Tragedy of the African Cinderella [Black Book3]✔

14.

After thinking about all that Ace had said, Nora finally believed she needed someone to pour out to. She had carried the burden for way too long that she wasn't able to think, walk, and talk properly. But dawn wasn't the right time for that.

That day she listened to him talk meticulously even though she never really found a reason to or why, she realized that it required a lot of trust to air out personal information to someone you barely knew, to someone who kept pushing you away and sometimes, even to one you knew so well. If he could do that to her, then she definitely could do so to him too.

The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.

There were possibilities that he would use it against her. He was that type of person, but then, what did she fear if he ever did so or what would he gain for making a laughing stock out of her, for she already was one even without advertisement.

"Ashawo. It's 4 am and you're still sleeping? Come on, get...get up from that place before I do it myself." Martha ordered.

She was buried deep in thoughts that she hadn't even heard the kitchen door click open and hadn't realized that she still laid on the thin mat which couldn't even accommodate half of her height. It oddly felt comfortable all of a sudden that she didn't even feel the familiar backache and stiff neck.

This stranger. Who really is he? An angel, could he be?

Nora took on her heels immediately and began her cumbersome daily duty.

As amazingly as the sun rose, so it slumbered. She felt happy all day for some reason, not even her stepmom's rants and abuses could chip her joy, at some point or more, she didn't feel the aftereffect of her duty nor give so much attention to her grumbling breadbasket. She enjoyed the moment while it lasted but right then, Nora had begun to feel a little dizzy.

At the deadly hours of the night, she strode to the building she had been avoiding for way too long. She stared at the veranda he always stood to radiate her gloomy life.
The security man in Flaxen outfit was the first to sort her out.

"You di find someman?" Are you looking for someone?

"Ah, yeah. The white stranger who lives here," she timidly retorted.

"Sir Woods?"

She nodded even though not quite sure if that was his last name.

"Is he expecting you?"

"Eh...no, no he isn't,"

"Then I'm sorry, I can't let you go as far as here."

"You can at least just inform him that someone's looking for him,"

"It's two o'clock in the morning, you should know it isn't proper to disturb one's rest. Go home and return when the atmosphere isn't void of activities."

"I'll just sit around. Hope you don't mind."

The man paid her no attention as he retreated to his duty post so she searched for a silhouette to accommodate her while she waited in the traumatizing impassiveness of the morning.

"Don't tell me you fucking slept here!"

The voice shook her to reality. Nora squinted her eyes to the unwelcoming penetrating rays of the morning sun.

"Get up!" He ordered, "follow me."

She did as was told and then she acknowledged how busy the roads were and how deep into sleep she had been to not have heard the honking of the few cars parading the highway and the chitchatting of the early birds.