My first life

Is everything okay?

I brushed off my mothers words off as a nightmare. I mean what else could it possibly be. Instead of worrying about some nonsense from her nightmare I decided to spend the night nursing my Mother back to heath since it seemed like a fever was starting.

As I lit a lantern, wiped her sweat, and cooled her down with a wet rag, a terrible nagging started in the pit of my stomach. I could slowly feel the anxiety building up, but again I pushed it aside and tended to my mother.

In a couple hours the sun rose and my mother slowly rose from the bed and stared at me without saying anything.

"Are you okay?"

"Of course I'm okay, why wouldn't I be okay?"

"Mother do you remember what happened last night?"

"What nonsense are you taking about? After my story we went straight to sleep did we not?"

"Yes Mother, but-"

"No buts, go outside and start working in the field, there is plenty of work to be done."

I stared at my Mother but said nothing, it seemed like this was just going to be one of those cryptic things that's she would never elaborate on. Instead of trying to get an answer from her I decided to just listen to her and started to get ready to go outside, but before I could my mother called for me.

"Calypso!"

"Yes?"

"You know how much I love you right?"

I stared at her again in confusion but quickly replied with an of course.

"Okay honey, now go outside and start without me okay?"

"Yes Mother."

I went outside after changing into my working clothes made from rice and wheat bags. These were the best to work in so my proper clothes won't get dirty. I have heard slaves and peasants dress like this because they can't afford proper material.

We aren't rich, I don't think, Mother and I are mostly self sufficient but for some reason she always has money to buy things from the town on her monthly visits. Other than books, she brings some ingredients and materials.

The money is always there, but she doesn't use much. I mean I'm not even sure if there is even a lot to use but every time she's ready to go to town it's like it just appears.

After some hours of work I was sweating to death and decided to head inside. Usually my mother gets a bath ready for the both of us, but today she didn't even come out to work. I assume it's due to her condition and possibly the fever.

When I enter the cabin, I see mother standing in front of the door with a grim face.

"What's wrong?" I ask quietly. I feel like she's being especially particular today. Maybe she's just sensitive since she isn't feeling well.

"You can't bath today..."

"Why not?" I sigh.

"You just can't."

"Mother!? What is going on?"

"Nothing. Nothing. I was just thinking you need a hair cut."

I look at her skeptically. She NEVER let me cut my hair in fact my hair was so long that when it wasn't tied it reached my thighs. I actually had begged her several times because while working in the small field we had, it was very difficult to manage it. I would get really sweaty and it would keep falling down so now I always had it in a braid that my mother would then wrap into a bun.

"You? You're letting me cut my hair?"

"Yes, I'll do it for you." Even though I was a bit confused, I was still kind of excited since she was really good at doing hair.

I quickly ran for the scissors and sat down on a stool Mother was standing in front of.

I was surprised because after just a couple minutes my mother said she was done. I stood up slowly and saw the mountain of hair that was on the floor. I ran outside to the small pond outside our cabin and looked at my reflection in the beautifully shiny water.

While the water shined, I couldn't say the same for my hair. My hair was cut extremely short to the point that I looked like a boy and all the lines of where she cut was visible and jagged.

"MOTHER!" I yelled out in distress.

"WHAT HAPPENED TO MY HAIR!?" I rubbed my head with my hand feeling all the jagged edges on the boyish cut she gave me or at least that's the impression I got from some of the rare illustrated books mother bought. I've never actually seen a boy.....

"It looks fine, no one will see it besides me anyways." She said while nervously looking at the ground.

After I deep breath and further thought, Mother is right. What does it matter, it's not like anyone will see me and this might make it easier to work in the field.