The Grand Mistress

The next morning, Hawk went on with his usual morning routine and left the temple early to continue planting potatoes. He was up early, earlier than all the people in the village and even when he reached the area where they worked on alone, he didn't mind and started tilting the land. Many days of planting made him realize that it was better to plant as early as one could because when the sun goes up, the heat will exhaust one easily and the tilting will be slow. Unlike when one tilts in the early morning, the sun's heat isn't that skin piercing, so one can go on tilting without much inconvenience.

The morning went on and oddly, no one came to the fields that Hawk thought his previous companion might have decided to postpone the planting today but even then, he continued tilting as he really had nothing else scheduled to do that morning. He even thought that if his companions would not come, he'd continue tilting until noon and perhaps spend the afternoon gathering wood sticks for the temple.

"Hawk, what are you doing here?" Elder Susan came to approach  him as the old lady saw him tilting alone. "Didn't the orphanage invite you to their program? Go and clean yourself so we could go together,"

"It's okay Elder Susan," Hawk replied with a face that tells the old lady he was not at all bothered by working in the fields alone. "The orphanage did sent us some invitations but I don't feel like going so I just decided to continue working on the fields,"

"Child, stop what you are doing or else you might make our companions guilty knowing that you had worked here alone while all of them were partying," Elder Susan announced and his words did hit something inside Hawk. That possibility didn't occur to him but it thus indeed sounded reasonable. Indeed his companions might feel guilty knowing he had worked alone. "For sure they will be looking for you at the party. After all, our village is small and so they will immediately notice your absence. Come along now, let's go to the orphanage together,"

"Alright," Hawk immediately let go of his tools and dragged them to the river where he washed them and also washed himself clean.

"I'll wait for you at the house," Elder Susan shouted at him as she retreated. "Help me carry some food for the orphanage. I had cooked plenty for today's party,"

"Yes elder Susan," Hawk replied obediently and continued on with what he was doing. When he was satisfied with his cleaning, he walked with his tools toward elder Susan's house and saw the old woman busy packing something covered with banana leaves. He suspected it was some kind of delicacy as he could smell its sweet aroma.

"Grabbed some to eat," The elder told him and he spared no time to grab some of it, opened its banana left cover and devoured what's inside. He didn't know what it was called but it was sweet and pretty delicious.

"Do you like it?" She asked when he saw he had finished one in just a minute. Hawk then only nodded at her requisition.

"Ah, you are so like my son. This also is his favorite," Elder Susan smiled at him and went on with what she was doing.

Soon, Hawk and elder Susan traversed the road to the orphanage and only then did Hawk realize the place was a bit far from the village itself. They walked for a considerable amount of time in the woods until they saw a stone building in the middle of nowhere. As soon as they advanced, Hawk could hear some lively music being played and children laughing and giggling.

"This orphanage was built by a foreign philanthropist," Elder Susan told him some story about the place they were heading. "When he was young, he got lost in the woods and luckily found our village. He loved the place and immediately connected with the people that soon, he lived here with us. Then he built this orphanage in this property which used to be his home and when he died, this became one of his legacies,"

Elder Susan wanted to tell Hawk more about the orphanage's backstory but children run towards them as soon as they emerge in their sight. 

"Elder Susan! Elder Susan!"

The children called and surrounded them as if they were very pleased with their presence.

"I know why you came running for me," the old woman replied and slightly bent to meet the children's eyes who were all brimming with excitement. Then she lowered the food to their grab and announced, "Get one each of you,"

"Yehey!" They all responded happily and turned to line themselves and started  grabbing the delicacy they brought. After everyone got their share, they ran back to the party leaving the newcomers alone. "Thank you!"

"Ah these children!" Elder Susan seemed pretty fascinated by them. "They run away from me after they get their shares,"

Hawk also smiled at what took place. The children and the community in the Comis reminded him of Somerset and the life he lived as a simple village child. Back then, like those children who just approached them, he was innocent of many things and the only concern he had was food, playtime and how he hates nap times. This warmed his heart and so his expression brightened at the thought.

"You must have liked the place," Elder Susan saw how his expression relaxed and thus she commented. "I told you it is fun here,"

"I do notice that," He replied politely and soon the sight of their companions emerged from Hawk's sight. They were all gathered around a big table, watching the crowd of children dancing in the middle with other adults.

"Oh here's Hawk!" One announced his presence. "I thought you would not come,"

"He went on tilting on the field," Elder Susan told them as she dropped what she was carrying on the table. "Good thing I saw him or he had been digging the whole day alone,"

"Such a hardworking child you are," One of the old men commented and cued for him to sit beside him. "It's not time to plant today young man. Today is meant for a joyous celebration. Even men like us needs some holiday you know,"

"I thought some would skip the party and continue planting so I went there early," Hawk reasoned gently and joined the elders in watching the dance. The children did so in unison.

"We are only a small village Hawk so when we have celebrations, we all have a holiday together," One of his companions went to explain and went on, "Only your father doesn't come to celebrations because we understand he had to pray most of the time. God bless the humble monk,"

"He indeed had to pray," Hawk affirmed. "He had been praying this morning when I left,"

"He is all praying for our sake so we should not take his time from praying," Elder Susan intervened. "Yet even though he was such a busy man, especially that he is alone in that temple, he does help us with the fields and even comes to our aid when there are emergencies. He is such a gift to our village"

"Blessed the village monk," His companions agreed and then went on to  watch an intermission number the children in the orphanage prepared for the visitors. 

The orphanage prepared many intermission numbers for them, there was a group dance, a choir, and a one act play. They were so entertaining to watch that even Hawk was delighted no matter how simple it was all of it. It just breathed out so much innocence and freshness knowing that these kids had a hard start in life yet they were living a happy peaceful life in the suburbs.

Once the intermission number was finished, everyone had occupied themselves with the food and just a little later, another set of dancing took place—this time everyone was able to join in the dance floor and for once, Hawk noticed the foreigners that arrived yesterday. There were many of them and they had been there since the beginning yet they were at another table and since Hawk was busy chatting with his companions earlier, he didn't notice them. Some of them joined the fun and they were wiggling and hitting off their best moves with the old folks and the children in the dance floor. 

Hawk smiled at the diversity of the crowd before him but his smile left his face when he caught someone familiar dancing together with the children. His heart pounded and his jaw tightened at the sight of her ever flowing copper hair that hung over her shoulder. She was wearing a simple white shirt  and a pair of jeans and she was laughing her heart withholding nothing as she danced and swayed in the center with two children beaming at her. Hawk, who couldn't believe his eyes rose from his seat as he dug his eyes down at the innocent Simione who was oblivious of his very existence.