Chapter 1
Lenna's POV
Criinnngg!!!! Criinnggg! Criinnggg!0
Ugh!, this alarm is giving me a headache. It was 4am and I had to wake up to prepare coffee and breakfast for the Piero's, do some cleaning before I go to school.
The Piero's are known to be ruthless, arrogant and intimidating. That is everyone's point of view but for me, I would say they are the kindest people to ever live on earth except for that son of a bitch, Gage Piero.
Gage and I attended the same school and we were both in sophomore year. The only difference between us is that he was my boss, he's mean and carries a very big fat ego on top of his head whereas I'm calm, shy and invisible to everyone in school.
By the time the clock strikes 5:30, I was already done making breakfast. I Was just putting it in the oven to maintain it warm when I heard heavy footsteps getting to the kitchen, it stopped right at the door.
I closed the oven and walked past the boy who was growing into a young man every passing day.
"Where are you going?" Mmm... Let's just say I pretended to not see him but with his voice now, I'm certain I saw him.
"To get ready for school sir?" I replied politely.
"Bring me coffee in my room." With that, he left me standing there like a lunatic. His voice was so authoritative and commanding.
He uses that voice when talking to me and other people who aren't his mother, father and friends.
Without a word, I went back into the kitchen and poured some espresso into a coffee cup, placed it on a saucer and sent it to Gage's room.
I knocked but heard nothing in response. After two minutes of knocking, I opened the door and peered inside but there was no sign of him.
I heard the sound of a running shower in the bathroom which means I have to wait until he comes out of the shower. He gets mad when you leave something for him when he isn't around.
I placed the coffee on the coffee table and sat down on the leather couch that was positioned to the right far end of his room. I looked at the time on his clock and it was 5:51.
I waited, 5:54, he still hasn't come out. 5:59,......... 6:07, .........6:13. Oh God, I'm going to be late for school today.
He finally decided to come out at 6:18.
His body was wet with water dripping down from his hair, a white towel wrapped loosely around his waist I was even afraid it would fall off.
His 6 packs were drawned clearly on his belly. He looked so hot just standing there_______
Stop, just stop. For God's sake and for your own sake, he's your boss.
I diverted my eyes away from him to the clock....... 6:23. Oh my God. I haven't even taken my shower yet and..........
"Waiting for something?" Gage asked.
"No sir, I will leave right away." I hurried to my room and started preparing for school. After 10minutes, I was ready to go.
I started running to catch up with the bus. With the bus, it takes only 8 minutes to get to school. I was lucky I got there on time else I would have to run all the way to school.
I got out of the bus and as usual, Gage's personal driver Jonah, pulled into the school packing lot. He saw me and quickly rolled down the car glasses and waved at me. I waved back with a smile but when I saw Gage giving me a deadly glare, I turned and walk into the school hallways.
As usual girls were gawking at him as if he was an angel who just fell from heaven to deliver them eternal life.
His friends walked to him and together, they matched like armed soldiers ready for war.
I went to my locker to pick my books for my first and second period and saw that girl who has been worrying me for two good weeks now.
"Hey." She greeted and I gave her a smile in return.
Honestly, she is a nice girl but I had no intention of making friends.
I've seen quite a lot of girls been bullied everyday. It's just a matter of time before they notice me. Right now, I was invisible and making friends will only mean drawing attention for myself.
I just want to graduate peacefully without a problem with anyone.
"We have English together before lunch, I was wondering if you could have lunch with me today?" She asked coyly waiting for my answer.
"I have to take care of something during lunch, I won't be able to make it, sorry." She looked disappointed but then smiled.
"Maybe next time?" She pressed.
"Yeah, next time." Just when I turned to head to Math class, the bell rang. Everybody was rushing to get to their classes and so was I.
Before I could enter into Math class, a screeching sound erupted at the end of the hallway where I just came from.
There was a girl on the floor clutching her knee and the people around her was no other than Gage and his three friends. Any sane person would apologize after bumping into someone but Gage isn't one. He just walked away with his head held high.
The girl managed to stand on her feet but she was bleeding in the knee. Another girl put her arms around her to escort her to the infirmary I think.
I walked into Math class and made my way to the back with Gage and his friends trailing after me. They normally don't sit at the back, why now? Well that isn't my problem.
I pulled out my poetry book and started reading 'THE SCHOOL BOY' By William Blake.
Mr. Ferris came in 10minutes late. He apologized before starting the class.
I put away my poetry book and took out my math book. For what felt like infinity, the bell finally rang. I packed my books and left, heading to English class.
I like English but when it comes to some poems like 'SHALL I COMPARE THEE TO A SUMMER'S DAY?' By William Shakespeare and 'BIRCHES' By Robert Frost, I feel like they are written in a foreign language and not in English.
"Lenna" I heard my name the moment I entered the class room. It was that same girl who invited me to eat lunch with her earlier.
"Sit here with me?" She gestured to the empty seat beside her. I nod and sat beside her.
Miss Blankson entered just before the bell rang for the beginning of second period.
"Hello class, you were told to bring your poetry books today. If you know you did bring yours, do me a favour and leave the class quietly. Do not come back until you find one." Miss Blankson said with a serious face.
I roamed my eyes around to look at students who didn't bring their books but no one got up, not even Gage who I'm 100%sure he did not bring his.
I knew he wouldn't bring it and that is why it's currently in my backpack. I was just waiting for for him to ask for it but his ego was so big that he wouldn't ask.
He just sat there as if he had his book with him.
"Gage Piero, put your book on the table." Miss Blankson said, clearly irritated with the way Gage was sitting there comfortably and without his book.
He extended his hand in my direction without turning to look at me. Everyone in the room eyes followed his outstretched arm and landed on me. Oh God........ I should have just given him his book before the lesson began. They were all probably wondering why he's stretching his hands towards me.
I pulled out his book and stood up, walked to his seat and placed it on his table and went back to my seat.
"Ok everyone, open your books to page nine, we are starting with the poem BIRCHES. Alice, tell us about the poet." Who is Alice? My question was answered when the girl sitting by me stood up. So Alice is her name huh? She would have been a great friend if I wanted to befriend her. Her name sounds decent.
She told the whole class that the poet is Robert Lee Frost, he's an American poet, speaker, lecturer and playwright. He was born in San Francisco, California, US, on the 26th of March, 1874.......
Wow, she really read all that? What I don't understand is why we should know everything about the poet. Is it the poem that matters or the poet?
"Morris, read the first stanza and tell us what you understand." OH MY GOD. She did not just say that
She actually did. She was looking at me, waiting for me to speak. Everybody was looking at me.
Ok, you are not that bad, just calm your nerves down and read it, then say what comes to mind.
I released a deep breath and start reading.
"When I see birches bend to left and right
Across the lines of straighter darker trees,
I like to think some boy's been swinging them.
But swinging doesn't bend them down to stay
As ice storm do. Often you must have seen them
Loaded with ice a sunny winter morning
After a rain. They click upon themselves
As the breeze rises, and turn many-colored
As the stir cracks and crazes their enamel.
Soon the sun's warmth makes them shed crystals shells
Shattering and avalanching on the snow crust-
Such heaps of broken glass to sweep away
You would think the inner domeof heaven had fallen.
They are dragged to the withered bracken by the load....
"That's enough. I said read only the first stanza and explain, not all." Miss Blankson reminded me. I really had a big problem. " Since you've read up to the third stanza, it will only be fair to explain all three stanzas." Damn it. Why did I have to read that much?
"In the first three lines, the speaker creates the setting of nature with the image of birches bend to left and right and, lines of other straighter darker trees. In contrast with the straighter darker trees, the birches bend." I paused to take in air before continuing. I could feel Gage's eyes on me but I ignored him and continued.
"The expressions, when I see(line 1)and I like to think(line 3) ..... suggest that the sight of bent birches is not new to the speaker. His preference to think that the birches bend as a result of the swinging of them by some boy's is suspenseful, why would he like to think some boy's been swinging them?
In line 4 to 5, the speaker highlights what actually causes the birches to bend to stay---ice storms. The ice storm are natural cause, and this conflict with the poets preferred imaginary cause of a boy swinging them. This suggests that nature, in the form of the ice storms, is a more powerful force compared to the artificial( his thought of a boy's been swinging them). Though, both bend the birches, the former bends them down to stay. * paused for a breath*
From line 5 to 15, the poet goes on to highlight how the ice storms form the ice that bend the birches. The process brings out the beauty of nature, in spite of its destructive aspect of bending the birches. The ice starts after a rain. The water drops on the branches of the birches and form and form the ice which click upon themselves in the breeze. The ice turn many-colored (line 8), probably, because of the reflection of the sun's rays on it which, from a distance, projects imaginary colours akin to that of the rainbow.
Eventually, the ice breaks and avalanches down the branches under the sun's warmth. The comparison of the broken ice to heaps of broken glass and the inner dome of heaven highlights the large quantity of the broken ice which, in turn, suggests it's intense weight." I released a heavy deep breath and some of the students cheered and clapped their hands while others gave me weird looks.
I could feel someone's eyes staring intently at me and I was nervous to raise my head and when I finally did, it was no other than Gage Piero. That look was a look I have never seen on his face.
I caught a lot of people looking at me and whispering to their friends and when I turn their way, they immediately look away.
I admit, I might have studied ahead to be able to explain that much but, did I really do well that they are stealing glances at me and whispering among themselves? Maybe they are rather talking about how poorly I explained it. Well I don't care about what they think. I only cared about what Miss Blankson would say. My marks depends on only her opinion.
"Well done Morris." She offered me a toothy smile and turned to the whole class. "I suggest you do your personal studies with Morris if you want to improve your understanding in poetry. This is our first time doing poetry yet she gave such an incredible explanation for the first three stanzas. Some of you here might not be able to interpret just a single line but she did, with three full stanzas." Then she turned to me again, "keep it up."
I had a feeling this wasn't going to end well but kept quiet.
Miss Blankson continued her class and the bell finally rang for lunch break.
I packed my books and headed straight to the library.
In the library, I couldn't concentrate on what I was doing. The loud ringing of a phone made me think whether it was a wise idea to come here in the first place. I wonder why people tend to bring phones to a library which was supposed to be quiet for rea......... wait a minute, that sounds like my cell phone.
I fished it out of my backpack, slightly panicking. It was only one person who calls me but only at night.
I pressed the answer button, press it against my ear and waited for the caller to speak first
"Hello?" Came a lady's voice
"Can you hear me....... am I speaking to Lenna?"
"Yeah" I finally found my voice.
"Please come to Jamira's hospital asap, your sister is in labour, she needs you right now." A lady in the other line spoke like if she's in a hurry.
My sister? But I don't have a sis....... Oh right, Mia. I almost forgot about her. Isn't the baby supposed to come in two weeks time? What is going on?
"I will be there in 10, please tell me, how is she? Is she alright?" Am beginning to worry sick.
"We can't say for sure how she's doing right now. All we know is that she's in a terrible condition, we are doing our best to help her deliver successfully but she needs support by someone from her family. It will help her keep calm.?
"Ok, am on my way........" She hang up on me. God, please be with her while am on my way.
I started running out of the library. I had to put my books in my locker before I go to the hospital.
Before I could get to my locker, I bumped into a wall of steel and fell. I whimpered as I land on my butt with a loud thud. Oh God, you seem to run into trouble when you are in a hurry.
I could hear a chorus of laughter erupt around me but am not in my right senses to care. All that is running through my brain right now is to get to the hospital.
I quickly stood up, picked my stuff that was scattered on the floor and without bothering to find out whom I had bumped into, I run to my locker. Stuffing my books into the locker, I slammed it shut and started running out of the school building and at that moment, the bell started ringing for third period.
The hallways were filled with students walking to their prospective classes while giving me confuse looks. I don't seem to care though, everything around me appeared to be dead.
Before I got to the school packing lot, I heard a familiar voice screaming my name to stop but I didn't. I run out of the packing area and onto the streets trying to stop a cab but couldn't get one.
I began feeling uneasy, what do I do in times like this?
"Where are you going?" Oh no, not right now. Infront of me was a truck which I recognised as one of Gage's friend's. But the voice that came out of the truck was Gage's.
"To meet a friend." I answered casually, uninterested in his inclusive actions. I had to admit, this was a first. He had never given me two seconds of his time before, let alone coming after me. But this isn't the time to think about his time management.
"Taxi.........taxi." I called out for the fourth taxi and yet again, it's been taken.
"I will drop you off." What? Did I hear him well? I think my ears are deceiving me. "Come on, get in." Ok, I heard him loud and clear now.
Without a word, I hopped in and he sped off. He turned to look at me with a raised furrowed eyebrow.
What is he doing looking at me like that?
"Will you mind telling me where you are going?" Right, that explains his furrowed eyebrow.
"Uh........umm..." where am I going again? My brains had a habit of not functioning well when you need them the most.
"Just tell me the damn place, will you." He snapped.
"The... hospital. I..... I.... uh.. I mean uh... Jamira's hospital." Oh, what is happening to me? I was so restless, I couldn't even form a proper sentence.
"Stop sniffing, they are irritating me." What? I was sniffing? I run a hand along my face and felt something wet. Great, I was not only sniffing but crying too.
"We are here."
I snapped my head to the door and there was the hospital, opening the door in a haste, I mouthed a 'thank you' to Gage and walked hurriedly into the hospital.
"Wait." I heard him say but there wasn't anytime left for waiting. I increased my pace, walking right to the front desk.
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Hello my dearest people, this is the first chapter of FRAIL AND ROBUST. Hope you liked it. :)
<3
loved your writing style
Looks interesting but please don't put all full incredible explanation of poems because if i will read them am gonna die. I hope you understand my prob.
HI
My name is Maverick Nicholas, am from France i will brief you more once i hear from you as soon as possible i will like to discuss with you, email me to (nimaverick5 @ gmail. com)
With Regards
Maverick Nicholas