"In time lies a beauty unseen" dad smiled and walked away taking with him the smell of wild orchids. I never really understood what that meant though. My father worked at a farm on the outskirts of Winterville. Mom supported us by teaching the village children, it didn't bring home many notes, but we could shell out on extra expenses. We have never been well off, but somehow we also never felt the absence of luxury. Grait helped dad with his harvest and attended the afternoon school. On Sunday brunches Dad narrated his childhood experiences and how he'd save that every extra penny to buy an ice cream. Not that he wanted sympathy or anything, it's just the little lessons he wanted us to learn. Dad understood what struggle meant.
***
CHAPTER 1
"Act wisely kids, they will be here anytime" mom neatly slipped a pin through her golden locks and pasted a smile on her face, beautiful. It was the privilege day; every year the government's necks would visit households and make sure everything was the way they commanded, 'in his hands' as they would try convince. We were supposed to maintain a joyful environment and serve them with treats. If they liked us, we would receive cash and if not we had to shift to the serenity home, where they would train us for a month or so... I'd rather call it torture! Mom woke up before the sunrise that day; she prepared blueberry cake, fresh salmon and roasted beef! Dad ploughed the farm an hour earlier and Grait helped mom with the market buys.
"Eva, please borrow some fresh eggs from the Clearwaters, it's the need of the minute dear! "
I hated the Clearwater family... they all had an allergy from generosity. But somehow my mother had a soft corner for Mrs. Bella Clearwater, mom thought she had acute diabetes but was reluctant to tell everyone!
"May I have some eggs please?"
Brandice bought me a dozen, "here you go Evanda, such a pleasure to see you under the morning sun." Brandice was the most irritating of all; he had been stalking me since fourth grade!
"Thanks Bran, bye"
On the way home I saw Mr. West struggling with the grocery bags "let me carry them".
Mr. West was a kind sixty year old man, his son left him when he retired and never spoken to him since.
"Thank you dear, oh, it's your privilege day right?" he asked unlocking the doors.
"Yes Mr. West, I'm afraid "
He laughed "what could happen to you my child!"
Dad had worked for the government and was liked by many, but he soon left. Dad claimed the government to be a fraud, so he resigned saying he was going through psychiatric treatment. After which he started farming. The whole town thought the government was partial with our family because my father was an ex-member, even though we had never asked or received any help from them!
I carried the eggs home and helped my mother with the egg curry. Everything got ready till noon, and then all of us like school children, dressed neatly and sat on the couch, staring at the door counting every minute. And then finally after a very short time of three hours we heard a knock.
Reluctantly yet confidently dad opened the door. "Hello Mr. Rose" dad welcomed the crew with a warm smile.
"That's my daughter Evanda Scott, my wife Renee and my son Grait".
The crew members looked around the house and interrogated us. After an hour we sat on the dinner table.
"U have a sweet family Mr. Scott." Mr. Rose was a good man. Dad often spoke about the various rational things he had introduced and practiced for the society.
"How's school Evanda?" his eyes shifted to me.
"Tidy" that was all I could manage to say.
"You don't speak much, do you?" a flat grin spread across his face. I looked at him for a second and turned my head to my plate.
"Wanna follow your father's footsteps Grait, eh ? Study hard and grow up to be a farmer? " He giggled with the other crew members.
"Maybe Mr. Rose, well is it not better than being a part of a counterfeit jury?" Mr. Rose's visage turned hard. Grait had always been cold in government studies.
The rest of the dinner was pedestrian.
"The aftermath will be issued in a few days". The crew left the house at eight.
" What you said about Mr. Rose seems bogus!" I said to dad while doing the dishes.
"Eva?" mom gave me a rebuking look.
"He has changed...in a way I can't tell!" dad explained.
"I don't think he was ever straight!" Grait snickered evoking a twisted vague smile from dad.
Silently we all marched back to our rooms.
YOU ARE READING
The Settlement
أدب المراهقين" My whole life has past chasing cohesion, now its time for it to chase me" Evanda is a young, smart yet repulsive girl. The past sixteen years of her life had been pedestrian... until the privilage day. And now her worst nightmare follows. Would sh...
