A Transient Calm

Benign Eyes

Let me tell you a story, of a young boy who knows little of the world’s darkest sides…

 

An innocent young boy who knew little of what is like to love a soul whilst he met the brightest light amidst a dark world that he saw…

 

Then again, he met a tragedy…

 

He’s not the main character of this story…

 

I am…

 

But I chose to narrate his story because this is where it all started…

 

The tragedy that he started continued towards my time…

 

If it weren’t for him, I wouldn’t have met her… I wouldn’t know who I am if it weren’t for him…

 

Nevertheless, I also hated him for what he had done…

 

A tragedy sought and told; passed from generation to generation then fades into nothingness…

 

So now we begin, a tale set hundred years ago…

 

Prologue   

It all started when his village was mugged and burned down at the start of the winter solstice. They’ve been robbed out from our peaceful and happy life while the snow first sticks to the ground. He and his family were being sold to different people like a piece of bread traded for a few piece of gold.

He had remembered his mother’s eyes gleaming with tears as she hugged and kissed each one of her children. Her nut-brown hair was in a shambolic, disheveled state that stick to her scalp as tears run down to her neck. Her eyes aged for like a hundred years after that night’s incident but she was still the mother that he loved, that his father and siblings all loved.  

His little twin sisters had held each other’s hands as they listened to their mother’s last words. He looked down at his younger brother, a five year old Elliot. Elliot’s left hand tight around a little, rusted pipe while his other is gripping the sleeve of his older brother’s shirt. The younger boy’s broody, small face was covered with the scarf that was wrapped around his neck which revealed his eyes. That black cloth was given to him on his name day a few weeks ago.

Poor Eli, he sighed.

The frightening reality that he is facing is on him and as an older brother there is nothing that he can do for him. Sensing the tears are going to spill out from the child’s eyes, he cradled his head and whispered again and again, “It will be alright, Eli. You will stay with me.” Elliot closed his eyes and opens them again as if he is trying to wake up from a dream.

They lost their father a few moments ago after being jabbed from behind by an unknown thief. All the men from the village fought hard while the women and children fled to the next city.

He gritted his teeth, I couldn’t even save father. How can I carry such a big task to protect my siblings?

Then the busy and frantic crowd pushed them towards the smoky and cold city which signaled their parting. He had promised his mother that he would care for Elliot while she with the twins and that they offer themselves to other people to survive, even if it was against his wishes.