Bond by Circumstance

I always knew that my parents despised me, but today they proved me right. They know very well that I'm starting a new job tomorrow, actually not just a new job. It's my dream job but they decide to drop a bomb on me. It's 8am. I am taking a long bath after cleaning the yard and house for 3 hours. I always wake up at 5am every Sunday so I can clean the house and yard.

My parents are the most untidy people ever. They always host their stupid parties almost every Sunday with the food I bought, and I have to clean up when I wasn`t even part of their parties. pssh as if I'd join them. "Ella, hurry up, we have guests" my mom. My bulges into my room without even knocking. I hate it when she does that.

"Give me 5 minutes"

"You need to hurry up. They are very important people. They can`t be kept waiting. Gosh, this woman can be annoying" she leaves, slamming the door. It rattles on its hinges. I bought that door, you know. I take my time, her guest can't tell me what to do and what not to do.

Why she is even dressed up? When was the last time I saw her dressed up? Gosh, I can't even remember. now I'm curious. After 10 minutes I'm done. I walk into the lounge and the atmosphere changes. There's something about the men in black suits.

They are very powerful and very handsome, I must say. Even my loud parents are very quiet. I walked into the room, all eyes on me. I greeted them. The old man smiles and greeted me back, but the young one just nods, looking around the house with a disgusted look. So rude. We sat in uncomfortable silence.

"Ella my child we have something to tell you," My dad tells me.

Okay, something huge is going on here. My dad has never talked to me like that before, not even when I bought him the most expensive whiskey. Okay, maybe not that expensive, but it did cost me a lot, you know, and he finished in within two days. My God was I hurt?

"Bassey, didn't you tell her?" the young man asks clearly annoyed. "What's going on here?" I ask when my parents go mute.

Can you tell her already, we don't have all day" the young man tells my parents.

"Ben relax. Will you? Says the old man. So his name is Ben. He's really handsome, gosh. Pity he's rude. "

This is not easy Ella, the Alloys are here because your father...." that's my mom. She doesn't finish the sentence. I will just keep quiet, I'll wait for them.

"Your parents took a loan from me 16 years ago and when they couldn't me back they made a promise that when you turn 21 they will marry you off to my grandson," Mr. Alloy tells me.

I'm sitting here hoping it's a some kind of joke. I mean my parents have been trying to hook me up with money. That's why I kind of ran away after Grade 12. I decides to stay at res I always come home unannounced and leave the very same day. Besides, I had to leave for work otherwise we'd live in a 2-room shack forever. "Is this one of your annoying jokes mom?" I asked my mom.

I saw tears in her eyes. Why is she crying? What kind of parents make promises like that? Are they even my real parents? "I'm not marrying him, I told them, pointing to Ben."And I'm not leaving," I walked out with the plan to run away and never look back. I can't marry an arrogant ass. I walked out the gate. But there were men in black carrying big guns. What have my stupid parents done?

All the neighbors are peeping through their curtains. I try to run but I can't out run these men. They stop me. I scream my lungs out with the hope that someone will call the police or be brave enough to help me, but none of that happens.

My parents run towards me with worried faces, but I know they are not worried about me. Some parents we have. The guards took me back to the house. My head hurts from all the screaming when they put me on the couch.

Mr. Alloy is still smiling at me. If I had a gun I'd shoot that mouth. I don't need his stupid smile right now. Ben is typing on his phone like nothing is happening.

"Ella, stop it" my mom screams at me. I see Ben flinch.

"Don't you dare?" I screamed back. I'm very respectful but right now I feel like slapping the hell of her. Never felt like that before. I need to come up with a plan. I need to get myself out of this mess right now.

I need to think but I can't with my parents looking at me with pleading eyes like I'm suddenly God. They can't do this to me. My heart feels heavy when I think about my dream job. I worked extremely hard to get that job and now this? I feel tears in my eyes and, for the first time ever.

I can't hold them back. Here I am weeping like someone just died and my parents are looking at me like I just popped another head. Mr. Alloy walks towards me and give me a warm hug. I can't help it, I need one. Ever noticed that when you are trying to console someone who's crying they cry some more? This is what I'm doing right now.

"It's okay. I know my grandson doesn't seem like a good person, but marrying him won't be such a bad idea." he tells me. I just shook head. I really don't want to marry him. Oh, I have an idea.

"I think I can find a way of paying you guys back without marrying him," I tell them with a smile, wiping the tears using the back of my hand.

"You see I found a very good job, so we can work out instalments and how long I'll be paying," I tell them smiling, feeling on top of the word. I mean I came up with a solution four (4) adults couldn't come up with.

"I wish it was that easy," Mr. Alloy replies with a sigh.

"Ella, if it was that simple we wouldn't have made this promise in the first place," my mom tells me.

"How much does he owe?" I asked Mr. Alloy.

"Just listen to your parents, will you?" That's Ben.

"So he can talk. I don't want to marry a bustard like you," I told him.

"The feeling is mutual. I don't want to marry an undeveloped child like you," He tells me typing on his phone. I've been called ugly and plain all my life, but it hurt each time someone says that. But I don't react anymore, I just keep quiet.

"How much do you owe them?" I asked my dad again.

"I'll park your stuff" says my mom.

"I don't want you near any of my stuff" I always tell her that I don't her filthy hands on my stuff.

"Dad, I asked a question" I turned back to my dad.

"I owe them a million," said my dad. He says that they are here for one hundred rinds.

"What did you even do with the money?" I asked him. God, why don't I have a gun? I'd shoot him right now.

Stupid father.

I might as well marry Ben. How long is it going to take me to repay a loan with an interest when it takes people twenty (20) years to repay a loan with interest? Their bonds are worth three hundred and fifty thousand. I've never been so angry in my life. I'll find a way to get back here as soon as possible.

I know Ben has more important things to do than to look after me, so I'll have to find a way, because right now, I don't have a choice. I went into my room to pack my things. There's not much things to pack. Really, my things are neatly stored in 4 boxes. I was planning to buy a wardrobe when I get paid. The first 2 medium boxes contains my clothes and shoes, the 3rd box has my novels, while the 4th is a shoebox.

It has important documents like my ID, qualifications, and pictures. I won't ask them for help, I'll just take the boxes to the car. They are not that heavy after all. I take the first 2 boxes to the car. There are 4 black Mercedes SUVs. One of the bodyguards comes forward with a sincere smile. He tries to take my boxes, I shake my head, and he opens the boot of one of the cars.

I walked back to the house to fetch the last 2 boxes. I take the book I'm currently reading, Angels and Demons, by Dan Brown. The very same guard who showed me where to put my boxes showed me the car I should get in. I got the book and got in the car.

After some time. Ben get in the car and sits next to me, focusing entirely on his phone. I'm hungry. That's what I find strange about myself. No matter how hurt, angry or stressed I am, I get hungry while other people lose their appetites.

We've been travelling for 3 hours now and my stomach grumble, but I can't really ask Ben for food now, can I? So I continue reading. This book is very interesting.

"What are you going to eat?" Ben asks out of the blue.

"I don't know" I answered him honestly.

"So you want me to beg you when you're the one with a grumbling stomach?" he asks. I just ignore him. I'm just not in the mood to talk.

Suit yourself," he tells me when it's clear that I'm not going to answer him. My stomach grumbles again. Gosh. "I'm going to buy you food because that sound is annoying me.

"Mark, can you buy my usual times two" handed Mark a debit card. I was focused on my book. I didn't see the guy sitting in the passenger seat in front of me.

We drive for like 10 minutes, then we stop at some garage. Mark gets off.

A few minutes later, he came with two burgers, chips and 2 cans of coke. He gave me one of the meals. I thanked him and he nodded. I love food. I can't help but sing and move my feet and head when eating. Mark and Ben are staring at me and the driver is laughing. Okay, it is strange.

Why are they looking at me like that? I'm not full and Ben hasn't touched his food.

"Can I also have your food?" I asked him, but right now I need food and from now on he'll be the one feeding me.

"Sure" he replies and he gives me the food and, again after 2 minutes, I'm done. They are all laughing at me.

~~~

After 7 hours of traveling, the longest journey of my life, we entered a hotel.

As soon as the car stops, Ben gets off, still typing on his phone, not looking back, Mark and the driver helped me with the boxes.

We entered a very huge parlor.

OMG, this is not a hotel, it's his house. What does Ben do for a living? He looks very young, but then again, looks can be deceiving.

I just followed Mark and the guy who was driving. I think Mark called him Lukas. We went to the second floor. We pass more than 5 doors. Mark asks me to open one of the many doors at the end of the long passage. I'm guessing it will be my room.

I opened the door Mark tells me to enter the first. My God, I've never seen such a beautiful room with expensive-looking furniture. This room is bigger than my house back home.

At the center there's a queen-size bed, well I'm guessing, with pink cover, pink carpet, and a 2-seater white couch by the wall and a very big watch facing the bed. It's so beautiful, but I don't like pink, I like black. I think the person who was preparing this room thought I was a 10-years-old girl. kanti, I'm a grown-ass. I'm amazed by such a big and beautiful room.

I don't see Mark and Lukas leaving, they seem sweet. It's a pity I can't say much about their boss. I ran across the room and jumped on the bed. It's so soft, no squeaky sound from springs. At least my jail is better than home. There's a door across the room. I walked to the door, it was an en-suite bathroom. My God, such a beauty.

There's a bath tub, toilet, and shower with transparent glass and another door. So many doors I walk across the room to the door. It's a walk-in closet with so many pink clothes urg. I fetch my boxes and store them in the closet. I'm very tired. I've never travelled for more than 2 hours in my whole 21 years. I took a quick shower and I changed into black skinny jeans and a vest with socks.

I walked to bed. I looked at the time. It was 4:45 pm. I fall asleep as soon as my head hits the pillow. I've been sleeping for like 5 seconds when someone barges into the room. What happened to knock?

It's Mark. "The maid came to tell you that supper would be served in 15 minutes but she knocked. There was no answer. So we thought you escaped after the stunt you pulled back at your house," he tells me smiling.

"No, I was just sleeping. I'm so tired. It's been a long day" Tears sting my eyes when I think about tomorrow and my graduation day in 3 months. The most important days of my life.

"I think you should accept your life here because you're not going anywhere.

There are guards at every corner and there'll be guards everywhere you go. Don't try anything stupid you won't like the consequences. Because you and me, your husband-to-be is a very dangerous man and he has no mercy," he says with a smile, but he warn in his tone is loud and clear.

What have my parents done?

I just nod, I don't trust myself enough to hold back the stupid tears.