Tragedy of the African Cinderella [Black Book3]✔

8.

So comfortable.

Nora switched her position to the left side, snuggling her body a little deeper into the lavender-scented sheets. Could she be in paradise? If so, now she understood why her mum didn't want to take her. She wanted to enjoy it all alone!

Suddenly, from somewhere, an incessant beeping sound resonated but stopped abruptly. Too late the alarm had already shattered a reasonable portion of her world leaving her with just the comfort she laid on.
Nora fought the blurring out of her eyes to see before her nothing familiar besides the sun rays, the rest were expensive furniture littered in a spacious room: above her was a white elegant dream catcher-like crown molded ceiling donning a beautiful chandelier. On her very left was a fancy bedside lamp, inches away was a perfectly carved full body mirror, which reflected a rounded glass table with three fancy vanished chairs. Then a door too which probably led to the bathroom.
On her very right was the double glass door which gave way to a balcony, two leafy potted plants adhered to both sides of the door.
In front of her were the main door and a huge wall-fitted flatscreen. And finally, below her was a light snoring charming young man with whom she was well pleased.

That indeed was paradise.

Nora smiled and almost returned to the embrace of the sheets and pillows before a threatening face flashed in her mind, like lightning.
She had to leave. How did she even end up there in the first place?
She ruffled out of bed discreetly, picked up her slippers and was gone in a flash. Luckily, he seemed to be a heavy sleeper because he didn't wake up nor bulge at the creaking of the door as expected.

What she did was ask for inquiries on how to escape the huge hotel which she successfully did.
On her way home, she had enough time to reminisce what had happened the previous night and then felt a spank of guilt seeth through her as she woke up with him literally sleeping on the floor.

Was he just being a gentleman or was she too filthy to share a bed with him?

She didn't choose the life she lived in yet, he helped her once again.
Her stomach roared making her clutch it to the extent of almost ripping it.

"It's like punishing you to sleep outside is proportional to telling you to go open your legs to the men on the highway isn't it?" was the salutation she received that morning.
"Once you are done with your chores, you are permitted to go back and continue from where you ended. Trash!"

Her belly growled, again.

"Please, can I have some food?" she was aware of her reply already but then, there wasn't any harm in trying. Mind-changing mosquitoes might exist.

"I have no food for you. Go and eat where you're from," with that, she stomped away.

Scrubbing, splitting, cooking--under the supervision of her stepmom to make sure she didn't taste anything--sweeping, laundry, gardening and finally fetching water.
Exhausted was her body and exasperated was her mind.
Her dress was drenched in sweat by the time she was only halfway through her chores, her throat deserted from a drop of water and her stomach wouldn't cease scolding.

Nora neared the empty public tap steadily whilst shooting glances at the balcony above: she didn't want him to see her for she felt ungrateful for leaving without a word of gratitude.

While the bucket filled for the sixth time, she sat down on her usual concrete slab where she admired the kindergarten kids and students walk back home in a variety of uniforms. Some looked cheerful, some awful, some bubbly, some calm.
Those made her remember the days she used to go to school too.
When she returned home cheerful her parents will know her lectures went smoothly and awful if otherwise.
Bubbly when she made new friends and couldn't wait to spend more time with them the next day and calm with they had a little argument.