In the Shadows of the Islet Hills

Chapter 3 - Zara

The morning sun glared through the large classroom windows, illuminating the rows of desks, and the students sitting before them, in shades of dreamy-gold. Zara sat near the back of the room, her attention divided between the stern-looking teacher at the front and the notebook on her desk, its borders lined with doodles of horses, flowers, skulls and cursive calligraphy. Beside Zara sat Eleña Zuvkova, her new friend, her expression calm and focused as she took notes. Eleña was a shy Morozhkan-born girl with delicate features and bright, inquisitive eyes behind large spectacles. Zara had taken up the empty seat next to hers on their first day and struck up a conversation with her before the teacher arrived to start the morning's first lesson. They stuck together since.

It was the third day of the term now. Mrs Bajikijayi rambled on about the history, intricacies and significance of the Bhayila language, seemingly without exhaustion. It was Zara's mother tongue, she had been speaking the language for as long as she could remember. She was already well aware of everything being presented to the class by the hag at the front with silver streaks in her crop of hair. Zara's fingernail-painted pitch-tapped the notebook repeatedly. She did not want to admit that she was restless, but the itch to be anywhere else besides that classroom was nagging. Finally, coming to her ears as though from some half-remembered dream, the mournful gong of the recess bell shattered the quiet of the classroom, signalling the end of the Local Languages lesson. Mrs. Bajikijayi did not appear to be pleased with the development, but she at least stopped talking and waved her hand to dismiss everyone. The students, clearly not of the same mind as her, were up and about the next second.

Zara let out a sigh and put a hand to her head before turning to Eleña with a mischievous smile.

"Ready for a snack?" She suggested.

Eleña, though startled at first, nodded eagerly and gathered her belongings. Zara did the same in the quick, tossing her writing equipment, notebook and pencil case into her backpack and standing up with little grace. They left class 10 A and met Maya coming from the opposite direction in the corridor. For some awful reason, Zara's sister had been put in the other tenth-grade class instead of with her. They only interacted outside of lessons. Maya stopped a few paces before them and the corners of her mouth twitched upwards. Zara matched her expression.

"Snacky time, May. The dining hall's that way," Zara chimed, gesturing in the direction Maya had come with her chin.

"I thought you were waiting for me. I came to take you there before you throw a tantrum about how empty your tummy is," Maya calmly riposted.

"I was close, so close. By Nabhey! But not for that reason. Damned teacher was in a tirade. Regarding Bhayila," Zara scoffed the last bit in the Bhayila tongue, "Wouldn't even pause to allow anyone to take down her dictations."

They started walking.

"I do not believe the mentor is elaborating as she does for spoiled Bhayila girls raised thoroughly in the ways of the plain-lands," Maya said to her sister in Bhayila, her face displaying nothing of the snide edge in her words.

"I am not spoiled. Do not begin with that," Zara snapped in a lowered tone.

"As you say, Zara," Maya said-switching back to Vifielese-and smiled at Eleña, who flushed, smiled back, then fidgeted with her fingers.

Zara reached to push Maya's shoulder, but her sister halted-as if on cue-and Zara was sent passed her by her own momentum, almost tripping over herself. Eleña burst out laughing. A laugh that sounded more like a high-pitched giggle.

"Haha. So that's what it takes to get you to make some noise?" Zara spoke with a silly smirk that did not reach her eyes.

Maya stepped around her and continued walking as though nothing had taken place.