As I made my way along the path, I heard someone screaming my name from behind. "See you later, Orion, we will talk later," Gorg shouted, waving his hand at me. I waved back, feeling a tad awkward. With so much on my mind today, I didn't have much energy to engage in conversation, so I settled for a few nods along the way.
Truth be told, I wasn't as motivated to socialize with everyone as I thought I would be. Perhaps it was the weight of awakening my gift, and what had happened yesterday night or maybe it was just the fact that I couldn't help but feel a sense of detachment from my peers as if we were all on different wavelengths. Which wasn't wrong as I am a grown man stuck in a child's body.
Anyhow, afar as I was concerned, building connections would be inevitable in this society of trade by barter. Sooner or later, I would have to put myself out there to create a better life for myself and my family, especially for my mother, whom I had planned to have a heart-to-heart talk with. I just hoped that she would be honest with me and share what was truly on her heart. If she wasn't forthcoming, then I knew that I would have to push further until she surrenders.
…....….....
Celeste turned towards her daughter with a smile, happy to see her home safely. "Good evening, my dear," she replied, returning the embrace. However, as she hugged her daughter, she couldn't help but notice a distant look in her eyes, as if her thoughts were elsewhere.
Despite her concerns, Celeste knew that her daughter needed time to process the events of the previous night. After all, she had witnessed her elder brother professing his love to her, an act that had caused quite a commotion within the family.
Gina, on the other hand, had been surprisingly unfazed by the incident. Although the images of that night still lingered in her mind, wetting her inner walls whenever she thought of it, she saw nothing wrong with her brother's confession. She even admired his bravery, secretly thinking how she would have done the same thing to him had she the courage to do so.
"Did you have a good time today?" Celeste inquired, her hand gently patting her daughter's head. Gina's face lit up with a radiant smile as she nodded eagerly. "Oh, it was great, Mom!".
Without missing a beat, Celeste added, "Alright, go ahead and freshen up before your siblings get back."
"Okay," Gina responded. As she made her way towards the bathroom, a sudden thought stopped her in her tracks. She turned around to face her mom and exclaimed, 'Oh wait, Mom! Grandma Celia has been looking for you. She said it's urgent and she hasn't seen you in a while.'
Celeste's face contorted with a frown as she heard her daughter's voice. She had been avoiding the old women in the compound, given her history of embarrassing encounters with them. Memories of those moments flooded her mind, making her wish she could disappear into the earth. The most embarrassing experience was when she had begged them to buy her clay pots to pay for her son's health fees, unaware that Greta had already healed him out of kindness.
Celeste's mind raced as she thought about what Grandma Celia could possibly want her. Did she need financial help with something? Or was it something else?
Nonetheless, she couldn't think of any answers to her thoughts, as such she tried to steady her flustered behaviour and asked, "Did you tell you why she wants to see me, dear?" Her heart thumped with anticipation, hoping it wasn't another situation that would make her want to crawl under a rock.
Gina tilted her head in contemplation, her mind desperately grasping for Grandma Celia's words. After a moment, she refocused her gaze on her mother and spoke, "I think she mentioned something about Orion."
Celeste's heart skipped a beat at the mention of her son, her eyes widening in anticipation. Why did Grandma Celia want to meet her about Orion? The confusion that spread across Celeste's face was quickly replaced by determination - she couldn't keep avoiding them forever. "Okay," she said with a resigned sigh, "go take your bath, while I go and meet with her." As Gina turned to leave, Celeste's lips released another tired sigh, as she made her way to the door and closed it behind her.
After a minute, Celeste arrived at Grandma Celia's hut and knocked on the door several times. The door swung open after a few seconds, revealing the familiar sight of the voluptuous old woman, along with her mischievous chuckle. "Oh, it seems you finally came to visit me after that incident," Grandma Celia teased as she looked at Celeste standing outside her hut.
Clearing her throat a few times, Celeste said, "Gina said that you wanted to meet me."
Grandma Celia looked at the shy girl in front of her and decided to respond with a teasing tone, "Yes, I asked her to make sure you weren't coming crying with snorts and tears in your eyes when you could have come to us truthfully and see how we could help." However, as she spoke, Grandma Celia couldn't help but sigh. Without giving Celeste any time to respond, she said, "Come in, let's talk."
Celeste's demeanour changed quickly as she stepped inside the hut and the door closed behind her. She nodded seriously at Grandma Celia and took a seat on the ground as the elder gestured for her to do so. As they began to talk, Celeste listened intently to everything that had been happening with Orion in the last few days. The more she heard, the harder it became for her to believe. At first, anger flared inside her - how could Orion come here and waste his semen like this, especially when she had warned him not to carelessly waste it?
