A Place Too Beautiful
Up in Her Majesty's land, there is a valley beyond the mountain. In the valley is a natural meadow next to the creek that flows at the bottom. No humans had been known to live there before. When the first European settlers moved in and claimed the land as their own, the family that had the rights set their eyes on the meadow for the first time one early spring evening. They were in a large group with the family including the women and children, the local land surveyor and some neighbours. They were searching for a suitable place to build the family home on their new land. They were awestruck by the beauty of the valley and meadow as they emerged from a gap between two mountains.
Graceful large trees grew to form a welcoming arch in one part of the meadow. Lush forests surrounded it, with a border of tall straight trees standing like the front line of an army, guarding the precious meadow. Wild flowers bloomed and naturally festooned the meadow and some of the trees bordering it. There was a delightful and intoxicating bouquet of various fragrances in the air. Sweet, cool, crisp, clear and bubbling waters flowed from among bright mossy rocks. Graceful deer roamed around. All kinds of colourful birds, with their spring plumage on display, were all around and butterflies of many colours and delicate beauty seemed flitting about everywhere. The light of the setting sun fell like soft golden butter and glowed on the tops of the trees, on the grass and even on the moving creatures. On those standing there, the sunlight felt like a warm, friendly hand on their shoulders and faces. The sounds all around there were sweet and musical. Even the bird calls and the bubbling brook seemed to be perfectly tuned and singing. The sparkling blue sky with cotton-ball white clouds created a background for the bright green, yellow, red, purple and a riot of other colours from the plants, the birds and animals. All of nature's creations together created a mesmerizing play of coloured patterns, some still, some waving in the gentle breeze, some moving and some flitting, hither and thither.
Everything about that place was appealing and soothing to the senses to such a degree that it quickly touched one's very soul. Everything that one looked at seemed perfect, incredibly attractive and beautiful, whether it was still or moving. Everything also smelled and sounded incredibly attractive. One could not wish for anything better. No one felt like taking their eyes or themselves away from anything in the place. It was as if suddenly everyone was intoxicated with a certain spring madness in an instant.The souls of the humans seemed to want to simply be in the place. When they became aware of the passing of time, they wished it would stop.
There was such an air of magic and beauty in the air that the visitors stood still, wonder struck and seemingly frozen. They struggled to regain control over themselves. After what seemed like a long time, the man claiming the land, normally a tough and harsh man, spoke in a hushed, strange voice,"This place looks perfect. I wonder why no one is living here now. The natives must know about this place. Is there something wrong that one should worry about?"
The land surveyor and the neigbours, usually loud and brash men who were builders hoping to get work helping to build this new family home, seemed strangely quiet and under a spell. They looked around again for a few seconds before the surveyor said,"Yes, the Abos certainly know about this place. You can see the walking path beaten by them going across to one side and into the bush. It is faint because they come here rarely but regularly. They pass by this place but do not camp or live here for some strange reason. I know their camps are further up ahead along the creek, where the land is harsher. No place looks as good as this. It does seem strange why they choose not to stay here. I will ask and find out why. But, good for you! You have a little slice of unspoiled heaven right here."
It was decided that the house would be built in that meadow on a clearing, under the arch formed by some giant trees, not far from the creek.
The group headed back to their temporary camp. Later, the curious land surveyor asked an Aboriginal man why no one had lived in that meadow. He wanted to know if there was something wrong with the place. He received what sounded like a strange answer to him.
"Nothing wrong there. Just too beautiful. Not good to live there," the native man said matter-of-factly as if that should explain everything.
The surveyor laughed aloud incredulously.
"Strange people!" he said. shaking his head, as he reported this to the new landowner.
When the Aborigines heard that the settlers were planning to build their house in that meadow in the valley, they tried to dissuade the surveyor saying something about beautiful children being born there. He laughed and chased them away. They went away shaking their heads helplessly in disbelief, thinking to themselves,"Strange people!"
Soon, the family built a house and moved in.
A Child Too Beautiful
A hundred years later, one day in spring, the young landowner - a descendant of this original settler stood with his new wife looking at their lovely house in that meadow as the sun was setting. They were alone, on their honeymoon, with the rest of the family away, visiting. The moon was rising and the sun was setting again. The magic of the beautiful surroundings cast its spell on them. He looked at his wife standing next to him, leaning on his shoulder as he held her around the waist with one hand. Their marriage had been arranged by family and friends. They had been introduced just a few weeks before and did not know each other well or for long. He had found her pleasing and pleasant in appearance and disposition. She had found him silent, strong and acceptably attractive.
Now, she felt his glance turn towards her. She looked up into his eyes and he into hers. She now appeared bewitchingly attractive to him. It surprised him, how he had not noticed that all the details of her face until now. Her look and expression was one of such beauty and an unquenched desire that it brought forth a transformation in his own expression. He now looked very handsome with an animal quality. His expression changed to one of undisguised lust that made her faint with a surge of desire. Her knees gave way. He pulled her up with his strong hands as she swooned. There was a heady scent, attraction and intoxication of the senses that neither made any effort to resist. Soon, they were themselves part of the wild unrestrained nature all around them.
From that moment of their union they conceived a child. It was an exceptionally beautiful baby girl. She had a very attractive appearance and a faint crown of downy hair.
"Such an extraordinarily beautiful child!" the midwives exclaimed, as did countless others after them.
"Is she an angel or has the devil had his way?" one superstitious old woman exclaimed, a bit too loudly, when she first set eyes on this little child.
Her eyes were blue, her nose cute, crimson bud lips and a shapely mouth. Every feature of hers was so finely crafted and adorable that everyone stared at her as if stunned. The sight and sound of her gentle breathing and the tiny rise-and-fall of the clothes on her chest with her tiny perfect fists on them when swaddled asleep sent visitors into a trance. Not just her parents and family, but anyone that set eyes on her found it hard to look away. She soon grew the most gorgeous thick head of hair that was a reddish, burnished golden colour, naturally shiny and tumbling down in perfect natural curls. Every movement of hers was graceful, every sound she made was delightful. When she looked around, she seemed have a charming innocence. Her smile made one's heart leap and want to take her into one's arms and cuddle her. It seemed like she had gathered the essence of all that was beautiful in herself.
Some said that the creator had spent a fair bit of extra time making her at his leisure. Some said that he had spilled the beauty potion when making her and that she had got a soaking in it, instead of the usual dose of a few drops. Others said that The Devil had sneaked in and meddled while God took a break to rest while making her.
From her earliest days, this girl was used to people staring at her, the lingering of their looks and their reluctance in drawing their eyes away from her. She grew up believing that sneaked looks, turned heads and twisted necks were normal. She seemed to have the effect of making most people behave strangely - forgetting what they came to say to her or what they were there for.
From other little babies down to old people in the last stages of their life, anyone who came across her seemed to draw an inexplicable joy and energy from simply looking at her. Most realized this in themselves and others. It seemed no matter what her condition, whether she was well washed and groomed or returning from a fall in the mud and dirt, unwashed and just woken up with her hair all mussed up or in the best new clothes or the dirtiest rags, in sickness or in the pink of health, this girl was extraordinarily beautiful and attractive.
It seemed everyone she came across treated her, or rather reacted to her, very differently from how they would normally, to others, even to other good looking people. It seemed everyone wanted to have some interaction with her, to hear her speak, to speak to them, to have a connection with her. They stepped forward to feed her. They picked up things she dropped to hand them back to her. They carried things for her, made excuses to hold her hand and lead her through a crowd, clearing a way for her ahead. They cleaned her seat before she sat down. She only had to look around as if looking for something before someone asked her what she wanted. She was a celebrity to most before they even knew who she was or her name. Speaking of her name, I bet you too, curious reader, are wondering what this girl's name was. She was named Alice. She was often called Ally.
Alice seemed to get away with just about anything without even having to explain. She got her way by simply saying what she wanted or doing as she pleased. Most let her do whatever she wanted. She was straight forward, upfront, innocent and used to getting things by simply asking for them. Anything that took her fancy, she tried. Usually people tripped over themselves and each other trying to help her do whatever she wanted.
A few resented this and started to resent the little girl, quietly at first. Soon Alice had siblings following her in the family - a brother and two sisters - Thomas (Tom), Isabella (Belle) and Prudence (Prue). Alice was a bright child, very musically inclined. She seemed a natural at dancing and singing. She soon learned to play musical instruments. She liked to take care of her siblings too and was the natural leader. She had a vivid imagination and was adventurous. Alice attracted people by default - their body, mind and soul. It was only after having a conflict with her that some developed a dislike of her. In such instances, it was often a deep, intense hatred that lasted.
NOTE: This story is still being written. The rest of the novel will be posted upon completion.
Copyright (c) Kannan Narayanamurthy 2016
All rights reserved
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