Dominion

Chapter 9

I am laying on my bed not doing anything in particular except of course if staring at the ceiling counts. My mind is a ramble of things I can't count.
I smile, remembering how Leslie fell during the obstacle course we had today. It was so hilarious even she herself was laughing. Oh shit! I plan on meeting Leslie.
I scramble to my feet and grab a random top slipping it over my camisole. I am already out of my room and locking the door when I realize I don't know her room number. Banging my head on the door, I am about to return to the comfort of my bed when I hear her voice.
"Clara?" my head turns sharply to her and I can't help the smile that appears on my face.
"I wasn't sure it was you. Oh my God, I am so happy to see you." She walks towards me and engulfs me in a bone-crushing hug, not that I mind.
"I didn't know you were here. When did you come back. We have a lot of catching up to do." I giggle excitedly
"Come along." She pulls me down the hall till we are standing in front of a room I am sure is her's. I look up at the room number, 'D24' I repeat in my head so I wouldn't forget. She opens the door with her key and we walk in.
"Want some crackers." She draws out a pack of cracker from her wardrobe and hands it over to me.
"Thanks." I tear open the pack offering her some.
"So how is everything?" I asks munching on the crackers.
"Just there I guess. I missed you." She smiles at me.
"Awnnn, I miss you too. What brought you here?" I ask adjusting to a cross-legged position on her bed.
"Just got back few weeks back, any excuse to escape from home and enjoy my holiday in peace." She shrugs
"What about you, I surely never dreamed of seeing you in a place like this considering your family is..." She lets the last part drift into the air purposely and I get what she means.
I sigh, "Mum is now a Christian. "
"That's good news!" She exclaims but catches the look I give her.
"I mean, that's good news right?" She is quick to say.
"I don't know." I say truthfully. "Dad is still an atheist and I, urrgghh!" I huff collapsing on the bed.
"You feel stuck in the middle." She takes the words right out of my mouth.
"Exactly! " I shout throwing my hands in the air.
"I don't know what to say." She grabs a cracker from the pack still in my hand.
"I don't know what to believe anymore. I was already second-guessing myself that was my main reason for seeking to come here." I explain
"You wanted to convince yourself your stand is right." She more of states than ask
"Is that bad." I ask looking at her.
She smiles at me faintly, "it will be biased of me to say."
"Well, mum's revelation made me change my motive. Right now, I am trying to find closure, I want to know the truth and belief confidently it is the truth." I tell her sitting up.
"You will find the truth" She soothes
We allow silence envelope us, my thoughts all over the place. Do I want to know the truth? What is the truth? Could it possibly change my life for good or not?
"What's the time?" I ask suddenly remembering we have another activity scheduled for one.
"Three minutes to one, we have to get going." I spring up from the bed rushing to the door as Leslie puts on her canvas.
"I will see you there." I hurriedly, get to my room to wear my canvas and grab my ID before rushing out to join the others.
By the time I get to the hall we have been asked to assemble in, everyone is already seated. Leslie waves me over and I rush over to seat beside her.
"This is my friend, Mary" the girl beside her smiles revealing her cute dimples
"hi" She waves.
"Hi, Clara" I introduce myself
"She is my cousin" Leslie adds beaming
"Wow, nice to meet you". I admire her ocean-waves, I always wanted to have my hair like that when I was small but couldn't bring myself to cut my hair so I grew merely admiring it's beauty on people.
A woman walks in, her pose demanding the attention of everyone in the hall. Finally, we get to have a female trainer.
"Good day everyone, my name is Sophia, I am your trainer for today." She says taking the floor.
"Finally " Leslie mutters sharing my enthusiasm.
"Today's training will take a different approach. It will focus on your initiative." She begins looking from face to face.
"I want to believe you've all been briefed on the vision on which this organization is set up and what we set to do, that is our mission. We will be dealing in reference to that today."
"If we are pairing up, you are my partner." I whisper to Leslie.
She looks at me then at Mary, oh right... Guess I will have to find Ben then or better still, make a new friend.
Mary smiles at us, "it's okay. You can partner with her, I am sure you both have a lot of catching up to do. Blood is thicker than water, I will find someone to partner with." She tells Leslie who looks at her guilty.
I smile appreciatively at her "thanks."
"There won't be any pairing up or grouping for this activity. We are going to start by doing an introduction of ourselves. I am sure you all have probably been wondering why we haven't done so, we'll it is usually sewn along this activity. We should have done so on your first day here but I was away on official duties." She explains.
She pulls out a notepad and a pen from her handbag which she places on a nearby chair.
"Okay, may we begin." She juts her head towards the person on her right.
A girl on a purple top and shorts with her hair made into a ponytail stands to face us, "My name is Angela but my friends call me Angie. I am twenty one, the first and only child of my parents. A Christain and um..." She pauses thinking of what else to say.
Sophia helps her out, "What do have passion for? What do you want to be? Your hobbies, best color, best food?"
Angie clears her throat, "my best color is yellow, my best food is-" She puts on her thinking face.
"I don't think I have one. My hobbies are painting, drawing, anything art. I want to be an artist when I grow up." She finishes turning to look at Sophia for approval to take her seat.
Sophia nods and Angie takes her seat as the next person to her stands to do his introduction.
Everyone takes turn to introduce themselves, and as Leslie stands to do hers, my heart begins to beat fast. I am next and fortunately, last.
"Hi everyone, my name is Leslie. I am nineteen. I love to dance, I love cooking, I love anything lovable. " everyone laughs at this.
"I want to be a chef and if I can work it out, a dancer too. My best colour is blue, my best food is sphagetti with meat balls. A Christian." She grins taking her seat.
I stand up, "My name is Clara, I am twenty years old. I don't have a best color. My best food is pancake, best served to me with caramel syrup. I have passion for anything literary. I write books, poems and all. I want to be a writer and movie director." I finish taking cue from Ben's introduction earlier, not to say my stand in religion.
Sophia nods at me and I take my seat. She writes something down on her notepad as she has been doing for the past nearly twenty minutes since the introduction began.
When she is done writing she looks up,"I know I said we aren't going to be working in groups but I am going to divide you into groups now for the effectiveness of this task."
She begins calling names and putting us into various groups, by the time she is done there are seven groups in total and sadly only Mary and I constitute my group.
My eyes search for the group Ben is. I see him in a part of the hall along with Debbie and some others. I scoff, she must be happy she gets to be in the same group as him.
I feel a nudge at my left side and turn to face Mary. "See you have a problem with Debbie over there."
I roll my eyes, "so you know her."
"Yeah, what beef do you have with her?"
"Nothing, just don't like her." I say.
"She is actually cool to be around  when you get to really know her." She tries to convince me.
"Tell me that next ten years, I will believe. " I reply dryly.
Mary laughs.