THE SCARLET WOMEN

Story 1 - White Flag

What I see here is something I never had imagined of? The killing of innocents was taking a toll on them who apparently have enough vestiges of humanity left in them to be increasingly disturbed by the trauma of this endless war. They are the same innocents' one who is fighting in this wrong way chosen by this war for them. Had we ever thought of ending this way, die this way? No! No! There are thousands of them like me, there are thousands of me like them. The cries of these babies and the tears of mothers are uttering a curse and making this part of earth more malignant. I've seen these imprecations more powerful than prayers. Despite all these experiences, the poison of war killing us in every breath, the urge for self-preservation has now often become greater, the will to live stronger, the closer death is. And I knew this, it was beyond comprehension.

They were planning for something big to avenge all our losses of that night. Mac's ruthlessness was turning him blind. I have become not much like them but also I'm not making any interference to stop them. As being a medic, I still help the wounded ones and help myself by helping others. I'm remembering my past and craving for meeting them before I turn into some devil. But how could I not feel the misery of all these people and stop myself from being the one? I remember my vengeance, but how could I forget the faces of these people who also are here carrying the same misery as me? How can one see so much innocent blood flow and say nothing, do nothing and await the same death oneself?

-Can you imagine their trauma, humiliation, and harassment? Every day I see resentments and anger in their eyes and pain in their voices growing without any hope of living like before. We're the people of these ghastly days who have been invaded and made prisoners in their own country and by their own countrymen. I had everything. I just wished I could grow older with her and die together. The husky voice trembled.

-Now we must make them pay. –Mac said. It's time to let them hear the real roar of this war. What do you think of it?

-I think we should wait for some more days. Let them forget what they took away from us, and we'll put them in such grief that they are going to remember for the centuries. Let the war rest all upon us and lest we might die all like men for our salvation.

 I was just trying to borrow some more time to lessen the wrath of this war. I knew it was the only way to stop Mac for a deeper reason. I never could blame him for his viciousness but the war. This war put this world so high for the people like us that we never could dream of peace without it. Either we stand for this wrath and make the difference, or leave it for coming generations to fight following our footsteps. The light was brighter on the other side as we already had heard the ringing of some early divination. After this horizon, the curse of this war will follow the entire humankind.

After I'd got back into the routine of the practice I looked back on my earlier life. My last memory of Emma was of the day when I was about to send her. She never was leaving me and I'd like to promise her of my tears. I still remember promising Nat to come back soon and how she trusted every word spoken through my eyes. 'Father, Father, please don’t let us go. Please come with us. –Emma was crying calling me the whole time. And I stood there trying to protect my family but helplessly. 'I believe you'll come for us very soon. We are not just waiting for you like a mother and a child but like our savior and guardian angel. –Nat said. I still could hear her voice echoing all the time.

-Why are you doing all this to yourself, Mac? –I asked him. He was lying on his bed looking above without blinking his eyes.

-I am dunno, my friend. –Mac said. I'm just following the path of the devil to reach him. He quickly stood up and start lighting cigarettes. The smoke of it hides his face and I could clearly see him becoming faceless.  Now I'm not going to kill only one 'Mr. X', but thousands of them, some wearing uniform and some not. Courage is the hardest thing to figure out when you're surrounded by dismay and distress. It all comes from the voice of us shouting inside against all the injustices. It all depends on who we are and what we are going to be thence. Sometime you may not even figure out, why you're doing something. Walking through this valley of death, you don’t remember much of your embattled life but only of the heroic death. Either you die of the pestilence of this war or for honor showing some courage. Honor is the real reason you either do something or you don’t. This may be the reason you and I are here, for honoring the death of us and them.

-And now, look who’s talking? –I said. You were the only one who always tried to stop me from being here. But today, you're still trying to stop me from being here. You still are trying to take all the blames by yourself. But there are some promises, I guess, to end this war together. Either in your way or in my way. And I know that if we die for something important, then we've both courage and honor. You want us to die for the honor by killing the innocents, and I want us to honor the innocents and die by protecting them.

He turned unsteadily as he heard footsteps in the yard. 'Ah good morning, Mr. General, 'he said. You look a little raddled. If you don’t mind can we get started now? They were the same scavengers from that night trying to protect 'Mr. X.'

Mac turned to me and handed me the gun. 'Will you fix it for me please, and see if it's working properly or not?

They both trotted into the house and another of his men was kept outside like watchdogs. This time my antagonist of future was securely held by a halter in their hands. I could see a storm coming to us.

'What the hell…?' he stared at our men in the victims' section. How the hell could you treat them so well being alone? He patted me like appreciating my work. 'Ah well.' he shrugged his shoulder. You've done a great job and I'm right grateful to you.

His appreciation for my work was like a sardonic smile. My feeling of bête noire was now turning into shame. How long could I serve to be a servant of the devil? Someone inside me widely opened his mouth and emitted a long-drawn, deafening yell of rage. But my promise to my child of helping the wounded ones all my life calmed me down. I know they're watching me from above and would forgive me for not refraining myself to serve the devil but in a godly way.

'Rebels forces are ravaging the countryside.' –he said. As I sipped my tea sitting beside them the thought occurred to me that despite the passage of years things hadn’t changed. During this pause for thought, I dodged past them, threw open the door and escaped into the yard. What I could do is just rail against fate.

-'I know why you are upset.' –Mac came and sat beside me after they left. But I promise we're going to end this war very soon.

-'Ah Mac', I know what you're doing is to reach him. –I said. But you're not trying to see that you cannot walk-over thousands of innocent bodies under your feet.

I couldn’t deny Mac's determination to root out the evils of this war but what he's planning to do is no less than evil itself. I devoutly hope someday he'd change his mind and could see the difference between the devilry and vengeance.

The whole thoughts were slapped down of deviating him from the path of this destruction. The anger was growing more rampantly across these race relations. I was staring like a puppet and seeing what they made me see.

'Can you see behind this fog of war? –Mac asked me. He lit his cigarette and sat on his chair. And if you see, what do you see behind it? What makes you think that what I'm doing is wrong and what this war did to us was just the irony of our fate?

I paused for a while before I speak. No Mac! No! I can't see behind all this fog of war. But what I see is that this war left us for vengeance with one man but not with all. He just stood and went for his pocket. He took out a photograph and put it on my hand. It was from the day when we were all together at that circus of our village. For a moment it took me back which I think was one of the happiest days of our lives. It got wet all of my tears over it.

'So do you still think that this war could be over by killing just one 'Mr. X' in mask and not thousands of them living freely with all the luxuries they could find in one life? I think they all are responsible for it, and therefore they all must die who destroyed our family. And from then I knew there would never be hoisting of the white flag over our house.