Eva grinned briefly, “He was expecting war I guess. He wants you to finish strong. That is why you must not give in to the fuss my sisters are pulling. Your right is your right. My father drafted the clauses in the marriage agreement to benefit you and your husband. This the time you must stand firm and stop shying away.”I hummed and sucked my teeth; when I thought my husband’s sanity, which was restored, would fetch the peace I had long desired, I never knew a fresh endless war had just begun. I wondered how I was going to cope with two toxic sisters that were ready to pour hell on me.“They feel cheated, disgruntled and rejected. They think I am stealing from them. If my husband were here I wouldn’t bother because he has been destined to be the heir.” I sniffed back tears, “indeed Brian’s absence is the reason for this war. I wonder why he would want me to finish strong. Is he not going to survive the coma? Does that sound like a farewell?”Warm tears trickled down my cheeks.She i
Once upon a time on a crisp November morning, late summer in Rio Hondo, at the Fanny’s mansion, bottles of beer, rum and cigars were seen littered all over the table. And carelessly scattered on the floor were G-string, pants, sleeves and a polka-dotted dress. In the other corner the bed was creaking hugely under the weight of two figures. A sonorous moan blared and hung over them. Like a trumpet, the female voice amplified the most out of the window, while the male voice groaned and grunted at a terribly disturbing way.Opula was bouncing and having her fragile, slender waist astride the legs of Ken, whose mouth was gaping, and hands infinitely stroking and fondling her fragile small breasts.“Y – you are not doing badly today,” Ken stuttered under her weight and squeezed her tapering waist.She shut her eyes and breathed hard. “Yesterday’s sex was horrendous,” she sounded through a moan and clenched her teeth to pound harder. “I am going to give it to you hot!” she managed to say in
Indigenes of Rio Hondo often referred to me as the poorest, ragged girl, but I could barely fight anyone over it or prove them wrong in any pragmatic way because, literally, I was poor.My poor father died when I was six. Mother said he died mysteriously, but whenever she mentioned that I often understood her empathy, after she must have elaborated, he died out of the depression of poverty. With nothing to fall back on, we relocated to our grandpa’s house to perch with him. Not that he was richer, but he was poorer. Daily we clung to the jaw of hunger and wants, since the meager vegetable garden he groomed could barely sprout enough produce, let alone make it to the market.Grandpa died and opened the door of intense lack for us as we looked forward to joining him soon. Inheriting a poorly grooved vegetable garden and a fragile, roofless, thatched, cane house, we waited for the hands of death to pay us homage soon.It didn’t stop us from going to the market anyway. While others sold th
I was heartbroken all day. Ruin and disappointment pervaded my countenance, and while on my way home I wailed bitterly. I thought about what would become of us, especially my mother who was slowly dying of a mysterious ailment. I could barely say what mother was suffering from because we could barely feed her well, let alone afford to take her to the hospital.The previous day we struggled to earn a square meal and I can recall promising mother that today would be better. I wondered if mother perceived the falsity of my promise because of our poverty. She had never believed life could get better for us. She only had consolation in her reverie.After promising to buy good food for her with the proceeds from our vegetables, she only responded in tears and kept staring at the ceiling while she lay in her sick bed.And today being the day I promised her at least two square meals, that billionaire’s mad son ate all my raw vegetables and left us to die of hunger.“What nonsense a billionaire
When I advanced to the villa, I noticed my feet couldn’t carry me further. The splendor that hung across the mansion overwhelmed me so much that I deemed myself not worthy of being anywhere around it; not even its flowers and ornamental trees, which looked healthier than me.I quickly distinguished myself from smearing the expensive environment by my poverty countenance.Suddenly, I came to a halt once I caught sight of a uniformed band of security men, all well-suited with strong facial features, who asked me a thousand questions with their hostile faces and hefty chests.My entire body vibrated as I folded my arms in anticipation of what they intended to do. Now they surged close to me.One of them stared at me from head to toe, and must have perceived the wretchedness that encompassed around me; I perceived they were bored with seeing the scraggly faces of the poor hounding the villa all in the name of seeking the billionaire’s help.Noticing one of the security prancing towards my
Fanny shook his head in the affirmative and became all smiles. His eyes sparkled.“You are welcome to my humble family, my adorable sister-in-law,” Kate intoned, with a lop-sided grin.Kate was the second-eldest daughter of Fanny’s. She was chubby, short and with pink cheeks that often smiled. Her hair was auburn. She kept smiling and shaking her head just like every other person except Eva. Her nostrils flared, “Who is she? And who is her family in Rio Hondo?” Eva asked, gritted her teeth, shot her go-to-hell stare at me and walked around me as though I was some laboratory specimen.Among the girls, it was Eva who cherished Brian most. She wanted the best for Brian and wished her family could give Brian a better wife than she saw. Although she rarely showed it, the love Eva had for Brian was rare, and she could sacrifice her life for him if there was need for it.“No, no, Eva”, Opula, the eldest, protested with her hand, gesturing at Eva. She protested yet further, “You don’t have t
Fanny was unhesitant, after sliding out the credit card. His eyes gleamed and his jaw sparkled.A beam of smiles clouded his face before he flashed the credit card at me.Instantly my avarice increased at the sight of the credit card, and I winked nervously, wished he would gift me the card without conditions.“This is a credit card for half a million dollars. It is for you,” he sounded, with an emphatic chuckle that sounded from him.I was abandoned to doubt and argument within me. I gave a half-smile before a lopsided grin. My cheeks couldn’t stop curving. My hands fidgeted. I swallowed hard and winked more than a million times. This must be a dream! I scratched my eyes and confirmed that reality was actually smiling at me. It wasn’t a dream after all. A credit card for half a million dollars all for me! Fortune has fallen down to me. Mom, wherever you are start girding your loins to recover, because not only will I sort out your medical bills, also our family status is about to cha
Finally the billionaire’s order was carried out. Brian refused to wear his cloths.“Ah! Ah! Ah! Aye!”He groaned and wailed at the tops of his voice and I perceived they were whipping him now.But why would a rightful thinking person refuse to wear his cloths? And why would they whip a grown up in his right senses. I was beginning to suspect mental derangement.“Ah! Ah! Ah! Aye!”The wailing ravaged the entire mansion, and Opula was forced to go on her knees and pled on his behalf.“Father, please, I beg of you. Have mercy upon Brian you know his condition. If they continue to whip him with such callousness, they will hurt him and he doesn’t need to appear distraught since today is his day. I suggest we opt for gentler way of bringing him out…”Fanny interrupted her, “Enough of that!” his voice frisked. “That boy has cost me a lot pain and impairment. He has embarrassed me before Rio Hondo. He has dragged the name of my family in the mud and if he is not careful, I will disown him and
Eva grinned briefly, “He was expecting war I guess. He wants you to finish strong. That is why you must not give in to the fuss my sisters are pulling. Your right is your right. My father drafted the clauses in the marriage agreement to benefit you and your husband. This the time you must stand firm and stop shying away.”I hummed and sucked my teeth; when I thought my husband’s sanity, which was restored, would fetch the peace I had long desired, I never knew a fresh endless war had just begun. I wondered how I was going to cope with two toxic sisters that were ready to pour hell on me.“They feel cheated, disgruntled and rejected. They think I am stealing from them. If my husband were here I wouldn’t bother because he has been destined to be the heir.” I sniffed back tears, “indeed Brian’s absence is the reason for this war. I wonder why he would want me to finish strong. Is he not going to survive the coma? Does that sound like a farewell?”Warm tears trickled down my cheeks.She i
I was stroking my sizeable belly while I stared at Brian’s photo with the test result handy. Right now my joy was full; I was carrying the baby of my soul food, a man that had stolen my heart to a coma; my true destiny.There was a shuffling walker at the corridor; obviously someone was approaching my chamber.Immediately I perceived an intruder, I caught the test result, squeezed it and hid out of eye shot.The door creaked and opened afterward.“Good morning, dear,” Eva greeted as she stood at the door, and smiled cheerfully at me, who smiled back.“I guess you are feeling better now. You were all tears when I checked on you earlier.”I had a light makeover on my face and a broader gown over my body, so as to hide symptoms of my pregnancy.“Thank you Eva,” I said softly, “I am getting stronger even when I shouldn’t. I don’t think it is ever going to be easy without a gentle soul as he.” My gaze was on the photo of Brian on the wall.Eva advanced forward, “I can’t thank you enough fo
I was able to make it to another doctor, not too far from the major town, but far from eyeshot.For over thirty minutes, I perched at my seat, waiting for the doctor to come up with the results of the test he conducted on me.He had mentioned the pregnancy confirmatory test, and my anxiety had built like rivers at the sea.The doctor was delaying and I was as anxious as a stolen cat. I couldn’t wait to hear the result despite having the instinct it was pregnancy. I had never been so cautious in life than I am now.My arms wrapped around my belly in expectation of the pregnancy.Smiling cheek to cheek, the doctor walked out with a paper in his hand. Although the smile was contagious, I wasn’t ready to return the compliment, so I frowned.As soon as he settled down he intoned, “Congratulations, Melissa,” The doctor offered a warm handshake to me, “You are two weeks pregnant, Melissa.” He handed the test result to me, his smile still kept.“Wow! Oh my God” I struggled to mutter, leaving
Melissa! Melissa!” Salsa’s voice called earnestly as she advanced towards the closet, “Are you okay, Melissa? What is wrong with you? This is not ordinary anymore.” She gave an investigative gaze on my bust and face once more.At the time, I was still panting and struggling with breath at the sink. My stomach churned with hotness and more fluid wanted to leave my gut yet I fought it back. I was losing breath now, but I dared to breathe hard.“I shut my eyes and summoned the courage to fight off the urge to throw up again. “What is wrong with me?” I asked within myself, pondering over what I hadn’t eaten for the past days.My thought was in the direction of the food I hadn’t eaten for days now and if it was getting me sick already.“Are you OK, Melissa?” Salsa hounded me with her endless questions.Forcefully I replied her, “I am just fine. Let me be!” I snapped, almost getting furious at her. “I think I am sick. I may be visiting the family doctor soon.” I breathed uneasily and spat a
I saw the fire in the eyes of Opula and Kate while they discussed with the lawyer and she knew a war was raging; one that would end any time soon and might be heartbreaking.“Why is the family lawyer here?” Salsa queried and settled her gaze on me who was shooting furious eyes at Opula and Kate as they seemed to be carried away by the discussion.“I guess to divorce me.” I replied, “Perhaps I shouldn’t have signed to this contract marriage in the first place since there is only one way in and too many ways out…” she paused as warm tears trickled down her cheeks. “They are embodiments of ungratefulness. After all I did for their insane brother?” I sniffed and heaved a breath.Salsa kept staring at Opula and Kate as they accompanied the lawyer to the visitors’ chamber, obviously to continue the discussion there.“Why don’t you accept the divorce and have your peace since you are not pregnant for Brian. Salsa stroked my long hair, “You have suffered enough. You have sacrificed a lot for
There was a knock on the door. I lacked the verve to answer the door. But the guest entered after waiting for a while without anyone answering.It was Salsa. She was having handy a tray of dish and once she caught sight of my moody face and my sorrowful countenance, sobbing hugely, she paused, breathed uneasily and shook her head. She walked gently to my side.“I made you green tea, doughnuts and tomatoes. I specially made it for you. I guess you need to calm your nerves and pet your heart, after the troubles.”She was done serving breakfast at the dining. And although she expected me to respond, she didn’t expect it to be prompt. She hadn’t seen much of me these days, and she wondered if I had disappeared out of the villa like she had always thought.At the time, I was still gazing upon the photos of Brian and fondling with my fingers as I couldn’t stop recalling sensual memories with Brian and what fate had for him now he was in a coma.Salsa shook her head in pity once she shot an
Opula and Kate were glancing at the contract marriage documents and shook their heads as they glanced through the clauses, which got them saddened by the privileges I stood to gain if Brian should die.“Oh my God! I don’t know what came over father the moment he drafted this contract marriage agreement in favor of that bitch,” Opula said and tossed the document away, “Can you imagine! Is it because we are girls or what? Why would father make the entire Fanny Group revolve around that bitch because she is married to our brother?”Kate replied, “If we do nothing about this, I bet you we are going to lose. That poor kitten will rule over us. First, we have made the mistake of not going through the contract marriage agreement before letting that smelling thing marry our brother.”“Yes, you are right, Kate. It is a weakness on our path,” Opula concurred.Kate grabbed the document once again. “Is she not going to use this against us?” Kate queried, pointing at a clause, “Read through the te
Opula fumed at Melissa, “I guess you heard the doctor. Why don’t you leave now! He wants to discuss with the Fanny’s and I am sure you are no longer family.” She pointed at the door and yelled yet further, “Can't you hear me. I said leave now!”I fumed back at her, “What arrant nonsense, Opula. Have you chosen to disgrace me in public? I am still part of this family. I am Brian’s wife, legally married. You don’t have to embarrass me as though I am some stranger!”“Shhh!” Kate shut me up with her finger on her lips, “You are a liar. You are no longer my brother’s wife. He has regained his sanity and the contract marriage agreement has stated you can be divorced once he regains his sanity. Automatically, you are no longer family. Leave us now!”Opula added arrogantly, “Yes, of course, so I suggest you return home and get your luggage ready to vacate the villa because in not time soon, our lawyer will serve you the divorce papers. For now this is a matter that is exclusively reserved for
I barged into the doctor’s office only to meet the entire Fanny’s well seated before the doctor."Doctor! Doctor!” I panted, “How is my husband? How is Brian?”I paced up and down, anxious about the fate of Brian. When the doctor hesitated to speak up I asked yet further, “Talk to me doctor. What is the problem with my husband?”All eyes came on me. Opula quarreled with me through those gloomy eyes.Kate cursed me in her breath.It was only Fanny Luis that sucked a breath and snorted. “Melissa perk up. Everything is going be okay. You don’t need to worry,” Fanny petted me.“Calm down, Melissa,” replied the doctor, “You need to perk up. We are handling this and I promise you Brian is going to be fine.” he said yet so much was hidden in his eyes.I let those tears trickled down her cheeks. I could see the emotion that decked the eyes of Fanny and I could tell something drastic had happened to Brian. It was obvious all was