A glacial morning in the jungle, a muffled voice debuted from a far. I walked out of my little tent to check out what was going on there. I saw a little animal resembles like a deer coming across me if though was absconding something. He, suddenly, was followed by foot strokes shook the ground under my weight. Then in a wink of an eye a huge herd of deer’s came out in between the white pine trees creating a snow raining storm by their cracking haste. I pushed my frozen body out of the tent in hope to enjoy this wild tableau that I spent my whole life dreaming to see and now here I’m too close to as if the fate wanted to surprise me. The herd left far far away across the east, and the only thing came into my mind, that it was no more than its migration season in search for a better place. However, things were different; the shacking of the earth under my feet had not stopped but it gone even worse and closer every single second. I bowed to collect my things in a hurry but it was too late, very late for I was hit by a valley of snow that, in times, deluges me under, and in others harshly ejects me on its edges. I tumbled down in the waves which caused me a sprain in my ankle, and a blow in my head then all my fingertips stopped functioning suddenly then followed by a heavy daze. I didn’t know exactly how much time I spent in that area, but I’m sure it was a great deal of time. When I first opened my eyes I gazed deeply in the spot around where it looked a bit different from the one I was at. The level of temperature was somehow a bit higher, there was not much snow over, but what attracted me most was a dingle making its way among colored stones, I tried to raise myself but I failed , then some warm tears fell on my frozen cheeks confining the situation I reached. I stood up slowly, carrying my left leg that I can barely sense. Took a bamboo stick I found on the ground then I started following the streams of the water. Seemingly, it was sweet water where different types of colored fish were swimming in its crystal waves. The weather was alluring, and the breeze was cinching my cheeks, as if it was trying to wipe up my clanging tears. Some squirrels where jumping from a tree to another as if they want to get to know this strange visitant. This heart-taking landscape treated my sores for seconds. After a while, my ankle bloated and turned into blue, and then it became icy that I was not even able to sense it. I took the gloves off then I tried hard to heat it somehow. Every time I touch my ankle it hurts even more then I recognized that it was broken and I’m unable to progress any more, not even a single step forward for the bamboo stick was not that strong to cheer up my heaviness. I also knew from within that our body is a closely connected chain of organs that one cannot function if the other is broken , yes it goes slowly forward just for the sake to not handicap the whole movement and keep on some hope for a better up comings.
The sun was in the heart of the sky; it was not that hot but for me it felt so, but even suffocating where I can hardly breathe. I felt so tired and unable to go forward anymore, but I decided to take more steps in hope of finding any spot that may accommodate earthlings or anything can help. I went forward where I reached a very beautiful yet weird copse covered with jacaranda trees; such congruous landscape bewitched me and made me forget my sores. Once I entered this cryptic area I saw a wooden small house that looked ancient and abandoned. I climbed the ladder then slowly knocked the door asking if anybody was there but there was no answer. I pushed the door repeatedly, but it was heavily locked and I couldn’t open it with my lost strength. Fortunately, there was a wooden bench laid in the balcony, where I rested my exhausted body then I fall asleep. I couldn’t open my eyes, but I heard a voice of an old lady counting things next to me, she was saying:“ the legs for the morning, the arms for midday and the rest will be at night”. A wicked laughter followed, exactly like the one that my grandmother used to copy whenever she recounts a story for us; me and my sisters. In fact, I was the elder in them all and my mum called me Helen because, as she said, she lost her tortoise that had the same name. I think that is why I was the most fearful one among, specially the tales that my grandmother used to tell about the witches. I hardly opened my eyes and unconsciously started screaming at the woman that run toward me and started comforting my frighten , but In a very savage way I cursed the lady and ordered her to step away, but the gentle woman kept repeating that I will soon be healed and fine . Sadly, that did not tranquil me but made matters even worse. She put her arms away and just uttered: “calm down please, you need to rest, you have hurt your ankle and head, unfortunately my dear you only have this wrinkled woman to treat you, don’t worry once you heal I will surely set you free. Her words were of a great elegance that showed high level of politeness; even her parlance showed that she belongs to high class. I hushed for seconds then commented: “so you have no intention to hurt me?” She laughed griefly, then said: “why would I harm you, do I look like somebody perilous? I sniffed in and out then answered: “in fact, no… you don’t, but I heard you cutting me as your day meals. She smiled beautifully until tears made their way on her rosy cheeks then said: “you are a beautiful girl and very spontaneous, where did you come from my dear? I feared to be above-board so she may do something that I regret it all my life , hence I just said that I came from the north for winter camping because I’m the kind of people who is dovetailed with cold weather and solitude. She looked at me as if she wanted more to hear but I didn’t say more. After a while she murmured as if she has a rock in her throat. I gazed deeply in her eyes that have a lot to confess in a way to let her speak it louder, but she just turned her head to the jarred door and quivered to shut it off stating that I must be famished and I surely need hot soup that she will prepare in a short while. At that time I was wandering around what may her story be, and a lot of questions have already taken a journey into my messy mind. In pursuit, a gray cat came out from under my bed, followed her six more little kittens, where the mother seemed like she was running away from her numerous kids, and preventing them from suckling, she even meowed on then left the room letting them alone. I wanted to touch one of but they run back where they came from, then suddenly the lady came in saying:“ sorry for being late, it took a while till it get well cooked”. I took the dish from her then started eating. I felt really hungry and needed it a lot. Long time passed and none of us uttered, then she finally argued that she will speak about her then flip the roles, and I directly agreed with no comments. She first trembled then said: “I’m living here alone from time ago. I once had a husband; he was great husband a person that will never be repeated again, even though he was so temperamental but his kindness and faithfulness covered up everything. He was so beautiful, handsome but never handsome for my parents, I have been brought between two things, but for me it was just one choice not two, and I took it and left forever. My name is Sarah, I borne in a quite rich family with a great deal of influence, I got well dressed well educated, and I went to the best schools in the country. Then the lady hushed and tears came out burning her cheeks. She proceeded: “but all was melted like ice in the last days of winter when it becomes water and spoil the crop. I was thirteen years old, and I had a very big family full of girls. For, my father was a king of his own kingdom exactly like William the eighth Duke of Aquitaine and the king of Great Britain; he wanted only sons, and wished only boys. He looked at us as his repeated mistakes that he can never erase. The father of girls, sometimes we get well treated because it’s a humanistic instinct, but most of the time treated like a mistake without avail. He was a heavy drinking man that spends all what he gets in his day in night bars. Infelicity has neither measures nor specific limits, it only starts but never ends, and it lives forever in the veins, runs with the blood. Wretched people should isolate themselves and treat their unhappiness without carry it to other generation of theirs. I loved my mother, maybe because she was the only person that sees me. She was supporting me a lot as if I was her solo daughter and has no other. But things got different stream when I decided to leave at the age of 18. I don’t know why I left but I left, because I would never reach what reached in some period of my life if I remained. First I found a shelter then I found a service job to support myself, only then I started looking at myself as an independent woman that should start her own journey. At the start, everything was easy and everyone was very amiable, I worked as a nanny for a rich family and my passion to babies helped me a lot, I worked at summer time and studied at winter, both parents were too busy to even spend an hour at home, I really wished to know what kind of affairs they do but it was very productive. They even had a whole staff to care for their affairs at home and out and I was the one who is responsible for the maternity part. At the beginning, I was totally ignored by the two kids Adina and Jed but later I became someone special. In the morning I shower and feed them then spend almost the whole day playing in the garden with the dogs. One of the internal staff that was responsible for the kitchen was watching us daily from the window and most of the time comes and share those amusing moments with us. She was humble with strict countenance but a bit funny and humorous. Our summer days went on like that and in winter the children go to school and I make it to my university then meet again at night. In the aurora of Friday morning in January, I woke up on a dire voice coming out from the kid’s room. I run to them and what I saw was extremely shocking. For, Jed was all wet and cold and the heater was turned off, his face was blue and frozen. I took the kid into my bosom to heat him, where I felt all his bones trembling, I went to the closet to change his clothes but all his things were wet either, I called repeatedly to anyone there and fortunately, the kitchen staff came running, then took the kid from my hands into another room where other closet was set. She quickly changed his dress and gave him a ready bottle of hot milk to drink, and then only I felt life come into my veins again. I wanted to recount to the lady what happened exactly but she yelled angrily saying: “whatever happened, I do not want to know it, but you must be more mature and responsible from now on, you are here to work seriously and not to sleep and enjoy”. Frankly, I couldn’t utter a word, and simply stood up to leave, but she stopped me saying: “take the child”. That day the child slept in my room, and was a bit sick; in fact he caught a cold. So, I was more cautious and careful in treating him. I and his sister started playing near indoors. One week after, the boy started healing and becoming even better. In the weekend his parents made it home. They probably were working abroad. They are the kind of people who are too busy of life. They rarely made it to their house as if the whole luxurious high class building was just meant to care for, and occupy a geographical spot. Once they entered, the mother hugged dearly her children that as she argued missed a lot, she is a very elegant woman, very beautiful, a charming angel that for a once I doubt the fact that she who brought those kids to life, and none of them has her features but the father kissed them and went to the backyard to meet his dogs, he even spent an hour playing outdoors with them.“ What is your name?” the woman asked. My name is Anita Anderson. “Can you please prepare the bathtub; I want some candles there, and a battle of red grapes Anita.”
I wanted to apologize for not be able to do that because I’m a nanny, but I did not want any problems and just did what she ordered. After two hours in the bath she called me again to handle her towel, and then begged me in a very superior style to dry her hair. Finally she smiled, thanked me a lot then told me to decorate her bedroom with some flowers that I must bring from the garden. After the decoration, she gave me a suitcase contains some pennies and told me to take the children to the park and buy ice cream for them. I wanted to inform her that the child was very sick and not ready for such things, but she just said”: give me the suitcase and just let them play in the garden.”
I left her room, and then a voice followed:” Anita can you tell Charles to come into my room because I feel very ill now”.
I did not want to go upstairs that night, so I and the kids slept in another room down. In the morning, I wake up on her irritating voice, speaking in French with a man outside, and then called for her breakfast which she wanted to be in the balcony of the salon. Later, the lady sat down on a bear leather coach smoking her cigarette and sipsing a black coffee: gazing in the closed glass. Charles her husband came in. He was in a rush of anger, repeating continuously:” you met him, here … in my house.”Yeah why not … do not forget that he has a right to come here or you will be in jail, you must be thankful that he still wants to be helpful, remember. Sit down; I think you need a coffee”. The woman said. But the man left the room. That day, I took Jed to the doctor for a last check, and thankfully he becomes even better than before. So, I decided to take a walk with and get some ice cream then go to the zoo.
At night, the weather was so cold and windy for I even could not shut off the windows which were blowing like a tornado in the house creating vulgar rows, and all the servants were running here and there to cover up the furniture that was already hit by the storm. After a while a huge swarm of thunders stunned both the earth and the sky where the night betweenwhiles turns into midday. The little boy was afraid that he even refused to let my hand and cried hardly to go to sleep all together. That night was the harshest one in that winter; it was very wild and angry. I took the children to their room and after an hour of singing I hardly made them sleep, then I made a cup of hot green tea to calm the anxiety and stress that I do not know their cause, and at the first glance I had a strange feeling while I was gazing from the window that was betweenwhiles trying to be open and shutter the glass in a way to cut the veins of my naked neck. At that moment I heard soft steps on the ladder going somewhere down, a door opened, and the wind blew harshly into the salon; the footsteps disappeared. I stood up slowly to check why this entire clamor, but the boy woke up shouting: “please don’t do it, please I’m sorry, please stop”. “Hey wakeup Jed, wake up, I’m here… near, you are just dreaming” I said.
“I dreamt of a scary monster slaughtering me, please stay with me… here” he uttered in a very thin voice. I could not move away so I just decided to stay with the boy until he calms down. Not even a minute and he fall asleep again on my shoulder. I put him on the bed near his sister then exit the room to check out. No one was in the salon, and nowhere, the wind calmed down his roughness and the rain stopped its blowing tears. A special comforting atmosphere occupied the whole space where nothing is heard except my own bare feet steps. I went up to check the parents secretly, the light was off and the windows were largely open, and the white curtains changed into soft blue due to the reflection of the moonlight. No one was on the bed and all the sheets were in a mass, I went forward to close the windows but suddenly , I was out of words and senses, I felt like I was not even able to breathe out the air I made it into my lungs few seconds before, the woman was lying on the floor drowning in her blacked blood .Blood was everywhere, her neck was half stuck in her body, her eyes and mouth were widely open as if she did not even find a time to scream and yell, she did not find time to beg and apologies for whatever she did, yet her golden hair locks turned into black cold coffee, and her chest into an opened wound of a war fighter, the types of wars that no one knows who is the faulty.
The woman hushed for seconds and tears made a clear way on her cheeks, tears of awe and horror: “do you want a cup of tea?” She said. But before I answer her, she quit the room to the kitchen. After a short while she came back with two cups of black coffee and some cookies. Then she said: “that day was the beginning of everything, and the end of all things. After a great deal of time calming and outraging myself down, I managed to close her eyes and cover her with the sheets on the floor , on the bed there was a piece of broken glass covered with blood, I took it into my palm. Suddenly, the cops brook into the room and violently handcuffed me.
They believed that me who attempted the crime for the prints they found on the shuttered glass, and no fingerprints were found except mine; I was verdict with twenty years in the jail. A twenty years of sufferings and hard work , for I was put in a very small room that I can barely call even a cage, I was given just three costumes in that long journey, the workers there were giving me the food from under the door, the room was very cold in winter and burning in summer, there was not even a bad to rest on your sick body, but where hurt most is the fact that no one was listening to me ; listening to my innocent voice, I kept repeating all the details of the incident to anyone I met and anyone I saw, but what I was getting was a loud laughter followed by the same sentence :“all the prisoners here are innocent too” . I was weeping day and night, hitting my head into wall repeatedly but no one cared, for them: I was a number … just a number.
As time went on I started to get used and forget myself and my situation. All what preoccupied my mind was “why” why all this happened, then about what happened to the kids.
After twenty year, I was set free. The first place I decided to visit was the villa and when I reached there the place was no longer there, the large luxurious castle was totally transformed into very high governmental buildings.
I tried to collect some information about what happened during my imprisonment but all what I got was blurt unclear words. Some said that the kids were adopted by the town chief who owns the buildings, and no one knows anything else or may be cannot say .
I spent three days searching for the house of this man and when I found it, it was all fenced exactly like an army base. The surveillance cameras were at every single corner. Suddenly, an armed man opened the door saying:“are you the cleaner?”
“Yes … yes sir it is me”
Then he let me in only after deep checking procedures. The internal view was not different at all , for, as if the villa was just been moved here, everything was the same; the architecture, the pool and even the dogs who knew me at first glance which made the guardian doubt it, but swiftly I comforted him saying:“I love dogs …. And (silence followed with murmurs) I have dogs like these in my house”.
I went in where I found a round headed man sitting in the salon in the same place where the woman sat smoking her cigarette in her last day, I felt my presence there , I remembered everything in that house.
Then the man uttered: “why are you late … my servant called you from yesterday, (silence) … I think I have seen you before, but I cannot remember, j’ai oblié ». I recognized him and his familiar accent either but I did not want to answer. He ordered me in a very bad way to start working right away.
At the night he told me that there is a small room in the garage I can make it as my own as long as I do not have a shelter. It was a very small room that hardly extends for a single bad, its windows open on a very large garden where I saw a young boy trimming the branches of a tree.
In the morning, I woke up early to start cleaning before the big man woke up. So, I cleaned and prepared the breakfast. The man and a charming girl at the age of twenty three sat around the table alone. Even though the charming beauty seems to be extremely spoiled but she was drawn in a deep sorrow, lives an eternal obscured cage that somehow she made for her soul.
The round headed drunk only his coffee and ordered to prepare the car to go work, but after he printed a deep kiss on the girl’s cheeks saying that he loves her so much and he will never set her free until she loves him either . Nothing came out of the rosy lips of the girl just a narcissistic smile. Subsequently, she left the table and went up to her room, so I remained alone there.
Suddenly, the door was largely and savagely opened; entered in the boy of the gardening saying: “where are you, where is she?
She is up, I replayed in horror
He runs upstairs making severe noise with his foot that where all with mud and dirt. I followed slowly then I heard him screaming at the girl
_ ;” please I cannot bear this any longer , my father sent me a latter and he is waiting for us at the borders, so we must reach there before noon.
_I can’t! I can’t! Why don’t you understand, I can’t go without doing something that is really capable of satisfying my deep desire to revenge.
_Neither me nor you is capable to even hurt his bold feelings, you must convince yourself that we are not able even to scratch his stoned skin. Please sister let’s leave, we have nothing to do here, we cannot .
The girl sat down on her bed and sorted a very tiny picture from under her pillow, pressed it to her chest then cried : “I couldn’t do it mum , I’m sorry .
The boy took the hand of his sister and went out of the door, when our eyes met , he said to me , aren’t you ….
_ yes… yes Jed that is me your nanny … it is not an appropriate time for explanations, you must sneak out , or you would be arrested I think .
_ don’t worry! I prepared everything .
_HOW…
_ I cannot explain it now , oh! I think you should leave too.
_ at least not now , take my number I will send you to a safe place around here that no one can even guss then I will visit you sometimes.
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