The Exile : The Acadian Story of Joséphine Duon

3 ~ Personal Violation

Warning: This chapter contains a rape scene. Though it is not very detailed there may be certain triggers.
If you wish to skip over it please do. Stop reading after :
Maybe I'm overreacting.
It is found at the end of the chapter and you will miss no plot details if you chose to skip to the next chapter from there.

~ June 24th, 1755 ~

My childhood home smelled of scrumptious, homemade rapûre and fricot. This made my stomach growl loudly.

It almost sounded like the growl of the black bear that kept wandering into the apple orchard last Novembre.

"Oh, my goodness," Danièle said with hardy laughter. "Eat something before you faint Joséphine!"

Maman let out her soft laughter, which I had been fortunate to inherit. A long strand of her blond, turning grey, hair dropped from her tight bun and encompassed the right side of her face. 

I couldn't help but smile at her momentary jovial ocean blue eyes.

"Go ahead bébé," she said in her usual soft calming voice. "There's plenty of food. Better it goes to your growing baby rather than the mouths of les gloutonnes Anglais."

Danièle let out another few laughs that echoed within the one-room home. Maman and I quickly joined in with her.

Danièle always brought laughter.

"I'll get you some fricot," Danièle offered as she walked over to the boiling bot. "I can just imagine it going through the tubes inside of you that feed the baby," she scrunched her nose up. "That's why you're so hungry all the time. She steels are the food you need too."

"Danièle," Maman said in a warning tone for her undeniably crude words. "One day you'll have a little bun in the oven, and you won't want people speaking in such a manner."

I sent her a secret grin.

My childlike self always came out here.

"Negative Maman," Danièle said as she stirred the soup. "I will bear no children and no husband like the independent woman I am."

I saw the blood drain from Maman's face.

"Ma chérie, I know how it feels," Maman spoke up still in such a soft manner. "Though marriage and children are a means of survival—-"

"I dream of opening a schoolhouse," Danièle said having surely thought Maman was done speaking.

The wooden spoon in her hand turned quicker to match her mouth's speed.

"I will teach the Acadian children to read and write," she said even more enthusiastic with her other hand moving in the air.

It almost looked like she was guiding the choir.