The Chronicles of George

8 - A Visitor

8 

A Visitor

I watched him storm off, heading to the meeting hut. Mattie, who had stopped laughing, but still had a smile and tears in her eyes, grabbed the bags, “we better get over there” she said as she handed me mine. How could she be so calm.

Seref was a good guy, it was pretty relaxed here, only a few rules, like no stealing, treat all people the with respect, pull your weight, those sort of common sense rules. But I bet ‘no making out with the human’ may be on there too. We ran at a jog, holding hands all the way. we got there just as Keetovu started talking to Seref, we stopped at the edge of the hut. He looked over at us and beckoned for us to come over. Mattie squeezed my hand, as we approached, I looked at her, she returned my worried look with a quick smile, then looked forward.

“is this true? What Keetovu has told me” his face was expressionless, but his tone was serious as he stared deep into my eyes, I nodded lowering my head. What were they going to do to us? Where they going to stop us from being together? I don’t think I could live with that. Maybe we could run away together? But no, she should stay here, where it was safe. I would not take her away from what was left of her family and put her in danger. Could I be here every day, see her and not be with her? I could feel my heart ache just at the thought. 

“well Well” Seref boomed out with a hearty laugh, my head shot up to look at him, shock evident on my face. Mattie and Keetovu who had been glaring at each other, also looked at Seref. What could he possibly find funny?

“my boy, what has taken you so long? I never dreamed you would be so slow” he laughed, a deep chuckle, a huge grin on his face.

“what?” I shot a quick glance at Mattie “you, you’re not angry”

“only annoyed that it took you so long.” I couldn’t believe what I was hearing “The first day you arrived with Matakai, I could see, when you looked at her you had the same look in your eyes, as I had when I first set eyes on my Nigala, it only took a matter of weeks before we shared our feelings for each other”

I felt Mattie’s hands, one going round my waist at the back, one on my chest, over my heart. 

“huh” I exhaled in a laugh, a smile forming on my face as my brain digested the information. It was okay, it would be fine, we could be together. I looked down at Mattie and pulled her closer to me in a hug. Arms wrapping around her back, my head hung down to her ear “oh man” I whispered so only she would hear “I was really scared there, I really don’t think I could survive without you” Oh my god, did I really just say that out loud?  I jerked my head back to look down at her, to see her reaction to my revealing words. she was looking at me with such a beautiful smile on her face, I had to smile back “I felt exactly same” she whispered back before rubbing my nose and giving me a quick kiss, she placed her check on my chest, hugging me tight. I returned the hug, and closing my eyes rested my face in her silky soft hair, watching out for her little horns of course, I had been jabbed by those before!

Seref cleared his throat a few times before our private bubble burst. I lifted my head, Mattie turned in my arms, back against my chest, to look at her grandfather, who was smiling widely at us both. She left my arms walking the few steps, into his embrace, they rubbed noses. “oh grandpa” she exclaimed smiling. “you are happy? I know it already, I can feel the love radiating from you” he replied. “come. Sit. Eat” he said sitting back down to finish his disrupted breakfast.