When The Chains Fell

°~•Dolled up•×•

Abigail's POV

I'd been in here for what felt like hours, with no way to tell the time and nothing but the endless dark around me. It felt like forever.

How long was my father planning to keep me in here?

I had cried until I had no more tears left to cry. And at the end of the day, I had to remind myself that my tears weren't going to save me.

They didn't save me when I failed my first entrance examination and my father beat me nearly to death.

Neither did they save me when my brother, Abel and I stole Mrs Kazulu's rainbow brooch and our father found out and whipped us with red iron.

My tears never moved my father and once his mind was made up, there was no going back.

I let out a sigh and propped up my knees closer to my chest.

The atmosphere in the room was getting chiller by the second. This wasn't the first time my father had locked me up in here, but it was the first time I had stayed here this long.

Although I had no idea what the time was, I was very sure I had never stayed this long.

Just then I heard footsteps approaching and sat up. I guess father finally decided to let me out.

The door swung open and there stood my father, looking as serious as he always looked.

"Come out." He said in a gruff voice and turned to walk away.

I stood up, slightly staggering as my legs felt weak after sitting for hours.

I followed my father out, squinting as the bright light outside embraced my eyes. My mother was standing outside in the corridor.

"Clean her up and make her look presentable." I heard my father say to her. He gave me a look before leaving.

"Come on Abby, we need to get you cleaned." My mother said and took my hand. Why were they doing this?

She led me to the room I shared with my four younger siblings. That's as much as we could afford, a two bedroom apartment. My parents weren't rich and maybe that's what caused this predicament I was in.

I glanced at the old wall clock ticking endlessly on the wall. It was 14 minutes past seven. I couldn't believe I had spent the entire night in the store room.

"Go wash up, I'll be here waiting." My mother said and I frowned.

"Why?" I asked her and she pursed her lips, the disapproval at my question clearly showing on her face.

"Don't ask questions Abby. Just do as you're told. Don't forget your father and I are still very upset with what you did yesterday." My mother said and I angrily stormed into the bathroom.

It was a shared bathroom which connected to our parents room and ours. There was a door at the other side of the bathroom which led directly to my parents room.

I took of mb clothes and filled a bucket with water. We weren't wealthy enough to be able to afford a shower or a fancy bathtub.

As I cold water trickled down my skin, my mind went back to my mother who was still in my bedroom waiting.

I didn't know what she and father were up to, but it definitely wasn't good news.

I finished bathing and wrapped a towel around my tiny frame.

My mom was sitting on the bed, waiting like she had promised.

"You smell nice." She smiled. She actually smiled.

At that moment I knew something my was off. She was supposed to be mad at me, but here she was smiling.

"Tell me mama, what really is going on?" I asked, hoping that this time she'd actually say something.

"Professor Dalu is on his way to come see you. We are planning for the engagement ceremony and he wants to see you before that." She said, and horror filled my face.

"No mama, I can't meet him. You and father really have to call off this marriage. I won't get married to him." I said, my voice, breaking into sobs.

My mother stood up and walked towards me.

"Listen to me Abby, it's already been decided, he paid the bride price already and half the entire village is aware now. We can't just call off this marriage now, and remember, our lives are at stake here.

Your father and I still owe him a huge amount of money! And if we don't go ahead with this, he's going to sue us. You can't really afford for your parents to go to prison now do you? If not yourself, think about your younger siblings Abby, what will happen to them if we're locked up?" At this point she was shaking me vigorously as if trying to shake some sense into me.

I had never seen my mother like this, desperate, scared and angry at the same time.

At this point I knew it wasn't just about me anymore. This marriage was everything to our family now.

It was a do or die situation, and our whole lives depended on it. But at the end of the day, it wasn't going to be their happily ever after, or in this case never after, because I saw no future with that man. I wasn't ever going to be happy, married to someone I didn't love.

I complied and let my mother dress me up and transform me into a doll. If this was what fate had in stall for me, who was I to go against it?

As I stared at my reflection on the mirror once mother was done. I indeed looked like a doll.

She had put light makeup on me and adorned my long, black hair with flowery ornaments.

I was wearing my yellow sundress, one of the few good dresses I had. It was a gift from Uncle Festus last Christmas.

"You look pretty, my child," my mother said as she turned me around and took my hands, a small smile plastered on her face.

"You're about to meet your soon to be husband, at the very least wear a small smile on your face, even if it's fake." She said and I almost had the urge to yell at her for what she just said.

Does she expect me to welcome a stranger with a smile and say, 'I can't wait for us to get married, husband.' I couldn't believe this.

Just then the door creaked open and my sister Arabella came in.

"Mother, professor Dalu has arrived." She said, staring at me with confused little eyes.

In all of these, I hoped my sisters never had to face this same fate. I let out a heavy sigh as I prepared to meet my husband for the first time.

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