Mystery Woman

CHAPTER I: Life Begins

She was born in California in the year 1936. The woman who would come to give life to her was living in times of an economic depression. She was struggling so much as to even maintain life for herself. Having lost everything she owned, she was now homeless and lived off of the streets, offering the wealthier her house cleaning services in exchange for a few cents or a meal. One cold winter night, as she lay sleeping on a park bench, she was abruptly awakened by three men taking her by the arms and legs. They dragged her off the bench and held her down as they each took their turn having their way with her. She was helpless. As a result of this horrific event, the woman was soon with child.

Struggling in life as she was, she knew that she would not be able to care for the child once it was born. Her pregnancy status drew a lot of sympathy from those who would let her work for them, so she would be sufficiently fed for the time being. It was now the end of her pregnancy. The woman, still homeless, the park benches were still where she lay her head to sleep at night. As she lay there attempting to get some rest after the day's hard work, her body began the painful process of labor. She was not scared to birth her child without the help of another for she had the knowledge of a midwife. Out of sixteen children, she was the oldest of her siblings and had learned to be a midwife to her mother. That night she birthed a healthy baby girl. The child's features resembled the mother's to a T. Dark, straight hair. Eyes equally as dark. Broad cheekbones. Skin a natural glowing brown. She was beautiful. The mother could not find it in her heart to do the popular thing at the time for mothers unable to care for their newborns, and leave her in a garbage can. How a woman could even do such a terrible thing was something that she couldn't even fathom. The woman remembered a wealthy, young couple who's home she had once cleaned, whom she had overheard speaking of wanting a child of their own, but the woman was barren. A lovely couple they were. The mother carefully cleaned her daughter up the best she could and wrapped her up in the nicest piece of clothing that she owned. Then stood up and headed to said home of the couple she was thinking of.

Upon reaching the home she slowly walked up the steps of the front door. She stood there for a moment, cradling her child and gazing into her eyes. "My Aphrodite," she whispered to herself, tears paving a trail down her cheeks. The child's new guardians/parents will name her as they pleased. But to her mother she will always be Aphrodite. The mother kissed her child on the forehead, then placed her softly on the doormat. She knocked hard on the door a few times then scurried away to another house down the way and hid behind a hedge. Peeking back towards the house, she waited to watch her child be taken into new arms. The mother knew she had done the right thing and wished for her child's happiness and well being. The male figure opened the door and looked all around after he did not find a person at eye level. Once he spotted the quiet baby on his doormat he quickly picked her up and called for his wife. She quickly appeared next to him and they both glanced around looking for whoever could have left the baby there. They exchanged a few words, then after a few moments they took the child into their home and closed the door behind them.

That was it. They accepted the baby and the mother sighed a sigh of relief. She cried silently behind that hedge for a few minutes, then finally rose to her feet and headed into a nearby alley. Midway into the alley she leaned her back against a wall, then slid down until she was sitting. Her tears were still relentlessly streaming. Rubbing her hands over her rags on the part between her legs she could feel the cool moisture that soaked them. She lifted one hand to look at it. Blood. She hadn't stopped bleeding after giving birth. With a deep sigh she closed her eyes and began to pray, slowly loosing any physical strength that she had left. As she prayed, her life silently slipped away.


CHAPTER II: (TBC)