The Sightless Daughter: Tyesha Latoria

TSD: TL 3

On the same day at evening, a servant came into the room where the child was staying.

The door made a creaking sound, as it swung open slowly before making a clicking sound. The child could hear footsteps approaching her but could not clearly see who it was.

“Hello, little miss…” a sweet voice of a woman greeted the child.

The servant was almost teary when she saw the awful sight she was seeing. It was not a good sight to see. She poked the child a few times before slowly turning her to see her face. She was upset just thinking that someone was capable of doing terrible things to a sweet innocent child.

She carried the child gently to her arms and laid her to her bed properly.

“Who… are you?” the child asked with a very weak voice.

“I…” She paused for a moment. “I am Janette, you must be tired little miss.”

“Ja…Janette… thank you,” The child gave her best smile despite her condition.

Janette could only nodded and smiled at her as she was trying to hold back her tears seeing the child’s situation. She grabbed an ointment from her pocket and started to apply them to the child’s wounds and beaten body. The child bit her lips, enduring the pain as Janette puts some ointment to her. Janette saw the child’s expression, it was a heart-wrenching sight, and the child was trying with all her might to hold back her tears every time she felt pain.

Janette blew on the child’s wounds in an attempt to ease the pain somehow. Janette gave her sweetest smile to the child as she saw the child just staring at her and watching what she was doing.

“Okay… this is done, don’t move that much so it wouldn’t hurt little miss,” Janette stood up and pocketed the ointment and the little cloth she used in cleaning the child’s wounds.

She was about to step away from the bed when the child suddenly grabbed her clothes. She stopped and looked at her.

“What’s wrong?” Janette asked.

“A-are you leaving?” the child asked.

Janette barely heard what the child said but she understood. She gently touched the child’s cheek.

“I… I am just going to get your supper, little miss… so, wait for me here, okay?” Janette smiled.

The child lets go of her gripped. “Okay… I… I’ll be waiting.”

Janette caressed the child’s head, before turning and leaving the room. She closed the door, and paused for a while in front of it. She slowly leaned on the door, as tears fell from her eyes. That was hard to watch for her. She balled her fists and grabbed unto her chest, trying to contain her sobs. She just stayed there for a while and after collecting herself, she went on.

After preparing a meal, she headed back straight to the child’s room. She brought a decent meal for the child as what she promised. The child faced flashed in her mind who looked like had not eaten a decent meal for a few days.

The child’s face showed a relieved expression as she saw Janette returning to her room. Janette helped the child to sit in her bed and fed her properly as the child was unable to lift even a single finger.

When the next day came, the child came out fine and healed quickly. However, ever since that day, she only received a rug-like piece of cloth to wear. She even treated much worse this time around.

However, it was a good thing that Janette was there to help her out and looked after her. She would be there whenever the child was alone. It was not that hard for them to build a close relationship. It was more like, Janette was a sister figure or more or less, a mother figure to the child.

The other servants in the manor would always bully the child and passing their work to the child. Janette was the only one who would call the child “little miss” as the others would make all sorts of funny names to call her.

“Hey you! You rat, what are you doing? Why are you just sitting there? You have to scrub the floor!” one of the maidservant yelled at the child.

“It seems like they are calling me… later Janette!”

“Okay little miss,” Janette smiled.

Janette smile slowly fades into a sad look. Watching the child in this situation, it just does not make sense at all. The child did not deserve treated this way, she thought.

“Little miss…”

Even if the child’s hardships did not cease at all, she continued to bring her lively and joyful side. The presence of Janette probably gave her hope and some kind of safe place to go whenever things gets rough.

If she had to do a work around the house, she would finish it quickly and would only think of seeing Janette afterwards. At least that gave her the strength and something good to look forward to after a tiring work.

“Janette! Janette!” the child would rushed towards Janette and would jump to her for a hug.

Janette would smile and welcomed the child with opened arms.

“Don’t go running like that little miss, you might trip and fall,” Janette said in a worried tone.

The child would gave her the brightest smile she could give, “its fine… you are there after all to tend my wound.”

Janette giggled as she heard the child’s answer. “You little cute angel… are you done with your chores?”

“Yes!” the child answered with eyes full of life.

“So, that explains why are you so happy running towards me.”

“I would just want to see you and help you if you need so,” the child grinned.

“No, no, I’m fine little miss, now you have your break so just sit there and wait for me to finish hanging the laundry, okay?”

“Okay!” the child went to the side obediently and never let her eyes off Janette. She would sit there and happily swinging her feet.

“You know little miss…”

“Hmm?”

“I knew a person that had the same eyes as yours…”

“Really?” she said in surprised with excitement.

“Yes,” Janette answered as she hangs the laundries.

“It does not bother you?” the child asked in frown.

“Bother me? Why would it bother me?”

The little child looked up and mumbled, “Disgusting…”

“What do you mean little miss?”

“Mother would always tell me that I have disgusting eyes,” making a sad look.

Jannette clenched her fist, crumpling the clothes she was holding.

“Don’t listen to your i***t mother,” Janette muttered.

The child looked at her confused, “Hmmm?”

“U-um nothing… I mean… for me your eyes are very beautiful little miss, they’re like gems sparkling.” Janette said. For her, the child’s lively and adorable spirit was vivid in her eyes. They were so warm that you would not know that his child suffered a lot from her own biological mother.

“That’s good to hear if that’s how you look at them,” the child smiled. “Janette tell me…”

“What is it, little miss?”

“Where are you getting the food I am always having for dinner? You always bring me one to my room, but I have never eaten outside the room. When I asked one from them, they said that I must wait for the leftovers.”

Janette finished what she was doing and walked towards the child before sitting beside her.

“If you want to eat, just come and tell me little miss,” Janette smiled as she pat the child’s head. “Don’t ask them, they are all jerks”

“Jerk?”

“Ah… you can forget that last word,” Janette laughed awkwardly.

“Oh, okay if you say so. By the way, who is that person you are talking about, that has the same eyes as me?”

“Oh him?”

“Is he your friend?”

“It is better if we are just friends.”

“What do you mean?”

“He is the reason why I fled into this country.”

“You ran away from home Janette?”

“Well sort of.”

“Why?”

“My parents wanted me to marry…” Janette looked at the child and shook her head. “You might not understand it but think of it as they want me to be with that man.”

“That man who has the same color as my eyes?”

“Yes. If someone will say that, you are his daughter.  They would believe it since you have really had similar eyes. However, I would not believe it because your eyes are more beautiful than his.” Winked at the child teasingly.

“Really?” she giggled.

“Yes, for real.” Janette beamed at the child. “His eyes are so cold and had no emotions at all, while yours are completely opposite of him.”

“Janette.”

“Yes?”

“Mother said that I share the same eyes as my father that is why she hated me.”

“She said those?”

“Yes.”

“So, she really must hate your father. She never hated you as her daughter but as a daughter of your father.”

“If she hated my father why I must be hated too? What did I do to make her that way? Is it wrong for me to be the daughter of my father?”

“Of course not! Your mother is just a psycho b***h!”

“Psycho b***h?”

“Ah…” Janette gave an awkward smile. “Anyways, don’t you miss your father? You are here for quite a few months already.”

“How can I miss someone whom I have never seen before?” the child gave off a sad look on her face.

Janette froze for a moment. She did not intend to rub salt on her wounds.

“Did you ask your mother about your father?”

“How could I? Just hearing her saying how disgusting, my eyes since it is as if were father’s was more than enough. I can tell she doesn’t want to meet him or hear his name.”

‘Ack! Way to go Janette! First, you rubbed her wounds with a salt and now you poured an entire lemon juice to it. Great! Just great!’ Janette scolded herself. “Yeah, right… I understand.”

Janette was also starting bullied by the other maidservants as she was sticking beside her every time.

“Janette stop getting close to that rat!” one maidservant yelled.

“Yeah, don’t help her or else you will also experience what she is experiencing.” The other maidservant added.

“I really don’t care. Why are you treating a child like this?” Janette replied.

“It is her fault! It is her fault why she is born to that kind of mother.”

“Yeah, being born to that lady is her fault. And besides, it appears to me that her entire existence is also a fault.”

Janette could not hold herself anymore and slapped the maidservant that said those ridiculous things she heard. That was stepping over the lines, and besides whom they are pertaining to is only a child, she thought.

“Are you all mad?” Janette raised her voice. “How did it come that it’s her fault? The child only wants to live like what other normal people would, why are you being like that? How could you possibly come up with that way of thinking?”

The maidservant were surprised at what Janette has actually done. They both gritted their teeth, very furious about it.

“So, you are confident enough to be able to raise your voice at us huh?”

“And to the point of slapping us? Let’s if you can handle the consequences in going against us.” The maidservant threatened Janette.

Without saying anything further, the maidservants have left. Then, as what they said. Janette started to receive mistreatments they could gave. There when Janette was doing the laundry and then they purposely cut of the rope where the clothes where hanging. They blamed her as not doing her work right.

While mopping the floor the maidservants intently stepped on the mud and entered the house where Janette was mopping. They passed through as if nothing happened and just laughed. They did not even spare her food.

They are only giving her a single piece of bread for her to eat every meal, sometimes the entire day. She could not do anything but secretly sneaked in the kitchen, while they were busy preparing meals, she would stealthily stole food from them. She would hide it under her apron or in her pocket. Heading straight to the child’s room for them to share together.

One day, a visitor came into the manor. They were a noble couple and looking for Janette. She was immediately call to the receiving area where the visitors as well as the Marquis that own the manor and Alyona were waiting for her.

“Janette! Our daughter!” the couple stood at the same time as soon as they saw Janette.

“Mother? Father?” Janette could not believe it. “Why are you here?”

Looking at the Marquis and Alyona’s face, they were surprised as well after knowing that Janette’s parents were actually the noble couple.

“She’s your daughter?” Alyona asked.

“Yes, she is…” Janette’s mother replied.

“Janette we are here to pick you up,” Janette’s father said.

“Pick me up? I don’t want to go home.” Janette protested.

“Janette, listen to your Father,” her mother said.

“So, I am the one who’s being hard headed now? Didn’t I told you that I don’t want to marry that man?” Janette balled up her fists.

“Janette, he is not an ordinary man. He is capable enough and good match for you.”

“He may be capable enough and he’s no more than that. I won’t be marrying someone like a stone who doesn’t even know the word kindness.”

“Janette look, if you won’t come with us, I will see it that the Marquis kidn*pped you and forced to be his servant. And the blue knights will come storming this place to dragged you back home.” Her father warned.

“WHAT?” Marquis, who owned the manor, flustered by what Janette father declared. They know they will not even stand a chance to the power of a duke, Duke Bernardon.

“Duke wha-what…” the Marquis stuttered.

The duke raised his hand, enough to silence the Marquis in a single move.

“I take it that you wouldn’t want anyone to get into trouble just because of your actions, right? Janette?”

Janette could not say anything. She could only clench his fists. “Father…”

“Please reconsider it Janette, this could mean war,” her mother begged.

Having no other choice, she could only sighed and agreed. “Fine.”

“Now then let’s now head back home…” her mother embraced her after she finally agreed.

Her father nodded, “Wise decision.”

The Marquis and Alyona, could only sigh in relieved. Their faces turned pale for a moment.

“But I have one request…” Janette said.

“What is it?” her father asked.

“I want to bring that child with me…”