However I made efforts to hurry home, because though I enjoyed the silence, it was still an unholy hour for a girl like me to show her parading skills, well that is how my father would put it.
As the sound of voices talking broke into my present solitude, I realised I was close to home. I soon carried my warm presence into my father's compound and made to announce my presence, when I saw a small gathering of people. And the only people present who were familiar to me, were my parents.
I watched the distress on my father's face as he stared up at me, being very familiar with my footsteps. Our visitors soon left and with the expression on my parents faces, I knew they were going to dish out a very awkward conversation.
Ebere, my father began. You have been betrothed to a certain young man, he paused for a while, while my mother held her breath. Father cleared his throat as if to gain composure, before he continued. "you both were betrothed while still in your mother's wombs. Now the time has come. This young man's name is Preye and you will marry him, in fact you must." and mother burst into hot tears as she ran inside the house.
This is a phase every other girl my age has gone through, the only difference was, most other families receive such news with joy... So why is my case different?
The next day my husband to be came to see me, and mother wept some more. He was the most good looking creature I had ever seen, and for a moment I wondered if mother's tears were tears of joy...
He stared straight ahead, but I could feel my heart beat really fast as I walked towards him. At a point I caught a good look of his honey brown eyes and I almost tickled myself with the knowledge that soon, he would be mine, all mine!
He continued to look forward as I sat on the bench beside him, but soon the silence was beginning to get awkward and his face was void of a smile. Was he in love with another? Or he didn't just like me in particular.
I tried to make conversation with him but his responses were short and cold. "if you do not want this marriage to push through, you might as well speak up now, because I have no intentions of spending the rest of my life with an arrogant mute" I blurted out in anger, and for the first time, he smiled.
"you must be very beautiful to speak that Way to me" he said finally.
I took a deep breath still flushed with anger, but one thing was obvious. My heart was already dancing to his tune, but no! I wasn't going to make it easy for him.
"aren't you just the king of arrogance" I said, speaking up once more. And this time he turned to stare at me and there and then, the urge came up and I reached for his face, feeling it with my fingers and I stared at those blank eyes of his.
He continued to stare, and that was when I noticed the reason for mother's tears, and father's distress. My new lover, and husband to be... Was blind...
To be continued...
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