by Jim Huckabee

Created on: July 18, 2009

Chaya always held out a hand to whoever was in need. A woman now of twenty-three her mother would repeatedly ask why she was not wed. She would remind Chaya of Jason's watchful eye when in her company. Telling her he would make a wonderful son-in-law as his purse held gold.

"Mother I am not of the mind for marriage nor do I care of Jason's watchful eye."

Chaya sold tapestries at the market where she had captured the eye of Valentine, a jeweler in the square. He was a man who held little regard for people. His first love was money and what it could buy. Double Chaya's years Valentine visited Chaya's father after she refused his offer of marriage. Her father depended on Chaya to support the family since the accident taking his legs.

"You know she has no mind for marriage." said his wife.

"What are we to do when she does get in the mind? How are we to live? What am I to do sit in the square and beg?"

After the evening meal her father called Chaya to sit he had something to say to her.

"Valentine came to call today. In return for two hundred gold I promised you would marry him on the next full moon."

Chaya stood repulsed by the idea of her and Valentine wed.

"I will not be wed to such a man. He is as vile as a the man with no nose and ears in the valley beyond."

"If you do not marry him what is to become of your mother and me when you are in the mind to wed.? I have made a promise to Valentine and he has paid me."

She felt as a caged tiger not knowing weather she should run or play the studious daughter. She ran into the village where she beat on Valentine's door. As he answered she slapped him with all her might as she yelled in face they would never be wed. In an anger as violent as any storm Valentine swore , "You will marry me or you will pay and I will have the last word!"

The next morning Chaya was awakened by voices calling out her name. A voice rang out here she is as a man yanked her to her feet. It was the constable demanding to know why she killed her father. Still in a daze she realized she was in the hay loaf of the barn. Crying she asked him what he was saying because she loved her father and would not kill him.

"You put a dagger in his heart as he slept. If you didn't kill him why do you have all that blood on your hand? Yes, you killed him and you will be hung by the neck in front of all the village."

She was shackled and thrown into the cage hanging in the square to display rapists and murders.

The people of the village would spit at her as they walked by and the children would poke at her with sticks as they laughed at her. Chaya watched as the village executioner readied the gallows crying and begging for someone to listen to her. Everyone laughed calling her a murderous wretch.

She could see the constable through her tears asking her. "Well do you admit to the murder of your father?

"No-no" she sobbed. "I did not kill him nor would I think of it."

"Very well then your soul will go to Hell for two crimes. The crime of murder and the crime of lying, There will be a treat for the village tomorrow; watching you die."

The next day the entire village gathered around the gallows as the executioner placed the noose around Chaya's neck. She stood in silence determined no to give them the satisfaction of crying out for her life. She looked down as the noose was pulled around her neck. There was Valentine holding a small vial for her to see.

As the trap door under Chaya's feet dropped Valentine said, "I told you I would have the last word."

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