Helplessly Bound

Chapter 1

If they cannot control you in the four directions, they will control you inside the four walls. —Jagadeesh Kumar

                          

Eight years later…

Barren woman.  A voice shouted. 

If you had a child, your marriage will be stronger, another person yelled. 

When will I carry my grandchild? came an angry female voice 

The taunts and the questions continued, and the volume of the voices increased.  

You are so useless! A male voice howled.

Fola Akande shot up from her lying position.  Sweat poured down her face and her heart pounded. Her body trembled and she wrapped her arms around her body. She gasped for breath and buried her face in the crook of her arms. Her eyes closed as she fought to drown the loud voices raging in her mind. 

Gradually, the voices faded, and a deafening silence remained. Slowly, she raised her head and uncurled from her fetal position. Her head fell back and a sigh escaped her lips. 

It's okay, she told herself.

 It was just a nightmare.  

She gazed up and a tear slid down the side of her face.  The attributes of her life baffled her.  Others woke up to the sounds of an alarm or the chirping of birds, however, she woke up to the remnants of a nightmare.  A pained smile graced her lips and more tears fell. 

A knock on her bedroom door broke her musings. She sat up straight and wiped away her tears.  

"Come in," she called out in a semi-hoarse voice. 

The door swung open and a somber face came into view. The person walked in and stopped at the foot of her bed.  

The person began to speak but she cut the person off.  

"I know, Nora. It's time to get ready." She smirked.  "That's what you came to say, right?"

The person nodded. Fola chuckled and shook her head at another characteristic of her life. Nora might be a maid in the eyes of all but to her, she was nothing but an agent to monitor her every move and to make her conform to some rules. 

She pushed the thoughts away and flung the blanket to the side.  Her legs slid out of the bed and landed on the soft maroon rug made from silk. She dug her toes inside and the softness of the fur brushed against her skin.  However, it couldn't offer her any comfort. 

"You look pale. Have you been crying?" Nora asked.  

Fola swung to face her with narrowed eyes. "Why? Do you want to count the drops?" 

Nora rolled her eyes and scowled. "You know very well tears affect your looks and Chief doesn't like that." 

"Well, both of you can kiss a toilet seat, I don't care," she hissed, jumped to her feet, and stormed into the bathroom. 

Before the bathroom door closed, she heard Nora yell, "I brought out your outfit for the day. It's hanging on a hanger in your dressing room."

Fola balled her fist and gritted her teeth. Anger boiled within her just like it did whenever Nora reminded her she had no control over anything. She marched to the sink and forced the tap open. Her head bent over and she splashed water on her face. She repeated the action until her hands ached and her eyes burned.  

Her body slouched over the sink and she placed her hands on the sides of the sink to balance herself. She clenched the sink as the fury swelling within her returned. 

Don't do this!

Don't do that! 

The command came every day, every hour, every minute, every second. 

When was it going to end? She wondered. 

A knock sounded on the door.  

Fola closed her eyes briefly. "What do you want, Nora?" Frustration and anger were visible in her voice. 

"You have been there for too long. Have your bath and get dressed. It's almost time for breakfast." 

She groaned and clenched the sink. "I will be out soon." Her voice came out low and laced with defeat. She had learned early not to fight back. It caused her more pain. 

"You better be out in 5," Nora replied in a cold tone and her footsteps faded away.

Fola exhaled and dragged herself to an upright position and stared at herself in the mirror. Defeat and sorrow clouded her eyes. Her lips were dry and in a thin line. She couldn't remember the last time she genuinely laughed. 

She discarded her thoughts and went about preparing for the day. Clad in a bathrobe, she entered her dressing room connected to her bathroom. A grimace marred her face as she stared at the outfit Nora picked for her. 

A dull gray dress with long sleeves and a high neck glared at her. She concluded that Nora chose it deliberately just to spite her because she knew she hated such colors and style. 

"You have used up more than five minutes," Nora announced from behind the door. "Come out this instant!" 

Fola heaved a sigh and slipped into the dress. She quickly wore the black pumps that lay beside it and rushed to her dressing table to apply some lipstick. Satisfied with her looks, she headed to the door and pushed it open. 

Fola sent the older woman a smile and she got a scowl in response. 

Nora's eyes roamed down her body. "Good." She gave a stiff nod. "Now let's go." 

Fola trudged after her. They climbed down the winding staircase and into the dining room on the left side of the hallway. A chandelier hung over the glass dining table. Eight dining chairs with gold trimmings surrounded the table. 

"Have your seat," Nora gestured to the seat designated to only her. 

Fola rolled her eyes and slumped into the chair. Her eyes darted to the plate laid out for her and they touched on the whole-wheat bread covered in a low-fat butter. The omelet beside it was the most attractive. Fola picked up a fork and stabbed it into the omelet. 

She had barely taken a few bites when her appetite was ruined by what Nora uttered next. 

                           ★★★★

And there goes chapter 1! 😁

As usual, I look forward to your opinions. What do you think about the characters and what is happening?

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Thank you all for your reads, votes, and comments. I love you all ❤❤

Until next time, be happy. 😁