Soulmate Cravings

Prologue-Shellmates

     Roughly between 1450-1350 BCE - The Bronze Age

     The sky was a peaceful blue, broken up by passing clouds, with sun beams peaking through across the horizon. The sun beams fell on a beautiful, peaceful field of dandelions. The only disturbance was a timid breeze that ruffled through the flower-like weeds to make the bristles fight for their life to remain attached to their stalk. However, their brittle holds made most battles fruitless and several of the bristles fluttered helplessly into the air with the breeze that swept them away.

     Two young boys, not even ten years old, soon interrupted the quietude of the peaceful field, running through the pillowy flowers with the laughter of youthful abandonment. The youngest of the two was giggling with a naughty playfulness as the older chased after him, while calling his name, "Cha, Cha, Cha," in a delighted patronization. Sarawat knew Namcha was being naughty, but the older boy couldn't help but be enchanted by the younger's antics, finding just as much enjoyment in the chase as Namcha was in disturbing the flowers.

     Finally, the older caught up to the young little cherub and flung his arms around him. "Got you, naughty little Cha," he teased in the child's ear.

     The younger looked up with a prominent pout on his face. "No fair, Watty! You always win! Someday I will grow up and be as big as you, and then I will win, too!" he declared petulantly before he stuck his tongue out at the older boy.

     Sarawat giggled at Namcha's cuteness, unable to contain the urge to pinch his adorable cheeks. "But Cha, how can you catch me if I never try to run from you? Besides, you know the elders will get mad if they see you running through the fields again. They use these for medicines."

     Namcha pouted, "But Watty, they don't need all of it, and I just like watching the petals blow away. I can't blow them all away. Why can't they share? They always tell me I have to share. Why don't they have to, too?"

     Sarawat laughed again, "It's ok Cha, when we grow up I will plant you a field for just you, and then you can blow all the flowers you want and the adults can keep theirs," he reasoned.

     Namcha pouted. "By then I'll be growed and responsible and have to use them all for medicines, too."

     Sarawat shook his head, "No one will notice if you blow a few flowers away if they are from our own garden Cha, but they will notice you running through a field of them, so let's go somewhere else before they catch us and get scolded again."

     Namcha continued to sulk, but he still agreed. "Ok, Watty. Can we go throw pebbles in the river? There's no medicines there, right?"

     Sarawat laughed, "Of course we can go play with pebbles, Cha, and I'll tell you stories! How about that?"

     Namcha gave a delighted gasp and his face broke out in a huge smile as he grasped the elder boy's arm. "Can you, please? You always have the best stories!" he exclaimed as he tugged on Sarawat's arm in excitement towards the river.

     Sarawat giggled as he let Namcha lead him out of the field. "I get all the stories from my ma. She tells them to me so I'll go to bed at night. She told me a new one yesterday, and I think it's my favorite so far. It makes me think of us."

     "I can't wait, Watty. Let's hurry so we can get there quicker!" the younger urged.

     Before they left the field, Sarawat slightly stooped and pulled a handful of dandelions in one hand before he pulled his other arm out of Namcha's grasp so he could grab hold of Namcha's hand and intertwine their fingers. Once he had a firm grip on Namcha's hand, he and Namcha ran hand in hand to a little cove by the river.