Primitive Man

Chapter 63: Regrets of Ganna

On a festive night in Garnt's village, the familiar face of the woman who had served Garnt and her two step-children found herself tending to a sizzling pot of meat.

Her face wore a weary and uncomfortable look, but before she stood the two youngsters, Garnt and the others, celebrating a hard-earned victory – the safe return of the first batch of iron ore.

The atmosphere was tinged with a hint of awkwardness, but Garnt, with a concerned look, turned to her. "Ganna, how's life been treating you here? Did you find someone you fancy?"

She forced a smile. "It's fine, I couldn't find someone, but I will try," she replied, avoiding his gaze.

It was evident that even after all these years, she had not been able to move past her past crimes of forcing Unami and Baktou into that situation, which made their lives a living hell.

Garnt persisted, his voice softer. "Are you going to be alone after all this time?"

She chuckled, choosing to evade his question, but her eyes betrayed her as they darted towards the two siblings who seemed to be intentionally ignoring her.

Garnt sensed the tension and decided to break it. He called out to everyone, "Let's dance until our food is ready. Come and join us." With a flicker of enthusiasm, he grabbed the woman, with her black hair cascading in the firelight, and began to sway around the flames.

Luckily, Gundo and Ayra weren't present at this festival, as they were talking with each other in a private area, discussing Ayra's relationship with Garnt. Nevertheless, Unami frowned upon seeing Ganna willingly accept Garnt's request.

'Damn it, that woman! Is she trying to steal our Garnt in front of us?'

She wanted to keep Garnt tightly locked in her embrace, so any type of parastic woman won't try to approach him.

Baktou looked at his sister and Garnt, his face filled with confusion and pity.

"Sister! Just let it go. Garnt is trying to forgive her, maybe we should also-" Baktou tried to say those words, but Unami frowned at his words.

"Forgive? That woman? Are you stupid? If Garnt didn't save us, we would be her slaves forever and she wouldn't even care about us.

The only reason she acts like this is because of Garnt."

Baktou just ignored her eye contact, as he knew her words were completely accurate.

"Come here! Both of you dance with us. Let's celebrate!" Garnt shouted looking at Unami and Baktou and they quickly joined him without hesitation, while ignoring Ganna.

It was a group dance that involved four or five people, so Garnt formed his own group with the purpose of breaking the ice wall between the two siblings and Ganna.

For a few minutes, they moved in sync, their steps becoming less hesitant with each passing moment. Unami couldn't help but smile as she twirled with Garnt, while Baktou, who had initially been stiff, found himself caught up in the joy of the dance.

"Baktou! Push that woman out and let me take the place next to Garnt," Unami whispered to her brother, and he nodded her head as he wanted Unami to become Garnt's wife.

But just as the atmosphere began to build up, Garnt suddenly found himself being pulled away by a group of enthusiastic women from the village.

"Patriarch! Come and dance with us." An older woman shouted with her daughter also pulling him, so they could have a moment with their leader.

She wasn't the only woman who acted like this, and Unami couldn't help but curse at them inside her mind.

He willingly let them lead him away, shooting a reassuring smile at Ganna, Unami, and Baktou. He knew that giving them some space to talk was essential.

Garnt disappeared into the crowd of dancers, while Ganna chatted awkwardly with Unami and Baktou hoping to get some response from them. "So, how are you two doing?" She asked, trying to fill the silence.

Baktou exchanged a quick glance with Unami before replying, "We're doing fine, thank you for asking." His voice held a hint of hesitation, but he quickly shifted the conversation back to the dance, hoping to keep things light until Garnt returned.

After those words, things got awkward again, but hoping to keep up the conversation Ganna decided to ask whether they wanted to eat with her.

"Are you two hungry? Do you want to eat something? I will prepare the meat since they are ready," She said those with a smile.

Normally, looking at her and her nervous way of talking, anyone would feel pity for her, but in Unami's heart, she didn't find the kindness to forgive Ganna.

Unami, unable to contain her frustration any longer, ground her teeth and finally spoke up, her voice sharp and cold. "Ganna, don't act like you care about us. You've caused enough pain already."

Ganna's smile faltered, and she took a step back, stammering in response, "I... I didn't mean to..."

But Unami cut her off, her anger palpable. "Just stop. We don't need your pity or your attempts at conversation. Just leave us alone.

We are not your kids or we have anything to do with you."

Feeling defeated and hurt, Ganna withdrew, taking a few steps away from Unami and Baktou. She stood there all alone, the silence around her now even more pronounced.

"I'm sorry, I didn't think like that," She said almost with regret in her voice.

Garnt couldn't bear to see the situation deteriorate further. He hoped that someday they could all build a more wholesome relationship, but for now, it seemed like an impossible task. He glanced around at the dancers and the festivities, feeling a sense of unease and disappointment.

But he didn't want others to get affected by this atmosphere, so he quickly asked the meat cooking people to start serving the meals.

Ganna, unable to face the situation any longer, quietly collected the plates with the prepared food and turned to leave. She retreated to her hut, where she allowed her tears to flow freely, feeling the weight of her past mistakes and the isolation she had brought upon herself.

"Sister! Is it really okay? Can't we forget our past and forgive her?" Baktou asked with concern to which Unami answered.

"Never! That woman is a snake. She will act like this now, but when the time is right, she will bite Garnt. I should be capable enough to kill that snake when the time is right."

Garnt looked at Baktou and Unami, but he decided to go and look at Ganna since he wanted to talk with her.

With determination, he followed her quietly, making sure to keep a distance so as not to startle her, but unlike what he expected instead of going into her hut, she suddenly started to walk in the direction of the river.

The moonlight bathed the path to the river in an eerie, silvery glow, and the sound of rustling leaves and distant sounds filled the night air. Garnt's heart raced as he saw Ganna, her silhouette moving closer to the riverbank. She seemed lost in her own world of despair, unaware of his presence.

As he continued to follow her, his instincts began to tell him that something was not right. Ganna's steps became faster, more purposeful, and the way she glanced back over her shoulder only deepened his concern. Then, suddenly, she broke into a sprint, heading straight for the edge of the river.

[Garnt! Stop her she is trying to jump into the river.]

Eva shouted, not because she was worried about Ganna's life, but because she didn't want any black marks or regrets in Garnt's life.

Garnt's adrenaline surged, and without a second thought, he sprinted after her, his heart pounding in his chest. Just as Ganna reached the river's edge, she leapt forward, seemingly with the intent to throw herself into the water.

In a desperate, instinctual move, Garnt lunged forward, managing to tackle her to the ground just inches away from the river's edge. They both tumbled onto the grassy bank, and Garnt held her firmly against the ground, his grip gentle but unyielding.

Ganna's sobs echoed through the quiet night, and her face was a mess of tears and snot. Garnt gazed down at her with deep concern in his eyes. He spoke softly, his voice laced with worry, "Ganna, please, don't make such a rash decision."

"What else am I supposed to do? I'm not a woman that should be alive. I deserve to die. I deserve to die by your hands, but your kindness saved me that day," She paused for a minute and looked at his face.

"I'm alone, Garnt. I don't have anyone. I can't have anyone because of my past. I'm a horrible woman."

Garnt just laughed at her words and quickly released her.

"Do you know why I can't keep my hands off you and keep saving you?" Garnt asked, but Ganna didn't know how to answer.

"Because you remind me of someone. A woman that thinks she doesn't deserve any respect because of her horrible past."

[...]

"But I'm stupid so, I want to believe that people can change. Just keep trying, someday you will get accepted. Don't go and die like an unwanted corpse that will become food to some fishes. If you really want to die, then die serving me," Garnt paused for a second and asked her to get up.

"Ganna, I want you in my village even if everyone else rejects you, live for me if you can't live for yourself."

Those were some extremely selfish words from Garnt's side, but that is what Ganna needed to hear.

"Did that woman you told me about, was she able to change?"

"She is a changed woman. I believe in her too, just like I said. I'm an idiot."