Perfection
Parting Ways
When Aria let go, Tama told her quickly, "Meet me at my house. We don't have a lot of time because we're leaving tonight no matter what."
"What time?"
"Any time. Sunset. Right before it. Just be there before night falls." Tama explained in a hurry as she made her way to the door.
"Hey." Aria said just as Tama opened the door and let in much-needed light. Tama could finally see Aria's face which had a few tear stains making streaks down her face. She was smiling, though. She moved her mouth to say something but then stopped herself and lifted a steady open hand, bidding good-bye to Tama. With a single nod, Tama left the room and closed the door behind her.
*~*~*~*
Tama weaved through the crowd of privileged children and teenagers down the stairs and took only a moment to look at the entry lobby once again. The chair closest to the fire looked like heaven but she resisted the attempt to waste any more time so she quickly walked out the School. Closing the large door behind her, Tama walked out on the green lawn and smoothly made her way to the front gate which she went through without a problem. It was eerie how easily she was able to walk throughout the halls of the School which is Off-Limits to her. It made her feel even more adventurous as she heard the squeal and click as the gate swung back into place with her on the outside.
Though she knew she wouldn't be able to get back in without a key of some sort of inside help, she wished that she could have gone back inside; just to explore, a little. Yet, she put the thought behind her and walked casually, so as not to draw attention, back to her home on the edge of Tay.
She walked the stretch of pastures and into the familiar trail to her home. Her mother waited there, leaning on the outside wall of the house.
"Is she coming?" Linda had asked her.
"Yes. She's coming."
"When?"
"I told her just before sunset."
"You're cutting it close, Tama."
Tama brushed past her mother into the doorway. "She'll come."
Linda didn't press her further. She followed her daughter into the house and closed the door behind her.
*~*~*~*
The two women waited a very long time. The hours felt like an eternity. They couldn't leave any later than nightfall because when they actually made progress, it would have been early morning and Guards would see them. Only God knows what sort of punishment they would have gotten into. If they left any earlier, they would have been leaving Aria behind which Tama refused to do.
"There's something I should tell you, Tama." Linda said after they had spent the majority of that day in silence as they did some minor chores. "The night before those Guards found your father. . ." Saying the title made Linda stop for air every time. ". . . by the river, he told me something."
Tama had dropped the sheets she was carrying and gave Linda her full attention.
"He said to me, 'Linda, some day we're going to get out of here. You, me, and Tama. We're going to leave and go to The Beyond.'"
The Beyond. Tama was taught to treat The Beyond as only a fictional place especially when she brought it up her first day of school. Her father, Warren, always talked about The Beyond with her so Tama had always thought it to be real. But the teacher said otherwise. That day, the slender woman had laughed lightly and told her it had its place in fairy tales but not in the classroom. The others brushed it off but Tama didn't take it so lightly. Later on, after all the children had gone home, the teacher took her aside and told her never to utter a word about The Beyond again. This time with a less-than-chirpy tone.
The Beyond was what was beyond Tay; the land away from Tama's home. But, according to The Seven, there wasn't a land beyond Tay. Tay was the whole entire world. Without Tay, there is nothing. So believing in The Beyond is like believing in fairy tales which were coincidentally Forbidden within the same year Tama had spoken of The Beyond.
Believing in The Beyond was treasonous.
"But I thought-"
"I know, Tama. Everyone thinks that it doesn't exist. Except your father. He did, in all of his heart, he really did." Linda said with affection.
"So . . . did he try to escape?" Tama asked, the mystery of her father's death cracking just a little.
Linda sighed. "I don't think so."
"But . . . but if he wanted to-"
Linda smiled a little sadly. "You must have forgotten how madly in love he was with us. Especially you, Tama." She took her time before she started again. "Remember that one time when he had to spend the entire day at the Field, back when it was still Acceptable, and when he came home?" Linda laughed a little, "I remember he swung you around in his arms and told me, 'I'm never leaving you again.'"
Tama smiled a little at the memory. He smelled of soil and flowers and to her, it was the best perfume she had ever had the joy of experiencing. "So what happened?"
Linda frowned. "That's just it, Tama. I don't know. I don't know what happened. I saw him go to bed. I remember going to bed and seeing him sleep just before I fell asleep. But then in the morning. . ."
Tama nodded. She knew the ending to the story. Now that she knew the beginning of the story as well, she was dying to know the middle.
There was a knock at the door.
Tama looked at the window behind them and saw that the sun had just started to set. "I told you she'd come." Linda smiled at her as Tama ran to the front door and opened it up.
"Aria-" but Tama stopped herself when she opened the door all the way.
"Guess again."
"What time?"
"Any time. Sunset. Right before it. Just be there before night falls." Tama explained in a hurry as she made her way to the door.
"Hey." Aria said just as Tama opened the door and let in much-needed light. Tama could finally see Aria's face which had a few tear stains making streaks down her face. She was smiling, though. She moved her mouth to say something but then stopped herself and lifted a steady open hand, bidding good-bye to Tama. With a single nod, Tama left the room and closed the door behind her.
*~*~*~*
Tama weaved through the crowd of privileged children and teenagers down the stairs and took only a moment to look at the entry lobby once again. The chair closest to the fire looked like heaven but she resisted the attempt to waste any more time so she quickly walked out the School. Closing the large door behind her, Tama walked out on the green lawn and smoothly made her way to the front gate which she went through without a problem. It was eerie how easily she was able to walk throughout the halls of the School which is Off-Limits to her. It made her feel even more adventurous as she heard the squeal and click as the gate swung back into place with her on the outside.
Though she knew she wouldn't be able to get back in without a key of some sort of inside help, she wished that she could have gone back inside; just to explore, a little. Yet, she put the thought behind her and walked casually, so as not to draw attention, back to her home on the edge of Tay.
She walked the stretch of pastures and into the familiar trail to her home. Her mother waited there, leaning on the outside wall of the house.
"Is she coming?" Linda had asked her.
"Yes. She's coming."
"When?"
"I told her just before sunset."
"You're cutting it close, Tama."
Tama brushed past her mother into the doorway. "She'll come."
Linda didn't press her further. She followed her daughter into the house and closed the door behind her.
*~*~*~*
The two women waited a very long time. The hours felt like an eternity. They couldn't leave any later than nightfall because when they actually made progress, it would have been early morning and Guards would see them. Only God knows what sort of punishment they would have gotten into. If they left any earlier, they would have been leaving Aria behind which Tama refused to do.
"There's something I should tell you, Tama." Linda said after they had spent the majority of that day in silence as they did some minor chores. "The night before those Guards found your father. . ." Saying the title made Linda stop for air every time. ". . . by the river, he told me something."
Tama had dropped the sheets she was carrying and gave Linda her full attention.
"He said to me, 'Linda, some day we're going to get out of here. You, me, and Tama. We're going to leave and go to The Beyond.'"
The Beyond. Tama was taught to treat The Beyond as only a fictional place especially when she brought it up her first day of school. Her father, Warren, always talked about The Beyond with her so Tama had always thought it to be real. But the teacher said otherwise. That day, the slender woman had laughed lightly and told her it had its place in fairy tales but not in the classroom. The others brushed it off but Tama didn't take it so lightly. Later on, after all the children had gone home, the teacher took her aside and told her never to utter a word about The Beyond again. This time with a less-than-chirpy tone.
The Beyond was what was beyond Tay; the land away from Tama's home. But, according to The Seven, there wasn't a land beyond Tay. Tay was the whole entire world. Without Tay, there is nothing. So believing in The Beyond is like believing in fairy tales which were coincidentally Forbidden within the same year Tama had spoken of The Beyond.
Believing in The Beyond was treasonous.
"But I thought-"
"I know, Tama. Everyone thinks that it doesn't exist. Except your father. He did, in all of his heart, he really did." Linda said with affection.
"So . . . did he try to escape?" Tama asked, the mystery of her father's death cracking just a little.
Linda sighed. "I don't think so."
"But . . . but if he wanted to-"
Linda smiled a little sadly. "You must have forgotten how madly in love he was with us. Especially you, Tama." She took her time before she started again. "Remember that one time when he had to spend the entire day at the Field, back when it was still Acceptable, and when he came home?" Linda laughed a little, "I remember he swung you around in his arms and told me, 'I'm never leaving you again.'"
Tama smiled a little at the memory. He smelled of soil and flowers and to her, it was the best perfume she had ever had the joy of experiencing. "So what happened?"
Linda frowned. "That's just it, Tama. I don't know. I don't know what happened. I saw him go to bed. I remember going to bed and seeing him sleep just before I fell asleep. But then in the morning. . ."
Tama nodded. She knew the ending to the story. Now that she knew the beginning of the story as well, she was dying to know the middle.
There was a knock at the door.
Tama looked at the window behind them and saw that the sun had just started to set. "I told you she'd come." Linda smiled at her as Tama ran to the front door and opened it up.
"Aria-" but Tama stopped herself when she opened the door all the way.
"Guess again."