Changing lives constantly: The main

Chapter 3

Chapter three

Third person P.O.V

The woman kept running through the forest and taking obscure twists and turns which showed that she knew where she was going. She kept the baby pressed to her chest so that it could remain comfortable but also so that if it woke up and was startled, its cries would not be heard by the rest of the forest. If its cries were heard, it would mean utter destruction for both it and her so the woman made sure there were no sounds transmitted. After a while, she met a cross-road. She always looked frightened by the second route as that was the route of the unknown. No one knew what was there and no one was bothered enough to explore through all the darkness and danger thus that route was normally sealed off. Taking one last look at the dark path, she went left onto the lighter one and raced as fast as she could.

She finally stopped running once she saw the wooden gate of her village. She slowly walked towards it while trying to think of a way to get in safely. Normally it would be easy considering she left by herself and came back alone, sometimes with meat of which half was used to bribe the gate keepers. They were just as hungry as her and were willing to receive any extra food gracefully. At that moment, however, she had no food on her and was bringing an unknown into her village. How would they not be alarmed? If it was her at the gate, she would refuse entry as well. But she had to try. For family. For life.

She muttered "Sorry" to the baby and quickly stuffed it into her dirty robes, making sure to cover it stealthily so the guards could believe she was just bringing back meat. She would then promise them some meat which had saved for her family. She had no choice but to give it to the gate keepers to ensure safety.

Approaching the door, she knocked on it three times, waited a bit, then knocked once to show that she was a normal citizen of the village. If she was a hunter, she would have knocked twice. If she was part of the chief's family, she would have knocked three times. The small latch in the middle of the door opened so the guards could see who wanted to enter the village. When he saw the woman, his eyes lit up and he immediately opened the door. Before crossing the threshold of the door, the woman kowtowed to the village three times to show respect and gratefulness for protection. This was done every time one came back from the wild.

She went through the door and arrived in a clearing. She could see the whole village in full view and it was a sight to behold. Huts were littered around with the biggest in the centre being the chief's. The proximity of the hut to the chief showed your prestige and standing in the village. Each hut was made out of grass and lined with mud. The more luxurious ones had fur from killed animals and grass mats woven using grass and bamboo.

Slowly, she walked to the last hut which had hardly any grass and bricks sticking out giving the hut a lopsided appearance. She looked around her one more time as she glimpsed the last she ever would of the outside. The woman pushed the wooden door and entered closing it silently behind her. In the main area of the hut, there were grass mats on the floor which were worn and torn from many months of use. These mats were the ones she used when she was a girl and still a member of the upper echelons of society. Now however, she had been reduced to this pitiful state. On the mats lay her two other sisters, one twelve and the other fourteen. They were just babies when the whole incident happened and always ask about their parents occasionally. The woman never ever answered their questions and ignored their curiosity. It was for them that she now harboured this humiliation. She had to.

She slowly removed her outer robes and brought out the baby, who was still sleeping at that point. She lay it down on a grass mat and sat down next to it in deep contemplation. There was silence around her and her lonely figure reflected her sadness.