In this modern fairy tale, Dr. Kaya has faced a tough life since she was eight, her innocence shattered in a home that resembles a hellish prison. She endures a tormented upbringing as her parents exploit her as bait to ensnare men of power and weal...
I indulged in a long, deep bath in the tub, using all the bathing essentials I had brought from Lush stores in London. I may have soaked in the water for over 2 hours, causing my fingertip skin and toes to wrinkle like prunes.
Afterward, wearing a bathrobe, I strolled around the room, made a coffee with a complimentary coffee maker, put on my Gucci sunglasses, and sipped it like a Hollywood celebrity while reclining on the balcony. From there, I gazed at the afternoon sky over the lakeshore. I had eaten quite a bit throughout the day, few rounds of brunches, so I wasn't particularly hungry for lunch. Nevertheless, the coffee with that view made it all worthwhile.
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After finishing my coffee, I closed my eyes and called the little Kaya inside my heart, wanting to know if she was enjoying the treat I was giving her. It was something I often did for myself.
8-year-old Little Kaya came into my mind with her little tip toes, stepping her bare foot gently on the hot gravel. She stood there, clutching her beloved teddy bear—an aunt's gift from the UK. Her yellow dress, decorated with small white daisies, was torn and burnt in places where it shouldn't have been damaged. There were dirty, coal-like smudges on her body from someone's cruel touch, along with bruises and scars from the violence she had endured since she was born.
Her once beautiful black hair was messy and tangled. There were slap marks on her dirty cheeks, and dried tears had left streaks on her face. A tiny cut on her lip had a small blood spot, and her pained expression revealed a missing baby tooth. Her big, brown eyes, surrounded by unusually bright whites, showed no emotion. She couldn't understand why her young life was filled with such suffering.
The world around her was aflame, and I could hear her screams, echoing all around her.
"I wanted to bring you here," I whispered to the little version of myself. She tilted her head to look at my face and followed my gaze.
Her pupils darted around, but all she could see was a world consumed by flames. The echoes of her past traumas and her lingering screams were everywhere.
"Are you happy?" I whispered, my voice quivering.
Kaya shook her head, her tear-filled eyes growing larger, her bruised lip quivering. She began crying uncontrollably, reaching out to me. However, a thick wall of glass separated us—a wall of pain and shame. I couldn't hug her. I couldn't hold her in my arms.
All she wanted was a tight embrace, but she couldn't let me in.
"I love you, isn't that enough?"
I cried out, my voice filled with pain and agony.
Her cries intensified into a harrowing wail that gradually enveloped my mind, much like smoke filling a confined space that was slowly burning from within.
