Judith’s surprise
THE FOLLOWING MORNING, the sun warmed my face as usual and woke me up. As soon as I remembered my plan, and the bag under my bed that I'd packed the night before, my heart began to beat heavily in my chest.
I rolled off my bed, quickly washed and dressed and grabbed my bag. As I did, I heard laughter drifting in from outside. Lorin was already up, playing with our younger brother, and they were clearly both in good spirits. I’d not told anyone about my plans as I had no idea what their reaction would be.
I left the farm via the back door, hoping nobody would see me, but as I stepped off the veranda, Lorin came running around the corner. He saw my bag straight away.
“And where are you going?” he asked. “What’s with the bag? Are you planning on running away?” Lorin asked, somewhat stunned, tears starting to roll down his cheeks.
“Shhhh, don’t cry. I’m not planning anything,” I said, trying not to cause a fuss or alert anyone else that I was about to leave. It was too late though, mother and grandmother must have heard a commotion and they came running down from the stable where they must have been working.
“What are you doing Emilia?” mother asked, a confused look on her face.
“I’m sorry mother, but ever since I was seven years old, I have worked on this farm, day and night. I’ve never had the chance to visit a big city. I have been having dreams about what it must be like there for years, and now I have a chance to go and stay with my sister,” I said, taking in a deep breath to try and hold back the gush of tears that I felt were about to explode from my eyes.
There was silence for a few seconds and then, to everyone’s surprise, Lorin said, “You know, I think it’s a bloody good idea sister!”
"Why is it a good idea if Emilia leaves the farm? It will be dangerous for her!" Mother said.
"She is seventeen now mother and has been through many things. Nobody can do anything worse than what our own father did to her. If I was her, I'd go," Lorin said, helping me with my bag and securing it to the back of the horse that I intended riding to the village in order to catch a bus into the city.
Mother knew she couldn't stop me. Tears welled in her eyes as she resigned herself to my plan and hugged me.
Grandmother came over to me, winked, and whispered a blessing into my ear. "God be with you Emilia," she said, as Lorin helped me up on the horse before climbing on after me. We set off towards the forest and the path that meandered its way to the village.
We finally reached the village, and the bus stop. We both dismounted the horse and I gave Lorin one last hug. "Thank you for all the support you have given me brother. And please, never mention our secret," I said to him.
"I hope you can find what you are looking for out there, but remember, don't trust anyone," Lorin said, trying to hide the tears that were wetting his face.
"It's Ok Lorin, I will be careful. You must look after mother and granny," I said, doing my best to remain strong. "Take care riding back," I said.
The bus finally arrived, later than usual, a cloud of dust enveloping us as it pulled to a stop. I boarded, waved one last time to Lorin, and settled into my hard seat for the ride into the city. The road was terrible at this time of year, potholed and dusty. I was going to be in for an uncomfortable ride. Although I hadn't told my sister I was on my way, she shouldn't be too surprised to see me. After all, she had invited me to her place to live.
The journey to the city was hard and stressful. The bus broke down twice, and on the second time, myself and a few other passengers were told that to get to where we wanted, we would have to hitch a lift. After a few hours of standing in the hot sun, we finally managed to flag down a big truck and we all jumped in the back. I was dropped off a short distance away from my sister’s and had to walk the rest of the way.
As I approached my sister's house, I saw a figure bent over in the garden. It was my sister, Judith, raking the lawn. I walked up to the garden wall. "Hi!" I said, excited to see her reaction.
My sister turned, and dropped the rake as she saw me. "My God, what the hell are you doing here?!" she said, astonished.
"Well, you did invite me!"
"Yes, but I had no idea you would actually come," Judith said, running over and hugging me.
"I just had enough of the farm. The time was right," I told her.
Jose, my sister’s husband came out to see what all the fuss was about, and was just as surprised to see me as my sister was. He hugged me, and then grabbed my bags and took them into the house.
As Judith held my hand and led me into the house, my heart started racing. My sister looked totally different to how I remember her. She now had long dark hair and very brown skin, and she looked much more mature. I didn't want to admit it, but she looked more like our father. A cold chill ran down my spine as I noticed the resemblance.
"You must take a shower whilst I prepare some food," Judith said.
My sister's voice seemed to drift over me and I hadn't really taken notice of what she'd said. All my senses were focused on the television sitting in the corner of the room, bright light and sound emanating from it. I'd never seen a television before. I'd only ever heard Lorin talking about one and had dreamt of seeing a real one ever since he'd spoken about it.
My sister and Jose smiled as they realised it was the first time I'd ever seen a TV. Jose ushered me closer to the television and showed me how to change the channels, laughing at my innocence. I looked on, amazed.
"Come on, you can show her later Jose. She needs a shower now, she's very tired," Judith said.
"Come on, I'll show you your room."
"Wow! I'm so impressed," I said, emptying my bag on to the bed. "This place is so lovely."
"I was surprised too when I first came to the city, but now I am used to it. You will get used to it to, but you must try and focus on important things, like trying to find yourself a school."
My sister Judith was a very determined lady. Jose was a loving husband, and she had two small children. She was my only sibling who’d accepted a forced marriage, but it had worked out, and luckily, she had fallen in love with Jose straight away. At least my father had done something right, I thought.
I spent the first two days just getting my bearings and used to living in such modern surroundings, but I soon felt that perhaps it hadn’t been such a good idea moving to the city. Something didn’t feel quite right, but I kept my feelings to myself.
On the third day, Judith took me around the neighbourhood. It was smelly, dusty and noisy, and I began to long for home, the Amazon rainforest and its singing birds. I couldn’t believe how close the houses were to each other, and the people! I’d never seen so many people before in my life. The pace of the city left me feeling suffocated. Instead of going out, I dragged a chair from the house and placed it up against a large tree in the street and just sat there, watching the hectic lives of all the people that lived here. I just felt exhausted by the heat and the new surroundings felt unnatural and scary to me.
Judith came out the house with a glass of pineapple juice for me and walked out through the gate, to where I was sitting against the tree. “Are you ok?” she asked, handing me the glass.
“I am now,” I said, sipping the cold, sweet drink.
“Listen, one day you will meet a handsome guy and you will move here forever, so you might as well get used to it.”
My sister laughed in response to the face I pulled. I wasn’t sure I wanted to meet anyone yet, especially here.
“I never want to get married,” I said, shaking my head, attempting to dispel the thought immediately.
“You say that now, but as soon as you see the handsome boys from town, you’ll change your mind,” Judith said, smiling, squeezing into the chair beside me.
We both sat together, watching the people go by, talking and watching the sun go down, and with it, finally a little relief from the heat of the day.
Deep down, I knew my sister was right, but all the talk of men w
as something that was going to happen in the future, not now, not when I wanted to focus on my life and studies.
For now, I just needed to focus on living in this noisy, dirty city. Learn how to cross the road without being struck by a car and to accept all the other people around me.
As the days slowly passed, I started really missing life on the farm, Lorin and mother. Perhaps I wasn’t really ready to live in the city after all?
When in school, I always preferred to sit alone, not really wanting to interact or talk to anyone. Even when the teacher called out my name I ignored her. The other students thought I was weird, but I didn’t care. If any of them ever looked like they were about to try and bully me, I gave them a look which warned them off. I must have given them the impression that I was about to kill anyone who crossed me, such was my ability to summon aggression from nowhere. My upbringing had provided me with ample experience to draw on in that respect, but, for the most part, I tried to act like a lady, and I was always prepared to help anyone who looked like they needed any help.
One night, after I’d been at my sisters for three weeks or so, Judith entered my room, assuming I was asleep. I lay still, looking at her through half closed eyes. I could see Judith looking around my room, her face a picture as she looked at the mess. My paintings were hanging all over the walls, and my clothes everywhere.
The following morning I was waiting for her to say something, and it didn’t take long. As I sipped at a glass of milk I was holding, Judith said, “Emilia, we really need to talk.”
“Do we?” I said, looking up at her.
“It’s your room. I walked in there last night, while you were asleep. I mean it’s such a mess. It looks like a tornado has ripped through it. The paintings on the wall…I mean the one hanging on the door, well, it’s just macabre,” she said.
“Honestly Ju, I’m fine, really, there’s no need to worry about me. It’s just the way I express myself,” I replied, quickly gulping down the glass of milk I was holding.
Judith eyed me cautiously. “Really, are you sure everything is ok?”
“Really, it’s fine. I am fine,” I said, smiling. I could tell from the look on Judith’s face that she really was a bit worried about me. “Anyway, I must get ready for school,” I said, getting up to go and wash.
“Ok. Well, as long as everything is fine. But please, just try and tidy the room a little, will you?”
I nodded, and headed back upstairs to get myself ready for school.
CHAPTER 35
Prison
IT WAS NOW my second month away from the farm and the second month at my new school. I left as soon as the bell went, and wandered home, hands in my pocket and deep in thought at the day’s events, as usual. As I stepped in through the door of my sister’s home, I felt uneasy and nervous. It seemed oddly quiet. The TV was on in the lounge and I walked in, and saw Judith sitting there alone, staring at it in silence.
I dropped my shoulder bag by the door, walking into the lounge and sat on the sofa next to my sister. The news was on, but I just put my arm around my sister and gave her a gentle shake. “Hey, what you watching?” I asked.
Judith turned to me, a mix of sadness and contentment on her face. “Shhh, listen, they are talking about the man who killed our father.”
I felt my heart suddenly start to race inside my chest. I turned to the television. “We must go to the farm to tell mother about it!” I said, as I listened to what the newsreader was saying.
“You can’t just leave. You must tell school what you are doing. You know how hard it was to get a place there,” Judith said.
“I don’t need to do that, because I’m not coming back!” I said, defiantly.
Judith looked me, her mouth falling open in surprise. “It’s your life,” she said, resigned to the fact that she wouldn’t be able to change my mind once I’d made a decision.
The news story confirmed that the police had captured the man who’d killed my father, a relief for all of us. I had to return to the farm to tell everyone the news.
Later that day, Judith helped me pack, gave me some money and waited with me for the bus to arrive. “Give my love to everyone at the farm won’t you,” she said, kissing me goodbye.
“Of course,” I said, boarding the bus for the long ride home.
As the bus’s noisy engine rattled to life and it pulled away from the bus stop, I wondered if I was actually making the right decision. I had all the luxuries I needed here, and I had found myself a place in school, but somehow, I felt that I just didn’t fit in. Perhaps I just wasn’t yet ready to leave the farm, I concluded. I could always try again, if I wanted to.
The bus finally pulled into the small village. Our farm was still a long way away, especially by foot, so I started to walk towards the village shops, hoping to be able to find a lift. As I walked I heard the sound of a motorbike approaching from behind me. I turned and to my surprise, Carlinho pulled up on his new bike.
“Wow, I didn’t expect to see you,” he said. “Need a ride?”
I looked at his filthy bike, dripping in mud. “I’m not sure I want to get on that,” I said, pointing.
Carlinho frowned. “It safe, I learnt how to ride it last week,” he said, laughing. “Give me a minute, I’ll just go close the shop and I’ll take you back home.”
I waited on the road while Carlinho rode over to his shop, locked up and came back to collect me.
Carlinho was one of my best friends, I realised, as I held on to his waist as we rode towards the farm. Its jut a shame I don’t have any romantic feelings towards him. I could tell that Carlinho saw me as more than just a friend however, he couldn’t hide his feelings towards me.
The feeling of the wind in my hair and on my face as we rode home gave me that feeling of freedom again that I’d been missing in the city. The clean air in my lungs and the orange flowers blossoming, smelled like fresh fruit juice.
Carlinho pulled over outside the farm and revved the bike’s engine, before turning it off. I climbed off and ran over to mother and grandmother who were standing outside the house, wondering where all the noise was coming from.
“It’s so nice to see you both, I missed you terrible,” I said, hugging them both tightly.
“Well, it’s good to see you too child, but why back so soon? We weren’t expecting you!” Mother said, helping me with my bags and waving to Carlinho was about to climb back on his bike.
I took a deep breath. “Well, I came to tell you both that the man who killed papa is now in prison.
Mother looked at me, wondering if she had heard me correctly. She then covered her mouth, as if to prevent her thoughts escaping from her open mouth. Mother and grandmother then hugged each other, a look of sheer joy on their faces. “Are you sure?” Grandmother finally asked.
“Yes, I saw it on the news, on the television, with my own eyes,” I said.
Mother shook her head. “Well, I never thought we’d hear such good news. Knowing Moises killer was still at large worried me to death, but now maybe we can find peace at last,” she said, tears of joy rolling down her cheeks.
I rushed to my room, threw my bag on the bed and looked around. Nothing had changed. It was exactly the same as I’d left it a month earlier. Mother must have known I’d be back soon, no doubt, I thought. It felt so good to be back in my old room, amongst my things. I just couldn’t wait to run into the forest, to feel as free as a little wild animal, once again.
“Hey… look whose back?” Lorin said, barging into my room.
I tore my eyes away from my window and the forest beyond and turned to Lorin. “I’ve missed you so much brother, and I have so much to tell you.”
I hugged Lorin tightly, realising that I’d never felt so much calm and peace in my life before.
CHAPTER 36
Home
"COME ON LET’S go to the lake, we can talk there," Lorin said, grabbing my hand and pulling me out of the room.
We walked through the forest to the
lake and sat down on the bank. Lorin told me his news, barely able to control the flow of words rolling off his tongue. I in turn told him all about my adventures in the city, how amazing the technical gadgets were, the clothes, magazines, and about all the people. Just being by the lake side, surrounded by the Amazon, made me realise how much I'd missed home. The smells, the colours, the sounds of the animals; it was a world away from the noise, pollution and cars in the city.
When we returned home it was almost dark. I couldn't quite believe my brother's news. He'd met a girl, Joanne, and was actually going to get married. I was so happy that Lorin had found happiness with someone at last. After all that we had both been through, he deserved to be loved.
A few weeks after I'd returned to the farm, we all learnt, through the local newspapers, what had happened to father. It turned out that the man who'd confessed to killing father had also been employed by Joseph, and had killed our father on Joseph's orders. Father had also been working for the man who had ultimately ordered his assassination. We never found out what happened to the man who killed father, but Joseph was caught by the police. He tried to run, but the police found enough evidence on his farm to lock him away for life. It was just a shame that by the time they caught him, Joseph was an old man, his health deteriorating, and he'd only been locked up for a short time before he too was found dead, under suspicious circumstances. Nobody would mourn for that pig.
That was the final piece of the jigsaw puzzle for me, all three of them now dead. I now had the life I'd always dreamt of. I couldn't help but wonder; what if father had never met Joseph? Would he have lived a good and decent life? Been a decent person? Somehow I doubted it, but the thought provided me a tiny bit of solace.
Life on the farm was now relaxed and much happier than it had ever been. We still worked hard, but it was as if a dark cloud had lifted from all of us. Lorin didn't hang around long. He got married to Joanne and moved a short distance away. I continued helping mother and grandmother, and in return, granny taught me all she knew about her witchcraft, and all of us felt free and happy.
Daughter of the Forest: Diary of an Assassin Page 20