C3 Chapter One

The road to Fame is like Survival Game. To come out alive you need to follow the rules.

1) Be perfect.

2) Flawlessly beautiful.

3) Don't make mistakes.

Don't find yourself at questionable places to avoid scandals

Don't be caught conversing with the opposite sex to avoid rumors

4) Look pretty and always smile.

And you'll be loved.

Break one rule and become the world's enemy.

You'll be judged and driven to suicide.

It's a an ugly fact......

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Born into and bred in a staunch religious home. Some things are forbidden. Especially when you're from a typical Christian home.

Like wearing shorts revealing clothes, following bad company or befriending questionable people (people covered in tattoos, piercings, wearing shorts revealing clothes, party and club addicts, smoke and drink, love the things of the world), following a married or an engaged man/woman, having a boyfriend/girlfriend or worse having sex before marriage.

A biggest sacred rule is broken if you fall a victim of the second to last and the last but strongest rules.

Fornication and adultery are never entertained in a staunch Christian home.

The disgrace, the humiliation, the shame that associates itself with a Christian girl child fornicating breaks a soul and can drive one to suicide.

Woe unto your soul if you come out with nature's gift.

You're doomed if you're the public eye.

Not all Christian homes are judgmental.

Some Christian homes are understandable and supportive, even though there will be disappointment.

Sadly that's not the case with Gracious' home. Her home falls under the former.

A young innocent maiden from a respectful and reputable Christian home. She being the youngest among six siblings.

Father an elder and the general secretary of the church's marriage counsel, mother the leader of the women fellowship of their church, the first born and eldest son of their family an elder and soon to be ordained pastor, second born and elder sister married to a pastor, uncle a Reverend, auntie a Deaconess.

She the youngest is the youth leader of their church, councillor of the chaste girls club, teacher and assistant leader of the children ministry and soon to be Deaconess when she turns twenty three next year.

A famous inspirational speaker and actress. (Mostly Christian and inspirational movies).

A photographer, movie and music director, producer, song and script writer. She loves this side of her life. Young and born with multi-talents.

With the exception of her other three older sisters, who refused to live their lives according to their family and church policies. They will rather go astray than be tied down with religious rules. They are known as the three black sheep, or the famous wolves among the sheep.

Everybody knew that those three are hard nuts to crack, their true colors were shown from beginning of their first steps and first word. And they are okay with the path they chose, to live their lives freely like a bird without any rules governing them. Making wrong decisions, mistakes, it is their lives and they will live it the way they want it.

Even though they hate always being compared to the golden perfect saint child.

Their strict parents eventually gave up on them. And their sole concentration focused on the humble obedient one.

She Gracious,

the apple of the family, the family and church's pride, the idol of the younger generation. Young girls from across the world look up to her, their idol and role model. They love and respect her perfect and flawless lifestyle.

The old admire her.

Gracious was the definition of perfection, she was with no blemish.

She is known famously as Perfect Pure Gracious and Perfect Beauty.

Grace overflows her. Filled with the wisdom of God--- deepest knowledge of the word of God.

Her smile lights up the dark. Her words melt the coldest heart, her wisdom gives hope, changes lives positively.

Oh and her laughter, a musical sound to the ears, filling the lonely hearts with warmth and love.

Her obedient character won her the hearts of many.

She was a delicate white lilly, pure and innocent like a beaming hope of light, full of life and youthful exuberance.

She wears her dignity with honour and confidence, her family's image was her pride.

She was....,

The perfect daughter.

The one her three beautiful sisters couldn't be.

However......, one beautiful night changed everything, took away everything she worked hard for all her life.....

A sharp slap across Gracious' face had her sprawling on the floor, face whipping to the side. The stinging pain nothing compared to the pain, hurt, anger, desperation, guilt, shame and humiliation eating her regretful heart away.

In messy tears, she falls on her shaky knees before her furious, disappointed and betrayed parents pleading for forgiveness. Her loud guilty and regretful wailing fills her parents' bedroom, descending into the core of the morning dawn.

Betrayal, heart broken, disappointment, pain, hurt and anger fill the hearts of her parents as they gaze down at their once perfect daughter--- pride with so much disgust.

Where did they go wrong in raising her?

Where did they fail being good parents--- responsible parents to her and her siblings?

To deserve such cruel reward, shame and disgrace from her?

She couldn't look up, couldn't look into the eyes of her once proud parents.

How can she when she caused them this much pain, such shame, when she was the cause of the hurt and disappointment surfing up from the depths of their autumn eyes?

Her body trembles as heavy sound of sobs rocks through her.

"I'm so-sorry, I'm so-sorry. Please fo-forgive me. I-I'm s-sorry." She sobs bitterly, heart heavy with guilt as she tries to get a hold of her equally sobbing mother but get flings away heartlessly.

"Sorry?" Her mother asks calmly through sniffles. "Sorry?!" She bellows, abruptly standing up. Tears of betrayal run down her perfectly beautiful golden wrinkles--free face, as her red eyes stare down at her daughter in utter disbelieve.

"You're sorry Adom Ayeyi Ɔdo ( Grace Praise Love)?!" Her aching mother cries out. "Me nfa kyɛ wo?! (I should forgive you?!) Ma me botae baako ntia me nfa kyɛ wo, wɔ neɛ wayɛ nyinaa akyi!" (Give me one reason why I should forgive you after everything you've done!). Mrs Ɔdɔ (Love) pauses her ranting, shakes her head and scoffs. Another round of tears burst out, nose running and face messy. The once egotistic and elegant lady isn't bothered with how ugly her appearance is now.

That thought is the least thought to cross her chaotic mind right now, with the predicament at hand.

"Adɛn meba? Adɛn medɔ? M'adepa adɛn n'awo yɛɛ me saa? (Why my child? Why my love? My valuable treasure why did you do this to me?)" Both mother and daughter wail bitterly, the painful sound breaking the father and husband's heavy heart.

His cold stone face train anywhere but the two important women in his life. He couldn't look at them without cracking, he has to be strong for them-- for the family.

He can't show weakness at such delicate times, not in front of them. Silently he listens to the exchange going on.

"Fakyɛ me maame." (Forgive me mother)

"Me bone ne sɛ me tetew yie?!" (Was my crime raising you well?!

"Mesreo wai, fakyɛ woba wai?" (I'm begging you okay, forgive your child okay?)

"Yɛde ɔdɔ, Nyame suro ne kronkron yɛ na ɛtetee wo. Ɛna wo tua yɛ ka sei?!" (We raised you with love, fear of God and holiness. And you repaid us like this?!)

"Maame, maame, maame ɛyɛ me ooo. Wodɔ ba no, me aaa maa. Mesreo...." (Mother, mother, mother it's me ooo. Your beloved child. It's me Mum. I'm begging you......). Gracious desperately crawls over to her seething mother and wraps her shaky limps tightly around her legs, determine to seek her forgiveness. The act has the mother bursting into another tears, the pain and disappointment is too much to handle. Her heart aches seeing her child in pain, however she can't find it in her heavy crashed heart to forgive her and accept everything just like that.

The situation is too ugly to accept.

"Mesreo maame, hu me mmobɔ. Ɛnte saa ooo, ma nhyɛda sɛ mɛyɛ saa. Wonim me meboa? Wonim sɛ menhyɛda nyɛ biribi sei meboa? Paapa! Paapa!" (I'm begging you mother, have mercy on me. It wasn't like that, I didn't mean to do that. You know me right? You know that I wouldn't do something like this intentionally right? Father! Father!). Crawls towards her cold furious father, grabbing his knees she pleads with dire need. "Ma nhyɛda sɛ mɛ gu yɛn abusua no ɛnim ase. Fakyɛ me Paapa, ɛnyɛ me saa Paapa......(I didn't mean to bring disgrace to our family. Forgive me father, don't do this to me father.....)"

"Yɛmfa nkyɛ wo?(We should forgive you?)" Her mother asks, livid eyes murderously train on her wailing child. "Daabi da! (Never!)" She seeths. "Yɛn nfa nkyɛ wo da!(We will never forgive you!)" Matching towards their bedroom door she flings it open with such force that the frames shook violently. Impatiently she waits for her crying daughter to get the massage across and leave. "Pue! Me se pue firi me dan mu! (Leave! I said leave my room!)" She yells, flaming eyes shooting daggers at her distressed child. The father says nothing. He sits in silence and watches everything unfolds before him.

"Maame mepaw akyɛ mesreo maame please... (Mother I'm begging you please mother please...)." Getting up on her shaky limps she runs into her mother's arms, the arms that once embraced her with warmth, love, care and happiness. Instead of the warm motherly embrace she is met with the hard mahogany door, instantly her forehead swells. Ignoring the sharp head splitting headache forming she makes a move to approach her fuming mother but gets pushed out of the room and the door shut in her face.

Sliding down against it she cries bitterly, her hoarse voice calls out to her mother and father as she pounds on the locked door violently.

Sadly no sound came from the other side.

"Momma, paapa please....... Don't do this to me! I can't take it please say something!" Her aching heart falls into grave solitary as no response comes from the other side.

Her heartbreaking cries fill the whole mansion of the Love resident and the awaking dawn with a looming air.

However her helpless dire pleads receive nothing back but echoes of her own grieving heart.

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