His sister’s fate in his hands, Deide had much to think about.
Mother said Saphira had been flirting.
Father said she had shamed not only them but their ancestors.
Saphira said she had merely nodded to the man as he handed her the pearls she was to wear on her wedding day.
The acid was easy to come by, Mother admitted. Easy to toss on her daughter while she slept.
Beauty gone, pain constant, Saphira begged Deide to make it all go away.
How could he? He loved her. How could he not?
Deide picked up his gun.
Sorry today’s tale is a bit dark. It stems from an article I read about a woman who threw acid on her daughter, burning over 70% of her body, just for smiling at a merchant in the market. I thought, How can a mother give birth to and rear a beautiful daughter, then ruin her so completely? Anyway, thanks for bearing with me and thanks to Dawn Landau for the gorgeous picture and thanks to Rochelle for keeping us on our toes.
Up From the Ashes 
It is very dark but it’s a story that needs telling and re-telling. How do we humans get like this?
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I’ve asked myself that question a million times. Thanks for reading.
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How could she indeed?
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I have no idea! Thanks Dawn.
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Alicia, you’ve wrenched my heart out! I’ve heard stories such as this and with all the good will in the world to understand others, can in no way comprehend this or consider it “love” and “faith.” Deide might find himself shunned for what he, in love, is going to do.
janet
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Thanks, Janet. Love makes us do things we never thought possible. I hope Deide finds peace after what he is about to do for the sister he loves.
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I can understand his motive and see that it springs from love. I’m just not sure the rest of his family will see it that way, taking her out of her misery. So sad.
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Wow! Alicia, this is heart breaking and beautifully told. These stories– repeated over and over, are so hard to read! It is shocking that in this day and age, this kind of thing still happens, but it does. Far too often. Wonderful story!
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Thanks, Dawn! Every time I hear/read an article about these types of punishment my heart sinks a little further in my chest.
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Bleak indeed. It’s infuriating how many of these stories I read in the press still now in the twenty-first century. How is it that this sort of mentality wasn’t eradicated from humanity 500 or 1000 year ago?
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Indeed. It floors me! Thanks for commenting – so appreciate it.
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omg this story is disturbing in so many ways… sadly, it’s all very real.
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Thanks – it was meant to be. Appreciate you stopping by to comment, K.Z.
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I’m surprised you didn’t write a few songs and turn it into a musical! That is one dark story, but makes the point about religious and ethnic traditions gone crazy even in this day and age.
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Ethnic traditions STILL crazy – even in this day and age. Let’s hope for change.
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Horrifyingly good.
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Thanks, Sandra. Hope you’re having fun on the water!
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No winners there, this family will never recover. Hard to understand what drives people to such acts. Well told – you got right under the skin of those most affected
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Thank you! I think Mom and Dad need their heads examined.
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By the third sentence I had an awful suspicion where this was going. It’s unbelievable to me that people actually do this sort of thing.
Very good story.
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Thank you! It is unfathomable, yes?
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Dear Alicia,
Too true to life to pass off as fiction. How a loving parent can do this to a child or a husband to a wife, etc etc. is beyond me. As others have said, my heart’s in knots as I comment.
Well written, thought provoking and stomach turning.
Shalom,
Rochelle
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Thank you, Rochelle. The visions running through my head while I wrote were indeed stomach turning. Alicia
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Dear Alicia,
One of the best this week and a real commentary on the stupidity of humans. I swear they make me pro-nuclear at times. And they’re allowed to reproduce. Stark in its realistic depiction of one culture’s mores and norms of behavior, your tale made me sad for us all. Well done.
Aloha,
Doug
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Wow! Doug. Such kind words – thank you!
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The stpry behind your story is appalling. There are mothers who mutilate their daughter in other ways too – cut away their outer ginitals, bind their breasts painfully to flatten them, force-feed them befroe their weddings to fatten them up, sell them to paedophiles as child brides. The list goes on.
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In many ways, women seem to get the short end of the stick. Too bad. There are probably some incredibly smart women out there that don’t make it because of the short list you have penned in response to my story. Thanks.
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That was a heartrending story, Alicia! It makes me want to cry. Yes, it’s all too true in this world. How did such hatred come to be?
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That is a good question! Thanks for reading.
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Oh my…I would not call her a mother- grim but glad you shared.
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Sometimes shared stories are just plain grim. Thanks for reading!
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It dark and sad, but real in several countries, where parents and husbands think women, most cases girls are objects.
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Sad, but true. How DID that happen? Thanks for reading and commenting. Alicia
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A disturbing tale made all the more so because it’s based on a true story. Well done!
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Thank you, Sally!
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Some cultures are so hard to understand. Nicely told.
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Indeed!
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What a heartbreaking and well written story.
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Thanks you so much for reading and commenting.
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Very sad story, full of despair. The horrors we are capable of inflicting are almost unbelievable.
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It’s crazy where some minds go, isn’t it. I can’t imagine being any one of these people. Thank you for commenting.
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Alicia, Sometimes I think a good part of the population have lost their minds. Their minds are certainly in another century, probably the Dark Ages. I could never understand how parents could do many of the things they do to their children. They themselves have grown up warped in some terrible way. To begin with, that type of industrial acid sholdn’t be available to the ordinary person, especially without a record being kept of the sales. That’s the fault of the storekeepers who sell it and the government regulators who look the other way when they do. Well written. —Susan
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Susan, Thanks for such a thoughtful response to my story. A lot of change needs to happen in our world before all people are treated kindly. Alicia
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I think when parents live through their children everything that is seen as a failure will cast a shadow.. a little bit like a suicide.. The habit of using acid is disgusting beyond my imagination…(though I have used it in a story once).
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Mine, too, Bjorn. If any regret followed, there would be no chance of taking the action back.
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It is dark but these things happen often. How could a mother? Some mothers kill.
Lily
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I know! Crazy! Thanks for commenting, my dear.
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All I can think is that there must be more going on than a stupid smile. It’s like “flirting” is the excuse.
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Not really. I think these women are punished to save face.
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The sadness of this piece made my stomach churn. Very well written, the emotion came pouring through.
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Thanks – except for the stomach churning thing. Hope all is well with you.
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