Betrothed

Episode 3

We arrived at the Hughes estate. It was really large and filled with all sorts of greenery, and beautiful flowers, so many flowers adorned the entrance of the estate and the sides of it I felt like getting out of the and telling my family to continue without me, just so I could trek and sniff the flowers all the way to the main entrance of the beautiful mansion. I knew I couldn't do that though because I just wanted the meeting to be over with already and I didn't want anything that would delay it any further, even if it meant I didn't get to sniff the beautiful flowers, i'd survive. I could hear my sister giggling and I just had to wonder what was making her so happy.

We got to the entrance of the building and I was amazed at the beautiful structure, the house was painted a beautiful off white color with gold designs adorning various edges, random flowers were also planted at the sides of the building, making it look like a war between red, yellow, white, blue, green and many other colors a flower could possibly be. I decided that whoever planned and planted these flowers was daring and really artistic. My mom would never allow such inharmonious color arrangement anywhere near her much less the front of our house.

We were ushered in my buttlers and maids who scurried around us to make sure we were alright and had no need. Honestly I was bored and exhausted with all the fussing maids handed out, as if our every word determined their future, I mean I could understand when the maids in our own house fussed over us but I didn't understand why the maids in this strange but beautiful house were fussing too, at the end of the day weren't we all human.

May on the other hand looked like she was totally enjoying the attention. After the fussing and welcoming, the maids dispersed, leaving just one maid and a butler. They both took us to a lovely garden filled with more greenery and flowers I didn't even know their names. Sitted in the garden was Mr. Zack and Mrs. Monica Hughes, the parents of my would-be husband. Upon seeing Mrs. Monica I was immediately shocked. I had heard she was extremely beautiful but I never expected she was THIS beautiful. She looked particularly exquisite in her red fitted gown which seemed to form a cloud beneath her. Her cocoa brown skin shone under the afternoon light and I childishly thought that if I stared at her skin I would see my reflection. Her body was scarcely adorned with jewelry, having only a beautiful white pearl around her neck very much resembling mine. I unconsciously touched my pearl necklace and her eyes followed my hands. She smiled at me and walked over to us, particularly me.

"Good afternoon Mr. Philip, Mrs. Patty it's such a delight having this meeting today, I pray it goes well, come and have a seat."

She said while still staring at me. I didn't feel small or weird with her staring like I normally would, instead I felt happy that she saw me and that we both wore matching necklaces. We all walked to the center of the garden and then I saw him.

*****

The only thing I knew about my would-be bride was her name and age. As I stood behind my father and brother I was sure she could not see me but I could see her. She was standing beside her parents. To say I was shocked when I saw her parents would be an understatement. Her father was extremely tall and handsome but what amazed me the most was how tall her mother was, I honestly think she was almost 6ft tall. Amanda looked really mature for a ten year old and she acted it too. She was a spitting image of her mother. I could only imagine how tall she would eventually get. She had the same cocoa brown skin as her mother and my mother and it shone under the afternoon sunlight. Her little sister was beside her and she just could not mask her curiosity even after almost stumbling and falling face first because she was glaringly excited for this meeting. One would think she was the one meeting her betrothed for the first time. Amanda on the contrary was the very opposite of her sister in character. She seemed more interested with my own mother than me. I mean she hadn't seen me yet but she seemed content enough just staring at my mother. Safe to say I was jealous (of my own mother!!) and I gently stepped out from behind my father just so she could see me. I wanted to know if she look at me with the same level of interest and awe she stared at my mother with.

We locked eyes and I just couldn't look away. I had always known that I had a sole responsibility to love and cherish her no matter how this meeting and other consecutive meetings turned out but looking at her now, seeing how bold and beautiful she was and looked, I knew in that instant that loving her would require no effort, because in my 15 year old mind I was ready to die for this browned skin beauty. My father stood with I and my brother as my mother went over to the Armani's to bring them over to the sitting area carefully designed by the maids today. My mother made sure to carefully cut and trim her rioting flowers of different colors by herself. She usually did that whenever she felt anxious or nervous and needed something to do or whenever she wanted alone time.

"Good afternoon Mr. Armani, Mrs. Armani" my dad greeted, "please have a seat". Mr. Patty pulled the chair for his two daughters and his wife to sit down before sitting down himself. I was immediately impressed, I thought dad was the only person that still did that in the world of today but I guess chivalry never dies after all. Amanda and I kept looking at each other, I couldn't help but wonder what she thought of me. "Uhmm, kids, it's not a staring contest",my mom said. We both immediately broke eye contact looking extremely embarrassed. "Hi, my name is Zain Hughes and this is my younger brother, Victor Hughes" I introduced myself and my brother and extended my hand for a hand shake. "Good afternoon, I'm Amanda Armani and this is my younger sister, May Armani. Nice to meet you" she said, while shaking my extended arm and maintaining eye contact with me.