There was that face staring back at her. An uncanny resemblance. The tilt of the head, the arch of the brow and the lopsided grin all a stark reminder of that fateful evening at the town square twenty years ago.
***
Excitedly Marta and Malcolm had set off together, hand in hand to stroll around at the fair and buy their favourite snacks and toys.
Marta, all of eight had been instructed to take care of little Malcolm, then four and to never let go of his hand or lose sight of him at any time.
Marta was in charge most of the time when her parents were at work in the fields and it was no big deal. Malcolm always looked upon his sister who was like a second mother to him.
A gigantic carousel was set up with unicorns, horses, polar bears and even dolphins. Munching on salted popcorn while holding a cotton candy in another, Malcolm refused to be led by the hand. Marta put her arm around his shoulder and they walked around.
She adored her baby brother with his twinkling blue eyes, flaxen locks of silky hair and the unique curve of a smile which lit up his bonny face, making him look straight out of a baby book.
The towering ferris wheel with kids and grown ups alike screeching excitedly made her stop in her tracks and look up. Engrossed in the charming scene unfolding all around her, she didn't notice a burlap sack being thrown over Malcolm as he was whisked away.
A distraught Marta panicked wildly, howling his name and running helter skelter. But he had disappeared into thin air. Her parents had searched for him in vain as far as the next town and the town beyond but to no avail. Marta was admonished, lashed and outcasted for the rest of her life always within earshot of taunts and barbs which called her the jinxed one which should have disappeared instead or a schemer who had done away with the good looking baby.
Crushed, Marta retreated into a shell of her own and tried to stay invisible around the dinner table with her parents eating in solemn silence everytime.
***
At 28, she had started work as a house help at Peony Gardens, the house belonging to the wealthiest man in Avondale. As she was dusting the coffee table one fine afternoon, she spotted a photo album lying open with a familiar face staring back at her. It was unmistakable. This boy looks exactly how Malcolm would have looked like at 24. The blue eyes, flaxen locks….the grin!
Her master happened to walk in and he replied her saying it's his grandson. How his son and daughter-in-law couldn't bear children of their own and how their stable boy had found him at a town fair. A picture perfect baby boy who was unattended. He had brought him to Avondale. They were all visiting him the same afternoon from overseas and staying on for a long time.
Marta’s joy knew no bounds. Malcolm! It had to be Malcolm. She was going to be reunited with her brother! She had to make sure.
At the ring of the bell, Marta dashed to the door and stood breathless in front of Malcolm. Her face broke into the widest smile in years as she held his face between her palms, tears streaming down her face. “Malcolm, it's me Marta. Your sister. We searched for you high and low! Where had you disappeared to all these years?” Her voice cracked as she looked at him, mixed emotions crossing her face as she embraced him, looking for a closure.
There was a glint of recognition in his eyes as if regaining clarity but he stood guarded.
With a voice that made her shiver, he pushed her so fiercely that she stumbled a few paces back. “How dare you, you filthy woman! Step back, I'm no Malcolm, call me Young Master. Your ruse doesn't work on me.” Flipping his flaxen curls, roughly grasping her arm, he shoved her right outside the door.
Numb with shock, Marta face down on the hard floor, tried to stand up with her bruised knees and scraped elbows. Her mouth quivered as she clutched the photograph between the folds of her skirt.
Malcolm refused to recognize and accept her. The life of luxury and riches was more alluring. As Marta walked away in a daze, she heard him thundering, “Get lost, beggar! Never show your face here again!”
Her parents’ wish had finally come true. Marta disappeared never to be found again.
©️ Sangeetha Kamath
Pic Courtesy:Pixabay
Gosh! Brilliant story and hard-hitting. The end was a real surprise and very sad.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much, Parag ☺️
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