Eliza,I heard my mother call my name,I entered the room and looked at the weak ,frail woman lying,I knelt beside her as she touched my cheeks gently,u have grown really well,she said but it is time to let go and meet my ancestors .
She wanted to say something but was interrupted by a knock on the door,I immediately went to open it, thinking it was my father who had arrived I haven't reached the door level and had to take a stool to open the door.
Immediately the door was opened,I met the scrutinising gaze of the guard . He was looking at me for two minutes straight not saying a word. I knew he was probably thinking why I have not grown like my mates,I should probably be like ten or something but I have the features of a two years old child .
I always see this gaze among the villagers also,I also hear whispers among them asking themselves if I was a dwarf or I was possessed.
I laughed it off because I can't possibly be a dwarf because aside me being able to walk I still look like a baby . What about being possessed well I might be nobody really knows how I exist anyways.
Back to the reason why the guard was really here,he took me outside and there I saw my father on the ground lifelessly.
What could have possibly happened to him?Died of natural death,not really there were blood all over his body . Killed by an animal,not sure also but that was the only plausible explanation. The guards told me they found his body by the river he said he was attacked by a fish or snake which was a lie I could sense it by the way he talked he was avoiding looking at my eyes and besides my father wasn't dumb he would have screamed if he was attacked and could have been saved by the other fishermen and besides there wasn't any bite marks,it was looking more a blade,more of assassination.
The guard said we were given just a day to bury him and leave the village. My mother came outside and looked at her husband lifeless body and smiled,she said,"At least the journey with you was not in vain . It was probably the work of the emperor,he never really did like us anyway,if not of your identity we wouldn't have lived this long, adopting the child was probably the last patience he had for us".
I watched as my mother bury her husband. Sooner or later,the sunset and the night was calling. In the night,I was awoken by the sound of the villagers talking,I smelled smoke,it seemed something was on fire. Looking outside,I saw the villagers holding axes,spear and any weapon you could think of . I tapped my mother and shouted her name but she was too weak ,I was too weak to carry all my efforts was in vain .She looked at me and said"Dear don't bother about an old woman like me,I will only slow you down, take this necklace with you and run as fast as you can "I tried pulling her but I couldn't I really can't leave here ,she is all I have but she told me it was an honour to die and be buried beside her husband that I shouldn't bother, it was pointless now run she shouted . I know I couldn't stay any longer, taking advantage of the villagers distraction I ran to the nearest bush I could find after running for a bit ,I looked back at the place I called home everything was on fire and I couldn't stop the tears from flowing
And for the first time in my life,I hated myself for being so weak.