Changing lives constantly: The main

Chapter 14 mature

Authors note: I wrote this at midnight and now l feel so tired. However, it was worth it so enjoy!

Chapter 13 mature

Recap: Then, we all sat down on the ground to listen to what the elders would discuss today. The oldest of them stood up and then knelt to the chief: "This old man has something to propose to my chief." The chief sharply turned his head to look into the elder's eyes. Even where l was sitting, l could feel his pressure and slightly shivered trying not imagine what the elder must be feeling. "Speak."

               The man then stood up and addressed the crowd as well as the chief: "The whole elder group, after coming to a decision, has decided to banish the Rowwe family from the village." There was an uproar and everyone talked in hushed tones while others blatantly talked about us and stared. I stood up in a fit of rage: "For what reason must we be banished from the village? If it is just because we framed as traitors, we already got punished for that! My father and brothers were murdered in cold blood by our previous chief and we accepted that! Why must we be targeted again?"

The man looked at me directly. "I, as an elder, am partial towards everyone." I scoffed and rolled my eyes but he continued: "There is a very valid reason as to why we are banishing you from the village! It is because there is hardly any food left for all of us. The animals in the forest are becoming very hard to locate, capture and kill. We are losing more and more hunters each day and they don't bring enough in to feed themselves and the healers. Now, l know that you are a family of girls and that you are all healers but your powers are very minimal compared to the other girls of the village. Besides, no one really wants you to heal them! You are an outcast and mixing with you would definitely make them outcasts as well." I put my hands on my hips in righteous indignation: "That is not our fault. It's the rest of the village's fault. If they want us to be useful, we will be useful otherwise you can't blame us for the circumstances that other people put us in."

                     "Well, to the point. You and your family are our weakest link. Therefore, it would be in the village's best interests if we stopped supporting you. With the chief's permission, you will have to leave here in search of other villages. I am not sure where you'll find any but good luck with your travels!" "You ignored what l just said!" I pointed at him, "This is all unfair." I knelt down and kowtowed deeply to the chief: "Please, chief, spare us! We have done nothing wrong by existing. Please, don't drive us out!"

          "Elder. Sit down. I say no to the proposal." The chief said these while looking at his nails in dismissal, "I will not condemn others for no good reason. Besides, if l do it to one family, who's to say that in the next assembly, you will also tell me about the second weakest link. I don't want to hear it! We WILL find a way to eat AND protect our people." I was so full of joy and repeated hit my head on the ground to show my gratitude. "Don't be excited yet. You have a price to pay for me saving your family. You have to hand over your sister Edena to be my slave." I stopped midway and looked up in surprise: "I am sorry chief but this humble one did not hear clearly what you said." He looked into my eyes, locking me into his powerful gaze: "Don't pretend. Bring Edena to my main hut after this assembly. This is not a request but a command. Failure to do so will lead to the whole family being banished and l am sure you don't want that."

I stood up and said: "As you wish my chief." The elder sat down while frowning obviously not happy and l also sat down frowning in deep thought. 'What connection did Edena have with the chief?' Freya nudged me from one side and whispered: "Mira, l think Edena is having a fever. I touched her forehead just now and its extremely hot! What should we do? Also, l can feel the baby moving from under my clothes. I know its hungry because it hasn't been fed since morning. It can't suckle because Edena has passed out. What should we do?" I deflated in defeat: "This is seriously such a bad time." 

This movement shook out the leaves that l brought with me in case of an emergency. Freya poked me: "Mira, look! Feverfew! Just when we need it!" I sighed in relief thanking myself for being smart and thoughtful: "Freya you chew those herbs and make Edena swallow them. I'll take care of the baby." I looked left, then right and received the baby that Freya was passing under her clothes to me. However, unfortunately, this day just kept getting worse because the baby started crying extremely loudly and all eyes were on us once again.