Monologue Tribe

I remember that horrendous memory like it happened yesterday. “ Papa, papa….I am going to play by the water’s edge.” I was only 13 years of age when this happened. “ Make sure your brother comes with you,” my father said. I loved my father and brother dearly, as they did with me. They were very protective of me. But who could blame them? We have been attacked by many other tribes in the area, but since my father is the leader, we are the most powerful tribe in the area. My brother was 21 years of age at that time. I looked up to my brother because he was very brave and kind. He is someone that anyone would want to be. My brother and I were playing at the water’s edge, not having a care in the world. I wish I could go back to that moment.

My brother eventually got smallpox since he was around us. We had to stay in isolation, so we didn’t get anybody else sick. It was already bad that the tribe leader had smallpox, so we didn’t want anybody else to have this disease. My older brother wasn’t doing any better than me. He started showing symptoms of smallpox just like I had. It’s all my fault. I gave him smallpox. If I wasn’t around him, he wouldn’t have this horrendous disease. 12 days after I had come in contact with my brother, he started having a fever. The whole family thought it was just a really bad cold. He had muscle pains, headache, and vomiting. I realized that he started showing symptoms of smallpox that I had. 4 days later, small red spots began to appear in his mouth, tongue, and throat. A day or two after that, red bumps began to appear on his

I barely survived. I have a constant reminder of this miracle. Many loved ones died because of this epidemic. And this whole thing wouldn’t have happened if European settlers hadn’t come on our land.It has been 10 years since my brother had died. I will always remember my brother. Even though my father and I survived, my father was blind for the rest of life. My father and I also had scars all of our body because the pustules scab over and eventually become scars. After my brother died, I want to help everyone that encounters smallpox or any disease. I became one of the healers of the tribe. My mother, father, and grandmother died of old age. I found the love of my life. When I look at myself, I see them within me, and I will always remember