WordCount:1492

Homebound
By:JuliaFriese

Mostpeopledontnormallyexpecttobeshippedofftoanothercountryinorderto
becomeanadultintheirsociety.AlliSwamy,asixteenyearoldgirl(soontobeseventeen),was
justthat,shippedofftoEngland.Shelivedwithhermotherandsisters,allsimilarinthefactthat
theyhad
deepebonyskin,wavyhairthatcurledupatthecenteroftheirbacks,andallhad
tattoosontheirupperforearms.Allihowever,haddeepgreeneyes,differingfromherfamily
members.
Shealsohadaloveforlanguages,math,andthehistoryofherpeople.Tradition
statedthatthechildrenintheirculturewouldundergoachallengeinordertobeseenasan
adultintheeyesoftheirtribe.
Alliwokeupthemorningbeforeherseventeenthbirthday,andwassummonedtothe
chiefshut.Anxietywrappedherinacoldcocoon,theslightbreezeaddingontohernerves.
WhenAllisatonthesoftcushionsinthetribalhut,shefidgetedwithherbraids.
Theoldchiefgreetedherwarmly.NowAlli,youreabrilliantyounggirl.Youveshown
thisoveryourfluencyinthedifferentlanguagesthatyouhavelearnedfromthepassingtraders
sothecouncilandIhavedecidedyourchallenge.Youmustgotothelandofthe
Yuurupeeanshowdoyousayitagain,child?
Europeans,grandpapi.
Ahyes.Well,itisyourchallengetogototheirland,learnwhatyoucan,andthenreturn
tous.Itsoundseasy,butitisgoingtobeverydifficult,asyouwillhavenoprovisions,money,or
home.Wewishyouthebestofluck,Alli.
Allithoughtthiswascrazy,andnowherintelligencedidntsoundlikemuchofagiftto
her.Herintelligencewasjustawayforthetribetolearnaboutotherpeopleshewasbeing
used!
Severalweekslater,rainfilledAllisworld.Neverhadsomuchrainhadenvelopedher,
crispaircreatingacoldworld.
Whenshehadfirststeppedoffoftheshiptodryland,herlegs
wobbledfromtheflatground.Asailornearbypointedherofftoatavernthatshecouldgoto,as
shehadbeenfranticallyturningaroundincircles.WhenAllienteredthetavern,
TheDancing
Mermaid
,sherealizedthatitwasabar.Thescentofliquorfilledtheair,andshewrinkledher
noseindistaste.
Allofthesemenareidioticthey'velostcontrolofthemselves.


Shewatchedasthesailorssungbawdysongs,staggeringcrazilywithcreamycolored
tankardswaveringintheirhands
.Sheunderstoodasmatteringofwords,butconfusion
overcameherasshetriedtounderstand.AnoldermanwatchedAllifromthecornerofhis
eyes,andashewatchedherdistressgrow,hedecidedtospeakwithher.
Hellothere,miss.Doyouneedhelp?MynameisPhilp.Philpstated.
Ah,hellothere.IspeaksmallEuropean.MynameisAlliSwamy,andanyassistance
wouldbemostappreciated.Allisaid.
Whatdoyouneed?Ihaveaspareroomatmyhouse,ifyouwouldlike.Therainissure
hardtoday.
Ah!Alivingplaceverygood.Thankyou,kindsir!Allisaidwarmly.
Allifollowedhimoutofthetavern,untilatalllankywomanstoppedherfromleaving.
Stop!Iknowyoustolethatpieceofbreadyesterday,youfilthybrat!shesnarled.
Excuseme,madam.Iwasnotinthislanduntilthismorning,itcouldnothavebeenI.
Allipolitelystated.
MadamChai,thisismyguestAlli.Philpsaidsternly.
Oh.Um.Hello,Alli,itwasmymistake.Chaisaid,displeasurewasstilldisplayedacross
herface.
Noworries,youwouldnotknow.Allisaid,waryofwhatChaiwasplanning.
PhilpandAllicontinuedoutintothestreets,findingtheirwaythroughthedampened
walkways.WhenPhilpstoppedoutsideofasmallhouse,Allibegantofeelscared.
Idon'tknow
thisman,whatamIdoing?Ifollowedhimtoahouse!Imustbecrazy.But,hediddefendme
againstthatwoman.Chaiwasn'tverynice,Idon'tknowwhatIdidtomakeherangry.
Ifyouwouldexcuseher,thatisMadamChaiLeStrange.
Shesawidower,whothinks
veryhighlyofherself,andhopestohaveahigherpositionthatshesincurrently.Asifanyonein
thecouncilwouldapproveofher
!Beinghaughtyandcrueltoanyoneforthereasonthatthey
liketoheartheirwindbagblowing?Pah.Itsridiculous.Philipseethed.
WellEveryonehastheirownproblem.Ido.SodoyouIamsure.Allisaidquietly.
Thereiswisdominthat.Youareverysmart,youngmiss.

Astheyenteredthesmallhouse,acozyglowlituptheentranceroom.Mahoganyribbed
wallsbathedinsoftlight,andthescentofherbsfilledtheair.Softcushionswerepiledonthe
floor,exoticfursdrapedoveravelvetycouch.Allibreathedindeeply,lettingoutasighofrelief.

Philip,yourhouse!Itssohomely.Thecushionsremindmeofhome.Imissmyhome,
IdontknowwhoIamwithoutit.Alliadmitted.
Youknow,whereyoucomefromdoesntmakeupallofyou.Agreatdealofitdoes,but
youwillfindyourselfsomeday.Thatremindsme,howdidyoufindyourselfinthislovely
country?Clearly,youarentfromhere,yourexpressionandaccentsaysitall.

Allitwirledherhairaroundherfingersforafewminutes,decidinghowtotellthe
foreigner(althoughshewastheforeignerinthatland),exactlywhyshewasinEurope.Should
shetellhimoftheritualisticlifestylethatshelived?Orshouldshejustsayshewaslost?
Iamhereonbecausemytribewishedit.Iamhowever,alittlelost.Iamsupposedto
returnhome,andtohavebeenabletofindmyselfinthisland.Howisthatpossible?Iamnot
myself,Iamnothome,Iamnothing!Allicriedout.
Nownow,youarentnothing.Look,IknowIjustmetyou,butclearlyyouareaperson.
Imprettysureyouarentafigureofmyimagination,andalsoChaiLeStrange.Goodheavens
no.Philipsaid.Peoplearentconsideredpeopleonlywhentheyreathome.Youllfind
yourself.Ihavesaidso,anditwillbeso.
Thankyou?Iknow,sirAllistarted.
Philip.
Uh,PhilipIknowthatyouretryingtohelpmehere,andyouvebeenextremely
gracioustome,butIdontseehowyoucanhelpmepersonally.Idontknowyou.Youarea
kindman,certainly.Ijustdonotknowhowoneofyourculturecanrelatetomine!Younever
hadtobetakentotoalandofstrangepeople!
Maybeyouareright.Ihaventhadthathappen.Onethinghowever,Iwillseethatyou
gethometoyourfather.
IIdonthaveafather.Hediednineyearsago.Allimuttered.
Myapologies.Yourfamily,then.
Timepassedawkwardly,andPhilipclearedhisthroat.HeofferedAllisomebiscuits,
whichshegladlyaccepted.
Theyate,andthesilencebloomeduntilitseemeditcouldgrowno
more.
Allifidgeted,wantingtothankhim,butshedidntknowwhattosay.
Well,AlliThespareroomisdownthehall.Youmaysleepwhenyouwish,andwewill
discussyourtravelsbackhomeinthemorning,Ibelieve.Ifyourequireanysustenanceyou
maygotothepantryteaiskeptonthetopshelfaswell.Iwillretirenow,sosleepwell.Philip
said.

Thankyouagain.Itmeansmanytome.
Allicreptintothespareroom,findingbeautifulmandalashungonthewall.Shepeeredoutside
thesmallcircularwindow,andshesawariver.Cattailsbobbedintheair,andthe
moon,fulland
roundsmileddownather.
Theloonscalledfromthewater,andAllifelta
smallbreezedance
acrosshercheeks
.Sherubbedthem,andyawned.
IsupposeIshouldsleepaswell,then.

Openinghereyes,amellowlightfilledherroom.Motesofdustglintedastheyfloated
downontothecedarfloors.Sighingintently,sherealizedlifeoutsideofherhomewasntasbad.
Shetookthetimetothinkaboutalloftheexperiencesthatshedhadinamerehandfulofdays.
Shethoughtofherfamily,probablyworryingabouthowshewasdoinginEurope,butshewas
calm.Shemissedthemgreatly,butshehadmanyexperiencestolearnhereinEuropeaswell.
Learningwasimportanttotheworld,toher,andtohelpgrowasaperson,Allidecided.She
mightaswelltakeadvantageofthesituation,andlearnallshecould.