Raymond's memories of his early life are filled with images of a happy home. His father, a strong, kind man, always had time for him. Mickelly, his mother, was gentle and loving. Raymond didn't think much about her appearance; she was simply his mother, and her one eye didn't matter to him at that age.
However, the seeds of future resentment began to take root. As a young child, Raymond never saw his mother as anything other than beautiful. But when the war took his father, everything changed. Their once-sturdy home was lost, and Mickelly had to sell what little they had to survive.
Raymond couldn't fully grasp the magnitude of his father's death, but he felt the absence of his warmth and strength in their now-empty house. Mickelly, however, remained strong. She worked tirelessly to provide for Raymond, but her heart ached for her lost husband.
Raymond's world shattered when his father died at the warfront. Their house was soon seized by the uncle, who had always eyed the family's wealth, and the last remnants of their comfortable life vanished. Mickelly, who was left with nothing, moved into a small village with Raymond, where she worked tirelessly to support them. Despite the circumstances, she kept Raymond in school, hoping to give him the opportunities that her husband had once dreamed of for him.
But Raymond couldn't help but feel angry at her. He couldn't understand why their lives had been torn apart. Every time Mickelly would go out to the market, Raymond would be left behind, embarrassed by her one eye. The villagers stared at her with pity, and Raymond hated it. He was starting to notice the way people whispered behind her back, and it made him uncomfortable.