Under The Crying Willow (Complete Prologue)
Story of Nadia, a young teen who dreams about a mysterious woman who dies in childbirth..... Sorry it's been long I posted.
On a quiet night, while the streams were undisturbed. A woman trekked on a dusty path. The woman was neither fair nor dark in complexion, slender yet robust with endowments a little exaggerated yet normal for any in her condition. **Just a little more and I'll be there..** The woman kept murmuring to herself.
She held a beautiful basket in which she kept all her possession; a long cotton garment, a bar of laundry soap, a short chewing stick, a bottle of water and a snowy white blanket she kept at the very bottom of the basket. Dressed in a long gown that has seen brighter days with signs of time on more than a dozen places. And a dark veil over her head and shoulders, used as screen against curious stares on the way.
Suddenly, an owl hooted. The woman slowed her steps and lifted her face to the sky. "Yes! We're almost there. My baby, don't worry, you shall be born under the crying willow." The woman Said to herself while she caressed her bulging stomach. Yes! She was pregnant.
In the moonless sky that shone with a million stars, she increased her pace despite the chill of the darkness and her swollen feet. She would tilt her head forward, sniffing the air around her. As if she could tell the direction by instincts. Surely no stranger to the land.
About an hour of trek in the star lit night, she reached a forest of willow trees. Smiling to herself, she made her way through the thick foliage. She could hear the chirping insect's noisy dance. The wind seemed to be making way for her as she half ran, half walked to a little clearing where a huge willow stood alone...like a dejected lover.
Just like the village the air smelt of animal droppings, pine, and the earth, Fresh and pleasant. The woman dropped her basket delicately on the soft earth near the trunk of the willow. She went in search of branches and leaves to make her bed for the night. After arranging the last pieces of leaves for the makeshift bed, she lay on it exhausted.
Just as the gentle arms of sleep tugged her to rest, a stabbing pain shot through her lower abdomen. Her water broke. She bit her lip till it bled. "Please my lord help me, protect my baby...." She faints and regain consciousness with a muffled cry. As she opened her eyes to the burning pain of her body, she screamed. Blood, blood and more blood she was soaked in it. It was not the actual sight of it that made her scream, no. but rather the amount. She feared for her life and that of her unborn child. So she screamed for help with little life in her; "Please help, oh my Lord do not leave me to myself. HELP!"
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"Nadia! Nadia! Wake up, wake up." I was shaken back to consciousness. I slowly opened my eyes. "It is just a nightmare. You are safe." I heard a sweet cooing voice telling me. I looked up and saw a pretty plump face over me. Then I realized, I had been dreaming again. "Uma!" I whispered to the face above me and tried to smile but tears rolled down my eyes instead. "I saw a woman in childbirth dying under a huge willow tree." I said while tears made steams down my cheeks. "Nadia, what have I told you about nightmares? Nightmares are from the devil. After experiencing any, you should seek sanctuary of God from the accursed devil and the evil of what you saw, 3 instances, change you're sleeping position and face the opposite.
And finally, never to relate what you saw to anyone." Uma scolded me. I smiled because I knew how much she loved me, so I said; "Am sorry Uma. I could not resist telling you. But next time I'll try to remember." Feeling better, I wanted to pursue the matter with her so I continued; "But this dream felt so real, I could actually taste the very air. And I think it was my mother. Remember you said I was born under a willow tree?" Uma smiled and held me close to her bosom. "Don't change the subject you silly girl. I know you also forgot to pray before sleeping. Anyway you had this issue on mind, probably that's why it popes up even in your sleep." She said.
"But Uma, ..." I wanted to argue but she placed a finger on my lips and said; " Not another word on it. Now go back to sleep and don't forget to pray first." She released me from her huge and stepped off my bed. She gave me a peck on the forehead and gave me a smile I loved so much. Uma gracefully pull the covers over me and elegantly went to the door and switched off the light of my room. Then gently closed the door behind her as she left. I smiled to myself and thanked God for protecting me and placing me under good guardians. I prayed and slowly slept off. Little did I know that my own journey was about to begin in the discovery of who I really was and who my real parents were.
She held a beautiful basket in which she kept all her possession; a long cotton garment, a bar of laundry soap, a short chewing stick, a bottle of water and a snowy white blanket she kept at the very bottom of the basket. Dressed in a long gown that has seen brighter days with signs of time on more than a dozen places. And a dark veil over her head and shoulders, used as screen against curious stares on the way.
Suddenly, an owl hooted. The woman slowed her steps and lifted her face to the sky. "Yes! We're almost there. My baby, don't worry, you shall be born under the crying willow." The woman Said to herself while she caressed her bulging stomach. Yes! She was pregnant.
In the moonless sky that shone with a million stars, she increased her pace despite the chill of the darkness and her swollen feet. She would tilt her head forward, sniffing the air around her. As if she could tell the direction by instincts. Surely no stranger to the land.
About an hour of trek in the star lit night, she reached a forest of willow trees. Smiling to herself, she made her way through the thick foliage. She could hear the chirping insect's noisy dance. The wind seemed to be making way for her as she half ran, half walked to a little clearing where a huge willow stood alone...like a dejected lover.
Just like the village the air smelt of animal droppings, pine, and the earth, Fresh and pleasant. The woman dropped her basket delicately on the soft earth near the trunk of the willow. She went in search of branches and leaves to make her bed for the night. After arranging the last pieces of leaves for the makeshift bed, she lay on it exhausted.
Just as the gentle arms of sleep tugged her to rest, a stabbing pain shot through her lower abdomen. Her water broke. She bit her lip till it bled. "Please my lord help me, protect my baby...." She faints and regain consciousness with a muffled cry. As she opened her eyes to the burning pain of her body, she screamed. Blood, blood and more blood she was soaked in it. It was not the actual sight of it that made her scream, no. but rather the amount. She feared for her life and that of her unborn child. So she screamed for help with little life in her; "Please help, oh my Lord do not leave me to myself. HELP!"
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
"Nadia! Nadia! Wake up, wake up." I was shaken back to consciousness. I slowly opened my eyes. "It is just a nightmare. You are safe." I heard a sweet cooing voice telling me. I looked up and saw a pretty plump face over me. Then I realized, I had been dreaming again. "Uma!" I whispered to the face above me and tried to smile but tears rolled down my eyes instead. "I saw a woman in childbirth dying under a huge willow tree." I said while tears made steams down my cheeks. "Nadia, what have I told you about nightmares? Nightmares are from the devil. After experiencing any, you should seek sanctuary of God from the accursed devil and the evil of what you saw, 3 instances, change you're sleeping position and face the opposite.
And finally, never to relate what you saw to anyone." Uma scolded me. I smiled because I knew how much she loved me, so I said; "Am sorry Uma. I could not resist telling you. But next time I'll try to remember." Feeling better, I wanted to pursue the matter with her so I continued; "But this dream felt so real, I could actually taste the very air. And I think it was my mother. Remember you said I was born under a willow tree?" Uma smiled and held me close to her bosom. "Don't change the subject you silly girl. I know you also forgot to pray before sleeping. Anyway you had this issue on mind, probably that's why it popes up even in your sleep." She said.
"But Uma, ..." I wanted to argue but she placed a finger on my lips and said; " Not another word on it. Now go back to sleep and don't forget to pray first." She released me from her huge and stepped off my bed. She gave me a peck on the forehead and gave me a smile I loved so much. Uma gracefully pull the covers over me and elegantly went to the door and switched off the light of my room. Then gently closed the door behind her as she left. I smiled to myself and thanked God for protecting me and placing me under good guardians. I prayed and slowly slept off. Little did I know that my own journey was about to begin in the discovery of who I really was and who my real parents were.
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