TakingITGlobal - Panorama - Lonely Butterfly

Published on: Mar 18, 2008

Topic:

Type: Short Stories

https://www.tigweb.org/express/panorama/article.html?ContentID=19211

Just as they came, they left without any emotions. My father had just died two days ago. We lost him AIDS, which took away my mum eight months earlier. They told us that everything was going to be okay as my Granny (my mom's mother) will be taking care of us. Little did we know that my father's relatives were busy discussing who will take what, of my father's assets.

At eight years old, I was the only hope for my two young brothers, who were always crowding me ever since mum left us. I felt so lonely and lost. It felt better to be a lonely butterfly, hovering silently from flower to flower in a colorful world noticed only by the beauty lovers.

I felt bad that I was looking at people who were entrusted to secure our future actually fighting for what was supposed to be kept for us. I felt even worse when I realised that there was no one to stop them. I was worse off than a lonely butterfly, for it knows no better than that.

As I picked myself up from under the tree, I saw blank faces of my brothers near me but with a distant look. I went into the kitchen and found that my granny was weeping in secrecy, trying hard not to be noticed.

"Jane what am I going to do to look after you now that they have taken everything?" Granny asked me, with tears rolling down her cheeks. She could not do anything because once the men had decided on anything it was taboo in our culture for a woman to go against them.

This story shows how many still suffer from the loss of their loved ones and is therefore dedicated to all women and children who have gone through hard times after the loss of their loved ones.

« return.



by Sraj Banda
Published on: Mar 18, 2008
Topic:
Type: Short Stories
https://www.tigweb.org/express/panorama/article.html?ContentID=19211


Just as they came, they left without any emotions. My father had just died two days ago. We lost him AIDS, which took away my mum eight months earlier. They told us that everything was going to be okay as my Granny (my mom's mother) will be taking care of us. Little did we know that my father's relatives were busy discussing who will take what, of my father's assets. At eight years old, I was the only hope for my two young brothers, who were always crowding me ever since mum left us. I felt so lonely and lost. It felt better to be a lonely butterfly, hovering silently from flower to flower in a colorful world noticed only by the beauty lovers. I felt bad that I was looking at people who were entrusted to secure our future actually fighting for what was supposed to be kept for us. I felt even worse when I realised that there was no one to stop them. I was worse off than a lonely butterfly, for it knows no better than that. As I picked myself up from under the tree, I saw blank faces of my brothers near me but with a distant look. I went into the kitchen and found that my granny was weeping in secrecy, trying hard not to be noticed. "Jane what am I going to do to look after you now that they have taken everything?" Granny asked me, with tears rolling down her cheeks. She could not do anything because once the men had decided on anything it was taboo in our culture for a woman to go against them. This story shows how many still suffer from the loss of their loved ones and is therefore dedicated to all women and children who have gone through hard times after the loss of their loved ones. « return.