Valour in Shining Armour

It was a cold June morning as the heavy rain beat on the window in your room. The room was not like the rest of them. It was much more neater and brighter but it looked dark that day. As if all the happiness, all the cheerful trill of the voices that had filled the room before had been sucked away leaving behind sadness. You finally woke up, and as you did you looked around the room. It was not neat how you would want it to be, instead it was empty, empty with a huge suitcase filled with your belongings. Today was the day. It will happen today. 

“Hey, listen you have to calm down. Stop fidgeting and just listen to me. I know that it is going out of hand-“

“Going out of hand?! That is an understatement! They are murdering anyone who do not comply with the rules! Do you not get it? If we stay with them we will take the blame!” You fire back at Lily as she tried to help you out. 

“You have absolutely no idea how I feel about this. I am scared Lily. Terrified if that’s a better word. Why was I born into this family? Why not somewhere else? Somewhere safer!” You say as a pool of tears welled up in your eyes threatening to fall, but you were not a weak girl who cried. Instead, you were someone who dried their tears and faced their fears. But that day was going to be different.

Finally, you got up from the bed and went to the bathroom and stared at your reflection on the mirror. Your brown mane of hair framed your face and formed curls at the bottom of your shoulder, your olive skin glowing but your dark brown eyes had lost its spark. You took a deep breath and carried on with your normal routine as Lily’s words from the night before reverberated in your head. 

Breakfast was served in the dining hall and you were alone as usual and the mood was very uncomfortable, as if every non-living and living thing in that hall understood what you were about to do, what you had to do. A deep sigh escaped your mouth as you held internal debates with yourself. 

“What if I am wrong? What if this is the only way I can be safe?” 

“Are serious right now? Adira, you know deep down that this family is nothing but your enemy who will destroy your life and it would not be very nice,” 

“No but what if they can provide you with whatever you want after you do it? Surely Father would not object if you do your job well…” 

“Rubbish. Utter rubbish. You will not do anything relating to the job. You will live your life,” and back and forth the arguments went when suddenly you heard footsteps coming from the staircase. Glancing at the clock you gulp as it was exactly 9 o’clock and big bad wolf was just round the corner.

“Adira! How lovely to see you here early in the morning!”,your father, a big burly man of 48 years of age, boomed as he came in the dining hall. You mumbled a ‘good morning’ and avoided eye contact with those grey-coloured icy eyes of his. “Slept well? We do not want you to get pre-execution jitters, do we?”, he smiled, well not really like a smile but more of a smirk. “Mhm,” you managed to say, mostly because your voice box was closed shut by your saliva. “You know what to do right? We went over the plan and just try not to get yourself killed okay? You ready?”,he dropped the bomb. You broke into a cold sweat and your hands started to get clammy, as your heart started to thump wildly against your chest. 

“Just say it,” you silently reminded yourself. You knew you would regret it if you didn’t. Taking a deep breath you said it. “No”, you muttered. “What? I couldn’t hear you,” “I said no. I won’t do it,”you replied but this time with confidence and your eyes directly in his, piercing into it. His face went from frowning, to thinking and finally to anger. His nostrils flared as he held his arms akimbo, “WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY NO!”, he yelled. You took a few steps back but still kept your face straight, not daring to show a hint of fear in your eyes. 

“No means no! I will not do your dirty things for you anymore! I just-“

“You coward! Your brothers considered this a great honour to be doing this and you say you don’t want to do it? I CANNOT BELIEVE YOU ARE MY DAUGHTER!” Your father hollered. 

“I was forced into doing your stuff. I always believed that poaching elephants and rhinos for their ivory was bad. It is terrible! And making deals with other companies to make money and threatening people who made a mistake? Really?! THIS IS ILLEGAL! I never said a word about these things because I was scared to bring it up. I am sixteen years old Father! I should be going to school and not being homeschooled. I should be learning about nuclear atoms or market structures, not helping you transport your illegal goods and using my skills in illegally hacking into wildlife park gates. I was the one who started the campaign against poaching endangered species. I was the one giving the activists information about this, no, YOUR company. Don’t you dare call me a coward. I am no coward. I stand for what is right and back way from what is wrong,” you vociferate at him. Your blood boiled as you talked about all the wrong things he had done. 

“How dare you betray your family!” Father hollered back.

“I did what was right. Your actions are so cruel that I hate to call you my father. Just stop doing this! There are other ways you can earn money other than hurting poor, innocent animals. Please listen to me, don’t do it. Please I beg of you,” you cried. 

Your father’s shoulder stiffened and he looked at you which sent shivers down your spine. His face was red with anger as he roared his words, one by one, piercing your heart as he did so. 

“SILLY. GIRL. YOU. ARE. JUST. AS. PATHETIC. AS. YOUR. MOTHER.”he spat out the last word with such disgust, like it was venom. It was the last straw for you. He brought up your mother and you did not want to look at his face. Storming out of the room, you ran into your room and threw in whatever clothes you had left in your suitcase. 

When you reached the door, you turned back one last time, relieving all those memories you had when you were a kid. “Where are you going?” Your father asked gruffly. “Somewhere far away from you where I can fight for the right cause,” you said to him. Turning the door handle, you stepped out into the street and broke into a swift run. 

“FINE THEN, DON’T COME BACK! I DON’T WANT YOU HERE!” Was the last thing you heard from your father, with a smile on your face, you decided to turn right onto the street leading to a better place.  

You suddenly remembered that quote that your mother had read to you once, “It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends.” You beamed as you knew deep down that your mother was very proud of what you did.