Chapter Text
Canada knocked on the door of the old wooden cabin where her mother lived. It was isolated from cities, plopped right in the middle of the Nova Scotian forests. The door seemed like it was about to come off of the hinges, the whole house creaking every time the wind blew. Canada had begged her mother to move in with her, to come live with her in Ottawa, but Mi'kmaq refused every time.
“I mustn’t leave Mi'kma'ki,”
She would always say.
“Not again.”
Canada understood of course, she could never say no to Mi’kmaq. Her mother had had so much taken from her, she wanted to stay in the one place that gave her peace. Her homeland.
The black haired woman stood awkwardly on the porch, waiting for her to open the door. Canada looked around, the familiar smells of the Acadian forest wafting towards her nose. A mix of pine and hemlock sailed through the air like a kite on a windy day. The Canadian woman tapped her foot impatiently, which caused the wooden panels under her to crack slightly.
“Damn it, kiju’…why must you be so stubborn..”
Canada cursed under her breath. After a couple of minutes of waiting, she started to get worried. Had something happened to her? Canada knew that her mother was old, but had she wondered off?…
No. That wasn’t like her at all. Something was wrong. She knocked on the door again, more insistently this time.
“Kiju’? Are you there? It’s me, Kanata! Open the door!”
She said, her hand falling to her side limply. Silence. The only sound was leaves blowing in the breeze. Canada’s breathing became shallower, more panicked. She banged on the door, the wood splintering.
“Mother! Are you in there?”
When there was no response, her hand reached down to the door knob…locked. The Canadian woman decided to take matters into her own hands. She knew that her mother would definitely scold her for this, but she didn’t care. She stepped back, brought her boot up, and kicked the door dead center. It swung open, hitting the wall with a dull thud. Canada ran inside.
“Mom! Are you okay!?”
She called out, her eyes darting around the room. It was eerily quiet, the kind of quiet that precedes a horrible event. But most importantly of all, Mi’kmaq was no where to be found. The black haired woman searched the house high and low, every corner and crevice, she even looked by her mother’s porcupine quill baskets, all to no avail. Canada dropped to her knees on the wooden floor, wood slivers poking through her tights. She buried her face in her hands and sobbed.
“Mama…god, why did I ever leave you?…I should’ve tried harder…damn you, I knew it was safer for you to stay with me!…”
Tears streamed onto her palms like a waterfall. Guilt crept up her throat like a venom, infecting her more with every second that passed. She looked up, her eyes red and swollen, her cheeks tear stained. In front of her, was something she hadn’t noticed before. Her mother’s hair pin, the one she never took off. Canada crawled across the floor and clutched the accessory like a lifeline. Her fingers traced the intricate beads and designs adorning the decoration.
“Kiju’…where are you?…”
She whispered to herself, her gaze never leaving the pin.