The Poison and its Antidote - Part II: A story on Memory and Guilt | Thursday Tale No. 23
The Poison and its Antidote - Part II follows a space where perception and emotion quietly overlap, and where truth rarely announces itself directly. Instead, it lingers in suggestion, shaped as much by what is withheld as by what is revealed.
The Poison and its Antidote - Part II
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| Photograph by Anastasiya Badun on Pexels. |
“You know, she smelled like flowers... she wore a perfume almost similar to that of ma.” The thought of her absent parents made Mia’s heart ache, and she began weeping.
Vasuki sat beside her on the bed, took Mia’s head onto her shoulder, and patted her till the moment of grief passed them.
Through her voice, still sore from the sorrow she had swallowed, Mia feebly continued, “Her steps were also gentle and smooth... as in, they were not as loud...”, remembering her father, she broke into tears as she continued to speak, “and strong as dad’s... And she must have also been as tall and well-maintained as you.”
Hearing the connections she made, Vasuki was both amazed and perturbed by her sharpness. She rubbed off her reddening countenance and asked, “How, baby? Did someone tell you? Did someone else see her too?”
“No, momo! She walked and moved like you, like firm and... agile,” Mia clarified thoughtfully. “But the only difference was that hers was shuffled, almost scattered and everywhere... You know, yours are perfect... like precise.”
Mia shrivelled in fear at the thought of the woman returning back for her. Sensing this, Vasuki comforted her with a strong hug and said, “Good observation, Mia. But we’ll let the police take care of all that, okay? Don’t trouble yourself. And I am here, so no one can touch you beyond me. Okay, baby?”
Mia let out a deficient nod.
“Umm...” almost in a breath, Mia rose to utter something, but she changed her mind just before the word fell out of her mouth.
“Mmm...hmm,” the words were protesting to be set free from her throat, causing a painful discomfort in her chest.
“Ahhh...” she gave up, swallowing a huge chunk of difficult words, feeling it burden her abdomen.
Vasuki, who was conscious of this discomfort in Mia, proceeded to ask, “What happened, Mia? Tell me!”
“Ahhum... momo, listen... no. Actually... hmm,” Mia muttered and stumbled as she articulated in her head the right words to convey the truth in the most appropriate way.
“What is it, dear? You know you can tell me anything, right?” Vasuki assured her with her warmest voice.
“Momo, will you stop loving me... if I told you a big... dirty secret?”
Vasuki became concerned, losing her composure for a brief moment before correcting it back, and she lovingly said, “No honey. I will love you through and through. I promise!”
“Hmm... momo...”
Seeing her hesitate, Vasuki affirmed her promise, saying, “Go on, Mia. I will be there for you through everything.” She took Mia’s hand into hers, and held it in confidentiality.
Mia, finally finding enough courage to word out her thoughts, declared with guilt, “I think I know her.”
A spike of panic spread through every cell of Vasuki’s body. She was put off balance by those words that her confidence dissolved into utter terror. She saw danger personify as Mia; it was as if the danger was right in front of her, coming onto, and diving into her. In this confoundment, she tried to grasp more of what was said by urging, “Wh...ho?”
“I don’t exactly know,” noted Mia, observing Vasuki’s absurd reaction, and retreated back into silence till Vasuki persuaded her to name everything that she knew about the offender.
“She mostly... is... wait! Do you remember how Mom died?”
“Yes, baby!” observed Vasuki with increasing confusion. “...why?”
“Mom used to know this woman,” Mia spoke with constraint, but with the resolution of revealing to her momo the matter that was tormenting her from within. “She would hand me packets of candy, the ones only adults can eat... during my playtime at the park. Mom always waited eagerly to take it from me. At that time, I didn't know if it was a he or a she. And after Mom went to God, I didn’t hear from her. But you know, last year on Mom’s ninth anniversary, she sent me a letter, and those candies.”
“Whaat!” Vasuki exclaimed with perplexity. “Why did you not tell me, Mia? You could have at least told dad. What did you do with them?”
“I was just too scared,” withdrawing back, Mia whimpered.
“I’m sorry. I understand... I am just a little concerned, that’s all. Go on, I won’t interrupt... What did you do with whatever she sent you?”
Still whimpering, Mia wiped her teary eyes and continued telling Vasuki all about the woman and the candies. “I... ate them...” she began wailing. “I am sorry, momo, but I couldn’t help... it was my only connection with mom... I’m sorry.”
Vasuki pulled her closer into a hug and let her cry till she naturally calmed herself down.
“It’s okay, baby. I understand. It’s truly okay. You don’t have to worry now that you have me. Okay?”
“Hmm, yeah!” Mia feebly nodded.
“Why don’t you sleep, and we'll talk about it later?” insisted Vasuki.
“It’s okay, momo, I’m fine. I feel much better after sharing it with you.”
“Okay... Are you sure?”
“Yeah.”
“Is she someone I could know?”
“I don’t think so, momo.”
“Okay... Then what happened?”
“I would ask for more, and she would send it. It just kept happening till the last time when she just appeared and killed dad.” Mia broke down into a shrieking wail as guilt crumpled her.
“Had I told you or dad about it... had I not talked to the lady at all, dad... would have still been here...”
Vasuki couldn't console her. She sat there watching Mia break.
After a long pause of calming down, she asked, “She would send it every time? Is she someone we know? Did she come to meet you? Where did she meet you? Did she speak with you? How did she sound?”
“No! We did not meet in person. She would send me a letter along with the candies everytime.”
“Do you know nothing about her? It is very strange! You’ll be alright honey, now that I am here.”
She swallowed another non-synchronous feeling and asked, “Do you still have those letters?”
“No!”
“Did you tell this to the police?”
- Mercy Rebonica
The Poison and its Antidote - Part III
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