Chapter 7 The Proposal

• GENESIS
• I stared at my sister with an amused look in my eyes while my lips remained jammed together, so to suppress the urge to laugh at how ridiculous she sounded but I couldn't hold it in for too long, it was just so far-fetched like a dream, those kind of dreams that never came through no matter how you wished that a part of it was., I couldn't help but laugh so loud. My sister and parents stared at me with weird eyes but I didn't stop, I laughed till my stomach began to hurt. Then I had to stop, I relaxed and took deep breaths before turning to them.
• "What? did you hear you daughter speak?" I said and suppressed the laughter that threatened to come out of my loins again.
• "I am telling the truth," Ava said in annoyance to the way I was laughing at her silly jokes.... I pouted at her.
• "of course I believe you....." I said and sat close to her, her eyes brightened and she smiled widely.
• "In our next life,"I added and the smile washed off her face, it was replaced with a deep frown.
• "Mom.....tell her," she whined and I turned to my parents.They looked anxious and uncomfortable, they were tense about something and I was just taking note of it.
• "What is wrong?" .
• "I said the truth and they know it," Ava said unconcerned and went back to the things in front of her.
• “Enough with those,” I took away all the candies and sweets in front of her.
• “This is my quota for the day,” she protested.
• “The nurse said it was my quota for the day,” she repeated.
• "Sweet heart," my dad called with a worried voice and my shoulders immediately tensed up. Something was wrong, something I had no idea about.
• "Genesis...we are going to be leaving now," Tiana said the moment they felt the tension in the room. They immediately knew it was family time and it was their queue to leave. I turned to them immediately, I gave them a faint smile.
• "I will come to the apartment to pick up some of my things" I said and walked towards the three of them.
• "Just tell us you miss us already," Tiffany teased and pulled me into a hug.
• "Yeah sure," I smirked and turned to Tiana.
• "Be a good girl, okay" she started and I hugged her tightly. Before turning to Nate, he had been so uncomfortable before my parents, he didn't know how to behave. But I pulled him into a hug nonetheless.
• "I will miss you," I said audibly and it made him more uncomfortable. He shifted uncomfortably and tried pushing me away but I still held him. He was my boyfriend after all and my parents needed to start knowing him. After holding him for as long as I could, I allowed him to breathe and then he glared at me, it made him so cute.
• They said their goodbyes and left immediately while I turned back to my parents. They still looked tense and scared out of their mind. I could feel the tension slowly getting to me as I stared at them, they were so scared and afraid and it was unlike them. I didn't understand what could be the reason for their behaviour. Ava looked fine so I couldn't tell if it was because of her they looked tense, something was bothering them and whatever it was, was getting me worked up too.
• "Dad....mom..." I called them as gently as I could.
• "Talk to me," my eyes pleaded to them.
• They just stood and stared at me for a while before they took their seats and urged me to take mine.
• "We are sorry we missed your graduation," my dad apologised. I smiled faintly at him and nodded my head in understanding. I had wished my family would have been there on such an occasion, it was something I wanted but I knew they had better things to do especially because of the fact that Ava's health was deteriorating.
• "It's fine....I understand perfectly well, '' I said to him. He nodded his head and went quiet again. My mom sat beside him with her hands intertwined together, she kept squeezing and shaking her hands nervously, I knew there was more to the story than what they were both telling me.
• "Ava collapsed a few days ago," my father started again. They were finally going to speak.
• "She was brought here and the doctors said she needed a new kidney," he continued and I immediately turned to Ava who was now lying down quietly with all her attention on the tv. I was scared for her, she had been sick for so long and we knew she would get worse but we were hoping it would happen when I had finally gotten a job. I knew how much a kidney cost and the money could not have been raised so easily.
• "What are we going to do...she can't die, she... ." tears were freely running down my eyes as I turned back to them.
• "Calm down..." my mom started.
• "How can I?...she is going to die on me and....."
• "She got a new kidney," my father interrupted and I gaped at him.
• "Wait...what...." my eyes travelled back to Ava. She didn't look pale, she didn't look sick, she looked better than she had ever been in ages. But I was still confused.
• "I...don't. understand." I said and turned to my parents.
• "What she said earlier was the truth," my mother said nervously and my confusion increased.
• "She got a new kidney.”.
• "How...what are you saying?" I asked in frustration. I heard what my sister said earlier and it was still a joke to me, it was still confusing.
• "Leona Chase had paid her hospital bills," my mom said and my eyes widened.
• I had heard about the family of the former head of state and the things I heard were none of my business so I didn't pay attention to them. I only knew they were rich and in our state, poor people stay away from the rich, that was how it worked if you didn't want to be in trouble or be their puppet.
• "She paid for the transplant?" I asked in realisation and understanding.
• My mom nodded her head vigorously, tears streaming down her cheeks in happiness.
• "You mean....she won't get sick ever," I said as I felt more tears burn the back of my eyes. My mom nodded her head again and my heart leaped in Joy beyond comprehension. The tears freely flowed and the relief and happiness I felt was immense. I thought of what life was like for her, she was never like the normal kids and it affected everyone. I had to watch her go through pain and as her big sister it was always hurting me to see her that way. The way I felt at the pure knowledge that it was over, the health issues, the sleepless nights, they were over. I couldn't be happier.
• I got up from my feet and stared at my parents. I wanted to scream, I wanted to shriek, I wanted to jump all at once. My father saw through me as he always did and he also got up and pulled me into a hug.
• "She is going to be fine," I cried into his chest while his hands ran through my hair. For the first time in a long time, I could breathe.
• "Her bills came with a price," my father said with a sad voice. Though I wanted to remain in that happy, jubilating mood, I could sense the sadness and fear in his voice. I pulled away from his hug and stared at him.
• "What?" I asked, nervousness creeping into my body system. He stared at me for long and dropped his hands to his side and looked away. It felt like he was unable to speak for the fear of what he had to say.
• "You are to marry her son in less than two weeks," he said without meeting my eyes.
• For a moment there, I stumbled back a little while I tried comprehending the things he said. They were the exact same thing Ava had said earlier. I shook my head violently, it couldn't be, how could it be?
• I turned to my mom and a tear slipped down her cheeks, she affirmed what my dad had said and more tears rolled down my cheeks immensely.
• "How could you?" I yelled accusingly at my parents.
• "Am I just some property of yours that you can give out? How could you agree to such terms? I am your daughter," I yelled louder and my mom cried openly.
• “No…we were…”
• “I worked hard, fuck, I gave my life for this family, for Ava and just when I was about having it, you threw it away like that.” I could feel the tightness clogging in on my chest and the back of my throat. I could feel the fear consuming me, the pain, the confusion, the betrayal, tearing me open from my inside. How could they do that?
• My heart was broken at the thought of not achieving my dreams, they sold me off, they gave me away like I was nothing. They didn't care about me, they didn't care about my future, how could they do that?
• "No...my dear, our hands were tied, we had no escape. She had paid the bills and......"my mom tried explaining but I wasn't listening. The thought of losing everything, I worked and strived so hard just to graduate so I could build a better home and they were all for nothing. My chest began to hurt and I found myself a place to sit down.
• "Are you okay dear?" my dad asked and tried touching me, I openly glared at him.
• "Don't you dare come close to me," my voice held anger and coldness, it shook him and me as well.
• "We didn't mean to Gen......"
• "You sold me out mom, you sold me out to a family I know nothing about. didn't you care about my dreams and my opinions? my wishes and life, you just threw everything away," I screamed at her.
• "Calm down, it's not all that bad, the family has money. It's a life changing opportunity for you and us, we would no longer be poor," my dad added and I glared harder at him with more tears streaming down my cheeks.
• "Money, this is what it's about. You are tired of being poor and used me as a collateral for your rich life," I snapped and my dad flinched back, his shoulders slumped and he looked away from me. My words were hurting him but I didn't just care .
• I couldn't take the sight of them anymore and I took to my heels and left the room. Tears kept streaming down my cheeks as I ran out of the hospital and got into the first cab I saw. I didn't stop crying, I couldn't stop crying. I felt betrayed, I felt like nothing, I was hurting terribly. Literally.
• My chest was burning, my eyes were growing dull and I could feel my breath coming short. They knew how much I wanted to graduate, they knew how much I dreamed for us, they knew how hard I had worked to get to where I was, I didn't understand how they could throw away everything like that.
• I went to the place I thought best for myself while I tried all I could to stabilise myself. It was the only place I could actually run to and I pushed the door open and barged in violently.
• "you don't have to......" Tiana paused what she was about to say and stared at my face.
• "What is it? what happened?" She came closer to me with a worried look in her eyes. That called Tiffany's attention and she also came closer, making me her priority at that moment.
• I didn't know how to explain or where I could explain from. How could I tell them I was about to be given out to a family that was feared in the city. The thought itself was scary to me. The tears in my eyes didn't stop flowing and I pulled Tiana into a hug and cried even more.
• "Come-on baby girl. It's going to be fine," she hugged me back and patted my back like she understood my pain and allowed me to cry for as long as I could till I was able to feel better.
• When I felt like I wouldn't cry anymore. I sat down on the bed and wrapped my hands around a pillow.
• "Is Ava going to be fine?" they asked at once and a faint smile spread to my lips as I recollected how lovely she was.
• I nodded my head in a positive response to them and suddenly felt tears burn the back of my eyes when I remembered that my life had been exchanged for hers.
• "What's wrong?" Tiffany asked concerned. I took a deep breath and exhaled.
• "The wife of the former head of state had paid her medical bills and more......." I started my story and told them exactly what my parents had told me.
• At the end of the story, they went completely mute and just gaped at me.
• "Guys say something" I urged them, coming again to the brink of tears.
• "Oh my God......" they both shrieked at the same time, frightening me and shocking me at the same time. That was not the response I was expecting from them at the least.
• "what...what is it?" I asked with my hands on my chest. They both stopped shrieking and stared at me.
• "She can't see it," Tiffany said and turned to Tiana who was still staring at me.
• "No she cant...I can't believe she was crying because of this news," Tiana said to Tiffany ignoring my utterly confused state.
• "Guys...I am still here" I said with a tone of annoyance and they both smiled at me. They came closer and sat beside me.
• "You are going to be married into the richest family in the state," Tiana said calmly, she talked so slowly like she was talking to a child who found it hard to understand things.
• "You are lucky," Tiffany rushed in.
• "What do you mean by luck? I have dreams, I have plans, should I just throw them away like nothing just so I could get married to a man I don't know," I snapped at Tiffany.
• "Whoa ...calm down" Tiffany backed up like I could bite.
• "Genesis...." Tiana placed her hands on my thighs and called out calmly.
• "Those dreams and plans were because you wanted to make life better for your parents and take care of Ava's health issues right?" she asked a question she knew the answer to. But I answered her all the same.
• "Yes..."
• "And a chance has been given to you. A chance that would stop you from striving. Can't you see? your sister's hospital bills have been paid and she has a chance to live, your parents will live better and you can as well achieve your dreams easier by being their daughter in.. law," she said and I began to see reasons.
• "Your parents had no option. You know they would never sell you out, it's a great opportunity for you too," she added, my shoulders slumped and guilt filled my heart in remembrance of the things I Said to my parents. And at the same time I started seeing the light, it was indeed an opportunity for me and for my family. It was a great way to escape from the suffering they have been through and my dreams were to give them a better life.Iif giving them a better life was through a different medium than I had anticipated then....
• "But...I don't know this man. He might be old or Haggard or wicked. What happened to love?" I found a different excuse to prove that marriage was not really a good idea.
• "Shut up..." Tiffany shrieked again and got up from the bed in search of something. When she came back, she came back with a newspaper and placed it on my legs..
• It was the same newspaper they had seen in the hospital and screamed.
• "Jordan Chase is the only son of the former head of state...and gosh...he isn't old" Tiffany said and her cheeks turned pink..
• "Ohh..." I simply said.
• "But Nate...." I found another excuse and Tiana rolled her eyes.
• "Nate would understand that you had no choice. Moreover you don't love him, he is just an amazing companion to you," Tiana said
• "What...he is my boyfriend, he had...."
• "Girl you are still a virgin with this hot body...what kind of boyfriend is he?" Tiffany interrupted me and I gaped at her.
• Yes I didn't love Nate, but we were a perfect match, we were like the hottest boy, hottest girl must date in college. But that didn't mean he wasn't good to me, he was always there, always by my side, he was the best companion and I wouldn't mind marrying him. He respected me and never pushed when I told him I wasn't ready for sex. We were not in love and I didn't want my first time to feel empty. So I had asked him to wait and he did without complaint, he was the best man and not some Jordan Chase from a rich family, no matter what others said.
• "Don't think about it. Just do it...I envy you," Tiana shrieked and pulled me away from my thoughts.
• "Cheer up, it's not like you can escape from it. So why not accept it with open arms.....do it for your parents and save them from more suffering" Tiffany said and that last part really hit me.
• My parents would smile at me though they were crying in their hearts. They made sure I was happy though they knew it would cost them more. How could I not have thought about them? And Ava, she was finally going to be fine.
• "I am getting married then," I sighed and they both shrieked, excited about my own marriage more than I was myself.
• I went back to the hospital with a lot of thoughts in my mind, they were mostly negative thoughts but I shoved them off and thought about only the positive.
• "It was for Ava, it was for my parents, it was for my family, it was for my dreams. It's the best for me" I kept saying to myself till I got to my sister's room.
• "Ma'am, she refused the proposal and I can't force her to. Give us time, we promise to pay back your money," I heard my father saying and I paused at the door.
• "It might take a while but we will pay the money. Her happiness is more important to us and she isn't happy about any of this. I can't even give her the assurance that she will be happy being married to your son. I am sorry but we can't....."
• I pushed through the door and they all turned to me. They were sitting with a woman I had never seen before, she had a scarf tied around her face like she was hiding from someone.
• "Don't worry about it..." I said immediately.
• "I accept the proposal.. Get me married"