Water Lily

Chapter 1

They say when a baby is born, there born with instincts. They know who there mother is, the women who birth them and brought them into the world. Just by the close warmth of there mothers breath, they already learned there loved. With only minutes of birth, they already know were to find sweet milk from a mother's breast and feed from it. You may ask why dose a baby cry at birth? Well that's simply really, because there scared of losing the alien who feed and kept them warmth for nine months. There first breath is the most important part of child birth, but the most important part of babies is the first look at the big wide world. There first look into the world is scary and unknown, of course I can't confirm that as a fact, but I guess that's what there thinking.

They also say a mothers love for there child is so strong and powerful, that a mother will give up the world to see there child safe.

I was born on a dark misty, blue moon night. The wind was heavy while the river sang midnight songs. I was born next to a deep blue river that was once ruled by beautiful creatures called the lost mermaids. I was born into the crowded city of Troy, in the fair Roman Empire, were the night's are hot and the days hotter. My young mother of only fifteen was deep in labor and on the last few steps of giving birth to me, on that blue moon night.

They say a baby born on a blue moon is considered a witch or a curse upon the family, only because of the strange coloring of the moon, in my opinion I think it's just nonsense made up from a bunch of uneducated and bored house wife's, who have nothing else to do in there free time than fill young mothers heads with tales.

My aunties say I caused my mother so much pain; the midwife had to seduce my young mother with very raw and very much strong alcohol, just to get her to calm down. Aunt Judith says my mother's entrance was not wide enough for me to come through; therefore I cause terrible pain towards my mother, while trying to escape her womb. My two aunties and a terribly old midwife struggled to bring me into the world.

Yet there was a deadly decision to be made, either the young mother Leah lives and the child dies in the womb, or the child lives and the mother dies in the processes. Both antie Judith and Rachelle cried along with my mother's cries of pain, aunt Rachelle says mothers cries were so loud they were heard from two villages away. As my young mother cried in pain, she screamed with all her might to save me, her unborn child struggling to come out and into the world, and even offering her life to Pluto the god of death in exchange for her unborn child's life. My aunties say they all prayed to Esma the goddess of birth for help and guidance on how to save both the mother and dying child's life.

I could only imagine how much pain my young mother had to endure to save my life and give hers up. I've seen other women go through the struggle of giving birth to child, only because am auntie Rachelle's right hand, she's a mid wife now in days....well after mothers death. Aunt Judith says and with a heavy blade on her right hand, my mother threatened her own life by placing the sharp blade (used to cut sheep skin) under her throat if the child in her womb was not brought into the world. I think of my mothers "stunt" as aunt Judith likes to call it, was a sign of a courage's woman, with the strength of Hector god of power. I envy my mother for doing what she did, but I will never forgive her for leaving me here, alone in this world.

And with a heavy heart, aunt Rachelle cut my mothers entrance wider, reached into my mother's womb and brought me out into the world. And so with a last deadly breath my mother locked eyes with her tiny newborn, the same one who gave her far to many complications during birth, seconds later my young mother feel into a deep sleep that would last a whole eternity, an eternity that I wouldn't be part of. After many minutes of crying and wailing, the old midwife came to terms that there was a second baby "a twin" my aunt Rachelle cried. Soon enough did they realize it was a fat baby boy, born a stillborn. 

My name is Juliana Cato, I was named after my mothers Greek roots Juliana "implying youthful". Cato I received from my father meaning "wise". I am sixteen years old. I was born in the Roman Empire in the city of Troy. Since my birth I was raised in the great city of Alexandria, in a beautiful land called Egypt. I don't consider myself a Roman native, but rather a sun kissed Egyptian girl who has grown up learning Egyptian customs and culture. My mother died at a tender age of fifteen giving birth to me, I was her first born and her last.

I was born into a family consisting of one husband and three wives. My father's name is Zikeo Cato, named after a legendary sheepherder in his mother land. His first wife aunt Judith conceived eight boys. Who are my eldest brothers go by the names Isaac first born, Jeremiah and Jeremiad the second and third born twins, Nordeth and Normon the fourth and fifth born twins, Almen and Alam the sixth and seventh born twins, Deuce the eighth and final born son of my father and aunt Judith. My father Zikeo's second wife aunt Rachelle only conceived two boys, by the names of Ezra my fathers ninth son and Rachelle's first born, and Liam my fathers tenth and Rachelle's second and final born. My father's third and final wife was Leah only conceiving a pair of twins Juliana, Zikeo's eleventh and first born daughter and Julian Zikeo's twelfth child, born a stillborn.

I am Zikeo's first and only daughter, also his eleventh and last child. I am the child of his third and youngest wife Leah, who died while giving birth to his only daughter and taking the twelfth son Julian with her.

As a child I know I was unwanted and unwelcome by not only my father but his first wife, aunt Judith. All of my brothers show hatred towards me apart from one, Ezra. Father's ninth son and aunt Rachelle's first born. Only auntie Rachelle and my brother Ezra, showed true warmth, kindness, love, and gave comfort towards Zikeo's only daughter, the curse who took the beautiful young wife away from him. I will forever be my father's troubling curse.

My mother Leah was considered the most fairest among the three sisters, or so my father would say. She carried a river of long golden hair with an olive complexion to match. Her bloody red lips and amber eyes were envied by the women of Troy. Her hour glass body made the men of troy crazy, while leaving the women burning with jealousy. Then if so, what did my mother see in my father? What drove her to marry a man that surpassed her by ten plus years and was already married with two wives, her sisters? Don't get me wrong my father is quite handsome for a man his age; he was blessed with ocean blue eyes and thick brown locks that had turned grey over the years.

"Juliana you lazy girl, were on earth are you hiding" aunt Judith yelled from a distance, I rolled my eyes as I herd her husky manish voice.