Song: Hold Me Now — MzVee

**Unedited**

"I'm sorry, the prince travelled this morning. He won't be back until next week."

The words rang in my ears like a church bell. In that moment of shock, the image of his smile imprinted itself firmly in my mind. His hugs, his kisses, his soft caresses.

I laughed.

"Elorm? Are you okay?" Edinam asked.

I looked at her; she looked worried.

Tears pooled in my eyes. "Of course, something like this will happen. When will anything ever be simple in the life of Elorm Enam Nutsugah?" I sobbed.

Fear was digging its sharp, deadly claws into me. It was like my body was slowly freezing, starting from the pit of my stomach and spreading throughout my body.

"Don't talk like that Ellie. None of this is your fault. You had no idea that he would travel," Eddie said, grabbing my shoulders so that I would look at her while she spoke.

"Of course, it isn't my fault. That bastard," I spat. "He left without telling me anything!"

"I don't think he meant to leave you in the dark. With your parents, you know how difficult it is to ever even reach you. Don't blame him."

"He should've told me that he was leaving! What am I going to do now Eddie? The whole extended family is waiting for me at home. They expect me to bring a prince!"

"No, you should've told him that he had to propose! He even did but you shot him down, so don't put all the blame on him!" She yelled, making fists with her small hands.

"Oh," I whispered, realisation finally dawning on me. "I should've known. You're just like them. You also want him for yourself, don't you?"

"Do you hear yourself? I feel nothing for him! Even if I did, he wouldn't be interested in me anyways!"

The pounding of my heart was too loud to listen to the voice of reason. The fear was gaining in on me, freezing and melting, flashes of hot and cold were all that I could feel. All I saw was red. "You can have him! You traitors were made for each other!"

I moved quickly to get away from her. My heart was racing riotously. I'd never been more afraid in my life. I couldn't even bear the thought of the disgrace that was awaiting me back home.

The news had spread as quickly as a forest fire. The whole village would be waiting in front of my house to see their prince's engagement to their supposed future princess. What was I going to tell them? Would they believe me if I told them what that bastardly prince did to me?

Goodness, I'd never been more frustrated in my life! There was only one way to escape such disgrace, even though my image would be completely tarnished. They would all remember me as a harlot, a liar, and a quitter. At least it was better being away while they thought of me so horribly than being there and facing it. Just imagine Queen Mosquito's face. Dear God, help me.

Thinking made my head swirl, but I'd managed to come up with a plan that'd help me escape from the disgrace. I reached into my pocket and pulled out the crumpled leaflet, skipping past the numerous achievements of the CWO.

At the bottom of the paper, I noticed that the applicants were supposed to come with their identification cards, birth certificates and yellow cards. There was absolutely no way that I'd be able to gather all the required documents before nightfall, especially when I didn't want anyone back home to see me ever again. Not that I even had all those papers.

I had been walking for a while. Where to, I wasn't sure. I found myself at a farm, covered with miles and miles of green. The sun was particularly hot that day, so I sought refuge beneath a large mango tree.

There, I set to work. I knew that there was a way I'd be able to embark the coach to the city, but at least I needed some clothes and maybe a little food. I wasn't aware of the conditions I was going to face at the city or even on the way, but during my almost eighteen years on earth, I'd learnt not to trust anyone.

There were no windows in my room — for the umpteenth time, I cursed my parents — so there was no way I could get inside without going in through the front door. Unless I learnt how to phase like The Flash, there was no way I could get inside the house without being seen. Maybe, I could just risk it and try to get on the coach... without identification, clothes or food.

Even the birds in the sky agreed that that was a bad idea; the thick white liquid that fell from the sky and unto my shoulder was enough proof.

Or... I could go home, face the music and get engaged to Mr. Offei, only to run away the next day. I hung my head in shame when the second load of bird excreta exploded on my other shoulder.

Girls running away from forced marriages wasn't uncommon. The people of the village learnt to keep vigil on unwilling brides. Besides, if I returned, I'd become a celebrity, the town's clown for lying about marrying the prince and marrying a drunkard instead. There'd be no way I could escape if I returned.

Sighing in disappointment, I rested my head against the tree's trunk and closed my eyes, trying to bring some desperately needed calm to my mind.

I recalled the day's events, my happiness when I thought that I would prove everyone wrong by bringing the prince home. I remembered the hope that filled me when the CWO happened to come to the market square exactly when I was there. I remembered Chris and his cute dimpled smile.

Chris! Of course! I reached into my skirt pocket, removed the scrunched-up paper and straightened it out. There was a telephone at Auntie Olivia's shop, and it was in the opposite direction of my house. How didn't I think of that before? If anyone could help me, he could.

I rushed to Auntie Olivia's shop. On the way, I realised that the entire village was empty; they were probably gathered at my house. I felt a pang of guilt lodge its way into my chest as I thought about the time and money my parents were wasting.

After the guilt went away, the mirth settled in. Those opportunist extended family members of mine believed they were going to be related to a princess. They didn't even attend my naming ceremony but once they heard that I was going to snag a prince, just see how they flocked in like houseflies seeing their first pile of cow dung.

Nearing the shop, I noticed that the doors were shut. The shop was closed. The fear mixed with disbelief hit me like a freight train. It took all the strength in me not to fall to my knees and bawl my eyes out.

Before I could succumb to the self-pity, I remembered that Auntie Olivia's shop was just a division of her house. Maybe, if I knocked, someone would come and open the door.

There was a small gate to the entrance of the house. I knocked on the gate, but it just pushed open, meaning that it was never even locked. It was about time Mawu started showing me some favour.

I went through. The shop was to my immediate left. The house was farther, leaving a large compound between the house and the shop. Luckily, the shop wasn't locked from the inside, so I simply went in.

The telephone lay, smiling at me, on the top of the display case. I memorised the ten digits on the sheet of paper and punched them in. I hoped that was what I was supposed to do. I pushed a button that looked like a miniature phone by instinct and the telephone began to ring.

I sighed, relieved. I was going to be fine.

The telephone rang until I was sent to voicemail. I dialled two more times before he picked up.

"Hello?" I asked, a bit cautiously, holding the phone part to my ear. I didn't understand how the wonderful device worked so I was a bit nervous and untrusting.

"Elorm? Are you in the city already?" He asked.

I was a bit startled when I heard his voice. The thing truly worked! I wished I had an iPhone or a Samsung though.

"No, I'm not. Sorry to bother you Chris, but I need your help."

I wiped my sweaty palms on my blouse. Perhaps it was because of the foreign device I clutched like a lifeline, but I was sure it was because of the current danger I faced.

The situation I had gotten myself in was catching up to me. If I stayed in the village, my life would be over. I would've saved myself, only to lose my virginity to a pot-bellied drunkard.

"What is it?" He asked, genuine concern filling his voice.

"I just need you to come with me. I know you'll be able to talk my way in," I groaned, hating the next part so much. "And I need... I need... money."

"You don't have to feel shy. I came here to help and that's what I'm going to do. Where should I meet you?" He asked.

"Your flat? It's far enough from my house," I told him, ducking beneath the showcase when I thought I heard a door open. "I need to go, I think someone's coming. Thank you, I promise to repay you someday."

"Don't worry about that," he said.

I put the phone back in its... cradle? Holder?

Realising that hiding behind glass was the stupidest idea I'd ever come up with — I inherited something from my parents after all — I ducked behind the front table just before the doors to the shop opened.

"I could've sworn that I heard a voice."

It was Etornam. She was Auntie Olivia's niece. How she managed to hear me whispering in the shop that was so far away from the house was beyond me. Perhaps she had superpowers, or cameras, or recorders.

"You were imagining it," said Auntie Olivia. "It was probably a rat."

"Let's open the shop," she suggested.

I knew what she was then. She was the devil.

"Everyone is at Elorm's house. They say she's getting engaged to the prince. If you ask me, I think she is a liar. Why will the prince go for a girl like her?"

My ears perked up as my heartbeat skyrocketed.

"I know right. If Prince Michael is really marrying her, he must be oblivious of her activities. We must gather a few of the girls and petition against this."

How did I have enemies I didn't even know?

A few hours ago, I would've just laughed, but Michael had left me. He wasn't stupid enough to marry 'someone like me'. Perhaps he'd finally begun to believe the stories. I had always feared that the day would come. Not that it mattered. He was dead to me.

"Are you jealous?" Olivia asked, a slight mocking tone to her voice.

"Of course not. It's just that I'd rather die than see that harlot become princess of this village. Over my dead body. I'm going there right now," Etornam said, determination evident in her voice.

"Good luck!" Olivia laughed.

I waited till I heard them leave. Before I could jump out of my hiding place, the lock turned.

They had locked me inside.

"Great, just great. Why wouldn't this happen?" I lamented, groaning.

I dropped to the floor, rubbing my hair worriedly. Staying there until someone came was out of the question. I could suffocate and die. The only thing I could do was call for help. I would be long gone before they could charge me for trespassing.

I took a deep breath to prepare myself mentally. I shook my hands, then banged on the shop doors as hard as I could.

"Help!" I screamed, pounding hard enough to get attention from another continent. From the inside, I was causing such a ruckus that the shelves were shaking. I could only hope that I was loud enough to warrant the attention of the tenants.

"Who's that?" I heard Olivia call, her voice sounding closer than I imagined.

"I told you that I heard someone," Etornam said, closer than her aunt was. "Unless rats have evolved and can bang doors and scream 'help'."

The lock turned and the door opened. Having been in a dark room for some minutes, the sunlight was foreign to my eyes, forcing me to create a makeshift shield with my hands to protect my eyes.

"You! What are you doing here?" Olivia asked.

"Mind your own business," I said, making my way towards the exit. They watched me in awe, as if wondering how I could dare to leave without an explanation. "Oh, and before you gossip about my 'activities', ask your niece what she was doing in Daniel's room on Tuesday night!"

When I was far enough, I paused to breathe. After wiping the sweat off my forehead with my forearm, I began cackling. The look on Olivia's face when I told her of her niece's activities was priceless. I laughed all my stress off and made my way to Chris' flat. I saw him waiting in front of the gates, smiling with an envelope in his hands.

"You're late," he said. The hollows in his cheeks appeared.

I loved his smile so much.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did we set a time for meeting?" I smiled. "Thank you for meeting me. Really, I don't know how to repay you."

He advanced and took my hand. "I have some ideas."

The fear rushed into my body, turning my blood into ice, numbing my flesh. "W-what?"

He shook his head and chuckled. "You have a dirty mind Ellie. Innocent on the outside and... something else on the inside. Beautiful qualities you have there."

I sighed, relieved. "You did that on purpose. You know anyone would think like that."

"To be honest, I wasn't trying to make you think like that. I..." he run his hand through his hair uneasily. "Your boyfriend. Are you still together?"

"No," I said vehemently. He looked taken aback at my tone. I gave him an apologetic look. "I mean, no. He left me. All this is his fault."

"Everything happens for a reason. Now you're independent. You'll find your own way without having to rely on a man, and you don't have to get married at seventeen," he said. He faced me, pushed the envelope in his pocket and took both my hands. "And who knows what the future might bring?"

I found myself lost in his dimples. His eyes were so beautiful, they were the colour of an indecisive sky. There were hints of blue, like the morning sky on a perfect sunny day. Then the dominant colour, grey, like the sky when a thunderstorm is threatening to wreak havoc.

He was the one I should've chosen. There should have been no question. He had known me for only a few days but he was the one who stayed.

"Chris," I murmured. Before the lucid part of my brain could talk me out of it, I stood on the tips of my toes and pressed my lips to his.

He didn't respond like I expected him to. In fact, he was rigid and perhaps his eyes were open.

Heat rushed to my cheeks and embarrassment shook me to the core. So that was what being rejected felt like.

"I'm sorry," I said, after I had pulled away.

My eyes were trained on the floor, so I was surprised when I heard him chuckle. I looked at him in astonishment.

He was covering his face with his left hand, shaking with mirth and embarrassment. There was a tinge of pink to his cheeks. As I'd done so many times in my life, I thanked Mawu for my dark skin.

He removed his hand and flaunted his dimples. He cautiously wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me to his chest, gauging my reaction. All I did was look at him with slightly wide eyes, trying to figure out what he was doing. He dipped his head and touched his forehead to mine.

"Don't apologise, I was just shocked. I want to kiss you Elorm, but you're still in a relationship with that guy."

"I'm not," I said, staring at this tantalising lips. They were so pink. Thin but luscious looking. "He abandoned me. We were over the minute he left."

"He probably doesn't know that," he said as his hands rubbed the small of my back.

I felt a stirring at the bottom of my belly. "Chris, I—"

The roar of a sport car interrupted me. We both looked up and I looked behind me to see a sleek black car with tinted windows, ominously parked behind me and in front of Chris. When I looked through the windscreen and spotted Michael next to Edinam, I pulled on a malicious smirk.

"Elorm!" Eddie yelled, jumping from the car and making towards Chris and me.

I turned around to face both of them — Michael had gotten out also.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, my voice coming out darker than I imagined.

Michael's face was the description of mixed feelings. He looked sad, angry, miserable and slightly hopeful. Maybe he was hoping that what he was seeing wasn't what it looked like.

"You're asking what I'm doing here? What are you doing here?" He bellowed. "Edinam comes out of nowhere, telling me that I'm supposed to be proposing to you and that if I don't there's a chance that you'll be lynched, and I find you here, cheating on me with another Carowhite!"

"Carowhite?" Chris murmured. "I'm mixed!"

"Do you have a problem with light-skinned guys?" I asked him, my blood boiling with rage. "Don't come here and play the victim! You left me, and she is into you! You both can have each other, see if I care."

"Are you listening to yourself Ellie?" Eddie scolded. "Michael and I have never even had a conversation! Where's all this nonsense coming from?"

"You're just angry," Michael said. He took my hands. "Calm down. Listen to the voice of reason. Think about this. Does it make sense to you?"

I stared into his dark brown eyes. They were so dark that without the aid of bright lights, I couldn't make out the difference between his irises and his pupils; just like mine. His eyes were beautiful in a simple way, unlike Chris' which were pretty much screaming for attention. Short but dark, curled lashes framed his beautiful eyes in a feminine way, but the rest of his strong masculine features made up for that.

His jaw could cut through diamond, his hair was silky and raven coloured. His skin was dark, it reminded me of rich chocolate. His nose was pointed, a feature uncommon to most black people, but it managed to look so African and natural on him. His lips were plump, inviting, pink, and somehow, perpetually moist.

His body was lean and tall, muscular enough for him to have a rock hard six pack but not too packed with fat. He looked as athletic as a cheetah, towering over me at six-foot two.

The beautiful boy stared at me, pain evident in his stance, the sting of betrayal wearing down his features, making him look older than his eighteen years of age.

What had I done? Michael would never. Michael and Edinam? What was wrong with me? How could I even have ever thought that they would get together?

"I'm... I'm so sorry," I moaned, throwing myself into his arms, tears forming rivulets on my face and drying on his shirt.

His arms encaged me, but they were stiff, rigid, like he was forcing himself to do it. What did I expect? I cheated on him.

I didn't want to imagine the look on Chris' face. I was thankful that I didn't see it. I knew it would torment me for days to come.

I played with them both.

"Eddie," I pulled away from him and faced my cousin. Perhaps she found something very interesting on the ground, because she refused to look away from it. "I'm so sorry. My anger was clouding my judgement. I thought... I thought he had left me, and that I'd have to marry Mr. Offei. Please forgive me."

"It's okay," she murmured. She grabbed hold of her elbow, a defensive stance probably to prevent me from hugging her. "Go home, they're waiting for you."

I felt so horrible that I forgot to ask how Michael was standing before me.

Edinam must've understood that I wanted answers by looking at me. "The maid, she was lying. Prince Michael never went anywhere. She was jealous and she wanted to keep you both away from each other. I suspected something, so when you stormed off, I persisted in questioning Prince Michael's whereabouts and managed to gain the attention of one of the palace guards. He informed the prince of my presence and I, in turn, told the prince of your predicament. He rushed to your house to see you, but you were nowhere to be found... so I guessed that you would be here."

"And she was right," the smile on his face tore at my heart. It was so bitter. "But I never expected to see you like that with him," he spat, his eyes going over my head, to Chris.

I dared to look. Chris had his poker face on while he stared at Michael. He couldn't even bear to look at me.

Why did I kiss him?

"Nothing happened," Chris said, his hands curled into fists, his nostrils flaring. "It was just a... friendly kiss."

Michael laughed bitterly. It was so sharp and full of malice that I flinched, startled. "A friendly kiss. Have you ever heard of such a thing? If you wanted to give her a 'friendly kiss', you could've kissed her on any other part of her face. But when you decided on kissing her lips, that was anything but friendly."

Chris opened his mouth to say something, but I interfered. "I kissed him."

Even Edinam looked shocked. Michael stared at me, with an unnatural glimmer in his eyes. His eyes looked like they were clouding over, it was like... he was crying.

I'd never prayed for instantaneous death more in my life.

Michael smiled again and shook his head. He turned around and went back to his flashy car, throwing the door open with so much force that I cringed. The windows were tinted so I couldn't see him, but I could hear him scream in frustration. From the sound I heard, he was pounding his fists against the steering wheel and all I could do was cry.

"Go to him," Chris said, his voice void of emotion. He looked at me like I was a stranger — not that I wasn't.

I knew that he was hurting, but it turned out that he was a master at hiding his pain.

"He's right. Go," Eddie said, still refusing to look at me.

"W-what if he doesn't want to see me?"

"Of course, he doesn't. But he'll forgive you, he loves you," Chris said, almost spitting the words out.

Eddie nodded in agreement. "Besides, you still have your engagement to attend to."

"After what I've done, do you think he'll forgive me, let alone marry me?"

"Did you hear what I said?" Anger was slowly creeping its way into his voice. "He loves you. Go before you lose him to someone else."

I nodded, seeing that he was right. I'd rather get rejected a hundred times over than to lose Michael to someone else.

I ran to his car, losing courage just before I could pull open the door. I couldn't tell whether he was looking at me and I couldn't tell whether that look was full of anger or hope. Hope that we could put this behind us.

The door suddenly pushed open, giving me just seconds to avoid it hitting me. I moved out of the way.

"Get in," he said. His hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, the evidence of him grinding his teeth showed by his ticking jaw.

"Michael, I—"

"I said get in," he repeated, his narrowed eyes staring straight ahead.

I swallowed my pleas and took the front seat. I prayed to Mawu for the first time in a long while.

* * *

Don't forget to vote! 🌟