The ward was silent, except for the constant bleep of the EKG monitor.
Her grandmother moved her head a little but she did not open her eyes. The tube going into her nose and an IV on her arm, made her looks like a grotesque scientific experiment. Elisha stared at her face, so worn and lined now and recalled how brilliantly beautiful she used to be.

As she sat there, she once more went down memory lane: On the pavement of her house so long ago, Elisha remembered again how she trembled as her grandmother embraced her. She had clung to the older woman who hushed her and rocked her in her arms. She felt a sense of coming home then. The days ahead were spent with her grandmother in quietness, there were no screams or shouts, and there were no loud noises. The house where her grandmother lived in was surrounded by tall trees, and an orchard. There were flowers and vegetables thriving side by side around the house. There were also a few free ranged chicken and ducks running around. The pond at the far end of the garden was always occupied by ducks.  Elisha learned the real sense of tranquility.

Any normal child would have hankered for television or toys, but she only wanted peace quiet and love. She loved the peace and quiet in the Grandmother's home. She missed her mother every day, the way they were, laughter and bedtime stories, but she also learned to love her Grammie Willie. She was different somehow, strong and active.

After a couple of month, Grammie enrolled her in a kindergarten. This was also new to her as she never had any schooling. She did not know how to read or spell. Going to the school was interesting and to Elisha it was also enjoyable. She met so many girls her own age that she could relate to and talk to.

She soon had a best friend named of Sheena, whom she sat with and chat to everyday. Elisha was so happy. She would come home every day and tell her Grammie about Sheena and how the other girl had a big farm house and that her parents owned more livestock than Grammie. The elderly woman had smiled and asked the little girl if that bothered her. Elisha in her happiness had hugged her Grammie and said that she loved Grammie, and the house and the pond and the fish and the ducks…and she named all the animals around her, that the older woman laughed, swung her around and made her pick tomatoes for dinner. It was indeed the happiest moment of Elisha’s life.

On her sixth birthday, her Grammie organised a small party for her and six other little girls. She had placed a table cloth on a huge tree stump that adorned her garden, and served the boisterous girls lemonade and orange juice, cookies and cupcakes as well as a chocolate cake that she baked herself.

The children sang Happy Birthday and stood around in delight as the birthday girl blew out the candle, and cut the cake. Soon after they were filled with cakes, cookies and fruits; the happy group ran around playing chase and pin the tail on the donkey. Elisha had a blast.

Later that Sunday afternoon, when the young guests had been fetched by their parents, Elisha snuggled with her Grammie on the chair-swing.

“Thank you so much for my birthday Grammie….so much!” she had whispered, her eyes closing as sleep took over. She felt her Grammie’s arms tightened against her and all was well in the world.
It was a sudden movement that woke Elisha up, her Grammie had stood up and she felt it. She held on tighter, her eyes still closed in sleepiness.

And then she was cruelly wrenched from her Grammie’s arms. Her eyes fluttered open and in horror saw that she was held by her mother, who was holding out a knife at her Grammie.

“What are you doing, Tiffany?” Grammie screamed.

“I want money, Willie…I want you to pay me for her…!” her mother screamed back.

“But you brought her to me…and after all those months….” Grammie stammered.

“I don’t care Willie…I don’t care! I just want the money. I don’t care…I could bring her and strangle her and throw her somewhere…but I believe you love this whore-child….so if you do, give me the money…or I will just break her neck right here and now….!” The younger woman said.

“Oooh Fannie, please. Come home, I will take care of you. I know you lost your home and job, but you will be alright. Come home, Fannie, I will take care of you…you can get cleaned up and get a job…we will be together, all of us. It will be like old time….okay?” Willie said, gently.

“What makes you think that I want to be with you, or even want this little toad eh? You stupid dyke!” Elisha screamed.

There was utter silence. Nothing stirred. Elisha felt the ground came up to meet her.

...to be continued