Luzia is Willian
Bradford’s daughter in this universe. And Youã is Squanto’s. Lucas is the
governor’s
The Summer didn’t save
just the Harvest, but the Love between Luzia and Lucas.
CHAPTER 1
I make waves with a
branch on the river. I take a little breath and rest my chin on my knees while
I look to the little waves. That’s all I have to do. And here, this calm place
far from the village is better than that bed. My real medicine. My mom may be
mad right now, because she ordered to me to rest because of my desease. It
happened with a lot of people since we’re here. But I couldn’t stand anymore and
I am much better here, breathing in the pure air. I do it right now, closing my
eyes.
There’s a sound.
I open my eyes and look
around, seeing a turkey, looking mechanically at me. I do the same, like a bird
looking something and converge my eyes like to see my nose and I look weirder.
And it goes away, like a penguin. I giggle and turn to face the river again,
looking the pines from the other side.
The best of everything
is that the summer came. I would never guess I would feel well just because of
it. Well, when I arrived here, it was a sad place, because of the winter. Now,
everything is like I have always seen in life, light, sun, green leafs and
summer wind. I breath in the air again with a big smile on my face. I see my
reflection on the water. Now I look radiant. My blonde hair falling with flat
waves over my shoulder until the base of my breasts, with a single and lonely
brand keeping up with it from my temple. I stand up and whirl with my yellow
bright dress, laughtering from nowhere. Maybe that’s what happens when someone
is alone. Get crazy from nowhere.
That’s what life should
always look like.
I hear a crack sound
and stay with my eyes wide open, looking around. It does not sound like a
turkey’s footsteps sound.
"That’s just me, sunny." he says, those yellow
eyes and caramel hair.
I
looked around and he surprised kissing me. I moved my face away and look frightened.
"What,
you thought I was an Indian?"
After
relieving, I curve my lips in the confident way, surrounding his salmon neck
with my arms.
"I
am friend with Indians, and very good with the arrows." and do the same
expression I did with the turkey.
"Wow,
I’d better take care them. What is this?"
"Don’t
worry, I protect you." I say, ignoring the comment about my expression, leaning
with my hands now on his thighs and giving a quick peck on his lightly parted
lips. I look at the river and drawn my fingertips on the water, distorting the
image, stand up e and run to nowhere through the pines.
He
furrows his brow.
"Hey!"
he creams and stands with a amazed smile and starts running after me.
I start
giggling when looking behind and he is tripping all over the away. It’s funny
that I know the place better than him since man should be better than woman.
Maybe
that’s why I’ve fallen in love with Lucas, he is always saying I am a woman
capable of many things, and can be as much better than him.
He trusts
me, know I am a smart girl, capable of protect myself and even him. I remember
one day when he was about to be attacked by wild duck and I saved him. He says
I am his hero. That was a good feeling.
And I
tripped terribly, and he tripped too, both of us falling on the ground and
rolling on a steep clearing, laughtering.
"Luzia!"
an angry voice says.
We stop
immediately.
"What
you think you’re doing? You’re sick."
Like a
child caught in something terrible, I bend down my face and starts playing with
my brand.
"I
am better mom, and …"
"You
have to go home, now." she interrupts me.
I look
up and she looks for a second from me to Lucas.
"But…"
"Now,
Luzia." She says with her ultimate look and I giggle remembering when I
told to Lucas about her ultimate look. And I realize he is containing a laugh,
pretending he is taking some dust from his mouth. Then he starts cleaning his
green hat.
I sigh
and stand up, hold a hand to Lucas, who accepts. I give him a shy smile e go with my mom, who was about to roll her eyes, but
contains herself to show she is a mom with everything on its place.
I pass
straight by my mom and she follows me, because I am sure she didn’t come by the
woods.
"It’s
not right to be seen with this…"
Luzia
prouts silently.
"You
know who I love." I say after a while.
"And
you know who can give you a future."
"And
I know who can give love I need."
She
stops in front of me.
"And
I know to orders here." She says, not with the ultimate look, but
something more definite, more serious. That gives me some horrible feeling and
looks to her belly. When she knows I have nothing more to say, she turns and
keeps going even if she doesn’t know the path.
I can
see the walls we are constructing. We round it and there is the village. No
long the winter end, there were few houses, it started with just one with a lot
of people, I feel that that was the reason the desease spreaded. Neverthereless,
We have our own home now, and other with a few people that remains.
We’re
heading to our house, white, with a huge straw roof and our own chimney behind.
At
night, my father arrives, kiss my temple, the cheeks of my mom and goes to
write on his desk. I don’t know what he writes so much. But what really matters
is that he likes Lucas.
CHAPTER
2
On the following day, I was helping my mom with the
bowls after breakfast when my future husband arrived. Unfortunately, it wasn’t
Lucas.
Mr. Johnson with his torso armor, and helmet with tree
tips that reminds a ships, entered the house, and my mom suddenly burst with a
welcoming smile.
"Good
morning, Mr. Johnson, would you like some porridge? Luzia who did it."
With all my attention to the bowls I am putting to
dry, I arch my eyebrows. You liar, mom.
I don’t give him attention. I get the basket and says
my mom I going to the woods, giving no time for her to answer, and letting Mr.
Johnson with a open mouth, about to say something. I slam the door.
I was the first to be friends with the Indians, and a
friend, called Youã taught to some archery. That's not his real name, it is
just a name I randomly gave him. And sometimes we fish. The Pilgrims almost
have a fight with them. But everything turned out to be alright. They taught us
to face that horrible winter. I like them, they don’t need to be rich, just
need the nature. I would like my mom to think like them, this way she would
stop hindering my relationship with Lucas.
More than the half of the hundred who came to Plymouth
died. And it would be worse if it wasn’t for the Indians. I was about to die
to. But I got well in time. My Indian friend came and cured me, along with
Lucas.
We set to meet here, me, Youã and Lucas. Youã was
there when I arrived, pointing a arrow to some target. He releaseed.
"Good
morning, Youã." I say.
He turns his face to me and give me a madure smile.
It’s interesting how they sound more madure them us. I love it, because,
sometimes, they can be fun too.
I brought a wooden bowl full of porridge and taught
him to use the wooden spoon.
I and Lucas taught him our language so well that he
master it beautifully with his Indian accent. Sometimes, our people from
village get impressed.
Despite having some kind of agreement with Indians,
our people and their kind of limit each other just for survival.
"Hey,
sunny." The most amazing voice says. Seriously, Lucas has this young man
gentle madure voice, and me, this sweet I hate so much girly voice. I would
love to have a strong, rough voice. Like a madure and sexy woman or a taugh
man. I prefer the latter.
"Good
morning, My babe" I say, with a manly rough voice.
He is with
eyes wide open.
"What
the…"
I laugh and run towards him, pulling his cuffs and
circling, making him dizzy.
"Wow,
wow."
Youã just
looks with a gentle smile.
I hear a
sound. We all look at the same direction. Lucas shakes his head e blink his
eyes. I blink my eyes and realizes how dizzy I am.
There are
soldiers coming. Torso silver armors, those strange helmets and swords. Mr. Johnson
and two other soldiers.
We stare at
each other silently. A strange silence. Mr. Johnson was laughing with his
soldiers, but now his eyes are kind of squinted and I see his grip of the sword.
CHAPTER 3
The soldiers and pilgrims already talked to Squanto
and the tribe, but they still face each other like wild animals. It wasn’t the
first time I see Mr. Johnson with this expression, like containing some tragedy.
He looks great to my mom, but I feel he may show other thing I don’t like.
That’s my fear, the unknown, on the contrary of Lucas who I known deeply and
are sure about him.
Those armors,
just to show the Indians they are not weak. Ridiculous.
But my indian
friend is better than this, they like to talk before fight. Stupid Mr. Johnson
has a sword on this hand.
Mr. Johnson
gulps, let go of the sword and smile, like he was always gentle.
"Me,
Johnson, soldier." he says, gesturing to himself and marching at the same
place in a funny way.
"Why
are you talking like a toddler?" Youã asks
I and Lucas
laugh low.
Johnson
looks surprised e then squints his eyes.
"Would
you like to join us?" Youã asks, lifting the bowl In Mr. Johnson’s
direction.
"No, we
have to hunt and patrol."
"No
problem, I protect you." Youã says, confidently and determined.
I and Lucas
contain a laugh gain. No long ago, Youã said “Youã protects you” what sounded
cute. But now, he said like a gentleman to a madam.
- If you
excuse us. – Mr. Johnson says.
Youã smiles
warmly and steps aside, and Lucas and I doing the same. Youã gesturing for John
to follow. Johnson does it. When the soldiers are gone and nowhere to be seen,
the three of us burst out laughing. Then, we get back to the reunion.
Lucas gives
a cap to Youã. He loves it, and star running around the clearing with the cap trembling,
like a child.
My friend
Indian give us presents too. Feather to put behind our head, and a teeth animal
necklace. Now I look like them and its lovely. Maybe they wouldn’t like if I
used this Word. But I find lovely. I whirl my yellow bright dress while Youã
teachers Lucas how to arch.
"Hey, I
want, too" I say and run towards them.
CHAPTER
4
As the
days goes by, Indians teach more to people, more houses are getting finished,
walls getting longer. The relationship gets better. Youã can go to the village
without worrying about the pilgrims. And they even made a fire, where I, Lucas
and Youã told good stories. Mr. Johnson staring with flames reflecting in his
eyes. Youã smiling warmly to him, sometimes.
We were
having good moments, Lucas was the worst person to plant when working, on the
contrary of the others who were already taught by the Indians. Youã, of course,
helped him.
But….
There
are always buts when things are good.
Lucas’s
father, the governor, got very sick.
It
happened in a room where the light comes from a lonely candle. There was an old
carpet beside the bed. Shelves on the wall with vases on.
Lucas’s
father coughes.
"The
Indians will help you. Our kids are the future. You, William, can take my place,
then, Lucas and Luzia." he Coughes again. "They love each other.
John, poor John, she doesn’t love him."
William
smiles sadly.
"I
can die in peace if you promise me they will be happy. And promise me you will
take my place."
A tear
runs down William’s cheek.
"I
promise" my father says.
With a
little effort, Lucas’s father smile. He closes his eyes, and his head slowly
turns to one side.
On that
day, Youã, Lucas and I were watching he dies. Lucas contains his tears. His
eyes were filled with tears.
"Now,
you will vote about William taking place of the governor. All of you in favor?
Any objection?"
Silence.
"Ok,
It’s announced them. William’s the new governor".
"Maybe
it would be better if it was the captain" Mr. Johnson comments.
"It
was his last wish before he dies."
"But
it would be good for our village." Mr. Johnson tries again.
The is
a brief chattering. But everyone looks to agree about William like governor. Mr.
Johnson sighs and gets out.
We were
all in a bigger house, with straw roof, wooden not White, but Brown. My father
was on the pulpit.
“I am
deeply honored, and with your consent, I’d like to make a proposal like a
governor. Every autumn, in every harvest, we will choose a day to make a
banquet. Not a banquet for sillies and greedies, but one to thanksgiving day."
It is
so exciting. Lucas smiles and I return, resting then my head on his shoulder.
Youã does the same on mine, almost making me laugh. My father looks for a
second to me and I concentrate. But he smiles.
“To
thanks God, certainly without him, we wouldn’t be here."
After
his speech, when all of our people started talking, my father came to me and
said he agrees about my relationship with Lucas.
"What
about mom?" I ask.
"You’re
already eighteen. I am sure that our dear Lucas will take care very well of
you." Dad hugs me, and pulls Lucas who tripped. Youã smiles warmly to us.
"That
was another promise." I say, with a muffed voice against his shoulder.
"On
of the most important. You happiness." he comments.
Trees
leafs are red, orange and yellow now. Spring is so beautiful. The harvest is
going well and everything seems to be ok. And after the harvest work out, we
celebrated, like my father said.
We warmed
the caldron, hot breads. It smells delicious. Lucas is outside turning the
turkey on the fire. Youã throughing some branches from time to time. They are
talking in the distance. I go back to the kitchen and take the sheet form the
top of the breads. I smile radiantly for my work and go back to the door,
seeing Indians, soldiers and pilgrims working together.
CHAPTER 5
My mom
can’t oblige me to marry Mr. Johnson. And I’ve been ignoring her all this time.
After our village thrived, Lucas started building a house. And he is at this
moment coming to my house to show me out our own house. And in this exact day I
decided to answer her.
"He
is the right man for you"
"Why,
just because he was a soldier? Mom, it doesn’t matter here anymore."
"No,
you’re not understanding. He has manners, has post. I know he may be like
everyone here, but soon the village will be more organized and we are going to
divide…"
"What?"
I can’t believe she is saying something like that. "Are you series? After
all we’ve been thought, you want us to be down again? Forget London, forget
everything in that other world or go back, because I can’t stand anymore your craziness."
I moved
away from her to not say any more things, or it can be worse. It was strange,
because she got sad and went to her room.
Lucas
got there.
"Hey,
why…"
"It
doesn’t matter. Let’s go." I say, passing by him.
"Hey.
Where are you going?" he says. But what is he talking about?
"Who
said it's built it in the village?" he asks.
I blink,
totally disconcerted. He just smiles at me and like a person in shock, I let
him pull me like a zombie.
Just
after Luzia’s gone, her hus… Mr. Johnson arrives.
"Where
is she?" he asks, with a light smile on his face and at the same time,
strange, like he is about to do something decisive.
"She…
She…"
"What?"
"Oh,
Mr. Johnson, maybe you have to forget her." I say sadly.
"What
are you talking about?"
"She
went with Lucas to see their new house."
His
eyes widened fast, like a wild animal, what make me part my lips, scared. He
grasped his sword. Oh, no.
"What
are you gonna do?"
"I’m
gonna get my wife."
Lucas took
care of her when she was sick, he's been protecting her. He is the right man,
not Mr. Johnson. I close my eyes. All because of a craziness life I couldn’t get
over. I opens my eyes again. And runs outside the house.
We are
happy. We’re gonna see the house he is constructing, but a horse is in front of
him out of nowhere.
It’s
Mr. Johnson. I sigh irritated.
"What
do you want?" I ask.
"I
want what is mine. You" he points at me. "will get on his horse and
go with me to village and never get out of the house."
I
laughed.
"Oh,
my god. You think I am what, your puppy?"
"You
look like one all the time and even ask?"
Ok, he
ended up learning Youã ironies, that’ no good.
"Go
to he…."
"Johnson,"
Lucas started, cutting me "Give up man. We love each other, it would be
just a frustra…"
Johnson
would never listen to his rival. Of course not. While Lucas was trying to be a
hero with no powers, Johnson pulls his word and get off the horse. Ok, Now he
got me to be afraid. I grasped Lucas arm. Lucas put himself in front of me. I
hear a zum and two sceams. The cream of Mr. Johnson. All at the same time and I
almost got a dizziness.
But all
was explained respectively. The zum was the arrow Youã released in Mr. Johnson
arm. I turn my face and mixtured with my just desperate, I smile.
The
other scream was mom, who was beside Youã, on her knees and crying with her
hands on her mouth.
Other
Indian and soldiers arrived, taking Mr. Johnson away from us. I stare at him.
"You
will never have me." it was the last thing I said to him.
"Lu…
Luzia." I look to Lucas and… Oh, no, part of the sword was slipped inside
him.
We are sitting
on cutted trunks.
Red
flags with golden cross in the center. And Indians accessories around. We are
having another banquet. But just me and my friends. We are commemorating
everything, Lucas convalescence, the thrive of the village, our new house and
our happy future.
My mom
was right in something, one day we would organize more. I jail was constructed
and there is where Mr. Johnson will spend his life.
But I
don’t want to worry about him. I take a corn on the cob and bite it. With my
necklace of teeth and my leather behind my head, I start running around the
clearing. Youã and Lucas look at each other, and start doing the same.
I stop
suddenly. Lucas and Youã bumped my back.
"Ouch."
I exclaimed. "Watch out!"
"Why
did you stop so suddenly?" Lucas asks.
"Are
you feeling bad, friend?" I ask.
I sit
on the trunk again, with a thoughtful expression.
"What
are you grateful for?"
"Well,
I am grateful for the new things I’ve learned with you." Youã says.
"I
am grateful for having the most beautiful woman in this village."
I arch
an eyebrow.
"In
this universe, you mean."
He hold
up his hand.
"You
who orders. What about you, sunny?"
I smile.
"I
am grateful for having the best friends in the world. I am grateful for the
peace, for our thrive, for the convalescence, for the love and for the justice."
They
just stood there, staring. I stand and starts running again. They do the same
and Lucas screams.
"I
am grateful for my girlfriend not be crazier than she is."
I
laughter and keep running, jumping and spinning with my arms wide open. All this
around the friendship and love banquet.