ISADORA
“Your son is so handsome, Isadora!” Fe exclaimed joyfully, gently pinching my child's cheek.
She is one of the few who haven't left this place.
“He looks exactly like his father, almost as if he's not one of us,” she said. “The mother endures the pain, but the child always looks like the father. It’s unfair.”
I chuckled softly. “You’re right, life is unfair.”
We both fell silent, watching her two children play on the grassy field.
“I hope it gets sunny soon,” Fe suddenly said. “It’s been cloudy for so long. But they say the sun will come out in a few weeks.”
I didn’t reply.
In a few weeks, we need to leave.
“By the way, Isadora, if you don’t mind, can you tell me how you met your husband? I really thought you were going to marry Andres.”
“In the forest, I met him,” I replied. “Since then, he would visit me regularly. Eventually, I fell for him, and even though we didn’t announce it, I married him.”
“How romantic,” Fe said. “My husband, on the other hand, is always drunk and sometimes hits us.”
I looked at her, at Fe. Even though I avoided people for a long time, she always came to check on me. Even when I didn’t speak to her, I noticed she had bruises and cuts on her face.
“Sometimes I wish… that monster had taken my husband instead,” she laughed. “Just kidding, I’d be hanged if anyone heard me.”
“Why don’t you leave your husband?” I asked, frowning.
But she only smiled faintly. “Marriage is sacred.”
Sacred? Even if he hurts her?
“And my children, I don’t want them to lose their father,” she added, smiling and sighing. I didn’t say anything else and turned my attention back to my child. I smiled when I saw him awake, looking at me.
“But he really looks like his father,” Fe said, laughing. I laughed too and shook my head. Silence enveloped us again, only the strong wind could be heard. The surroundings were pleasant, not hot, and the sun was hidden. Next month it would be hot again… before that, we needed to leave.
Alejandro was planning where we would go. He told me he would take me far away, so whenever I thought about it, I felt nervous. I had never been anywhere outside our place. I had no idea what was out there. I didn’t know what kind of life awaited me… us.
In just a short time, so much had changed in my life…
“Isadora.”
I turned to the one who called my name. I saw Alejandro approaching our spot. I stood up and looked at him curiously. “What is it?”
Wasn’t he supposed to be at the church?
He smiled slightly, and that’s when I noticed he was holding a package, a piece of cloth. When he got close to us, he kissed our sleeping baby’s forehead and quickly pecked me on the side of my lips.
“Isadora, we’ll go ahead!” Fe said behind me. I looked back at her, and she was with her children. “Next time we’ll chat again!” she said, waving as she led her children away.
I just waved back and returned my attention to my husband. “What’s that?”
“Here, something I had Glenda sew,” he said, handing me the cloth package. “Try it on.”
I stared at the package. Was it… clothing?
He took Rafael from me and handed me the package, and we walked back to our home.
And I was right. The package contained a luxurious garment. It was white, with sleeves reaching the wrists. The fabric felt like silk, soft and flowing with every movement. There were floral embroideries on the hem, and the threads seemed to sparkle under the sun. The dress looked like it came from a kingdom…
I looked at Alejandro, sitting on the couch, holding our child and watching me as I examined the dress.
“How much did you pay Glenda for this?”
Glenda was the old maid across from the church. She was a seamstress, but few commissioned her because she was so grumpy. So…
He chuckled softly. “It was cheap. Just a few gold coins.”
“Gold?!” I exclaimed in shock. “Gold is hard to come by, Alejandro!”
“I’ve lived in this world for many years, my love. If I were still poor after all this time, I would’ve walked into the sunlight myself,” he laughed lightly. “Try it on.”
No… this is too much… too extravagant for me.
We’re not poor, but I’ve never worn anything like this.
But I followed his instructions. I quietly removed my simple dress, carefully putting on the new one… the fabric felt heavenly against my skin.
“The fabric…” Especially after I put it on. It truly felt like it flowed with every movement. “…it’s similar to your clothes, Alejandro.”
He gazed at me. For a long time. From head to toe. And I felt self-conscious.
I looked away. “It fits perfectly.”
“I know your measurements by heart, Isadora.” And yes, I felt even more self-conscious. Glenda would’ve needed to take my measurements in person to make this… and Alejandro had given her my exact measurements!
“That’s what I want you to wear on the day we leave.”
I looked at him again. Smiling shyly, I nodded. At that moment, Rafael started crying, and I immediately approached him, still wearing the beautiful dress. I gently picked him up, and when he stopped crying, I realized he was staring at me.
His eyes were the only feature he inherited from me. Dark brown. He looked so angelic. And Fe was right; he looked just like his father.
“Why are you home early today?” I asked Alejandro, my attention still on our child.
“Andres said they didn’t need me today.”
I paused and looked up at Alejandro beside me. “Why?”
He answered seriously. “I don’t know.”
I fell silent.
Yes, the tension had eased, but for me… it hadn’t. Especially since… I was hungry. I wanted to drink. My throat felt like it was burning, but I couldn’t swallow even water.
Animal blood was no longer enough for me; my body craved the blood of a healthy human.
And I was tempted.
“Come, let’s take a walk, Isadora.” I looked up when Alejandro stood and offered me his hand.
A walk?
Where?
******