75 Tragic Life

The man was shocked at this. He looked at Alyssa with widened eyes.

Alyssa at that time looked so young and fragile that he had an urge to protect her from the world and seeing her looking so broken, he couldn't help himself but to console her.

He took Alyssa's long and fair hands into his rough and dirty hands and said, "It is not your fault. You don't have to blame yourself."

Alyssa looked at him with red teary eyes and said, "Then whose fault it is?" She have to know the correct answer from him. she couldn't let him blame himself.

"Mine. Everything is my fault. Their death is my fault." The man screamed at her face.

"How is it your fault?" Alyssa screamed too.

"Because I was not able to protect them. I was so weak that I saw them dying in front of my eyes and couldn't do anything." He said somberly.

"Did you not worked you're a*s off to pay the tax?" Alyssa questioned him.

"Yes, but…" he tried to speak but was cut off by Alyssa.

She asked another question, "Weren't your parents too old to pay the tax?"

"Yes." The man answered instantly.

She fired another question, "When they were beating you, what right do they have to beat your parents?"

The man became silent after hearing this question. The clogs in his mind started disappearing and he was able to see a bigger picture other than himself.

"What right do they have to beat you when you had already paid the last month's tax?"

"What right do they have to ask for any kind of payment in the starting of the month?"

"And last, was it only your family in Coral Bells that went through this?"

Alyssa's each and every question that was fired at him left him completely speechless. Her each and every bullet pierced through the wall of guiltiness that he had surrounded himself with.

His eyes watered but not because of tears but because of unfairness.

His parents had accumulated their money by working and struggling throughout their life. They had paid their lifetime tax already, so that they don't have to work any further and can enjoy their old age in peace.

The man too had continuously, each month had provided the money that was needed to the government. The total tax that they have to give comprises of sixty-five percent of his income. He did multiple jobs to give his family a better life. His income was below average but his family was happy with whatever they had. He never tried to steal something or do the wrong things. But in the end, because of their government, he lost everything he had.

They took much more from him than they gave.

What would be more precious than the life of our loved ones?

"They took everything from me." The man said in a weak voice.

"It is their fault. They are to be blamed. Not me and you." He said wiping the tears from his eyes.

"I wish I could kill those bast*rds with my own hands." He said, clenching his both fists.

Alyssa had achieved what she had wanted. She gave him a small weak smile and said, "I will help you in that."

"Why would you do that. It is my fight and I am even willing to die for it." The man said with determination. He continued, "After I kill them, they will come after me and honestly I am ready to die. There is nothing left for me in this world. It's better that they kill me so that I can unite with my family in heaven. But your story is different. You have a long way to go and have a long life to live. If you will participate in this, tomorrow or the day after that you are bound to die." He said.

Alyssa looked in his eyes and said, "Was your family the only family that went through this?"

The man's eyes shook and he stared at his parent's grave for a while before saying, "No, there are many."

Alyssa then asked, "What happened to your wife?"

The man remained silent for a while and said, "She was killed."

Alyssa didn't force him to explain the whole situation to her. She kept sitting beside him quietly. Her silence was both encouragement and support to the man.

After aligning his thoughts the man said, "I was admitted to the hospital for twelve days. As soon as I got consciousness, I ran home to see my wife. In these twelve days, she somehow got the news of our parent's death. She was heartbroken and prematurely went into the labor. After giving the money, we didn't have much left. Plus my wife's condition was critical, so no hospital dared to admit my wife. She was so alone and lonely at that time. Somehow, she ended in a local illegal clinic. There they operated on my wife. The baby was stillborn. This was another heavy blow to my wife. She came home the other day. She had become a soulless person after that incident. She wouldn't eat or sleep. She would just look outside of the window and cry. After I ran from the hospital I found her in this state. After a couple of months, things were going smoothly for us. My wife was changing for the better but one day," His voice broke and he chocked on a sob. Alyssa rubbed his back to comfort him.

"You know, if it is so painful, you don't have to tell me," Alyssa said somberly.

"No, let me speak. Let me get this out of my chest." With this, he continued his story.

"One day, they came. They came to ask for more money. We didn't have any money on us at that time. I gave them some jewelry of my wife and my mother but that was not sufficient for them so, for complete payment, they raped my wife. After that, they started coming every month, always in groups. They never asked for money after that because it was my wife that had to pay for everything by her body. They used to torture her, beat her. I visited every police station to file a complaint but it was useless. I attacked them too, but it was my wife that had to pay. After three months, she couldn't take it anymore and she killed herself."

The man clutched the pendant in his hand. His eyes were soulless and blank. The atmosphere around them became heavy and silent.

After a while, Alyssa said, "Do you want this to happen to everyone?"

The man looked at Alyssa in anger. Was she kidding now?

Alyssa reframed her question and said, "Do you think just by killing them you will avenge your family? There are more women like her that had to go through this daily. And it is not only them that used to do these kinds of things to those women. Will you be okay knowing that there is still another pitiful woman crying in her house just like your wife?" 

The man remained silent but there was anger burning in his eyes.

"What do you want from me?"

Alyssa smiled and said, "I don't want anything from you. I am set out on a very dangerous journey. It will be too difficult for you to join because I don't have any place for self-centered people."

The man looked at her and said, "What journey?"

Alyssa looked at the headstone and said, "A revolution." She continued, "I plan to change our system, our King, and to end their tyranny."

"I will join you." The man said with determination.

"I told you it is dangerous and it is a place where people fight in unity." Alyssa declined his offer.

"I swear that two years from now, I will form the group of rebels in your name where everybody will fight with unity." The man said with determination.

"Alright. Show me what you can do then." Alyssa said smiling.

"Adam. Remember my name." The man named Adam said before leaving the place.