"So how have you been Vala? It's been... what? Two, maybe three months since I saw you last?" Asked Else Lindermann.
"More than that I'd say. You were still expecting when last I saw you and baby Freda is now almost three months, right?"
"True enough. She'll be three months in a few days." Else said as she picked at the wood of the rough dining table with her fingernail.
They were seated in the kitchen of Else's comfortable, if small and sparse, home that was on the outskirts of the village. Vala had stopped by to visit with her long time friend and see the baby as she had been promising to for weeks now.
The two women had been friends since they were both little girls when Else had lived on the next farm up the road from Vala. The two of them had spent many a day playing in the fields, swimming and braiding each others hair while dreaming of far off places and wondrous sights, of beautiful castles and handsome princes.
Two years ago, Else had married a farmer's son, Gerrald Lindermann, and moved to this small farm further up the road to start her own family.
Since the death of her second betrothed and the reactions she now got from many of the villagers, Vala found that she came to the village center much less frequently now and as a result, saw much less of Else. A small smile passed Vala's lips as she looked at her friend. "I've missed you Else."
"More than that I'd say. You were still expecting when last I saw you and baby Freda is now almost three months, right?"
"True enough. She'll be three months in a few days." Else said as she picked at the wood of the rough dining table with her fingernail.
They were seated in the kitchen of Else's comfortable, if small and sparse, home that was on the outskirts of the village. Vala had stopped by to visit with her long time friend and see the baby as she had been promising to for weeks now.
The two women had been friends since they were both little girls when Else had lived on the next farm up the road from Vala. The two of them had spent many a day playing in the fields, swimming and braiding each others hair while dreaming of far off places and wondrous sights, of beautiful castles and handsome princes.
Two years ago, Else had married a farmer's son, Gerrald Lindermann, and moved to this small farm further up the road to start her own family.
Since the death of her second betrothed and the reactions she now got from many of the villagers, Vala found that she came to the village center much less frequently now and as a result, saw much less of Else. A small smile passed Vala's lips as she looked at her friend. "I've missed you Else."