27 October 1505
(A/n: thoughts, *actions*)
(Lucrezia's POV)
It's been almost two years since that nightmare.
I know it's just a dream, but I can't shake this bad feeling I've been carrying since that night. Like something irreversible's gonna happen.
The day after that dream, I went to Agata, and everything seemed normal: she was neither skin and bone, nor crazy. Then I went to check out the rest of the village. Everyone was there and the huts were just like before.
But I still couldn't find peace, so I thought about Agata's words: "YOUR DAUGHTER!!! IT'S ALL HER FAULT!! SHE'S CURSED!!" and continued: "SHE IS THE DAUGHTER OF SATAN!! HER HAIR! WHITE!! AND HER EYES! PURPLE!! SHE IS A WITCH!!. A WOMAN CONDEMNED TO ROT IN HELL!! AND YOU!!." *stops for a moment to catch her breath*. ".. HER MOTHER, YOU TOO ARE DAMNED!!! LIKE ALL OF US!.. AHAHAAHHA".
They didn't make sense. How can my little angel be a witch.
Perhaps, in the dream Agata had gone mad, who knows? , she had lost her husband and children...and then you know! , hunger makes do things unthinkable. And then I went crazy in the dream too. It was just a dream! , YES!! , a stupid meaningless dream. I was repeating it to myself for the umpteenth time. But the more I denied it was a sign of fate, the more my fears came true.
So I made a decision: I would hide Ofelia's eyes and hair from everyone. Even Matteo. I no longer trusted him. I found out he'd changed, he was distant.
I noticed it a year ago: He spent a lot of time alone, in the fields or in the village.
But I knew that it was also my fault, after Ophelia had come into the world, I realized that I had irregular menstruation and that when she arrived it was so painful that I had to stay days in bed. Unable to move because of the excruciating pains. And I found that I could no longer have children. Yet I was only 24. It was serious. Very serious.
Not being able to have children, especially not having them male, meant being victims of a curse, or no longer have the protection of God. And then with it meant struggling more to work the fields.
So I know, and I know, it's my fault that he walked away from us.
That he may have found another woman?.... NO, I CANNOT ACCEPT IT!. no.. No...it's not like that, maybe he's just upset by this situation, and he just needs time to accept it.... YES!. Yes!. It's like that!!
So I decided to do something to protect Ofelia: when her 6 months of life passed, and her hair began to grow, I made the decision to dye them, with the hope that with time they appeared a darker color. Every color, exept white.
So i chopped the walnut shells and boiled them in water until they lost their color and the water turned black. Then once cold, with the help of a piece of cloth, I applied it on Ofelia's head, making sure it looked as natural as possible. I repeated the treatment twice every seven days, and it worked!!. Now they looked black.
The next step was to hide her eyes.
Although at birth they appeared rosy, after a year they darkened to become permanently violet. I covered them with very light bandages, so that she could see, though not much.. And I wrapped it around her eyes.
And if someone asked the reason for this gesture, I told him or her that she was blind from birth, and that to avoid infections; I had to cover them.
I only took her bandages off when we were alone. Just me and her.
(Present)
07:31 a.m
I went into the bedroom, approached the bed and looked at the little cocoon of sheets that was on the mattress. I stretched out a hand above it, and I began to reveal its contents: a little girl of just two years: she had very clear skin, had black hair that reached up to her shoulders, and her eyes were ajar, and long and deep breaths came out of her mouth. She was sleeping.
"Ofelia I know you're not sleeping," I said, holding a laugh. She had her feet out of the tangle of blankets. " Ofelia woke up or I will be forced to punish you," I said pretending a severe tone. But nothing, she did not want to get out of bed. She's so lazy!... eh okay. You wanted it! .
I started tickling her feet. "WAKE UP.... LAZY, IT'S MORNING! ... ahaha." And I burst out laughing, while Ophelia was struggling; she burst out laughing too. " mama. .AHAHA.. ,mommy let me sleep. .AHAHA.. pwlease!" Ofelia said to me, still laughing. "No, you must eat...and then we must go and help your father in the fields!" I told her to get ready to go outside.
"No.. mama.. Ofelia tired!". He replied, struggling. So I picked her up and I said, "If you do what Mom said, we're going to pet Agatha's cows." I told her, I promised to show her the cows.
YES! , MAMA. LET'S GO TO TOUCH THE COWS!" Ofelia said, jumping and shouting with joy. We went to the kitchen.
I made her breakfast, then I blindfolded her and then we went to help Matteo with the vegetables. This year, the harvest was miserable, like last year.
After helping Matteo, we went to Agata's hut: We reached her house and We went to the door.
"*Creak*", the door opened. To welcome us was Pietro, Agata's husband. He was the same age as Agata, he was tall and skinny. " Hello, Lucrezia, are you looking for Agata?" , he said smiling at me. Yes, excuse me, Pietro,... is that Ofelia wanted to caress the cows. Can we?" I asked him, blushing with shame.
"hahaha...but of course you can! , no bother," Pietro replied, bursting out laughing.
Then he continued:" And you, must be Ofelia! It seemed yesterday that you were born and were this small," Pietro said, opening the palms of his hands and distancing them from each other. Ofelia merely smiled at him. " Poor little girl.. It must be difficult for you, Lucrezia. What will you do when she is older? She will not be able to find a husband, she will be forced to become a nun". Pietro looked at me as if he wanted to pity me.
"Ah. .ah.ah, that won't be a problem, we'll find a good husband for her.." I answered, pretending to be embarrassed. HOW DARE HE!? They will torture her and kill her. They must not find out. I must be more careful. I have to think of something....Maybe... if I could convince Matteo to go and live in the forest. Maybe, there would be less chance that the church would know about her... It's risky, but it's the only chance. I have to! .I looked at Ofelia for a moment, then looked up and said to Pietro, "You know.. Pietro, it is getting late, maybe it is better that I go to prepare lunch for Matteo and Ofelia, say goodbye to Agata for me, bye!..." I took Ofelia, and walked quickly to my house. Peter looked at me surprised on the threshold of the door of the hut, then he returned and closed it behind him.Ofelia wanted to fight back, but I told her we'd go next time, when Agata was there.I got home and prepared lunch. Still thinking about how I would convince Matteo.
( Author's POV)
Meanwhile, the wheel of fate had begun to turn...