My Destiny?

I was born a different breed. I was never to have things come easily for me. I knew that right from when I was a child. That was why when the other kids picked on me back then in school, I endured it all without saying a word.

I never got to enjoy the privileges kids my age enjoyed. I worked extremely hard for everything I've been able to get. That is why when the universe gave me Chelsea, at the time I wasn't ready for a baby, I was grateful that at least, of every misfortune life kept handing my way, I wasn't barren.

After my parent's death when I was 7, I began living with my aunt who even though was struggling to feed herself willingly took me in.

How could the universe be so cruel?

Why pick some as favourites and abandon the rest?

_Source

"Mummy are you crying?" came Chelsea's voice as she knelt in front of me. I didn't know I had been crying all this while.

"It's nothing baby. Don't worry" I responded to her, wiping the tears from my face and smiling at her.

"When is daddy coming back? He promised to take us out when he gets back?"

"Daddy will come back very very soon okay. He'll definitely take us out. He's still very busy that's why he isn't back yet" I said to her. I didn't want to crush her hopes that Emmanuel might decide not to come back today.

When I got pregnant back then, I and Emmanuel decided to keep the baby. We both had our differences and we were not compatible in anyway, we both believed that no child deserved to live without a mother and a father figure in their lives. So, we've been living together peacefully as a family for the past 5years till he lost his job two months ago.

A knock on the door has me jolting out of my reverie. When I raise my head, Chelsea is already running towards the door excitedly, certain it's her dad.

She opens the door, seeing Emmanuel stagger in. I knew his behaviors recently have not been at his best and I attributed it to him losing his job but coming back drunk on Chelsea's birthday is extreme.

My initial feeling of sadness turning into anger, I walked up to him. Hooking one arm around his waist and putting his other hand around my shoulders, I walked him into our room.

"Chel, stay in your room and don't come out" I said to Chelsea before shutting the door to the room.

Turning to face Emmanuel, I said "Why do this today that's her birthday?"

"Wh--whattt?" he responds. His voice slurring as he tries to stand up straight but falls back to a sitting position on the bed.

"You know today is Chelsea's birthday and she was so excited that you'll take her out today"

"Are you teaching me my role as a father now?"

"You're supposed to know the right thing to do Emmanuel. I've been tolerating your ince---" I paused in the midst of my sentence as a slap landed across my face.

He just hit me.

"Are you saying you've been the one tolerating me whereas I've been the one tolerating your bad luck all this while? Why should I keep dealing with you and your child? How am I sure she hasn't inherited your badluck?" I flinched. The stinging feeling from the slap slowly beginning to spread, I looked up to see Emmanuel breathing hard.

Struggling to keep himself from falling. He couldn't even stand straight. He didn't even feel remorse that he just hit me. Tears threatening to drop from my eyes, I didn't work so hard for this marriage not to crumble for me to end up being hit by a man.

I walked out of the room and went to check on Chelsea. She was busy playing with her dolls and I knew she was beginning to feel disappointed. She stood up as soon as she saw me. A smile on her face.
"Chel, should we go to the beach?" I said to her as I crouched before her.

I'll never forget the way her face lit up. Her smile brightened instantly and she got so excited.

"Yes mummy. I'd love to"

"Alright" I said as I stood up to go get dressed.

"Will daddy be coming with us?"

"Ummm, no baby. Daddy has things to sort out so you'll be going with me alone. Now, get ready"
Although she was disappointed, I'm glad she didn't press any further.

Getting to the beach, Chelsea couldn't contain her excitement. The look on her face, bliss. And I was more than satisfied that I was able to at least make her happy today.

I spread the blanket I had brought along, lay down and watched Chelsea build sandcastles. Slowly, my mind began to drift back to Emmanuel's behaviour earlier and somewhere deep down, I began to entertain the thought that maybe I was really cursed.

I picked up a stone and began scribbling away on the sand.

"What if I was given the power to turn things around?" I said to myself.

'What if life wasn't so unfair to me in the first place?'

Holding the stone in my hand, I drew the outline of a leaf and slowly, a small leaf appeared next to my drawing.

Stupefied and trying not to draw attention to what just happened, I sketched the outline of a rose flower and a rose flower appeared just next to the outline.

I picked up the flower and turned to face the other side. I bent down and sketched the outline of a leaf on the sand again and once more, a leaf appeared next to to it.

I looked down at what I thought was an ordinary stone I held in my hands only to see that it was indeed a unique one.

It was, instead, a gift given to me by the universe to escape.

I looked up to the sky and smiled at whatever being masterminded this.

Maybe I wasn't so unlucky after all.

Posted Using InLeo Alpha