"Tonight, I will tell you the story you've always wanted to hear. You want to know the reason you have never met the rest of my family don't you?” My mother said sipping a cup of coffee by the fireside.
Our home was surrounded by stones and mountains. It was always cold with gentle silence that almost whispers your name when you are alone. I always felt like I didn't belong there. I wanted to be somewhere else but I didn't know where exactly.
I wondered why she had picked my birthday of all days to tell me something I've been dying to hear ever since I was six. I was hurting real bad but I didn't want to show it. I had been feeling a nagging pain on both my shoulder blades since the night before. I Ignored the pain and beckoned on my mother to speak, my eyes and ears wide open.
"you see honey, we are not from here. We are Shadayans, a distant tribe far in the North. In our clan, an eighteen-year-old girl is selected from each lineage to join the Shaya every decade. Words have it that the Shaya is a group of women who are more like guardians. Some say they become immortals that fly and hover in the darkest hours of the night to guard their own. I was meant to be a shaya when I turned eighteen. I was the chosen one in my line but something happened.
""I fell pregnant with you and my mother found out the night of my initiation. I was rejected and my entire family was put to shame. My parents blamed me, they said I brought shame to their name and failed fo fulfill tradition from the part of our lineage. I couldn't bear the suffering and rejection so I left home never to return.
""I made a promise to myself that you would lead a normal life away from all the ties to the Shadayans. The night of my departure, I met a blind old lady sitting on a stone in the dark on my path. ' with or without you, the tradition will be fulfilled. She will come to us. She has the blood'. She stared at me for a second and walked into the darkness with her grey hair flowing effortlessly"".
My mother was still talking when I felt a sharp pain in my back. This time sharper than before. I winced as I felt another pain like a blow to my chest. ”Honey are you alright?" She asked with so much concern written on her face.
"It is just a slight pain. Why didn't you tell me this before?" I replied trying to hide how much I was suffering. "Let's see it" she demanded drawing close to me. For every step she made forward, I took a step backward. I was in deep pain but somehow I felt the need to protect myself from her.
I could see the irritation in her eyes as she sped towards me pulling my shirt and ripping it apart. I wasn't sure what she saw but she looked like she was about to have a heart attack. I yanked myself away from her and reached for the door.
I was filled with rage and a mixture of emotions. It felt like my body was going to cut into two places. I started yelling and running as fast as I could until the mountains roared back my anguish. I was gushing out so much strength and speed I never knew I had in me. It was unbelievable and satisfying at the same time.
When I got to the top of the highest mountain, I couldn't believe it, neither could I stop myself from jumping off the cliff. As soon as I did, all my anger vanished and I felt peace and in control or so I thought until I felt it. I had evolved wings that suspended me in the air and led me to a safe landing. It was an unexplainable feeling that surged through me. I had never felt so surreal in my entire life.
After I landed, I came to a group of women. They were the most beautiful creatures I'd ever seen. They all had wings just like mine. ”welcome" they said in harmony as they gently flapped their wings.
