REFLECTIONS

REFLECTIONS

Gabrielle laid on her king size bed bed, her room lightly lit, tucked in her duvet, staring at the ceiling, lost in thought. It was the dawn of a new day.

                

Usually, she wouldn't be up at the time she was up, 5:45 am, but this time, she couldn't sleep. After the somewhat altercation she had with her father, she was restless. She had never before tried defying father, the fiercest of all the alphas. 

                 

The day had broken, the early morning sunshine had reflected in her room due to the position of her window. Hours passed, but she was still in bed, wearing her pink pyjamas she got last summer. 

                

 "Miss Vander. Miss Vander." The chief steward called. "Are you up yet? Breakfast is served". He added. She didn't reply. He knocked on the door of her room, still enquiring, "Miss Vander, are you up? Your food is getting cold."

              

"Please come down and have breakfast. As you know, breakfast is the most important meal of the day." As before, she kept mute. Plagued with so many negative thoughts, nothing mattered to her. 

                

I'm okay Walter. When am ready, I'll head downstairs, she replied politely. "Alright miss Vander. As you wish." The chief steward replied, walking away from her room. 

                

Her phone rang, but she ignored it. It rang a second time, but she still ignored it. The third time it rang she angrily said, "can't you just take my non responsiveness as an indication that I don't want to talk!"

                  

The phone rang the fourth time, and fed up with the constant ringing, she picked up the phone to switch it off but saw it was Luna who was calling. 

                 

She hissed and hesitantly picked the call. "I guess things didn't go smoothly as hoped huh?" was the first thing Luna said. "You think?" Replied Gabrielle. Discerning her friend was downcast, Luna said, "you know what, am coming over right now." Alright, Gabrielle replied soberly. 

                 

Gabrielle sat beside her bed, feeling miserable, as though as she had the weight of the world on her shoulders. She loved her, but at the same time her desire to explore borders beyond Fairway was also strong. Or was it just that phase of growing up where he or she rebels? 

                

This sure wasn't some rebellion. It was much more than that. Heirs to the alpha leadership were raised in a certain way and a kind of mindset was engraved in them. They were groomed for leadership, and rebellion was never part of the syllabus. 

              

They were groomed to be good leaders, and to be one, they had to be good followers. So, for Gabrielle to rebel, choosing to leave her responsibility by birthright was an outright slap to the face of her father, Richard Vander.

                

She stepped out of her bed, wore her flip flops designed as a furry bunny, she walked sluggishly, dragging her feet as walked to her bathroom. She switched on the light in the bathroom, revealing it's majestic beauty. 

              

She switched on light on the mirror just above the granite sink for more visibility. Her face looked like she had a terrible hang over. She turned on the tap, allowing the water to flow out. As she looked at her image, she was once again lost in thought, totally forgetting thaf the tap was turned on. 

             

She came to herself, snapping out of that time loop, she took her toothbrush and toothpaste from the glass cabinet that was placed at arm's length just above the sink, and began brushing her mouth. When she was done brushing, she washed her face, leaning on the sink, she spoke to herself. 

            

"Am alright. Am alright. Everything is alright." She said, encouraging herself. Then she smiled to herself, even raising a side of her eyebrows. As she was about taking off her pyjamas and hitting the shower, she heard a vehicle pull into the yard of the Vander mansion. 

 

Looking through the window of her bedroom, she saw her friend Luna, looking classy as always. Luna was slim but fit, adorned with long blonde hair with hazel eyes. And she had a smile that few could resist. She was always the lovely, the life of the party. And she loved the recognition she got from the boys. 

               

Whatever opportunity she had to flaunt her beauty and be the center of attention. So stepping out of her car as she pulled up in the Vander mansion yard, looking classy, wasn't a surprise to Gabrielle. But how quick she did get ready was what made Gabrielle wonder. 

              

Just about a minute after Luna arrived and got out her car, Gabrielle got a knock on her door. "Knock knock..." Luna said. "Come on in," replied Gabrielle. Stepping in to Gabrielle's room, she came in smiling, with her head sticking into the room like she was trying to catch a peek in Gabrielle's room.

              

"Hey hey..." Luna said stepping into the room of her best friend. Hey, she replied. "You so don't look the way you sounded when I called. Are you sure things were as bad as I had imagined before coming here at all?" Luna asked sarcastically. Trust me Luna, you've got no idea, replied Gabrielle.

              

"Then how are you this chill?" Luna pondered. "I thought I was coming to chair a pity party, although that's it my style. But for you, I was willing to make the exception", added Luna, as she laughed trying to cheer her friend up. 

              

"Well, it's not yet over until it's over, so I chose not to wallow in depression." Gabrielle said. "Mmmmm... Preach girlfriend." Said Luna, trying to be sarcastic again. "Whatever..." Gabrielle retorted. "But anyway", she continued, "I still need to face my dad. This matter hasn't been settled. I know this is something I dread and feel awful about, but it has to be done. Come what may."

              

Gabby, I admire your courage. I truly do. And am with you all the way, no matter what. It's you and me against the world right? Luna assured. "Yeah, it's you and me against the world," Gabrielle confirmed, as they hugged each other. 

              

"I know you haven't eaten yet. Have you?" Luna asked. "Well, I wasn't even asking to get an answer from you, because I know you haven't eaten yet," Luna added. "Oh, so you're now psychic huh?" Asked Gabrielle. "Girlfriend, I don't need to be psychic to know you. We've known each other since we were little." Luna retorted.

              

"Remember when you fell, the first time you competed in the obstacle course during the Junior Alpha Championship? Because I remember it as though it was yesterday. When you fell, you didn't want to get up not because you embarrassed yourself, but because you felt you had embarrassed your father." Luna said.

              

"You barely ate that evening and the next day. Remember?" Luna asked. "Yeah, I do, Gabrielle replied. "Good! Now get something to eat. Or do you want to take a shower first?" Luna questioned as she paced around Gabrielle's room trying to pick out an outfit she should wear. 

             

"You know how we do it in the Vander house," said Gabrielle. "We shower before eating. And moreover, I need to wash away the negativity of yesterday." 

             

"Well, you go ahead and do that," Luna replied. "Just be done and get something to eat", said Luna, as she has was still running through Gabrielle's clothes. 

            

Gabrielle got into her bathroom, and into the shower, and began bathing. Luna said to her, "Gabby, how have you been friends with me all this while, and your wardrobe hasn't been updated for the past month?" "That's why we're friends," Gabrielle said laughing. "I know, you can't live without me," Luna said.

Getting out of the shower, Luna looked surprised and perplexed. "Are you done? Did you even shower at all?" Luna asked. "Of course. What was I doing in there? Swimming?" Gabrielle replied laughing gently. "Well, at least you don't look as awful as you looked earlier," said Luna. 

She saw the pair of clothes that Luna had selected for her, laying on her bed. "The red dress? Really?" Giving Luna a Stern but confused look. "Don't give me that look. This dress is very elegant and classy. Moreover, this color communicates seriousness." Luna spoke. You're gonna need that seriousness when you face your dad," replied Luna.

"Whatever you say, beauty queen," Gabrielle replied, as she air-dried her hair, spraying her antiperspirant and body deodorant. She took up the dress, looked at it, and giggled, thinking of what Luna said, about what the red dress was for. 

Wearing the dress, it actually looked elegant on her. She stared at herself in mirror at her walk in closet, turning at different angles. It was really beautiful on her. She admired the results of her commitment to fitness. The results were evident. A flat belly, well toned glutes and thighs were the evidences of her commitment. 

Finally fully dressed, she sprayed her signature flower scented perfume. As she stared at herself one final time in the mirror, Luna stood behind her smiling, and said, "Now that's what am talking about." Then they both exited her room, heading down stairs to the dining area. 

One of the stewards saw Gabrielle as she exited her room, and greeted, "Good morning ma'am." "Good morning," she replied. They continued downstairs s they saw her cousin seated in the living room as usual. Seeing her, he said, "I thought you weren't going to eat. I was planning to make my way there. But thank goodness the Calvary arrived."

"Good morning to you too John," she replied with some finesse. Passing him and going to the dining room. 

Arriving at the dining table, she found her father there, being served breakfast. She was startled a bit but composed herself. Sitting down on her chair, as Luna sat directly opposite her, she greeted her dad. 

"Good morning father." "Good morning," he replied reluctantly. "I hope you slept well?" she asked further. "I did," he replied, as he dug into his food.