His Exclusive Favor

It was a stifling July morning with no breeze in the air.

Wearing only my pajamas, my hair a tangled mess, I walked along the small country road. The villagers working in the fields called out to me.

“Hey, Anna, what did you do this time to get kicked out by your mom so early?”

This wasn’t new to them. I was often thrown out of the house, not because I’d done something wrong but because my sister would start trouble, and my mother would always take her side.

Every time, I’d hear my mother’s screams telling me to get out.

Somehow, whenever something went wrong, I was always to blame.

Ignoring their taunts, I trudged on, not knowing where to go.

The world felt vast, but there was no place for me to belong.

Why was I even born if there was no room for me?

A stray mother cat darted across the path, her kittens following closely behind. Even animals knew to protect their young. Why did my mother hate me so much?

I followed the cat up the hill until I lost track of her.

I collapsed onto a large rock, staring at the sheer drop below. I was dying anyway – what did it matter if I jumped?

But I didn’t. There was still one person in this world who cared about me, and no matter what, I had to see him one last time. My father.

Unlike my mother’s hatred, my father loved me deeply.

He worked far away most of the year, but whenever he returned, he always brought gifts.

If my sister got one, I got one too.

Whenever he bought new clothes, he’d buy two – one for my sister and one for me.

When he took us out, he’d hold my sister’s hand in one hand and mine in the other.

With him around, I felt just as cherished as my sister.

A sharp pain twisted in my stomach, forcing my eyes shut. Tears streamed down my face, falling into the abyss below.

Suddenly, the sound of rain woke me.

Fat raindrops splattered on my face, and I opened my eyes to the sight of the pouring rain. Finally, I broke down and cried.

“Dad, I miss you so much.”