Saints of the Deluded Curse

Chapter One

Flashes of light

Had there no tough times ahead, Miss Daisy of number seventeen Yellow Wood Oak Street would have been very much pleased to say she had a faultless life. She was the first person people would ask over for advice when they need assistance, because she treasured being surrounded by people. Although she had a small family she still cherished those little moments.

Miss Daisy was the owner of a small bakery slash sweet shop joined to one called Hoof-koek, which specialised in all sorts of cakes and sweets. From angel cakes to muffins, scones to wedding cakes - from butterscotch to wine gum and don't leave a lollipop or peppermint.

She was not too thin or too fat from head to toe, although she was very nice-looking with beautiful hair that flowed with the wind and a beautiful smile, the same as everyone from her family, she still considered herself fortunate for such luck.

Miss Daisy had a son named Alexander and in her opinion she thought he was as marvellous as they come.

She was the only person in her community who under no circumstances wanted to hear secrets about other people's repulsive stories. She always said it was utter rubbish and a waste of her time.

But Miss Daisy had a secret though, which by far surpassed those told by her neighbours. This sinister secret wasted Miss Daisy's time lingering in and out off of her mind and how they would take her son away.

They were Miss Daisy's foster parents who had adopted her at the tender age of ten. They had heard that she had had a baby and they certainly did not approve of her raising a Valour out of the family. Valour was a family feared for their sinful history that was famous throughout the community where Miss Daisy grew up in, but she only discovered that after she had been living with them awhile. All folks with this name were considered as wicked as the rest no matter married, born or adopted to the Valour household.

Although Miss Daisy was sweet (like the cakes she baked at Hoof-koek) she was also a friendly person with her always-smiling face and sympathetic voice, unlike the Valour's, which she did not feel she was connected to them more.

*

When Miss Daisy woke up that bright, blue-skied Thursday morning this story starts, there was something about the clear sky outside suggesting that this was the perfect day to pack up and leave for another town where she would not be recognised. Leaving a town was fairly easy for Miss Daisy because it would be the seventh town in three years she would leave, hopefully without a trace. Her plan was: go to work; clean her office of any trace of ever being in Graaff-Reinet, act as normal as she could possibly master throughout the day, return home and the next day depart.

Leaving for work was such bothersome for Miss Daisy and there was never anything really remarkable going on at work? She droned as she slipped on her most bright red shoes for work sitting atop of a bulky, dusty leather trunk. Alexander was already set and seated calmly on his high chair for his first and probably only visit to Hoof-koek.

At eight o'clock Miss Daisy had had everything packed safely in the car, except the trunk which she left it in a corner at the kitchen and backed out of number seventeen's drive.

Miss Daisy had not noticed that the cold of the winter had past and the summer season was drawing near. Her unusual pale sink did of course look truly unnatural for someone who stayed on the south of the equator.

The sun was shining, stroking red and gold through trees and illuminat-ing minuscule patch on the road and gleaming on cars that she past and those, which were going nowhere slowly. Some of the inhabitants of Yellow Wood Oak Street (named after the trees which stood in front of each yard) were outside, lounging in their porches and taking in the rich suns ultra violet rays.