It was a quiet evening when a lady's shadow moved across the walls of a contemporary house in the outskirts _ so remote outside the city centre. Ishtar's heart beat was rapid and pounding as she tiptoed around this wealthy home where her worst nightmare unfolded. Just five years ago, she was nearly murdered by the owners of the home because of her own son, Bimbo, who was only three months old by then.
Since her memory recovery, Ishtar can't stop remembering how welcoming _ the exclusive care Pixie and her parents gave to her during that trying time when she had just lost almost everything thing that meant the world to her, a thing that trapped her into trusting their devil hands, hoping they were holy when they opened them for her with smiling faces. Thus, she became vulnerable to their evil plan.
And now that her child was taken away from her, she could do anything to get him back.
Armed with fierce determination, a pistol and a small pocket knife, Ishtar kept her footsteps silent on the paved ground of the house. She was sheltered in this home for three complete months five years ago, and her memory still had all corners of the home.
Taking a deep breath, she peered through an open window at the backyard. Pixels mother and father were having a conversation filled with laughter and arguing. Coming from the room adjacent inside the house, was a young boy with a very happy smile. In his hands he held a drowning book.
"Take a look grand ma."
Instantly, both stopped their conversation and paid attention to the little boy as Pixie's mother happily inquired:
"And, what have you drown this time? Let me see...!"
Bimbo held his breath in gesture for them to guess. Then Pixie's father cut it short with a jolly response:
"Hmm, I think it's grand pa, grand ma and you little Bimbo! Am I right?"
"No....! It's mommy, daddy and me!"
Grand ma who was Pixie's mother at the same time blurted:
"Wow, so wonderful! So, can you tell us what you know about daddy?"
Little Bimbo boldly answered as he sat down on a small chair right on the side:
"Well, everyone has a dad I guess! And in my class everyone says they have a daddy. They say I must have one as well. And mommy call grand pa daddy too. I believe they're right!"
At a small opening in the backyard window, an emotional tear rolled out of Ishtar's eye. It doubled as a tear of joy and pain when these words from her little boy landed in her ears. Seeing Bimbo after a period of five years, all grown up was ideed a great feeling. But again watching him speaking this intelligently and bold was another thing to be exited about. However, Ishtar's rage against these people escalated.
"Dammit!"
Inside, Pixie's mother and father were having a cheerful moment, giving Bimbo high fives and compliments.
"That's smart of you grandson. You're so talented. Keep it up!"
All of a sudden, as compliments showered little Bimbo, the front door opened and Pixie walked in. With a joyful face, inquisitively she asked:
"What am I missing here? Someone might have won a jackpot or something!"
And immediately, the little boy saw Pixie, he was over joyed. He rushed with his drawing book to meet her.
"Hey mommy, take a look at my drawing. It's dad, you and me..."
"Wow! Come here, give me a warm hug."
Pixie had to give the little boy his flowers for a drawing a cute picture to encourage him. But, with everything that was going on, Ishtar was in the window, her heart sinking at the sight within. Heart swollen with fear and resolve, she suddenly stepped away from the window to the side as she sobbed with uncontrollably anger.
She uttered a rage full curse:
"Goddammit! I can't wait to strangle these devils...! How could they do this to me?!"
Then, she got her eyes at the door which was right opposite, went infront of it and pushed it slightly. Pixie's father momentarily turned, but he didn't trust his own instincts enough to go and check.
This was Ishtar's chance.
Her mind going through a plan, swiftly, she slipped inside. Not allowing any of them see her coming, she sidestepped into the corner. All of them were distracted by the young boy as they cherished his small art talent shining their faces with smiles. Here, young Bimbo was the prince of the family here.
After all, they had marked him to be the heir of all the family's fortune.
Ishtar pulled out a small knife and a pistol. She clenched them tightly each in a different hand. She whispered, with her focus to her son.
"Bimbo, mommy is here for you!"
Just then, Pixie sighed and turned abruptly:
"I need to chill in a tab fast."
But then, her eyes grew wider in shock when they accidentally landed on Ishtar inside the house. Ishtar immediately pointed a pistol at her. She couldn't wait any longer and stepped out of the shadow. Her voice steady despite the nervousness, she commanded with fury and desperation.
"Tell Bimbo to go to his room!"
So scared, Pixie questioned her father:
"Dad, didn't you say there was nothing like ghosts?"
His hands up, filled in tension, he replied:
"Yes, I remember saying so!"
"Meaning you lied?"
With fury, Ishtar commanded:
"Shut the fuck up. I'm not a ghost!"
On the side, Pixie's mother started stepping backwards, trying to sneak out of sight. Ishtar shot a bullet on the side wall and told her:
"Move just one more step and I give you a direct ticket to hell."
Pixie's parents stared at Ishtar in disbelief, and at the moment time seemed to freeze. There is no way she could be here and alive according to what they did to her; the heavy metallic rod they hit on her head, and how they coordinated to throw her down in the rough river waters, to their understanding it was so impossible she made it alive.
Ishtar turned a smiling face at her little boy. He was so scared, hiding behind Pixie, whom he grew up knowing as his mother.
"Bimbo, can you go to your room first? Don't worry, mom will come to meet you in a bit."
With no hesitation, the little boy ran upstairs as their eyes followed behind him. And as soon as he went out of their sight, confusion turned to rage as the all three lunged towards Ishtar. Fueled by mother's instincts, tactically, Ishtar charged forward, instinctively blocking the Pixie's mother and slashing the knife across her arm, forcing her to stand back in pain. But Bimbo was still watching from up on the staircases.
Terrified, he screamed piercingly:
"Don't hurt my mommy!"
With parental consent, her focus unwavering, Ishtar shouted:
'Go back to your room Bimbo!"
In chaos, Pixie saw the opportunity. On quick steps, she climbed the stairs and got where Bimbo was. She pulled out her long hair pin and aimed it at Bimbo's neck, grabbing him like he had never been a sweetheart to her.
Agressively, Pixie shouted:
"Put your weapons down. Now!!"
In extreme disbelief, Pixie's father shouted at her daughter Pixie:
"You stupid brat, don't hurt my grandson!"
Ishtar stood frozen in fear, watching her son in a deadly fix. She lowered her voice and said:
"Don't do anything foolish Pixie. Let my son go. He has nothing to do with this."
"You think you can just come into our home and hurt my parents, then what? You go free with out repercussions?!"
"I didn't come here to hurt anyone. Am here to take my son with me, that's all. Just give him to me and I leave, peacefully."
Nervously, Pixie shouted:
"This is my son now. You should leave us alone."
Ishtar shrugged:
"Well, it's weird how a mother can think of hurting her own child!"
Calmly, she added:
"I trusted you Pixie! I thought in you I found a sibling I never had! Why did you fuck up my life more?"
Watching all her struggles slipping out of her hands in a blink, Pixie started crying.
On tearing eyes she narrated:
"After watching women struggle to give birth, the unbearable labor pains; the restless nine months of weird vomiting including the figure shaming part of the bump and all that, I made myself a promise never to give birth. It was cool by then especially when I walked out of the hospital after carrying out vasectomy. The following days, sex was my lifestyle. I could sleep with boys at parties without fear of getting pregnant."
Pixie added in grief:
"But, as time went by, I started regretting my reckless decision. My parents needed grand children, so did the man I loved so much. But I couldn't give them that. None of them knew why. Out of pressure, I sat my parents down and opened up to them. I wanted to conceive too. But it was impossible to take back the hands of time."
But then, she yelled stubbornly in addition:
"You don't deserve this child Ishtar! You were stuck, left with nothing except misery. There was no way you were going to afford taking care of this child in the condition you were in! It was heavens answering our prayers. By the time you came to us, me and my parents had made plans to adapt a male child. It wasn't a coincidence...."