Acathiens: The Forgotten People

Part 2 Six years later

Six years later...

Pearl stood at the edge of the long cement sidewalk. Parents and children were bustling everywhere. Large yellow buses pulled out of the school with screaming children fading into the distance. Pearl tried to look over everyone, searching for one thing.

"Mommy!" A little voice cried out.

Pearl burst into a large smile. A little girl ran towards her with a ponytail hanging loose and dark brown hair wildly flapping around; the little girl had an oversized turquoise backpack and was running straight for her. Pearl dropped to her knees and engulfed her sweet little girl in a warm hug.

"Audra! My Little Storm! How was school?" Pearl sat back and looked into her daughter's dark chocolate brown eyes. The sun hit directly on them, and hidden treasures of gold and green danced in the light. A face flashed inside Pearl's mind. A face she wanted to forget but saw every time she looked at her daughter. She faltered and tried to regain her composure quickly.

"Well...today it was 'Bring Your Dad' to school day. Susie brought her daddy, and he left early to go to work. He is a liar. He lies, and bad guys go away."

"He lies? What do you mean, Little Storm?"

"You know...his daddy's job. When he goes to work, he lies. When you go to work, you study animals in the ocean."

Pearl laughed as she finally understood, "Oh! Is he a lawyer?"

"That's what I said. A liar." Audra said, skipping next to Pearl.

Pearl laughed at the innocent child. Hand in hand, the two walked back to their simple home a few blocks away from the elementary school.

"Mommy?"

"Hmm...?"

"Where is my daddy?"

Pearl froze instantly; the abrupt stop jerked Audra back.

"WOAH!" Audra giggled.

"You...you don't have a daddy." Pearl finally said.

"Yes, I do."

Pearl looked down at her daughter, feeling anxiety rising like waves in her stomach.

"Audra, you do not have a father," she said again more sternly.

"But I have to."

"What do you mean you have to?" Pearl asked, irritated, desperately trying to change the subject as she felt the hand of despair gripping her throat and slowly choking her to death.

"Well...I was watching Animal Planet, and the animals, when they have babies, have a mommy and a daddy. Without a daddy or a mommy, there aren't any babies. The Blue-Footed Bobby bird lost its daddy. She was really sad because they....um...."

Audra stood puzzled for a second, trying to find the words. "Love each other forever. But the daddy died so that mommy couldn't have a baby."

"We aren't birds, Audra."

"But you said we are just like animals. So, you couldn't have me without a daddy."

Pearl could feel the darkness of panic overtaking her. Spots filled her eyes. A tightness slammed in her chest, and her breaths were coming too fast. She was not ready to open up about this, to face the harsh reality of her life. Not yet.

"Audra. Enough! You don't have a father. You never did!"

"But..."

"Enough, Audra! I don't want to hear another word about it!" Pearl hissed. Turning, she dragged Audra away. The little girl hung her head. Tears pricked her bright, tiny brown eyes. Pearl shook her head as guilt filled her stomach. It was the first time she had snapped at Audra; the darkness of the past was starting to drown her.