Stories by Twilight

Woman of Sorrow

A woman watched from her rocking chair on the porch as two kids played. Their screams of laughter and joy danced across the air as they reached the ears of the woman watching.

A smile was painted across her face as her eyes were filled with sorrow. Happiness and sadness coexisted inside her. Happiness for the sweet innocence the children still had before they learned of how fierce and unforgiving the world could be.

She could still remember that fateful day when she lost her first child, Benoni. The ship was leaving the port soon and they wouldn't let her on. So she did what lots of other desperate mothers were doing.

She threw her baby onto the ship.

The ship was big, and its deck was high up, higher than anyone could throw a child. As women threw them in hopes of saving them from the terrible existence that waited for them if they didn't make it out of the country, their children plopped into the freezing water, never to be seen again.

She watched as her darling baby boy hit the water as a big wave washed over Benoni and swallowed him whole. The woman tried to jump into the water to save him as many other desperate mothers were doing, but a strong hand held her back and pull her away from the water. When she turned to shout at them, they were gone.

She never did find out who saved her life that day.

Two decades later, she lost another child in another escape from danger.

"Stay safe and out of trouble, Dikeledi," the woman told her daughter.

Dikeledi nodded as tears formed in her eyes. "I love you, Mamá."

The woman gave her a hug. "I love you too, my darling. We'll see each other soon."

She watched as her daughter boarded the separate space ship as they had run out of space for children on their ship, so Dikeledi had to make the journey by herself. Rosa turned around at the last second and gave the woman a brave smile that wobbled a little.

"Come, we need to hurry," the woman's husband called to her.

They hurried into the ship and were buckling in for liftoff when the hologram that showed the outside of the ship caught her attention.

A mob swarmed around the second ship, trying to board before it left Earth. All that resulted in was some people trying to destroy it out of anger and resentment towards those that had almost escaped the asteroid coming to destroy the earth.

A fire successfully caught, and the woman could only watch as the ship was consumed by hungry flames.

"My daughter's in here!" she screamed. "Dikeledi! Please, let Dikeledi be safe!"

No one but her husband could try to consult the grieving mother for all 5 years of the journey to another planet.

Two decades after landing on Mars, another death occurred. The woman and her husband were all alone now. Their only surviving child had left their farm in search of his future.

A few years after he had left, a drought left the woman and her husband hungry. Their crops had failed, and they had no money to pay for food. The husband had been bedridden weeks later when he fell off their tiny house, trying to repair the roof.

"Promise me something, my love," the husband asked. She nodded, trying not to think about how this might be his last request. "Promise me you will live for years after my death and it won't break you."

"I promise, Ajax" she told him even though she wasn't sure she could keep her word.

He smiled weakly. "Good."

The husband died a week later with the woman at his side, holding his hand as he took his last breath.

The woman was brought back to the present by the boy and his sister walked up to her.

"Look at what I can do!" the girl shouted. She did a cartwheel and smiled up at the woman. Sadness flowed over her features when she saw the tears. "Bisabuela, are you okay?"

"Yes, Dikeledi," the woman replied, wiping away her tears. "I was just thinking about the past."

"Can you tell us about the people we were named after?" the boy asked.

She smiled sadly. "Maybe another time, Benoni. Your parents will be here soon to pick you up."

As if summoned by the woman's words, a man and his pregnant wife walked up to the small house.

"I've missed you, Abuela," the wife said, giving her a hug.

"Nice to see you again," the man said.

The woman gave them both a hug. "I'm so happy you both are here. How's the baby?"

The woman smiled. "We found out it's a boy. We thought that maybe we could name if after your husband?"

Tears of happiness and sorrow sparkled in the woman's eyes. "I'd love that. Ajax would be so happy."

The children hugged their great-grandmother. "Bye, Bisabuela! We can't wait to see you again!"

"Me either, my darlings," the woman replied.

As her great-grandchildren walked away with their parents, the woman laid back in her rocking chair and praised whoever had let her have this.

"I thank you, whoever did this, to let a a woman of such sorrows have such an amazing family that have yet to face such sadness that I did."