Cursed by the land

Abbey leaned her face on the coach’s window and a quiet tear slips away. She wipes her face as she doesn’t want to her uncle to see her crying. She sits up straight and bittersweet memories between she and her mama surfaces. She smiles after remembering how childish her young self was. They were returning from the forest Abbey and her mother when a rabbit hopped right into their path. Abbey jumped and yelped out of fright and clung to her mother. ‘Save me mama’ she cries and her mother picks her up. ‘It’s fine Abby, it doesn’t harm’ mama said. The rabbit had also run away since it was also frightened by the actions of the little girl. She puts her hands on the bundle of clothes she was carrying. Uncle Hugh had come to her aid when her mother died. Denise had been sick for a while and all hope was lost since the cost of medication kept surging whilst there was no improvement in her health. Abbey had to take up extra work so she couldn afford the medications. Her mother grew thinner and weaker each other as her last essence was taken by the consumption. The night before her death, she threw up blood with a pungent smell. She had rushed to call the best doctor she could find and he was in the next town. Mr.Sven prescribed herbs for her and she decided to get it in the morning. He first gave her some of the medication and treated her with it. Her mother’s condition improved a little overnight. She had hopes that she’ll be better after getting the herbs for her. She returned mid morning after asking her employer for an off day to tend to her mother and found her mother quietly sleeping. She noticed she wasn’t asleep when there was no rising and falling of her chest and she hurriedly rushed to her side dropping the herbs. She called her but there was no sound from her. She shook her and after seeing no movement, she started wailing. Her distress cry brought many of their neighbours to her house. After discovering why she was crying, they helped her up and tried giving her herbs to see if she might wake up but she was long gone. They contacted her uncle who was the only relative she knew for him to come and witness the burial. She entrusted Abbey in his care so she had to leave Kenthood the town she has lived in her entire life. The road was bumpy and the hooves and the neighs of the horses was the only sound that accompanied the journey. The coach came to an abrupt stop. One of the wheels had gotten stuck in mud so the passengers had to get down for the men to push. They all got down and offloaded their goods from the coach. After much forcing, the wheels was successfully removed from the mud and they all got on board. After many hours of sitting stiff in the coach and the cries of a baby that refused to be soothed by her mother, the coachman shouted ‘Woodluck.’ Uncle Hugh got down and she followed. She was met with a scenery of a busy place. Slaves were chained and placed in a wagon where they were being took to market and be sold off. She saw children in worn out clothes and barefoot running about. She followed her uncle and before she could take a step, a hand pulled her away because she was nearly rundown by a carriage. ‘Be careful where you’re going damsel’ the man who pulled told her. She bowed her head and offered a murmur of thanks. She took after her uncle as he had stopped after seeing his niece was far behind. He tipped his patched hat and greeted a bulky man with moustache, ‘good noon Richard’. The man turns around, looks at him and tips his hat at him. After an hour and half of walking we stop in front of a house. Uncle Hugh knocks and a girl in her early teens opens and happily throws herself into his arms. ‘How’s my little princes doing?’ He asked and she replied ‘fine papa.’ She looked around fourteen, had dark brown hair and green eyes. She stares at me and opened her mouth but before she could talk, a woman in her mid thirties open the door wide and uncle Hugh kisses her on the cheek. I remember her being aunt Rebecca. She looks at me and gives me a comforting smile amd ushers me in. I enter the room and the source of light was from a window facing outside. There was a table with four chairs around and I reckon this might be where they dine. ‘Jude get your cousin and father water they might be exhausted from the long journey’ my cousin gets up and I now know her name is Jude. She returns with one wooden cup and one glass cup and offers me the water in the wooden cup and gives the one in glass to uncle Hugh. ‘Show her to the room Jude’ auntie Rebecca says. I get up and carry my bundle of clothes and the only thing I have now. She shows me to a room with three beds. Jude shows me my bed and I drop my clothes on it and sits on it. This was my first time sitting on one since we didn’t own a bed back in the town I used to live in. I touched the sheet and giggled slightly since it was soft for . ‘Errrm I’ll be leaving now to help mama cook the evening meal’ she told me and I nodded. After leaving, the room became quiet and I stood up to look around. The ceiling looked old and there was a table with broken leg and a lantern on it. It still had oil so I figured it is used during night time. The room had no chimney as chimneys was used by the elite and those who could afford buying wood everyday. I saw a book on the table and I walk over to see what it is about. I picked it up and before I could finish reading the title, the door opened and Eli entered. I remembered her from when she first came to Kenthood. She was almost nine when uncle Hugh brought Eli to where they lived. We girls played together until uncle Hugh left abruptly. He came alone since Jude was barely three months and aunt Rebecca couldn’t come because she was weaning Jude at the time. Eli left her doll that she named Miss Muffins with her and Abbey got to play with it until the doll could no more be used. Eli enters the room and stares at Abbey. They both don’t know what to say and the only thing she could say was ‘hello, it’s nice meeting you again’ she nods and I apologise for disturbing her quiet time. Mum had warned us not to disturb Abbey since she was still grieving. The last time I met her was a decade ago. Dad was on a business trip and he decided to take me with him to see aunt Denise and cousin Abbey. They treated me nicely when dad had to leave to the next town to complete his business. I played with Abbey and aunt Denise fed me. By the time dad returned, it was in the night and I still don’t remember how we left but the next time I woke up we were past Kenthood and I was asleep on his shoulders. I haven’t met Abbey again and I never got to see aunt Denise again. Eli settled the book on the table. Following my line of sight she asks me if I could read and I nod my head. Mama had made one of the scholars in Kenthood teach me how to read and write. Jude enters and call Eli out as her mother demanded for her presence. I was about to follow them when they tell me to go back and rest as I have just retuned from a long journey. I walk over and pick one book on the table ‘Beauty and the Beast’ it looks like Eli was interested in fictional stories. I read and complete a few chapters before Eli comes to tell me to come out for supper. I walk out and the food is already on the table and I see an additional chair added around the table. Aunt Rebecca makes me sit down on the chair and tells me it belongs to me since it was made in my name. Uncle Hugh didn’t show up for supper amd I overhear in a concert that he has some work to complete. Jude shows me to the bath and take my bath and I was allowed to rest since I was truly tired from the journey. I don’t know when but I fell asleep and it was the first sleep I’ve had since mother’s death.