Mother

  Once upon a time, there is a young girl who dreams to have a beautiful family. She dreams of having a good husband and perfect family. She told herself while looking at the stars at night that she will have it no matter what. She is laying at her bed and then, her daydream broke by calling her name.

“Mirai! Come down here!” her mother shout at her name.

“Wait! Mother! I am coming!” she said in a little voice.

When she down from her bedroom, her mother hit her by a broom then shout at her. “Why are you in your bedroom!? You didn’t cook!?”

The young girl shivers and scared. “M-mother, I-I’m sorry, I am sick and I-I can’t—”

Then, her mother hit her again on head. The young girl falls in the floor and get dizzy while her mother continues to shout at her.

“I don’t care if you’re sick! You should do your job as my child…”

She can’t hear her mother’s voice and her eyesight became blur as she faints on the cold floor. Mirai sold by her parents because she is very weak and fragile. No one wants her until one day, she is in the house of a woman named Amani.

Many years has passed. Mirai turns into a beautiful woman that every man in the village wants her.

“Amani. I don’t remember my past. Why I don’t remember it? Are my parents alive?” Mirai asked Amani while they eating dinner.

Amani looks at her then smiled. “You chose to forget. But what is it you really desire, my child?”

“Amani, I want to see my future. I want to see what I have.”

After they’ve finished their meal, Mirai go to her bedroom and ready for sleep. But before she falls asleep. Amani knocks at her door and said, “Come. I will show you.”

Mirai confused at what she said but despite of that she follows Amani. They go outside from their house and they enter the dark forest. Mirai embrace herself because of coldness and she shivers because of the place. But then, she follows Amani. They soon reached the lake.

Mirai amaze by the lake because it is the most beautiful place that she ever been. “What are we doing here?” she asked.

“You’ll see.” Amani said.

“It’s so beautiful. I can see stars in the sky and the clear water.”

Mirai said in amazing voice.

“Drown yourself and think of yourself.”

Mirai shocked of Amani said but then she trusts her and she follows Amani’s instruction.

She felt the cold of the water and she can’t breathe until she saw herself like a mirror under the water. When she tried to touch herself, it fades and her surrounding became dark until she struggles to breath. She swam upward and catch her breath.

She easily went to the ground and she continues to catch her breath until she realized it is morning.

“Wait…morning? How long I am in the underwater?” asked herself.

She stood up and call her name. “Amani! Amani! Where are you?”

But no one hears her call. She walks outside from the forest then she finds herself in the village full of people. She is shocked and can’t believe what she saw. Her village, became different and there are vendors everywhere. “Where am I?”

She continues to walk around and observe the people. And then she, saw familiar faces from the distant. She walks towards them and she is so shocked of what she saw.

“I..I..” she stutters.

She saw herself while smiling at two children. Mirai just staring at them while walking and herself is looking at her. “W-who are you?” she asked to herself.

The woman looks at her and said, “I’m sorry. Who are you?” then the woman stood up in front of her child.

Mirai realized that this woman is her and this is her future. She remembers what Amani said.

“Choose.”

“What am I choosing?” she asked herself.

After that day, she chose to follow that woman. She observed herself and saw what she dreamed of. “A perfect family.” She mumbles while looking at herself.

They were a happy family. A perfect husband and two child that makes her happy.

One night, she saw herself telling a story to her children before sleep. After storytelling, the woman went down to the kitchen and Mirai shocked of what that woman doing. That woman drinking a bottle of rum and almost passed out but then continue to drink.

Her husband comes home from the village then the woman, throws a bottle to her husband and the arm of him bleed because of the broken bottle. Herself is angry at her husband and they fought.

She can’t believe of what she saw. “They were happy. But…why?”

After that day, she follows herself in the village while herself buying some food for her family.

She gains a courage to talk to the woman and grab her in the wrist. The woman shocked and she tries to escape from the hand of Mirai. She manage to calm herself and throw the woman at narrow street.

“What are you doing!?” woman shout at her.

Mirai look at herself as the woman confused of her behavior. She breath heavily and said, “Why are you fought with your husband? Why are you drunk that night?”

Mirai look at the woman and the woman calm herself. The woman closed her eyes and breathe heavily.

“Every night I drink.”

Mirai frowned. “Why?”

“Because it is the only way to calm my mind and heart!” the woman shout of frustration.

Mirai gulped and tried to understand of what she said. “What…what do you mean?”

“Everyone thinks we are perfect family. Everyone thinks we are happy. But, you know, the truth is…we’re not.”

Mirai stared at herself. This woman, looks pale and tired but she manages to smile…at her children as if nothing happens. Mirai wonders, what is she become?

“This is what I want. This is what I dreamed of but…I thought…I thought, I will learn to love him. And I thought I will change him. But he continued to womanize. All he thinks is himself.” Herself said then cry. “I…I thought I could be happy if I just turn a blind eye of everything but…” The woman tries to calm herself. “But I can’t. It is too hurt and I am just pretending to be fine for my children.”

And the day and years has passed, Mirai stay in the future because she wants to be remembered by her children on how good mother she is. Her future self-became duchess because her husband became duke of South Village. Her future self now controls the contribution of the people.

Mirai become maid of the palace so she can see her future self. Her future self with her family dines in with the royal family. She smiles of how she became of because of her husband.

One night, her future self-travels at night and Mirai follows her. Every night, her future self went outside to travel and Mirai didn’t want what she saw. Then, one day.

“On behalf of the king, Duchess Mirai committed a treason and stole a contribution of the people, we sentenced her to hang in front of everyone.”

Mirai walks as she passed by of many people. She didn’t hear anything except of herself voice. Until she reached the lake and continue to walk as the water embrace her. Mirai cried at the deep water and she feels like she is dying because of pain that she carry until someone grabs her hand and pull her on the land. Mirai catch her breath and she saw Amani beside her. Sitting, looking at the sky. Mirai sit beside her and cried.

“What do you choose, my child?”

“I am not happy. My future self pretends of everything.” She said and calm herself as she is now looking at sky. “You know what, I realized, you can choose your destiny, but you can’t change the future. If this is my destiny, I will accept it.” She said then look at Amani. She smiled with sad eyes. “I saw my future self. She will do anything for her children. I am glad that I didn’t become like my mother, I am glad that I turn out to be a good mother for my children.”

“But you are not happy.”

“Yes, at least for my children, I will be happy for them.”