The Sacrificed Child (Complete)

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Published on: December 1, 2021

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"Wanna play??" Kid whines pulling the woven quilt over his chin. He is aware he can't, but hearing his playmates out there was hard to ignore.

"Not yet" The girl merely in her late teens helped tucking him under considering the limped leg, her fingers played with the little ears...

"Tomorrow?"

She eyed him in disapproval, shook her head, "When you can poop without my help"

The kid made a face, he may be little but he is man, can't she say it in some other way, he wrapped that embarrassment with ignorance that's the best way, "When??"

Her fingers rake those messy bed locks, he leaned in touch he likes when she play with them, "when your leg would be fine" squeezed those chubby cheeks.

Kid puckered his lips out, it is frustrating to lay here idly, " And when will my leg be fine???"

Sigh, "when you take lots and lots of rest"

"But everybody is playing outside"

"Then rest well.. and you can play outside." she gets up, this will keeps on getting round and round if she stays further.

"Ocllo??" he groans in frustration throwing the quilt aside..

She turned around, the tone he just used is not acceptable, squeezed the kid's cheeks hard enough, he winced in pain struggling..

"Manners"

"Pama (sister) Ocllo" 

She pats his head in approval, again adjusting the discarded quilt "Better"

The kid buried himself under the quilt in his rugged bedding rubbing his abused cheeks, the daily hustle in the Jongcheevevat family had begun with Mew's cry, which is not new for the members. He is named crybaby for a reason..

His mother was blowing on woods to fire up the stove, his father and Wawaqi (elder brother) Krick pulling out the stuff needed today in the field, his other elder brothers getting ready for communal service over the south area of the colony, they gonna help with roads, isn't that cool, he always found the formation of new homes, new roads, interesting. 

His sisters must be with mother, helping her with food preparation. Grandma was in the corner pulling out that cotton thread, to sew a new rug singing that same melody thanking God Inti for something..

Everybody is busy, and look at him stuck in bed..

Being the youngest of the family is not an easy job, playing outside all day, climbing over big trees, then falling from those trees, breaking their bones....what a tough job.

But Mew is doing that tough job of being a nuisance among his seven brothers and sisters perfectly with his swollen ankle.

That stupid tree made him fall and now he is bedridden for almost two weeks, his patience and child heart is wearing day by day, hearing his playmates outside makes his heart squeal.

And that Pen must have collected more marbles than him till now, does anyone has any idea how important marbles are, his family doesn't understand how important they are, even Pama Ocllo don't understand how important they are.

He huffed to the side, just the thought of Pen and others getting having fun, and getting ahead of him creeps the jealousy, but the pain in his leg is no joke, so he is compelled to lay here.. watch members do their chores.

For a few hours, till his mother feeds him, he engaged himself with this ant, who refuse to follow his finger, so trapping her under his hand was a new thrill, keeps on repeating, caging then free, cage then free, it was fun until she bites him leaving with a throbbing finger..

What to do now? his throbbing finger was no joke, sucking it for a while till the throbbing calms down.

There was a loose end in his rugged cover, gets his new playmates, swirled it pulled it tugged it, the last tug came out a little stronger, if he does it one more time would rip it, he would be beaten up, better to leave it.

He lied in silence, Sigh, he is bored, nobody understands how boring it is.

Tussled on the bed trying to get some comfortable position if he can, Pama Ocllo was putting the washed dishes in the stack, done with pots, the next would be sweeping, it is gonna take a few more hours for her to be free.

"Pama wanna play??"

Ocllo looked at Mew, she chuckled at Mew's pouty face, the kid must be bored, being a nice sister she agreed and played with the kid leaving house chores on hold, Mew giggled as she tickled him, stretching his arms to fight back with his feeble strength.

Grandma entered with a dismissive look at their childish behavior, took the broom from the corner, and started sweeping the porch outside.

"Ocllo, done with the chores??"

Ocllo's motions halted, her giggles dies down, she hadn't done the work yet, they knew what gonna be next...

"Did you or did you not??"

She left Mew running back to the pots, fumbled a little to hurry, making them all fall, leading to an ear full of scolding. She keeps on doing the work, ignoring all the remarks about being lazy, and other mean things, hands keep on moving fast. Same as granny's whose hands and mouth keep on moving fast in synch.

Mew's lip boggled, Ocllo had to hear all that nonsense. He sniffled lightly under the duvet.

No one should scold Ocllo... She is the best...

And no one should say she is useless... because she is the best,

And no one should say Ocllo is feeble... because she is strong and the Best.

Had he told you Pama Ocllo is his favorite, He didn't. See, he is lousy sometimes too, how can he forget that Ocllo is his favorite.

Why??

Is it even a question, she talks to him, plays with him, gives him warm hugs, always hears him, and answers his every question... even scolds his friends if they do something wrong, she had pinched Pen's ear for his mischiefs. 

He loves her more than his mother, shhh It's a secret, his mother may not like it, or maybe doesn't care already done with seven kids before him.

So Ocllo is best.. she can put a spell to go away the pain. Yes.. she can put the spell to make pain at ease, just one blew on it and then put some green paste thing on it and boom it is gone, and if it still hurts then she will sing for you, and magically it makes you sleepy. see.. isn't she amazing.

Now granny scolds her, Mew buried his face deeper sniffling lightly, it is all because of this leg. If Pen had not challenged him if he had not climbed over that tree, and if wouldn't fallen, then nothing like this would happen, neither did Ocllo get scolded nor did he has to lay here like a potato for weeks.

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