Hope

I am looking outside, my vision blurred by heavy rain. Now and then a bolt illuminates the dark chamber around me and a thunder rolls through this otherwise silent world. This is the time when I usually think about my life, deeply lost in retrospection. Some people say that we can only keep the bad things in mind. Shall I agree? I am not sure because I have never encountered anything good. I cannot even define the meaning of something positive.

I look down at my worn-out clothes when another thunder startles me. The thunderstorm grows louder which means that it is approaching the house. I know that it’s my duty to close every window and to make sure that all the veranda furnishings are inside but it doesn’t matter to me now. The beauty and the power of nature are worth the punishment I will receive later on. Under my old dress, I’m well aware of every scar on my back; another one will not matter as long as I have this time to watch the wonderful dark sky. This is the only time I feel something like relief…

I hope that this thunderstorm will last forever because it means that my master will not call me. He usually hides underneath his blanket as long as it thunders.

With a sigh, I recall my hopeless situation and I cannot see a single way of escaping it. This is my life and I have to cope with it, alone; except for my master, the gardener, and the cook, there is no one else in the house. And since I never learned to write - apart from my name - I can’t even write a diary. It’s hopeless…

In the far distance, I can see the sky clearing and I feel the sadness of my everyday life returning to me. As I start to stand back up, something knocks against the window. A little sparrow lies on the windowsill, trying to flutter away but unable to because his right wing seems to be hurt. Slowly, I open the window and lift the small bird carefully with my hands. It seems to look into my eyes as if to discern whether I’m going to rescue or kill him. Maybe he is my rescue because I have a little companion now…

04/08/2012