Beyond Immortality

CHAPTER FIVE

Quick notice guys I have stopped naming my titles because Wattpad keeps re-arranging them in alphabetical order and it's creating confusion . Tried editing and re-editing but it's not working.
Sorry for any inconvenience
😊😊😊

   ***
A hand was caressing my face. Voices of people close by speaking. A little movement and I shrieked from a sharp pain radiating from my limb. It took my lids a while to slide open. I batted them a little, my hands going ahead to rub at them. My mother's face came into view when my vision cleared. She had this pained expression. Her eyes a deep red from crying. Panic written all over her pale face. She struggled holding back the tears welling up in her eyes. I had never seen her cry before.

Whenever she had a misunderstanding with father she rather talked to him and clear the negative energy between them. At times if the fight was intense, father never returned home and if he did he was always late. Two days were enough for them to make up. They had good days too. Father bought mother flowers or he would take her out for a picnic, nothing fancy though but it was worth more than a million pieces of gold. I treasured the affection the two had for each other. I wanted a man like father. A man who looked forward brighter future.

"Mother I tried to save him but I couldn't." I start sitting up. Around us are some men from the village talking amongst themselves. Ronan among them. "They killed father." I choke at the words. Mother hugs me, I return it.

"It's fine Taliyah things will be alright." My mother tries to spell out camouflaging her grief. No mother it will never be alright, not when we've lost the head and breadwinner of the family.

"We need to go," a bitter Ronan spat. He was mad nevertheless he was right. My existence in my parent's house thinned away as I sensed imminent danger. With father gone, I was going to be in for it. My mother was around but I was worried if she could manage to take care of everyone alone. This was a burden indeed. Had I not run off father would have been alive. My insensitive judgment led me into making a rushed decision at the cost of father's life.

Mother explained how she gathered the men from the village when father and I did not return. Her agony grew when she saw smoke rising in the distance in the forest.

"I need you to get up," she said. She stood up and placed her arms in my armpits helping me up. A shriek escaped my mouth at the sharp ache on my leg. She went ahead and placed my arm around her shoulder aiding walking assistance. The village men helped carry my father's corpse back to our house. Since we couldn't remain in the same house the village elder had us take shelter in our neighbour's house. This allowed them to clean and cleanse father's body uninterrupted. The night was awkward and long. The family living close to us was made up of one brother and a sister whose name I learned to be Yrsa who appeared older than I was.

Her younger brother who was my age was handsome in his short black hair and grey eyes. Their sharp gazes towards me made discomfort build up in my guts. I did not know them well enough since no conversation transpired between us. Mother was familiar with them as they talked flawlessly. They tried consoling us not to talk of making sure we were comfortable. Yrsa nursed my wounds, dressing them after applying some ointment to help stop an infection. During this time I got to chat with her. She was a bit slender; her shoulder-length hair was the same colour as her brother's. She resembled him perfectly. Loquacious she was. I also learned she was engaged and was waiting on her betrothed so they could visit his relatives. The way she talked lively made me envy her. Her life was perfect. I knew she talked like this to ease my mind

Ronan was nowhere to be seen. I tried sleeping unsuccessfully. The images of how my father lost his life flashed in my mind. I tossed and turned on the mat laid down in the living room for mother, Creena and I till I finally gave up. Quietly I woke up and stealthily left the house. The moon was still shining high up. It was a little cloudy. The entire was place silent. I crept back into our house. It was dark and cold. I maneuvered my way around till I was at the cabinet mother placed her candles. I took one and lit it. My eyes landed upon father's corpse lying on a long new table. The village elders must have had it brought in. He looked so handsome you'd think he was taking a quick nap. His lips were a little pale but still retained their colour. He was dressed in a white long burial gown his hands neatly resting on his stomach. I knelt beside him, and took his hand into mine, ignoring the pain in my leg.