1/3
In the cold, snow-filled streets of Kaimel, a small and determined figure made its way through the fog that enveloped the place, leaving a trail in the snow that moved away behind its walk. Emina, a girl of just 11 years old, carried on her back not only a heavy bundle of firewood that she would sell that day, but with the greater responsibility of getting food and medicine for Jiro, her little brother, who had a fever and depended on her for survive. With her dark, wavy hair tied up in a messy tangle that matched her worn, snow-soaked clothes, she moved with determination.
With each step, the weight of the firewood seemed to increase, but Emina with an unbreakable soul did not complain. She had learned from a young age that life was not easy in Kaimel, especially for a poor family like hers. Her mother, Miri, fought every day to keep her children fed and warm, but in winter it was a constant and doubly hard battle against hunger and cold.
The day in question was particularly cruel for Emina. The wind cut like a dagger and the snow was quickly accumulating on the streets. The air dried her lips and caused them to split. But for Emina the weather was the least of her worries.
Since morning she has been going around the city, offering her firewood, from farmers to landlords, tanners and blacksmiths, however, things were not going according to plan.
—Thank you, but no, I don't need wood at this moment. - said the carpenter with some humor.
—I still have enough, maybe the market will do better for you. - said a grandmother.
The constant rejections accumulated like snow on the streets. Passersby looked at her appearance with disdain, others rejecting her offer with disgust. Emina sighed with resignation, feeling how her feet were getting wet with the snow, but she was firm in her mission to continue her work. Then, as if fate decided to smile on him, as he offered her firewood at a bakery, an older woman approached him with a compassionate smile.
"I don't need firewood, but I see that you look like you need some warm food in your stomach," the woman said, offering him a freshly baked bread.
Emina accepted the gift gratefully, feeling her stomach growl with hunger. However, instead of devouring it right away, she decided to save it for Jiro, who with her illness would surely need it more than she did.
-Thank Mrs. "This will be good for my brother," Emina responded with a shy smile.
With the bread carefully wrapped in her coat, Emina, encouraged and with a smile on her face, continued on her way; her determination had been rekindled. So time passed, the sun rose and even fell again. Tired, Emina couldn't stand the hunger that pricked her stomach, her movements were already slow and it was even difficult for her to breathe. Thus reluctant, she succumbed to the ever-present hunger.
"I can't sell the firewood if I'm hungry," with that thought clinging to her mind, she slowly took out the bread and promising to only take a small piece, she took a small pinch. It was still soft and as he put it into her mouth, she felt a tingle on the roof of her mouth.
—How nice it would be to be able to eat bread every day. I wonder what it would be like to have a lot of food, to forget about the tummy ache that always accompanies me. By selling all my firewood I would have a big bag of coins, with all that money I would run around the market to buy Jiro and Mom all the food in the city. And a new coat.
—Emina imagined the expression of surprise and happiness on the faces of Jiro and his mother when she handed them the food. Her eyes would shine with gratitude and joy, and her smiles would be like rays of sunshine on a cloudy day. Emina dreamed of her family sitting around a table, sharing laughter and conversation as they devoured plate after plate of delicious delicacies. Laughing out loud as Jiro chokes on a piece of bread and meat, her mother would lovingly scold them for eating so quickly. Hugging tightly, feeling the warmth of family and with full stomachs.
But then, reality hit her when a gust of icy wind cruelly brought her back to the present. Her dreams fade like clouds in the wind, leaving him with the harsh truth of her situation. Still there, she in the cold and now desolate square, fighting to survive one more day, one more night in this unforgiving world.
The hunger that had been wreaking havoc on her stomach moments ago had diminished. Surprised, she noticed that the bread had decreased more than necessary, because without realizing it, pecked from piece to piece, only half remained. A pang of guilt squeezed her heart, she quickly put away the remaining bread and promised herself not to touch it again.
With renewed determination and courage in her soul, she decided to redouble her efforts and swore that she would not stop until she got at least one copper coin to be able to buy the medicine that Jiro desperately needed. She picked up her firewood from the ground and continued offering it to the citizens.Night had already descended on the cobbled streets of Kaimel, covering the city with its dark and icy mantle. Emina, exhausted but determined, continued her fight to sell the firewood that she carried on her back. The cold penetrated to her bones and her hunger twisted her stomach, but she would not allow herself to give up.
—Wet firewood is useless! — A man said from the door of his house, before slamming it shut.
"Girl, this firewood is soaked!" exclaimed another potential customer, and with some sadness.
Emina looked down in shame, but she couldn't allow herself to give up. Although the time to return home had arrived, she decided to make one last effort and move forward with determination. Surely she would find someone willing to buy firewood from her, even if it was wet like a sponge.
At that moment she saw a man coming, with a frown and a heavy walk. Even with her fear, she Emina gritted her teeth, stuck out her chest and approached the man. Emina swallowed nervously, but she gathered her courage and offered him her merchandise with a trembling gesture.
—Sir, do you want firewood?
But the man's words, sharp as the edge of a sword, hit her hard. "I don't need firewood," she snapped, dismissing her offer. Emina felt a lump in her throat, but she did not give up: "It's pretty cheap," she said, however, the man's response was even more cruel: "No, girl. I don't want your firewood," the man said, preparing to continue on your way.
"Please, sir, I need to sell this to bring home some food," she murmured, hoping to move the man with her plight.
— Get out of here, brat! I don't want to see your hungry mouse face around these parts! —the man shouted.
But Emina did not let herself be intimidated. With stubborn bravery, she stood before the man and showed him a piece of firewood.
—Look, you can take all the firewood you want, I just need... —
— At that moment the man interrupted her and pushed her away.
"I don't want your stupid firewood," he said. Emina fell and hit her back against the wall. The man, surprised by her outburst, thought about apologizing, but her pride prevented him from doing so. After clicking her tongue, she thought:
—It's that brat's fault for being so insistent—, before continuing on her way with a firm step.
Hurt to the depths of her being, Emina picked up the firewood from her with trembling hands and walked away from her, feeling her tears threatening to overflow from her. Why did the world have to be so cruel? Why did there never seem to be a helping hand willing to help?
With a heavy heart and tired feet, Emina allowed herself to take a brief respite, looking for a secluded corner where she could sit and rest, in order to recover from her physical and moral damage. The night was cold and dark, but at least in this alley she would be safe from cruel glances and hurtful insults. She huddled against the wall, hugging the firewood tightly as if it were her only comfort in that merciless world. Her hunger continued to twist her stomach, but she had no strength left to fight him. She felt exhausted, both physically and emotionally, and sleep was beginning to invade her thoughts.
"Just a moment..." she thought to herself.
Before she was carried away by the darkness, a flash of light and heat shook her from her lethargy. She looked up in surprise to find a man with a kind face looking at her sympathetically.
— Good night, little one. Are you OK? - the man asked in a worried tone.
Emina blinked in disbelief, wondering if this was an illusion or a fever dream. But when she saw Jiro shyly peek out from behind the man, her heart skipped a beat.
— Jiro! —She exclaimed Emina, as she reached out her hand towards him and grabbed him—. How are you here?
Jiro smiled, although shyly at the possible scolding, looking at his sister as he spoke.
"He brought me, he said he had a warm hut and food for us," Jiro explained, grabbing Emina's hand affectionately.
—. Can we go please?
Emina, surprised and confused, asked:
—And our mother?
"I don't know," Jiro replied.
Emina, feeling how her anguish and fear squeezed her chest, bit her lip in bewilderment, while she looked at the man suspiciously. She didn't know who she was or what intentions she had, and she didn't want to risk endangering her brother's safety.
Seeing the girl's distrust, the man said
— You don't have to be so afraid, I won't hurt them. I have a warm place, with all the food you want to eat, and you can be in the company of your brother.
— Emi, come on, I'm hungry — Jiro said impatiently.
The ingenious Emina had an idea, she took out the piece of bread that was left and gave it to her brother, and said
—Sit down for a moment, look what I have for you.
Jiro looked at the bread with joy and took it, sitting next to Emina and began to eat it. Controlling his brother, he directed his attention towards that strange man, who insisted again.
— Come on, you don't have to be afraid, it's a safe place.
Emina, bravely, questioned
—If you come with Jiro, where is mom? We can't leave without her
The man was silent for a moment, as if he were weighing his words. Finally, he responded with a reassuring smile.
—Don't worry, little one. Your mother will soon catch up with us. For now, come with me and enjoy some warmth and hot food," the man said, extending his hand towards Emina kindly.
Emina noticed that hesitation in the man and made her more alert, Jiro's anxious look was unbearable and the painful emptiness in her stomach drove her to accept the man's offer. But trusting in the lessons of her mother, she did not move a step.
The man said,
"Let's wait here then," observing the children with patience and a mixture of compassion and curiosity. So time passed, the man seemed to be waiting for something more, but Emina wasn't sure what he was. It was at that moment that she heard her being called, while she was looking for the source she felt a hug, turning up, she was surprised to see her mother crying for her while she hugged her.
2/3
The wind and the creaking of the walls marked the slow passage of time, each blow was like a hammer blow to Miri's heart, interrupting the chilling silence in that gloomy hut, each creak of the wood a sobbing spasm that squeezed the soul. her. The silence interrupted at times formed a sad symphony of despair and pain.
Ever since her little Jiro had closed her eyes for the last time, Miri had been in a state of daze and despair. The tears had stopped falling on her cheeks, but her pain knew no bounds. The fever had taken her son from her, taking him away from her arms and leaving her trapped in an abyss of despair.
In the midst of her grief, a thought of hers shook her strongly: Where was Emina? Her eldest daughter, her little fighter, had gone out to sell firewood since the morning and had not yet returned. The night not only took her little one from her, but also brought a fear that took hold of her heart, enveloping her in a haze of panic and anxiety.
Without a second thought, Miri stood up with painful determination and walked out into the street, tired and emaciated, in search of her lost daughter. She crossed the flat, snow-covered terrain to enter the city. The icy wind cut her face, but her only concern was finding Emina safe and sound. The colder she felt and the more numb her body became, the more panic she felt at the thought of her daughter enduring this hostile climate.
Time passed slowly, with each breath the terror increased in the heart of a mother who cannot find her daughter. She searched, tirelessly, with determination, in every alley, every corner, even knocking on every house. Every clue of hers took her further from her home, led her further from hope and closer to despair.
Finally, just outside the market, in a dark corner of a lonely alley, she saw something that made her stop in her tracks. A pile of firewood was stacked next to a lump of snow, a lump that seemed too large to simply be a mountain of snow.
With that thought, Miri's heart skipped a beat as she ran towards the lump, her hands shaking in terror as she pushed the snow away in desperation. And then, she saw her.
Emina, her beautiful daughter, lay in the snow, pale as the moon and cold as ice. Tears filled Miri's eyes as she took her daughter into her arms, feeling her cold, hard skin beneath her numb fingers.
"Emina, no, my love, please, no, wake up," Miri pleaded, her voice trembling with the weight of pain.
—. You can't leave me, not you too.
But Emina remained motionless, as if death itself had claimed her for its dark kingdom. Miri felt her heart break into a thousand pieces as she hugged her daughter tightly, feeling the cold of death seeping into her own soul. Closing her eyes and hugging her daughter tightly to convey her warmth and life, Miri began to pray.
—Oh, great Zennit, mother of the fertile earth, I pray to you, with humility, in this dark and deep night. Protect my family, protect my girl under your divine mantle, guard with love, in your warm embrace.
Mother of the earth, listen to my sincere prayer, with your hands you shaped every hill and every meadow. Grant this mother strength for her work, and give my children your peace and your love.
Oh, Zennit, benevolent and compassionate deity, grant my family your divine protection.
Goddess Zennit, please, please hear my plea," Miri shouted to the heavens, her eyes full of tears and her heart full of despair. Please, she save my daughter. I can't bear to lose her too.
Shouting to the heavens, Miri raised her voice.
— Not my girl too! Don't take my girl too!
Please, oh Zennit, hear my prayer, don't separate our paths. That a mother without her children is not a mother...
As she spoke her words without stopping and the night gave way to dawn, Emina moved for an instant, a slight, almost imperceptible shudder shook her body as she slowly opened her eyes. Noticing this, Miri stopped her moaning while holding her breath, fearing that it was just a fleeting dream, a passing illusion, but when her daughter looked at her with eyes full of love, a miracle occurred.
From her plea in heaven, a ray of light illuminated Emina's face with a heavenly glow. Miri, feeling how hope ignited in her chest like a flickering flame in the darkness, heard her daughter's lips say
"Mom," Emina whispered, her voice soft but full of love. She knew she would come for me.
Tears flowed freely down Miri's cheeks as she hugged her daughter tightly, feeling love wrap around her like a warm blanket in the middle of the freezing night. It had been hours since her little Jiro had left, but now she had Emina in her arms. About to thank her Zennit Goddess for allowing such an encounter another sound brought her out of her ecstasy,
Mommy—the voice of her youngest son left her paralyzed, Jiro, pulling her skirt impatiently, drew her attention. Miri turned to him in surprise, finding her beloved son, his eyes shining with joy and his stomach growling with hunger.
"Mommy, can we go eat with Mr.? He said he has a lot of food," Jiro exclaimed, with a radiant smile on his face.
Miri shook her head stiffly and scanned her son up and down, following her small arm that was pointing at a white shadow in the distance, waiting patiently.
Miri's eyes fell on a strange, almost ethereal figure that was illuminated by the rising sun.
Time that seemed to have stopped, continued its course as new tears fell from Miri's face. And the expression of joy that she had a few moments ago gave way to one of melancholic resignation.
Holding each child tightly in each of her hands, she stood up as she said.
"Yes, my children, let's go together," walking with determination, she pronounced. We will be together, always together.
And so 3 people walked
Jiro, holding his mother's hand and a piece of bread in the other, ate happily.
Emina holding her mother in one hand and firewood in the other, she walked with a worried face as she looked at the firewood that was left behind her.
The mother and her children followed the white figure into the dawn, leaving the darkness of the night behind and embracing the light of a new day.
3/3
The sun slowly rose above the horizon, painting the sky in shades of gold and pink as the city of Kaimel slowly woke up from its nighttime slumber. The streets wrapped in a morning mist seemed to wrap everything in a cloak of mystery and silence.
Gord rose early that morning, still tormented by the discomfort he had felt the night before. Despite being tired, he was eager to finish the assignment that that irritating nobleman had demanded of him to finish in the shortest time possible. Wrapping myself up, he left the house to go to his forge, but not before stopping by the market to buy something to eat.
While the morning sun tried to break through the clouds. Something in the air caught his attention, a distant murmur made him frown. Curious, he headed towards the corner of the street, where a group of people had gathered in silence.
Whispering voices and murmurs filled the air, mixing with the tinkling of bells in the distance.
- What happened? - asked
"They say that a mother and her daughter died here during the night," someone answered between murmurs and a shudder of horror in their tone.
— Frozen to death, poor souls.
—Isn't she the weaver and her daughter? —I hear another voice say.
Gord's gaze swept through the crowd, feeling his heart tighten in his chest as his eyes fell on the scene in front of him. Two figures, one small and fragile, the other larger and heartbreakingly thin, lay in the snow, wrapped in an eternal embrace. I heard someone say their names, Emina and Miri, mother and daughter, had met their cold end at the hands of the freezing night.
A lump formed in Gord's throat as he remembered his actions from the night before.
—Hitting a defenseless girl, rejecting her pleas, and disregarding her fight to survive. What right did I have to judge her situation, to deny her a chance at life? —He thought to himself
At that point I heard the baker say between sobs – that poor girl, I saved half a loaf for her brother.
— Gord's hands shook as he walked away from the scene, the weight of his guilt crushing him like a stone.
— Could that girl's fate have changed if I had acted differently? Could it have been the difference between her life and her death?
Gord found himself lost in a sea of thoughts and regrets, unable to concentrate on his blacksmithing, remembering that that girl had a little brother, he decided to ensure her safety. She immediately decided to stop her job.
When she was preparing to saw her forge, the butler of that impatient nobleman came to demand the finished sword. He apologized saying that it was not finished yet, as a problem had arisen.
—Your problems are not my problems, I want you to do the job you have been paid for.
—At that moment melancholy and despair flooded her soul and she thought
—How many of us, full of pride and selfishness, only look at what matters to us, forgetting that each person has their problems and act cruelly?
Thus, the story of Emina, Jiro and Miri came to an end, a story of love, loss and reflection. A story that I hope teaches the world the true strength of unconditional love, a love that transcends life and death, a love that never dies.