October 2, 1678
Dear brother,
It’s been nearly a month since our last exchange, and much has happened. Dada has gone back to work, leaving me in charge of Mommy and Auntie. He has agreed to take me along back to work whenever Uncle can watch over the other two. In terms of illness, our prayers have finally been answered.
The little girl Thomas and I had been watching was actually a European. Her father had left her here to observe the town’s behaviour as he believed there was something happening to us locals. She’s actually older than she looks, but because of her height and size, we thought she was younger. After a couple weeks, her father returned in search for the problem. She had been writing him back and forth about everything she observed about us locals and what was happening to us. Along with the girl’s father, he had brought other Europeans with him to find the source of our illness. He stayed for a couple weeks, and he finally figured out what had happened to us.
For a while, you know how we’ve had traders coming from all over the place? Well, there was a period of time (around a little after you had left for America) where some other Asians were coming to trade. They had so much good trading goods and medicine that everyone here was buying whatever they could. However, someone did not like one of the powder medicines they had bought, but instead of throwing it away normally, they buried it into the ground. Normally, this wouldn’t be an issue, but they buried it right near the well. The medicine started leaking into the well, and it’s been contaminated since.
The Europeans who came brought a lot of powders and liquids to test their things. We actually found out that a lot of people in the village had what I had. Everyone was coughing up blood and had mouth bumps. To explain it to us, they said that there was this bad stuff in our well that was making everyone sick, and since we all drink from a single well, we were exposing ourselves to this all the time. Dada and Uncle were not affected because they were apparently exposed to this thing in their work, so their bodies were used to it. I was better off than Mommy and Auntie because Dada had begun letting me go with him to work, where this thing was actually common in the stuff used to build.
Thomas actually explained to me that this thing is called arsenic. It’s really bad for the human body and does a lot of pain on all of us. But, the thing that bothered me the most was why the Europeans had rushed to help us in our time of need. It’s not like they ever really cared for us. That was when I found out that they only cared because Europeans were getting really sick. They couldn’t figure out what it was, and they had mapped out where a lot of people had been travelling to. Many people who were sick had traveled here at least once, which is not shocking since we have a lot of trading that happens here. However, the thing the Europeans are looking for is not here, so they are still stumped.
Well, the little girl left, but we still have to drink from that single well. Dada’s work has actually expanded to building a new water well. So, while Dada works on that building, I get to start helping with the water well. Because of how many people have been falling ill, they are letting whoever they want to help if they can. Everything has felt relieved now that we all know that we are going to be ok. The only thing that bothers me is what had happened with my toe. When I went back to the doctor’s hut, it could have actually been something just wrong with my body as I was born. Which explains why I always feel cold.
Everything finally feels normal. I’m glad you’re not here though, because this would have been tough for you to face. I hope you write back really soon!
Love,
Chayana
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