The Ghost of The Bo Tree

HIS MARK

But she could never tell the villagers that or Binnie the cattle-rearer who had been the first one to see the ghost of the Bo tree, even before Lei had the chance to.

That was also the reason that Binnie the cattle-rearer left the hut that stood next to Uncle Somi's farmhouse. That had happened exactly one winter back, when Lei returned to spend her sixteenth winter in the farmhouse. That was the second time in the year that Lei had had to return to the farm. The hostel was shut down for ten days in the summer, because of the sudden death of Mother Superior and Lei had nowhere to go after such a short notice- even Tonya couldn't take her in like she did on Easter.

So Lei reluctantly went back to the farmhouse, thankful that she would not have to see farmer Herri again now that he had left the village after his crops failed. The memory of the dreadful night still scared Lei; she had talked to Tonya about it, who had later talked to her mom, who had then inexplicably started crying as she hugged Lei tightly in her arms. Nobody would tell her anything, only Tonya said that it was a matter for grownups, 'Something only adults would understand,' she had said.

So Lei went to the library and read all those books that Ms. Inka, the librarian, kept in her secret drawer. She understood now, what it was that lay under her pajamas that Farmer Herri was so desperate to get; she understood also why Cousin Neel always touched the middle of his pants every time he saw Lei.

And that winter as she returned to the farmhouse for the second time, Lei was scared to her bones; for she knew that Cousin Neel would still be there to ogle at her and stare at her small bosom. What was it in his gaze that made her feel as though she was naked and bare?

When she finally reached the farmhouse, she remembered what it was. It was the way he always parted his lips and started breathing hard every time he caught her eyes. That was what made her feel absolutely naked and bare every time he saw her.

'Lei, Lei, Lei,' he chuckled and tapped her shoulder. Lei recoiled in horror and ran away to Binnie the cattle-rearer's hut. She did so every time Cousin Neel tried to come close to her and touch her inappropriately, Cousin Neel was only enjoying himself. He didn't even stop when Lei stopped sleeping in the damp room next to the store house and started sleeping in Binnie the cattle rearer's hut.

It only encouraged him, and he tore the thatch door down and walked right into the corner where Lei lay sleeping, he muffled her cries and pulled her out of the sheets and dragged her outside the hut to throw her on the cold ground. He growled like an animal, as he pinned Lei's arms to the ground with one hand and opened his buckles with the other- he struggled a bit as he tore the overalls that Lei wore who managed to shriek a little in the time.

'Shut up you trull!' he said and punched her face, 'stop mewing!'

'Lei! Lei!' Binnie the cattle rearer was standing just steps away from them.

'Binnie! Binnie!' Lei cried.

Cousin Neel stopped that day. And nobody knew why except Binnie the cattle-rearer, not even Lei, who lay shivering on the ground with a swollen mouth.

But Binnie never told anyone the whole truth; she never told anyone that as Lei lay on the ground with Cousin Neel on top of her, a white specter appeared behind her and even the mud started to burn without smoke; she never told anyone that as the specter knelt beside Lei and breathed chants into her ear, Cousin Neel howled and cried in agonizing pain.

'It burns!' he said, 'It burns!'

She never told anyone that the specter had looked her right in the eye and that he had been pale, beautiful and enticing; she never told anyone that just before he left and the mud stopped burning, Lei's body had floated back into the hut and all her wounds had healed except for the mark that the ghost had left behind her ear as a sign of his protection.

'The spirit watches over her,' she only said to Uncle Somi as she left the village, 'you better fear for your life.'

Perhaps Cousin Neel knew a different story, but nobody ever found out- for Cousin Neel never spoke a word since that day on.