The letter 1

Sound of soldiers riding horses on a dusty soil can be heard for far distances.

Chatting sound of poor village market.

Sound of leaves of the trees crashing with each other in a slow and soft tone in the direction of the blowing wind.

The General stopped, stepped down from his horse, and holding up his pride, he went to a villager who was sewing toys.

The villagers' skin was sticking to his bones like he had no muscles.

He did not wore any slippers to save his feets from the heat coming from the soil, his feets were dry and bare.

Dust and mud was drying on his skin like he did not showered for ages, he sat there sewing toys.

His shaking hands holding the needle and thread.

The general called him "hey you old man do you know where Mr. Thomas lives?"

The old man without looking up to him, nod his head in a yes motion then he lift up his left arm guided him the way.

Walking back to his horse with his high pride, and someone very important vibe.

The villager peeked at the general from where he was sitting.

And sewed the toys

And just sewed the toys without giving a glace at his incomplete toy.

He sewed.

Keeping his eyes on the general.

He sewed.

The needle got inside his skin, but he did not screamed in pain.

He sewed.

Surprisingly blood did not formed.

He sewed his own skin with the toy.

Reaching the river side he found a small, broken house made with branches and dry, long grass. The door of the house was half open, this much open that you can peek a little inside the broken house.

The general peeked inside the house and found that the house was empty.

Letting a sigh escape from his thin lips, he thought to himself,

'one more empty house'

A old man in his 50's showed up in the path directed towards the house,

He was holding dried weeds in his hands.

That old man caught the eyes of the general who was waiting frustrated there.

The general asked him "are you Thomas and the owner of this shity house?"

The old man in his 50's answered "then who will come here, in this broken house rather than the owner of this shity house, Mr. Thomas?"

He dropped the dried weeds in a corner.

The general was shocked that this old man do have a nerve to talk with a general in this manner, 'fucking villagers' the general thought to himself

'Just If it wasn't her lady's order'

"Do you realise your way of talking to me, Thomas"

"Yes I do, but do you realise your way of talking to me, my lord"

The royal general with a high, loud tone commanded the old man

"give this to your son"

It was an official letter from the Lady.

A white letter with a red seal on outside.

The old man staring in other direction said

"okay fine, leave now"

One soldier tighten his grip on his sword, the general stopped him by lifting up his right hand in the air.

"Stop don't, this is her lady's orders, you can not interfere, I do understand why you are lifting up your sword, but we are done here"

The general and his soldiers got up their horses and rode back.

In time of evening his son returned home.

"father I brought peaches, it's really sweet and soft" he ate the peaches without giving a look inside his house. His voice was full of glee and excitement that he could barely contain.

Not finding his father inside, the boy made his way to the back of the house where the cultivation takes place.

He found his father sitting alone in the darkness of the night.

In the evening the night gets cold and colder, that it is hard to take even one step. Temperature would drop at minus degrees!! And here his father was sitting alone in the cold of night.

Andrew walked, taking his steps carefully and lightly, first he keeps his toes on the ground and the whole foot, 'pad pad' on the ground, to give a surprise to his father when he came very close to his father, he jumped and hugged his father from behind.

"father, found you!!" Andrew said laughing as if he could not contain his excitement.

"Oh, my son, you found me"

Andrew stood with his one leg balancing his entire body weight as he leaned and waved his hands,

His hands holding a peach.

He saw a official letter in his father's hands, on which he was griping onto tightly.

"Father, you got a love letter" his tone joking and teasing.

"Oh Andrew, let's go inside first, it is cold outside, huh?"

Andrew walked into the house, playing and a 24 hours smile. His father following him into the house slowly as he was old in age.

"It's really yummy, father" his son was eating one of the peaches brought by him.

His father sat on the bed made of soft long grasses.

"my dear son, Andrew, I always have told you a story, remember?"

Andrew answered "yes, father I do remember, but why are asking about it now–"

Cutting his son's words he continued "there was a time when the child left his father and went on, remember?"

Andrew in a confused tone "yes, father I do remember, but what happened, why are you bringing the story up right now?"

His father replied "that child in the story is you, my dear son, it's time that I tell you"

Andrew shocked, his eyes wide open in shock.

The smile on Andrew's face fell.

"Father as in the story, the child leaves his father and lives with some strange woman, you now want me to leave you and go to some strange lady, huh?"

His father in angry and disappointed tone said "Be careful of what you say son, she is not.... some lady, she is the power of our nation, one word from her lips can kill us all without any investigation"

Andrew replied "no I don't care about who that lady is and how powerful she is, I just can't give away my life for some

...strange lady!!?!"

"Son!!" His father raised his voice, trying to cut his son's words.

"I always found that story strange, but now I do understand why you repeated the same story over and over again because you wanted me to be prepared, huh?"

Even after his father raised his voice, Andrew did not stopped, he continued.

His father slapped him on the cheeks.

Silencing him.

His father said in a calm tone "Her carriage will arrive the day after tomorrow morning"

"No I won't go father please"

"Son you have to, you remember–"

"Don't call me son, I am not your son!!"

After saying that Andrew left the house and went outside in the dark.

His old father alone in his house again "I am really sorry, Andrew, please do forgive me" he mumbled to himself and cried alone.

Andrew returned home at midnight and went to sleep beside the man who raised him.

The morning arrived, Andrew was not home.