Page 19 of 1000 of You
A low roarcame from above.Muamglanced up at where the cloudswere pierced by the tops of the hills. A handful of raindrops splattered hisface, and he quickly sought shelter underneath a tent where a man was sellinghis cheeses. As throngs of people passed by, he tried to figure out who wouldbe the one to challenge him andGova. Who would bethe person who would force his hand to kill her before killing himself?Unconsciously, he touched the small knife at his hip again. And what would bethe instrument of their death?
“There aretimes when I pray I will never see you again. Because I know that, when I do, Imust die. And you will die, so that this cycle of life and death can continue.”
The voicefilled with agony was unmistakable. He turned around to see her standing ashort distance away, underneath the tent of the neighboring vendor. Tearsrolled down her cheeks as she took two steps toward him. “But then I realize Icannot wait until I find you. I cannot wait to see you again. Because Imustfind you. I need to hear you tellme that all of this, all that we are being forced to go though, is worth it.That our lovewillendure, and wewillfind our happiness.”
He tried toanswer her, but the words got caught in his throat. Instead, he held out hisarms to welcome her.Govadidn’t hesitate to embracehim.
The kisswas warm and wet. He added another to the corner of her mouth before pressinghis cheek to hers. He no longer cared to watch out for potential danger. Heneeded to bathe in this moment, in this too fleeting chance to hold her andtell her how much he loved her.
“One lifeat a time, myGova. One life at a time.”
The cloudsrumbled again, but this timeMuamfelt the earthshift beneath his feet. So didGova.
“Muam, did the ground…”
Herquestion was cut off by a shrill scream from nearby. It was echoed by more screams,and suddenly panic exploded amid the crowd. People began running in alldirections, shoving aside others or knocking them down as they tried to flee.
Govatensed in his arms. “Muam,what…”
“Run! Run for your lives!” one manshouted.
The earthmoved again, andMuamcaught sight of movementoverhead. Ducking out from underneath the tent, he stared up at the hillside…orwhat was left of the hillside, as the avalanche of mud and debris raced downtoward the town. He stared as the ground gave way beneath the homes that were builtabove the village. Watched as they collapsed and began a slow slide toward thetown. Trees were uprooted and engulfed in a roiling tumble of rocks and sludgethat appeared to gain momentum as it neared. The roaring grew louder.
Pulling hertightly against him, he buried his face in the curve of her neck. “The gods areanswering my prayer,” he told her. “I begged for them to show some mercy, andnot force me to kill you as I have had to do in the past.”
Her nailsdug into his back as she braced herself. “I prayed for the same thing, my love.My love. MyMuam. Until we meet again.”
She turnedher head for one last kiss, when the massive wall of mud inundated them, engulfingthem and carrying them a thousand meters further down the mountain before buryingthem beneath tons of earth and rubble.
And therain poured down.
Chapter 12
Western Asia, 1068
Govaawoke with a gasp. Although she wasn’t in bed, “awoke”was the only word she felt adequately describe her coming around. She hadn’tbeen asleep. Not in the literal sense, but in the figurative.
She lookedaround at her surroundings. She was in a market. Another one, although it hadbeen a few lives since she had awakened in one. Funny how markets all appearedsimilar. People standing around carts or improvised tables, selling or hagglingover prices. It was one of the few things that gave her a sense of security. Ofcomfort. Seeing such a mundane, everyday occurrence allowed her to centerherself, and enabled her to come to grips with this new reality.
What lifewas she in? One hundred sixty-four? One hundred sixty-eight? It was difficultto keep track of how many times she andMuamhadlived, died, and been resurrected. But one thing was consistent. Soon afterthey found each other, they died. Either by each other’s hand, or from somenatural disaster. It was as if the Ancient Mother was playing some kind ofcruel game with them. Taunting them with imaginary happiness. Not allowing themanything longer than a stolen kiss or two, and a moment to tell each other itwould all soon end once they reached that one thousandth life.
Wrappingher arms around her waist, she bent over and sobbed. With every life, it wasbecoming harder and harder to keep their faith alive. To keep that flame oflove from being extinguished. But she had to. He had to. They had no otherchoice. They couldn’t…
Her breathhitched in her chest. So many times, she’d prayed for this curse to end. Thatthe death she andMuamwere forced to suffer would bethe last one.
“I do notknow if I can keep going. I do not know if I can withstand a thousand lives. Athousandlives. How do we know this isnot some cruel joke? How can we be certain that, when we reach that thousandthlife, we will find our happiness? To you and me,Muam,happiness will be living our lives to the fullest. Together. But what if…whatif the Ancient Mother decides to end us for good? Forever?”
She usedthe hem of her skirt to wipe her eyes and nose. If there was anything to begrateful for, it was that she and he did not change in appearance. They wereable to spot each other, even in the densest crowds.
“All wewant is more than a moment in each other’s arms, Ancient Mother. Please. I begof you. A day. Two days. Give us more than a handful of heartbeats before weare taken away from each other again.”
“Minna?”
At first,Govabelieved that the sound of the old woman’s voice wasthe Ancient Mother responding to her, until she realized the name spoken washer present name, not her real one. Lifting her tear-stained face, she lookedover at where the elderly woman was scrutinizing her, honest concern on herwrinkled face.
“What iswrong, little one? Are you not feeling well?”
Govawiped her eyes with the back of her hand. “I am fine.I will be fine.”
