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. I saw a little shape resembles as a deer coming across me as if it was absconding something. It, 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, and 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. 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 keeps 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 was 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 fell 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 which 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 gently she kept repeating that I will soon be healed. 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 get better 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 to hear more but I didn’t say any. 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, 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 who will inherit his unexisted realm. He was called girls’ father, sometimes we get well treated because it’s a humanistic instinct, but most of the time treated like mistakes without avail. He was a heavy drinking man that spends all what he gets in morning into night bars. Wretchedness has neither measures nor 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 out to other generations 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 a 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 periods of my life if I remained non accepted my decision but I lastly achieved to convince them . For, money is the key to all the closed doors. I was a very thoughtful person who thinks deeply of everything and studies all things. Hence, from my childhood I raised the sense of self reliance and responsibility. So, first I found a shelter in the country’s outskirts then I got a service job to support myself. Then I started my trip towards independency. At the very beginning, everything was cushy and everyone was very amiable, I managed to seek a job as a nanny for a rich family . The parents pushed me to continue my studies. So; I worked at summer time and holidays and studied at winter. The parents were one of the rarest couples that do no longer exist. They were too kind, too gentle and happy; for sometimes I doubted faking all of it. I have never seen such happy wed. They were always smiling teasing each other as 4years children playing in the mud; additionally they spend all the time in their room which was prohibited for anyone to step in even the maids. I once tried to sneak and listen to what was going on inside but the maid that never goes away, whispered in my ear while my head still stuck on the door and said” no sound goes through the door dear, this one is the only in the house that nothing goes through it except when it is open” and left laughing. They treated me as their elder daughter. But I was totally ignored by both kids; Adina and Jed then later on I succeeded to be 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 is responsible for the kitchen was watching us daily from the window and most of the time comes around and share those amusing moments with us. She regularly looks at the clouds that float in the beautiful space as if she addresses the supreme Evangelism asking for pardon and forgiveness, then repeatedly says” beware, not all roses have beautiful smell” . And these utterances seemed strange as usual as though she speaks fairy’s language. She was humble with strict countenance but a bit funny and humorous. For, she once teased me saying that I look like Edna Mode a fictional girl character in the Incredible. 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. One night after a hot shower, I sat in the balcony smelling the fragrance of cestrum nocturnum (queen of the night) tree, I saw the couple hanging around hand in hand in the garden seems like they were speaking about something very interesting to hear for I heard only the laughs, then they vanished slowly in the trees as flowers banding in the breeze. Suddenly I heard a dire voice coming out from the kid’s room. I run to them and I was extremely shocked. 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 them were wet either, I called repeatedly to anyone there and fortunately, the kitchen maid came in , 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. Only then I felt life came into my veins again. I wanted to ask the lady what happened 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 and I will inform the house owners with all of that”. And surely I was the one who to blame, and that night I have discovered a new harsh character in the parents, they insulted me greatly. That day the child slept in my room, and 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 suddenly became too busy of life and 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 hours playing outdoors with them. “Can you please prepare the bathtub; I want some canes there, and a battle of red grapes.” Her treatment and even her way of speaking were totally different as if she was a different person came out of a valley of ashes. I was the first one to step in her secret chamber, words can never express the beauty of that place even the colors of the walls were unique, mingled together as if they were tableaus of a famous Italian painter. There were many windows big and white open up on various views as if they were made up by an imprisoned person seeks more and more liberty, who seemed afraid of confinement even in dreams. The curtains were very transparent and silky as if they were meant only decorate the place, through which one can see clearly the outer views. The bath tub was soft blue interspersed with blackness of a night with full moon.
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 that, she gave me a suitcase with some pennies and told me to take the children out to the park and buy ice cream for them. I wanted to inform her that Jed was very sick and not ready for such things, but she just said”: give me back the suitcase and just let them play in the garden.” As if she were capable to hear minds and reads lips.
I left her room, and then a voice followed:” 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, as if she tries to say her last goodbyes to the universe. 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 became 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 due to the very open big windows everywhere. 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 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 in me. 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 turned off and the windows were largely open. 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 which was shed 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”.
That day was a big shock to everyone there, for, until this moment no one knows what happened exactly or why it happened.
After a great deal of time calming and outraging myself down, I managed to close her eyes and cover her up with the sheets on the floor . Suddenly, the cops brook into, and violently handcuffed me. They believed that me who attempted the crime for the prints they found on the body’s face and no fingerprints were found except mine. I was the primary verdict, so I was sentenced to five years in jail with hard work. I was put in a very small room that I can barely call even a cage. The Jailers were giving me the food from under the door as if I was a dangerous murder. No one was listening to my echoing voice, no one knew innocents resonance. All the minds there were common as flock of sheep, as if they were shapes with no souls. They were even lazy to spend more time to study the case but money always win. I do not know what happened after I was taken, but I’m sure that there was a hand in my torture. For, I have been the solo person, who was treated very well in that house and cared for even though I have not been there for a long time like the other maids, but, strangely, I was the one to pay the bill.
I could not give up, for, it is not fair to zip your lips while your mind and eyes are screaming loudly for justice. I kept repeating all the details of the incident to anyone I meet and anyone I see, but what I was getting was a loud laughter followed by a repetitive sentence :“all the prisoners here are innocent too” . I was weeping day and night, hitting my head into the wall repeatedly but no one cared. For them: I was just a number … just a number. They have never called my name and I think they do not know it either; we were numbers and treated as such.
As time went on, I started getting used and forgot myself as a being. All what preoccupied my mind was “why” why all this happened.
Finally, I was set free, as a wounded bird, flied out from an iron cage to the closest tree, as an injured soldier lost hope in the globe. I was not happy at all. For, liberty was my legitimate right from the start, so, it seemed very odd, being just set free was a severe crime attempted towards me. I wished that anyone could apologize and tell me you were right, you were innocent, you were wronged but none believed: for, law was literally above all specially who has no one to defend them and those who has no physical evidence because our world turned to be a documentary spot, without papers pictures or testimonials no one can prove even his innocence. Yes, no one can ever deny that the being is a shoulder for the other, but we should not also forget that it is a wolf too. The first place I decided to visit was the villa, I was lead by subconscious for I know nowhere to go and I wanted to return to who I am before the incident, I may wanted to seek my oldness 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 it then I will visit you from a time to another.
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