Mirabeth (1)

Writer's POV:

"Thanks, I will go and fetch your dad. It's time for dinner."

"You need to rest, I will go and fetch him."

"There's no need for that."

"Listen to me for once, you shouldn't be straining yourself this much, I already said that I wouldn't tell father anything so be rest assured and trust me."

"Okay I will."

"Great, I will take my leave then."

Mirabeth's dad usually works at a forest not too far from our cottage, he has a workshop there. He sells all kinds of wood to builders and inventors. But for the past few months business has been slow, they barely have food to eat, having to afford the necessities of the house has taken a toll on her dad, he is always grumpy and never misses a chance to nag about everything.

They have always lived in an off the radar site, her parents moved to this place sixteen years ago after she had just been born.

Mirabeth had just arrived at my dad's workshop but he was nowhere to be found, so she decided to check out in the back. She could hear his voice whilst coming from a distance.

'Who could he be talking to? It sounds serious.'

She moved forward and stretched out her neck from where she stood.

'Who are these men? What could dad be doing with such shady looking people? This is suspicious!" She exclaimed.

 'What could they be talking about?' She asked herself.

"Just come tonight, okay I promise to deliver tonight, just make sure you are here before twilight." Her father said.

'What would father be talking about? I can't hear properly. Are they new buyers? But they seem too tardy to be inventors, maybe there are builders. This is good news mom needs to hear this, this will surely ease her nerves.'

While trying to rush back to the cottage without being seen, Mirabeth tripped over a rock and fell, which alerted her dad and his new buyers.

"Who is she?" One of the builders asked.

"Sorry for the intrusion, she is my daughter, get up Mirabeth. Come and say hello to our first customer in two months." Her father gestured for her to get up. So she stood up and went to greet them.

"Good day. Thanks for supporting my dad, he is one of the best wood dealers in town. I promise that he will not disappoint."

"You hear that Roger, I don't disappoint."

'Roger, huh, what a nice name for such a shady looking man.'

"Well I hope you don't disappoint me, Donald."

"I won't, I promise."

"Umm, you have such a beautiful daughter as beautiful as you appraised."

"Excuse me?" Mirabeth asked in confusion

"Oh forgive my manners your Dad couldn't stop talking about you, he praised you a lot from your beauty, to your obedience down to your worth, I mean your worthy smile."

'Something seems off about this man, I think dad has gotten himself into some kind of trouble, I should ask him about this later.'

"Well the apple doesn't fall far from the tree." Mirabeth replied.

"Does it? That's good, we shall take our leave then, take care of yourself Mirabeth, see you soon, and Donald do not disappoint me once more."

"Goodbye Roger. Let's go, Mirabeth."

Her dad grabbed her by the wrist and dragged her to the workshop.

"What are you doing out here?"

"Mother sent me to,...."

"Your Mother, what did your mother tell you? Tell me what the hell did she say to you?"

"Nothing, mother said nothing as usual, no one tells me anything, mother cries for no reason and apologizes unnecessarily, you are always grumpy and you do things discreetly. What's going on Father? What is happening to our family? We were once happy right or was it wrong to think that we were actually living happily?"

And just like that he slapped her.

'My dad slapped me. He who has never scolded nor taunted me, just hit me, he used to defend me from my mom's canes but now he slapped me, no this isn't my dad, this is someone else, it has to be someone else.'

"You have no right to question me, I clothed you, housed you, fed you and even gave you my name yet you stand before me to speak so rudely, how dare you"

"But those are your duties, you are my father"

"I am not your father! I never was, and I will never be!" He screamed.

"Wh,.., what are y,.., you saying? You are just upset right, you can't be serious? Tell me dad! Are you being serious?"

"Look into my eyes, Mirabeth, and ask yourself if all I said was as a result of anger or plain sincerity."

She didn't realize she was crying until she felt the tears flow down her cheeks. Her own Father just denied her.

'No, he didn't deny me. For once in his life, he told the truth.'

'All those times we spent together, happy, all those times he braided my hair, all those times he carried me on his back, regardless of all the happy times we spent together he had never said these words.

"I gave birth to you." He always hesitated, he always stuttered, this is the first time I am actually seeing such sincerity in his eyes. He really isn't my Father, that's why, that's why,..'

"That's why you changed. The news of your own kids being born changed you, you just couldn't stand the idea of feeding another man's child, right? You couldn't stand the idea of hearing another man's child call you father? Each time I said that word it pricked your ears, am I right? Is she even my mother? Answer me for God's sake, is she my mother?" Mirabeth shouted.

"Am sorry."

"So she is not, huh. She is not, this is funny, this is so funny. I can't stop laughing! Why can't I stop laughing?"

"Am sorry Mira."