"Who do we have here?" Fanny, who was the first person to catch sight of me, said. His face lit with uncertainty, and he gave a lopsided grin.
Instantly every eye came upon me and I lowered my gaze and pressed my lips tightly in exaggerated shame. I paused at the door post, shivering and fondling with the torn hem of my dress. Certainly my intention was stated and I wondered with which face I would used to behold this wealthy family to remind them I was eager to sign to the contract marriage now.
The entire Fanny's and their laborers were having a delightsome dinner at the time, so everywhere smelled of roasted prawn, almond and strawberry. Heavy chuckling and clattering hung over them too.
The hotness that churned in my stomach wasn't inspired by hunger but by thought of what awaited me. All my life I had lived with sane people; people that reasoned properly and behaved with absolute rationality. I never associated with the rich having such short coming.
What was I getting myself into? I rubbed my eyes to check if I was actually back to this mansion to sign to a contract marriage with a mad man.
But yes! It was about happening. Melissa Brant was about to be called wife to the billionaire's mad son. Now that didn't bother me.
What bothered me was thought of losing my virginity to a mad man. What would the picture look like? How would I lie in bed and spread my legs for his thrust and penetration.
Nurse Stella had assured me the other day his madness wouldn't let his senses send any form of sensation and erection. But how sure was her assertion? Was she trying to tell me that mad people don't make love anymore?
Would I be able to fight him off should he demand for sex? Or would I perch all my life at the walls of our bedroom, leaving the bed for him, so that he wouldn't touch me?
"I am happy to see you back, Melissa," Opula Fanny, the eldest daughter said, and crunched a mouthful of prawn. The young man that smiled next to her was Ken, his hand. He only shook his head in pity.
Who wouldn't shake his or her head in pity? I was about signing to a marriage of no return. If I ever survive this marriage just know that I was only dreaming, because from all indication, things were going to get tough.
Tough like the evil eyes of Eva Fanny, staring deadly at me. She was the last born in the family yet messages from her eyes reminded me of her hatred and impending ice she would pile in my bloodstreams; trouble.
"What is the poor vegetable seller doing here"? Eva questioned, and shot her dark eyes at me, "I thought she chickened out for good. My insane brother is hundred fold better than you, dirty poor girl" she squeezed her lips, clanked her cutlery on the china, dashed away upstairs, and murmured out her disgust for me.
Kate Fanny was all smiles. I knew she wanted to say a word or two, but everything was hilarious to her. She was the second daughter of the affluent family. Although I was yet to understand her and the rest of the Fanny's, I would only learn to apply caution while staying at the Fanny's mansion.
Seated beside Kate was Frank, the heavily bearded man. He was busy rolling his eyes at me, measuring me from head to toes
Next to him was Tony, the cute-looking husband to Eva. He was obsessed with smoking and staring into his mobile phone.
These three men were the husbands to these three, affluent, pretty daughters of the richest man in Rio Hondo. They cohabited and shared the same roof, although different chambers.
The villa was big enough to hang comfort on the shoulders of fifty percent of the Rio Hondo populace.
On the other dining was the thick and amiable Salsa Sandy, who happened to be the chief maiden, Ella Grace, the professional chef, Dr. Emma Greg, the family doctor and Barrister Coleman, the brief looking Indian attorney to the Fanny's.
Immediately Fanny clapped his hands, and gestured at Salsa.
"Salsa?"
At the sound of his voice Salsa stood to her feet, smiled gratefully and scuttled to my side. She offered me her hand, and accompanied with other maidens, I was led away into the inner chamber to be decorated for the contract marriage.
"This is going to be an outstanding occasion," a maiden said somewhere behind me.
"Yes," another maiden replied in whispers and added, "Yes after so many rejections from girls in Rio Hondo."
Who wouldn't reject such marriage? I beamed in my thought.
At the corridor, before walking into the inner chamber, a striking thunderous yell cut into the peace of the mansion, it was a yell of torment.
"No! No! I will kill you!"
I flinched, realizing who it was. My heart pounded heavily as I swallowed hard, with troubled scowl crossing my face. The yell came again, this time with heavy thudding and thumping of chains against the door, as though there was a heavy fight.
"No! I will kill you! Yes! I win! I will kill you! I win! Haha! Yes!"
The floor vibrated under me and seemed like he was going to break out that door the next minute and descend on us.
"Oh my gush! Is this the mad man I am going to live with?" I asked in my head.
My entire body trembled. I was scared to throw my foot further. An urgent profuse sweat plastered all over my face that I could feel it trickle down my warm cheeks.
"Never mind, Melissa" Salsa said, rubbed me on the shoulder to pet me, "That is Brian, your soon to be husband."
I cast a quick, warning stare at her, wishing I could correct her intently, but my guts failed me.
"But is he always violent like that?" I asked coldly, feeling the trembling of my feet and the pounding of my heart within my chest. I squeezed my eyes shut.
"Yes, Melissa, but not often," she said and milden her smile, and I wondered if behind those smiles were true facts about Brian being radically mad, "But never mind. Shall we proceed", she gestured at the door.