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Important Note: If you notice that this novel is strikingly similar to one written by NiftyNovelist...that because it is. I shut down my NiftyNovelist account because I figured if I have active novels on both accounts, then it seems most logical to have all my active novels on just one account. So...there you go.
Enjoy! And please review when you're finished reading. I like knowing what my readers think.
The late evening sun hung low in the sky, sending its weak light across the rolling sand dunes of Ancient Egypt. Its rays stretched and reached to the waters of the Nile. Vibrant pinks and purples reflected off the nearly calm surface of the water, rippling up and down the coast. Dragonflies dipped and darted among the reeds and cattails growing along the banks, their transparent wings glittering in the sun.
Five hundred miles south of the Nile’s delta, and along the banks of the Nile, past the Valley of the Kings, Thebes buzzed with the last minute flurry of the end of the day chores. Farmers guided their animals in from the fields. Servants and slaves scurried to finish their tasks before the light disappeared. Boats made of reeds tightly packed and bound together gradually made their way to the shores one by one. Men manning the boats unloaded that day’s catch in large reed baskets.
Further inland from the Nile, the busy center of Thebes flourished with activity. A mixture of animal and food smells drifted through the street, tantalizing some noses and disgusting others. Stray chickens and goats frequented the market street, causing people to deftly step around them as they maneuvered themselves through the street. In the midst of the market street, merchants began closing up shop while last minute shoppers, some carrying reed baskets over their arm, frantically tried to get one last trade in before the sun set for the day.
Towards the southern end of the street, a middle-aged woman, wearing a tight, ankle-length linen dress held up with two wide straps over her shoulders, tidied up her clothing shop while her young assistant took care of the few remaining customers. In the middle of the line weaving itself through the small store, a young servant girl stood in line, bouncing up and down on the balls of her feet. Her lightly colored hands twisted the sides of her linen dress as her teeth chewed her lip. Every few minutes, she would flick a glance behind her and out the shop door, checking the remaining sunlight the day still held.
Slowly, the line progressed forward and the assistant nodded her head at the servant girl.
“You’re here for Lady Zalika’s new dress, correct?” she asked, checking a piece of scrolled papyrus on the table before her.
“Yes ma’am,” the girl answered, bowing her head slightly.
The assistant quickly stepped into the backroom where she could be heard rummaging around. Minutes later, she returned with a starched white cloth folded in her arms. An ornate pattern of tiny blue and gold beads hand-stitched to the fabric in select areas of the garment sparkled in the remaining sunlight. Grabbing a large sheet of papyrus, the assistant laid it on the table, positioning the folded cloth in the middle. Wrapping the dress up and tying it off with a string, the assistant handed the package to the girl who nodded and informed her that Lady Zalika’s payment would arrive the next day before taking off.
The girl dodged around the remaining customers and dashed out of the shop with the package tucked under her arm. Waning light from the sun weakly lit the market street, and the girl sprinted between the people around her. Her bare feet struck the ground rhythmically, bringing up small clouds of sandy dust behind her. Thick strands of wavy black hair flew in her wake as thinner strands glued themselves to her sweaty forehead. Heat from the day’s sun lingered among the shops and small homes as the girl ran.
The sun began to dip below the horizon when she parted with the people in the market street and ran through the fields. Rows upon rows of wheat passed as she ran. Slaves working in the fields sung high-spirited songs of hope and eternal happiness as she passed, and she suppressed her urge to pause and join in. Soon, the wheat fields gave way to a lush garden and the girl slowed her pace.
A row of palm trees bordered the garden with small green bushes spaced evenly between them. Large slabs of stone wove a path through the patches of flowers. Beyond the garden, a large sandstone colored house sat with a sloping roof covered in shiny black shingles. Small beads of sweat trickled down her forehead as she walked through the garden and approached the house adjacent to the garden. Wiping the sweat from her face with her arm and consciously slowing her breathing, the girl entered a plain wooden door on the side of the house.
She stepped into a large kitchen tiled in slabs of limestone. A heavyset middle-aged woman standing at the hearth looked up as the door opened and shut quickly. The linen dress clung to her curves as she walked over to a potted jug and filled a cup with water.
“Nabirye, the sun has nearly set. What in the name of Amon-Re took you so long?” she asked, a hint of scolding in her voice.
Nabirye collapsed heavily in one of the chairs set around the table set in the corner and dumped the package on the chair next to her.
“The clothing shop was very busy today, Tahirah,” she said, accepting the cup of water Tahirah offered.
“Well drink that up quick, child. Lady Zalika is waiting for that package.” Tahirah nodded to the papyrus wrapped package on the chair.
Nabirye nodded as she downed the cup of water. Smacking her lips, she left the cup on the table and stood from the table, the package in her hands. Heading for the door next to the hearth, Nabirye paused and looked at Tahirah.
“Is she mad?”
Tahirah, pausing from poking at something over the fire, glanced at Nabirye over her shoulder. “She’s been waiting for her package. You know she hates waiting,” she answered.
Nabirye bit her lip and shuffled her feet, nodding at what Tahirah said.
“But when you’re done upstairs,” Tahirah said, “come down and have dinner. I have left over honey cakes.”
At the mention of the rare treat among the servants, Nabirye’s brown eyes brightened slightly, and with a nod, she left the kitchen through the door next to the fire. Climbing the few stairs, Nabirye entered the front foyer and walked briskly across the tiled floor. All daylight had disappeared, and several oil lamps lit the foyer. Irisi, one of the servants, nodded in Nabirye’s direction as she swept the foyer floor with a broom made from the branches of a palm tree.
Returning the greeting quickly, Nabirye slipped out of the foyer and ran up a short flight of stairs. At the top of the stairs, a long hallway stood before Nabirye lit with small oil lamps affixed to the wall. From one of the open doorways halfway down the hall, Nabirye heard an excited shriek. Quickly following the shriek, a young boy of eight years appeared in the hallway, his linen kilt hanging loosely from his body. His baldhead, save for the short ponytail common to young boys, gleamed in the lamplight.
“Anpu!” a woman shouted from inside the room.
Anpu giggled mischievously, darting down the hallway, and abruptly stopped. Seeing Nabirye, he planted his feet firmly on the floor and propped his hands on his hips.
“My mama’s mad at you,” he said, his chin raised slightly to the ceiling.
“Get back here, Anpu!” A slim, young servant woman named Raziya appeared from behind Anpu, a baby girl perched on her hip. Raziya grabbed him by his arm and dragged him back towards the room he escaped from.
Relenting to being dragged away, Anpu followed the young woman, giving Nabirye dirty looks. Raziya glanced at Nabirye and smiled slightly before disappearing into the room. Hushed words of scolding could be heard as Nabirye walked past.
She reached Lady Zalika’s bedroom door at the end of the hallway and paused. Shifting the package in her arms, Nabirye raised her hand to knock, but the door was ripped open from the inside.
“Get in here.” A slender hand with finely manicured nails grabbed Nabirye’s arm and pulled her into the room.
Nabirye stumbled into the room, her arms flailing in an attempt to regain her balance. Lady Zalika, still attached to Nabirye’s arm, hastily wrenched her hand away from Nabirye, wiping it disgustedly on her dress. She stood almost an entire head above Nabirye and fit easily into the tightly fitting linen dress. Dark black kohl lined her cold eyes and extended out across her temples. Gold bangles circled her wrists while similar gold hoops decorated her ears.
“What took you so long?” she asked, her upper lip curling in a sneer, and placed her hands on her hips in a gesture of annoyance.
Keeping her gaze trained on the multi-colored tiles on the floor, Nabirye shuffled her feet. “The shop was busy today, ma’am,” she said quietly.
Lady Zalika regarded her silently for a few moments, her stony black eyes staring holes into Nabirye. Her red-painted lips pressed together into a firm straight line while her manicured fingers tapped an annoyed pattern on her hip. With a sneering twist of her lips, Lady Zalika grabbed the package still tucked safely under Nabirye’s arm. She turned her back and set the package on the small dressing table and set about unwrapping it.
Nabirye stood awkwardly by the door, rubbing her hands together nervously. Her eyes shifted quickly around the room. First on the large ornate bed in the corner, covered in an assortment of woven blankets. Then to the scenic painting on the wall, and finally, to the woman standing at the dressing table scrutinizing the garment she just unwrapped.
Lady Zalika gave the dress a good shake or two to free it from any wrinkles before glancing at Nabirye.
“Leave,” she said forcefully, her head jerking towards the door.
Jumping slightly, Nabirye spun on her feet and quickly left the room. She moved silently down the hall, past the closed nursery door, and towards the stairs. As she approached the stairs, a tall muscular man appeared at the top as he climbed the stairs. Nabirye nodded in his direction and curtsied as she passed him.
“Good evening, Lord Atsu,” she said politely.
Lord Atsu strode down the hallway, a pleated length of linen hung around his hips, and it swung slightly around his knees. He passed by her without a second glance and entered the room at the end of the hallway. Shrugging off Lord Atsu’s usual indifference towards the servants, Nabirye walked down the stairs and through the empty foyer, returning to the kitchen. Pushing through the door, the rich smell of dinner cooking met Nabirye’s nose. Tahirah, still tending to something by the fire, glanced up as Nabirye entered.
“That was quick.”
Nabirye nodded, moving next to Tahirah. “She was in a good mood,” she said, kneeling down to watch the woman next to her stir a large pot of stew. “Is that dinner?”
Tahirah nodded, scraping the side of the pot with the wooden spoon. Large lazy bubbles rose to the surface of the thick brown stew and popped. Chunks of meat and vegetables swirled together as the pot boiled slowly. Steam swirled up from the cooking food to disappear into the smoke rising from the fire.
Closing her eyes, she inhaled deeply through her nose. “It smells good,” Nabirye said.
Tahirah looked at Nabirye, her slightly aged eyes smiling. “Thank you,” she said before handing the spoon to Nabirye. “Could you stir this for a moment?”
Nodding, Nabirye scooted over, spoon in hand, and began to stir the pot in large slow circles.
Tahirah nodded in approval. “That’s it,” she said, resting a hand on Nabirye’s back. “Don’t let it burn.”
A small smile formed on Nabirye’s lips, and she brushed a few strands of wavy hair out of her eyes. “I won’t.”
Tahirah slowly got to her feet, grabbing a loaf of bread warming to the side of the fire. She moved across the tiled floor and began cutting the bread into medium-sized slices. Nabirye kept a close eye on the pot, making sure to scrap the sides and the bottom every now and then.
The back door opened and shut softly, and Nabirye glanced behind her. Tahirah paused, the knife poised above the bread, and smiled at the elderly old man who tiredly eased his body into one of the chairs around the table. A longer kilt of linen sat around his hips. Smudges of dirt covered the cloth while his legs and feet sported similar areas of dirt, barely visible through his dark skin.
“Evening Tahirah, Nabirye,” he said, nodding to each in turn before giving his bald head a good scratch.
“Good evening, Azibo,” Tahirah said. “How are the fields today?”
“Just fine,” he said, scrunching up his wrinkly face into a warm smile. “The wheat is just about ready for harvest.”
“Do you think we’ll have a large yield this season?” Tahirah, finished cutting up the bread, placed it in the center of the table.
“Very large. Much larger than last season.” Azibo eyed the bread hungrily and reached out a hand to grab a piece. Tahirah quickly slapped his hand away, scolding him.
“Be patient, dinner’s almost ready.”
Azibo respectfully withdrew his hand and gave the air a few quick sniffs. “Speaking of dinner, what are we having?”
Nabirye turned around slightly. “We’re having stew,” she said, still stirring the pot.
He stood from the table and walked over to where Nabirye knelt before the fire. Crouching down as far as his body would let him, Azibo studied the contents of the pot. Giving it a few delicate sniffs, he reached for the spoon in Nabirye’s hand. Releasing the spoon, Nabirye allowed Azibo to give the pot a few good stirs before bring the spoon to his mouth.
“Wonderful,” he said, licking his lips. “Simply wonderful.”
The door next to the hearth opened, letting Raziya and Irisi into the kitchen. On her hip, Raziya bounced the same baby girl Nabirye saw her with earlier. The baby giggled and pulled Raziya’s black hair, squealing with glee. Sitting down at the table, Raziya untangled the tiny hand from her hair and transferred the baby to her other hip. Azibo returned to the table, sitting between Raziya and Irisi, and took the baby from Raziya’s hands. He then proceeded to tickle the child, causing her to shriek with bubbly laughter.
“Is Sahba going to join us for dinner?” Nabirye asked, smiling at Azibo and Sahba’s antics. Handing the spoon back to Tahirah and accepting a stack of bowls, she sat down at the table as Tahirah took over at the fire. Nabirye handed a bowl to each person sitting around the table.
“She is,” Raziya said, grabbing a hunk of bread. “Lady Zalika asked me to watch her for the evening.”
Tahirah returned to the table with the pot of stew and began dishing it out. “Again?” she asked, handing a bowl of steaming stew to Azibo and then Raziya.
Raziya nodded as she spooned some food into her mouth. “There is a small party tonight that they are attending.”
Finished serving the stew to everybody around the table, Tahirah sat down next to Nabirye and began eating. “Did they bring Anpu along?”
“They did,” she said. “He’s advanced in his music studies, and he’s going to perform tonight.”
Tahirah nodded with understanding and began eating.
Conversation continued around the dinner table among the house’s servants. Azibo bounced Sahba on his knee through the evening, feeding her bits of stew and bread. By the time the fire died down to a glow, and the stew and bread had vanished, the conversation around the table had dwindled down to a quiet murmur. Sahba, now in Irisi’s arms, lay slack against the young servant’s shoulder, a thin string of drool dangling from her bottom lip. Quiet soon enveloped the small kitchen as everybody sat back, relaxed from the meal they had just eaten.
Nabirye sighed deeply, enjoying the warm feeling in her stomach from a filling meal. Her eyes began to grow heavy, and before she became too drowsy, she scooted her chair away from the table.
“Thank you for dinner. It was excellent as always, Tahirah,” she said. “I’m gonna go to bed.”
Everybody bid Nabirye a good night, and Tahirah stood from her chair, giving Nabirye a quick hug. Nabirye sleepily left the kitchen, walked up the dark stairs, and shuffled through the moonlit foyer. Cool night air began to drift through the house as she walked down the servant’s hallway and entered the room she shared with Tahirah and Irisi.
Two small oil lanterns lit the room in warm light. Nabirye moved to a table in the corner and dipped her hands into the basin of water. Cupping her hands, she scooped up a handful of cool water and splashed it over her face. The coolness of the water shocked her awake temporarily, and she reached for a linen towel lying next to the basin to dry her face. Nabirye dropped the towel next to the basin when she finished and climbed into one of the three beds lined up against the wall. She turned on her side, snuggled under a light blanket, and gradually drifted off to sleep.
-Sunne