"Anaya, if you leave this house, don't you dare come back. I'll not live with a whore under my roof." My father warns.

Why does he hate me so much?

I let go of the door handle and look back at him, lying on a mat in the waiting room.

He looks ill. I pray to the stars for forgiveness. Father never lets me leave our compound. So in order for me to get away today, I'd put a lot of castor oil in his lamb stew.

His stomach hasn't stopped running since last night. He's now too weak to stop me on my quest.

"If you know what's good for you, don't walk out of that door, girl." He snarls.

He tries to get up from his mat, his stomach growls and he wraps his hands around it.

I sigh, and square my shoulders. "Goodbye father."

I open the door and walk out. I take a deep breath of fresh air, and enjoy the warmth of the sun on my skin.

Nothing will stand in my way today, not even his insults. I'm used to them anyway.

He always says that if I didn't listen to him, I'd end up a whore, like my mother who'd left him for another man.

I'd never met her, but I understand why she left him. He's insufferable.

"Don't feel bad Anaya, it was the only way you could get out.Plus he'll be alright in a few hours." I encourage myself as I walk away from the miserable place I'd known as home.

After an hour of walking, I arrive at the town square where my friends are waiting for me.

"Anaya, over here." Kejya waves at me.

I smile as I skip towards them.

She looks beautiful in green linen pants and a matching top, as well as yellow dandelions in her hair.

Her sister Koirna is standing upside down on her hands, doing a handstand.

They are both contortionists.

I met them one year ago. After begging father for months, he'd finally allowed me to follow him to the market.

As he was negotiating a good price for one of our sheep, I'd seen Kejya and Koirna performing.

I'd been fascinated by how fluid their bodies were. I was even more fascinated that people paid them coins to see them perform their tricks.

From then on, I'd taken every chance I got to run from home and see them perform at the market.

"It's not that hard you know." Kejya had winked at me one day.

She'd noticed that I was a regular spectator.

"Really?" My eyes had grown wide.

I couldn't believe that she was talking to me.

"If you want to hold your foot behind your head, you have to work on your shoulders. You flip your elbow, and there you go." She demonstrated.

I tried to follow her instructions but I'd fallen flat on my behind.She smiled as she took my hand and helped me up.

"Kejya, focus." Koirna had snapped.

"I'm on my lunch break, I can do whatever I want."Kejya had retorted.

She helped me sit on a trunk with sparkly fabrics of different colours.

"Wha't your name?" She'd asked me.

"Anaya.""Do you want to be like me, Anaya?"

"Yes." I nodded quickly.

"Alright, then meet me here every sunset and I'll teach you." She smiled.

That had been a year ago. I'd taken her teachings serious and practiced every chance I got.

Within six months I could perform most of their routine.

Kejya had been so proud she'd called me a natural. She'd started including me in their performances.

Every time I managed to run from home she'd call me up on stage to perform with them.

At first, her sister Koirna hated the idea, and me, but for some reason we pulled more crowds when we performed as a trio.

Which meant more coins, so she'd let me become part of their group.

Then a month ago, the stars had smiled on us.

We'd been among the few performers chosen to entertain the crown Prince. 

Crown Prince Itashi was touring the nine provinces of the Kingdom of Ithalthi. Our province, Wa province, which was West of Ithalthi would be his last stop.

He'd be hosted by Senator Hedari.Lucky for us, we were among the few performers chosen to entertain him.

"Are you ready?" Kejya asks me as we hug.

"Yes," I sigh.

"What's wrong?" She peers into my eyes.

"Father said that I shouldn't go back to home." I say as tears well up my eyes.

"Don't worry, after this event, our lives will change. With the gold we get tonight we can move away from Wa province and go live in the capital. I hear women there can live on their own. Everything will be alright." She encourages me like she always does.

The gold she's talking about would come from crown Prince Itashi as a reward.

We'd heard that he was generous, and he awarded entertainers well.

Which is why today was such an important day for us.

It was our Independence day.

For me, the gold reward would mean independence from my controlling father.

For Kejya and Koirna it would be independence from the shackles of poverty.I guess it was for me too.

Wa, was one of the poorest provinces in Ithalthi kingdom. Most people here were born poor and died poor.

"Less talking, lets practice one more time, time is running out." Koyna says as she performs a split while in a handstand.

"Yes." I nod.

I drop my rucksack and start stretching.

Senator's Hedari's eunich was the one who'd chosen us for today's event. He'd said that we had to be perfect, there was no room for error when performing for Ithalthi's royalty.

If we impressed crown prince Itashi, it would make a good impression on Senator Hedari, and Wa Province at large.

"I think we are ready now girls." Kejya says.

It's been two hours of stretching and going through our routine to make sure its perfect.

I'm nervous but I'm ready.

I'm confident we will give the crown prince an incredible performance.