Notes

Eshe is really animated. Her arms haven’t rested one second, as if she suffered from restless feet—restless fingers syndrome. I can see why she’s so excited. As much as she tries to look and act serious, there’s a glint in her eye and slight grin on her lips that give her away, a sure key to my sisters heart—and truth.

Beer.

I’m not naive enough to figure out why she was so excited. My grandmothers beer was made from with barley, honey, herbs and spices, and was her specialty, sometimes if my sister doesn’t wind up drinking it all, then we share with the neighbors.
But that was on a rare occasion.

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“Classes are short today.”

Mother narrows her eyes at me. “Do not lie to me, girl,” she says with impatience on her shoulder. “The last you told me this was not so long ago, and you my darling got the beating of your life. Do not make me strike you again.”

I don’t tell her that I’m telling the truth, any religious parent would know exactly what day it is, but my mother, not so much. I don’t say anything. Instead, I nod once and wait for her to spin on her heel and march back to the yard. My mother was partially a midwife and a nurse. I don’t remember the last time she had a break because in my eyes she really needed one, soon.

Women give birth almost every day. In the village, Abydos, there was always a sickness traveling about that pushed my mother into taking the stead. The last I was sick, maybe two summers ago, with a mother like mine, she put our health and education as a first priority.

Eshe, the eldest of twenty-seven summers, was the first to be disowned by mother. At a young age, she began to cloud her mind with lust and desire for men instead of making education her first priority. When she came home with news sprawling that she was with child, mother did not touch a hair on her head. Instead, she punished her with silence.

Eshe took shelter with a distant uncle and didn’t show face for a couple of months but soon she came and begged for forgiveness.

After my failure of a sister, my mother soon gave birth to a boy, Jafari, ___ summers, and not very different compared to Eshe. My brother did finish school but he did not follow in my father's footsteps as we believed he would. Instead, he moved on into another village not so far from here and bought himself a whore.

Then comes my favorite sister, Selma, who is seventeen summers. Until this day she holds the title as mothers favorite, she completed school without fail and is studying to become a lady of the palace court.

One flaw, their blood does not course within mine.