Jasmine's Pov The sun shone so barely; it’s midsummer, and I was still on my bed, turning and tossing myself. "Jasmine is a mistake," my father retorted angrily. His face was so hardened that he felt like killing me. I hated my father. He is heinous. He takes pleasure in punching my mother. "Jasmine is not my child." He keeps reminding her. In fact, I agreed with him. I can’t be his daughter with such a ruthless and dishonest man. Sometimes I can’t still believe that a lovely, beautiful woman like my mother ended up with him. I can remember her telling me that her parents betrothed her to him. My father’s word keeps coming up in my memory; it's torn my heart into pieces in my mind—a father who has so much hatred for his daughter. It's always been my dream to attend Kisco High School, but when I told my father about it, he blurted out, "You are useless, and I won't squander all of my money on you." I dreaded him so much that I sat staring up at the ceiling, wondering what I
It’s late at night, everyone has gone to bed, but dad isn’t back yet. My mom was still awake, waiting for him to come so she could prepare him dinner. I fling on my bed. I was trying to meditate. I don’t know when I doze off. Now I’m waken by dad’s uproarious noise I could hear someone hitting something. "What’s happening? I hope this man is not hitting Mom." I muster to myself as the sound continues to disrupt me. I stood up to know what it was I was hearing as I got to my door. I quietly opened it because I was afraid to see that my dad was hitting my mom. I couldn’t bear to see him beating my mom. "Stupid woman, what do you know how to do, you and that your daughter is good for nothing," he yelled at her and hit her wooden chair on her head. She fell down unconsciously. I opened the door with so many tears in my eyes. I cast him a furious gaze. He is totally drunk. I approached my unconscious mother, watching her as she lay helplessly on the floor, blood streaming from her
I lay in my bed, attempting to mediate. I was daydreaming about the present, specifically how I received scholarships to Kisco High School. I took a few deep breaths, reopened my eyes, and returned to the awareness of my breath. After a few minutes, I felt compelled to jot down my thoughts. I opened my drawer and took out all of my painting supplies. I began drafting my feelings on a piece of paper, and the black paint of my mother and daughter's fear coiled in their eyes. It's my fear of insanity, I guess, as I draft it. "Jasmine, my dear," my mother called, and I unlatched my room door. I was pleasantly happy to see her face glowing with a resplendent smile for the first time. "I want you to prepare. You are going for Kisco scholarship exams. I strive to get this money to see that you entered that school. She handed me over $200. That’s a lot of money. I was so shocked and excited at the same time. Where did she get all this from? She must have suffered so hard to get this mon
"Jasmine," my father called with a calm voice. I was so surprised at the way he called; it wasn’t like that before. He must be having a very good day. I answered him, but somehow I felt like switching him around, like my money. "I have done everything for you." "The least you can do for me is pay me by getting married to whomever I choose for you as suitors." I glared at him. I’m just twenty, and he wants to marry me to someone who is just like him. "I have a very rich friend who is willing to take care of you." It’s quite certain I will be getting money from him every day for my upkeep . Don’t disappoint me, do you hear me?" I couldn’t focus on what he was saying with just his annoying voice and his adenoidal voice. He grasped my left ear, making it hurt. "Ouch." I winced in pain. His grip is really hurting. He must have been a wrestler when he was my age. Now I can remember him saying that his friend, who is just his age, will come and marry me off because he has a lot of pr
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 k
"You didn’t tell me you have a daughter that is as beautiful as this," he said to my father while caressing my face. His touch is making me grow more angry. I wasn’t smiling; I had my face formed with anger, knowing full well that nobody in my house understood how I felt, even though my mother is in support of this marriage. My father is a man who would sell his daughter’s future off for the small change he needed at that moment to get himself alcohol because that’s the only thing he uses money for. They all sat down, and anger gripped me as I looked at the pale face of the old man he had brought to marry me; he was smiling like a coward. My mother went straight to the kitchen. She held my hand as I joined her in the kitchen. I wasn’t happy with her at all. She just killed my emotions today. As we entered the kitchen, she brought out coffee. Are we serving the guests with that as well? I asked myself "What will I actually do with this?" I asked her with anger that had overcrow
Everything is moving smoothly, and I am so excited within."I think I have had enough of this nonsense." You just ruined my day and splashed scorching coffee on me. I will deal with you and my cloth, which is really costly. You just messed it up; your father can’t afford it. I will never forgive you for that." He retorted angrily as he took a measured step to leave the house. As I watched him take a step to leave, my face was beaming with smiles.Is this the kind of man my father wants me to marry—someone who is worse than him? My father is sure to plan a great trick with me."Wait, in-law, whatever it is, I will resolve it." I felt like kicking my father. Why would he stop him from leaving gently?"What can you do?" "Do you know how much I spent on these clothes that your daughter ruined?" "You don’t know because you have never touched that kind of money before." I couldn’t stop smiling, seeing how mad he was with my father. Is this the kind of person my father calls a friend? I
I sat by the side of my mom, who was lying on a hospital bed with a supporting machine. It’s been an hour now, and she is still unconscious. I lay by her side, filled with tears in my eyes. I don’t know where to get money for her hospital bill. I still don’t know if she still has saves . My stupid father can’t help after putting her into such misery. He left the house instantly. My eyes reddened. I don’t want to see my father's face again. If my mother regains herself, I don’t think we are going back to that house. Even though we don’t have anywhere to go, I guess living on the street, hustling to survive, is better than staying in the house of a heinous father that causes us nothing but pain. "Mom, please don’t leave me." I held her hand, looking at her eyes. I still have no hope of her recovery; there’s no sign of her waking up. I won’t forgive my father for this. I can’t imagine my life without my mother; she is all I have. I held her hand and squeezed it. I hope she wakes up.