Loving Pride

A Town Named Genham

Lydia Thorne didn't remember how long she had run, but she had crossed enough bridges, fields, and dirt tracks to reach Genham.

The poor woman had paused near a haybale to catch her breath, but she had fallen asleep there as well. Thomas stayed awake. He was determined to keep his mother safe. But at times, the little boy got distracted by the butterflies that flew past him or the military trucks that drove into the town.

"Ey, rucksacks! Get off my hay!" An old man yelled, causing Lydia Thorne to snap awake. "Sorry!" She slid off the haystack before picking Thomas into her arms again. Lydia hurried down the dirt path that led to Central Genham.

The town was greater than she imagined. There were trucks and cars everywhere. Even the mannequins that she passed by looked livelier than her. The shops were fabulous compared to those in Palona, and the women in these shops wore dazzling gowns that Lydia could only dream of owning, and dream she did.

"Where are we, Mommy?" Thomas asked when she put him down. He squeezed her hand while watching every move made by the citizens of Genham. The only familiar thing he spotted were the soldiers.

"Look, the men with funny helmets!" He pointed, and this time Lydia looked exactly where he was pointing. She hurried towards them with her son. The soldiers were busy discussing the arrival of Colonel Marquez Agaria, and Lydia successfully managed to grasp information regarding his stay for a few days. But the soldiers quieted down when she came close, it amused them even more when she began asking about the devil.

"What is your business with him, missy?" One of the men asked.

"I... Er... I need to give him something."

"Give him what? We'll hand it over. Haven't you heard what he does to women?" The other one snickered.

"It's important..."

The men scoffed among themselves before turning to walk away. But Lydia wasn't giving up. She hurried behind them again.

"Please, sir, I need to know where he is staying," she requested.

"At the Genham Park Hotel, I'll be damned if they let you in. Now fuck off if you don't want any trouble." The soldier glared before marching ahead. Lydia was relieved that she had successfully squeezed more information out of the men.

The minutes turned to hours as she roamed the streets with Thomas. When he insisted on breakfast, she had to buy pretzels from the cheapest bakery. "Where's the Genham Park Hotel?" Lydia asked the woman, who was busy packing their pretzels. She eyed the girl for a while. "The third right after going straight ahead... there's a children's park nearby... but only the rich can afford it," she scoffed.

As Thomas nibbled on his pretzel happily, Lydia walked down the road and took the third right. In the distance, she saw the tall hotel, in front of which the best cars in town were parked. Opposite the building, there was a children's park as well.

She walked over there to find women under fancy parasols, dressed like the mannequins in the boutique. Their children looked the same, with rosy cheeks and vibrant smiles, yet they were hesitant to soil their clothes by playing too rashly. Thomas's eyes gleamed upon seeing the park, just like Lydia had predicted.

"Now, love, I have some business to attend to, and I want you to stay here until I'm done. Eat your breakfast, play for as long as you like, and don't get into fights or get too friendly with strangers. Yes?" She looked at him for approval.

"But aren't they rich? What if they don't let me play?" The young boy mumbled to himself.

"Listen to me, young man," she knelt to meet his eyes. "You have the right to play on the slides and swings just like those children. And we are not poor. Get that idea out of your head. If anyone tries to convince you that you're not good enough for the world, remember that they are not good enough for your time."

Thomas took a while to indulge in the thickness of his mother's words, but he nodded in understanding. "Good. Now, I'll be back soon." She kissed his head, and he nodded again.

When Lydia Thorne walked into the Genham Park Hotel, she was graced with all kinds of awful stares by those in the reception.

"I'm looking for Colonel Marquez Agaria. I have something that belongs to him, and I have to return it." She told the bald man who was busy polishing his cufflinks behind the counter.

"Can't help you." The man replied, "If you're here only for that, miss, I'll have to escort you out," he gestured at the suited guard beside him.

"No, please, I'm being serious. I have to meet the Colonel," she insisted.

"You need to meet the Colonel, eh?" A young voice chirped behind her and she turned to find a soldier wearing the same green helmet that Thomas loved.

"You just made my job easy, lady. But with you dressed like a ragdoll, I doubt if he'll want you. Anyway, the clothes always come off." The young man smiled before throwing an arm around her shoulder.

"Are you taking me to the Colonel?" She asked as he led her up the stairs, past shady corridors, finally stopping in front of room 352. He knocked twice.

"Who is it?"

Came the rugged voice that sent shivers down Lydia's spine. "It's Felix, Colonel. I've brought a little something for you." The young man replied.

The door unlocked, revealing the shirtless Colonel Marquez Agaria with a glass of whisky in his hand. Lydia noticed his attire once more—it resembled what he had worn in prison. The man never took off his military pants or belt.

"You contacted Haywell?" The Colonel asked just as he opened the door.

"I did not but-"

He slammed the door shut in Felix's face. "But Colonel, just listen to what I have to say! I brought something else that you'd like!"

The door flung open again, and Felix successfully fractured his nose and jerked back from the impact caused by the wood. The soldier groaned in pain.

"I asked you and your men to get in touch with Haywell. If the peace treaty gets drafted by the end of this week, I'll shoot you dead" The Colonel warned, "Now what do you have to tell me?"

"I... I brought this girl..." Felix mumbled while wiping the blood off his nose. "She might help you uhh... I thought... you know..." he panted.

That was when Colonel Marquez Agaria noticed the ragdoll beside Felix. "Go inside," he commanded Lydia. A part of her was relieved tremendously as she quietly walked into the room past the colonel.

"By evening, I want it done. We are not giving up on this war. We are winning it." Colonel Marquez Agaria squeezed Felix's shoulder.

"You have my word, Colonel." The young soldier saluted before marching down the hallway.

Colonel Marquez Agaria turned to face the ragdoll. "Who are you spying for?" He asked after shutting the door behind him.

"No one. I came to return your uniform, Colonel." She pulled it out of her bosom, "It's a little warm..." She blushed.

He stared at the uniform in her hand.

"You followed me to Genham for this?" He pointed with his glass of whisky.

"I sewed the button, Colonel." She gave him a little smile, "All I'm asking for is a means of income now... I can do a lot of things efficiently... Just... Please... Keep me near you." She uttered those last words with a certian sincerity that Colonel Marquez Agaria had never heard before.

The aging man looked away from the girl before fishing a pack of cigarettes from his pockets. "Leave the uniform on the table and take off your clothes," he instructed again without glancing at her.

Lydia was too stunned to speak.

He hadn't been this rash the first time they made love. He had, in fact, been the most generous man in the world.

"I've never loved in a lifetime but tonight, for you, my dear, I'll make your dreams come true so that you dream only of me from this night."

Those had been the Colonel's exact words.

"Don't make me repeat myself," he glared at her.