The Truth of Things

Part 1

Sasha has never heard her mother's voice before. When she could hear all the sounds around her, from the sizzling food on the stove to the birds tweeting under the bright sun outside, her mother's voice remained a rather elusive mystery. Sitting in her place at the table, she watched the woman move about the kitchen, pondering hard on what seemed to be an enigma wrapped in a riddle and swathed within a mystery.

Maybe, if she just asked then her mother would answer? With a determined furrow between her brows, Sasha made her decision. She hopped down from her seat and toddled towards her mother, tugging on her skirt to get her attention. Sasha peered at the quizzically smiling face above and waited, watching the other's mouth. Yet, her mother's lips didn't move, and instead, hands gently rubbed the top of her head. Her own lips now downturned, Sasha raised both her hands in the air, in the universal language of children, and motioned, "Up!"

"Not now, baby, I have to finish breakfast," her mother's hands answered.

Sasha narrowed her eyes. There it was again. Words formed with hands, instead of a mouth. It hit her again how she had to use her mouth to speak with others, while she and her mother used hands to speak with each other. Pursing her lips, she stared hard at those earnest brown eyes, and again beckoned, "Up!"

Her mother gently shook her head with a relenting smile and lifted her up, holding her close. Sasha put a hand against her mother's mouth and gently patted it, saying, "Momma." She waited for the other to reply, for those lips to shift and shape a word. But they remained closed and not even a breath was released.

The brown eyes facing her took on a sad shine before her mother shook her head miserably and pulled her in close, hugging her tightly. Sasha attempted to lean back but her head was pressed into the crook of her mother's neck and she yielded to the action as her mother kept shaking her head, "No," while softly patting her back. Sasha bit her lip in disquiet and wondered about her mother's sudden sadness, trying her best to offer comfort by clinging with her arms and legs wrapped around that warm, strong body. She patiently waited as her mother paced, thoughts running fast in her head.

But it took a long time before her mother smiled her usual golden smiles at her and soon, Sasha's young mind raced off to other thoughts and to do other things.

Nevertheless, that day, Sasha learned that asking her mother to speak with her mouth made the other inexplicably sad and it simply became one of the many secrets that the world seemed to hold.