The bitter message

On her way home, Mara decided to visit the temple that day to pray for her success of the year.

The Ganji temple was a very small and ancient building with a lot of beautiful sculptures, hand made crafts and statues. The Ganji idol 'A statue of a beautiful lady made out of wood, sitted on a flat slate with her legs crossed, holding a short trident in her left hand and a dove resting on her right hands'.

The idol was decorated with petals of rose, lily, hibiscus and sun flowers. Colourful beads were worn to adorn the feet, neck and hands of the idol. A red silk material was used to cover the hair and back of the idol. And so many oil lamps were placed around the idol illuminating the dull room.

On the left side of the room were piles of fruits, the fruits were 'people's offering ' and on the right side of the room were piles of mixed flowers petals.

The Ganji goddess is the only deity served in the town. The trident on the left hands of the idol represents 'strength and justice' ,while the dove on the right hand represents 'peace and love. '

Mara did seven bows on her knees holding a tray containing fruits she purchased outside the temple. She she stood up and placed her fruits gently along with rest on the pile. She went ahead and collected a hand full of flowers petals and went back on her knees.

Mara prayed silently for about five minutes then she spilled the flower petals on the idol.

She lit the dead lamps and went outside the prayer room. Her face were pale her fear was written all over her face.

Looking around the temple, she saw many people buying and selling fruits. Most of the traders wore the same color of silk as the one used to adore the goddess.  Some were selling beads, holy water, oil, oil lamps and identical statues like the goddess.

She saw holy men and student priest moving around doing their everyday business to keep the temple clean, holy and adorable. Her eyes caught a man meditating under a fat tree in the compound.

She wore her shoes that she had put off when she wanted to enter the prayer room and came down the stairs of the building. She approached the man and dipped her hands inside her leather bag and remove some coins.

She placed the coins inside the man's bag and made a small bow then turn around to leave when she heard his voice

"My daughter " he said with a calm and relaxed voice. The priest was an old man but his voice were calm and sounds young.

Mara turned back and look at the priest whose eyes were still closed.

His face was wrinkled but gentle, he was dressed in the same attire colour as the goddess and the other priests in the temple.

He had a long grey beards and his grey hair were partly covered with his red turban. His legs were crossed and his both hands were placed on his knees. He was obviously meditating.

Mara was happy that he called her back because she needed him to assist her by advising her on what to do to rebuke the badluck that the year might bring for her.

That was the only explanation to the divination of her catch that morning.

His silence was driving her crazy but she didn't want to disturb his meditation, so she remained quiet and kept her thoughts to herself.

"what is he doing now" she said under her breath

"why isn't he saying anything again..... Was he just appreciating me when he called me "

"WHY" she screamed in her head mad about the fact that he had remained quiet for about five minutes now.

She turned to leave again when she heard him again

"my daughter "

She looked back at him with gladness and hope. Hope that he might help in her predicaments.

She knelt down before him and replied "yes wise one".

The priest looked at Mara for few seconds then closed his eyes for another minute. He took a deep sigh before speaking.

"I know you are sad about the divination of the first day tradition " he said and smiled at Mara's surprised face.

Mara was dumbstruck at his statement. She knew he was a holy man 'messenger of Ganji' but she never knew that he could read her and know her predicament without she opening her mouth to say anything.

Her thoughts about priests was that they were wise men that can advise people on how to save themselves from the mystery of their problems.

Also she knew that they do rituals to summon the goddess for help if the situation is out of their hands.

But what had happened right now has shocked her and given her hope about miracles.

"truly there is misfortune coming your way." the priest said calmly and looked away towards the temple building.

Mara was quiet, she didn't want to say anything. Her thoughts were filled with different types of misfortunes that can happen to her.

"That one fish you caught is all you have."he said interrupting her head jams. Then he paused for a while and closed his eyes looking up as if he was receiving messages for her from the clouds.

Without opening his eyes, he continued

"I see a great distance of darkness ahead of you, A very long distance of thick darkness. But do not worry, ahead of the dark is an unending space of light. "

Sadness filled Mara's heart, she held her head in her hands and the bitter tears that she have been fighting to hold back a while slid down her cheeks.

"Why!!!!" she shouted and dropped her head down on the floor.

"What have I done to deserve bitterness... The moment of my life that I thought I would start enjoying is the same time where my suffering starts"

She cried for a while on her knees with her head bowed to the ground before remembering that she have not yet been dismissed by the priest.

She raised her head and cleaned the tears on her face and dust on her fore head

"sir... Holy man... What can be done?..... Anything that can save me from this misfortune and make me live a normal life. "

"Or is there a way I can skip the dark path and jump into the light?"

The priest looked at Mara and shook his head in negation to her request.

" That one fish you caught is the only key you have to your light.... It is the key to your happiness. "

"there is no shortcut for you.... You just have to held on that key and you will make it to your light. "

" But... But... What is that key?... What does the fish stand for?" Mara asked curiously in one breath.

" You want to succeed don't you? " the priest asked with a serious face this time and Mara knew that he needed a reply so she nodded in agreement.

" Then you have to be determined..... Your determination will make you figure out what your key stands for and you will identify your path in the darkness and that will lead you to the light. "

" Come back here tomorrow and I will tell you what to do to help yourself. " He spoke sharply and went back to his meditation position..

His tone and action made Mara understand that it was end of discussion. She made a small bow and left his presence.

She left the temple and headed home. On her way home, Mara sat down on a rock along the side walk, she recalled all the words of the priest and burst into tears. Her tears was hot.

She cried out her frustration.

All her life, she have always dreamt of a simple peaceful live in a neighbouring village or town with a nice hardworking man that would love and take care of her and their kids. But it seems destiny is not smiling at her and she will get the direct opposite of her wishes and dreams.

Mara sobbed until sunset. She didn't realize on time that it was getting dark already and her family will be expecting the food she went to purchase.

She knew her brothers would have looked around for her. Now she is in a big mess for her father is not the type that spare the rod on her.

"shit.... I'm in trouble tonight" she exclaimed.

She cleans her tears and carried her leather bag containing the food stuff and groceries then ran as fast as she could carry herself.

Her thoughts were clear, all she wanted was to get home on time and be forgiven or spared by her father.

She hated herself for loosing track of time  so she concentrated on getting home as fast as possible. She ran without stopping for a while. As she ran, so was time ...it was getting so dark already. Deep down she knew she can't escape tonight's punishment because there is no how her father won't be angry at her for keeping the whole house hungry.

Mara ran inside the rough wooden building she know as home. It was a small building constructed with very poor capentary skill. There are some opened space in the house that is being blocked with clothes and some other stuffs. The condition of the house made it a home for them, rats, raccoons and other animals that steal.

Mara's home was the poorest building in the town. It was so small and rough. They never receive visitors inside the house cause the visitor himself will suggest to stand outside. But it was no shame for Mara, it's her home after all.

Mara opened the door of the house and entered. She dropped the bag on the floor and bent down holding both knees with her hands panting heavily trying to catch her breath.

She have been running for a while

so it will take her time to recover and breath normally.

She knew her parents will be so mad at her and she donot have excuse for taking so long.

She was scared of her father, he don't tolerate nonsense from Mara. He was a tough man and he has always been aggressive with her right from when she knew him as her father. He never laid his hands on the boys no matter what their sin might be, but he deals with Mara for the slightest mistake.

Whenever Mara asks her mom about his behavior.... Why he was so tough and unforgiving with her but lenient with the boys?  she always replied  " He want you to be a perfect daughter so that you won't loose guard one day and humiliate the family, because you are a girl. "

Mara saw his feet approaching, she haven't caught her breath totally yet but she had to stand upright in his presence out of respect and fear.

Standing up straight only to receive a dirty huge slap.

"...SLAP..."

She held her left cheeks where he had slapped and move two steps backward. Fear filled her heart making it pound so loud that she thought she might loose it. Mara knew she was done for that night because hell has broken loose.

Without even saying a word, he gave her another slap with his back hands and she fell flat on the floor.

For a while she couldn't feel anything because her head had hit the floor so hard. Mara tried standing up but her arms and legs fails her cause of the impact of the head hit.

He dragged her to the store room and took a four feet long cane which he had prepared for her later that day.

At the sight of the cane, Mara cried and begged struggling with his arms to break free but she was no match to his strong and well muscular hands.

" Papa... Please.... I was in The temple .....i lost track of time in my.... " she was silenced from her rumbling when the cane whipped her.

She could see her brothers smilimg and laughing at her. She searched for her mother with her eyes to help her plead for mercy from her father but she was no where in the room. But she heard the sound of plates and some utensils in the kitchen so she knew she was present in the house.

Mara was whipped mercilessly by her father, the neighbours that tried to plead couldn't cross the door because it was locked already by her brother.

After whipping her, he asked her to prepare the food and go to bed immediately cause no food for her that night.

Mara cried on her bed that night, the words of the priest came back to haunt her also and that made her more sad and bitter. Her whole body ached from the pain of the whip. It was not the first time that he would whip her like that but tonight she was extraordinarily sad.

Mara recalled one statement of the priest and it repeated it self over and over and over in her head like an alarm.

".....your determination will make you figure out what your key stand for and you identify your path in the darkness that will lead you to the light. "

" what can the fish stand for?... What type of key is he talking about?.. "

The thought and questions repeated itself in her head till she slept off.

Mara woke up early that morning.... She dare not wake up late after what happened the previous night.

She did all the chores in the house  prepared breakfast for everyone except herself. She went to her parents room to greet them and tell them she was going to work and she would be back in the evening.

Mara didn't have one job in particular, she did a lot of things to source for money and knowledge. Not bad things but indecent things like baby sitting babies for market women and also carrying people's luggage and baggages for some coins. Sometimes she go fishing and sell in the market and other menial job s and works that pay sparingly. She was a hard worker that is why she survive and also credit her family from her earnings.

Mara works for a village medicine man who treats people with infections, injuries , diseases  and sicknesses.

She calls the man master and he always send her on errands. But at the end of the day he always bless her with some shekels. He was a kind man, he taught Mara a lot about herbs and medicines.

After her work that day, Mara's master made a huge profit that day so he gave her 500 shekels.

She was happy, there was no need for her to work to make some coins anymore that day because she had made enough.

He dismissed her early that day so Mar went to the temple since the day is still young so she had a lot of time to complete her quest to get answers.