( anoracle )
There’s only laughter, at the nickname she can only guess has a meaning that’s something beautiful, that would make the two of them feel less alone. (And perhaps it should be melancholy, or just pitiful, to anyone else watching them - how someone needs to feel less alone, how much importance is given into friendship until you’re desperate for it, for love in any way, so this kind isn’t burning, and the two of them are lucky so. Call them lucky to find someone else that knows loneliness.)
Feel the great shift of how they were raised, but she doesn’t envy anything different, because even if there was jealousy, it’d be an impossible kind, and one knowing Zahara still ends here, still ends with this look in her eyes. Still, Emme watching her with a wide gaze, with fork full of cake stuck in her mouth.
“You’ve seen a camel and a leopard? At the same time? Did you family own leopards? Did you give them names, they had to have names?” Doesn’t say after a moment, also because it’s already known perhaps with all the birthdays, she doesn’t know hers. Doesn’t mention a mother. “My first birthday was in one of the sleeper cars. I think i got a few pens. I might have been… nine,” has to think of the number. She might have more been eight, when she no longer remembers that date either exactly.
“All the sugar, of course, becomes part of your brain - simple science,” she jokes with it, but really, she likes to believe it’s true, used to. She’s still shocked by presents, and anything more than a few pens, and she knows enough of the world to know what’s valuable, to know perhaps this isn’t a thing to take, and she means it when she says, “That’s too much of a gift,” hesitation as she doesn’t know just the right words to say.
Some words just couldn’t be translated to other languages. They held a special meaning that simply couldn't be expressed with another word. That was often the case with her native language, but she didn’t mind. Perhaps it was nice to sometimes keep others guessing, to let them uncover the mystery themselves. But the tales about her riches weren’t false or sugar-coated. But no amount of gold or money ever made her happy or satisfied. Such life filled with superficial satisfactions just wasn’t for Zahara. She wanted depth, true meanings and real pleasures, pleasures that couldn't be bought with money.
She chuckled at Emme’s question,nodding gently a few times.’’Yes, I have. At the same time. Camels actually stink. Some more than others. No matter how much they try to groom them, they’re somehow always dirty. But they are cute and pretty calm and harmless. As for the leopards, well yes. They didn’t technically live with us, but they had names. My favorite were Talmadage and Tamsin, adorable leopard twins. Brother and sister. I had the privilege of holding them when they were just little cubs. There were also a few more like, Caliana and Jamall and Akil. Akil was the scariest of them all, but also the bravest.’’
‘’Only a few pens?’’They had truly lived different lives, a classical tale of the princess and the pauper, but that only made Zahara love Emme even more. Strip away the gold and the ornaments and you get two lost girls, with not much difference. ‘’All the sugar... becomes what? Are you sure, darling?’’
She immediately noticed Emme’s hesitation, but Zahara was a stubborn girl and taking no for an answer was surely not an option. The necklace to her held no value, she had plenty of those at her old house. They were just that - pieces of a pretty rock.’’It’s just a necklace, Emme. I think it will look amazing around your neck. It’s a gift that comes from the heart. I carried it with me for a long time, but now it belongs to you. I’ll give you all my necklaces if you want. But please accept this gift because once you actually decide to wear it, you’ll always have me near your own heart. Who knows what the tomorrow will bring? But I want you to have something that’ll actually last for many years and even centuries.’’
