A while back…
When Talotkan told everyone that a lady named Koye had helped her, the entire room fell silent.
Shocked faces. Confused murmurs.
Because here.....
Everyone knew everyone.
Every family. Every face. Every name.
And they were certain of one thing.....
There was no woman named Koye.
Not in the village.
Not in the nearby towns.
Not anywhere they could think of.
The unease began to spread like ripples in still water.
But then… Grandmother spoke.
Her voice calm, firm...like a rock against the tide.
"Ah, yes… Koye. Of course. I almost forgot."
She gave a soft laugh, brushing away the growing tension.
"She's the same woman I buy colors from. She came by this morning for some work. It must have slipped my mind. My apologies."
Her words were like a balm.
A lie.
But a necessary one.
Relief washed over the crowd. Shoulders relaxed. Faces softened.
Everyone accepted her explanation without question.
And just like that...
The whispers died. The atmosphere warmed.
Voices rose again in chatter and laughter, as though nothing had happened.
Talotkan joined them, sitting quietly, listening to the hum of casual conversation.
---
Evening fell.
People began to leave, one by one, until the courtyard grew empty, the echoes of laughter fading into the night.
But Grandmother's heart was restless.
Too many questions lingered like shadows in her mind.
She turned to Talotkan, her voice steady.
"Prepare something light, child. Take it to Yim."
Grandmother handed her an address.....one in the city, far from their quiet little world.
Talotkan nodded without a word.
She obeyed, her hands moving with silent grace as she prepared the meal.
And when it was done, she set out, carrying the warmth of home into the unknown.
---
When Talotkan's figure vanished down the path, Grandmother moved swiftly.
Her old hands tore through the account books, page after page, ink-stained memories spilling under the flickering lamp.
But no matter how far she searched, no matter how many names she traced.....
Koye never existed.
Behind her, a few women lingered in the shadows.
They had stayed back at Grandmother's request, hiding quietly, pretending as though they were nothing more than fading guests.
For hours, they spoke in hushed tones, recalling names, families, faces from the past.
Every possibility. Every forgotten soul.
But Koye… never appeared.
Grandmother's lips tightened.
Her heart whispered a truth she wished she didn't know.....
The spirits that walk this world… those seen by mortal eyes…
They do not lie.