La Entanglement

CHAPTERONE

“Where are they?” Some voices thundered. Gabrielle woke up to the noise and wondered who dared come to the uncle’s house at such wee hours of the night and who they were looking for. She heaved a sigh of relief when she saw her two sisters perfectly tucked beside her. However, her relief was cut short when the door opened and her aunt walked at a fast pace.“Get up!your attention is required downstairs”, her voice woke up Sadie and Aria, who were asleep. It wasn’t the first time they were woken up by their aunt in such a way. Since their parents died, they have found themselves living with their Uncle Tom and his wife. It has indeed been a living hell.

As Gabrielle and her sisters walked down the stairs, they were surprised to see masked men sitting in the living room with guns in their hands. They were instantly terrified and Gabrielle’s sisters clung to her.“They are the ones,” Uncle Tom announced. The masked man stood up and grabbed them.

Aria and Sade were crying and trying to resist "gabby!! Who are they? Uncle please!! What did we do? If we do anything, forgive us. We promise to be good girls”. All their crying and pleas on deaf ears.

“Uncle! Why?” That was the first word Gabrielle spoke. She had always known that their uncle and his wife hated them and couldn’t wait to get rid of them, which is why she had been working off her butt to save up money, to leave their roof with her siblings. Since her parents died, everyone has deserted them, even all their late parents' benefactors.

“Guys take them out”, a man instructed the masked guys. As they were being bundled out, Gabrielle saw, from the corner of her eyes, their uncle collecting money from the man that gave the instructions. It then dawned on her that they had just been sold.

They were pushed into the back of the van. The men came in, amidst their wailing. Gabrielle, though afraid, was trying to be strong for her sisters.

“Sis!! *hiccups* What is going to happen to us?” Aria and Sade asked Gabrielle. Gabrielle swallowed her saliva, rubbed their heads which were on her shoulders and muttered “we will be fine”.

She doesn’t even know her true statement was, but she needs to stay strong for them. After all, she is the eldest and promised her parents to take care of her siblings.

As the van rolled to life and moved, Gabrielle couldn't help but stare at the house which their parents had built for her uncle and how they were pushed out of the mansion and not just that but sold. Tears slipped and rolled down her face.

They used to be one big and happy family till the day they got the sad news that their parent’s plane crashed and they died. Gabrielle reminisced on her happy moments with her family, especially the day she came down from the state where she was studying to surprise them.

She had wanted to surprise her parents, so she didn’t inform anybody that she was coming home. She even spoke to the whole family on video call the previous day. When the cab guy dropped her in front of the compound, the gateman wanted to scream out of joy, but Gabby signaled him not to. She walked to the door and rang the bell. Aria, her youngest sister, opened the door and started screaming “mommy!! Daddy!! Mommy!! Daddy!!” Aria immediately jumped on Gabrielle, hugging her tight as if she would escape the next second. Aria had really missed Gabrielle. They are the closest because only Gabrielle indulges Aria in her babyish mood. Sadie is always too much of a pouch babe to do such.

Rose Gabrielle’s mom, was the first to rush downstairs with her husband Arthur behind her ,telling her to take it easy. But she didn’t even care, she was super excited to welcome her first daughter home. She started plastering kisses on Gabby’s face with her giggling “Oh! My baby! I have missed you”

“Daddy!!” Gabby screamed when she sighted him waiting behind the mom. “Ladies first! He said,"I will allow your mom to finish first”, Arthur said, smiling. “Oh!please”, Rose replied to him laughing and left Gabrielle to hug him.“Daddy!!! I missed you so much” Gabrielle pouted.“I missed you too, my baby!! Come and sit and tell us about your journey.”

Aria had already taken Gabrielle’s bag upstairs, which is because she wanted to be the first to get hold of the goodies in them. “Where’s Sadie?” Gabrielle asked her parents because she had not seen her since she walked into the house. “Sadie went out with her boyfriend” Aria shouted while climbing the stairs in a hurry to sit beside Gabby.“Oh!” Gabrielle looked at her parents and mouthed.

It was funny because her parents were super strict with her about getting a boyfriend but could allow Sadie to get one. Seems like they are becoming less strict. Before she could dwell on her thoughts, Sadie walked in carrying bags.“Who missed me!!” But her words were stuck in her mouth, when she saw Gabbrielle sitting on the couch with her daddy as her mother had gone inside the kitchen. “Sis!!!” She rushed over and jumped on her couch“I have missed you!!! Hope you bought the shoes” she whispered in her ears. Gabrielle laughed, she still couldn’t get over Sadie’s obsession with luxury.

“What is she whispering to you?I’m sure she is telling you to buy something or give her money”, their daddy chipped in. “Daddy, mind your business, it’s between me and my sister” Sadie playfully responded.“Who is that person disturbing my husband!!” Their mom, Rose said, walking out of the kitchen. “Mommy, it’s Sadie” Aria snitches, “Come here” Sadie starts chasing Aria.

Gabrielle was just laughing. She was more than content to be back home with her family. She couldn’t ask for more.

The van came to an abrupt stop and interrupted Gabrielle’s memories.“Get down!” They were being pushed out of the van with their hands tied up. They struggled to maintain their position. Sadie and Aria were now sobbing quietly beside her. Gabrielle promised herself not to break down in front of her tormentors. She is going to come out of this stronger, and she will pay everyone in their own coins.