People change due to the different opportunities that present themselves their life. The choice we make marks who we become.
"Its alright, we're already home," speaks Mr Jiang carring Lala on his back. Her condition cannot permit her to walk or even stand on her feet. She is perfectly smashed by the power of alcohol. On Mr Jiang's back, Lala lays dead asleep. He endeavours to finish climbing up the many stairs with a heavy on his back. Immediately on reaching the apartment corridor, Mr Yang who has just opened his door to come out spots Jiang from a distance carrying a person on his back. Since Lala has been missing for a while now, he runs quickly to identify the person, which he recognises to be his missing bride.
"Oh my gosh! sweetheart what happened? wondering he asks. "What on earth has she done to herself?" He turns out to question Jiang as he tries helping him to lift the young lady upto Mr Yang's apartment into the sofa.
"Thank you so much for bringing my wife back to me," he politely shows his appreciation to Jiang, collecting some good money from his wallet to give him. "It's really not necessary to pay me" says Jiang, "am doing what anyone else in my shoes could have done."I didn't know my boss drinks this recklessly" he say, "please find a way of advising her, it will save her from many troubles." He then takes his leave. "Wife!" Jiang wonders inside him as he walks through the corridor, "I've never thought about her being married."
Mr Yang, very well known now in his real image as 'Don', as a responsible person, walks to knock on Lala's door to inform little Jack about the safety of his elder sister. "Knock knock knock!" thrice he knocks on the door.
"She has not yet returned" Jack communicates exhausted from waiting on her sister for a very long time. "She has returned, though very tired," Mr Yang gives him relieving new in return on a smile. "Sure! where is she," looking relieved he asks. "Right inside my home in the sofa just in case you wish to see her," replies Mr Yang. "No no no, its not necessary" says little Jack, "this was the fifth time you're coming on our door to check I believe you're relieved too." He nodes his head to accept on a bright face. "Your apartment looks very nice inside so I know she's safe" he says, "goodnight Mr handsome Yang."
"It is so strange" says Mr Yang worriedly next to his 'now wife' after returning back inside his apartment. He sits down on the ledge left on the sofa where she is sleeping, looks at her attentively and says, "your mobile phone has not been going through since lunch time. Your brother too has been so much worried about you. He even called auntie Dodo who confirmed to him you left work at lunch time. I've never seen you in this kind of state before." He sighs and poses a bit. "You know you have people who deeply care about you" passionately he speaks, "why do you become so reckless with your own life to the extent of hurting us?" Lala cannot hear any of the words, she's deeply asleep. "Have they stolen our ring?!" Inside himself he asks when he looks at Lala's finger." He recalls a moment in the church when he was putting the ring on her finger. More after, he sighs. Gaining his composure, he then raises up to go to the bedroom where he collect a blanket which he uses to cover her perfectly well. "Goodnight my love," he says and walks slowly back to the bedroom to rest too.
"Where am I?!" Lala wonders on a very heavy head, sitting up from a long sleep on a sofa where she spent the night. Her husband Don walks in from the kitchen with a tray holding a heavy breakfast. He has spent several hours preparing a bowl of mushroom soup for starters, a glass of freshly blended mixed fruits, a mixed salads on a side plate, beef steak and chicken drumsticks.
Tougher than a hungry lion; "You're such a shameless cold-blooded rascal" she thunders consciously standing up to walk away from his presence, "how dare you show yourself up in my face?" "Sweetheart! Lala... Lala" he calls her on the medium of his voice, rushing to put down the tray and says, "please stop." Before she gets the door, he already got her hand tight. Lala is only stopped by the force holding her hand but the anger expressed on her face stings like a bee.
"You can punish me in any way that is convenient for you but please don't leave like this," He pleads. Don swallows his pride and admits to the circumstance by going down on his two knees. "Am breathless without you," he says.
"A person nearly lost her life because of your selfish desires," she shouts giving a more angry look at him, "three weeks in coma and you're comfortable like everything is okay!" "I don't think I even know you anymore," lowering her voice in wrath she speaks. "Your real name is Don, right?" she asks. "So tell me, you were planning to make the both of us your wives because you promised her a wedding this month, right?!!!"
Due to undeniable truth on table, as a wealthy man of pride and honor Don stands back up on his feet. "Yes!" He roughly yells bringing out the man inside him. "Am everything you want to call me" admittedly he says, "I should not have lied to you." "I don't love Dodo and I've never had a single feeling for her." In brief he stsrts narrating, "I've always considered her as my little sister." "This is her parents and my late father's decision from when we were young, to marry her but not mine" he goes further with the explanation, "she fell in love with me and I've always lived my life feeling sorry for her because she's like a biological sister to me." "It is the reason why I didn't cut her wishes off earlier" he says, "I never wanted to put deep pain inside her heart." Lala is quietly listening on a very angry face. "At first before I met you, I was willing to move with the wave and get married to her," he explains. "Because I never had an idea how it feels to be in love with someone. The wedding would have taken place long ago but inside me something kept pulling me away not to, that is why I delayed. Abruptly heavens brought from no where and with in a very short period of time you entered into my life" he confesses, "everything about me changed."
"Cut the crap," she barks pulling off his hand on a tearful face. Lala pulls the door open and runs out crying. She quickly picks the key to open her door, looking on the side Don is walking in a hurry towards her. A few metres for Don to close the distance, Lala opens the door and quickly close it infront of him after she has entered.
This is where the whole story of our novel began.
REF: Chapter 1
Inside Dodo's mother's bedroom we find two sad faces of two beautiful ladies, Lala and Mother. Everything feels bothering to Lala who has just experienced mother's pains concerning the relationship between her daughter Dodo and her son in-law Don.
Don went on to marry Dodo's friend Lala privately in Paris. Mother has no idea that the man she is planning to marry her daughter off is now husbands with her adopted daughter Lala.
"I think I have to tell mother the truth," Lala speaks to herself within her mind. "Mom," Lala calls her by title. Mother raises her eyes to pay attention to what Lala has to say. Her two hands still held warmly in mother's hands, she opens her mouth to speak but before a word comes out, a knock on the door is heard. "I think you should go and get the door," says mother getting her hands off her and pulling a wheelchair little at a distance to create space for Lala to pass.
"Happy birthday to you... happy birthday to you... happy birthday dear mother.... Happy birthday to you....."
A warm birthday song is sang by Dodo and her dad Mr James when Lala opens the door. She also joins on the song to make it more enticing, forgetting all the worries at hand. Mother's smile cannot stop shining bright due to this unexpected surprise this afternoon. Mr James removes the book off the table where Dodo places a beautifully decorated cake. Lala pushes mom in a wheelchair closer to the cake, who then blows them candles and then dad pops the party popper making the moment more fun as they all get stuck in happy faces. Dodo keeps on taking pictures with her phone to put the moments on record. It is all fun for the family members at this moment. Mother has to squeeze the knife in-between the cake helped by her husband James.
"You're a treasure we can't just put our eyes off" says Dodo in her speech, "you're light in our lives for we can clearly see through the tunnel."
"It's so many years of ups and downs and still you stand strong on our side" says Mr James in his appreciative speech to his wife, "we love you and we will always love you."
Am really not worthy standing infront of all of you beautiful people, especially mother on this your beautiful day," Lala say in her speech. She poses on a long breathe "I am willing to sacrifice anything necessarily to make sure you're happy and the whole family at large," she concludes.
Dodo and Lala stare at each other after this speech as they share a secret at heart.
"Neither can I eat my words nor doubt my conscience. All of us her are one family including you Lala. I chose to take you in as my daughter not only by words of mouth but by soul and law. It will never change no matter how big the wave may appear. All of you are so special to me in a different way" speaks mother, "you're my angles and I cherish that to eternity." As she still gives her special speech, the door opens without a knock. Everyone looks back to see who is behind intruding this beautiful moment. Their eyes land on an unexpected guest, 'Don' holding a bunch of yellow flowers.
"Am glad you're here," says mother with a smiling face. "Your happiness cannot be doubted" he says, "I left here earlier on but on my way I remembered that if it's not now, I may miss to wish you a happy birthday." Handing over a beautifully organized flower bunch to mother, "happy birthday sweet mother," he speaks.
"During my speech you came in" says mother to Don, "please make yourself comfortable."
"Since the missing angle is here too" mother says, "let's hold each other hand in a circle." "To the family uniy, let us all shout 'cheers' on count of three" she says and counts, "one two three, 'CHEERS'...!"
Don looks like he is worried about nothing at all even when he very well knows his two women discovered what he has been hiding for a very long time. Lala is now officially married to him, and Dodo is still though of as a fiancée of him specifically by mother and father. Mother's instincts tells her something may be going on between Lala and Don depending on what she has seen earlier this afternoon when Don's convoy dropped Lala at the mansion.
Father is too green about everything going on behind the curtains.
"By now I expected mother and father to be knowing about this," says Don conducting a meeting with both Lala and Dodo in Dodo's bedroom after the birthday session. "Am surprised they looked ignorant out there," he supplements.
"Am planning on telling them" Dodo responds with an attitude, "just waiting for the right moment." "You've always reported me straight away on light matters" he says, " I wonder why on such a heavy matter you're still silent to them!" Dodo keeps her mouth closed on these words.
"Because she loves you" Lala comes in to reply Don, "that's why." "We called you in this room not because we want to talk to you" says Dodo still in a rude tone of voice, "we have no choice because very soon my parents will find out."
"Lala is my best friend Don" she emotionally yells, "I need to know why you did what you did." "You knew I was to know about it, you knew how much it was going to hurt me and you knew the consequences that were going to come out of your reckless decision." Dodo madly blames him.
Standing up from the bedroom chair he is sitting on, "We didn't have chemistry, " says Don walking straight infront of her. "Love is a natural feeling which comes from deep inside" he proceeds to say, "it rained in you but I didn't feel it raining inside me." "My first time to set eyes on Lala" he says, "I felt a special way I've never felt before, which I came to understand later on that it was a love feeling."
"You've always wished me the very best, I hope you will continue to be that person," he politely requests."
"I need a devorce," says Lala standing up from her seat. "What!" he shouts in refusal. "We've just had our wedding Lala" says Don in a pleading voice, "don't tell me you're going to give up everything we've built inside us." Accidentally, in father's ears lands a private conversation when he is about to knock on her daughter's door, which makes him pose and listen for a bit. He keeps outside with ears widely open. "You need to come back to reality and do the right thing" Lala advices, "our wedding was a mistake which must be corrected." "Reality is what I did" he responds aggressively, "I married the woman I love."
"I know both of you love each other" Dodo speaks. "Love or not love what is right must be done," Lala replies.
I've made up my mind from the day I got discharged from the hospital," says Dodo. "Even if I keep you I will never be happy no matter how much I wish to be with you," Refering to Don with emotions she speaks. "Besides, I've always wished to see you at least once in a life time happy with your life," Dodo says to Don, "Lala has given it to me even beyond because I've never seen you on your knees begging the way you're begging right now."
She goes on to say, "Am happy to know that you too can have something special besides your ego to cherish." Dodo smiles with tears in her eyes.
"Lala," Dodo calls walking closer to her then she holds on both her hand. "You're already a married woman with Don" briefly Dodo says, "everyone would wish to marry someone who loves them, which both of you already have. There is nothing more important in any relationship than that. It makes no sense to kill such special memories with emotions." "You have my blessings and my full support on your love journey," by saying so she concludes.
Dad has heard each and every word said and his face is nolonger that peaceful face known by everyone who sees him. He leaves looking very upset.
You don't have to worry about our parents" says Don to comfort worriedly looking Lala, "we shall find a way of getting them on the same page."
"Do you really think there is a way?!" Lala tries to seek for assurance from both Dodo and Don. "I believe no matter how hard it is, fate is fate. They will have to admit at a certain point of time," says Dodo back to Don who nodes his head up and down to approve every word being said.
"Don't you think it is a good idea?" asks Don who stop running and continues with walking during morning exercises on the road side. "Who am I to stand against it" answers Lala behind the phone in a loud speaker. "Urgently, the fact that you don't stay in my sight has to be solved" he says, "we're husband and wife now." Lala smiles and says, "I will not sleep in that house if you buy it in my absentia." "Now that I know, I cannot make that mistake," he says. "Last night we agreed" she recalls, " am not leaving the apartment until mother and father approves us."
Jiang arrives outside the apartment for his morning duties of taking Jack to school. He beeps a horn as usual, feeling good as he moves his body on a jam playing on a radio station tuned inside his cab.
"Mr Jiang is already here I have to be quick on packing Jack's lunch box" she says, " see you soon."
"Good morning Mr Jiang," Jack greets very happy Jiang after sitting inside the cab. "I like your daily morning mood" he says. "You know why every morning you see me in this happy mood?" Jiang speaks in question looking back at him. "It is what determines the rest of my day." Jiang turns back and tightens his seat belt. Jack tightened his soon as he got in the car. It is a setting in his mind. "We're good to go now," says happy young Jack, the car moves.
"You think it is your choice as children to make?!" Angry mother explodes after the marriage news land into her ears. She is holding Dodo's phone looking at evidence. Dodo is already crying as and implication she has been squeezed for a while on the matter.
"How can you keep such delicate information away from us!" in too much anger she speaks, "you thought we were never going to know?!" It is only her condition that is stopping her from doing the worst or else she acts like she can slap her daughter for what she is referring to as stupidity. Father looks so disappointed in his daughter. She didn't tell me either like you think," Mr James tells his wife, "I found out on your birthday, only that I didn't want to kill the joy though mine was already out of the window."
"That wedding must be canceled, they must get a devorce and you must get married to Don" speaks extremely angry mother, "that's my conclusion."
(I APPRECIATE WHOEVER HAS READ THIS CHAPTER, WELCOME TO THE BEGINNING OF FUN)
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