At the River

Miriam was the fairest white skin with a grayish hair. She was living in the far away village near the mountain of gavoa. Mt. Gavoa was the tallest and vast mountain in the province of Shalom. 

Miriam was mistaken for a witch or an enchantress because she is so white and the fact the she was leaving near the river. She became the old tale in the village as the daughter of a man and an enchantress. 

Most people in the village fear her but there are also who admire her. She's a kind and living alone but didn't hurt any. She seldomly go to the market for being judged. For some would throw garbage to her and the other would defend her. So to avoid conflict, she just stayed in her hut. She also had a garden and so she thinks there's no need for her to go to the market. When she had all that she needs in her garden.

One day, she was bathing in the river. She just enjoyed the flow of the river. Suddenly, she heard a noise of a horse whining from a distance. She hurriedly get out from the water and get dressed. She then hide.

She saw the man on the way to the river and get the horse drank water. The man was tall, a dark skin, and fair skin. The man didn't notice her and so she just keep watching. The man get down the horse and suddenly remove his upper shirt. Meriam was shocked and run towards her hut. The man saw her running and said "hey wait!." But Meriam didn't listen and rushed behind the bush.

The man keep on wandering who that girl was. He haven't see her face but only her hair, a grayish hair. He kept looking for her but she's nowhere to be found and so he go home.

The man couldn't sleep thinking about her. The next morning he got up early, rode his horse and go back to the river. When he is about to leave, his mother warned her about the enchantress and a witch who leave nearby the river. "Aaron you must not go there, you know the old tale your grandma told you, there's a witch there," His mother warned him and he just replied, "well if she's a beautiful witch mother I want to be her guest," and then go.

When he arrived at the river, Meriam was busy fetching water. "Aha, I found you you cannot get away now," Aaron excitedly utter. "Meriam said, "well I'm the witch here I can strip you into pieces mister," she said furiously but the truth is that she's in fear. It's the first time she saw a man lingering around her place and it's the first time also that she saw Aaron. Aaron grew up in far away place and it's his grandparents that they keep visiting during summer. "Well you're such a beautiful witch that I cannot be afraid of, sort of," Aaron sarcastically replied." "Well this is my place and you can go now and please don't ever come back," Meriam angrily said. "You mean you own all these, I thought it's a free spot, well I'm sorry miss, what's your name by the way," Aaron said. Meriam didn't say a thing and just walk towards her house but Aaron kept on following her. 

"This is the farthest you can go mister, go home now," Meriam said while pointing at her 10 foot gate with full of bushes and vines. Then Meriam went inside hurriedly and Aaron could only watch and said "you must know that from now on I will keep coming back here!" He heard no response and so he leaves.

Aaron got home and couldn't stop thinking about her. "Why is she alone, why she's so white and why she wanted to be alone in that deep place," Aaron keep asking himself about her but he can't dare ask anyone because he didn't want them to know that he saw that strange girl. "Oh you're finally here, your grandpa kept looking for you, he wanted you to go with him for a hunt," his mother said. "I'm not in the mood ma,' he just replied because he just wanted to lay down in bed while wandering about her.

The next morning he went again near the river. He never saw Meriam and so he sneak to Meriam's place and climbed through the gate. Meriam was singing while busy collecting flowers and she didn't even notice him. Aaron smiled enchanted by her lovely voice and utter, "such a beautiful voice." Meriam then went inside her hut. That day Aaron just felt satisfied that he was able to listen to her voice and so he go home.

The following day, when Aaron wake up, he noticed his grandpa and his friends preparing for a hunt. "Hey guys where are you going?," he asked Don Conrad, his grandpa. "Well we gonna hunt that profound witch near the river, do you wanna come?, Don Conrad replied. Not even a single thought, he hurriedly ride back his horse. When they arrive there, the team kept on talking about the witch and Aaron just didn't say a word, that for him she is not a witch but a girl left alone in the heart of the forest with no one to defend her. 

"Hey son you're with me," his grandpa said as they split up into two team for the hunt. They are not hunting for the witch but for wild animals and this is their bond time. After awhile, they saw a wild boar and Don Conrad excitedly utter, "come on son, go get it for me and I will be the winner...haha," As they went on bet as to who get first a hunt. They lure the boar and try hard enough to get the boar. When they finally had a chance, Don Conrad hug the wild boar hiding behind the bushes. "I got you," but it slipped through his hands. He sound upset and told Aaron to go after it. Aaron followed the boar but when he realized that it's heading towards Meriam's place, he said to his grandpa, "grandpa sorry, I lost it." Don Conrad was so upset, "No you are on the right direction keep following." But Aaron didn't want them to find Meriam's place and so he lead his grandpa towards the opposite direction.

It such a long day and they didn't get anything and so Don Conrad finally decided to go home. "That must be the witch that hide them," he angrily said referring to the witch. Aaron couldn't say anything but listen to the old men.