This Resurrection

Lawrence Audovera was enraged. He had told his daughter, the only one who carried his name, that she wasn’t allowed to see Alexander Bartholomew again. The reasons, he gave her, how he would disown her if she had gone against his word.

That was exactly what she did. Now far from home, Sybil Eva Audovera fought the urge to turn back. She was with the man she loved, someone she cherished. He promised her that she would be well taken care of, how after a long time, her father would come to terms with them being together and they would be able to go back from where they were from. Most importantly, he promised her happiness.

He loved her, with all his heart and soul, willing to give up everything for her sake. He had learned how to love through her. He hadn’t been so mesmerised by someone, so beautiful and sweet. Everything he wanted in a woman, everything he wished for.

They eloped into the forest, thick and dense, making sure that they were far enough not to be found by the villagers who were definitely were going to be sent out in search for them. They made a small hut, their home, for now, for something bigger and better will await them once they went through this. Together.

Alexander held Eva’s hand to his heart, he left a chaste kiss on it and smiled. He was happy with her, even though he had to go through everything, the poverty, the silence, all of it once again, he was happy. All he needed was to be with her and his life would light up. He didn’t need money now, he knew. But he will, one way or another, find something to make their lives better. To make her happier.

“I vow never to break your heart, I vow never to leave you.”

They lived with that promise for three months in the forest. They thought everyone had given up the search for them. Eva thought her father had finally came to terms that she wanted Alexander, she lived for Alexander, her life was Alexander. Little did they know that someone had spotted them in the forest, running back into town to tell the older Audovera where her daughter was.

As Lawrence Audrovera made his way up the hill, he heard a call out to his name. He looked down and saw two men, he recognised them to be the father and brother of the man that stole his daughter.

“Sir, please wait!” Called out the slightly older man. Lawrence stopped, his head turned away from the pauper. He didn’t need explainations, he didn’t want excuses. He just wanted his daughter, the one who had brought up, the one that went against him.

“I’m sorry for the doings of my brother,” Fabian Bartholomew apologised, “but if you find him, please don’t hurt him. Return him to us.”

Audovera ignored the plea, acting like he never heard it. He had his chin high in the air, he shouldn’t be talking to someone with such low classification, much less allow him to have it his way.

“I beg you,” Nocholas Bartholomew pleaded going on his knees, “my wife’s unwell and the last thing she wants is to see her son. I beg you, not to do anything to him. Please Sir. Please.”

“And what do I get in return?” Was the bombarding voice of Lawrence Audovera.

“He took away my daughter, he probably had stripped her off her dignity as well! So why should I leave him undead? Why should I let him lose to once again conquer what he wants? This kind of man should be locked up, better yet, killed.” His tone was harsh and menacing and everyone around him knew he meant his words. He wasn’t going to let this one go so easily.

With that, the troop took off, walking away from the pauper and his son. The pleas and begs were still heard from behind, the shouts of denial entering Audovera’s ears yet didn’t spark anything in him. All he knew was that the Bartholomew’s were wrong. They were the ones who had tainted his family’s good image, the ones that left the scar behind for his future generation to carry. He would stop that. He would stop that now.

As the Audovera troop dissapeared in sight, Nicholas Bartholomew was once again on his knees. He held his palms up, praying in God’s name that his son would come back alive and well. Hoping that Alexander would come home unharmed and things would be how they were before.

“I didn’t raise him to be a monster.” Was the statement made by the father as he walked away with hot tears burning his eyes.