Past and Benily

Year 1000

My name is Jinta Crowe and I am 11 years old. I also have a twin sister named Vivia Crowe, my mother is called Amelia Crowe and my father is Jaze Crowe. Today is February 15th of the year 1000. My father worked in another part of the city where we lived, so every day he would travel and after school, my sister and I stayed with mom at home. A week later, we never thought our lives would change.

My father went to work outside the city as usual, and through rumors, we learned that in the area where he worked, a blue sky light began to spread across the ground. I don't know the details if he continued working, but arriving there, I assume they waited for the guard to investigate what was happening, and to everyone's surprise, one of the greatest events in history would be known a couple of hours later.

The entire area of light shot energy towards the skies with fierce force. All the children from school went out and saw it from afar. We could see the illumination and the strong sound emitted by that beam of light. It lasted for a few minutes, but then the noise intensified along with a strong earthquake, causing many structures to collapse and panic among people.

After a few minutes, it ended completely. All the children, including my sister and me, were sheltered until the chaos passed. Of course, classes were suspended and we were sent home due to the situation. Vivia and I were a bit scared, but we just thought about seeing our mother as quickly as possible, and so it was.

"Jinta Vivia!"

She greeted us with a trembling hug. We knew something was happening, but we still didn't know anything. She stopped hugging us, looked us in the eyes, and said:

"We have to go. Get the suitcases from the room, quickly."

She told us this while packing other things. My sister went behind her out of fear, and I simply ventured deeper into the house to see the place. Everything was on the floor, well, most of the things. There wasn't much standing up. Perhaps I just ventured deeper into the house to assess the situation and stay calmer, but mother was very busy and neither the house nor my sister helped.

"Mom, Mom"

"Vivia, go with Jinta now and help him."

Vivia is very tearful. I'm very scared, I know, but Vivia was more upset. I had to intervene and start with the suitcases.

"Vivia, calm down. Come on, let's do what mom asked. We're going to find the chessboard."

Vivia was a little reluctant to come with me. Maybe she just wanted to stay with mom, so she just stayed with her. No matter, I went to get the suitcases alone. Mother has been very cautious for a long time. We lived in a country at war, so she got used to having a suitcase with necessary resources to escape if a war broke out.

"Well"

I said holding the 2 suitcases, but far away I saw the chessboard with its pieces, so I quickly opened my suitcase and placed it inside. While leaving with the two suitcases, I stayed at the entrance waiting for mother to finish. Suddenly, a loud alarm sounded and mother started coming out towards the door with my sister behind her.

"Well, Jinta. Vivia, help your brother with a suitcase."

We were all ready to leave together. Perhaps being united gave Vivia more confidence to do something.

"Let's go outside."

Mother tells us and we start moving.

We were on the street and took a small transport to the capital. The alarm that was sounding was for people in the area to evacuate, mother told us, and we were among the first to start heading towards the capital. In the carriage we took, Vivia fell asleep in mother's lap and I sat in front of them, calmly thinking about everything, and there I remembered:

"Mom, and dad?"

"Don't worry. Jaze knows where we're going. Better rest in the seat."

She answered with assurance, so I could trust her. There was quite a bit of chaos outside, but I believe her reassurance allowed me to rest comfortably.

...

"Jinta, Jinta"

"Ah!"

I really fell asleep. Mother was calling me to get off. It seems we've arrived. I helped lower the suitcases while mother paid.

"Jinta, Vivia, from here on out hold my hand."

Vivia quickly held the free one. The other had the suitcase, but she could grab my wrist. We walked for a while until we reached a place with a lot of people who kept arriving.

A man stood out quite a bit, guiding the crowds and organizing them along with a large team of guards. Mother seemed to know where to go, but perhaps my state of confusion made her respond to me:

"We will go to a refugee place. We will be with a lot of people. We'll be fine."

She said confidently.

They guided us to a fairly spacious place. It seemed like a place where the guards gathered to train, only cleared for the people arriving. They assigned us a zone and gave us camping equipment. I thought it was a joke, I don't want to sleep there... although there aren't many options. All the people arriving were assigned a spot, and the same for us. So I just helped. Now that I see, it's quite large...

Once the tent was set up, mother called us to enter, although Vivia was already inside sleeping.

"Vivia... Vivia..."

"..."

Mother managed to wake her, but she just lay awake over her. She still couldn't fall asleep.

"Listen, this is important. From now on, we will live here. I don't know for how long, that will decide once the situation settles, but for now you should be alert and if you go somewhere, you have to tell me, okay?"

She said seriously. Honestly, it feels terrible.

"Yes"

Vivia affirmed. Truthfully, I didn't feel comfortable responding, I just nodded.

"Jinta, you're the oldest. For now, it would be good if you learn a bit of what I do so that in case I can rely on you."

What? More responsibility? Isn't enough to keep an eye on Vivia already?

"Jinta?"

She calls me noticing me a bit thoughtful. Better to respond with "yes" and move on.

"Yes, I understand."

"And dad?"

Vivia asks with curious eyes. Now that I think about it, I didn't pay much attention, but Vivia mentioned dad a lot while setting up the tent. Only mother avoided the answer.

"Dad will come. That's why I wanted to talk to you about all this."

If this marks the beginning, maybe.

Tomorrow, everyone in this place lines up for a supply that is in front of here. I can see them from here, so Jinta, your first responsibility is to bring food. Nothing needs to be paid. It happens in the morning, afternoon, and night, but in those last two, I will do it."

"Do you mean free? Like, whatever we want?"

I was a bit excited when I asked that, so mother seemed to give a slight smile.

"You'll see."

More mysteries... well, that makes it exciting... right?

"..."

Mother is stretching her arms in front of me... maybe she wants a hug. And of course, she won't stand up because Vivia is in her lap. I guess I'll go then...

...

It's just an arm, nothing special, although I hope to get used to this new place quickly.

...

It's the first day. Mother wakes me up to go get the morning food. Vivia was still sleeping, so we didn't make much noise and left. Mother and I outside saw how people were leaving their tents to line up ending in a warehouse. People entered the warehouse and took what was given to them.

"Alright, Jinta, take this."

Mother puts a small badge around my neck.

"That's the only thing you'll show."

She concluded, so I just nodded and headed to the place. I observed the badge a bit. It said "line 4", perhaps where we are positioned. I arrived and joined the line. It intrigued me the amount of people here. I only saw women and children in the line more... I observed to see if mother was watching and... yes, she was staring intently. And a girl behind me crossed the brief eye contact with my mother.

"Ah..."

The girl seemed to want to say something, but she backed off...

"...ah..."

She tried again, but backed off. Out of curiosity, I see mother and it seems she is confused. I don't turn to the girl because I like her or something like that and she gives me that face of: "you're one of those who take advantage of any opportunity". Of course, I wouldn't Plus, it makes me nervous.

Well, I'll take the initiative and speak:

"What's wrong?"

"...ah... I don't know what to do..."

"What?"

"Meaning... ah..."

It takes a long time.

"With asking for the food..."

Ah, I see. She doubts that... but I see that she has the badge hanging too. Having it on, shouldn't she know that?

"You just have to show them the badge you have around your neck."

"Ah..."

"You can grab it and observe it better."

"Already see... thanks."

"It's alright..."

He lowered his head slightly to look at his badge.

We were close. The last person in front of me left and, expecting at the entrance, a voice shouts that the next one should pass. So I entered. It wasn't wide, but there were many things. Among them, it seems that all the equipment they had before the refugees occupied this place was here. So, without observing much, I stopped in front of the counter with a man managing it.

"Badge."

Not even a good morning. He goes straight to the point...

"Here it is."

I removed the badge and handed it to him. He picks it up, writes something on a piece of paper and signals a guard in the background. After a while, the guard brings three cloth-covered packages. I deliver them to me and the man to whom I handed the badge returns it to me. Well, mission accomplished. Now comes the girl... ah... I never introduced myself... I really feel bad that I didn't introduce myself. So, as she enters, I just glanced at her sideways, but decided to wait for her halfway out.

"Can't you give me the badge?"

I direct my attention to their conversation. The girl doesn't give him the badge, just pulls her chest as if trying to make him see it without having to give it to her.

"Come closer!"

The man seemed irritated. The girl just pulled her chest to make him see the badge, but didn't say anything, although on her face she looked a bit nervous. But, obeying the order, she approaches and he takes the badge from her.

Everything happens the same way as with me, with the difference that the man hangs the badge on her. Upon returning, the girl carrying two packages notices my presence and stops.

"Oh... were you waiting for me?"

"Ah... honestly, I was fixing my shoes and was adjusting them."

Honestly, I was pretending to have a problem so that the guard wouldn't take me away.

"I see... it wasn't for me..."

"Ah ah ah, but I also took the opportunity to wait for you, since indeed, truthfully, I did not introduce myself."

In the end, I told the truth.

"AHH!"

A loud scream came from the counter. A woman who had passed to claim the food lies on the ground as if she had fallen. Although I didn't see anything. Then, the man at the counter approaches to help her and both notice a puddle on the floor right in front of the counter.

"What the hell is this!"

The woman says, flustered, but fixes her gaze on us and moves closer to where we are.

"Did you pee there, girl?"

The girl doesn't respond. Instead, I notice her terrified expression, so I reply:

"Did you smell it?"

I answer.

"Of course not, disgusting!"

"How do you know it's urine then?"

Boom Even though I don't solve anything. At that moment, the man behind the counter approaches us and says:

"If it's urine or not, you have to clean it up."

"No, it's nothing like that It's just water."

The girl responds, but it doesn't seem to convince them. Even though they might doubt her, if it truly is water, it looks like urine from where it's positioned. So, I thought of a solution:

"Okay, fine. The truth is as she says. I think the container she was carrying her water in broke, but if you have any doubts, I'll smell it."

Without looking at their reactions to what I'd do, I dropped the packages on the ground and walked over to where the puddle was. Well, I approach and sniff it.

"It doesn't smell like urine."

Now I lick it to taste it.

"It doesn't taste like urine either."

I turned to say that last part, but their faces looked disgusted, although I wasn't surprised.

"Enough, boy. I'll clean it. You two, go back to your places. Ma'am, let's continue."

The woman, disgusted, leaves with the man who ordered us to go away. The truth was fine; I didn't have to clean anything.

So, I return to where the girl was waiting for me and notice she doesn't have shoes.

"Why did you do that?"

She asks me.

"About tasting the puddle? They probably wouldn't have believed me if I told them it was just water."

"Hahaha, I think it was a bit weird…"

Yes, it was. There might have been another solution, but I only thought of that one.

"Speaking of something else while we're leaving…"

As we're leaving, I continue:

"Don't you have shoes?"

"Ah… I…"

She gets nervous again. I thought I saw her with shoes when I first saw her… but better to go to what I wanted:

"Forget it. The truth is, I didn't introduce myself. My name is Jinta Crowe."

"Ah… my name is Benily Zitma."

Such a strange surname.

"Well, Benily. I think we're done here."

"Yes."

"See you then."

"…goodbye…"

That goodbye sounded somewhat regretful. She's going to a place much farther away from where I'm located. Ah I remembered that my mom was supposed to watch me… I look for her to see if she's there and yes, she's watching me and still with that look of: "don't waste time." I know she'll ask about Benily when I get back.

…

I arrive with the food and the only thing I hear from her is:

"Who is that girl you were talking to?"

"She's called Benily, she just needed help with something."

"Oh…"

What about that "oh"? Although noticing something else… she had a very strange way of carrying packages. He never grabbed them, only lifted them by leaning on his wrists...