Caged Bird Screaming

Secrets

Axe took a deep breath before knocking on Chapel’s door. He soon heard the shuffling of feet and a second later the door opened. Axe braced himself for whatever Chapel would say to him when he saw him. Chapel tilted his head to the side when he saw Axe and he looked almost amused seeing him standing outside his hut.

“What do you want boy?” Chapel asked raising his eyebrow.

“I just came to see if you were alright.” Axe replied. Half of it was true. He really wanted to talk to Chapel about Hawk woman.

Chapel chuckled. “Well come in boy before you catch a chill.” Axe nodded and entered the hut. Like Hawk woman’s it was small and there were two candles on the window still giving the room little lighting. “Sit down.” Chapel pointed to a small stool in the corner. Axe brought it closer to Chapel’s bed and sat on it. “So what do you want to know boy? I know you want to ask me about something else, not just me.”

Axe squirmed in his seat, wondering if the conversation they were about to have would go well or if it’d end with him being kicked out of Chapel’s hut. “Why is it that no one talks to Hawk woman?”

Chapel raised an eyebrow. “You mean Clarence?” Axe looked at Chapel confused. He didn’t know what Hawk woman’s real name was. “The woman who took you in.” Chapel explained.

Axe nodded. “Yes.”

Chapel sighed. “Everyone thinks she’s a witch.”

“Why?”

“Everyone says she ate her child and practices black magic.”

Axe shook his head. “Well she doesn’t.”

“How would you know?” Chapel shot Axe an accusatory glance.

“I share a hut with her.” Axe shot back. “And I haven’t seen her do any black magic.” Chapel didn’t say anything. “Well she is lonely and doesn’t have anyone to talk to.”

“She has you.” Chapel said, his eyes flashing.

“But she needs someone other than me.” Axe said trying to get his point across to Chapel. “You too look like you need a friend.”

“I’m fine thank you. I don’t need a friend, especially not one like her.” Chapel said scratching his head.

“How would you feel if everyone talked about you and were a social outcast amongst your own people?”

“I am a social outcast. No one talks to me!”

“Well then talk to Hawk-I mean Clarence.”

Chapel stared hard at Axe for what seemed like eternity before giving the answer Axe desperately wanted to hear. “Alright.”

“Thank you.” Axe said with a smile. He noticed Chapel held a small blue handkerchief in his hand, stroking it tenderly ever so often. He frowned. He had seen the handkerchief but couldn’t remember where,

“What are you frowning at?” Chapel inquired when he noticed Axe staring at the material he held.

“I’m just looking at the handkerchief you’re holding.” Chapel gripped the material tightly; fearful Axe would take it away from him. “I think I’ve seen it before.” Axe said rubbing his temples. He knew he had seen it before but where? He racked his brain for a minute or so until he remembered seeing Yulana in the kitchen staring at the same handkerchief. He remembered it looked so small for a handkerchief, as if it had been torn in half.

“Well boy where have you seen it?” Chapel asked. For the first time in years, hope began bubbling up in his chest. Maybe Axe knew something about Yulana. Maybe he could tell him where she was, so he could find a way to return back to her. 

“Well in my old plantation, there was a woman named Yulana...” Axe said

“Yulana.” Chapel breathed. “You’ve seen my old Yulana?” He asked, tears pouring down his cheeks.

Axe nodded. “Yes I have seen her.”

Chapel began crying like a child. “You’ve seen my Yulana?” He asked over and over again unable to   over the fact Yulana was alive. She was alive and well in Axe’s master’s plantation. “How is she? Oh tell me how is she? It’s been such a long time. I need to see my Yulana again.” Chapel went down on his knees pleading with Axe to tell him about Yulana. Axe’s heart broke. Chapel was Yulana’s husband. He believed his wife was alive and well in George’s plantation. He spent his years hoping and praying she was alive and they’d meet again. “How is she? Tell me boy, how is Yulana?” Chapel asked again.

Axe looked away not knowing what to say. He didn’t know what to do. He could tell Chapel what really happened to Yulana, or he could lie and tell him she was fine.

“Where is she boy where is she?”

Axe bit his lip. He needed to make a choice. He could either lie or tell Chapel the truth. “Yulana’s dead. She was hanged in the middle of the town square for stealing the mistress’ necklace.” As soon as the words came out of Axe’s mouth, the hut turned silent. Both Axe and Chapel stared at each other not knowing what to say. They had no words to say. Chapel was gut wrenched and Axe felt the burden on his chest increase by a thousand fold.

“Yulana is...No...No she can’t be.” Axe watched Chapel crumble before his eyes. In a split second, Chapel seemed to have aged twenty years. His face was drawn and his eyes budged out of his sockets. Axe had never seen anyone looked so pale before in his life. Chapel’s hard stare made him uncomfortable. He was frightened of what Chapel would do next. “Get out.” Axe wanted to get up but found it hard to move. Maybe it was from shock. Maybe it was because he had never seen Chapel look so sad and alone. He had withdrawn back into himself and Axe feared he’d never be the same. “I said get out!!” Chapel bellowed. His sudden rush of anger startled Axe and he ran out of the hut. Chapel had lost his mind. His grief was overwhelming him and slowly eating away at his heart. He’d never be the same again. Axe knew he’d be nothing but an old man who whose anger would grow and grow spreading like a disease until it consumed him.

She was gone. She was gone. The love of his life was gone. She had been hanged by her master for stealing...Chapel couldn’t believe it. Yulana was not a thief. She never stole. His head throbbed with a headache. He felt someone was hitting his temples with a hammer again and again. She was gone. Yulana was dead. His lady of the night was gone. “No; no; no. Not Yulana; not my Yulana.” Chapel slammed his fist on the ground. “Not my Yulana!! No! No!” He had lost everything. His hope had disappeared. His life had no meaning. His mouth tasted bitter with madness. He had lost all he had. Yulana was gone. She was dead.

“Chapel! Chapel! I have your supper!” One of the women said as she knocked the door. She stood outside holding his plate of food as she waited for him for open the door; but he didn’t come. She sighed. Old Chapel must have fallen asleep. She opened the door “Chapel. Supper is re....” She gasped. She dropped the plate, breaking it into large pieces. The next thing everyone heard was the woman’s screams.

Chapel was dead. He had hung himself.

Author's note: *sniff* RIP Chapel. i love you!!! xoxo Please turn to your right to watch the funny video to make you better ---> :)