August 28, 1678
Dear brother,
Several weeks have passed, and there has been no sign for hope. All of us are still sick. Dada and Uncle are tiring from exhaustion. I’m still suffering from all those things I described in the past letter. It hurts to even talk now. Auntie and Mommy seem to be getting a bit worse. Auntie can’t eat anything as she ends up throwing up and coughing up a lot of blood. Mommy can’t talk to us anymore because of the bumps she has in her mouth. Out of me, Auntie, and Mommy, I’m the only one that has some energy to do anything. Mommy and Auntie remain in bed, Daddy and Uncle watch over them, and I’m free to rest and wander.
I walked around town today. Traders seemed quieter than usual, and everyone who lives here seem to be slightly dead. The sickness has been ravaging through the town like crazy. At least one person from each family has been attacked by this vicious monster, and none of us know what has actually been causing it. Some of the traders have been struck with our disease, but others remain normal and completely healthy.
As I was walking, I noticed this girl, small and innocent, hiding behind a barrel of fish. She seemed tense but confident. I’ve never seen this girl before. If she had been born here, I would’ve known her, so she’s definitely not a native. Thomas came by as I was observing her. On the bright side, he forgave me for our last encounter. On the down side, he had never seen the girl before either. We estimated her to be about seven years old, but she seemed to not have a chaperone. Since Thomas had been around many various trading posts in different countries, he’s learned to notice people who are out of the ordinary, and she is a girl that he has seen at each post. No one has ever claimed her to his/her child. He’s asked around in different countries, and no one ever knows who he is talking about.
Through it all, she should not be outside during this time of sickness. With everything going around, it is dangerous for her to be remotely near main places of the town, particularly the trading post. We have approached the girl, but she looks at us with her big eyes and walks away. We’ve asked around everyone of who she is and whether any of the traders knew her parents, but so far all of our questions remain unanswered.
This girl remains as the second biggest mystery here in Dacca. Our biggest mystery is that of the illness and why it seems to be targeting a lot of us. More natives have fallen ill than traders, but some traders are still ill. The girl seems to go around interacting with the sick, and yet she remains immune to the illnesses that have taken over our town. Thomas and I are both intrigued by this girl’s behaviour. None of us seem to be getting better, and we are unsure of what to do. Yesterday, we saw the girl go towards the swampy, marshy woods area we used to play at when you were still here. I’m not sure why she would head in that direction, but I want to follow her. I haven’t been able to go because Dada wants me to stay in for a little while to help watch Mommy and Auntie while he returns to work. I’m not allowed back at the construction site. Thomas has agreed that he will follow the girl and tell me what he sees. Hopefully, I can see him tomorrow.
Lovingly confused,
Chayana
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