The Creator Of Light

Abayomi

"Run! Out the back!" The small girl stared at me as her mother nodded and ran out the back. I followed them to the window lifting her daughter up. The woman pulled her onto the small balcony and mouthed thank you.

"But ma-!" Her mother gripped her hand around her mouth and dashed away out of sight. I sighed in relief, but quickly returned into a panicked state.

"Halt!" I heard from behind me as I stepped away from the window turning around. They flung their spears at me criss crossing the points at both sides of my throat pinning me to the wall.

"Where is that woman and child!?" I said nothing as I stared at them in fear. "The Hebrews are to be captured and made slaves by the Pharaohs orders! Assisting them in anyway is a crime against the Pharaoh!" I could feel myself shaking as I tried to speak.

"What are you doing here foreigner? You are not from here." The other guard spoke.

"To create light were there is only darkness. What kind of Pharaoh enslaves innocent woman and children?!" They removed the spears from the sides of my throat. The first man raised his arm behind his shoulder and back handed me. His knuckles dig into my skin as I fall onto the floor. His foot presses against my chest pinning me to the ground.

"How dare you you speak of the Pharaoh in such a manor!" He raises his spear and drives it into my left shoulder. I scream as I desperately try to pull it out but his foot keeps me secured against the floor. I feel the tears fall down the sides or my temples as I gasp for air. "Your lucky the Pharaoh is looking for slaves or I would kill you were you lie." He jerks the spear from my shoulder and steps away releasing me from the floor. I cry out and roll onto my side holding my shoulder curling up. "I'm going to look for that filthy woman and child. You deal with the foreigner." The cruel guard hastily made his way out of the house leaving me with the other man. I look up at him terrified he might stab me as well, but this man wore a gentle sympathetic look. He placed his hand on my arm before speaking in a calm tone.

"If you don't struggle I won't hurt you." He bonded my hands in chains and lifted me from the floor. I opened my mouth to speak but he cut me off. "Don't speak. Don't beg. It won't help. Just do as your told." He spoke more coldly this time and I just gazed at the floor. He pushed me out of the house and out of the village. He climbed onto his horse as he held the chain link into his hands making me walk across the desert.

After about an hour of walking, and feeling like I was going to die from heat exhaustion, the sun went below the horizon. I held my shoulder tightly trying to stop the bleeding and soothe the pain. I started to feel faint as we arrived at a camp. I turned to my right and terror spread through me as I stared at the guard who had previously stabbed me. I started to shake. He turned and made eye contact stomping towards me gripping my shackles.

"Abasi! He has been through enough yes? Let him be."

'Abasi? I know a lot of the Egyptian language from grandpa. Abasi meant stern.'

"You dare not defend this slave Subira!"

'Subira means patient.'

"No Abasi, but he is on the verge of death. Do you want to be responsible for dealing with his corpse?" Abasi growled under his breath and dragged to me to a tent tossing me inside. He pulled the tent drapes shut as his footsteps disappeared. I lay there gripping my shoulder sulking.

"Are you hungry stranger?" I gazed up to see a boy about my age crouching near me smiling down. I lean up and nod as he looks from my shoulder back to my eyes before shifting to the back of the tent. I notice that there three others in the tent along with me and the boy. Two elderly men and a woman probably in her thirties. The boy returns with a bowl sticking his fingers into the bowl and rubbing the ointment on my shoulder. I flinch and clench my teeth as he circles my wound. He takes a cloth and tightly wraps it around my shoulder smothering the laceration. He smiles brightly at me. He hands me a slice of bread, a bowl of porridge and some grapes. I eat as fast as possible trying to regain my strength.

"Thank you. I'm so grateful for this meal and the care of my wound." I say tapping my shoulder.

"Us outsiders have to stick together." He never once falters his smile as he speaks. "What is your name stranger?"

My eyes narrow as I glance down at my bowl. "To be honest I'm not sure anymore." He places his hand on my right shoulder.

"My name is Abayomi." I smile back at him.

'Bringer of happiness.'

"I shall give you a new name. Hmm... I'll call you, Moswen!" I can't help but giggle at him.

'Light skin. That's funny.'