This Too Shall Pass

Today was going to be a long day. I knew it even before I opened my eyes, and the moment I registered that my eyes were open, it was already too late.

Barely a nanosecond later, and I was drenched with water so cold, I knew that my blood had momentarily congealed. I only had a second to process it when I was grabbed by my hair onto my feet. How Aunty managed to make the pain so excruciating, considering that I was on low cut just went to prove that she really was the devil’s first born.

“How many times have I warned you to be up before the sun rises?!”

“Aunty, I was already about to stand up.”

“Aunty, I was already about to stand up,” she mimicked in a voice that grated on the nerves, and sounded nothing like mine. “When has about to ever helped anybody?”

“Aunty, please,” I begged, hoping that even a shred of empathy lay in her cold, dark heart. “It’s just 4:05. I’ll get to my chores immediately.”

She went quiet for a second, and I took that as my cue to leave. Shocked yet happy that I’d escaped so easily.

As I moved past her, my ear was pulled back so tightly, I knew it would be ringing and stinging for the rest of the day.

“Is it me you’re walking out on?!” she shrieked, spittle flying everywhere. “Haven’t I told you not to walk out on me before?”

“Aunty, please...” I begged again, even as she drew me out of the room still holding onto my ears to the kitchen, where I knew she kept the whip she’d custom ordered specially for me.

She hissed venomously, not breaking in stride. “I’ll teach you that your ears are for hearing and not a decoration.”

I still begged, even though I knew my entreaties would fall on dead ears. But when the first lash of the whip came down heavily on me, I was silent.

No tears. No words.

I was calm. Receiving. Almost expectant.

This too shall pass, I said in my heart, as I’d said a million times before.

Even though I knew it was a lie.

Even though I’d lost hope in ever being free, long before I’d lost faith in some belligerent man upstairs who was merciful, and didn’t let evil happen to good people.

Whoever was up there, if any, was probably having a good laugh at my expense.

Laughing at the pathetic orphan who’d dared to hope that the aunty who had promised her dying mother that she would treat her like her very own meant it.

Oh, how foolish I’d been.

But this too, shall pass.

Jhymi🖤

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_{Image is mine.}

Inspired by the Freewrite Daily Prompt: Not a decoration.