THREE ANGLES

The sky over Makoko was always grey in Zara's memory. Sometimes she wonders if the cloud were born tired - just like her. The air in the floating slum smelled like smoke, saltwater, and something bitter she could never name. She sat on the edge of the wooden walkway, her legs dangling just above the dark, oily water below , staring at nothing. She was seven when the bad people took everything from her or maybe even eight. There was no birthday cakes in her past to count the years by... All in her mind are pictures of how all her family members were murdered.... Her mom was very sick to the point of being bedridden no one can even come close to her because she had deadly virus and other difficulties which she got when she was pregnant of her. Zara mother lost her husband and didn't ever take care of her self anymore, she didn't care about zara in her stomach anymore and even began to grow hatred saying " IT'S ALL THIS BABY FAULT, THIS BABY BROUGHT BADLUCK I CURSE THIS BABY" ... she always believed it was the baby in womb responsible for all what is happening, her husband was a boxing and fought a member of a mafia, he won but since then their life have never remained the same ... they always got threats her husband and her three children but she still believed it was the baby in her womb doing all this .... Soon her husband was killed by the mafia, she was heartbroken, sad and given up on life, she didn't care about her self anymore or her children or even try to protect her family from them ... After months she gave birth to the child (Zara) , she never looked the baby even her other children didn't ever come to the hospital to see their sibling because they believed what the mother said about the baby being the cause of everything happening in their life except zara big sister ... Her mother complications after the birth, which made her bedridden and also got a virus in her body which made no one able to come close to her except her doctor.... Zara was raised by her siblings (2 sisters and 1 brother). They always tell her everything that happened before she was born and how their mom hate her ... Zara was never able to touch her mom or look her close, she could only watch her from her window, she always stand there and look her from morning till night, sometimes stay and draw her .... Zara loved her so very much even if she haven't touched her or hear her , she adored her mom with all her heart and she always pray and God that one day she can atleast be able to hug her even if once just once that was all she asked .... Her mom was very sick and not ever getting money and her siblings didn't have any money to continue her treatment and it's more expensive as she's home.... her brother started working to get money while her and her three sisters stayed home ... One Night, they were all sited downstairs laughing and playing while their mom is in her room upstairs as always.... As they were play they all heard a loud gunshot upstairs, they looked at each other hoping it's not what they think. Zara started shaking very bad until she felt her sister hold her hand .... They all slowly walked up the stairs with their heart in their stomach.. Her brother opened the door and they all saw the body of their mom with blood all over , tears rushed down zara eyes she doesn't know what happened but she knows something bad happened to her mom ... Zara's brother immediately carried her without the care of not being able to touch her because of her sickness taking her to car and off to the hospital.... Zara was left with her second sister, she was so scared.... she started praying and asking God to help and make her to be able to hug her mom once just once .... Seconds passed to minutes, hours ... it was morning already when her brother came back with the body of their mom Dead .... Zara busted into tears and hugging her mom body so tight , it all felt unreal... For the first time she see her mom face very close and not in pictures, she touched her and felt her but it won't ever happen again it was just once in her life time... It has been four days since the passing of their mother everyone has been in silence since her sisters has been in tears all through, her brother try to be strong and make them feel better but zara knows his heartbroken aswell because she sees him every night crying .. After all day of nothing done they all went to sleep... Zara heard screams in her sleep, she thought it was a horrible dream until she woke up and saw like ten men in their room killing her second sister... zara just pretended to be asleep and close her eyes after few min they left leaving her sister in her own pool of blood ... Zara couldn't believe her eyes, her sister is dead and they killed her right before her eyes ... The siblings were more heartbroken no one ever speaks they were all just in silence, no one knew who was next or what their fate entails but they didn't care anymore, nothing mattered anymore their family is broken into pieces and cannot be fixed .... After one week of misery, they started to accept their fate and move on , her brother tried always to make his two sisters happy and always tell them to be strong always.... but that didn't last long, their beloved brother wasn't here anymore to strengthen them or make them feel better... One afternoon Zara's brother was come back from somewhere he knocked on the door and zara sister told her to go open it , just as she opened the door she heard a gunshot and saw her brother on the floor... zara knew it happened again, she started crying with his last strength he held her face and tell her to be strong always and never ever give up after those words he gave up his ghost.... Once again another more heartbreak, the two sisters was the only ones left ... they had only each other in this world no one else but her sister promised her no one will die anymore they will leave from the house and run far away, they won't fall into the hands of the wicked ones ..... she planned everything after one month then one day she didn't it was time to move , it was dark when she took zara and they started running, far far from home but Since when she was born she they couldn't anymore because they were surrounded by men scary men the ones who killed their family, Zara knew something bad would happen that the both of them wouldn't make it .... Her sister pushed her and told her to run and never look back but zara refused saying she would stay with her before they knew her the men shot Zara sister leaving her falling to the ground and saying "Zara please run run run, don't ever give up and be strong, find your happiness " Zara was shocked but started running she turned back and saw the men staring at her, they didn't chase after her but look her run , they did not ever make attempts to catch her which left her confused but she continued running and running.