When The Voices Rise

Screeeeech!  Emma was panting heavily as she stopped the car. Her crystal blue eyes were full of fear and terror. But Tiffany wasn’t affected. She sat as still as ever. Emotionless. Her light grey eyes looked as hard as stone. “Tiffy, are you, uh-huh” Emma tried to speak but her words somehow were lost somewhere. She tried to calm herself, in vain. For a few moments, all that could be heard was silence of the night. Finally, mustering up her lost coverage, Emma spoke, “But why Tiffy? What was the need?”

“Susy, where’s dad?” “Here I am my little princesses!” Upon hearing the voice of her father, little Tiffany ran upstairs where John stood with open arms for his little daughter. Little Tiffany had everything that a child her age could desire for. Doting parents, a loving young sister and a secure atmosphere. His father did preferably well in his profession and they never had to long for anything. A picture perfect family. A happy life.

“But mother, why do we have to follow it?” “Because we’re supposed to dear. The law of entailment says so. We no longer own all this. Your father’s demise has left us with nothing. We now have to start our life afresh. Fend for ourselves. Look for a shelter.” Janet couldn’t resist her tears as she answered her daughter. But Tiffany wasn’t convinced. She no longer was that little Tiffany. She was now a rational grown-up woman. “No mother. That belongs to us. Our home. The wealth. My dad’s hard work. All belongs to us now that he’s no longer with us. How can we give it to a stranger?” “He’s your cousin Tiff. Edward’s no stranger.” “Oh mother! He never paid us anything when dad was alive! We didn’t even know about his existence! How can he suddenly own up everything that is supposedly ours? Why can’t we inherit our own property?” “Because you are daughters. And the law says that daughters cannot inherit their father’s property. Only the males have that right. If you had a brother, we wouldn’t have been homeless now.” Janet broke down as she spoke.

Tiffany and her family were leading a happy life until the sudden demise of her father. And this incident changed their lives forever. The home where they had spent their happy days was no longer theirs. They were suddenly detached forcefully of their belongings. Their everything was now owned by someone who claimed to be its heir. And now they were left homeless, penny less, with nowhere to go. All they now possessed were the memories of the happy past.

“But why Tiffy? What was the need? For God’s sake, answer me Tiff! Why did you kill him?” Emma, her eyes widened, repeatedly asked Tiffany. “I didn’t kill him. I had no intention to kill him. The law made me to do so. I’m not the murderer. The law, the society is his murderer", replied Tiffany, her eyes constantly fixed on the dark road ahead. Her face was still emotionless and her light-grey eyes now appeared dark to Emma and this filled a sense of fear in her.

The phase of losing their everything was harsher and crueler than they had anticipated with nothing to claim as theirs and nowhere to go, Tiffany with her remaining family started to toil hard for earning a mere bread. Their war for survival had now begun. They now had come face to face with the trying realities of life. But Susy couldn’t survive this crucial phase and she soon succumbed to the cruel jaws of death. Janet couldn’t survive either. The death of her husband had already broken and shattered her from within, and her youngest daughter’s sudden sad death was too much for her. The death of her mother and young sibling was too a fatal blow for Tiffany. This shook her completely from within. She was shattered and something changed. And that change was irreversible. The loss irreparable. She had made up her mind. She knew what she now had to do.

Taking a heavy breath, Emma stepped down the car. The night was chilly and its silence was killing her from within. She wasn’t able to believe that Tiffany, her most sensitive friend, who shrieked at mere sight of an injured dog, had a few hours ago killed a man! How could she commit a crime so brutal? Without looking at her, she asked, “so, what did you gain after killing him? Did the law change? Did you get everything that you lost?” Tiffany easily assessed her friend’s agony. She knew what was bothering her. In a grave tone, she replied, “But he didn’t get what was ours either. The law didn’t change. But when many more Tiffanys will take the same brutal step in the future, it will change. It will have to change. You’ll see that.”

Emma was too tired now to question her. She was fatigued by the whole thing. She closed her eyes to seek some peace of mind. Vain. A few moments later, she head back to her car. But what she saw made her completely pale white from shock and fear. Tiffany was still looking at the road, but now her light-grey eyes were completely dark. She was sitting motionless and streams of blood trickled down her slit throat. On the dashboard lied a rough piece of paper, half-soaked in blood. Emma took the paper, her hand trembling with fear.

“Dearest Emma,

I know my step would agonize you extremely. But this is my only repose. Very soon the caretakers of the damned law and the society will come and bind me by chains, drag me to bring justice to that scoundrel. But I won’t let it happen. They’ll never catch me. My death will prevent it.

No dear, it’s not a coward step. My death will stop them from suppressing my voice, and years later, or maybe sooner, many Tiffanys will wake up and rise  and demand for their rights. The daughters will inherit their belongings. Death of one Tiffany will help secure the future of many others.

Take care dear.

Adieu.

Tiffany.”

As she read the letter, Emma felt proud of her friend. She didn’t know whether the future would be the same as predicted by her friend, but she was sure Tiffany’s efforts won’t go in vain. With a heavy heart, she left the body in the car and walked away.