Valiant

The Sunset

"Damaris... Can you hear me?" He called out again as he shook her, more violently than the last time. He had her wrapped in his arms, her head leaning almost on his right shoulder. He left her and ran to the stream. It was the obvious. He scooped water in his hands frantically and hurried back. He splashed it on her face and stared at her like the staring was part of the whole resuscitation exercise.
"Oh God, what is wrong with me? How could I be so stupid? What would she think of me now? A viscous person, a dangerous stupid boy, Oh God, what happened na... Why did she fall?" He was talking to himself but spoke as if he expected all those questions to somehow be answered.

After some time, she began to shake her head slightly, side to side and then coughed. As she coughed, she sat up and Pharoah ran to get more water, this time for her to drink. After drinking, still there on the sand, she looked around her and her eyes were met with the sight similar to the cause of her black out. There was blood everywhere. Even though it all looked now like red sand, it would look to anyone coming right now, like an animal had been butchered here. She was scared, scared of the sight. It was utterly irritating and very uncomfortable. She hastily got up and took it all in, the blood soaked sand, the distant trees, the matchet in the ground, the logs close to the stream and her can beside it. Oh God, her can!! She was doomed, it was already getting too late and she hadn't done any chores, not bathed, worse of all, she wasn't home. Uncle Stanley would definitely not take it lightly with her. She started towards the can, but jerked back as someone held her hand, firmly.
"Look, please don't walk away, I'm sorry. I'm not always like that. Please don't just go"

That was when she remembered. Pharoah, her rescuer, twice now, the matchet weilder, the strong boy. His face looked so innocent and calm. He was remorseful and spoke gently, a very harsh contrast to the raving maniac a few moments ago. The way he carried that weapon, as it turned out to be, he was fierce, not calm and gentle at all. Twice she noticed how easily ticked off he could get and twice, she saw the repercussion. Now the Pharoah she knew at first and the Pharoah now had to be two different people, Pharoah couldn't hurt a fly, or at least she thought. She'd never seen him angry, so she wouldn't know. She wasn't upset at all, she was, if anything, in awe of the two clashing personalities in one body.
True to her nature, she smiled and hugged him.

At first, he just let her arms go around his back. He wasn't sure of what to do. His eyes widened and his hands were apart. Then, as if it all came back to him, he gently put his arms around her shoulders too. She eased her hands to let go, but he was still hugging her. Then she chuckled. He smiled and let her go. They were now holding hands.

"I'm sorry, I just couldn't stand the sight in front of me. I have never seen such a thing as that, before in my life, not even in movies" she was still smiling.

He tried to think of what she would mean when she said 'movies', he then remembered the lesson Mama had taught them on moving pictures and videos. Then they all gathers to watch the home videos in her big living room. It was fun.

"But you saved me, two times now. Thank you" she ended and left his hands to get her can and fetch. He was more of admiring, her looks, her speech, her smile, than actually listening to what she was saying.

He followed her and took the can from her hands. "Let me continue what I was doing" his smile was so bright, she wondered if it hurt to smile like that, but it kind of drew a smile from her as well. Neither of them talked about the incident again.
He fetched the water and sealed the can tightly. He turned to see her sitting on a log, starting at the stream. It was sunset already. The mixed colors of shades of red, orange and yellow, filled the sky and the reflection of it on the waters gave such a calm and peaceful sensation, she relaxed her shoulders and sighed. Pharoah went over and sat beside her, looking at whatever it was she was looking at and they stayed quietly until she spoke again.

"I think I'm cursed"

It put him off guard, that was the least thing he expected her to say. How can a goddess be cursed?
"What!?, Of course not, why would you say that?"

"Well, I thought I was living the best life I could ever hope to live, then out of the blues, everything went down the drain, my reputation, my home" she paused "my parents. I have to be cursed like Job for all these things to happen"

"Damaris, Job lost everything, you haven't lost everything"

"No Pharoah, I have. There's absolutely nothing for me to be happy about right now"

"Really..?" He put his right hand on her hand and used his left hand to turn her face to his. Then he smiled
She smiled too. Okay, she was smiling like an idiot now. She remembered not wanting him to see that kind of smile. It was the same smile she was trying to hide, when they were walking to the stream.

"No, not really" she got shy and looked away. She couldn't stand his eyes. But then she looked back, "I don't know the fate that put you and I on the same seat, but I thank God it did"

"And remember that Job got it all back, even better. Meanwhile I'm wondering what good deed I did that exam day, that God rewarded me by putting me on that seat."

Yet, another different part of Pharoah, he was indeed full of surprises. She blushed. Not thinking she could actually be happy. In the midst of the storm she was facing now, somehow, Pharoah made her smile.

"Just imagine!!"

Both heads swiflty turned back, it was uncle Stanley.