Pointing toward the door, her mother commanded
" Out! Pack your things.”
Letting a loud cry, Benice froze.
“Have mercy! Mum… please! …”
“Out! I said pack your things!"
In a space of ten minutes, a school bag with a small travel bag was thrown at her.
Her school bag contained some books and inside the travel bag were a few dresses.
With nothing more to accompany two living beings.
Nothing like money. The parents' minds and reactions were higher than the offence itself.
Nothing like communication tools with her.
Seeing just rejection and hatred; Benice was dragging her feet thinking of where to go or perhaps, her parents might change their minds.
While moving outside, thunder roared violently.
Mr. Ayundi shouted Driver
Mr. Mikel, the family driver, rushed in.
“Sir.”
“Take her away from this house!
Drop her far into the big express road going anywhere!”
In disbelief, Benice stared at her father with hatred.
“Ahhhh!!! Are you sure you are my Daddy? please… where do you think I can go? I have nowhere to go…”
“I don't care if you are dead. His voice was cold as stone.
“Before spreading your legs, you should have thought about that.”
With a broken heart, tears blurred her vision as the driver quickly took her bags.
“Young lady, come and enter the car!” Mr. Mikel said quietly.
Walking slowly toward the door, each step felt like she was to be sacrificed as it seemed that was the end of her life.
To her mind the heavy gates of the mansion were closed behind her forever.
Forty-five minutes later, the black car stopped beside a lonely highway bus stop.
Its as if the rain poured heavily without stopping.
With a big sad sigh, the driver didn't want to come out of the car;
He ordered Benice.
“Go behind and pick your loads!. She wanted to pounce on him but filled with disgust, she muttered
“I don't blame you”
“I am sorry, young woman.” said the driver.
Using a shawl, Benice hugged herself against the cold.
“Thank you” she sarcastically whispered with weakness.
Mikel the driver drove off, not looking back.
Being alone she contemplated moving forward to avoid harassment from people.
Many vehicles, private and commercial ones speeding fast, passing her and splashing water on the road and on her nylon dress made her feel self-pity.
The rain fell heavily on Bernice's shoulders as she walked along the dark road.
Cold water soaked her clothes and ran down her face, mixing with the tears she could no longer hide.
Every step felt heavier than the last.
Behind her, the gates of the Ayundi mansion had closed forever.
Being completely alone, trekking far with no direction on that lonely road, she moved towards a suburb that looked like slums.
Benice sat on the cold wooden bench of the next bus stop, shivering.
Having the womb contracting in pains, a tiny life was moving.
Gripped with fear, she cried out
“God… what will happen to me?”
At that moment, a long convoy of luxury cars slowed down on the highway.
The first car stopped at the command of their supposed leader.
Inside sat one that looked like a noble youth but a complete stranger to Benice. He was one of the youngest billionaires in the country.
Comfortably leaning at the back leather seat;
Today was his birthday and would have hosted a great party in one of the best hotels in the city; he had chosen something different.
“Please distribute those envelopes randomly to people we meet tonight,” he ordered Marcus his Personal Assistant (PA),
“All right sir.” his PA Marcus, nodded in agreement.
Stepping out of the car carrying some envelopes filled with money, the first person he saw in that lonely bus stop seemed to him as a shadow but that was Benice wriggling in pain but pretending as if nothing was happening.
Moving forward to a young girl sitting alone in the rain, he noticed her clothes were soaked, her face looked lost.
Walked nearer towards her.
“Excuse me.”
Benice looked up slowly.
Marcus handed her an envelope.
“My boss asked me to give this to someone who needs help tonight.”
Benice stared at it.
“I… I don't understand.”
“Its just a birthday gift.”
She hesitated.
Then she accepted it with trembling hands.
“Thank you…thank you sir.”
Marcus smiled kindly before returning to the car.
The convoy drove away within seconds.
Benice became afraid sitting alone in the rain. Holding the envelope tightly, she kept moving fast. The heavy downpour has stopped abruptly.
She opened the envelope. Inside was money. Enough to survive for weeks.
Something else was inside unnoticed.
Inside the envelope with money laid a pair of rare diamond earrings. But Benice did not know what that meant yet.
Finally being overcome with exhaustion, she weakly walked into the dark streets of one of the slums at the outskirts called Azeroh.
Barely hoping to be alive.
Her vision blurred. The body collapsed onto the muddy roadside.
Unconscious.
She still clutched the envelope in her hand.
Destiny had just begun to gradually open somewhere in this dark place