C4 Chapter Two

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Accra, East Lagon at the noble mansion of the Ɔdɔ family. All the five sisters of the noble house gather around at the peak of twilight. The youngest in desperate pleads for help holds on to her sisters, crying bitterly for their help in her predicament.

She can't do this alone, face everyone in their family, church--- the world alone. Her parents already refused to help, she hopes her loving sisters do not turn her back like their parents did.

To her unfortunate luck, her hopes backfire on her.

Her sisters (with the exception of the lady pastor their oldest sister) let out a mockery laugh, giving each other a hi-five. Their hearts soar with joy.

Finally! The pride has fallen. The perfect daughter has become the thorn in the eyes of their family. She eventually showed her true colours.

All these while she was deceiving them with her pure lotus innocent act, pretending to be holy, righteous and perfect.

And as the saying goes in a Ghanaian proverb that, (Suban tesɛɛ nyinsɛn, wode sie mmerɛ tintin sɛn araa ɛbɛpue) which means 'Character is like a pregnancy, no matter how long you hide it, it will eventually come out'

Today the sneaking snake has been exposed. She forgot she could never hide forever.

Another mockery laughter resound around them in the living room, follow by a taunt. The harsh sound piercing sharply through Gracious' already broken heart.

"Holyco mama Jesus!" Serwaa the third born of the six siblings, is the first to taunt.

"As for us, we don't sin ooo." Raina the second youngest sister adds earning a disapproving glare from their big sister Jacinta who chooses silence over gloating.

Dede the fourth born of the siblings whistles, trying her best to choke back a laugh. She's that type of sister who will always laugh and make hilarious sounds at the wrong time and circumstsounds. Of course her annoying attitude earns her a murderous glare from the lady pastor.

Gracious' head hangs low in shame. She dares not look up at the colours of their eyes, afraid of what she will see.

Self hate and guilt ovesister her soul. All she could do is bow to shame and shed tears of regrets.

"Your crocodile tears won't change the fact that our family's name will be dragged deeper into the mud and stepped on as pleased because of you! So drop that act and go face the world all by yourself!" Gracious pales from her sister's harsh and heartless words. Her small hunch head looks up, staring at her in a new light. She doesn't sound like her once loving Raina who always promises to wash away her demons and wipe her tears with her gentle rain.

This one sounds like a total stranger, harsh and cruel without an ounce of empathy. The rapid change of her sister's demeanor towards her leaves her in total dumbfounded.

"What? You think any of us will support you?" She scoffs and sneers. "You look pathetic to even think that after everything you've done. You can't fool us with your weak appearance again." Shrugs and adds, "Maybe Ɔsɔfo maame Jacinta (Lady pastor Jacinta) will fall for your act, not us."

Dede yet again whistles with a mockery sound.

"The perfect daughter now rejected?! Needs the help of the disgraced daughters to atone for her foolishness?!" Serwaa remarks with a dramatic gasp, looking wonderfully flustered.

"Be serious Serwaa!" Their oldest sister Jacinta scolds, giving her a pointed look.

"I am being serious!" Laughs. "What? Am I lying? Auntie always calls her the 'definition of a perfect daughter and sheep, bringing glory to our family' and refer to us as the 'shameless irresponsible daughters always bringing disgrace to our family'.

"Or better yet her famous literal phrases, 'My beloved sheep who obeys and knows the voice of her shepherd' and us 'the goats and wolves goating and wolfing our family's name around with no shame'"

"But still..."

"Oh come on Jacinta. Are you implying that we let what this sneaky little rat did go just like that because she's our baby sis?"

Jacinta rolls her eyes, fed up with her younger sister harsh remarks and insensitivity. "We'll deal with her mistake, however at this delicate moment let's just try to understand and give her our support---"

"Never in our nightmare!" The three black sheep among the five sisters strongly object simultaneously, adamant eyes steel on their helpless looking sister.

"Can you hear yourself Jacinta?! What went up your butt this morning?" Raina exaggerates.

"Is there by any chance you've also been bewitched by her 'fake' pure innocence?" Serwaa adds, earning an eye roll from her eldest sister.

Dede laughs and speaks up for the first time since their conversation began. "Come on girls, you forgotten that sister Jacinta is the wife of a pastor and the soulmate of Sneaking rat here? She will do everything in her power to protect this slut!"

"Watch your mouth Gladys! Such profanity words are not welcome here especially in my presence!" Jacinta rebukes her, earning an eye roll.

"Yes Holy woman of God!"

"Be realistic with me hear people! Judging one another and pointing fingers isn't going to send us anywhere in this situation!"

Dede shrugs, "It will send me somewhere, to the land of joy." This earns her a warning glare from her big sister.

"Yeah, me too." Serwaa and Raina agree.

This time the lady pastor looks like she is going to murder any being who opens their mouth at any moment. "Stop being insensitive and act like family!" She scolds them, her blazing eyes glaring daggers at them is enough to mute any comments from the two.

With an eye roll and a begrudging huff the three glare at the sobbing little sister, hearts as a steel, minds will and adamant not to help her.

Raina tries to hold back the loads heaving her heart down, however the pain is too much to control her tongue. She swallows the hot lump forming at the back of her throat and lets her tongue take control of the wheel. "Tell me Gracious, how does it feel like to be the family's disgrace and disappointment? How does it feel to be looked down upon? How does it feel like to be the laughing stock of the family? How does it feel like to be stared at with nothing but disgust, disappointment and disdain in the eyes of the people you love?" Tears fall but she aggressively wipes them away, heart full of pent up pain, hatred and anger.

"Did you know how I felt every time Maa, Daa, Auntie, Uncle and everyone in our family looked at me with nothing but disappointment because I couldn't be like you? Obedient, love everything about God, have multi-talents like you? Did you know how painful it was to watch everyone member of our family gush about how perfect you were, looked at you with pride, adoration and admiration?

You were the golden child, the perfect daughter. The family's pride. Everyone loved you.

I was so jealous of you. I wanted to be like you. And no matter how hard I tried I couldn't be perfect as you. I did everything--- I tried everything to please Maa and Daa and not once, did they look at me with pride--- not once did Maa and Daa say they were proud of me. All I wanted was for them to say they were proud of me, look at me with love and pride and not anger and disappointment.

They saw only you, the pure perfect daughter. The precious jewel of the family. All the love, care and attention were showered on you. You took the spotlight. And we were forced into a corner by your perfection, to blend in with the dark.

You were that beautiful flower vase sitting in the center of the noble hall, being worshipped and adored by many fragrances of flowers." Scoffs a self mockery laugh. "But we, we were the smelly filthy trash can everyone could dispose whatever they didn't want into! Rotten, smelling, disgusting, everything detested and disliked were thrown our way!" Sobs--chuckles.

"How unfair of our parents to do that to us! How unfair and insensitive of them to be bias with their children--- how unfair of our "nobel" family to treat us this way! How loving of a family of God we are!" She pours out her heart, bitter tears gushing out.

Raina stares at her youngest sister with nothing but hate, anger, pain and contempt. She doesn't bother to wipe her running nose and tear filled face.

Gracious' tearfully watches with deep regret and guilt as her sister shares the pain they had gone through because of her.

She didn't know. She really didn't know they had to endure so much because of her. If only she had known. But then again, they were always happy and laughing, as if nothing was wrong. They hid their pain very well and it kills her to have just found out the anger, hatred, pain and sadness behind their smiles.

"I hate Maa." She seethes calmly." I hate Daa. I hate auntie and uncle the most. I hate everyone in this family. I. Hate. This. Hypocritical. Family." Stalking slowly towards a shock-- pain gripped Gracious like a predator inspecting it's prey she spits venom, the one that crushes the tiny bit of hope in Gracious' doomed heart.

"I hate you, no I detest you--- in fact I loathe you with every living fiber coursing through my being." She sneers with seething hatred.

"Raina..." Gracious whispers incredulously, face pales with disbelief.

Raina lets out a gloating laugh. "What love? What makes you think I won't jubilate? It's your downfall--- my greatest enemy's downfall hello.....?" Laughs maniacally, tears accompanying every sound of her broken laughter. "Aahh......!" Sighs in content. "How refreshing to see a sheep become a wolf." She watches as Gracious'face falls dejectely, morphing into greaf.

"What, Raina?" Her hoarse tone croaks out, heart tearing into an unimaginable pieces. She can't take it, it hurts to hear such sadistic and cruel words from the sister she has loved and look up to all her life. "Why?" She whispers sadly, glassy eyes staring at her.

"What? Can't handle it? Awww poor little 'innocent' thing." Shrugs. "It's your fault to begin with. You could have asked any of us," Points at herself, Dede and Serwaa. "who are experienced in that field for guidance. A lying piece of shit, your lotus appearance won't fool me anymore." She watches speechlessly as her most beloved sister glares at her with an undeniable hate brimming in her autumn eyes and stomps away, making sure to avoid body contact with her, like she is a deadly plague. The action breaks her heart completely.

"You brought this upon yourself, so deal with it." Serwaa adds, brushing Gracious' hand attempting to hold her off she walks away with a singing and victory dancing Dede trailing behind.

"From gracious to disgrace, ooohh la laaa! From gracious to disgrace ooohh la laaa! white sheep now black sheep! I can't imagine..... How happy..... My soul is--"

"Shut it already Dede, I'm trying to think straight here....." Serwaa snaps, earning a laugh. Their voices become distant as they ascend further into their rooms upstairs.

Heavy silence falls between the youngest and eldest sisters, as both stare anywhere but make eye contact.

It drags, intensifying every suffering second.

Gracious lets her tears fall silently, the growing pain inside of her chest making breathing as painful as a raging tumor in the brain.

Jacinta tries to hold her own tears at bay but fails miserably. The soft silent sobs of her little sister haunting her ear reach wouldn't leave her. The sound is gravely heart breaking.

Swallowing the heavy lump burning her esophagus she wills herself together into a stone and breaks the killing silence. "You should have thought about everyone before commiting such a grave mistake, you know?" Gracious hangs her head low in shame, unable to look at her biggest mentor in the eyes.

Jacinta watches the little head hiding behind thick curtain of African natural afro with an ironic smile.

Shaking her head with a soft painful chuckle, she continues. "You tried to be selfish for the first time, and it backfired huh?" Her chuckle turns into fits laughter, tears rolling down. "How-- unfor-- tunate of-- you?" She continues to laugh, the tears unable to stop coming. "You should have been careful!" She cries. "Or a--asked me or something! Now look!" Hands up in frustration.

"I'm so-sorry. " Gracious sobs.

"No." Jacinta shakes her head. "Your sorry won't change what you're about to face, what the world will do to you-- how the world will view you now Grace." The two sisters break into an emotional pinball, the little one trapping the oldest one in a tight embrace while she tries to escape.

"Sister Jacinta please help me, I'm s-scared....." Gracious grieves.

Hearing this breaks her heart further. "I can't help you or stop whatever that is coming."

Gracious tightens her hold on her sister, burying her face in the hollow of her back as if to shield her face from the callous world coming for her.

Shaking her head she cries even harder, her broken cries muffling. "No! You can't let them get me! I'm really scared..."

"You should have known that before making such a stupid and grave mistake!"

"I didn't mean to, you know that right? You know I won't do anything stupid on purpose right?! I just-- I just fell in love for the first time....."

"Oh my..." Jacinta pulls away, unable to control past events attacking her all of a sudden she runs out of the hall, leaving a lone Gracious desperately calling out for her.

Why must this happen? The same mistake she made when she was young. Why must Gracious, out of all people face the same pain she faced because of a same mistake she made?!

Love?!

She is doomed.....

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