25. Past Acquaintances (2)

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"Hey," she said, still by the door. "Can I join you?"

I nodded, and she took it as an invitation to stand beside me, her heels clicking against the tiles.

Praise was adorned in a grey midnight dress that that changed colours anytime the moonlight stoked it at an odd angle.

"I didnt know that you would be staying this long," I said to break the silence.

"Father said I should speak with you, that you've been acting oddly."

"I just learnt that he sired me at nineteen. How oddly I behave doesn't matter," I countered defensively. "When we met, did you know?"

"Know what?"

"That we are related?"

A part of me hoped that she would say she didn't, just so I would keep having he in my head as my savior when I had nothing.

"No, I didn't. Not until dad sent guys to come pick me up from our hostel and told me that they needed me because of you."

All the tense muscles in my body loosened a bit as I said, "I see. So you weren't actually kidnapped."

She said nothing.

We were watching the trees in the distance away to the wind, and the grasses in the lawn with their long distinct blades, and the ornamental flowers of different colors which had a water spray set out on its middle.

The wind was cool against my face.

"Harida," Praise suddenly said. "What I want you to know is that dad wants the best for us. Like you, I also have a betrothed, and we're waiting till I'm done with school. I just want you to know, as a sister, that rebelling against him does no good."

"Aah, I see."

"See what?"

"He didn't tell you the full story, did he? He didn't tell you how I was shot, did he?"

She was so stunned to speak.

"So, your dad said I was rebelling and you didn't care to ask why, or how it is that I'm even here. You just believed. I should be disappointed but I'm not. Go make enquiries Praise, I think this meet and greet is over for now. Ooh, and congrats on your engagement," I said before I began walking away.

One thing I hated more than my entire existence was having the view I had of someone changing from good to bad cause GMG hey decide to reveal their real self. But I couldn't judge Praise based on who her father was tho, cause I had the same father.

~~~~~

Praise and her fiancée left, and I was all alone to my own devices, locked up in my room with no phone or any way to contact the outside world.

Most nights like this, I just lay on my bed in silence, staring at the ceiling till I fell asleep. The sleep came sometimes and other times when I was plagued with thoughts of Henry, it became quite reluctant and I'm left to finding ways to entertain myself, to take my mind off my very somber thoughts.

In that case, my sketchpad became an ally, with its art fueled by the secrets I'd learned from Hilda's diary and experiences of mine.

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