The sun rose on the third day of the second week of the fourth month. I opened my eyes and picked the crust off of their corners. Light filtered in from the opening of my hut and I heard the morning caws of the parrots in the trees above. The humid air laid a layer of dew on my face and I wiped it off as I stood up and walked outside.

    The trees were lush and green as usual and the light from the sun poked through the trees’ foliage and danced across the ground with every new gust of wind above. The others in the village were beginning to rise as well, and I knew today was going to be a busy day. The new season was starting and we had to begin the preparation. The waters needed to be fished, and huts’ branches needed to be replaced and the food for the meeting was to be prepared.

    I looked towards the hut to my left just as the love of my life emerged from its opening. Her name was Fusha, and mine Uminoya. Her name meant prosperity, and mine health. It’s as if the gods had destined us to be together. When she stepped outside, her skin shown and her eyes fluttered in the light of the sun. Her hair flowed like the river we live near and she radiated beauty brighter than the sun. I’ve been in love with her since we were young children playing in the vines of the trees.

    The Elder called a group of us together and assigned us different roles. Fusha and I stood next to each other and I could hardly resist her lust. The Elder assigned the two of us to play the morning song to wake the rest of the tribe to begin the day. We walked over to the largest hut located in the middle of the tribe and stood behind two drums. We began beating on the drums in sync, playing the most beautiful sound… the song of love.

    I looked at Fusha and smiled, but she just looked back down at her hands as she beat the top of the drum. One by one the other member of our tribe began to emerge from their huts, stretching and conversing as they crowded to the main hut. We silenced the music and stood at the side of the hut, listening to The Elder speak.

    “Today, is a day of thanks, prosperity, good health, and love. We are all gathered here today, brothers and sisters, neighbors and friends, to give thanks to the gods for this upcoming season in which our people with thrive…”. The only words I heard him say were prosperity, health, and love. Our names, followed by the feeling most true between us…  

    By the time The Elder called me and Fusha back together, the sun was highest in the sky. He delegated us to fetch water for tonight's meeting. I looked at Fusha with a smile on my face, but she showed no emotion. We picked up the water baskets and made our way down to the river to fill them up.

    As we walked through the damp jungle, I tried to make small talk with the beautiful Fusha.

    “You know,” I said, “I think that you would make a beautiful mother to my children and an even better wife to myself. I think tha-” before I could say another word, she put her forearm up against my chest and pushed me up against the tree, arousing me slightly.

    “Listen to my words, I am not your wife, not the mother to anything, and I will never be yours. I can’t be with you, and I would never want to. We are getting this water and that is all we are doing.” Her eyes shone bright like the morning sun and I could see the faint freckles on her face. I love you more than anything, I thought to myself.

    I looked at her eyes as they fluttered down my body, stopping at the effect of her effect on me.

    “You’re unbearable!” She whipped around, walked fiercely over to her basket, picked it up, and began leaving me there on my own. Picked up the basket and walked behind her, making sure to keep my distance. One thing the tribesmen taught me when I was younger was that a mad cat is a dangerous cat. As she walked, hips protruding from side to side, I knew she was going to use them to birth my children. The only problem was getting her to my hut with me.

    We came across a waterfall and she stopped for a minute staring at it.

    “I’m going to wash up before we get to the river. This water is better for bathing, and we don’t drink where we clean.” I nodded in agreement and walked over to a group of bushes, playing with their leaves to pass the time. I looked up and saw her standing there naked, her body under the flowing water.

    She glistened as she stood there like a goddess, her breasts moving with every movement. I ducked behind the bush and peered through its branches, tugging at a branch of my own. She ran her fingers through her hair and I whispered unspeakable things of what I wanted in life with the hopes the gods would hear my wishes. As her washing came to an end, I too came to mine.

I walked over to her and asked how the water was, but I got nothing out of her except a humph and a slight head tilt. She had a little water on her hand and she flicked her hand towards me, spraying me lightly.

“You seemed a little thirsty,” she said. I knew she wanted to be with me deep down inside, but she just had a weird way of showing it, that was all. We walked down to the river and got the water, making our way back to the tribe before the sun set.

The preparations were all set for the festivities, but we could not begin until the sun was no longer in the sky as was tradition started by our ancestors. Without anyone noticing me, I slipped back into my hut and decided to lay down to regain my strength for the ceremony.

… A soul is trapped in a fleshy prison, yearning for her lover. She says she doesn’t want you but her soul truly does. It must be released and must find its true lover. Be strong and be persistent. In the end the souls will be one, for forever and eternity…

I shot up from my slumber in a cold sweat. A message from the gods, I thought to myself. It must be, and Fusha’s soul must be with mine. Just then the drums began to sound and I knew that this was going to be a night filled with more than just the normal festivities.

I walked out of my hut and the light of the sun was replaced with that of torches and a bonfire. Everyone was drinking alcohol from the yucca and I was handed a cup. Without hesitation, I drank it and seeked another. I saw Fusha standing with group of ladies, drinking enough for two strong men. I grabbed more cups and continued drinking as the drums and singing continued and we praised the gods.

A few hours of festivities passed when Fusha said she needed to go for a walk, and I was assigned to help make sure she was safe. Now was my chance. As we were walking through the forest, the songs of frogs soon drowned out that of our tribe, and the only light was from the torch I carried in my hand.

“You know, Uminoya, you’re not as bad as I make you out to be. And you're one of the most fierce warriors of our tribe. A woman would be happy to be the father of your chil-” she fell silent and hit ground with a thud. I looked at her face as I dropped the rock from my hand, and was entrapped by her beauty even now.

“Our souls will be together at last sweet Fusha, and we will love each other for eternity. I grabbed the blade from my side and released her soul from its fleshy prison, leaving an opening for it to escape from. I sat there silent for hours, listening to the sounds of the forest, waiting to see the beautiful soul emerge from the passage I left in her chest. I continued to sit there, waiting…

The sun began to rise and I looked down at the beautiful Fusha lying before me. Thoughts began to race through my head as I imagined a world without my lover. I had to be with her, there was no other way.

“We will be together forever and always,” I whispered, sliding the blade across my own chest, releasing my soul to be with that of my eternal love. At last, we were one.