Chapter 5

It was like a nightmarish for me haven’t know that today my father’s friend is coming to pay my bride price.

I felt as though I was being swallowed up in the darkness.

I breathe a heavy sigh.

"Make sure you look so presentable." "I don’t want to see you putting on those shabby clothes."

My father's voice rang out, dragging me out of the darkness that was threatening to swallow me.

When last did he buy clothes for me? I began to make whirring sounds. I can’t believe my dream is shattering into pieces because of my father's selfish desire.

"Where is my mother?" I held my breath as I went to the kitchen to look for her.

She was in the kitchen, preparing food for our guest. It hooked me in the heart to see her cooking. I guess she is on my father’s side. I stared at her as tears could not stop dripping from my eyes.

She has a lot to cook. She waved at me immediately after she saw me.

"Are you going to cook all that?" I inquired with a frail voice. She looked at my pale face and knew I hadn’t had enough rest since last night.

My eyes were so dry and itchy that I couldn’t get enough sleep last night because of today.

"Dear don’t worry, I have everything planned out." She winks at me. What can she do? It won’t surprise me if she ends up siding with my father.

He makes her weak, and she can’t act at all.

I blinked and smiled. "Jasmine, come and try this; I got it for you," my father said. I felt like burying him alive.

I look at my mother, who is still staring. She gives me signs to go ahead and take the cloth from him.

"Don’t forget to add her some makeup," he was referring to my mother, whose face has glared with so much sadness that I can’t tell what’s going on in her mind. What did she plan to do?

I don’t really know; she finds it difficult to disclose it to me.

I took the cloth my father bought for me to check if it would be nice on me to have it on for today.

How did he know my size? The dress is so glamorous; I didn’t know he had this great taste ,

For the first time, my father bought cloth for me.

As I stared at the mirror, I saw my flaw: someone deprived of being happy. I toted this image with heavy expectations around my head, but I felt sanguine after all. For the past several days, I have either thought I looked worse or better, but today I looked exceptional.

"Your face is sparkling on that dress, dear," my mother said to me. Her voice was so cheerful that it seems as if she is so excited that I’m getting married today. Worry crept over me.

"Lit your face, Jas." "I don’t want it to ruin the makeup I’m going to apply to you." She is sounding so cool that it’s obvious enough that she is in support of the marriage, as tears started streaming from my eyes.

"Mom, what’s going on with you? I thought you weren't happy about me getting married today," I said softly.

"Jas, try to understand me. I can’t allow you to end up with that kind of man. I’m just doing all this to lighten up your father's mood.

She held me. "Don’t worry, dear, it will be fine." We will get through this. "Just pretend to be happy," she said as she started applying makeup to my face.

This is unbelievable.

My makeup and dress made me look incredibly seductive.

After a minute there was knock at the door I guess our guest has arrived I cowered at a spot feeling so resentful I wish everything will be ruined

bead of sweat formed upon my forehead as my face paled dramatically without my realizing it. My whole body began to tremble uncontrollably on hearing my father's voice announce that his in-law had arrived.

I came out to meet the guest and was so shocked by what I met. An old-looking man was standing in front of me.

"Wow, she looks so beautiful." His frail voice rang out, making me chase my breath.

He had a strange appearance, almost as if it were contrived. his hair was wizened straw like nearly fossilized was so dry. He had sad, wayworn eyes and a distinctive beard. It’s so straggly, unkempt, and spittley; he looks twice my father's age, and he doesn’t seem like he had as much money as my father claimed.

I stood watching with a pair of dark, fathomless eyes. I was shrieking while his slender finger tapped me on my shoulder. It’s irritated me.

Tears were streaming in my eyes. "Look at you, a bride that has tears in her eyes," he caressed my face, "you look so beautiful I can't take my eyes off you," he winked at me. I was so furious that I wanted to disappear from the scene.

I stared at my mother. She cowered at a spot and clutched her hands together, smiling at me. She seemed to be very happy.

It’s a great thing for her that her only child is getting married today. I thought as I chose to flow with the situation, I was shaking for the fact that nobody is by my side. My father must be rejoicing that everything will happen as he wants. I couldn’t help it but drip the tears that were shimmering in my eyes.