The room was dark and all that could be heard was a tearful whimper and a clanking sound sipping through the darkness. It was as if the sounds were in constant contestation with each other. A lady, hair unkempt, was sitting at the far corner of the bed, her body plastered to the sheets which she held tightly like it had sinned against her. She glared at the man who stood facing the wall as he desperately tried to buckle his belt. In her resentful glare, her eyes darted through the room as if searching for something. Everything seemed to be closing up on her. The ceiling, the walls, the marble floor was drawing in close, so close that although the room was silent, multiple voices seemed to roaring in between her ears. Then it stopped. It stopped when her eyes sighted the door which was ajar and a figure she couldn't quite decipher was standing behind the door . Suddenly, the figure disappeared.
To be born is to chose a path we never bargained for. So certain that Amopha didn't chose the heat that emitted from the flames that razed her home to ashes. Being in her most vulnerable year, she was carried away by her uncle Chazz from her home which was now a blazing furnace , one her parents were not considered worthy by Providence to escape. Her sharp cries tearing through the air as hot tears escaped her eyes. The flames of that very night still burned deep in her psyche igniting the memory of her deceased parents. The ashes that floated swiftly through the air, the heat that bounced against the stillness of the night, the muddled voices of firefighters trying to put away the fire, all these contributing to Amopha knowing the meaning of pain at a young age. She didn't know if she would ever face such pain as deep as that day again. Even as a young lady, she became entitled to a sense of acceptance that made her delve more into her growth and identity although the pain of the past had already imprinted a scar in her memory. In her constant search for identity, she would find herself drowning in her cogitations. Cogitations on if she was going to be a better version of her parents as she never remembered what they were truly like; or a better version of herself although she was still questioning her identity. Even as she stared at a large Italian painting on the wall while stroking her jaw with her thumb, the voice of her uncle and the whizzing sound seemed to fall off her ears.
"Amopha! Amopha!! Amopha!!!" Uncle Chazz hollered turning off the gas as Amopha jerked back to reality. The kettle still whizzing out thick steam into the air.
"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry uncle" Amopha said remorsefully
"Where have your mind been?"
"I…I was thinking again. I'm sorry"
"If my wife was around, you know she wouldn't take this lightly. You're lucky she has traveled with the kids for a vacation"
"Aunty Freda wouldn't be that angry" Amopha said shrugging
"What's the matter with you Amopha?" Uncle Chazz said sitting on the dining chair and beckoning on her to move closer, his voice more solemn and concerned now "I hope you're not thinking again?"
"Maybe I am thinking." Amopha said her voice becoming shaky "Maybe I'm thinking because I'm finally going to the university, a whole new world where I'm gonna meet people I don't know about "
"But Amopha, you associated with people in pre-school, elementary, junior high and even high school. Isn't that enough to build your association with people?"
"Trust me uncle. I'm sure these set of students wouldn't be like high school students. They'll be much more cooler, reserved and trendy."
"You're talking to me like I never attended the University"
"It's just that in my basic schooling days, I always come back home but now, I'm going to be there for a very long time"
"And that is exactly what you need. You stay there for a long time, and you socialize and associate with people that will get to know you and want to be your friend. But most importantly, you focus on what you actually came there for, your education" Uncle Chazz said beckoning on her to sit down which she did "You are growing Amopha. You are now a young lady of … How old are you again?"
"20" Amopha said confidently
Ah, twenty. A time to love oneself even in solitude not as a temple but as a wound, cleansed, purified into a budding growth of identity and self acknowledgement. It was a break away from her childhood days where she came back from school crying for her mum thereby making the teachers cringe. She had played truant as a pre-teen one day and when caught claimed to be searching for her dad. They had advised Uncle Chazz and Aunt Freda to take her to a therapist but they claimed nothing was wrong with her. Now with twenty solid years intact, she was off to a great start to adulthood in a world she knew nothing about. A world with people just tasting adulthood or already swimming in it. Whether they were drowning or they were floating above it, she didn't know.
For someone like Drey, he was simply having a good swim which was accompanied with his father old money.
"Dreyson Fitzgerald!" Sheldon, Drey's father hollered. He was seated at the large living room which was surrounded by comfy white sofas which matched the décor of the room. The chandelier merging with the sunlight illuminating the full glory of the interior. The ceiling reflecting luxury and sophistication, with its intricate and ornate embellishments.
"Dreyson Fitzgerald, you are going to be late" Sheldon said again
"Dad please stop worrying." Drey said emerging in a leather outfit. "Is not like we don't have cars that speed up a thousand miles per hour"
"Son, you know you need to train yourself with the mentality that my money and resources will not always save you."
"Dad, I only woke up late. What's with the motivation?"
"You need to start acting responsibly. Waking up late is not part of acting responsibly. Punctuality is the soul of every business" Sheldon said rising and holding on to his walking stick, a golden staff with a pewter owl on its neck.
"Whoa whoa whoa, dad, let's hold on. You're the business man not me. For now I'm still trying to figure out my life even though big brother has his already worked out for him. Right now, the least I need is you trying to bombard me with business and moral ethics. Let me relax and be at ease, please"
"Why do you always compare yourself to that young man. He took his responsibilities seriously even as a young boy but you, my son, the heir to my business empire pushes it all away"
"And you said I shouldn't compare myself but you are doing that right now " Drey said almost irked
"Dreys…
"Dad please" said Drey scoffed walking out of Sheldon who sighed.