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Imi stood on the deck of Nehesy’s barge with her hands resting on the railing, studying the space where the cloudless sky met the dark blue ocean. To her left, the coast of Hindush was a thin line of green. The green belt stretched all the way to Eelam, but the port they were aiming for reached south into the water, and Nehesy told her it would appear before them, not beside them.
Behind Imi, the rowers slapped their oars against the water, propelling the barge across the expanse of water between Hindush and Eelam. Closer and closer to Imi’s dream of seeing the cinnamon gardens of Eelam. They’d arrive soon, Nehesy had told her. Maybe even today.
“You look very serious. What are you thinking about?” Nehesy’s warm voice came from behind. Then his arms slide around her waist, and his warm chest was pressed against her back.
Imi melted against the comfort of his body, smiling to herself. The novelty of being able to touch him, and be touched by him, had yet to wear off. And she hoped it never would. It wasn’t just the gardens and land she wanted to see. It had been days since she and Nehesy had been able to spend time alone, without the crew members sleeping nearby. She missed having a real mattress, and the intimacy of Nehesy’s body moving against hers.
“Eelam. I don’t want to miss the moment it appears. You can’t imagine how much I’ve been dying to see it.” She smoothed her hands over his wrists and rubbed her cheek against his bicep but refused to look away from the water.
His chest rumbled with a chuckle. “I’m fairly certain I can. You’ve told me often enough. The past few weeks have driven you mad with waiting, and me along with you.”
“I can’t help it!” She twisted to look up at him. “It took forever to leave Thinis. First there was the trial with Ludim-”
“Which was worth the wait, considering the result,” he interrupted with a hard smile.
“I do feel a little ruthless over how it ended. It’s not pleasant to know I can take satisfaction in someone else’s suffering.”
Nehesy clicked his tongue. “Nonsense. Ludim deserves every minute of his sentence. You’re not a bad person for feeling that justice was served.”
The elders had found Ludim guilty of assaulting Imi, as well as attempting to sabotage her land and force her hand in marriage. He was sent to a stone quarry, where he would spend the next three years wielding a handpick as a rock breaker under the hot sun.
As for his accomplice, the master gardener’s son, the elders reasoned he’d not really done anything except not do anything, while conspiring with Ludim. Therefore, he was sentenced to just six months of labour. Remarkably, the master gardener himself had recovered enough from his illness to disown his son and promise Imi that he would never be allowed to return to their home – and her fields. Which led to the next thing that had delayed them...
“Then we had to wait for Mahu and Hattie to finalize their marriage contract,” she said, with a glance to the horizon. Still no land ahead. She turned back to Nehesy. “And that was lovely and I’m so happy for them because they both deserve happiness. And I’m thrilled they’ve agreed to take over managing the lettuce fields with Hattie’s father. It’s all worked out so much better than I ever imagined. But it took sooo loong for Mahu’s father to give them his blessing and agree to give Mahu his inheritance. No, it’s alright,” she held up a hand when Nehesy opened his mouth to speak, “I know you’re going to say it was only one moon cycle, but it felt like forever. And I didn’t really mind the wait, I know you wanted to be there to celebrate his marriage and I wanted to as well.”
It had been a lovely celebration. Almost as nice as Imi and Nehesy’s, which had involved all of Nehesy’s family and friends, and many of Imi’s friends as well. Betrest had cried tears of joy, and Imi had overheard her whispering to Amun, “I told you so! I knew they were in love all along.” To Imi, she’d said, “I do wish you both weren’t going away so soon, but I can be satisfied knowing you’ll be coming back to stay.”
While Imi and Nehesy’s celebration had taken place on the rooftop of Nehesy’s family home, Hattie and Mahu had celebrated in the lettuce fields where they’d met just two moon cycles ago.
Imi had felt full to bursting with happiness for weeks.
But also impatient. Very, very impatient.
“And then we visited Hamset,” she continued, placing her hands on Nehesy’s shoulders as she balanced on her tip toes. “And that was lovely and all, and I’m so thrilled we sold out of all my perfume there, but I was so ready to set out by then. And all the other places we’ve seen have been very interesting, of course, especially when I was almost run over by a rhinoceros in Punt. But you handled that masterfully.” She patted his chest.
“Thank you,” he said, with mock seriousness.
Distracted by his chest, and the smooth ridges of muscles, she only half-noted that he was teasing her. She couldn’t decide if she was more impatient to see actual cinnamon plants, or to get her husband alone somewhere so she could make love to him again. Her husband. No. The novelty of that had definitely not worn off.
Imi, look.” He turned her in his arms so she faced the water again and pointed to the horizon.
“Oh!” She’d missed the first moment land appeared. But she was too excited to be disappointed.
The barge pulled forward. In the distance, expanse of sandy shoreline stretched out on either side. Tall palm trees stretched into the sky. Imi drew in a deep breath of sea air, drawing in a bright joy that suffused her entire being.
Nehesy’s arms tightened around her, and he pressed a kiss to her neck.
“I love you, Imi,” he murmured, his breath sighing over her skin. “Are you happy?”
Imi turned to him and grinned. She threw her arms around his neck and pulled him down for a long, lingering kiss that only stopped when the sailors behind them cheered and whistled. Her cheeks warmed as Nehesy lifted his head to look down at her, a twinkle in his eyes. Still, Imi smiled.
“I couldn’t be happier,” she whispered. “And I love you, too.”
Nehesy gave her one last swift kiss. Then they turned to the shoreline and watched as cinnamon gardens drew nearer.
THE END
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