Prairie Flower

Chapter Two

I remember the day my father had died clearly. Leah and Yana were arguing in the room while Milla and I were out in the field playing with our dolls and making flower crowns with daisies. Mother and father had a very bad argument and I saw my father drag mom outside the house and started tying her on the post where we usually tie the mules on. He was about to take out the whip that was meant for the mules when Chief Lesharo came in and stepped in between to save my mother. I thought this was quite odd because no one would ever do that unless they really care about someone. Lesharo took a very bad lash on his back that day. My father was very furious, I have never seen him this mad before, he set off into the woods and left mother tied up. I think he had too much to drink that day. At the corner of my eyes, I see Chief Lesharo comforting my mother. That day was the day her eyes lost the spark of hope and love. My father never came back after that day, after two weeks they just found his body near the ravine. They told us an animal attacked him and injured him and they found a small fire pit that was supposedly for a signal but the fever got to him from the infection and he did not make it. Ever since that day my mother had never smiled nor looked straight in our eyes.

I look back onto the distance where we had just came from, the house my sisters and I have grew up in, where we cherished our childhood all gone. For some odd reason I am furious from leaving; however, I am relieved that we have left our doomed house.

The darkness of nightfall has finally caught up to us, we stopped at a nearby tree and set camp. Milla took the mules to the nearby stream to get a drink of water; as well as, fetch us a pail of water for our journey. Mother was fast asleep inside the wagon, I think its exhaustion from her pregnancy, it is her eight month anyways. I went ahead to set camp while the twins try to gather as much edible fruits and berries from the forest.

"I don't get why we have to move, nonetheless leave the village before sunrise. I think something is up Leo, and mother is not telling us." Milla said without hesitation.

The twins comes up behind Milla, "We don't get it either Leo."

"I don't know either, I heard mother and Chief Lesharo fighting over something a couple of weeks back and ever since that day mother has been acting strange and started collecting food and blankets." I know our mother has been hiding something from us, I just cannot put the missing pieces together.

That night, our only light were the stars and the moon who favored us. The view was breathtaking, the galaxies and stars mesmerized us with their beauty, it lit our eyes up. I couldn't seem to get myself to take rest, I watched over our belongings while my sisters and my mother rested. Before I knew it, I fell asleep on the rock I was leaning on beside our wagon and the night turned to day instantly.

"Leo! Leo! Wake up!" Someone tugged me hard on my shoulders and I fell on my side and I cannot seem to move my arms.

"Leo! Please wake up! Mother is gone!" Upon hearing this I instantly felt a rush of adrenaline through my bloodstream and I got up as fast as I could and I see Yana and Leah still sleeping; however, Milla was frantically losing her mind.

I immediately caught a trail, footsteps, towards the stream. "Stay here, watch over the girls." I said as I walk towards the stream.

"Mom?!" I call out.