Wisdom in the Dark

Chapter 13 - Myra

“I can’t do it anymore,” Zlata said, sitting on the bed next to her husband, her head in her hands. “I can’t see another one of my children die before they’re even born.”

“Zlata-“ Myra tried to say, but Zlata cut her off.

“This isn’t supposed to be happening to us.” Tears were beginning to well in Zlata’s eyes and her voice choked. “Keve and I aren’t even closely related. We’re supposed to be able to have healthy children.”

“It’s probably something wrong with me,” Keve said, sitting next to his wife on the bed, staring at the ground. “Any problems are usually the fault of-“

“Don’t say that,” Myra cut in. “It’s probably neither of your fault. I’ve talked with Doctor Sobik and he assures me you’re both perfectly healthy.”

Zlata looked up at Myra. “Then what is it? Why can’t we have children?”

Myra had no idea what was wrong, but it was a problem plaguing the entirety of the Pyc Family. Will Jak and I have problems conceiving?

“We will figure this out,” Myra assured Zlata and Keve. Myra reached out and placed her hand on Zlata’s shoulder. “Take your time to mourn and bury your child. I know I am asking a mountainous task of both of you, but I have to ask, for your future and the future of our village, to try again – in time. I know you can do it.”

Zlata looked away from Myra. “Let me think about it.”

It was all Myra could ask for at this point. It was bad enough that Zlata and Keve had agreed to allow Dr. Sobik to analyze the corpse of the child to determine the source of the issue. At that moment Keve and Zlata just wanted to say good-bye to their baby – the third one they’d lost.

Myra left Keve and Zlata’s home feeling dejected and depressed. As the Matriarch of the Pyc Family she had to take care of her people. But Myra had no idea what to do or why any of this was happening. She felt helpless and stupid. She felt like she was failing her people. The answer to this problem seemed as if it could be just out of reach, but Myra had no idea where to look to find it.

She was lost in her thoughts and self-doubt when Myra ran into Jak. At first she wanted to ask what he was doing, but the look on his face made her hesitate.

“I’m going back out on patrol.”

“Actually, I’m glad I ran into you,” Myra said. “I wanted you to come with me to do the rounds of the village. The people-“

“I said I’m going back out on patrol.” Jak’s tone was menacing.

Myra wasn’t given an opportunity to say anything else as Jak stormed off toward the Sylph hangars.

The Pyc Village needed to see its leaders, and Jak, the husband of the Pyc Village Matriarch, was only focused on himself. Was it because they hadn’t had s*x? In Myra’s mind Jak was acting like a petulant child. Myra clenched her fists in frustration as she watched Jak walk away. Vlad would never have acted like that.

“This conversation is not over,” Myra said to herself.

But Myra couldn’t dwell on Jak, she reminded herself. The duties of the leader of the village called, even if her husband didn’t answer them.

Myra visited several other families, seeing how they and their children were doing. She noted that the youngest child she saw was no less than a cycle old. Myra frowned at that as she made her rounds around the village. She visited the agricultural domes, discussing harvest and livestock with the farmers and ranchers, and it took up most of her day. Myra barely made it to the industrial district where she ran into Oguz, the lead Sylph technician.

“That Jak of yours is quite the pilot and tech himself,” Oguz remarked. “His skills put us Pyc to shame. I’m going to have to conscript him into teaching our other Sylph pilots how to maintain their machines.”

“I’m sure he is,” Myra replied tersely, her frustration with Jak at his actions earlier in the day rising to the top of her memories.

Once she was done in the industrial district, Myra finished her day at the traffic control center.

“Your mother was just here,” Simon said as Myra walked in. “And you have a call”

“From who?” Myra asked, surprised.

“Jan Wodniki.”

Myra frowned. “If my mother was just here why do the Wodniki want to talk to me?”

Simon shrugged. “Sara and Dal took lunch, and Mytla asked me to leave. I figured it was a private conversation.”

Myra didn’t know what her mother would need to hide from anyone, but shrugged it off for the time being.

“Put them through,” Myra said.

One of the screens in the traffic control console switched to a mess of a pixelated image, then resolved itself into the face of Jan Wodniki.

“Myra,” Jan greeted her with a warm smile. “How are you?”

“I’m well, dear father,” Myra replied, inclining her head ever so slightly.

“I’m glad to hear, and how is our Jak?”

“He’s well enough,” Myra said, a bit hesitant. Didn’t mother already relay this information to him? “He’s out at the moment.”

“No worries,” Jan said. “It’s good to see you and hear your voice. Our communications equipment is normally silent. I figured with your union to our son and our villages’ alliance it’d be good to put it use more often.”

Myra frowned. “Didn’t my mother speak with you?”

“Oh, I haven’t spoken with Mytla since we left your village and Callisto,” Jan said with a shrug. “Did she want to speak with us?”

That’s odd, Myra thought. Who else would mother talk to on our communications equipment? There aren’t many Families that will talk to us these days.

“I believe I’m mistaken,” Myra replied quickly.

“Oh,” Jan replied.

“Is there a message you’d like me to relay to Jak?”

“Just give him our love.” Jan’s smile broadened. It was a genuine, warm smile, and just seeing it warmed Myra’s heart a little. “And make sure that big lunk doesn’t get into too much trouble, okay?”

“I’ll keep an eye on him, dear father.”

Myra and Jan said their good-byes before Jan terminated the communication.

“Thank you, Simon,” Myra said before she departed the traffic control center.

Once Myra was in her hut she fell into her bed, exhausted from the day and all of the people she had to talk to. It was demanding work leading a village of just over two-hundred fifty people. For some reason Myra thought it shouldn’t have been so stressful, yet each day presented a new bevy of problems to resolve.

Suddenly, the door to her hut squealed open and Jak slunk through. He was dirty and sweaty. By the droop of his head and shoulders he was clearly tired. Myra noticed the same frustration burned in his eyes from earlier that day.

“I want to know what’s going on with you,” Myra said, eyeing Jak. “I’ve had to ask a woman who had her third miscarriage to try and have another baby for the good of the village, along with dealing with everyone else’s issues. I shouldn’t have to deal with my husband’s.”

“It’s just been a long day.” His tone was even and low, and Myra wondered if she should be more worried about Jak in his current disposition.

Myra sat up in bed and stared at Jak. “No, there’s something else.”

Jak tossed his boots into the corner of the hut instead of putting them away, followed shortly by his midnight blue pilot suit.

“It’s nothing,” Jak snarled. “I said I’m just tired. Respect me, damn it.”

Myra was shocked and confused at Jak’s behavior.

“I do respect you.”

Jak glared at Myra for a long moment before he let out a heavy sigh, then collapsed on the bed, his back to Myra.

“I just need to sleep.” It was the last thing Jak said to her that sleep period.

Myra was left with unanswered questions, not knowing what to do, or say to her husband.