Azira's Chronicles: Chapter 2

***Azira's Chronicles: Chapter 2***

*(One Year Later)*

It was brisk tonight, and mother wasn't doing well. I was now 10 and despite being so young- Ari, Hesam, Jaffar and I were afraid that soon we'd be alone to fend for ourselves. Mother had fell terribly ill. She had developed [*COVID* (jkjk xD)] a horrible fever and couldn't keep meals down. We couldn't afford a doctor, even between Ari and I. Ari was just a few months short of being recognized as a mature boy in Arenjun, so *that* was a good thing we presumed. He would soon have several more rights and responsibilities in Arenjun aside from my other two brothers and I...and I had to start taking care of the boys. Being raised with an older brother and growing up with two other boys enabled me the ability to take care of them at such a young age pretty well...and now Ari had to be the breadwinner whilst I stayed back and cared for them and watched them while my mother was bed-ridden. It was a lot of responsibility. I could only do it confidently with a bit of help from the local family that had been helping raise my younger brothers; this meant that Ari had to be a lot more careful as to not risk being ratted out by the local family helping us along. Yes, I was scared, as were the rest of us, but we had lived a life of hardship and obstacles left and right, and had learned how to manage fairly well given our circumstances. Mother had once again refused to eat tonight for fear of not keeping it down yet again, so that left us kids with more to indulge ourselves with. We still felt guilty not sharing with our mother, even though it was her wishes. As Ari worked on getting the boys to bed, I tended to my mother changing her cool headwrap and holding her hand as she lay there suffering. There wasn't anything more than that I could do for her. We didn't have medicine, and we didn't have access to what herbal remedies we needed.

I combed some hair out of my mother's face, and she looked to me, smiled, and said: *"Azira, daughter, stay strong."* She said wearily. She beckoned for me to lean in a bit closer, I did as I was asked, doing my best to stifle tears that had ben forming, I sniffled. *"Yes, mom. And yes?"* As I leaned in closer for her to say what she needed. *"Az, I don't think I'll make it through the night. My heartbeat is getting softer, and I'm feeling quite...tired...do your best to take care of your brothers, whatever it takes..."* She stammered, her breathing slowing a bit and she was having a hard time speaking.... *"Here, Az, give me your hand...."* I quickly gave her my hand, and she placed it upon her chest so I could feel her heartbeat...it was faint. *"This, Az...is what a beating heart feels like..."* She smiled. *"Now, open your hand..."* She uttered. I opened my hand and with her free hand she handed me a necklace with a charm on it. *"Your father gave this to me when we first met...keep it safe..."* And with that, she turned her head looking up at the ceiling, smiled, and then her breathing slowed, and her heartbeat faded away gradually. I was awestruck. My tears welled up and I began to sob. I tried waking her: *"Mom...? Mommy...mommy wake up...no....no!"* There was no response. I shook her hard, pestering her I'm sure, but there was no answer. Her eyes were closed...a long, slow exhale left her lips and then there was dead silence. I looked over in the doorframe and saw Ari standing there, hand over his mouth gasping, and saw him starting to tear up as well. Tears were streaming down my face...eyes red from crying. Ari walked over, embraced me, and held me there, letting me cry away holding me tightly as I burrowed my face and hands into his bosom...we stood there, near motionless sobbing until the sun peeked up above the horizon the next day...