Each one in their world

Lisa rushed through the door, her heart pounding with excitement. She had been eagerly preparing for the visit of her father-in-law, whom she adored dearly. The scent of freshly baked cookies filled the air, and a warm glow from the lamps danced around the cozy living room. Everything was set up just perfectly for his arrival. She hummed a tune as she flitted from room to room, adjusting things here and there to make sure everything was just right. Lisa couldn't help but smile at the thought of the hearty conversations, the laughter, and the bonding time she anticipated sharing with her father-in-law. As the minutes turned into hours, a sense of unease began to gnaw at Lisa's excitement. She checked her phone repeatedly, hoping for a message or a call explaining a delay. But there was nothing. The silence in the house felt deafening, and the warmth began to fade into a dull ache of disappointment. Hours passed, and the evening sun gave way to a sky painted with hues of orange and pink. Lisa sat at the window, her eyes distant and filled with unshed tears. Thoughts swirled in her mind. Had he forgotten? Was he okay? A deep sadness settled over her, as she realized that her father-in-law might not be coming after all. In that moment, Lisa's heart clenched with a mix of hurt and confusion. She felt like a forgotten piece in the puzzle of her husband's family. The weight of unmet expectations pressed down on her shoulders, threatening to overwhelm her. But as the night draped itself over the world, a resilience flickered in Lisa's eyes. Wiping away a stray tear, she made a silent promise to herself. She decided to reach out, to communicate, and to mend whatever rift had led to this moment of disappointment. As the hours ticked by, Lisa found solace in the knowledge that her worth was not defined by the actions of others. And as she stood there, gazing out into the night sky, a quiet strength enveloped her, ready to face whatever challenges lay ahead in the intricate tapestry of family dynamic. On the other side, David Johnson was back from work and decided to check his agenda to see if he had attended to all of his rendezvous. He opened the agenda and he started when he laid his eyes on the writings that said: "Appointment with Lisa Clens today at 2 p.m." Mr. Johnson looked so sad for not going to Lisa's house. It's true that he does not want this wedding between Lisa Clens and his son Rick Johnson to take place because of her reputation. Rick Johnson had already paid the bride price for Lisa, and according to their custom, Lisa and Rick could now live together as husband and wife, but Lisa and Rick wanted a final blessing from the church. This could only take place if Mr. Johnson was okay with the marriage. Mr. Johnson did not know what to do now. "Lisa knows that I do not want the wedding between her and my son to take place, and me now missing the appointment, what will she think about me? She will think that I'm not a man of my words." He sighed. He checked the time on his watch and saw that it was already 7 p.m., and it was already supper time. He could not excuse himself from supper because his wife, Zyella, was going to be angry at him. Just then, the door of the room opened, and Mrs. Zyella entered. She saw her husband standing in the middle of the room, and his face looked pale and confused. She slowly approached him, touched him by his shoulders, and asked: "What's wrong, honey? Why do you look so pale, David? Is everything okay?" Mr. Johnson turned his face to his wife, shook his head from side to side, and without saying anything, he pushed past her and went downstairs to have dinner with everyone. Mrs. Johnson slowly followed. Everyone at the dinner table was eating and chatting, having dinner, when Mr. David arrived. He softly greeted everyone and took a seat next to his daughter Bellamy. The ambrosial smell of fried sausages with gravy and rice filled the dining hall. Mr. David took his fork and knife and started eating, thinking to himself: "I have to apologize to Lisa for not going to meet her. I have to find another day to go and meet her, and when we're face to face, I'll tell her to end this relationship with my son. My son cannot marry a woman of low status; yes, she's young and extremely gorgeous, but she's from a low-class family. What will people think of me if I welcome a nobody into my life, especially as my daughter-in-law?" Suddenly, his face lit up, and he shouted "Yes!" Everyone at the table looked shocked and confused by his reaction. "What's wrong, Dad?" asked Brianna, the youngest of the Johnson family. Mr. David was surprised at his own outburst but quickly composed himself before saying, "No, no, it's nothing." "Really, Dad?" asked Bellamy. "Yes, it's just an important business trip that I have to attend to." "When is the trip for?" asked Mrs. Zyella. Mr. David Johnson smiled as he calmly said, "Soon." Soon, supper was over, and everyone went to their respective rooms. When Mr. Johnson entered his room, he found Mrs. Johnson standing in the middle of the room. He hugged her from behind. She startled and asked, "Were you not just angry at me before dinner?" "No, no, I was not angry at you; instead, I was angry at myself," he said. "Okay," she calmly replied. Mr. Johnson whispered something in her ear and went out to call Rick, his son. Meanwhile, Lisa stood by the window and decided to make a call. She dialed someone's number, and the person on the other side answered, "Hi Lisa, how are you?" Lisa simply replied, "Fine, I guess." "So, what brings you to call me today?" the person on the other side asked. "Mr. David was supposed to come to my house, but since I've been waiting for him, he's yet to show up," Lisa said sadly. On the other end of the line was Rose, her friend since grade one. They knew each other's deepest secrets, and Rose was aware of Mr. David and his family, including his son Rick. After hearing Lisa's concerns, Rose kept quiet for a moment, thinking, "After all, Mr. David was just supposed to come see Lisa; he could not just reject the appointment and stay quiet. If you do not want someone or something, you cannot just react anyhow. He also has to think about Lisa's feelings; he should see that she is human too." "Helloooo, are you still there, Rose?" Lisa questioned. "Yes, I'm still here," Rose replied quietly. Then she added, "See what you are going to do since they do not want you; you make them want you." "How can I?" Lisa asked. Rose suddenly said, "Listen, tomorrow morning, buy their favourite snacks, food, and drinks. Bring them with you when you get there. Since it's Thursday tomorrow, there will be no maids at the mansion; it will only be the girls working. Help them with the work, be kind to them as you always are, don't get angry at all; try getting closer to them and show them that you love them and care for them." Lisa was very excited, thanked her, and ended the call. She quietly bathed, changed into happy pajamas, set her alarm for 5:30 a.m., prayed, and went to bed. By the mansion, Mrs. Johnson was sitting on the bed as Mr. Johnson came into the room with his son Rick. He led Rick to the sofa and told him to sit down, as he also sat down. Mrs. Johnson also took a seat next to them and sat there. There was a long silence before Rick said, "Why did you call me, Dad? Is it because of Lisa? I already told you that I am getting married to Lisa, whether you like it or not. I don't care about what people will say; it's time I make my own decisions. I love Lisa, and I see the good in her. She is a strong and wise woman. Many women in our surroundings are just following men because of money, not through love." "Dad, please, I know it's hard for you to accept Lisa, but just try to entrust me. She will not cause shame to this family," Rick said. Mr. David rose up from his seat, and with rage, he shouted, "Keep quiet, Rick!" Upon hearing his father's voice, Rick startled and said, "Sorry, Dad, my apologies." "I've heard what you said. Allow me to sleep on it tonight, and we will speak tomorrow," Mr. David said, his gaze fixed on Zyella, who was slowly opening her mouth to say something. Zyella felt Mr. David's gaze on her and thought to herself, "Why is he looking at me like this? Does he not want me to say something about this marriage? Come on, I'm his mother; I have to say what I think." Now, he said that he is going to sleep on it tonight; does that mean he will allow Rick and Lisa to get married? Just then, Mr. David asked Zyella, "Do you have something to say?" "No, I do not have anything to say right now," she replied. "Are you sure?" he asked. "Yes, so sure," she replied. Mr. David slowly shook his head and told Rick to go to his room. Just as Rick was opening the door, someone from outside shouted, "No, you will not get married to Lisa! I am your grandmother, and I am the oldest in this house. I'm the one who can take decisions. Lisa is blind; she cannot help you achieve your future goals. She cannot help you with the business when you need it. What is her youth, and yes, she's from a poor background. I guess you do not have choices to make other than leaving Lisa. I do not know what David has to think about tonight, but the answer is already no to this marriage. So, stop wasting your time with Lisa; go get us another wife who is a correct class and feature. Rick, Lisa is not worthy to be in our family or house. Her own family threw her away because of her disability; now you want to pick her up and bring her to us?" Rick ran back and shut the door; he was startled and was even scared to leave his parents' room.