Post by Nanu Hamam on Apr 29, 2009 18:32:31 GMT -5
I walked back into my room, my father had just given me some horrible news. I had just barely turned 14 years old and yet he wanted me to marry that man. That man looked to be older than my own father! I shouldn’t be surprised, one of my mother’s friend had watched her daughter be married off at 13. She had cried though, for her daughter, my mother wouldn’t bother to shed a tear for me. I was a distraction, this whole thing was probably her idea in the first place!
I was told to pack my things, as if I owned that much. I guess I would need some clothing. I decided to take my most conservative outfits; I did not want that man to put his hands on me. Reason told me that it would not matter what I wore, he would do as he pleased. He was one of my father’s most trusted comrades and they thought alike.
I walked over to a old scratched up mirror my parents had found me in hopes I would look more respectable. It was strange; today I actually did look pretty decent. I am sure my father was pleased, though I was not. It would not due for me to look appealing. I put my hands up into my hair and moved them about, tangling up my hair a little. It was thick so the affect was only a small one. I sighed; I was fated for this and had no choice. What would a 14 year old girl do without an adult to take care of her? My mother had never been able to take care of herself and she was well into her 40s.
As I grabbed my things I picked up a hair pin my mother had given me. She no longer wanted it and I had always found it to be a bit ugly. However there were times where I was forced to wear it. I noticed that the hair pin was quite sharp. I put my finger on the tip and pressed down, a small shot of pain blossomed in my finger tip and I instinctively pulled it back. I watched a small bead of blood form. It was then that a very crazy idea popped into my head. My father’s friend had said that I was cute, but would he want me if I wasn’t cute? There was only one way to find out.
I looked at my hazy reflection in the mirror and placed the hair pin at the top of my cheek bone. I hesitated; no good could really come of this. What would I do as a damaged child? I doubt that my parents would want me. After all, they were giving me away at this very moment.
I stood with my hand hovering above my face when I heard a knock at my door. I jumped, pushing the pin into my skin and yelping a little.
“You ok in there my sweet,” a voice that made me want to shutter said and then added a even more painful laugh. “Hurry up, I have plans for you and I am growing impatient.”
There was no choice, I was not about to find out what those plans were or why he was in a hurry for them. I put my hand back up too my face and closed my eyes. A tear formed in the corner of one as I thought about what I was going to do, but now was not the time to act like a baby. I took a deep breath and forced my hand down toward my face and then in a quick motion that brought it toward my mouth.
Pain flared across my face and I cried out, loudly, sinking to the ground. The hair pin was dropped and forgotten as I put a hand over my cheek. I could feel it grow warm and wet really fast. I also heard some loud pounding on my door. Soon it opened and feet rushed in. I heard my mom scream and my dad yell something obscene. My world was about to go black when I heard that unwanted voice say, “You will only get half now.”
‘No!’ I thought in a panic, that is not what was supposed to happen. Why would he want me now? I looked up, the pain in my face blurring into the background as I stared at the three pairs of eyes on me. My mother seemed to be in shock, my father was obviously angry, and that third pair still told of things I knew I did not want.
In panic I stood up, wavering for just a moment, and then ran to a back corner of my room. “I won’t go!” I yelled.
“Yes you will,” my father yelled back just as loudly, “and you will go right now.”
I watched as he quickly picked up my things. His action gave me a glimmer of hope. A space opened up between the three people and my doorway. Without thinking of what I was doing I ran for it. I bolted between the awful man I was supposed to marry and my mother. I heard another exclamation but ignored it. Before I knew it I was out of the house and running down the street and toward a narrow space in-between two buildings. I was in luck, the space opened up into another street and down it I ran. I had one hand over my bleeding face and the other was flung out wildly as I ran, to where I had no plan. Anywhere would be better than where my parents wanted me to live the rest of my life.
I was told to pack my things, as if I owned that much. I guess I would need some clothing. I decided to take my most conservative outfits; I did not want that man to put his hands on me. Reason told me that it would not matter what I wore, he would do as he pleased. He was one of my father’s most trusted comrades and they thought alike.
I walked over to a old scratched up mirror my parents had found me in hopes I would look more respectable. It was strange; today I actually did look pretty decent. I am sure my father was pleased, though I was not. It would not due for me to look appealing. I put my hands up into my hair and moved them about, tangling up my hair a little. It was thick so the affect was only a small one. I sighed; I was fated for this and had no choice. What would a 14 year old girl do without an adult to take care of her? My mother had never been able to take care of herself and she was well into her 40s.
As I grabbed my things I picked up a hair pin my mother had given me. She no longer wanted it and I had always found it to be a bit ugly. However there were times where I was forced to wear it. I noticed that the hair pin was quite sharp. I put my finger on the tip and pressed down, a small shot of pain blossomed in my finger tip and I instinctively pulled it back. I watched a small bead of blood form. It was then that a very crazy idea popped into my head. My father’s friend had said that I was cute, but would he want me if I wasn’t cute? There was only one way to find out.
I looked at my hazy reflection in the mirror and placed the hair pin at the top of my cheek bone. I hesitated; no good could really come of this. What would I do as a damaged child? I doubt that my parents would want me. After all, they were giving me away at this very moment.
I stood with my hand hovering above my face when I heard a knock at my door. I jumped, pushing the pin into my skin and yelping a little.
“You ok in there my sweet,” a voice that made me want to shutter said and then added a even more painful laugh. “Hurry up, I have plans for you and I am growing impatient.”
There was no choice, I was not about to find out what those plans were or why he was in a hurry for them. I put my hand back up too my face and closed my eyes. A tear formed in the corner of one as I thought about what I was going to do, but now was not the time to act like a baby. I took a deep breath and forced my hand down toward my face and then in a quick motion that brought it toward my mouth.
Pain flared across my face and I cried out, loudly, sinking to the ground. The hair pin was dropped and forgotten as I put a hand over my cheek. I could feel it grow warm and wet really fast. I also heard some loud pounding on my door. Soon it opened and feet rushed in. I heard my mom scream and my dad yell something obscene. My world was about to go black when I heard that unwanted voice say, “You will only get half now.”
‘No!’ I thought in a panic, that is not what was supposed to happen. Why would he want me now? I looked up, the pain in my face blurring into the background as I stared at the three pairs of eyes on me. My mother seemed to be in shock, my father was obviously angry, and that third pair still told of things I knew I did not want.
In panic I stood up, wavering for just a moment, and then ran to a back corner of my room. “I won’t go!” I yelled.
“Yes you will,” my father yelled back just as loudly, “and you will go right now.”
I watched as he quickly picked up my things. His action gave me a glimmer of hope. A space opened up between the three people and my doorway. Without thinking of what I was doing I ran for it. I bolted between the awful man I was supposed to marry and my mother. I heard another exclamation but ignored it. Before I knew it I was out of the house and running down the street and toward a narrow space in-between two buildings. I was in luck, the space opened up into another street and down it I ran. I had one hand over my bleeding face and the other was flung out wildly as I ran, to where I had no plan. Anywhere would be better than where my parents wanted me to live the rest of my life.