A Day In A Village

Isn't Simona the most beautiful girl you have ever seen? I have admired her for as long as I can remember. She is just a little older than me and I have known her all my life. She had always looked out for me and taken care of me. I wanted to protect her. The men in the village, they all looked at her. I saw them. They looked at her with disdain. I couldn't understand why. They spoke in whispers about her not realizing that I could see them. She had always been a help. But they looked at her as if she was evil. I had to protect her.

My parents had died when I was very young. I don't remember anything about them. The rector at the village cathedral had raised me. I had gone to school in the cathedral. I studied very hard. The rector and the nuns worked with me. They said it was unfortunate that I had been left alone at so young an age. They told me that my parents had died of a dreaded disease. When they were afflicted, the doctors could not help them and they died within just a few days. No one knew of any other family for me. My parents had immigrated here only a year before I was born. No one knew where they had come from. The rector wanted me to get a good education. When I needed help, the rector supplied me with a tutor. Sometimes Simona would come by and help me with my school work. She is so smart. I would enjoy it when she would stop by and help me out. I owe her a lot. She helped me get through school. School was always difficult for me. There were things I could not understand. I worked hard but it was difficult. Simona had a way of explaining things so that I would understand. I always walked her home when she tutored me. I would always see the men looking at her and whispering amongst themselves. It scared me. Simona is a good person. They have no right to look at her that way. Why did they hate her so?

Now that I am older I live in a hut behind the cathedral. I work for the rector and take care of the gardens. It's very hard work, but I enjoy working with nature. Sometimes, if I have some free time, I will walk in the woods that surround our village. The forest is dense and deep to the north and east. To the south and west it is only several hundred yards thick before it opens up to the fields that the men in the village till. I know the woods very well. There are many trails and I have been on them all. Out a few miles north of the village there is a cave with a spring. The water coming out of the cave is cool and clear. It is soothing to drink on a very hot day. There is a small bridge over the creek just below the spring. Past the bridge is a small meadow hidden away inside the dense woods. Sometimes I like to go there and sit, watching the clouds and the birds. It is very soothing. It makes me forget about the men in the town. I grow vegetables and flowers in the gardens; there are a few fruit trees. There are about two acres of ground that I must tend. Then we harvest and pickle the vegetables to use during the winter. Many nights I don't get to eat until very late. Sometimes Simona will bring food to my hut. I will eat and she will talk to me. I enjoy her company. But I hate how the men in the village look at her. I see them talking quietly among themselves. I want to protect her. I am afraid of what they might do. I walk her back to her apartment just to make sure they do not bother her. It's the least that I can do for her.

Sometimes I walk through the town square and Simona would be there. Often she will be playing games with the younger children. She loves to work with children. And she is good with children. When I see her, I stop and talk to her. She tells me how beautiful the cathedral garden looks and says she looks forward to eating some of the vegetables. We will talk for a few minutes and then I will go about my business. But always I see the men of the village. They look at her with disdain. I don't understand why they do that? What is it about Simona that they can look at her that way? When I ask Simona, she says that I shouldn't worry. She says that I must be mistaken. But I see them. I fear for her safety. I need to protect her from them.

I am walking into the town square now and I see Simona sitting on the ground by a large walnut tree. I smile at her and say hello. She smiles back at me. She is a beautiful girl. I ask her what she is doing today. She says the children are all with their mothers because it is a festival today. This evening there will be a large bonfire and much good food to eat. The village people will enjoy themselves late into the evening. I don't attend the festivals. I go back to my hut and read. I love to read history. I read stories about the Trojans War, about Odysseus, about Hector, about Achilles and about Helen. She was a beautiful woman. Paris wanted to protect her from Menelaus. He and the Greeks were the evil that wanted to hurt Helen, Paris and the other Trojans. Why didn't they leave her alone? But I have very little time to read. When the village people are at the festival, I have time to myself. I worry about Simona. She says that there will be many people at the festival and that she will be okay. She assures me and tells me that it's okay to stay at home and read. She says I will be better off for it anyway. Simona is very smart.

Simona usually takes a walk into the woods during the late afternoon. Today, she is going to walk early – possibly around noon or a bit earlier. That is not good. I fear for her safety. The men are in the village then, having come home for lunch. I don't want them to know that she is alone in the woods. I think it would be a good idea for me to walk with her for her protection. She says no and that she will be okay. I worry about her because the men don't like her. I don't know why. They look at her as if she is an evil person. I suspect they may bring her to harm. I know she does not want me to walk with her, but maybe I should follow her, just in case someone follows her from the village. After all she has done for me, I need to protect her and keep her safe.

I walk back to the garden and tend to the weeds. There are many weeds out and I work hard to dig them all out. It is hard work. But I like to work the garden. It is very satisfying. I walk back to the gate to get a drink of water when I hear the cathedral bell chime – it is noon.

Then I remember; Simona is going to walk in the woods early. I am probably late. I must rush to the woods. I must follow her, but I don't want them to see me. I dash through the garden and out the back into the woods. I follow the trail that takes me around the west side of the village – it is the quickest way to get to the trail where Simona will be and without them seeing me. I go just a few yards when I see one of the farmers walking back to the village. I duck and hide in some underbrush. Good, he does not see me and walks by unaware that I am there. As soon as he is gone, I get back up and run on the trail. Again, I see a farmer. I hide behind two large tree trunks that lay on their sides by the trail. He does not see me and continues on. I am nervous. I don't want them to see me. It will make it easier to protect her from them.

I get around the west side and turn toward the north side of the village and the trail that leads me to Simona. Behind me I hear a voice shouting at me. I look back. It is one of the farmers. I sprint on down the trail. He does not follow me but goes on toward the village. I must get to Simona. They have spotted me and I must be there to protect her. They know she is here and that I am here to protect her. I am running, breathing very hard when I get to the main trail. I don't see her. Since I started late I suspect she has already passed this place, so I turn north and run. I go over two small rises and stop. There she is. And she is okay. I breathe a sigh of relief. It is so good to see her. She is looking up one of the trees at a bird's nest. I quickly walk up to her. She stops and looks back at me.

Simona wants to know why I am here. I tell her that I didn't feel right about her being alone on the trail and that I want to walk with her. She tells me that she is going to be okay, but I insist. After a few minutes, she relents and allows me to walk with her.

We continue walking north on the trail and finally come to the small bridge at the cave. We pause for a few minutes and watched the water gush out of the spring. The noise is very relaxing. We are oblivious to everything about us. Things are so wonderful here and there are none of the village men looking at her. I hate them so. It is so nice to be here in the woods where they are not looking at her.

We walk over the bridge and on to the north and get to the large meadow. Simona says that she comes here frequently and lies in the grass looking up at the sky. I tell her that I do the same. I think that that is an amazing coincidence. We start to talk about the clouds and the birds. I am so happy. She bends down and picks a daisy. It is beautiful. She looks at it and shows it to me. She looks into my eyes. I am overcome by her charm. I take hold of her arms and tell her she is safe here with me. She says I should not worry. I gently lay her down in the grass and pull her dress up. She asks me what it is that I am doing. I pull down her underwear and toss them aside. I rub her gently. She closes her eyes and moans with pleasure. I caress her and kiss her neck. She lays here in the grass and sinks into ecstasy. I pull down my pants and pull out my manhood. It is long and stiff. I roll over onto her and try to insert into her. She tells me to wait and asks if we should do this. I tell her that I am the only one from the village that really loves her. She sighs, relaxes and we hold each other as I push inside her. She keeps her eyes shuts and groans with every breath. I try to be slow but I begin to pound her harder and harder; finally I stiffen all over and I feel the pleasure of filling her with my seed. Then we are done.

I stand and dress myself. I help her up and she does the same. Other than telling me that it is time to go back to the village, she says nothing. I can see a tear rolling down her cheek. I hope that it is a tear of the same kind of joy that I am now feeling. I love you Simona. I will always be here to protect you.

We walk southward, back to the village. I have never had a day like this. Simona is the only woman I ever wanted. She is so beautiful and pure. They would not get to her now. She was mine and I was hers. We walk on in silence until we finally reach the bridge again. She goes to the spring, bends down on her knees and cups her hands under the water to drink. I stand there as happy as a man can be. Then I see something that sends chills throughout my body.

Coming from the village, I see the men. Some of them have clubs. They are coming toward us. There are so many of them. They are shouting and waving. I cannot let them get my Simona. What would they do to her? I am so frightened. I don't know what to do. I cannot let them have her. She is mine. Don't they know? I will protect her from them. I look down at her; she has not seen them yet and continues to drink. I run behind her and grab a large rock with both hands. I say please forgive me and swing it down hard on the back of her head. She falls to the ground.

I look up; they are coming closer shouting all the louder and waving at me. I will not let her fall into their hands. She is too important to me. She is too wonderful for them. I cannot let go.

I swing the rock one more time and bash her head again. Then I drop the rock and fall on my knees next to her. I am so sorry Simona. I could not let them have you. I don't know why they hate you so. I am so sorry.

I stand and look down at her laying limp on the ground. A stream of blood gushes from the side of her head into the spring water and makes a red ribbon as it courses downstream and under the bridge. I look up at the village men. They are almost here. I hate them so. I will not let them have my Simona. Some of the men run across the bridge; the other ones run down to the stream directly to Simona. I stand ready to fight them off and I cannot let them have Simona.

Two men take hold of my arms and pull me back from Simona. I swing my right arm around and that man falls to the ground. Another grabs that arm; a third man swings a club at my left knee and hits me just below the knee. I cry out in pain. I see several men kneeling by Simona and looking at her. I continue to struggle but too many of them have overtaken me. My leg is shooting pain up and down me. They are shouting at me and shouting at each other. But they cannot have my Simona.

I begin to laugh at them. Simona is no longer here. She cannot be bothered by them. She is at peace. I, too, am now at peace because I understand that they will not have her. I laugh more at them and they shout back at me and wave their arms. The men kneeling around Simona stand and they all look toward me. I see the anger on their faces. Then I stop laughing.

It is silent now. I look at them and I look at her. She is my Simona and they cannot have her. We all stand still in silence until it finally dawns on me. I say no, no, please no. I begin to laugh again, but this laugh is different. It comes from the pit of my very soul. It is a hideous laugh. It is a laugh of indescribable pain. It is a guttural laugh from the darkest spot of my innermost being. I finally understand the truth. It should have been clear to me before now. Why did they do this to me? Why did Simona have to die? Why didn't they just leave her alone? Why didn't they leave me alone? But now, at long last, I finally understand the truth. The awful truth that eluded me for all these years has now filled my mind with the harshest of pains that I will never be able to escape.

The men of the village had not come for Simona. They had come for me.