Fate discovered that her parents had arranged her marriage to a stranger, prompting her to depart from New York with a firm determination to alter her destiny. She hoped to find her soulmate, her true love, in a faraway place.
*****
My name is...
"Fate Wilson, you better wake up and get ready! Your dad and I need to talk to you!"
My mom's loud knocking and yelling at my door awakened me. On my right bedside table, I reached for my phone. 7 AM- I can't believe she is asking me to wake up this early on a Saturday. I can't understand the urgency of her knocking. So I covered my head with my pillow and went back to sleep.
"Fate! It's no time for your laziness! Wake up now and come out! I am telling you, if you don't come out in 5 minutes, you will get what you deserve!"
No wonder my mom's voice got louder. I saw her at the edge of my bed, yelling with all her might. I may be sleepy, but I object to being called lazy. But I don't have a choice either: I get up now and follow her, or I pretend to be sleeping and bear her never-ending nagging and yelling.
"What is wrong, Mom? Why do you need me this early on a Saturday?"
I got up and followed her outside. It surprised me that my dad still had his coffee in the kitchen. He usually leaves at 6 AM. I pondered, looking at my dad; as always, he was just silently sipping his coffee on the same spot in the kitchen as my Mom nags me at the top of her lungs. I smiled to see their dynamic as husband and wife. Ever since I can remember, my dad has been the silent observer while my mom is the "speaker of the house." Although she is still nagging me, her hands are busy plating Dad's breakfast.
I tried getting a strip of bacon from the plate she was holding, but she caught my hand and gave it a slight tap. I immediately went to the kitchen sink and washed my hands. That's my cue: if I want to eat the breakfast she prepared, I must wash my hands before joining them. As I put the toasted bread and omelet on a plate, I looked at my dad and pouted my lips in my mom's direction. My dad smiled at me and winked as if telling me to listen and bear with Mom.
"What is it we need to talk about? I want to go back to sleep."
My mom kept quiet and looked at my dad. I felt this was not the usual mom & daughter nagging-talking I used to get from her every morning. If there is one time my mom allows my dad to talk, it is when there is an important issue that we need to discuss as a family. Like it is a matter of life and death issue. I felt goosebumps all over my body.
I exchanged glances between my parents' faces. "What is the problem, you guys? What did I do this time? You are making me nervous!"
Although Dad said nothing, I knew he was serious when he placed his hand on top of my hand.
"You know how much we love you. And there is nothing in this world we will do to hurt you. Whatever we do as your parents are for your sake and goodness." I felt the calmness and seriousness of my dad's words. But I don't have any clue where the conversation is going.
I can't think of anything at all. Are my parents kicking me out? I may depend on them until now, but it is because that is what they want. I didn't get the chance to get my place because they told me there was no need for one since I was an only child. And in the end, they said I would inherit everything they have, including the house where we live. So I am working in my dad's company to get acquainted and trained as a future owner.
"Remember the secret I told you when you turned 18?" my dad asked me.
"What secret?" My eyes grew. "Dad, we have so many secrets from Mom! That is why I am a daddy's girl."
He smiled at me and squeezed my hand. I have known his gesture of love since I was five years old. Whenever he needs to tell me something important, he squeezes my hand. If there is a point or issue he wants to talk me into, he squeezes my hand to show that whatever it is, it's for my benefit.
"Okay, Dad! Shoot! Tell me, what secret are you saying? Let's get this over and done with."
My dad looked at Mom; he cleared his throat and looked me in the eye. "Fate, this decision we made is for your good. It's about the prince I told you about when you were 18. So mom and I have decided it is time for you to meet the prince."
"Well, Dad, are there still left after William and Harry married?"
I was chuckling while eating my toast, expecting my dad to laugh with me. But he was still serious and was just looking at me. Slowly, I put the remaining half of my toast on the plate. I felt like choking; I thought for a second that everything I ate just stayed in my throat. This can't be real.
"Did you find a prince for me, Dad? But we are not royal blood as far as I know. From which kingdom?" I rolled my eyes.
I reached for a glass and immediately poured water, and gulped it. I guess I am the only one taking the topic as a joke. But, looking at my parents' faces, I believe they are serious. Deadly serious!
"Well, he is not a prince from a kingdom, but I got used to telling you he is your prince because I always take you as my princess." My dad continued with his talk.
"In simple terms, the prince is the guy we have arranged to be married to you. He is your future husband. Just like your aunts, cousins, mom, and me. To ensure that you will have a successful married life, we had agreed with another family even before you were born."
I can't believe what my dad just said. I stared at him with my mouth open. All this time, I thought the prince he had been mentioning to me since childhood was a book character. They explained it to me in a way that any young girl would understand, like a fairytale, which I thought was just a story where I play the role of the princess.
"So if I am getting it right, you say that some random guy, a stranger, is arranged to marry me? Like, for real, a guy, a person, a man I haven't met or seen is going to be my husband? Like in this year of iPhones and Roombas? Isn't this just crazy great?"
My mom tried to challenge my statement. "He is not just some random guy and not even a stranger, Fate! We will never arrange for you to marry someone we think will be no good to you!"
"If he isn't any of the above, how come I never met him once in my 19 years of existence? Don't tell me he is a sleeping prince, and I have to come and kiss him wherever he is for him to wake up! Where is he if he is someone you guys know, even before?"
My mom was on the verge of hitting me, but my dad calmed her down. Then, he dropped the bomb I was never expecting to hear in his powerful tone. "This time, we have decided, his parents and us, that it is time for you guys to meet. We planned to have you guys engaged six months after your meeting and another six months after your wedding."
"What in the world?! It's serious lunacy!!!"
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