Chapter Two
Summary: Ari does a lot of thinking about her former lover.
Ari's father stared at her from across the table.
"Ari, my dear, you never cease to amaze me!" Ari smiled, happy her father was impressed by her work. She had organized a stronger Human Rights Faction, and had even got Attar to join, since now that he was General, he definately wanted to make some changes.
"Attar says within a few months we will be stronger than we ever have been!" Ari's face lit up as she smiled. She was so happy with what was going on in their city. Humans and apes now socialized. Her father held great parties, with all sorts of people attending. An human girl and male ape were even going to be wed next month, and of course Ari was invited.
"Well I'm glad you're so happy," her father said, patting her on the shoulder. "I haven't seen you like this since..." Sandar trailed off when he realized what he was about to say.
Ari blushed, and looked down at the floor. She sighed. Her father was uncomfortable when it came to Thade. He had always approved of their relationship, and even encouraged Ari after their break up. Now he felt guilty for pressuring her to marry him. Ari had always wanted to, even when she tried to convince herself that she didn't. There was never a day that passed by that she didn't think of him trapped in that small control room. Of course, she made people feed him. She wasn't going to let him die, but whenever they did feed him, they always brought some sort of weapon in case he decided to escape.
What struck Ari as strange was that he never had tried to escape. She had never gone out to Calima to see him. She wasn't emotionally strong enough for that. She was worried that if she did see him, her emotions would get the better of her, and she couldn't afford the lives of innocent people.
Stop it, Ari, she scolded herself. He wasn't that violent. You know that, because you've seen him be gentle, with her and with his father, his sisters, and of course his nieces and nephews. Especially Shaira, the niece he loved the most.
Ari shook her head as if to erase all thoughts of him from her head. It was not the time for thinking of the past. The future was the important thing to think about.
Ari's thoughts drifted around in her head that day. She tried to focus on her work, but HE seemed to have cursed her mind with thoughts. As the Faction discussed and planned for future events, Ari spaced out.
"You don't seem like yourself today," Attar noticed, as he walked her to her house. He was coming over for dinner that night.
Ari shrugged. She seemed so small next to the hulking gorilla. "I have a lot on my mind," she replied, not meeting Attar's gaze.
"Do you think about him a lot?" he asked, reading her mind.
She nodded. "Seems lately I've been thinking about him all the time."
"I think about him too," Attar admitted. "I admired him. He was a good friend to me."
Ari cursed herself for being so selfish. Of course others missed him too. His family probably missed him, mostly little Shaira. Attar missed him. Her father even missed him.
"I need to move on and get on with my life," Ari decided. "I thought I did that a long time ago."
"Obviously you didn't," was all Attar replied, and Ari knew how right he was.
Ari dressed for dinner, and listened to her father and Attar talking from downstairs. She smiled as she listened to Attar discussing how well they were coming along with the Human Rights.
She slipped on a deep blue robe and quickly brushed her hair. As she placed the brush neatly back in its place, a glint of gold caught her eye. She looked on the floor, and there was a gold ring, almost hidden under the dresser. Ari bent down and picked it up. It had little intricate designs and a inscription on it, and she knew exactly what it said.
"Mine forever" it gleamed. Thade had given it to her for her birthday, and she had never taken it off. It had been her most cherished possession. The day that their relationship ended, she had taken it off and flung it across the room, thinking it had landed in the trees, but the dresser had broken it's path, and Ari had been too wrapped up in her grief to see where it had fallen.
Ari placed it beside the brush and left the room. Her father had other guests there as well. Senator Nado and his much younger wife, Nova, Ari's friend Leeta, and a few of her father's friends from the Senate. The all turned when Ari entered the room and sat next to Leeta. Attar didn't pray this time, because they no longer worshipped Semos.
"How is your work coming along, Ari?" Senator Viergus asked. He was an old chimpanzee who always had some sort of gossip to talk about or a joke to crack.
"Fine, thank you Senator." After Calima, the Senate welcomed the humans into their city. A few humans were part of the Senate, liked Senator Plerecis, a human from a colony deep in the forest. His three daughters were very beautiful, and were all apart of the Human Rights Faction. One of the daughters was marrying Thade's friend from the army, Usis. He was a young soldier, full of ambition and dreams. He reminded Ari of Thade.
"We must throw a party at the end of the year," suggested Daleya, Usis' fiancee. The two sat across from Ari and Leeta. "To celebrate our success."
"We're having a party soon," Usis reminded Daleya, snuggling her. She smiled and nodded.
"A very special one," Daleya added. Ari looked away. She couldn't have something else remind her about love. Everything else already did.
Ari and Leeta had gone with Daleya to choose fabric for her gown. The three had become close friends, and when they found the shimmering silk patterns, Ari could barely touch it. All she could think about was what could have been. That she could have been wearing that dress.
"I can't wait until next weekend," announced Nova. "You two have such a beautiful wedding!"
Daleya and Usis smiled in agreement.
Ari quickly changed the subject. "Father, I need to get some fresh air." Ari couldn't stand to listen for another second. She glanced at Leeta, who got the hint, stood up and followed her out the door, to one of the house's many balconies.
Summary: Ari does a lot of thinking about her former lover.
Ari's father stared at her from across the table.
"Ari, my dear, you never cease to amaze me!" Ari smiled, happy her father was impressed by her work. She had organized a stronger Human Rights Faction, and had even got Attar to join, since now that he was General, he definately wanted to make some changes.
"Attar says within a few months we will be stronger than we ever have been!" Ari's face lit up as she smiled. She was so happy with what was going on in their city. Humans and apes now socialized. Her father held great parties, with all sorts of people attending. An human girl and male ape were even going to be wed next month, and of course Ari was invited.
"Well I'm glad you're so happy," her father said, patting her on the shoulder. "I haven't seen you like this since..." Sandar trailed off when he realized what he was about to say.
Ari blushed, and looked down at the floor. She sighed. Her father was uncomfortable when it came to Thade. He had always approved of their relationship, and even encouraged Ari after their break up. Now he felt guilty for pressuring her to marry him. Ari had always wanted to, even when she tried to convince herself that she didn't. There was never a day that passed by that she didn't think of him trapped in that small control room. Of course, she made people feed him. She wasn't going to let him die, but whenever they did feed him, they always brought some sort of weapon in case he decided to escape.
What struck Ari as strange was that he never had tried to escape. She had never gone out to Calima to see him. She wasn't emotionally strong enough for that. She was worried that if she did see him, her emotions would get the better of her, and she couldn't afford the lives of innocent people.
Stop it, Ari, she scolded herself. He wasn't that violent. You know that, because you've seen him be gentle, with her and with his father, his sisters, and of course his nieces and nephews. Especially Shaira, the niece he loved the most.
Ari shook her head as if to erase all thoughts of him from her head. It was not the time for thinking of the past. The future was the important thing to think about.
Ari's thoughts drifted around in her head that day. She tried to focus on her work, but HE seemed to have cursed her mind with thoughts. As the Faction discussed and planned for future events, Ari spaced out.
"You don't seem like yourself today," Attar noticed, as he walked her to her house. He was coming over for dinner that night.
Ari shrugged. She seemed so small next to the hulking gorilla. "I have a lot on my mind," she replied, not meeting Attar's gaze.
"Do you think about him a lot?" he asked, reading her mind.
She nodded. "Seems lately I've been thinking about him all the time."
"I think about him too," Attar admitted. "I admired him. He was a good friend to me."
Ari cursed herself for being so selfish. Of course others missed him too. His family probably missed him, mostly little Shaira. Attar missed him. Her father even missed him.
"I need to move on and get on with my life," Ari decided. "I thought I did that a long time ago."
"Obviously you didn't," was all Attar replied, and Ari knew how right he was.
Ari dressed for dinner, and listened to her father and Attar talking from downstairs. She smiled as she listened to Attar discussing how well they were coming along with the Human Rights.
She slipped on a deep blue robe and quickly brushed her hair. As she placed the brush neatly back in its place, a glint of gold caught her eye. She looked on the floor, and there was a gold ring, almost hidden under the dresser. Ari bent down and picked it up. It had little intricate designs and a inscription on it, and she knew exactly what it said.
"Mine forever" it gleamed. Thade had given it to her for her birthday, and she had never taken it off. It had been her most cherished possession. The day that their relationship ended, she had taken it off and flung it across the room, thinking it had landed in the trees, but the dresser had broken it's path, and Ari had been too wrapped up in her grief to see where it had fallen.
Ari placed it beside the brush and left the room. Her father had other guests there as well. Senator Nado and his much younger wife, Nova, Ari's friend Leeta, and a few of her father's friends from the Senate. The all turned when Ari entered the room and sat next to Leeta. Attar didn't pray this time, because they no longer worshipped Semos.
"How is your work coming along, Ari?" Senator Viergus asked. He was an old chimpanzee who always had some sort of gossip to talk about or a joke to crack.
"Fine, thank you Senator." After Calima, the Senate welcomed the humans into their city. A few humans were part of the Senate, liked Senator Plerecis, a human from a colony deep in the forest. His three daughters were very beautiful, and were all apart of the Human Rights Faction. One of the daughters was marrying Thade's friend from the army, Usis. He was a young soldier, full of ambition and dreams. He reminded Ari of Thade.
"We must throw a party at the end of the year," suggested Daleya, Usis' fiancee. The two sat across from Ari and Leeta. "To celebrate our success."
"We're having a party soon," Usis reminded Daleya, snuggling her. She smiled and nodded.
"A very special one," Daleya added. Ari looked away. She couldn't have something else remind her about love. Everything else already did.
Ari and Leeta had gone with Daleya to choose fabric for her gown. The three had become close friends, and when they found the shimmering silk patterns, Ari could barely touch it. All she could think about was what could have been. That she could have been wearing that dress.
"I can't wait until next weekend," announced Nova. "You two have such a beautiful wedding!"
Daleya and Usis smiled in agreement.
Ari quickly changed the subject. "Father, I need to get some fresh air." Ari couldn't stand to listen for another second. She glanced at Leeta, who got the hint, stood up and followed her out the door, to one of the house's many balconies.
