theshoelace

'' Anju hesitated, and then stepped out of her room. She looked around, and concluded the coast was still clear. She quietly moved through the hallways of the Inn until she came to the reception where Kafei was. He was still by the desk, smiling somewhat fakely ( Anju chuckled. She knew Kafei never smiled this much ). She tried formulating her words through her excitement: the curse was in a shiney object close to the desk. Suddenly, a strange sting went down her spine. She started feeling light in her head.

She had only just started wondering why this happened, when she lost consciousness, and fell on the ground. Kafei, who had been really bored, immediatly noticed the noise. He went and looked around the corner anxiously. He gasped and bit his lip in shock; there was his precious wive, lying on the ground. Forgetting all about his duty, he tried to get her on her feet. With some trouble ( she was heavier than ever before ) he managed to do so, and she drowsily cooperated in being lead back to her room.

Her thoughts were quite confused and didn’t seem to mean anything. Kafei, after the troublesome walk to their room, opened the door and lead her to her bed. He was quite worried. ‘Anju, what happened?’ he asked. ‘I...’ Anju drowsily managed to say. ‘I... don’t really re...remember...’ she said after a while. The only desire in her right now was a desire for sleep. She pulled the bedsheet over herself, and closed her eyes. Kafei stood there, puzzled, when he heard the ringing of a bell.

He looked once more at Anju, and then, left the room again to get back to the reception. There was Mutoh, the head of the Carpenters, impatiently tapping the bell. ‘That took some time, didn’t it?’ he said, not hiding his irritation. ‘Yes, sorry...’ Kafei said, his mind still with Anju. ‘You know, I’ve heard strange rumors. Now mostly, I don’t believe them and I don’t care about them either. But one caught my ear that involved my daughter was... cursed... and now I find you, my son-in-law, doing her job...’ he said, half to himself.

Kafei could see he’d better speak the truth to her father: and yet he was not in the mood for saying ‘your daughter’s breasts are growing’. He carefully started building towards the point. ‘Well... a few days ago, I do believe Anju may have been cursed by a rather odd curse. This curse seems to cause- well, in fact it certainly causes- physical changes,’ he began. Mutoh’s angry face was replaced by a worried look, which was really rare for him. ‘Physical change?! I need to see her, right now!’ he yelled.

Kafei decided he’d allow this- if Anju would too. ‘Anju is right now in bed, but I’ll check if you can talk to her. Please, wait some time...’ he said. Mutoh didn’t look at all as if he was prepared to wait ‘some time’. Kafei hasted back to his room and knocked the door. ‘Come in...’ said a voice on the other side. Kafei opened the door, and there was Anju. Her clothes were on the ground, apparently damaged by overstretching, and she was in her bed. ‘Kafei, I remember I had to tell you something... but I don’t know what...’ she said.

‘That’s alright. It will come back later,’ said Kafei to comfort her. ‘But your father wants to speak to you... now,’ he said. Anju looked troubled. ‘Fine... let him come,’ she decided at last. Kafei hasted back to Mutoh, and back again to Anju with him. Mutoh, in his loud voice asked many questions to Anju, and she in her soft voice answered many too- so it came that Anju’s father also came to know of the curse; but Anju wished she’s still know what had been told her earlier this day.''