**Marian's POV**

"Gosh!! I can't believe that I would suffer this much In my life, I mean, life has been cruel to me.

The weight of the situation was too much than I could bear. We struggled to cope with their loss. Friends and families who had once been supportive began to distance themselves from us because they couldn't handle the intensity of the grief.

My father was a hard-working man who saw the happiness of his wife, his children, and the people around him.

He worked with "Berling Oil and Gas Company" as their managing director. I've known him to work there since I was born.

You wouldn't be wrong if you said that I was brought up with a golden spoon.

Yes, I lacked nothing. My father made sure to provide everything needed for me and my siblings to be happy.

Don't get me wrong, I wasn't pampered, but I was loved by my father.

But things took another look after the fire outbreak. I will forever curse that day.

The sad news was brought to me on a sunny Saturday morning in my dormitory after the cleanup.

"Marian, I want to see you in my office right away. " I can't forget the words of Mrs. Helen, my school principal.

She walked towards her office as I followed her like a chick.

"It's sad to me, and I wouldn't want to do this but your mother insisted that I did."

"My heart raced as I couldn't wait to hear what Mrs. Helen had to tell me… Is my mother sick? Is she hospitalised? P..le..as..see talk to me, Ma." I trembled as I spoke.

"No, Marian, you just have to be calm. Trust me your mother is healthy and strong, we just spoke an hour ago."

"Okay, ma, but can you please spill the news already." I couldn't control my heart beating faster.

"It's Alright, Marian. Your mother wants you back home tomorrow morning."

I was more confused because my mum had never requested that I come back home for any reason. It was unusual.

I knew that there was something more Mrs. Helen was hiding from me.

"Is that all Mrs. Helen?" I wanted to put more words into her mouth so that she could speak to me.

"Yes, that's all for now, Marian. Just take your time to get yourself ready, and don't forget to pick the exeat card."

I saw that Mrs. Helen wasn't going to talk further, I stood up from my seat and made my way reluctantly to my dormitory.

"Thank you, Mrs. Helen." I greeted with a still voice.

"You're welcome, Marian."

Let's be realistic, no one would feel high spirited after the words from the principal.

Different thoughts ran through my head that night, as I couldn't sleep.

It became difficult to comprehend what the problem could be as the night took longer than expected.

I finally was able to catch a little sleep, but guess what?

I saw myself at home in all the dreams I had. That is to show you how uneasy and anxious I was.

The long awaited morning finally showed up. I hastened up with everything that I did that I forgot to brush my teeth.

I didn't know if my eyes were deceiving me or If I was in the wrong street.

I used to see my father's mansion from the last street, but I wasn't seeing it again.

"Maybe the trees have grown taller to cover the building." This was what I thought to myself.

I walked past everyone I met in the street without greeting any of them, even those that stopped to talk to me. I ignored them all.

I'm sure they were surprised, but I didn't care. I was just keen to get home.

Ah, ah!!

"What's happening?" I asked people around, but they all appeared sad, and no one said anything to me.

I couldn't even find my father's mansion anywhere around. Everywhere looked strange to me.

The whole place looked like it was set ablaze.

My curiosity sparked more.

"Please, where is my father?" I requested to see my dad.

"If they didn't reply to my first question, they should reply to the second one." I thought to myself.

"Go to that building over there" a tall light skinned woman who stood there eventually spoke to me, using her index finger to direct me at the boy's quarter."

"The boys quarter?" why?

The boy's quarters was far from my father's building, and no one ever stayed at the boy's quarter except visitors.

"Why is she directing me there?" I thought to myself.

"Marian, do whatever they ask you to do, maybe your parents are there." I had a second thought.

I went over to the boy's quarter.

Gosh!!!!!

I couldn't believe what I saw.

My mum sat on one of the couches weeping while some people who surrounded her were consoling her.

Hmmm!!!!

If confusion was a person, that would be me. I stood like a ghost still trying to understand the whole chaotic moment.

Ah, ah!!

Why would she drag me out of my thoughts?

The light skinned lady I met outside was the person that dragged me outside.

"See, Marian, I want you to be calm, okay?"

"Calm? Talk things through me with, enough of this try to stay calm you're all telling me." I raised my voice on her, although I didn't mean to."

I was 18, I am an adult to do whatever I wanted without being queried.

Maybe that was why she didn't shun my unruly self.

"I'll talk to you, don't worry."

I think this lady has gone nuts.

"Why later?" I managed to ask calmly.

"Marian, your father and siblings were involved in a fire outbreak"

Jesus!!!!

"Tell me that you're kidding, ma'am" hoping to hear something better - maybe they were in the hospital.

"We lost them"

"Okay, okay… when will they be back?" Maybe they couldn't find them in the burnt building.

" C'mon! Marian, you know what I'm talking about. From what your mum is doing you should have figured it out."

She didn't want to expressly say that my father and two younger siblings were no more.

"Do you mean that my father and siblings are dead?" I asked to hear either " a yes or a no" from her.

" It's unfortunate, Marian. Yes."

Kai!!!

"What is going to become of me?" I thought aloud.

It meant that we lost all our property too. It's terrible!!

But wait.

The pathetic side of the incident is that the cause of the fire outbreak was unknown.

My mother's life was spared because she was in the market. If not, I would have lost my mum too.

That was how I lost my father and two siblings

***********

It wasn't really difficult to finish up my high school education because I was under a scholarship sponsored by my school. But I saw hell with my own two eyes during my college education, trust me.

I shuffled from one meagre job to the other throughout my undergraduate days to fend for myself.

While my dad was alive, he asked my mum to quit her job as a teacher while he paid her for it monthly.

No, not because my dad loved her being a housewife, but it was because of her health.

My mum is a chronic asthmatic patient, and she had a crisis most times while in school. That was the reason my dad made that decision on her behalf.

Imagine what my mum's fate is now that my father is no more.

Don't push the blame on my mum. If you were in her shoes, I bet you'd accept to take better care of your health.

The tragedy took a toll on me and my mother.

My mother's health deteriorated daily and there was no means for her to get ordinary medication.

I was working as a Nanny in one of the homes in my area but the pay wasn't enough to take care of my mother.

My mother is all I have, and she's one of the reasons I have continued to toil to see that she's happy.

Getting a job is my new plan, at least to add to the nanny job. But there's a challenge.

How do I get one?

My college friend, Lizzy, is the only person I can talk to about looking for a job. Because she understands me.

Sometimes, I think she understands me more than I understand myself.

Funny, right?

I mean it, guys.

I picked up my phone and dialed Lizzy's number. I'm surprised she picked up on just an attempt. That is unlike Lizzy.

You should always have to call more than twice.

"Hi, Ma-ma, wassup?"

"I'm okay, Lizzy. I'm Sorry for disturbing you, guess this is your work hour." I said letting out a wide yawn.

"Oh, C'mon do you always have to exaggerate things, Marian?"

"Oh, please, cut me some slack, Lizzy. I have a little problem. I'm in search of a job."

"A job, I thought you had one with you, what about it?"

" Uhm… yeah, I do, but lately it's not enough especially to get my mum's drugs. And I need to get her drugs monthly"

" Marian, I would be honest with you. There are vacancies here in the hotel where I work, but I'm sceptical about it."

"Sceptical? What about it? Lizzy, please help me."

"Marian, I'm willing to help you, but there are alot of conditions given to aspiring workers in this hotel, and I'm not sure it's one that you can do."

"Stop this, Marian. I can do anything."

"Anything you say, Marian? You don't have to be too sure, you know right?"

"Okay, okay…you know what? I would come over to your place so that we can discuss properly."

" That's very fine then, I'll be back by 5pm."

" Thank you. See ya."

What is it that I can't handle Lizzy is talking about?

Let me meet her first.

TO BE CONTINUED…