Good things come in three's don't they? Or is that just wishful thinking? Anyway, here is the third extract of my project, due to demand. This may be the last one for a little while- I need to continue writing and I've got some pictures to share as well, which my blog has been sadly lacking for the past few days. But keep an eye out- some new extracts will appear every now and again! Hope you enjoy...
ps- I love the smell of fresh flowers around the house, it makes it feel like spring has finally arrived!
Imenand
“You boy! Bring this crate of wine into the party,” barked Khai, “and mind you go through the back door so you won’t be disgraced.”
I looked up to see who this pleasant request was being directed to and found the two beady black eyes of my boss Khai (or as he is christened on the site, “the slave driver”) staring murderously into my face. His eye was twitching and a tick was pulsing in the pouch of his fleshy cheek. He thrust the crate into my arms and turned to storm away, but not before I muttered,
“Please might have been nice,” under my breath.
Khai suddenly stopped and turned around, his face now the colour of a ripe aubergine and whispered menacingly, “What was that boy?!”
“Nothing,” I mumbled and sloped away before I got into any more trouble.
“How did my life come to this?” I wondered.
Slaving away every day in the blazing sun with no hope of a better life.
“I’m only eighteen!” I sighed, exasperated. As I neared the pantry entrance I shook my head and told myself off for allowing such negative thoughts to come creeping in. “What about my mother and all that she has done to provide for me?” I thought angrily. “How could I be so selfish? And I am better off than most of the servants here, the king has even given me and my mother a room to stay in the palace, although I can’t fathom why…I have no right to complain!” With renewed determination and vigour I walked into the party and gave the wine to the nearest waiter. He bowed in thanks and I turned to go when I saw her.
“Iboni,” I gasped. Every time I laid eyes on her it was like a butter churner had taken up rent in my stomach and a nervous excitement clawed at my throat, eager to get out. She was not your typical beauty, with asymmetrical proportions and features made of dainty bone china. Her face was chiselled and encapsulated a rare raw beauty that could never be captured with paints alone. Unlike her slim needle thin friends, her sensuous hips swayed like a pendulum and her simple dress embraced her curves so it was almost indecent. And her eyes. Pools of emeralds that you could dive into and never surface. Eyes that showed true emotion and could melt a heart as soon as break it. It was the steely glint of determination and power that drove many men wild in an effort to tame her. But the thing that attracted me most to her was ignorance to it all. She remained oblivious as she strolled down the stairs that every head in the room had turned in her direction. A hush fell across the room and whispers spread like wildfires. It was her innocence that made her most desirable. She moved like a women of the world but one look into those eyes quelled any impure thoughts. “Iboni”, her name rolled off my tongue like something exotic, some elixir of life. But at the same time, familiar, like something I was destined to say my whole life. I realized that everyone seemed to have recovered and quickly shut my gaping mouth. I scanned the room embarrassed in case someone had noticed, but luckily everyone was too absorbed in their idle gossip to pay much attention to me. Well nearly everyone. A knowing look from the waiter next to me told me that my gaping hadn’t gone unnoticed by everyone. A sly wink and instructions to carry some empty crates outside was an invitation to avoid any further embarrassment.
Much love
Danie B
