Chapter 1
My name is Immaculate and I like Ezekiel more than anything that I have ever known. We are all from the same village and we go to the same school but I have noticed that my father does not even want to see me talk to him. I don’t know why he is opposed to that and I remember him telling me about it at some point last year that I should not even dare make him my friend although I never took it seriously.
My father got to know about our friendship one time as where we were coming from school and Ezekiel was holding my hand. He was telling me some funny story and held my right hand trying to show me something across the field and I did not know that my father was behind and watching.
My father was so angry about it while we were having dinner, he told me that I will be joining a new school beginning next term and at first, I thought he was joking but it later came to be true. My mother was not happy about the decision that my father did but she had nothing to do. Will I keep changing schools because my father does not like just one kid there. I was also not happy about it.
As all this happened, my mother was quiet thought the whole period which tells me that this was not a decision from both of them. My father is someone who loves to bulldoze everything around himself and I think my mother studied and mastered him. She doesn’t question him at all.
I then posed a question to him one day;
‘‘I have been walking to school every day for the most part of my school life but Excel Queens School is some good kilometers from our home. How am I going to commute to school every day then’’? I spoke
‘’Don’t worry about that one, my girl, someone will be dropping you off and pick you in the evening every day’’
‘’Looks this is going to be tiresome, I guess.’’
‘’Yeah, it will be. You have to wake up early every day and leave home by at most 6:00am,’’ he said
‘‘Ok daddy, But why?’’
‘‘You don’t have to know everything my dear. We want the best for you and we are sure that that school will match the standard that we require of you,’’ he replied
‘‘Fine’’
That looked expensive to them but anyway they can afford it, why bother.
A week later, my mother confided in me about the whole situation with some hidden facts that I did not even know happened even before I was even born;
‘‘Your father doesn’t want you to be close to that boy, Ezekiel. When he sees your together, it irritates him’’ she said
‘‘But Mummy, me and Ezekiel, we are just friends!’’
She continued to tell me something;
‘‘It is well known around this community that Ezekiel father and your grandfather were enemies and Ezekiel’s father burnt your grand father’s house and that anger has passed down to their children.’’
‘‘How I am supposed to know what happened to my father when he was still young. I mean that was their generation and it is gone,’’ I replied
‘I know but people still remember these facts like yesterday,’’ she said
‘’Why did Ezekiel’s father burn our grannies’ house?
‘‘I also don’t know.’’
‘‘Okay’’
I smiled at him and I knew that my assumptions were correct. But how am going to avoid him, we are from the same village unless you are saying that I stay indoors.
I went about my normal house duties, washing dishes as my mother prepared dinner.
Driving from home to my new school takes about 30-40 minutes and although I am getting used to the normal routine. I wake up early and sometimes wait for the driver. Joining a new school sometimes requires some time to get used to the normal routine, like make new friends and the like but it wasn’t my problem because I am a go getter.
One day I came early from school and my mother sent me to the nearby trading Centre to buy some groceries and while I was there, I saw Ezekiel walking on the other side of the road. I had taken time without seeing him and I waved at him. He stopped ahead and waved back. So, when I was done with what I was doing, I rushed there to greet him and catch up with lost memories. I rushed to him and called his name until he stopped;
‘‘Hello Ezekiel, how are you doing,’’ I said
‘‘Am good, how is your new school?’’
‘‘Who told you,’’
‘‘We all know about it’’
‘’Really! it is not me who requested for change of school’’
‘‘I know, I was told that I should avoid you at all times and I know that even people watching us talking now might be probably taking photos of us and probably reporting directly to your father,’’ he said
We walked to a nearby a big tree that kind of shielded us from many on lookers and we continued to chat.
‘‘Can I ask you something,’’ he said
‘‘Yes please’’
‘‘Are you going to continue to be my girlfriend or that chapter is now closed’’ he said
‘‘Of course, I am. Unless if you tell me that you don’t want to see me any more’’
‘‘Okay, promise me one thing’’
‘‘What is that?’’
‘‘That you will always have my heart, no matter what they say about what my grandfather did to your grandfather,’’ he said
‘‘Oh! you know that story also!’’
‘‘I know everything my dear’’
‘‘Thanks for talking to me’’
I am there smiling even forgetting that the people around here could have probably passed on the information to my mother and besides she told me to hurry up with the groceries. I don’t know what to do but I like this guy and whenever we are talking, I am happy. I don’t know what I can do to hate him.
‘‘I have to go now,’’ I said
‘‘I like your confidence now. When shall we meet again?’’ he replied
I looked up and down and pondered for an answer. ‘’We shall meet; did we plan to meet today?’’ I spoke
‘‘Okay so we live it to destiny, right?’’
I kept on looking at him and don’t know what to say. He steps closer and kissed me on the cheek.
‘‘I have to go now.’’
‘‘Yes, you can go,’’ he said
I am stupid now. I am saying this over and over again and how come I can’t control myself. I finally walked away but kept looking back as his eyes were glued onto me. I will keep the memories for sure.
I knew that they were going to be some serious questioning once I got home but who cares that will take care of itself. Indeed, it the first question that my mother asked me about;
‘‘What took you so long? Was the market closed?’’ she said
I had to come up with a quick response quickly to calm her down.
‘‘All that was there was not fresh so I had to wait for one vendor who was still unloading his stuff from the vehicle,’’ I replied
That was a good one, I guess.
‘‘Okay’’
‘‘Help me out to prepare sauce now. Food is almost getting ready,’’ she said
