Chapter 20

I discovered that Leigh also attend Lapwing while , Meeting Nona was great for me, It was just after Leigh and my small lofty action, that Leigh informed me that he is going station to fetch Nona and here I was mentally preparing myself to cast a good impression over Nona , because the old people especially when they are elders of villages, you need to be careful ....I baked cookies and some basic breakfast for her, I hadn't pull out my apron, until the voice broke my thoughts,

"Hello little Maiden!! So you are the cute girl , my Leigh was telling about all the way long, you are a cook or just have a hobby of cooking ??" She let out a cheeky laugh ,that startled me and I just extended my hands toward her,

"Yes mam , I love to cook, My name is Valentina Timothy Lockhart and I m a student and Leigh's friend !" I was feeling a shy and it was like , I was playing with the hem of my apron, which I had been wearing since I was making breakfast ...

"So your apron took your attention from mine , Valentina !! Nice name ,a Mexican Latin name, are you a Mexican Valentina ?" The old lady threw herself over the small bamboo sofa ,

"No ! I m from California, I m an american, and my father was an Australian, !"  I answered , I know because of my name's origin , people mistook me for Mexican or Greek,but  I was an american girl. Note it.

"A cross hybrid creation of two different countries , interesting ?? " Nona was way too sarcastic , to which I just smiled, a weak one

She was not tired, as there were no creases over her old forehead, my eyes scanned over the room,  Leigh was no where to be found, but again, the old lady was observing me and it was a slight bit weird, as if she was judging me and my ways. But she was a rural woman and they had this kind of thing in them.

"My throat is drying out of water, Dear Valentina , will you fetch me a glass of water, well  You are looking up for Leigh ?? Right , but Dear , He had gone to his work , so he let myself walk alone in the house ?"  It was very calloused tension, I mean the old lady was a very good sensor , I really don't have the other way to defy myself . this was so foolish of me that I had forgot my basic mannerism, Of course , she would be judging me there.

"Oh...yeah...How silly of me, that I hadn't brought you a glass of water, Pardon me , Nona !! I will bring the one for you ...." I gasped out of my foolishness and She just took out of her glasses, and mouthed that it happens , no need to say sorry, oh ! So Leigh's Nona wasn't a Hitler grandma , after all , She played the Pocket music out of her bag and hummed the song, the song was an old parody , I think it was the lyrics of fainted old 70's song, "Tie a yellow ribbon , round the ole oak tree"

May be it was by , Tony Orlando or Dawn....

The lyrics could be heard slowly from the Pocket music,

I'm comin' home, I've done my time

Now I've got to know what is and isn't mine

If you received my letter telling you I'd soon be free

Then you'll know just what to do

If you still want me, if you still want me....

Whoa, tie a yellow ribbon 'round the ole oak tree

It's been three long years, do you still want me?

I was very much astounded , while I bought her a glass of water, which she gladly took and gulped very much sip of the water parts,

"Do you and Leigh are mates or lovers .....I m sorry to ask but you know that this, mouth of women talks more than themselves, it's an old junky habit dear, I hope you won't mind it ...." And then she sipped the water, while her swearing eyes were reading the newspaper, when did she get the newspaper , I was just two minutes in the kitchen to gave her some freshly baked cookies ,  but then she shoot me some questions which choked my breath, I and Leigh a thing? These old people are conniving , aren't they ? Definitely , look she now made us a term, a term which is very ...what to say , icy and chilled type. Well I was not offended , I just find it funny , Nona was a humorous lady.

"We are just friends , Nona, that's it, and I m very much career oriented, so I would not dwell in the relationship distraction , but it was funny to hear you, well ! You are too fit and fine for your age ...any secret tips! Wanna open to me!!" I gushed about her mystic way of maintaining such a healthy physics, I really wanted to know her schedule.

"Oh ....Just a bit of Yoga, early rising , some exercises and spending time with my close person make me very happy and strong .....I m a farmer plus head of village, my more than half of the time spent by solving their problem, reminiscing their sorrows and working in my own field, may be it is a village but my life lives here, it is my lungs , without this village...I m nothing ...." And at this time , my respect for her increased her amount, and as much the days went out, I and she bounded more, while Leigh was out for many times, but we three were pulling it great.

"Hey ! Nona ...why not we gave a tour of our field to Tina , these week ? What do you think ?" Leigh said, while we three were enjoying our dine,

"Leigh , my boy ! Why not ....I think Valentina should go with me as , I was going to start the transplantation of paddy crop these fellow days, would you like to see the process ? Valentina !!" Nona , said while chewing the steak ....

it was again an emotional time, because , it was reminding me of an really happy family dinner, which I never had in my life time ever, The beautiful dinner and lovely people, it was how a contended family is, a family which protect each other, a family which had a shoulder for each member of the family to cry upon and I really was blessed that at least I was having a temporary but small quality time, it was too late for me to realise that I was crying,

"Oh ! My Jesus , The girl is crying, what happened to you dear, Leigh get her some water , she is emotional ....sorry if you don't like to join me in transplantation." Nona, said while Leigh passes me a glass of water.

"Here, have it Tina....you may be hunted by your past, its okay have your time to cool down.." Leigh offered me a glass of water , and my eyes were pooled with salty water.

"No ! Nona, it's not like that, I just ..I was very happy to see all of us , eating peacefully and being graced by blessed of Jesus, it were the tears of happiness, because I never got a chance to have a dine like this before, my mom was always busy with her chores and my dad had been passed away at very young age...that's it only!! Nothing much ..." I replied, and Nona just hugged me and patted me at my back while Leigh gave me a handkerchief. He was a true gentlemen but yes a small pervert, I laughed .

"Don't even call your self that, and it is an order from your Nona, that you had no family, because Leigh and I are always there for you, valentina , you can come here whenever you want, stay here and please make yourself comfortable,

though I would appreciate that Being a city girl, you respect your elders and had a way of modesty, however I felt a little hurt, like that , when you said that you don't love him and you two are just ....what friends??"  Nona was persuading me , while she was like a motherly figure to me, but some thing was not clear, that I and Leigh can be....I don't trust men, not after...

Leave it...

Leigh spoke and cleared the things, which were very cloudy ,

"Hey , Nona....she is just my friend, hell! She is amazing and beauty in her own ways....but we two are very young and besides these dating thing, a friendship is way better to have ...so that way, I respected her space and I m also happy ."

I felt relieved, and mumbled thanks to Leigh for supporting me, while  as days passed, I get to know more about Nona like,

She hate people  surrounding her and consoling her, She loved her Grandson very much and He too cared for her a lot , but Every person had his departure , She is cheery and lively woman , She follows very religious ethics and her sabbath , She was a total believer of the astrological things and signs , people can call her superstitious but for me ,

she was just too obsessed with her culture, her name was Umbriel Bellé Lansdale , she requested me to call her Umbriel , she was a middle height woman, slight pointed long nose, a mole near her left nose bridge, She wore Dark colour maxi gown, a near one to royal touch, she was like a furnace, very fierce and not a wonky one, her gait was still having the ruling power and being a Chief of village ,

it was very difficult for anyone to supervise, but she did perform her duty well, She does yoga at morning and I was also trying some yoga positions along with her, but I was a articulate and she was a strict teacher, sometimes the yoga session was horrible one,

"No , you are doing wrong the mountain position and the cobra are different , in mountain position you had to lift your waist , and in cobra position you had to recline your back , yeah ! First look at me and then we  would be starting again!"

I simply nodded at her, this thing was so difficult for me, bending left and then right, how Nona , was able to do it like a maestro , was out of my system, she was like an elastic doll which can bend at any pose and at any angle,

I took my position and then taking deep breath, I started with the cobra pose, I prepared myself with deeper back bends, I stretched my hands and lied down prone to the floor, pressing my top of the knees and thighs along with my pubis firmly to the ground, my concentration were only on the yoga position, I inhaled a lot amount of breath and started uplifting my back and pressing my chest .

"You had been improved very well Valentina, dear ! Yeah ! Now you have to do it, every day and see how fit you will become". Nona 's word terrified me, and I let out a wryly smile to Nona,   as the positions were way too hard and difficult but being in a practice would make it less hard, although , yoga being yoga is not my cup of tea,

but anyways, I learned something new from her,  She meditates long hours and had that aura of semblance , it was very beautiful to see her waking up at 5 a:m, her hands are gifted to be that of skilled chef, I m slowly getting fond of her,

She was proud farmer and had an adequate amount of field in Doramara village where she grows , Rice , Paddy, Maize, and some vegetables like , cabbage, carrots and peas along with tomatoes and chillies and some seasonal leafy vegetables.. the field was very beautiful ,located between the walls of hills and it looks like it was captured like a pigeon's heart.

Time was flying like a speed of one eyebrow blink and I had to head back to Rougesage , while Doramara Had still had many explorations and adventures to be Done, but I decided that I will discover them later, now ! I had to return back to my apartment ,

it was again ...all Juana and Mr. Douglas Murphy and crap my one month attendance, I m packing my luggage and I m heading back to my old lifestyles, Leigh is the same man who had embarrassed me but that was occasional , He had also took transferred to our university on the basis of scholarship in the Forensic science study, while it was good for me to have him in forensic science, because I choose psychology as my one subject this year,and luckily he will be sharing a same class with me,

Bidding Doramara village a farewell and its people was very tough for me, Nona would be missed and Thela ,Martha and Robin, were my new friends,

"Next time, you had to come early at season of harvesting, I would be giving you the lots of oranges and wild plums , they surely are a little bit sour and juicy .....and yes! The ancient temple of Aphrodite on the Slieve Croob mountain, the temple is forbidden for long time, they say it had lots of gold but , the temple is, ex lodged ....but sure we could climb mountain, can go the bar , I would even give you the wild wines , but the promise is that you would come again....okay !!" Nona's last speech rang to my ears and I gave her a quick hug, as I had to catch the local bus and it was getting dark , my returning time .

"I promise, I will Nona , I will be visiting you and Leigh is as moving to my college , so we will be meeting with each other ..frequently!! Isn't it Leigh " .

"Yes, why Not, even fate had made us met many times without a trail ...Tina, let's get you in the bus, either it will be missed."  Leigh loaded my luggage to the local bus which will ultimately drop me at the Rougesage square Middleton, and then I will be taking a cab and back to my apartment, while Juana had her Bike race tournament coming, I m glad that I will be supporting her,

The rain is splattering while the bus left me to the Middleton square, the limestone light of the hazy traffic is much unpleasant to my deadly tiredness, and my eyes had a big bags under their lashes, my heart is heavy , I don't know , a lot of thing happened the following month and I need some time to get relax myself.

I had get off the bus, the chime of the bus had made me chilly, the bus was light boarded by the people, a young man, a boy and two three ladies, in which one was old, besides the two of the ladies were a high school student and a working woman ,  may be an office employee, cause her attire was speaking more than her language.

I was welcomed with lots of taunt and cussing when I got my apartment, I was drenched and Juana was lecturing me, Now ! Mr. Murphy and she sounded alike, both always squeezing their noses into poky manner , like yelling, accusing  and so on!

"Next time, you bitch, if you are going out of the station, without informing me, I would kill you and would be chopping your body into small pieces and feeding it to street dogs ! You got it , Now go and change you wetness into some hot,  !!" She punched me hard , across my face and smashed me but then she sent me to my wardrobe where I had to change, then getting a pair of sweat pants and a long size t -shirt, I dried my hair with a dryer, made myself a soup and yeah half of it was slurped by Juana mam, She said , she didn't care for me but for her personal cook, who would be making her food and feeding her big crocodile tummy,of course it was me, however she was very pissed at me, but deep inside, she cared for me, so I tossed  a packet of  her favorite bubble gum

"Wrigley's Hubba bubba" ,

She cringed to my body, like a leech and I was out of my breath,

"Thanks you bitch, my Valen, but next time using "Wrigley's Hubba bubba" , as a bribe material would be a crime in ground of Juana 's Justice, so better, not dare ...hmmm..so !! Juicy and bubbly ..."

life should be continued, after One week later,  Leigh was renting an apartment near " Henrietta Rise ",

Henrietta Rise, a newly build apartment stood lonesome in its vast square and a perfect spacing between the blocks, he had moved with small things, a small stuff, 7-8 pairs of his checkered and plaid shirts, he wore plaids more than plain, but he look awesome,  but I didn't knew his awesomely charm would be envying by someone, who was now not my anyone ;!

K!!! Ryan Darwin Nielson Vaughan"

He came again...