Entangled Woman

part 1...Walking straight in.

There are two things that I remember when I think of the Kaligrab dry season...well it's usually very dry and hot (obviously).It was usually so hot that the inhabitants would imagine the heat literally "cooking them up".The lone radio station in Kaligrab at that time,had as one of its popular did I forget to mention EXTREMELY popular journalists Mr. Ven Bradshaw...who during this period never failed to remind us about how extremely hot it was. "Such a warm season ladies and gentlemen...maybe capable of roasting us alive",he'd joke.Well, a joke told every time is not actually a joke...but he wouldn't stop.Of course,he was always right!

During this season,people will wet their clothes and put them on... (I know it's pretty weird but that's where I come from).You could actually get the smell of sweaty,exhausted people returning from their job sites...To be honest,I'll take a whole century if I wanted to talk about the season,but I will best get back to the second thing I remember when I think of the Kaligrab dry season...the rebellion!

It's not anything big though...well that's what a lot of people will insinuate,but sometimes it's the small things that make a whole difference! It was not a political rebellion or an economic one...it did not involve top world Governments or organisations...it was not exactly a coup...it was a different type of rebellion...the rebellion that led to a mystifying series of events...

The Valle family were quite popular,well not because they wanted to,but because...people will talk about what amuses them...what they dislike,what they admire,what they doubt and sometimes the Valle family were an indecipherable mixture of all four.Though far off from the definition of perfection,they tried to be different..and to be honest I think that is what counts.Whether you are noted for bad works or good works at least be noted for something and why not both! Well if up till now you haven't noticed...I am a Valle.

We were three in number,totally different but united under the same roof.My elder sister July Valle,was, honestly speaking incomprehensible,She could be the nicest human you've ever met and then later on show her mean side.She was sophisticated,she was smart,she was nice,she was mean,she was careful and still had a laissez faire attitude,she marvelled me sometimes! But during the month of July,she was always unbearably upset,she despised the jokes we cracked,she hated Mr,Bradshaw 's talk shows,she just hated everything.Uptill date,I still wonder if her hatred was directed towards the fact that she hated her name,or her birth month.But even during those moments,she was still as beautiful as ever like a daffodil on fertile soil,like the rising sun,she was indeed beautiful,tall,well very tall with hazel eyes that flashed a hint of brown...

My brother the second born was also different well in his own kind of way.He loved football but disliked watching football matches because he claimed that they made him nervous,he claimed to be extremely hungry but never finished his food,even when he felt pain,he wouldn't cry,because "it wasn't royal".To sum things up,he was complicated,arrogant,handsome,cunning and sometimes gullible.

Next me...the eccentric one! The one who over analysed things! You'll get to know the rest during the course of the story which has not even really began!

The rebellion! Yes about that!

July was in her good mood,she had just finished memorising one of Hamlet 's soliloquies...she acted like she had gotten an Oscar for best actress...She stood in front of the mirror and all I could see was her muttering some words,she place her hands on her beautifully embroidered dress...and posed as if she was a world class model,I admired her,I truly did.Then our eyes met,this was the moment I hated the most, you never expected what would happen next,if she would smile or sigh,if she would look in disgust or is she would complement you,she was unpredictable! This time she said it plain,
"Stop".
"What did I do now?" I asked defiantly
"What did you not do?"she screamed.
Then I thought it wise to shut up,you never know when you will get a spanking from her.Then my father got in,he was in a foul mood.

Anthony Valle,well who was he really? A huge,judgmental and firm person,though sometimes jovial.You really can't think you know him,because when you do,he does something to make you cancel all the impressions you had of him...Now this is where the story really begins.

He got in the room and every moving thing stopped.The room grew stern and the clock measured every second...
Then my father broke the silence,
"Rubie get out of the room" he thundered.
I didn't need to be told twice,I shut the door immediately behind me.I wondered what could have possibly gotten him so serious this afternoon, "strange" I muttered to myself.

I took a few steps away from the room sitting at the window that looked towards Kaligrab.Indeed,time with its innumerable horse power had changed the town.It wasn't what it used to be.Changed due to industrialisation and the desire to bring forth modernity,the natural beauty of the town had been destroyed...hectares of land were used to construct industries and some things I can't remember.But to me it was all a waste! The Kali women had decided to talk to some government authorities about it.But as usual they were paid little or no attention and that is one of the most important aspects my story focuses on.They were given little or no attention not because they did not have ideas,but because of their GENDER.Dont take things the wrong way but in the end who is a man and who is a woman?
Wouldn't we some day return back to dust?
Put the physical appearances aside,and tell me why gender inequality is still an issue in this Century?
A woman should be submissive to her husband...that I believe,but I don't think it's proper to degrade or religate the women to the background.

A woman is also human that I know,but they were mere thoughts.I always kept them in my mind.Who had the boldness to say that to daddy,who could barely look at him in the eyes talk less of addressing him,only Anthony Jr, my brother could talk to him about some issues he faced and only that nothing more.Who had the temerity to challenge him? Who could say No to him?
"No!" I heard my sister scream from the room.
What could have possibly happened? Then my father opened the door and left the room,slamming the door right behind him.
I had neve seen him this angry before!
What made my sister shout like that?
I decided to meet her to find out what was wrong,I decided to get into the lions den.I had no idea that this day...that single "No" would lead to a series of events...would they be unfortunate ones or would they bring forth freedom...?