The Tale Of A Luna

Chapter Three

May groaned as she opened her eyes. Hissing as details of her dream the previous night played fresh on her head. It wasn’t the first time she was having such dream. Dreams were her companions in the land of sleep. She always had them; different ones including the one of her being born in a normal family where she didn’t have to hide behind her window and watch the same view every morning.

The sun was up, its rays seeping into her room through the thick curtains. She shifted them away, yawning as she stretched with a smile. the silent street had become busy again. There were men and women sweeping the streets, some men wearing suits rushing off to the bus station to work and of course, some kids waiting for the school bus right beneath her window.

She sighed with a sad smile. Perhaps, she was never meant to have a normal life. Did it mean she would never marry too?

A knock came on her door, one she had been expecting all morning. “Breakfast in fifteen minutes!” Her father called.

Usually, she would rely him with a loud yell of ‘Good morning’ but that morning, she didn’t feel like it. She returned her gaze to the window, counting the time silently in her mind.

He returned to her door exactly fifteen minutes later. Her father had a knack for keeping to time.

He knocked again. “May?”

She didn’t reply. She only stared at the door from the window side where she stood.

“I know you are in there.” Again, nothing.

She heard him sigh. “Don’t think this is going to make me change my mind!”

She heard him storm off and harumphed, her arms folding underneath her growing breasts. The Andrew that she knew wasn’t this difficult. He always granted her every wish without any complaints. Why was this one so hard that even her silent treatment was clearly not working against him?

She didn’t come out either when it was time for her home classes. Her father came again to knock on her door. First, he spoke with a gentle voice and after many wasted effort, he walked away, cussing in anger. May rolled on her bed, still wearing her dress from the night before. Her heart kept beating fast at the thought of the suffering man outside.

All her life, she had pampered him and done everything he asked her to do. It was the very first time she was disobeying him. Pushing her weight, she entered the bathroom and took a long bath; she had nowhere to go after all. After the bath, she took her time to style her hair like her father used to do for her. He had taught her the exact style her mother loved to style her hair with and it was only until few days ago when she turned eighteen that he let her style her hair herself. The first time she did it, it excited her and since then, she couldn’t wait every morning to take her bath and style her hair.

By evening, her stomach was grumbling uncontrollably. May rolled on her bed from one corner to the other, wondering why she had rejected her father’s offer to buy her a refrigerator for her eighteenth birthday. Perhaps, she would have stocked chocolates and cookies in it. And now, she was beyond hungry.A tear slipped from her eyes. Her father didn’t come to call her for dinner. Perhaps, he had adjusted to her tantrums. It was too soon! She had expected him to agree to her wish immediately. She had only threatened him once with silent treatment and hunger strike when she saw a toy she liked from her window and nagged him to get it for her. She was only five then and it didn’t even reach lunch time before he came knocking on her door with the toy in his hand.

What changed now?

It was dinner time and not only had he not consented to her, he hadn’t even bother to call her for dinner!

She laid on the bed, grumbling and wondering if she should give up like her father was expecting her to, when suddenly, an idea hit her! She sat up on her bed, forgetting her grumbling stomach for a minute! Her father always went to bed by eight. It was something she had watched him do over the years.

Her eyes brightened. She could tiptoe to the kitchen once he had retired for the night!

The idea excited her, until she looked at the clock and realized it was still three hours to 8pm. It felt like eternity. The clock suddenly seemed to slow down and no matter how many times she glanced at it, it barely moved. She groaned! Maybe, she wouldn’t have thought of the plan yet. What if the clock had heard her thoughts? A dry chuckle escaped her lips at the thought. What was she? Three? To think a clock could read thoughts. She laughed again as she recalled one of the fairytales her father had read to her when she was little. The furniture in a house could talk; including the clock.

Now that she thought of it, she missed her father. She had never been this mad at him, neither had he at her. They used to live in sheer peace and happiness. It was one of her consolations despite being restricted.

After what seemed like eternity, the clock finally struck quarter past 8pm. Quickly, like a mouse, she jumped off her bed, tiptoeing almost quietly. There was no sound of footsteps. It was her confirmation that her father had truly gone to bed. She tiptoed to the door, however, as soon as she opened it, a tray of food greeted her sight. Tears welled her eyes. Despite her attitude, he still left food at her doorstep.

She wondered when he had dropped it. She had not heard a single footsteps approach her room after he came to call her for her classes. Picking up the tray, she locked her door securely with a smile, sitting on her bed to wolf down the spread before her.