Of Winds And Quakes

18. The Prayer

Year of the Lilies
Torrid Season
The Hut.
Altsas

Alysia

I CRINGE WHEN I GET TO THE KITCHEN. The dirty dishes are piled up in a basin at the corner, flies buzz around the dishes excitedly. Waving the excited bugs away, I pick up the basin and leave the kitchen. I pass a cooing mistress who cradles the child on her lap and sings to her in a shrill and off-key voice. She doesn't spare me so much as a glance, it's clear that she is totally besotted by her daughter, Mye. From the glimpse I've had of the girl, she has no resemblance to her parents. While they are ugly, she's pretty in the meek way only children can be.

She looks alot like Mavli.

I shake the thoughts away and carry the heavy basin of clanging dishes to the back of the hut where giant drums store water for use.

I place the basin on the ground and I begin to wash. Washing dishes at home was a fun activity. We washed together every evening after dinner. Mavli usually does the washing because she complains I don't use enough soap and I do the rinsing, we spend time walking and laughing and so the chore of washing the dishes stretching into the night.

I rinse twice to make sure all the lather is out of the plates before taking them inside the hut.

"What took you so long?" Mistress asks,"you wanted to spend the whole day washing dishes?"

I say nothing.

She waves her hand at me, dismissively and I take the dishes into the kitchen to arrange them on the racks.

Once that is done, I dry my hands on a hand towel and leave the kitchen.

"It is time for Mye's bath, mistress." I say in my most humble voice.

"Have you boiled the water?" She asks while like stroking Mye's hair fondly, not even sparing me a glance. Just like Father used to do.

"N-No," I stutter.

"Then what are you waiting for?" She snaps,"go boil some water!"

I roll my eyes as I visit the kitchen again. I fill the kettle with water from a drum at the corner of the kitchen. I place the copper kettle on the burning stove and lean on the marble counter, waiting for it to boil.

"What are you doing?"

I jump, clutching my chest with my hands.

"I-I just put the water to boil, mistress," I say.

She gives me a scowl," Mye is hungry. Cook up something for her to eat." She turns to leave.

"Mistress," she pauses and glances at me from above her shoulder.

"What is it?" She barks.

"What should I cook?" I ask her. Please don't yell.

Mye bounces into the room like a beam of sunlight. I stare at her; her jet black tresses, her golden brown eyes, her oval face and bow shaped lips. Mavli.

"What would you love to eat, darling?" Mistress asks with a perky grin.

"I want apples and bananas!" She jumps up and down and her pigtails bounces off her shoulders.

"You heard her,"the overweight woman turns to me,"chop apples and bananas into thin slices and put them in a bowl, do you understand?"

I nod.

"Good," she scoffs. And takes her bundle of joy out of the kitchen with her.

Sighing, I choose two apples; one green one and one red one, and two semi-ripe bananas and proceed to prepare them. I wash the apples, the chopping board and the knife before slicing the apples. Then, I peel the thick green skin of the bananas before slicing them up too.

I toss them into a bowl and place them on a wooden tray. With a flourish and a little pride for executing the task under minutes, I choose a fork from the rack and put it into the bowl.

I place the tray on a mat and Mye hops like a bunny to it. I stand by her side and watch her close her eyes, lace her fingers together and begins muttering something under her breath

Seeing the little girl pray touches a soft spot in my heart. I catch myself smiling and looking at her with admiration.

Mistress catches me looking and laughs a chortling laughter like a child. "I taught her that! Isn't she the cutest thing?"

I smile warmly. "She is."

Her husband comes back just after sundown, he is very grumpy and complains of a headache, she hovers around him bringing food and painkillers and apologizing for his headache. I roll my eyes at her deplorability and proceed to give Mye her night bath.

I hear the goldsmith mutter something about me not being fit to bath Mye to his wife as I made to take Mye to the bathroom and his wife leaps to action, snatches the girl away from me and lumbers into  the bathroom.

The next day my so-called mistress had prepared a breakfast of fried eggs and potatoes for her grumpy husband who complained that the eggs were too crispy and the potatoes were soggy.  Apparently this made her mad and she whipped me that afternoon. The long whip curled in the air before connecting with the skin of my back and shoulders, I tried all I could not to scream as I wanted to and tried even more harder not to uproot their house with strong winds. She claims I didn't feed the chickens on time. I stole an apple from the basket and snuck into a corner to eat it. Mye spots me and skips over, I devour the apple including the seeds and twig.

"I like apples too," she says with an innocent smile.

"I know," I reply. I straighten up from the corner and grab a broom on my way out.

"And bananas," she adds.

"Uh hmm." I nod patronizingly and make to sweep the sitting room.

But Mye grabs my wrist and pulls so I'm bent from my waist down, she whispers "I'm sorry that Mummy beat you."

I can't help smiling. "It was not your fault."

Yeah, yeah. I know it's one of the shortest so far but don't despair, there's still loads of Alysia coming up next.

Thanks for all your support and love.

If you'd like to make banners for 'The Way Of The Wind' don't hesitate to PM me. Cheers.

Your author, Lixxie.