Amadons Outside

It’s late in the afternoon when Josef returns home. He sits down heavily on the solid dirt ground, relaxing. Jane, knitting in the opposite corner of the small room, looks up at him sighing, ‘when will you tell her what you really do?’ she asks.

‘When she’s old enough,’ Josef says rubbing his eyes.

‘She has the strength, Josef,’ Jane counters dropping her near completed blanket in her lap.

‘Well, she hasn’t proven it to me.’ Josef turns to her, and smiles slightly.

Jane shakes her head retreating to her knitting. ‘You’ll see,’ she continues. ‘She has your courage and strength.’

As Jane speaks the last words, the little girl runs through the curtain doorway, ‘Father,’ she squeals, ‘you’re back.’

‘Hey Jess,’ he welcomes as the girl leaps into his arms. ‘Where were you all day?’ Jessica presses her face into Josef’s chest, smelling the aroma of trees and grass, before leaning onto his side, as he wraps his arms around her tightly.

‘I was with Georgia, she was telling me about the time when the Yeepy came and that she saw it.’ She smiles excitedly looking toward Jane, ‘Mother, she said it was so big—’

‘Jessica,’ Jane cuts in, ‘dear, I want you to remember that the Yeepy aren’t something to admire, you must know that people have nearly been killed by them.’ Jane crosses her arms, and nods toward Jessica, ‘understand?’

Jessica shamefully looks down, ‘I understand.’

‘Also, can you light the fire for tonight. It’s going to be cold again.’

Jessica’s eyebrows drop and she stands moving toward the large pit in the centre of the room. She grabs two black stones to spark the fire for the evening. As she does, Jane carefully continues weaving the strings of yarn for the blanket she’s making. Josef yawns and reminds, ‘Jess, you must aim the sparks further into the pit . . . that’s it.’

‘Father, what’s even outside the Protector anyway? Georgia says it’s beautiful.’

Josef hesitates, ‘Jess, some things outside are bad, and some are good. I want you to know, that what’s outside isn’t beautiful nor ugly. It’s . . . normal. Just what you’d expect to be normal in this world anyway.’

Seven years pass and Jessica Windal really begins to realise that the world she’s been born into is pretty tough. She’s discovered that growing up in a village like South Head, isn’t that luxurious as it was being a child. The main reason why South Head is such a place, is mainly because of the location and how the town started. Yeepy are fierce creatures that live around the village. The predator vultures nest in high trees around the area of South Head, and that gradually made the place unpopular for other animals that the Colleks could hunt and share among the village.

Colleks are the lifeline of South Head’s survival, and all the men in the village are part of the brave group. Every day, the men would leave the village and trade goods with the neighbouring town South Meet. South Meet is known for their farms, and they give the Colleks wheat, rice and bread in trade of blankets and clothes.

But, as important the Colleks are to South Head, the Protector is the other great life saver that keep South Head’s citizens alive. As without it, Yeepy’s would be nesting in the very houses Jessica wanders around. The Protector is a large marble wall encasing the whole village. It’s perfect circle around the village stands over every house in South Head. The wall cannot be penetrated nor destroyed. There is only one way in and out or the village, and that’s by the Southern Courtyard where two large enchanted wooden doors stand. Only humans can open and close the door, as any creature that touched the wall would bounce back. Jessica as a child, always wondered why Yeepy, a flying carnivorous bird, could not enter the village. Josef has always told her that the magic of The Protector, repels the devil birds away from the village. Any that tried to break through the magic to enter the village from above, always would retreat, however, the village always takes precautions whenever any creature comes close to the village. As there’s always new creatures no one can ever prepare for.

Jessica’s first job, like many other children in the village, is to pass out the food and goods the Colleks get from their long trips outside the village. The Passers, they’re called. Jessica and her best friend Georgia Bankgrove started their first time passing out loaves of bread. She specifically remembers that as you grow older, the more goods you hand out, as usually children begin handing out small berries and bread first, and as you progress into an adult, you soon start handing out sacks of rice, wheat and varies amount of food. Even though the job is easy, when you have little amount of food to pass around, the Passers must divide the food among the families in the village. But, usually the oldest Passers were the ones to divide anyway, so Jessica and Georgia didn’t have to do much as they grew up. However, at fifteen, Jessica and Georgia are now one of the oldest Passers, and that meant to cut up the food between the families.

There are sixteen families in South Head, all well-known and equally treated in the village. Jessica and Georgia split the food when it arrives every morning to hand out to the families and the other Passers. Being one with so much responsibility, Jessica only dreams when there’ll be a time when the village will get better. When the Colleks didn’t have to leave their families and children in the village every day to fish, hunt and trade.

‘There’s only four loaves today,’ Georgia tells Jessica, one morning in the Southern Courtyard.

Jessica takes her hands out of the sack of berries and sighs. ‘That’s not good, that’s two down from yesterday.’

Georgia bends down into the crates and sacks of food, ‘have you noticed that the traded food is getting less and less? Do you think that South Meet aren’t producing enough food?’

Jessica turns around and examines the load of goods the Colleks dropped off. ‘I think they must’ve had a shortage of water or something, to make their supplies dwindle.’ She returns back into sorting the berries into even groups between the sixteen families in the village. ‘We’ll get more in a week or so.’

After they sort them out, the other children of the village have woken up and line up to receive their share of food to pass around. Usually young ones with the bread and berries, and the others with rice, wheat and possibly fish—whenever the Colleks actually have a successful fishing trip.

Jessica picks up the two fish caught by the Colleks and weaves around the houses, offering a share of the fish to families. South Head’s infrastructure isn’t healthy, most of the ground within homes are dirt, as most of the stone bricks that were originally there were used to be made into weapons and tools. The houses themselves are dull grey concrete, with thousands of cracks and weeds growing throughout them. They don’t look like homes, more like a structures of stone bricks with plantation holding them together.

Jessica completes her round and returns home, before the mid-morning. Jane’s always seen in her corner working on another blanket, shirt or anything that’s out of yarn and fabric. She always holds up a smile every time Jessica walks in. ‘Morning dear,’ she greets.

‘Morning Mother,’ Jessica strays into the room of their home and snatches a few berries from the food sack next to Jane. She squeezes the juices from the berry, letting it ooze onto her tongue before she takes a bite of the berry. ‘There were two less loaves today. You think that South Meet had some issue with their farms?’

Jane sighs, pauses and continues her knitting, ‘South Meet have it bad as much as we have it bad here. You know this.’

Jessica shakes her head violently, letting her brown hair tangle and become thicker than it already is. ‘I know . . . It’s just when you’re dividing up the food, you see every change in food. I see every time when the season changes, we get more berries than usual. And that sometimes, when it’s a good day, the Colleks return with fish.’

‘Dear, don’t let it get to you.’

Jessica closes her eyes and sits down leaning on the uncomfortable wall, on a blanket that Jane knitted for her when she was younger. ‘It’s just makes me think if there’s something that’s better than this, that I can bring here and help the village with.’

Jane stops all together, and packs her tools away, ‘Jessica.’ Jane shuffles over to her, and lets her lean against her shoulder, while she grooms her knotted hair. ‘Dear, I know. I know. But, it’s all fine at the end of day. Don’t worry.’ Jane calmly takes a deep breath, letting Jessica have a relaxation minute. ‘Oh well. I better return back to this, I have to finish it before tomorrow.’

Jessica goes into the next room, or the only other room in their house and drops onto Jane’s blanket sheets she made years ago, for their bedroom. She rubs her fingers against the cold concrete wall. ‘Maybe if we traded with more villages, we could get more food.’ Her mumbling sounds mimic the rumble of a rat’s stomach, that she’d hear during the chilly nights. ‘But where is the nearest town other than South Meet?’

When the evening sun starts to set down on South Head, Jessica with Georgia are strolling around the village. ‘Georgia, do you even know what’s outside?’ Jessica’s voice isn’t loud for the surrounding homes to hear.

Georgia glances at her briefly while walking toward the Southern Courtyard. ‘This is like the hundredth time you’ve asked me, even when we were little.’

As Jessica smiles, she and Georgia reach the ruined fountain in the Southern Courtyard. It sits in the centre of the yard, and lines up directly with the Protector’s doors. ‘I’m asking because I want to know what other towns are out there. Is there just South Meet?’ They sit down on the edge of the fountain’s crumbling stone bricks.

‘I thought of that too, but when I asked my Mother, she said that even if the Colleks try, it’ll be worse for them to go north—’

‘North?’ Jessica’s eyebrows rise.

‘Haven’t you ever seen the map your Father owns?’

She shakes her head, looking at Georgia’s shady blonde hair.

‘Look at it next time, it’ll show you where South Head is and where Bayrast is.’

‘What?’

Georgia surprises herself, ‘oh yeah. Bayrast is the town up north. But, the Colleks never go up there, it’s too far and dangerous.’ Georgia lowers her tone. ‘My Mother says that’s where the Yeepy nests are.’

‘North of South Head.’ Jessica turns to the empty fountain, moving her hand among the dry weeds growing within. ‘But, what if Bayrast can help South Head?’

Georgia shuts Jessica up, ‘don’t even think about that Jessica,’ she whispers harshly. ‘The Yeepy . . .’ Georgia squeezes her hand. ‘The Colleks have tried, just ask your Father. You don’t want to know. Okay?’

Jessica stares at her friend. ‘Georgia . . .’ She backs off, apologises and asks, ‘can you get here earlier tomorrow morning? I’ll talk to my Father tonight.’

Jessica had never met Georgia’s Father; she knows he died when she was merely a baby. Jessica always grew up thinking that a sickness got to her Father, that maybe he ate a bad rat one night. She never thought about it any other way until now.

‘Jessica, please hand me the wild berries,’ Jane calls from the other room in the house.

She hands over the firm marron berries to her Mother, who squeezes them into a stone pot that’s over the flames in the fire pit. ‘Is there any rice in it tonight?’ Jessica murmurs siting down beside the fire, wrapping herself in her Mother’s blanket.

‘Not tonight, can you—’

‘Why not tonight?’

Jane freezes.

Jessica looks at her Mother’s reaction.

She takes the stirrer out of the pot. ‘Are you okay dear?’

Jessica presses her knees to her chest and looks into the fire. It blazes and gives the room light, out of the darkness of the night. ‘I’m fine. Just wanted to know.’

Jane retrieves the stirrer and continues. She waits for moment before speaking, ‘I thought it to be wise to not use rice tonight, to save the rice for later.’ Her voice was calming, but spoke to Jessica bitterly.

‘Why are we saving the—’

‘Hello Jess!’ Josef dives through the curtain doorway and hugs Jessica on the dirt ground. ‘How was your day? Huh?’ Josef beams from ear to ear, crushing Jessica with his embrace. She resists and escapes his hold. ‘Jane, what are we having tonight?’ Josef rests himself against the wall next to Jessica, while Jane stirs the stew. ‘Rat stew?’

Jane laughs shortly before answering, ‘No, just some berry paste with some bread.’ She gazes at Jessica’s smile. ‘Jessica wants to ask you something,’ she says as though Jessica told her to say it.

‘Really now,’ Josef turns and gives a smile to Jessica.

Jessica, shocked on Jane’s action, continues and does ask what she wants to know. ‘Father,’ she begins. ‘Can I see your map?’ Josef asks for a reason immediately. ‘Just curious. Can I see it?’

Jane takes the pot off the flames and exchanges looks to Josef. ‘Okay,’ he finally gets out, reaching into his bag. He pulls out a scroll of parchment. He spreads it over the dirt ground in front of them, but far from the flames.

Jessica looks at what appears to her as lines and words. ‘Where are we?’

Josef points at the small dot marked South Head, ‘we’re here, and I go along the south coast to South Meet.’

’Forange . . .’ she reads.

‘Yes, that’s where we live. Forange.’ Josef’s anxious face examines Jessica’s expression of wonder and fascination. ‘There’s—there’s seven regions in Amadons. One being the one we live in, Forange. In South Head.’

Jessica moves her finger around the paper and points to the mark labelled Besteratra, ‘What’s that?’

‘That’s the Capital of Forange, Besteratra,’ Josef glances at Jane’s serious face.

‘What about Bayrast?’ Jessica asks pointing to the label.

‘Bayrast is north . . . We don’t go there.’

‘You’ve marked it and the Capital and—’

Jane cuts in, ’Jessica dear, the Colleks don’t go north. The Yeepy nests are over there. It would be dangerous, too dangerous.’ Jane pulls out half a loaf of bread ready to divide it into three for them.

‘But, South Head needs help. Shouldn’t the Colleks try to go there again?’

Josef stops and scrolls the map up again. ‘That’s enough of a lesson tonight. Eat now Jessica.’ Josef’s demanding words cue Jane to hand Jessica her share of the bread to dip in the berry paste.

‘Dear,’ Jane starts softly, while Josef packs the map away. ‘You must not think on putting others’ lives at risk. Okay? It’s not something to think about.’ Jane shuffles over to Jessica’s left and starts eating. ‘I heard that Jasper is now old enough to join the Colleks.’

Josef smiles as if the last conversation didn’t exist. ‘Oh, yes. He’s just turned seventeen, and he’s quite ready to take on the role. He’ll get his first taste of it tonight, when we leave.’

‘How’s his Father?’

‘Johnathon—oh, he’s fine. His missing eye does give him a pain, but he’s all for it. You know . . . Jane, the story on how he lost it, is one of the best stories. Jess, want to hear?’

Jessica stays silent. Jane nudges her to eat. She eventually does.

It’s silent as Josef starts packing his bag. Jane finalises her project for the day, folding it neatly into a pile with multiple others, ready for Josef to take, when the Colleks leave. ‘It’s all set,’ she says softly, careful not to wake Jessica.

‘Thanks,’ he murmurs, collecting them and harshly shoving them into his bag.

Jane prepares for another shirt to make with her fabric, while Josef stands readying himself to leave. He peers his head into the bedroom on Jessica, when he whispers, ‘do you think she’d leave?’

Jane freezes and places down her tools, moving her gaze to the dying flames before them. ‘I never thought she’d want to,’ she gets out, slowly, letting Josef think about what he’s suggesting.

He turns to her, eyes reflecting the warm fire. ‘She’s not wrong about going north to—’

‘Hush, Josef!’ she whispers bitterly. ‘Jessica is just knowing now what’s outside, we shouldn’t start throwing possibilities at her.’

Josef drops to his knees next to her, ’but, I can feel that she wants to leave—’

‘When did you start thinking about her leaving? What, with you?’

‘Ever since she gained responsibility as a Passer. I felt that she was ready—’

‘Well, I’m not!’ Jane crosses her arms and glares at Josef, her eyebrows sliding down her face. ‘I can’t . . .’ Jane grips Josef and pulls herself into his embrace. ‘I don’t want to lose her, like I lose you every day and night.’

Josef caresses Jane’s dark hair, smelling the fire extinguishing. ’You’ll never lose me. Jane . . . You will never lose me.’

The flames go out, when Josef departs.