Defending Left-Handed

Chapter 16

“How’s you lives here, sir?” Slithen asked to one of the farmers. She was on the field. While Liriel and Tom was in a hut. She told them not to follow her around since they do not want everyone to know about her identity. She wanted to experience the same treatment like everyone else during this mission.

“We live a happy life despite of being poor. Our wives and families give us the motivation to work hard so that we could be able to supply their daily needs. I know our lives are different from other people in our country but still we are satisfied,” the farmer said while planting sugar cane.

“Are you from the city?” the farmer asked.

Slithen nodded. “Yes, sir and I really want to visit the countryside for a long time since it gives different aura compared to the city. The air here is so refreshing. It’s so clean. And the smell of the ground is more stronger here than the city. I really like how the ground smell. This might be a little funny to hear but I also like how the countryside sound, the sound of the animals, the sound of the plants, the sound of the people, the sounds here are just so calming.”

“I am glad you have immediately distinguished how we are different from the country. You are quite different from the other girls. The girls here want to go the to city while you, you enjoy the countryside so much.”

Slithen laughed. “Maybe it’s just how it is, sir, you want to have what you don’t have and you don’t want to have what you have.”

“How old are you again?” the farmer asked. It was really Tom’s father. Tom’s mother immediately introduced them to him and when they decided to go back up, Slithen decided to stay and talked with Tom’s father.

“I am nineteen, sir.”

“For a nineteen years old, you seem mature.”

Slithen shook her head and even moved her hands up and shook it to say no. “No, I am not, sir. I am still a person who does not know much about my surrounding. That’s why I am here. I am really thankful for your son’s help to bring me here.”

“You must be from a well-off family there in the city,” the farmer said.

Slithen’s eyes widen. “Oh no, sir. How can you say that? No, I am not.”

“You look like one, though. You look like you are well taken care off.”

Slithen nervously smile. She’s afraid that she’ll be busted. She haven’t ask him about what they need as a farmer, yet. “I am not, sir. It looks like you already look tired even though it’s still early. Why is that?” she asked to change the topic.

“Ahh, yes. Because every morning, some of our produce are already ready to harvest. We pulled heavy barrows with loads of produce to be delivered to the city. That’s how we get our pay. By selling our farm produce every morning. We also divide the pay on how many farmers are here. It is not really enough but I am thankful I have my son working as a knight in the castle. He Is really a big help in the family,” Tom’s father said as he looked at Tom above the field who’s helping his mother with heavy works like carrying a pail of water.

“He’s such a good son,” Slithen commented with an awe. She just realized that she really need to know more about her people. They were a lot of different life stories to hear.

“Yes, he is,” the father smiled. “How did you meet Tom, anyway? He rarely takes a break from work. It’s good that you have convinced him.”

“Ahh, I just met him in the town while I was roaming around and I got to talk to him and said that I really want to visit the countryside and there, he offered that he could help me since he already misses his family, too.”

“Who is that guy?” Tom’s father asked as they saw Liriel looking at them.

“Ahh, he is actually my childhood best friend. He came here with me since I not be allowed to go here without him accompanying.”

“He quite looked like a miserable boy,” Tom’s father said.

Slithen looked down and played with her hands. “Yes, he is. His parents were killed five years ago.”

“Did you mean the Left-handed declaration?”

Slithen nodded.

“oh, whh is not he in the slums, though? I heard they brought all the left-handed's families there.”

“I do not really know since I barely got to chance to ask him such questions. He stayed in an orphanage for five years and just had recently returned.”

“You should gain his trust to trust you about what he is feeling. He must be thinking a lot of things and if left bottled, he might burst.”

“Thank you, sir. I’ll try to do that.”

The farmer walked to another side. “Do you want to try and plant this?” he asked as he show some seeds on his hands.

“What is that, sir?” she asked as she followed his every step.

“This is a chili seed. People from the city are no really fond of chilis which is great since we would be able to receive a lot of others.”

“That’s great sir! So you need more manpower for pulling the barrow every morning?” Slithen asked to get back to the topic that where could help.

“We do not really need more manpower. Maybe we need an upgraded tools. Maybe we could have wheels for our barrow so that it is easy to maneuver. Maybe we also need our own delivery calash since waiting for a calash from the city takes time. And waiting is a waste of time. We also need vitamins for the animals. They do not really have vitamins but it’s good that they have grow so well.”

Slithen looked at the animals who were running around. It’s good that they were not destroying the farm. “Thank you for telling me, sir. I am really thankful. Ireally want to know more about the countryside.”

The farmer laughed, “No need to thank you.”

Slithen smiled.

“Everyone! It is time for lunch!” Slithen could hear Tom’s mother shouting which caught everyone’s attention. All of the farmers dropped all of their doing and started walking up.

“Come let us now eat.”

Slithen nodded. As they arrived, all of the farmers went to wash their hands on a well. Slithen looked at the set up of their lunch. All of the food were all placed on the banana leaves. They have rice on the center and foods on the every side of the rice. She never saw a set up on people eating like this.

Before they started to eat, they all prayed.

“Dig in!” Tom’s mother said and everyone immediately eat from the table. Liriel and Tom was beside her. Even Liriel did not know how to eat. Tom called both of them and demonstrated how. A rice was in front of him. He directly get his rice there from the center and placed it on the side. He also reached for the food and eat it by hands. They were all eating by their hands. They did not need to use a plate. “This is what they called budol fight. This is a very convenient way to prepare and eat food if you’re feeding a lot of people and you do not have enough plates and cutleries,” Tom explained.

Slithen and Liriel did not have a choice but to follow how it was done. As they got used to eat, they could not deny that it was indeed fun since everyone was laughing like they were the happiest men in the world and problems did not exist.