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Iya's Soul

Iya's Soul

Part One

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Tamara Angela
Oct 12, 2022
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Iya's Soul
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“Gran, tell me again about how you started catching babies.”

The woman beckoned for the young children to come to sit down near her feet. The fireplace roared, filling the tiny room with warmth and light. One of the children placed a cup of tea within her grandmother’s reach.

“I’ve told this story before, but I will venture to tell it again. I may remember some new things. Put a little more honey in my tea,” she motioned toward the porcelain tea cup and one of grandchildren did what she asked.

“Where do I start? My mother would often tell me about how people would see the husband in the woods, wandering. Calling out his wife’s name. 

“Suraya!”

“It wasn’t until she died that the village knew her God given name. She introduced herself as Iya. It wasn’t until she died that the plague came. A lot happened when Iya died. I guess you could say that death and birth happened with her crossing the veil. I probably wouldn’t be catching babies had she not passed. I feel like that’s for sure.

“Anyway, I can only share with you some of what my mother told me so you can understand the beginning. I was there at the end. My brain tends to forget, so I hope you all are committed to writing down what I share. Tales like this sometimes get the truth twisted depending on who’s telling the story. Now let’s begin.”

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