"So, what do you think of this place, Lulu? I know your mum won't let you come alone, but don't you think it's cool?" Allan asked.
Beside him, Lulu, his significant other, sat on a large rock at the bank of the River Phrate. They'd been there a while, enjoying the cool breeze that drifted over them. The soothing scent of the water wafted into their nostrils, a pleasant sensation accented by the tuneful chirping of birds flitting from tree to tree.
"Don't even mention my mother; she thinks I'm still a child," Lulu answered indignantly.
One might have thought her a woman in her twenties from her tone, but she was only eleven, like her boyfriend Allan. Even so, her figure was already taking a curvaceous shape, and her barely-there breasts, though not voluptuous, could still leave any normal man enamored. She had an undeniable charm that made her presence feel larger than life itself.
"They always think that way, my love. The lashing Papa gave me the other day is proof enough."
"I remember. But you deserved it, don't you think?" The smile she gave melted away the laugh he wanted to give to her joke, instead, he nodded seriously. He wanted to say something more, but her expression stopped him. She was looking at him, tears already forming in her eyes. How she changed emotions so fast, he didn't understand. "Allan, will you stay by my side till the end of time?"
He hadn't seen that question coming, not in his wildest imagination. He looked into her eyes and said, "Lulu, I can never imagine a life without you. If I had the power to decide where I go next, I'd make that promise in a heartbeat."
They were just kids, utterly dependent on their parents. If their parents chose to go east, west, or northeast, they had no choice. Woodland was a large empire; if one went to a far northern kingdom and the other south, there was little chance of them ever meeting. The thought of even forgetting each other was out of the question, for according to them, they were in love.
"Of course, Allan. You are right, but can you promise me one thing?" He could feel the sadness in her voice, a sadness he shared. He wished then and there that he was no longer a child, that he could take his love to a place only he knew.
"All you have to do is say it, my love, as long as it's within my means…" He held her hands, barely holding his own tears back. She interrupted, "Allan, for the last year, we've gone through a lot together. Everything has only served to strengthen our bond. My dear, I also don't want to think of a life without you. Please, promise me that even if circumstances separate us, I will always be your little girlfriend."
This time, he let his tears flow down his cheeks unhindered. He'd met girls at school, in South West Town where they lived, and even in the holy shrines where they worshipped the gods. But only Lulu, his neighbor, had been angel enough to win his heart. He loved her terribly. "Of course, Lulu. You will always be my girlfriend." His firm nod alone conveyed his sincerity.
Lulu managed a smile even as she cried in despair. She had information Allan didn't, and it broke her heart that this was probably the last time she was seeing him. She loved him a great deal. She wished he'd become her husband when they came of age. "Allan, I will always love you, and you will always be my boyfriend."
Her adoring blink made him pull her into a tight embrace. It was the warmest embrace they had ever shared. If Allan had known what was going to happen, he would have been even sadder. He understood that South West Town wasn't their permanent home. A day would come when either of their parents would choose to go back to their homes in the countryside, and there was nothing they could do to change that. That fact made him want to be independent more than anything.
Thirteen years had gone by since that day. Apart from her memory and a bracelet she had given him as a souvenir of their great love, he had nothing of her, not even her whereabouts. They had parted that evening. When he woke up the next day, he'd heard that Lulu had been taken by her mother to her home.
Lulu had been living with her aunt to be trained in the ways of her people for over two years. He'd heard that Lulu's mother felt her daughter had learned enough and there was no reason to let her stay with her aunt any longer. That was why she had taken her. Lulu had cried, he'd been told. She had asked to see him one last time, but she hadn't been allowed.
"Lulu, where are you?" Sitting on the same rock they had sat on that day, he fondled the bracelet in his hands. He had worked hard to be independent. A year after Lulu had been taken, his family had also returned to their home, a village in Siya, a province lying south of South West Province.
With his father's guidance, he was adept at spirit painting, a rare skill he'd been born with. Seven years ago, he had started earning from this skill. When he had amassed enough gold coins, four years later, he decided to move to South-West Town, the capital of South West Province, and the town where he had met Lulu. He had moved there with the hope of meeting her again. Three years had gone by, and still, there was no hope of finding her.
Sitting on this same rock reminded him of the last day he had seen her. Despite the time that had passed, he still missed her a great deal.
"It is high time," he said aloud "it is time I left South West. Lulu, your little boyfriend is coming for you."