She would try her best to hold it back but her intuition told her that it would not be long before the gates of hell broke and rained hellfire on her.