Princess of Light

Lara was a child born into an average Nigerian family even though her mother died few hours after she gave birth to her. It was not easy growing up either because Lara's father did not accept her as his daughter, he claims that Lara is a cursed child and she killed her mother his lovely wife. "You are not even worthy to be under the same roof with me" Lara's father sometimes tell her whenever he returns home drunk from his drinking spree. "Dear God, why do you have to give me this kind of man as a father" Lara often prays when she finds her father comes home drunk. Growing up wasn't an easy one because Lara was abandoned at the hospital by her father, he father's mum was the person that took her home from the hospital after the doctors and nurses confirmed her fit to be discharged from the hospital. "My child, please do not take to heart anything your father says to you. You know that he loves your mother so much that losing her but him so badly" Grandma tells Lara anytime she finds her crying. "But grandma, I did not kill my mummy, I did not even get to see her am supposed to be the one grieving not my daddy" Lara replies her grandmother. " Sometimes life does not give us options to choose from, it dumps on us whatever it deems fit and sometimes it is really not fair but in all we must keep faith alive" grandma finally says as she hugs her grand daughter closely. Watching how her son treats his only child and her granddaughter is disheartening but what can a feeble old woman do? Living with her son hasn't been easy because she is the breadwinner of the family. The little profit she makes out of her small petty trading business she uses to take care of the family since her husband was late and Lara's father had refused to take any job since the dimise of his wife. All efforts to help him secure a good job was abortive because of his addiction to drinking. In this light, Lara's grandmother took care of the house expenses thereby leaving her with little which she uses to settle the debts her son sometimes leaves behind after drinking. Grandma had to do all these so that the house will be in order but forgot that education is the key, as she didn't enrol Lara in any school. Lara's father also showed non challancy over anything that's concerns the daughter. "Look at Stacy she's living her life to the fullest, Chioma was given a scholarship to any school of her choice after a stranger knocked her down accidentally when she was about crossing the road not watching properly" Lara thought within herself as she slept that night. When will life be fair to me ? And how can I leave this house because am tired of everything happening already she continued. Mum why did you choose to die after giving birth to me? You did not give me a chance to see youuuuuuuuuu" Lara continued in her thoughts as she drafted slowly in sleep. In the mornings when her mates are preparing to go to school, Lara will be preparing to go an open her grandmother's petty provision store so that they can make sales for that day else no food. On this fateful day, little did she know that her grandmother will introduce her into hawking of some need food items all in the process of making ends meet so that they don't starve to death. "Lara my princess where are you?" her grandmother called. " Am coming grandma,I went to ease myself" Lara replied as she was walking back to the shop. "You know your father does not support financially in the day to day expenses of the house, and to he honest there is no much profit in this business because I do not have much goods again. So I made a very though decision for us, one that I do not like but have no choice than to talk to you about it" her grandmother explained. "Grandma what is it?" Lara asked "I will go to the market to get some foodstuffs and you will hawk them in the streets, I heard that sales through hawking is good since not everyone like to go to the market everyday and when they consider the transportation cost and time they prefer to buy from hawkers" Grandma explained further. " What can I do than to support us, anything for you grandma" Lara said smiling but with pains in her heart. Little did grandmother and daughter know that this singular act is taking them to a new phase of life which will affect them both negatively and positively. "Johnson is one of my trusted aids, he has been working for me since he was a teenager so you have nothing to fear or fret about. If the job was impossible he would have told us, this is one thing I like about him" Mr. McDonald told the other person on the receiving side of the phone. "We own every community, State and country so relax you'll get your package soon" Mr. McDonald continued. " It is alright then, let me believe and trust your words" the receiver said and ended the call. "Get me Johnson on the phone" Mr. McDonald shouted at one of his assistants standing beside him. "Son what is happening?" Mr. McDonald asked immediately Johnson answered the call. "Oga, this village is a big one and will be very good for business, the interesting part about the whole thing is that the police station that covers the village is small and from my findings, the Senior Police officer dances to any tune provided his palms are greased (given money)." Johnson explained on the phone in excitement. "Okay thank you for a job well done as always you have done me proud and am happy to call you my son" Mr. McDonald replied happily. You will need to return to base so that we can strategize our next movement he added. "Thank you Oga"Johnson replied as the call came to an end. "You know whom to call" Mr. McDonald told Hakeem his assistant standing beside him. "Yes boss, Hakeem replied and left him. Few minutes later he returned outside to let Mr. McDonald know that he has done the needful. Mr. McDonald is one of the most wanted criminal in the world, he has a cartel that he built single handedly. He often starts his story by saying that the poverty level of his parents made him to try every means possible to make wealthy and not die like his 'miserable parents' as he usually puts it. He said that his father owed a lot of debts that he as the son also inherited, the little amounts he paid off, others had compassion on him and told him to forget about the debit while some asked him to work for them so that his labour will be equivalent to the amount owed to clear the debit. "I will make sure I make a name for myself" Mr. McDonald told himself one day he could not afford a meal for himself and it was same day he joined a drug dealing syndicate. No matter what, whichever way possible money must be made legal or illegal, and as times went forward because of his doggedness he became the favourite of all his boss clients. Mr. McDonald is a very deadily and brutal man, he made a name for himself in the drug world after killing the head of the syndicate and forcing his rulership over other persons. This singular act made him to be feared and reverend even by his other counterparts. It is six months and Lara is still hawking when her mates are now in Junior secondary school but there was nothing she could do to change what fate brought to her. One day as she was walking back home, thinking on how the night meal will be prepared because she did not make any sales, she mistakenly stumbled on a shiny substance on the ground. Looking around to see if anyone was looking and finding non, she picked it up and discovered that it was a tiny well packaged item. Still checking to see if she anyone was coming, she quickly placed the item in one of the pockets of the gown she was wearing unknown to her that want she picked belonged to a supernatural being. "You misplaced the contact lens? Bruno asked the brother in shock and disbelief. "Yes I honestly did while we where trailing Johnson, I did not know how it slipped out of my knapsack" Larry replied. "Do you know the consequences of this action of yours? Do you know what this will cause on Earth and here if that device gets into the wrong hands?" Bruno lamented. "I know brother, and that is why I have taken it upon myself to recover it, remember it has a tracking number? I will recover it and return it back before evening tomorrow just trust me and don't report it missing yet" Larry begged his brother. "You have till tomorrow evening like you said and afterwards I'll have to log it in at the pantry as missing" Bruno told him brother and left angrily.