Gypsy man

Pitanky

pitanky- ceremony where the groom pays for the bride

When everyone was done with dinner and the sun started to set it was time to begin the ceremony.

Me and the other women started to prepare the food. I started chopping onions for the meat stew, some started to bake the bread.Some began pouring wine into glasses.

The musicians came earlier than others and gathered around the fire pit, while we clothed wooden tables with ceremonial white tablecloth. When we fed them they started to prepeare their instruments. There was a singer with a nice sultry voice, violenist who played so beautifully that made everyone who listened carefully shead tears. And there was also my childhood friend Miko. Miko and I used to be good friends, we would search for frogs by the lake or play hide and seek in the forest. He comes from a long line of talented musicians and mastered his guittare playing skills by the time he was ten years old. He can play rhytmicall dance music or soft lullaby like songs. He had the brightest green eyes and a wide smile. He was such a dear friend of mine now that I think about it. It was shame we had to stop hanging out because of nasty rumors that would damage my pure reputation. But whenever we see each other we find a way to discreetly chat and remisce our childhood. This time we just exchanged a quick smile and a wave.

When everything was ready and the whole tribe was there, the paying for the bride began. The father of the groom and the father of the bride were sitting opposite each other. The groom stood behind his father.

They were drinking wine and vodka, playing cards until it was time for the offer. The offer usually consisted of valuable items such as animals or money. Sometimes even golden trinkets.Vajda was sitting further away carefully watching.

"I will offer you one hen and one chicken. Also ten silver coins."

It was a generous offer for Marika's hand. The amount a grooms family is willing to offer depends on the value of the bride. The value of the bride depends on the brides skills, beauty and health. Also on the status of her family.

My father refused the first offer just as the tradition goes.

After a debate with his son the grooms father says:

"Alright to my offer I'm adding one more chicken and 2 silver coins."

My father accepts. Then Marika with a veil covering her face and the groom kneal before Vajda to ask for his blessing. After this process the celebration starts.

The music starts playing cheerfully and young girls continue serving food and pouring wine. Everybody conversates and laughs.The atmosphere is relaxed.

I get bored of serving very quickly, and find a way to sneak a cup of wine while grabbing my couisins arm and running towards tbe woods.

We hid just far enough so that noone would see us but just close enough so we could hear hear the music just a little. Also it was very dark by now and the light coming from the fire pit would barely make anything visible.

"Asheila are you trying to get us into a troble? You know our moms will beat our asses if they find us here."

Lena says gasping for air after the run.

I smile deviosly, take a big gulp of the wine and reply :

"Don't be such a coward we will be back shortly. Here have a drink"

I don't rebel often but god knows when is going to be the next time I would get a chance to slack off a bit and have a drink. The wine dazed me a bit and for a second I felt light and paceful. Lena drank too, for someone who destroyed her entire social status for some stolen kisses, she acts very cautious. She had a relation with one chavo before she was married. Poor thing wasn't careful and a little scandal turned into a lifetime of struggle.With a reputation like this she would be lucky if some married man made her his misstress and lived a secret life with her away from the tribe. Now she has to face judgment and embarasment everyday. Her whole family is in resentment and her parents will kick her out of their home any day now probably. Denying existence of their daugher.

Suddenly we heard voices coming towards us and panicked.

I quickly pushed Lena into a bush nearby.

"Ow, what the f**k!"

I cannot help a giggle even though my heart is pounding in fear. Women swearing is much funnier and I never get used to it. I kneal next to Lena in the bush, and look out for the group of men approaching us closer and closer. Heavy fear spreads through my whole body and I pray they didn't see us hiding. I stick my hand on Lenas mouth to keep her quiet.

The sound of Lenas fearfull squeal of gives us away. Next thing I know someone's rough hand is pulling me out of the bush. Lena manages to escape and runs away. "Lena come back for me!"

The figure pushes me against a tree and painfully holds my hands above my head. The group of guys surround me, there's three guys, I don't recognize any of them in the dark. Then I see the face of my captivator. It's Miko!

I'm instantly relieved.

"Miko it's me Asheila!"

A while passes and he just looks at me. I feel something sinister in the air.

"Well what do we have here, my little froggy Asheila! What are you doing here you little rebel."

I feel his hot breath on my face the smell of alcohol heavy in the air. His eyes glimmer, he's really drunk. Fear starts to build in my stormach again. Suddenly his bright smile that always made my heart melt seemed evil...

His hand still firmly holding me in place and his body pressing against mine to make sure I don't escape. All of his drunk, sleezy friends watching me, laughing. Panic restrains my breathing and cold sweat forms in my forehead.

"It's the blacksmiths daugher" one of them murmured.

"Let me go right now!" I manage to babble out. I feel a heavy cage squeezing my lungs and my body starts to tremble.

With a mischevious smile looking at me and then back at his friends he replies:

"This is how you greet your childhood friend? You know you bloomed into quite a woman since we last played hide and seek here."

He aggresively untied my blouse revealing my bare breasts.

They all looked at me the way hungry pack of wolfs look at a helpless rabbit .

My fear reached it's peak at this point, and I felt my heart beating in my throat.

I know what happens to silly girls that get trapped alone with drunk men.

They will r**e me and claim I gave them permission. No one ever believes the desperate cries of the victims, never. I will end up as Lena or worse.

"Please don't do this Miko"

I say stuttering and trembling. Tears in my eyes start to burn.

His cold hand grabbed my breast and the other one was still painfully crushing my wrists.

He squeezed me tight and then started to focus on my lips.

He ran his finger across my mouth gently and licked his lips.

Then he harsly held my jaw and whispered to my ear.

"They don't get to have you, only I do."

"Leave you idiots, I want this one to myself! " he shouts out loud.

They all listened annoyed and mockingly made stupid comments. They left.

When we were alone and the dark forest was scarier than ever, he started to brush my hair away from my face with his fingers.

My desperation got me sobbing.

"I always wanted to do this, you bring out the devil in me Asheila.

Give me a nice kiss now."

How could he do this to me, I thought he was my friend. I'm so disgusted with his terror and my fear is suddenly replaced by anger. Raging anger.

When he sqeezes my cheeks together and leans into a kiss I gather all my courage and spit in his face.

"Here's your kiss"

In shock he stops for a minute and gets really pissed at this sign of biggest disrespect you could show a man.

"Lubni! You'll soon lose this temper"

I feel his wet mouth knawl on my neck and breast. His slimy tongue on my skin, while his hand agressively trying to reach under my skirt. In a desperate attempt to escape his hold I try to wiggle my wrists from his grasp. His hand finds a way under my long skirt and he holds it above my waist. With other hand he turns me around and holds my hand behind my back and the pain forces me to squeal and tears turn my vision into a blur. My energy is almost drained. All the effort to escape tires me and the realisation that I'm going to lose comes over my head.

He wraps my hair around his hand and pulls me hard towards him. The pain is unbearable.

He holds me by hips steady, and I feel his fingers and nails digging into my hips.

I'm crying and screaming for help but noone hears me.

"Shut up Asheila!" he demands.