In a world where things may always feel so right but yet be so wrong; how can I, sing a beautiful song?
Aminatu Douglas wanted her dreams to be in the palm of her hands but with the family she didn't choose, how can that simply stand?
When an oppo...
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Nine years ago,
Standing in front of her parents and siblings that were bearing witness to what she was about to say. She could feel her heartbeat through her ears for how scared she was of everyone's reactions to what she was about to announce.
Her whole life was prepared for this moment and as she looked around the room at her six siblings and her parents. She swallowed the lump that was in her throat that felt like a nasty bile waiting to be released. "Come on, Aminatu. We don't have all day, everyone before you has already gone through this process, you already know how it is." Her father, Samuel scolded with irritation latched on his face.
"Just give her some time baby." Naji, her mother comforted but that didn't stop the scowl that had deepened on his face. "What is it that you want to be Amina?"
"I told you guys she wasn't ready for this." Makeda the second oldest sighed and rolled her eyes.
"There's no such thing as not being ready. In the Douglas household there's nothing we can't do. Your mother and I raised eight of you to know this is not a failing house. In this house each and every one of you will be someone in life because we've worked too hard to let any of you amount to nothing so again, Aminatu; stop wasting our time and tell us what you want to go to college and study for?"
Looking at her bags that were already packed by the door in case she failed the test that her parents put each of them through as soon as they turned eighteen. She sighed and looked back at them already knowing her fate but she didn't care. She didn't want to live a life where she would be unhappy just to satisfy her parents and their outrageous beliefs that they pushed upon her and her siblings.
"I-I want to be a singer." She confessed and watched as her father rushed over to their front door and started throwing her bags outside.
Naji, looked at her sixth oldest daughter in disbelief. "Aminatu, you can't be a singer." She voiced and walked over to Samuel who hadn't stopped throwing Aminatu's belongings outside. "Samuel please, she didn't mean it." Her mother tried pleading with her father but he only pushed Naji back and raced over to Aminatu, grabbing her by the hand.
"No daughter of mine will live an unrealistic life and think she's going to stay under my roof while doing so. Your mother and I didn't work this hard throughout our lives for this ignorance." He scolded with spit spewing out of his mouth from his anger.
"Please daddy, you're hurting me." Aminatu pleaded while trying to remove her hand from his grasp but that was useless as his strength was no match for hers. "I'll change my mind. I'll be a doctor or something if you want me too but you can't just kick me out!" She shouted and tried holding on the threshold.
"I told you about that singing Aminatu and it was like everything that I was saying to you was going through one ear and out the next, you're no longer welcomed in this house and your sisters are banished from speaking to you ever again in life. My prayers are with you Aminatu Grace." He said with finality with her siblings and mother embracing each other with tears streaming down their faces.
