Visits to Friends

A year passed.

Afena, Krenen, and Irimena were working on their little plantation area, harvesting the autumn wheat so they could store and sort it later on.

"Honestly?" Irimena said tying a sheaf of wheat.

Krenen had insisted on cutting the wheat down by himself, so Irimena and Afena could converse while performing the less demanding work.

"What?" asked Afena.

"I get why you had men doing this for you in the past. I could be studying or practicing right now."

Afena laughed. "I don't get it, to be honest. This really helps ground you. Had I been made to do this, I would have spent more time with the people of the farms."

"Was it only men that did this?"

"No, not really. There were also young girls who were not ready for the college, or that did not want to join it. But we always referred to the farmers as men in general. We were somewhat elitist, I'm afraid."

"I feel like I'm wasting time."