I awoke in a strange place. The first pain I felt continued as a searing headache. My body lay on a soft cushion, all my wounds covered. Then, I heard a cry. Across from me stood a toddler bouncing in his crib, pointing at me with tears in his eyes. Soon, a woman arrived. Upon seeing me, she yelled a name; “Evander!” The woman approached and hugged me before taking a seat by my side. “How are you feeling?” she asked. Talking to strangers scared me, so I remained silent, not wanting to provoke any anger. A tall, bearded man entered with the biggest smile. He proceeded to soothe the crying toddler in his arms and took a seat next to the woman who called him. She continued to interrogate me. For most of the questions, I did not know the answers.
“Do you know where you are?”
No idea.
“Do you know who you are?
That never mattered.
“Your name?”
I never had one.
“Me?” the stranger concluded.
I remained silent.
Six pairs of eyes pierced mine with a faint look of horror. All but the toddler seemed to be holding back tears. The child tearfully extended his arms toward me waiting for a response. I stayed still, not wanting to do anything disallowed. At first, my mind confusingly wondered where my parents were. It took me too long to realize that they finally disowned me.
“Maybe she just needs some time, Eleni?” the man questioned.
“Maybe,” the lady whispered.
The man put his hand on my head and looked me in the eye. “You rest up well now, you hear?”
Then, the three of them left me alone in the house, so they could share some news with the rest of this unusual village. It puzzled me as to why these two would care for me in their own home and not introduce themselves. Did this place not have a hospital, orphanage, or somewhere else I could be left to be forgotten.
It took me some time to move normally again. Surprisingly, the adults I stayed with allowed me to venture outside. Everywhere I wobbled, someone was there to lend me a hand, despite my silent protest. The people of this place, Aigaion, truly acted very oddly towards me.
No one introduced themselves to me. They just stood there smiling and saying things like, “I’m so overjoyed that you are alright!” A few reached their arms out to me, but hesitated once they realized my indifferent reaction. The pair whose house I intruded never mentioned moving me elsewhere. I kept waiting for their patience with me to end, especially once I fully recovered, but that time never came.
I did not mind sharing a room with their son. He seemed to like me, but I wondered why they trusted me so much with their child. He often ran up to me extending his arms forward with a little jump. The most I ever reacted toward him was to gently place my hand on his head. The child would not leave me alone most of the time. He often put his clearly custom-made toys in my lap and pointed. He started leaving them around the house in obvious spaces I would see, so I had to return them. He always gave me the biggest smile as I brought the toys back to his palms.
Eventually, my caregivers hauled me to an Aigaion meeting. When the four of us entered, the villagers cheered. I guess those two must be some big shots in the community. After everyone gathered, a short measure of silence fell before a clear outsider arrived. Her long black hair dangled over her peculiar clothing that included a hood over her eyes which contrasted the rest of her clothes. The people of Aigaion hung on to every one of her words. Soon she approached me and took me by the hand. The stranger asked me similar questions to the ones I heard when I awoke.
“Do you remember this village? Your home?” she probed.
Aigaion did seem familiar. Maybe I visited a few times as a child, but I could not recall much. As for my home, I had no desire to return there. However, my response to her remained the same as always, not a single word left my tongue. The measure of silence resumed as she waited for me to answer anything. Her face painted a strong look of frustration. The stranger clenched her palms and broke the silence in a defeated voice as she turned to face the crowed, “’I’m sorry I failed you.” Then she stormed out and never appeared again to them.
The man I walked in with approached me and said in a similar tone, “Do you remember me?”
What a weird stranger, I thought. I grew to know him better while staying at his house and looking after his child, but why would someone even ask that question of someone they recently met. Again, I had no intention of angering them, so I replied with silence. The people of Aigaion approached me afterward and reacted similarly. It made me uncomfortable how suddenly everyone around me wanted to help, listen, and spend time with me.
Eventually, I ended that uncomfortableness. When my wounds left no impression on my body, and I returned to a normal state, I prepared to leave Aigaion. A strong desire dominated my mind. That vital urge begged me to act. I gathered my few belongings from under the bed and began to exit the house without a word. Then, the man stopped me and called for his wife. The thought of them preventing me from leaving frightened me. I sat down with them at the dining table as we shared our last meal. The couple went back and forth discussing my desire to leave. They never even considered a day like this would pass. Eventually, without needing any protest from me, they looked into my eyes and the woman answered, “It is your choice to leave. We will not force you to stay here.”
“But please do not leave us without saying goodbye!” the man pleaded.
For the first time since I woke up, I smiled at them. I had no idea such kind people existed. They treated strangers better than family. However, their reaction turned my face back to normal. Both of their facades finally broke and they began crying the same as their son. They tearfully asked, “Are you leaving now?” I nodded in return as I gathered my items. The lady left and returned with a bag of fresh loaves. Without asking she placed them in my bag. After, her husband handed her their son, and picked up my bag. I gestured that I could take it just fine and that he did not need to help.
However he responded, “It is the least I can do for you.”
A few others followed the family and me to the gate. When we arrived, I took my bag from the weird stranger. I decided to say something to them, “Thank you.” Then, I smiled out of a habit that escaped my memory and began to open the gate. He replied, “No, thank you for everything. Please come back soon.” After I exited, I heard a thud as he fell to the ground sobbing more than I ever could. His wife ran out to me after I had already stepped a decent distance away. She turned her son toward me, and he waved goodbye, tears swelling in his eyes.
“Goodbye, Hera!” she screamed as I waved goodbye at a steady pace.
Outside, the wall displayed a completely different scene than the inside. Many large weapons positioned near the stone walls guarded Aigaion. Unlike the pristine inner walls, the stone that framed the gate presented many streaks of red. I considered it another odd trait of that location. The inside seemed like a peaceful environment, but beyond the walls illustrated something more that remained unknown to me.
I no longer had anywhere I could return to, but a mission captivated my motives. I needed to get stronger, but I could not recollect why. That thought tainted my brain. As I continued to ignore it, the desire morphed into an order. At least I am no longer wandering directionless, I thought. I had a direction to move onward with, but still nowhere to call home. I continued forward past the bridge that pointed to the place behind me. That day, I left Aigaion.
Written By: Rachel Caña
Owl Things Considered 