Blossom

12

S O P H I A P O V I was very shocked to see this with my own two eyes. Mariam, betraying Zarah? It was hard to believe at first because their sibling bond is stronger than any force out there. In my life, I have never seen a bond like there’s.

"I think we should go and check on her," I stated worriedly for Zarah. She must be heartbroken. I mean, who wouldn’t! Her own sister ditched her for another man, gave up their relationship. Although I just met Zarah, I don’t know much about her; I am anxious to know if she was all right. 

"No need for that. She will be fine," Zarah’s mother waved off. 

"But, she needs someone to talk to right now," I objected, looking at the path Zarah took. 

"She will be fine. She can never stay enraged at her sister for more than two minutes.”

"But-"

"There she is," auntie said as Zarah walked down the stairs, dressed in-plane color.

She had nothing on. Her makeup was off. So was her bangles. Her cheeks were puffed up due to her crying a lot. Her hair was in a simple braid. She walked down the stairs with a sad expression. My heart ached to see her like this. Oh, Zarah!

I went up to her, "Zarah?"

"I am fine, Sofia. Thank you," she smiled, grabbed my hands. 

"For what?" I looked at her in confusion.

"For everything," she answered, walking away.

"For everything?" I whispered to myself, still confused about it. 

 Z A R A H P O V I was alone in this world once again. Nobody is there for me. Just like 15 years ago when my father died. I was in the darkness where there is no light.

"Zarah-" Mariam tried to talk.

"Don't," I stopped her.

"I am sorry. Okay? I didn't know she was planning all this," Mariam broke down in front of me. 

"Who?"

"Mariam," mommy wanted with her eyes narrowed.

"Please, Mariam, tell me," I begged to ignore mom. 

"I can't. I just can't," she shook her head, stepping back from me. 

"you are just making up stuff, aren't you? You don't even know what you are talking about," I laughed in a cold voice.

"I do know," she mumbled, glanced away from me. 

I know she was telling the truth, but I didn't want to believe it. I didn't. I was confused, lost. I couldn't think straight.

"What an unlucky girl," a female whisper came from behind me. 

"I heard that her father died right in front of her," another voice spoke. 

"She is probably cursed with bad luck. Who wants to marry a girl with bad luck written in her faith," she added. 

Tears rolled down my eyes. Clinching my fist tightly, I closed my eyes tightly, wanting all this to disappear in front of me. I wanted Mariam to jump up and say, “Just kidding! This is a joke!” Yet I knew it was too good to be true. 

It was hard to breathe all of a sudden. If felt as if someone was taking away all of my oxygen, preventing me from breathing. I tried to take in a slow breath, but it wasn’t working. All these comments were killing me inside. 

Was I really unlucky? All these incidents happening because of me having bad luck? What did I ever do to deserve this bad luck?

"Can I ask you something?" Sofia politely spoke as she walked up to them. 

"Sofia don't," I pleaded, wanting nothing more than this to just end. I tried to get a hold of her hand, but Sophia pushed my hand away. 

"No. Let me," she released a sigh, “Can believe I have to do this. How can you talk about someone like that? I mean, do you have a daughter?" 

“Yes, we do.” 

"Well, how would you like it if someone was talking about your daughter like that. It wouldn't sound nice now, would it? Your daughter would have reacted like Zarah, too, if that happened to her. If you don't mind, please stop gossiping around. Because if it was your daughter, Allah knows what you would have done," she exclaimed calmly. 

"That's because my daughter could never do anything like that. I taught her better than this," the lady scoffed, rolling her eyes at us. 

"Who is going to marry an unlucky girl like her. Anyone?" Another woman asked, looking around the room. Nobody talked.

"See. No one wants to marry her," she smirked. 

"I will," a firm voice spoke out of the audience. As soon as I turned around, my eyes popped out of their socket. It was the cop, Mr. Stalker. What is he doing here? Is he really stalking me?

"Brother?" Sofia smiled, watching him step forward. 

Brother? No way! He is her brother.

"You can't be serious?" The same lady laughed in a mocking manner. 

"Oh, I am. If that is okay with the mother and daughter," he looked at me. I was too shocked to answer him. Why would he try to help me? I was rude to him at the beginning. I gazed at mom in the opposite direction from me. She stared at the guy before say, "of course you can. This will get her out of here."

"What?" My eyes widened at mom’s response. Was she this eager to get me out of here? 

"Girl, we gotta get you ready," Sofia smiled.

                                                                                       * * * * * 

"Wow! I can't believe that you are my sister-in-law," Sofia breathed out, hugging me tightly. 

"I can't believe that I am married," I moaned, still trying to adjust to everything. The man I was supposed to marry is now my brother-in-law. On the other hand, my husband is the man who tried to stock me. Life is a joke! 

"Come along, girls, it's time to go," my new mother-in-law smiled. 

"We are coming," Sofia answered. 

"I am going to pack up," I stated.

"No need for that. It is already done," mom threw the suitcase my way. I watched as the small suitcase bounce couple of times as if it didn’t have anything in it. 

"What's the meaning of this?" I looked at her, wanting an explanation. I wanted clarification on her behavior today. She was very silent about this whole incident. At first, I thought she would at least scream at Mariam for her action, but I was proven wrong. Did she not love me? Did she favor Mariam more than me? 

"You need to get out of this house. Now!" Her tone changed into anger. Her facial expression shoes nothing but disgust. This was the first time I am seeing her like this. What in the world is going on in my life? 

"Why are you acting like this?" I questioned.

"Acting like what?" 

"As if you want me out of this house forever," I answered.

"Well, that's because I want you out of this house forever," she sneered.  

"What? Why? Why are you saying that?" 

"Because I am sick of seeing your face. I am tired of acting all goodie mother to you. The only reason I was keeping you here with me was because of that dead man. He made me promise to take care of you. I don't know why I agreed because you are not even my real daughter," she yelled furiously.

My eyes widened. She is not my mother. I am so confused and frustrated with all this new drama. Moreover, what is going on in my life? Have I always been this naive? She spoke those words as if they were a piece of cake. Those words didn’t have any effect on her. 

"That's right. You are not my daughter," she sniggered, "all this wedding stuff was a plan that I created. I thought that after you see this, you might leave but you being a nosy b***h didn't."

"Please tell me you are lying," I begged as I went up to her and grabbed her hand, but she pulled away like I was poisoned. 

Pain is invisible, subjective, and open dispute unless it is one's own pain. Aches are worse, always taken to be less than they are, and hardly ever thought of without the possibility of the sufferer magnifying their woes.

I cannot cry anymore because I am tired of crying. It feels like all the tear in my eyes has drained out. My brain hurts from all this new information.

"Nothing that I have said is a lie. Everything single thing is true. Now get the hell out of my house before I kick you out," she pointed toward the door.

"Come on, Zarah, we don't need to stay at a place where you are not wanted," Sofia softly spoke as she dragged me out of my room.

My eyes never left my mother. I just stared at her. Her face was drained of no emotion. Her eyes held a cold glare toward mine.

"What happened?" my mother-in-law asked.

"I don't think it's the right time to say anything. We need to get out of here," Sofia answered.

She put me in a white car. The silence filled the car. Not a word was heard. The headlights shone bravely out into the night only to be swallowed by the pressing darkness. I looked out the window.

Soon we arrived in front of a mansion. The house was big. I mean very big. I have never seen a big house like this in my whole entire life. There was a fountain in front of the house. The front light shined down upon it.

I haven't realized that he had opened the car door for me until he cleared his throat. I looked up to see him smile down at me. I quickly turned my head eye, blushing. I slowly went out of the car and followed next to him.

Suddenly I was feeling exhausted. I feel lightheaded. I feel my shoulders are very tense, and the back of my neck is too. I shook my head a few times to stop this dizziness, but it wouldn't stop. I leaned on the wall for support.

"Hey? You okay?" he asked, looking at me with concern. 

"Yes," I smiled.

"You sure?"

"Yeah."

I was about to walk when all of a sudden, I fell on the ground, hitting my head on the floor. The darkness swallowed me.