If they spoke a her birth, she never heard ‘em. If they blamed her for mamas dyin’, she was unaware. If they thought she was less than, ‘cause she couldn’t hear ‘em, they was wrong. ’cause she never knowed, and could’na cared.
As a babe she never cried, so they called her Silence. As a child she never spoke, nothin’ ta say. When she was eight, she tended house, for her papa. There in silence, cookin’ an mendin’, filled her days.
When she was twelve, they brought a man ’round, name a Henry. When she was fifteen, papa sent her off, to be his wife. She cried inside, that night, when he done it to her, but in silence, she accepted her new life.
Season passed, and she could see, her belly growin’. When Henry patted, her belly bump, it made him smile. But when the pains come, she had, no way a knowin’, that Li’l Henry, had been in there, all the while.
With Henry workin’, sun up to down, in the fields. With no papa, no kit or kin, all this was new. She learned herself, how to care, for Li’l Henry. He spent his days, and learned the ways, of silence too…
Posted for Sammi’s Weekend Writing Prompt word: Silence. “How you use the prompt is up to you.”
Thru Violet's Lentz 
A sobering story that I think is too often true. It’s difficult to write in dialect and you did a great job with that. Now I’m going to go and fee sad for Silence and little baby Silence and all the silent people out there.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Don’t feel bad. She knows no different.I believe there will be much joy coming her way….
LikeLiked by 1 person
great effort at narrating in colloquial language
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, ESP. Being from Ohio, This vernacular isn’t far off..
LikeLiked by 1 person
ah..but it does bring some intrigue to the story
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh, Violet, this robs me of words. Well-written, but yours always are, with a depth of feeling that plunders the heart. I’d say this is amongst your best.
Did I say that I liked it? I like it. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
You are too kind. I feel as if Silence is an old friend. I love her too…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Big smiles. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
This is why I support bans on child marriage.
LikeLiked by 2 people
I support bans on marriage at any age…..
LikeLiked by 1 person
Hahahaha lol
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very believable. Well told.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Thank you, Ruth. I kinda fell in love with this character.
LikeLiked by 1 person
You created a wonderful atmosphere of silence Violet. So well told. Nothing wrong with silence. Depending on the environment sometimes it’s the better deal.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, Len. I strive for inner silence, but maybe an atmosphere of silence is more attainable.
LikeLike
Dammit. I lost my comment on my phone. Lemme see if I can remember it.
Love that the word “Silence” brought you here (and that you dissed the 15 word-challenge to go with what spoke to you) and you told such a story that gave me the shivers. That is Resilient with a capital R. You are a fabulous story-teller, Violet.
Only complaint I have about this here blog is that your comments are black on violet. But I love the violet, so I’ll strain my eyes.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’ve tried several templates and every possible color scheme to get better quality color on my comment font, to no avail. I can make it gray, but that’s even harder to read. Thank you for your perseverance, and take comfort in the fact I never get as many comments as you!! 😜
LikeLike
Yous think they’d think of offering white! No worries. You cant get rid of me that easily.
The comments on mine get out of hand because what starts out as a comment becomes a friggin chat room!
LikeLiked by 1 person
How gripping! You have addressed the story and the subject matter with such sensitivity and a natural flow of how things have been and still exist — even though there is a lack of individual agency, for the most part, the narration portrays it in a note which is empathetic and challenging to think about.
LikeLike
Thank you, Anmol. This character really found her way into my heart, so telling her story came very easily for me..
LikeLike
sadly this is too many people’s lives, very well written! I am impressed 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
It is indeed. But i believe Silence to be more resilient than most. I she’ll make out just fine.
LikeLiked by 1 person
most do, we have more strength than we know but that doesn’t mean we should have to endure such lives!
LikeLike
Wonderful! 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Another sad but beautiful story and based in truth 💜
LikeLike
A stoical heroine in a heart-rending situation. Seems like she kept some hope in spite of her hardships. Nicely done.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you, WWM.
LikeLike