Charles stood in the doorway, as he watched his daughter prepare breakfast. he had treated her so poorly in the past, but somehow she had survived and strived. he felt a pang of guilt as he thought about all the times he had made her life more difficult.perhaps it was time to let her go and focus on getting more money from his wife, and then divorcing her.
l turned to face my father and gave him a slight smile, my mind racing as i thoughts of a way to get close enough to him to make eye contacts. i walked slowly towards the fruit keeping my eyes fixed on my father's face. As i reached for an apple, i deliberately dropped the fruits basket and bent down to pick it up. in that moment, i made eye contact with my father, locking my gaze with his.
As i stared into his eyes, a realization down on me. i saw, without a doubt, that my father was a selfish man. he only cared about himself, and he didn't care who he hurts in the process. he was like a dark cloud, casting a shadow over everything and everyone around him. and now i understood why the gods had never passed the sorcerer's power on to him. it would have been a disaster if he had been given that power. he would have used it for evil instead of good.
As I continued to stare into my father's eyes, he noticed my intense gaze and asked me what was wrong. but I remained silent not wanting to reveal my true intentions. my mind was racing trying to figure out how to proceed without arousing his suspicion.
feeling uncomfortable under his daughter's intense gaze, Charles left the kitchen, clearly unsettled by the situation. he knew something was wrong, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it. and he certainly didn't want to press the issue.
After Charles left the kitchen, I decided to follow suit. I walked out of the kitchen and went to wake my mother, who was still sleeping. "Mother," I said softly, "breakfast is ready." my mother stirred, still half-asleep, and I helped her to sit up and get dressed. We then made our way to the kitchen, where the food was set out on the table. We sat down to eat the toasted bread and eggs that I had made.
As I and my mother were eating, I kept thinking about how I could get back to my room without my mother noticing. Finally, I saw a chance. while my mother was distracted by her food, I slipped away and quickly made my way to my room. I closed the door behind me and took a deep breath, ready to begin my Communion with Sarah.
I carefully made my way to my bed and lay down, closing my eyes and focusing on my breathing. I tried to clear my mind off all thoughts, so that I could enter a trance-like state. As my breathing slowed, I could feel myself beginning to drift away from the physical world and into a realm where I could communicate with Sarah.
The room around me faded from view, and I found myself floating on the ocean, Sarah at my side. "Greetings, my novitiate," Sarah said, her voice echoing across the water. I told Sarah about my effort to read my father's mind, and my frustration at not being able to see enough
"it's okay, zita," Sarah reassured me.
"your powers are still growing, and you will see more in time."
Sarah pulled out a large mirror, it's surface glowing with a bright light. she held it up in front of me, and I gasped as the mirror showed me scenes from my father's past. I saw him committing all kinds of terrible deeds, from poisoning my siblings,
to have a mistress and a child outside wedlock.
I could hardly believe my eyes and I felt sick to my stomach.
I turned to Sarah and asked"what must I do to free my mother from my father's control?"
Sarah looked at me with a grave expression and said, "take a lock of your mother's hair and bring it to me," Sarah said. "I will make a portion that will allow her to see the truth about your father when she drinks it, she will be free from his love and will listen to you."I hesitated, not sure if I could do it. Taking my mother's hair felt like a violation of her trust. But if it will save her from my father, perhaps it will be worth it.
I agreed to take a lock of my mother's hair for Sarah, but I was worried about being found out by my mother if I didn't return to the real world quickly.
Sarah vanished, and I blinked, when I opened my eyes, I was back in the real world. I felt a sense of relief wash over me, knowing that I had made it back in time.
I steeled myself for the task ahead, knowing that I have to focus all my energy on getting a lock of my mother's hair.
I returned to the kitchen, but there was no sign of my mother. the chair where she had been sitting was empty, and the food she had been eating was gone.
I decided to check the veranda, since it was my mother's favorite place in the house. as I entered, I saw her sitting on a bench, gazing out at the garden.
My mother turned to me and asked, "why didn't you finish your breakfast?"I hesitated, unsure of what to say
"I... I just wasn't hungry," I stammered.
Then, seeing an opportunity to escape,
I smiled at my mother, trying to appear calm and innocent. "Mother, would you like some warm water to bath with?"I asked. My mother smiled and nodded. "Yes, that will be lovely,"she said.
I took advantage of this opportunity, knowing it was the only chance I would have to take a lock of my mother's hair. I knew that once my mother was finished bathing, she would braid her hair, so I had to act fast.
Zita's mother,Lucy, finished her bath and began braiding her hair into four neat plaits. After finishing her hair, Lucy left the room to go to the store.
I watched her go, and as soon as the door closed, I sprang into action. I reached for my mother's pink comb and carefully collected a lock of hair from it. I hurried back to my room,closing the door behind me.
I lay down my bed, closed my eyes, took a deep breath and tried to clear my mind. I focused on the lock of hair and imagine myself traveling to the other world. suddenly, I felt myself slipping away from my body and into a different realm.
There, I saw Sarah standing before me, and I handed her the lock of hair. "Thank you, zita," Sarah said. "Now we can begin."
Sarah used the lock of hair and some incantations to create a mixture."Zita you must add this mixture to any drink your mother consumes. once she drinks it, she would see your father for who he truly is. the love she feels for him will be removed, and she will be able to make her own decision about their relationship. are you ready to proceed?"Sarah said.
I was unsure about what to do. "should I really add this mixture to my mother's drink? what if something good wrong?"I thought to myself.
"Zita I understand your fear," Sarah said, placing her hand on my shoulder. "but your mother's happiness and safety are at stake. you must do this, or else should she will be trapped by your father's lies. Are you ready to do what's necessary?" I looked at Sarah my eyes wide with apprehension.
I told Sarah, "I need to get back to my body in the other world before my mom gets back from the store, and find out that I've been in my room all day."
"I understand," Sarah replied, I will be here waiting for you to come back and tell me the results. but remember,you must do this quickly. can you do that?"I nodded knowing that I had no choice but to follow Sarah's instructions. I closed my eyes and concentrated, willing myself back to my body. suddenly I felt myself being pulled back into the real world.
A loud knock on my door, made my heart race, panic rising within me. who could it be? I've been so busy with my plans that I haven't done my chores, which will only make my mother angrier if she was the one at the door.
I didn't also want it to be my father, because I didn't want to deal with the errands he would inevitably send me on as a punishment.