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NEVER HAD A DREAM COME TRUE
CHAPTER ONE
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"Papa, please. No, Papa. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I promise I won't do it again. Please," pleaded the raven-haired girl.
Her eyes tearful, arms hugging herself as if she could somehow prevent what would come from coming, with that self-protection gesture. She couldn't have. Her pleading and sobs only agitated the middle aged man before her more. He hated being disturbed when he napped and the little girl made that very mistake.
For all the innocence and glee of a nine year old, she cooed over and played peek-a-boo with her baby sister. The eleven months old baby knew nothing but be entertained and laughed her baby laughter, pure and melodic. They unintentionally woke up their sleeping father and the older sister was in his death grip soon to be punished as a result.
When the father first woke up and forcefully dragged his older daughter out to the front yard by the arm, his mother ran to the crib as fast as her uneven limbs allowed to take the giggling baby. The grandmother was afraid her son would turn his attention to the baby, she hardened her heart against heartbreaking scene and retreated backward.
With tears in her own eyes, she kept looking at her granddaughter as it was, in a way, to let her know she felt the pain she felt. She could only cried while watching her older granddaughter being mistreated by her own father. As young as she was, the baby seemed to sense the fear in the air and the seething anger in her father, she wailed as if she knew and shared her sister's pain and tears.
Not able to watch the blows she was sure would come down on the little girl, she turned then walked off to comfort the crying baby in her arms. The grandmother couldn't understand how a gentle looking, soft spoken man like her son could turn into a monstrous monster as he was at that moment. A monster for a father who unreasonably and heartlessly disciplined his own daughter that way. The poor child had done nothing wrong. All she'd done was trying to make up to her baby sister, who didn't get a chance to meet the woman gave them life.
The grandmother wished life were different, where men didn't think they were gods. Where their women should always be submissive and never ask their husband or the men in their family any question. It didn't matter whether that question was called for to right the wrong done to the child of their flesh and blood. And if the women ever dared to question, they'd be punished with the worst punishment ever, her children or grandchildren were to be taken away. She didn't care what could happen to her and would run away with the girls, if not for the baby now in her arms. The baby was too young to be exposed to harsh environment living on the streets.
With a heavy heart and tears blinding her eyes, the grandmother walked down the country road to calm the baby. She had no idea what had transpired back at home. She didn't see the look on the girl right before the father picked her up and tossed her into a narrow but deep canal, not far from their home. Too frightened, the girl couldn't utter a cry for help; but no one would come even if she did. They lived in the countryside and there were farms after farms between houses, no one could hear her.
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If the grandmother witnessed that horror, she could never forget or would forgive herself for being so powerless and couldn't protect her granddaughter. She didn't know any of that and believed her was hiding somewhere as she always did and waited for the monster in her father to recede. But one night and half a day later, there was still no sight of her granddaughter, she became worried but dared not to approach her son.
Baby on her arms, she went to check the missing little girl's usual hiding places but saw no sight of her. She had to go farther down the road to the next town before she could find any sign of her. She ran into a woman, probably in her thirties and looked pretty, the younger woman told her she did meet a young child yesterday around noon.
She was beyond belief but felt the blood rush to her head when the younger woman recalled, "As I was walking by, I saw her floating on the water and swam in to rescue her. I took her back here to make sure she was all right. I asked where she lived so I could take her back to her family. The girl didn't say anything other than thanking me for saving her. Didn't she come home last night?"
The grandmother looked like she could faint any second so she helped her sit down on the chair opposite her then went back to her seat. Sometime later Miyako reflected, "Now I remember why I wondered and called out to her when she took off to south of here."
The news seemed to render the elderly lady speechless for a second then anxiously asked once recovered. "Do you really remember it's south? Not any other direction?"
"Yes, I'm sure she went south."
"That way is the border."
The lady reminded her and she felt sorry and worry at the same time. The border was no place for children, especially girls like the lady's granddaughter, young and a beauty. With that thought, she turned to the lady seeming to say more but the lady was already on her way out, saying goodbye and a quick thank you. Had no idea as of what was going on at the woman's home for a little girl to run toward the border, she just sighed and worried for the girl. Hadn't that lady and her daughter told the little girl not go anywhere near the border?
Thinking about the little girl, she started to worry about her own son. Sometimes she had to wonder if her husband and son soul switched for the father was more playful than the son. Her son was too serious for his age and like that missing girl, he didn't talk much. Getting up, she made her way to the back house and as she passed where the elderly lady sat earlier, she saw a cute little sock lying on the seat. The baby with that old lady must have dropped it and what a beautiful baby she was.
When Miyako had first seen that baby, she couldn't have helped but had to take a peek. And when she'd gotten up close, the baby had looked at her intensely before greeting her admirer with eyes smiling and a grin, showing her two front teeth. She wished she had asked her grandmother her name and where they lived. She'd love to visit and see the baby with rare eye color, a mixture of blue and violet. The violet eyed baby was just gorgeous and the small bracelet on the tiny wrist told Miyako her gender.
Miyako thought she'd fallen in love for the third time when those amethysts-yes, only a gem was appropriate for such beautiful eyes-opened wide and observed whatever came into their view. The baby girl and the little girl she had met last night must be sisters. They looked so alike, except their eyes. Still, both girls would grow up to become beautiful young women one day, given that the older girl survived and some good Samaritan saved her. The possibilities were depressing. She shook it off and headed for the kitchen to get lunch ready for her husband, he'd be back any time now.
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posted 24 November