Altynai Amankeldi

Emerald Eyes

“Baba!” I told it to shut up. Despite the creature being my child, I didn’t shy away from profanity. His endearing glass eyes reminded me of my own. Although his were framed with a face of continuous asymmetry of his burnt skin, and fur like that of a cactus. Fluffy to the eye but miserable upon touch. I learned to live with the animal, call it beautiful even, only because the glass was painted across with his mother’s emeralds.