A breath of Freedom

A breath of Freedom

It was a small town, neither could be classified fully as a city, nor as a village. Many ethnic groups lived together in this town, which was ruled by the Sapaeni tribe. The other ethnic groups who lived there, lived under the control of the ruling Sapaeni tribe.

Despite many hardships, the non- Sapaeni tribes survived there, not just because of their fear of the Sapaenis, but also because of their ignorance of other places where they could survive. Sapaenis would even attack them just for fun, and often may end up breaking their hands or legs. The lives of other tribes was not a big deal in that town, leave alone their hardships. Such was the tyranny of the Sapaenis.

*****

She belonged to the Canedae tribe. Being homeless, she was sitting in the corner of a street, a life that their tribe was used to. Not everyone in their tribe got the fortune of being enslaved by a wealthy, good-hearted Sapaeni, that they got their own home, tasty food etc.

Opposite to her, on the road, she saw a Sapaeni walking, holding the hands of a Canedae girl. The elite look on his face reflected in her face as well. The girl gave a condescending look at her. A melancholic smile adorned her lips. The mother of this girl could have possibly been a slave herself. Canedae girls born & brought up in such rich Sapaeni households, did not know the pangs of such Canedaes who lived on streets. They often identified themselves as part of the Sapaeni families. So, homeless Canedaes were used to the humiliating looks of such enslaved Canadaes.

"What if I were one of those enslaved Canadaes!!", she thought,  "I would be given an ID as a sign of slavery - The ones with ID were always treated with much respect. I shall get my own place to live, timely food - all that is required off you was to satisfy your master, and you would get whatever you want."

Any violence against enslaved Canadaes went unnoticed as well, yet they were quite rare. Masters usually chase them out of their home, in case they were not satisfied with the service. Notably, Sapaenis disliked their slaves being disturbed/handled by others, and hence their safety as slaves was assured.

"Most Sapaenis treated their slaves as one of their family members. In a way, life was comfortable. I may even get clothes... errr.. No.. I don't want them even if offered. I don't understand how people go around with the discomfort of wearing them", she thought.

The Sapaenis liked the honesty of the Canadaes. As long as Canadaes did not oppose them, Sapaenis were good to them. One vocal opposition was enough for a Sapaeni to chase the slave out of their home. Most Canadaes how ever did not misbehave.

But, life didn't end there, as it could have.

*****

Canadaes were not allowed to venture out of home without their masters. It was next to impossible to roam as and when they like.

The next danger was disease. Sapaenis did not like having diseased slaves. If sick for more than a week, a slave was usually disowned and left in the streets"

The next thing the Sapaenis disliked was Canadaes being in a relationship. They used drugs to make them celibate.

"Ahh. wasn't that still much better than living on streets without any safety?"she thought.
" It was natural that most Canadaes were happily enslaved with the Sapaenis. Even those who resisted initially, would not return after enjoying the comfort for a few days"

She recalled an incident that occurred a few months ago.

An ex-Sapaeni slave came amidst them. He was disowned possibly because he got old or because he got some disease. He was much afraid of the other Canadaes, leave alone Sapaenis. The Canadaes, who usually did not accept strangers into their group or area, drove him away from the place. He ran away of fear and was never seen again. She felt pity for him, but could not express it for danger of being disowned by her own group. She strongly contended to herself that he would have been much better, had he been never enslaved.

She lay there thinking, slightly hungry. The food cart , where Sapaenis dumped their rotten or old foods, was closeby. She disliked the rummage that ensued following any dump and usually stayed away.

"These Canadaes are to be blamed as well. Ignorant idiots... Despite their miserable state of searching for food in trash, they lacked solidarity and kept quarelling with each other and wasted all their energies. Neither were they mature enough to take any advice." she felt.

There was no safety for them, even for namesake. "This guy there... she had been in his watch for quite sometime now. Most other women of her vicinity had conceded to his wishes out of fear or interest and had already carried his children in their womb.", she thought and in her mind, continued, "I don't know when he would charge on me. The only solution at such juncture would be to yield to him, lest she be gravely injured"

*****

As she kept thinking deeply, he suddenly plunged on her from behind. As she got up suddenly with shock and moved away, the car of a Sapaeni hit her leg and she let out a deep cry of great pain. The Canadaes gathered around and yelled out cries of fear and sorrow. Cries of Canadaes softened as the Sapaeni came out of his car and looked at her with pity. He drove the car away to his home along with her in the backseat. The Canadaes watched with fear. At home, he caressed her wound and gave her food to eat and let her sleep.

Her fear for him had not subsided as she got up in the evening. She chose to remain silent. As though he loved her silence, she was not let out back in the streets. She also preferred to stay there atleast until her wound healed.

She thought if she could stay there for ever if offered.

*****

She got a great deal of respect in that house, something which she was never used to. They provided her food, a place to stay. Her work was primarily just to protect the house from strangers and warn them of any miscreants. She was treated just like their daughter. They ate with her, and took her along wherever they went. Her injuries healed slowly in about a month.

"Damn. They treat me like their own daughter. May be my perception of the Sapaenis hitherto was wrong", she felt. Her respect for them had now grown into affection. She began treating them as her own family. She was ready to even sacrifice her own life for their sake.

***** 

A few days passed. That day, the girl of the house(the master's daughter) was scheduled to return from honeymoon with her husband.

That morning, the mistress was telling the master, "We should get her an ID soon. It would be respectful if we could introduce her to our son-in-law with the ID".

"All right. She is good. Let her stay with us", He responded.

She was overhearing their conversation. Their decision was something that she had already expected to happen soon.

The mistress continued "Her wounds are healed now. Get the drug now, so that we can keep her home without any trouble for ever"

The words of the mistress about the drug snapped her back to reality.

*****

"No. I am not a daughter of this household, neither can I become one. I am a slave, an adorned slave, for them to caress when they feel like loving and scold when they feel angry. A slave that was well fed - I could just survive here as a doll, but never live"

She realised with tears in her eyes that all her feelings for the family were all her own dream.

"Is such a life required?", she wondered.

"Or shall I stay this way? There is no surity of even staying alive the next day, if I were on streets. Should I leave them for returning to such a life? What is so wrong in accepting the ID and living with them for ever", her heart was caught amidst contrary thoughts.

"Ahh.. there he has come", she could see her master near the corner of the street. He has a bag in his hand. It should contain the ID and the drug. Her heartbeat fastened. She had decided !!!

"Nope. This a'int my life. I wasn't born to be their slave. Being on the streets, eating from trash, suffering of hunger and bearing that thug's child are all part of my life. But this is NOT" her heart shouted.

She slammed into the doorway and ran out peeking him off. He stared at her as she ran out.

"None decides where I go anymore", she kept running without any thoughts of her destination.

"Hey stop.. jooo jooo", the master cried at her.

"What happened", the mistress questioned from the kitchen.

"That dog ran away. I had got a chain(ID) and the drug for her"

"Let her go. After all, she is a street dog", she was no more even close to the street to hear the mistress' response.

*****

After running quite some distance, she saw a few men standing together and a few Canadaes (Ah, it was the name that science had given to their family) standing around the men. She went and stood along with the Canadaes.

A Sapaeni (Sapiens/Human) saw her and threw a cookie at her. She grabbed it and gently waved her tail as a note of thanks. After eating it, she started running again, not waiting for the second cookie, as she sensed, it may lead her to a life of slavery again !!

Her lungs suffered as she kept running, yet the breath gave comfort to her heart.

Indeed, it would - It was a breath of freedom !!


Credits:

Sincere Thanks to  Distant Impulse for their considerate permission to use their images free of cost.


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