Lydia had a special place in her heart for him, until the day her parents had a fairwell at their home. Some of the ladies in the community were making preparations for dinner in the outer shed. Lydia and Bob were seated on the small staircase, where they could be seen by all the ladies. Lydia's dad came to check up on the ladies, he saw Bob and Lydia.
"You see this, this nonsense has to stop," Lydia's dad snapped at them.
Lydia got up and ran to her room, she felt humiliated. Well later that night, Lydia heard that Bob left right after. Lydia was heartbroken, he didn't come back for some time. They spoke whenever they meet but he do not come to their home any more.
When she thought things was getting back to normal, his sister died in a freaky accident. Lydia was suppose to be there for her friend, but her mom had different plans. Her mom knew she wanted to go, but she told Lydia no, she carried Lydia's sister Rose, instead.
"Friends are suppose to be there for one another, no matter what," thought Lydia.
"Why is my mom doing this to me, he's my friend, how come she's carrying Ruth, why?" Lydia cried.
Her mom took her to the funeral , Bob came to greet her and ask her to come on the side, he wants to tell her something. Lydia thought he wasn't angry, but she was wrong.
"Why didn't you come when I needed you, friends always be there for each other," Bob told her.
Bob walked away from her that day, not giving her a chance to explain. Lydia felt as though she lost everything, how's she going to fix this. A few days later they had a prayer meeting at there home , Lydia's mom took her . Bob came and spoke to her, told her he had something to show her, she felt good, things was getting back normal. He shoed her a picture of him and her sister Rose standing together, with his arm around her.
Lydia was hurt, very hurt but didn't show it, she just showed him a fake smile, that it's okay.
What was he trying to do, get her jealous? he was so nice but he never understood what happened. He didn't even ask her, never gave her time to explain, much less fight for her.
"How could he do this to me, why, I love him, I thought he loved me," Lydia cried in her thoughts.
Lydia barely spoke to him, whenever they met. She would turn away from him or just go too her room. She used to sneak a peek sometimes, just to see him, but he caught her this one time, made her smile. One day as he came just to say hi to everyone, Lydia heard him asking her sister if Lydia was good.
"He still cares," she thought.
The days went on as usual, they did speak to one another and as time went by it certainly did not get any better.
Lydia's mom and dad was trying to break them up, so it seemed to me, they knew how close both of them were, they were good together. As I said before, Lydia did everything her mom and dad ask of her. She was a obedient child and different from her other siblings, totally.
Lydia was about to turn eighteen two months from now. Her parents had plans for her, it's possible that this is why they wreck Lydia's friendship with Bob, they had an arrange marriage planned for her. This is just my thoughts but I think I'm right.
Lydia's parents asked her if she would consider getting married.
"There was nothing to think about, the answer is no, no and no," Lydia thought.
"No, not yet," Lydia giggled.
Putting her thoughts behind her, to herself she thought they were just kidding around.
"Why?" they asked her.
Lydia told them that she was too young to think of marriage, It was a scary topic for Lydia though, but her parents didn't know that. They gaved her options.
Her mom said, "Either say yes and get married or just go see if you liked the guy."
I don't think her mom ever saw the guy, it was all her dad's planning, he made the rules and their mom second it.
Lydia's parents told her to get dressed up around lunch time on Sunday, they had guests coming. Lydia asked her mom who was it that was coming, she calmly said the guy and his relatives.
Lydia was very anxious, she didn't know what to expect, much less what to wear. Here they are parking on the side of the road, five of them and the driver. Lydia looked out through the window to see if she could guess who's the guy. She suggests that it was the driver, well she was wrong, it was other guy. He looked older, not handsome at all, what were dad thinking,when he made this match, they would be like beauty and the beast. But who am I to judge, he's probably a very nice person.
His sister did all the talking, his name was Ronald Downing. Their parents died over a decade ago, the other two ladies with her was their sisters and the driver was their youngest brother. They were talking about marriage and making decisions that Lydia got confused. They decided that Lydia and Ronald should speak in order for they to get to know each other.
"What? This couldn't be happenning, I don't want to talk to that guy," Lydia thought.
Lydia did as she was told, they sat at the dining table. He asked Lydia about her school days and what she would like to do after. She was kind enough to answer him, saying that she would like to work and be independent. All went well, there was little or no talk at all. That's all it should have been, but Lydia's dad already had his plan in motion. Before they left they told Lydia that they would see her Sunday. That made Lydia curious, her mom answered for her, letting them know that it is okay.
After they left, Lydia's parents sat her down, they asked her, what she thought of Ronald. Lydia already told them no, yet they're still telling her to think it over.
Her dad said that Ronald met him the other day and asked him to marry his daughter with the long hair. Ronald told Lydia's dad that he was twenty five years old, that he has a good job, he has his own house, also that he's going to buy a car. He also mentioned that he's going to take very good care of Lydia, they won't need to worry.
Lydia's mom and dad was talking and he told her that he thinks it's a great idea, she'll have a good life. That did not sound to good to Lydia, but it was disrespectful to speak while elders are speaking and Lydia knows better than to interrupt her parents while they're speaking, that could turn out bad for Lydia.
Lydia's parents did not speak to her about the situation, they just left it like that. No decision was made in the presence of Lydia, but during the next few days Ronald kept showing up unannounced. That was so weird, what was happening, why aren't they telling her anything.
"Whats going on, why is Ronald visiting," Lydia asked her mom.
"For you both to get to know each other," her mom said.
Two weeks before her birthday, Lydia's parents gaved her, her birthday present. Which was her marriage to Ronald.
"What, how is that possible, I do not want to get married," Lydia told her parents.
"Arranged marriage is good, it all works out in the end, as time goes by you both will get to know each other, he's a good man," they say, her parents.
Lydia's mom told her to stop whining and accept the fact that she's getting married. They were expecting guests on Sunday, she was telling Lydia, so dress accordingly.
Lydia had no say in the matter, why are they so hurry to marry her off, especially to someone she hardly knew. Were they tired of her, was she a burden to them, to everyone!
What's in store for her now...