Perfection
The Tulips
This is where she always spent her Leisure Hour. Here, in the Field. Tama had this thing with tulips. She favored them above all of the other flowers in Tay. Yet, it was almost a hidden love. In Tay, the village she's lived in since birth, they had a list of what to do and what not to do; what to like and what to hate and tulips, for whatever reason, were not favored. They lived their lives by this List but it was written in such epic proportions and written so long ago, anyone could say anything about the List. Usually, it would be children teasing one another, saying, "You can't do that! It's on the Bad List!" or defending themselves by saying it was on the "Good List." However, if any adult had a real disagreement, the persons involved would take their case to the Leaders and let them sort it out. Yet, that didn't mean that the outcome was just.
The Leaders were a group of seven people, all who had some kind of influence during their younger years. The Leaders, also called The Seven, usually had a hearty amount of money and land as well as being affluent. Some say there was something else that made people practically bow down to them. As if it was some kind of other Power that the "simplistic" villager would never be able to understand. Tama didn't believe it. There was no such thing as magic.
"Says so on the Bad List." she murmured in a near-sarcastic tone, caressing the soft petal of a nearby white tulip. She would outwardly abide by the List, just like everyone else. "But here I am," she thought, "sitting in the Field."
The Field was undoubtedly Forbidden. It was on the very top of the Bad List. For reasons unknown, the Field has been strictly off-limits since before Tama was born. However Tama, at a young age, was "much like a bird" her mother, Linda, would used to say. When Tama was younger, she got into things she wasn't supposed to. Like the time she climbed into the fountain in the Main Square of Tay. All she had been doing was splashing but, just like a lot of things, it was Forbidden. Guards had seized her by both arms at once, making her cry out which finally got her mother's attention. As Linda had to do on multiple occasions, she had to beg for mercy for her child. Again and again, Linda had always saved Tama from Punishment which could have been anything from a quick swat on the hands to public flogging. But Linda, being gifted with her speech, only had to exchange words to get Tama free.
"Tama?"
She quickly turned around, shocked to see Aria, Doro's, a Leader, granddaughter.
"Aria! I-" Tama got up quickly, started brushing off dirt in frenzy until Aria came over to help her. "I uh . . . listen; please don't tell anyone I was here. I promise, I'll do anything you want-"
"I wasn't going to tell on you." She said quietly, grabbing a stray from the bottom of Tama's floor-length skirt; the only proper skirt-length.
"Oh." Tama responded slowly, brushing her long dark hair back with her fingers and tying it with a ribbon, the custom look for the villagers of Tay.
"What were you doing here?" Aria asked, curious.
"I could ask you the same thing." Tama said, testing Aria. Only receiving an unfaltering, and honest, look of moral superiority, Tama began to explain. "I just like it here. No one else even dares to come here." With a nod, Aria motioned for her to continue. Tama just shrugged and said, "I like tulips."
"But they're-"
"I know. I know." Tama said, hearing the sentence before the girl even said it. "They're Forbidden." She spat out the words, hating the taste on her tongue. She watched as Aria moved away from her and into the field.
"It's a little funny, isn't it? Forbidding flowers, that is." Aria asked thoughtfully while plucking one up and admiring it in her hand.
"Stupid, I'd like to call it."
"That goes without saying." Aria carefully placed it in her right sleeve for safe-keeping. "I came here looking for you, if you were still wondering." she said, moving back towards the fence that ultimately lead back to the village.
"How'd you know I'd be here?" Tama asked.
"I had a feeling. You seem-" But Aria stopped herself, shook her head and said, "Come on. Your mother's looking for you and the Celebration is going to start."
Tama laughed a little to herself and said, while saying to Aria, "How I just love parties."
The Leaders were a group of seven people, all who had some kind of influence during their younger years. The Leaders, also called The Seven, usually had a hearty amount of money and land as well as being affluent. Some say there was something else that made people practically bow down to them. As if it was some kind of other Power that the "simplistic" villager would never be able to understand. Tama didn't believe it. There was no such thing as magic.
"Says so on the Bad List." she murmured in a near-sarcastic tone, caressing the soft petal of a nearby white tulip. She would outwardly abide by the List, just like everyone else. "But here I am," she thought, "sitting in the Field."
The Field was undoubtedly Forbidden. It was on the very top of the Bad List. For reasons unknown, the Field has been strictly off-limits since before Tama was born. However Tama, at a young age, was "much like a bird" her mother, Linda, would used to say. When Tama was younger, she got into things she wasn't supposed to. Like the time she climbed into the fountain in the Main Square of Tay. All she had been doing was splashing but, just like a lot of things, it was Forbidden. Guards had seized her by both arms at once, making her cry out which finally got her mother's attention. As Linda had to do on multiple occasions, she had to beg for mercy for her child. Again and again, Linda had always saved Tama from Punishment which could have been anything from a quick swat on the hands to public flogging. But Linda, being gifted with her speech, only had to exchange words to get Tama free.
"Tama?"
She quickly turned around, shocked to see Aria, Doro's, a Leader, granddaughter.
"Aria! I-" Tama got up quickly, started brushing off dirt in frenzy until Aria came over to help her. "I uh . . . listen; please don't tell anyone I was here. I promise, I'll do anything you want-"
"I wasn't going to tell on you." She said quietly, grabbing a stray from the bottom of Tama's floor-length skirt; the only proper skirt-length.
"Oh." Tama responded slowly, brushing her long dark hair back with her fingers and tying it with a ribbon, the custom look for the villagers of Tay.
"What were you doing here?" Aria asked, curious.
"I could ask you the same thing." Tama said, testing Aria. Only receiving an unfaltering, and honest, look of moral superiority, Tama began to explain. "I just like it here. No one else even dares to come here." With a nod, Aria motioned for her to continue. Tama just shrugged and said, "I like tulips."
"But they're-"
"I know. I know." Tama said, hearing the sentence before the girl even said it. "They're Forbidden." She spat out the words, hating the taste on her tongue. She watched as Aria moved away from her and into the field.
"It's a little funny, isn't it? Forbidding flowers, that is." Aria asked thoughtfully while plucking one up and admiring it in her hand.
"Stupid, I'd like to call it."
"That goes without saying." Aria carefully placed it in her right sleeve for safe-keeping. "I came here looking for you, if you were still wondering." she said, moving back towards the fence that ultimately lead back to the village.
"How'd you know I'd be here?" Tama asked.
"I had a feeling. You seem-" But Aria stopped herself, shook her head and said, "Come on. Your mother's looking for you and the Celebration is going to start."
Tama laughed a little to herself and said, while saying to Aria, "How I just love parties."