Clara woke up with a heavy head, the night had been very long as she stayed up trying to catch sleep. Her parents voice echoed through the house, mid way into their discussion she could hear the silent voice of her mother, this made Clara shed tears and the urge to go and console her mother sprang, but the shame of having to look at her parents cry because of her made her stay back and she let out a revolutionary cry, she made up her mind to be strong at least for everyone who holds her dear to their heart, everyone in her life include her parents as they mean her whole life to her. Finally sleep took over worried Clara.
A knock was heard on Clara which made her heart race and her headache triple, at first she was reluctant to open the door, then she heard her parents voice telling her " no matter the situation, we are always here for you"
" well, this situation is like a pandemic and I know they are here for me" at the thought of this, she sits, rum her hands over her head, and took a deep breath as if she had just ran a 400meter race, then she took fourteen bold steps to reach for her door handle, heaving a breathe which seem like her last breathe on earth, she turn the knob of her door, and it felt as though the intestines in her tummy turned along with it.
"pack your bags we are leaving for your fathers home town" Mrs Anderson said to Clara, and for the first time, a good morning kiss was not used to start the conversation between mother and child.
The ride to Clara's father's village took nine hours, they rode in Mr Anderson's car, and they were all exhausted from the journey. During the journey, everyone was quiet as they seem to be in deep thought. Mr Anderson only hope for his investment company not to flop is to find KING MICHY LEVY.
They finally got to Clara's father's village, it was past 6pm, they drove to the compound which was built by Mr Anderson Father before he passed on. The compound was big with enough parking space for twenty cars, the house was a very huge with bright colors, once in a week someone comes there to clean and maintain the house, which made the house look so clean and homely irrespective of any time someone walks in. Clara have always admired her grand father's house as it was as beautiful as the one she lives in with her father, but the environment and compound was more large, and it provides her a lot of space to play basketball. With Clara's long and straight legs , she developed interest in basketball when she was 9, ever since she trained more and had gone for competitions with her fellow basketballers and they always came out victorious. A basketball court had been set in her grandfather's house for the sake of Clara.
They walked into the house and the urge to admire it as they use to whenever they come visiting the house was gone. Everyone was moody.
They had already bought dinner of Burger and some cheese as the strength to cook will not be there, as it was already late. The house had six bedroom, which Clara's parents stayed in one and Clara stay in another just opposite her parent's..
"tomorrow morning, I will go with Clara to the village witch so we can know how to go about the matter at hand". Mr Anderson had been told by his father that then they are born, whomsoever they will spend the rest of their life with is already of their right arm.. Throughout history, it is known that only 7 villages usually have their suitors names etched on their arm.
and Clara who happens not to be their real child happens to have her suitor name etched on her Right arm. It was sure that her real parents are either from one of those villages, but the urge to look for them died ever since they grew to love Clara.
"Why can't the village witch come over her and tell us the solution to our predicament, going over there would cause people to stare at us" Mrs Anderson said as she was in the bedroom with her husband.
" are you concerned about what people would say or the solution to our problem now?"
They both retired to bed silently, waiting for the night to over.
The night seem to be the longest night of Clara's life, as she thought of if there could be any solution to her problem, her dreams and hope of getting married to her ordained suitor etched on her arms and giving birth to three kids together, suddenly seem to be falling apart.She tried to get sleep and keep her hopes alive. Before retiring to bed, she took a light and placed under her right arm with hope of seeing her ordained suitor name appearing on her arm, disappointed a thousand times, she fell on her face, and cupped her face in her hands while sobbing quietly.
Morning Came, Clara got dressed in her silk top and jeans. As she awaits for her parents to announce to her when they are to leave, she surf through the internet, and went through her messages where she got a text from her best friend whose name is Shila, about her new boyfriend whom they just started together. She felt a huge pang of pain and wondered why her life was tired to certain ritual belief that have to have the name of ones suitors etched on they arm. She wished she was free as her best friend Shila, who currently is in her fourth relationship and have been having sex too. She recalled the day shila told her about her first sex she had with her boyfriend who disflowered her, she recalled how Shila told her how sweet the sex was, which got them both panting for breathe. At this moment Clara wished she was like Shila.
A knock was heard at the door, which brought Clara back to reality, she opened the door and it was her father.
"are you ready"
"Yes, dad"
" It going to be fine okay?"
"Yes dad"
"Okay, let's go"