Doros all the trouble he
was inviting to himself and to them as well. “We could all
go.”
“ We cannot go, we are too old to leave. Everything we know is
here.”
“ We could have a new life in Attica, a new farm—with
freedom.”
“ I think Doros’ madness has spread to you.”
“ I will not let them kill this child,” Chara stated.
“ So you think I should take the child to Athens?” her mother
said. “It is a highly risky journey for a new born.”
“ What choice do I have?”
“ You are right,” her mother sighed, “but it may be the end of
us all attempting such a foolhardy plan. Your father will never
approve.”
Chara felt her
heart sink. Her plan looked like it was falling apart around her,
placing her back in the situation where she would either have to
let her baby suffer, or her family. If she could take all the
suffering in their stead, she would in a heartbeat, but the world
never gave such options.
“ I will take the baby,” her mother said after a while. Chara
thought she’d heard wrong at first, then pulled her mother into a
hugged made awkward by her large belly.
“ How do we tell father?” Chara asked pushing down the tears she
felt well up with her mother’s support and
understanding.
“ I think it is best that we tell him after it’s done.” Chara
had never seen her mother defy her father before. Chara knew her
mother had strength, she’d seen glimpses of it from time to time,
but she had never seen it assert itself like this. “It shouldn’t be
impossible to get to Megara, but to get to Athens might be more
difficult. If all else fails, I can walk.” Chara felt terrible
about the task she had just put on her mother, but equally she knew
it was her only chance to save this baby.
In truth,
Chara knew very little about Attica. She knew it was the fertile
area that served Athens. She didn’t know if there would be much
opportunity for her there, particularly as a husbandless woman with
a child. She would be much more attractive if Doros came with
her—young men would be highly desired. She would have to convince
him somehow. She would have to wait to broach the subject with him
as he would likely blow up and ruin the plan, and she was not ready
to risk her baby on his reaction. His reaction—whatever it were to
be—could happen when the baby was away and safe. She would then
convince him to join her when she was ready to leave and join the
baby. Perhaps she would end up saving him from the destructive path
he was headed down.
The baby came
on a cold spring day. The birthing started early in the morning,
but the pains were so faint that Chara didn’t realize at first that
the baby was ready.
“ It’s ready to come. The baby has moved down. I will get
Thala,” her mother said. Chara swallowed her nervousness as her
mother left, but she’d been reassured her that they would be back
well in time and that there was no cause for worry. Chara had no
choice but to trust her word.
In fact,
nothing happened while her mother was gone. She arrived back with
Thala, who helped with birthings in the area. Chara couldn’t
believe it was time; it seemed like such a surreal thing.
Excitement and nervousness occupied her for the birth to come, but
also because they needed to initiate their plan after this and it
was scary, as was everything that was happening at the moment. The
likelihood of something going wrong was high. Women died in
childbirth and so did the baby. Chara knew that today could be her
last day on this earth—only the gods knew her fate.
The pain grew
to the point where Chara didn’t think she could bear it anymore; it
seemed to go on endlessly and Thala kept saying it wasn’t time yet.
Chara was starting to wonder if it would ever end.
It was dark by
the time the baby came. Chara ignored her exhaustion and stared
into the small face of her daughter. Happiness suffused every part
of her as she held the little bundle that had been placed at
was inviting to himself and to them as well. “We could all
go.”
“ We cannot go, we are too old to leave. Everything we know is
here.”
“ We could have a new life in Attica, a new farm—with
freedom.”
“ I think Doros’ madness has spread to you.”
“ I will not let them kill this child,” Chara stated.
“ So you think I should take the child to Athens?” her mother
said. “It is a highly risky journey for a new born.”
“ What choice do I have?”
“ You are right,” her mother sighed, “but it may be the end of
us all attempting such a foolhardy plan. Your father will never
approve.”
Chara felt her
heart sink. Her plan looked like it was falling apart around her,
placing her back in the situation where she would either have to
let her baby suffer, or her family. If she could take all the
suffering in their stead, she would in a heartbeat, but the world
never gave such options.
“ I will take the baby,” her mother said after a while. Chara
thought she’d heard wrong at first, then pulled her mother into a
hugged made awkward by her large belly.
“ How do we tell father?” Chara asked pushing down the tears she
felt well up with her mother’s support and
understanding.
“ I think it is best that we tell him after it’s done.” Chara
had never seen her mother defy her father before. Chara knew her
mother had strength, she’d seen glimpses of it from time to time,
but she had never seen it assert itself like this. “It shouldn’t be
impossible to get to Megara, but to get to Athens might be more
difficult. If all else fails, I can walk.” Chara felt terrible
about the task she had just put on her mother, but equally she knew
it was her only chance to save this baby.
In truth,
Chara knew very little about Attica. She knew it was the fertile
area that served Athens. She didn’t know if there would be much
opportunity for her there, particularly as a husbandless woman with
a child. She would be much more attractive if Doros came with
her—young men would be highly desired. She would have to convince
him somehow. She would have to wait to broach the subject with him
as he would likely blow up and ruin the plan, and she was not ready
to risk her baby on his reaction. His reaction—whatever it were to
be—could happen when the baby was away and safe. She would then
convince him to join her when she was ready to leave and join the
baby. Perhaps she would end up saving him from the destructive path
he was headed down.
The baby came
on a cold spring day. The birthing started early in the morning,
but the pains were so faint that Chara didn’t realize at first that
the baby was ready.
“ It’s ready to come. The baby has moved down. I will get
Thala,” her mother said. Chara swallowed her nervousness as her
mother left, but she’d been reassured her that they would be back
well in time and that there was no cause for worry. Chara had no
choice but to trust her word.
In fact,
nothing happened while her mother was gone. She arrived back with
Thala, who helped with birthings in the area. Chara couldn’t
believe it was time; it seemed like such a surreal thing.
Excitement and nervousness occupied her for the birth to come, but
also because they needed to initiate their plan after this and it
was scary, as was everything that was happening at the moment. The
likelihood of something going wrong was high. Women died in
childbirth and so did the baby. Chara knew that today could be her
last day on this earth—only the gods knew her fate.
The pain grew
to the point where Chara didn’t think she could bear it anymore; it
seemed to go on endlessly and Thala kept saying it wasn’t time yet.
Chara was starting to wonder if it would ever end.
It was dark by
the time the baby came. Chara ignored her exhaustion and stared
into the small face of her daughter. Happiness suffused every part
of her as she held the little bundle that had been placed at
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