THE CURSED BEAUTY

Nick ondieki

Chloe was just getting into her room. She’d had a very tiring day and wanted to quickly grab something to eat before stepping out for the company’s end of the year party. 

“I wish I didn’t have to attend this party” she bemoaned as she searched through her clothes to decide what to wear. Her phone rang. She ignored it and continued her task of choosing an outfit for the occasion.

Her phone rang again, she picked it up hesitantly. “Hello mum” she said unenthusiastically into the receiver. “Chloe dear, how are you?” her mother said cheerfully, her daughter’s cold tone notwithstanding.

“Mum, now’s not a good time for me to go through this again…” she started preemptively, but her mum cut her right in her track.

“Well, hello! I’m not calling to beg you this time dear. I’m just calling to inform you that Sandy our neighbour is getting married. Her mother just left here. She came to invite me and your father” Chloe’s mother roared in obvious anger.

“And just how is that supposed to be a reason to rattle me after a very tiring day mum?' she asked her mother totally perplexed. “And why does it sound like you’re angry that Sandy is getting married? Was she betrothed to any of your relatives?” she asked her mother, ready to annoy her as much as her mother had been annoying her with talks about marriage in recent times.  

“Chloe!” her mother screamed threateningly “I’m tired of getting invited to other people’s marriage ceremonies, when my very own daughter, nicknamed Cinderella in the neighbourhood because of her inexplicable beauty decides to remain perpetually single. People are laughing at me. They just come here to invite me just to remind me of my pains” Chloe’s mum was complained bitterly.

“Mum, I’m going to tell you the truth this time, I’m not trying that marriage sh!t again. I don’t want any form of embarrassment again. And if it’ll help, I might  as well let you know that since the last failed marriage ceremony, I’ve made up my mind to stay away from men totally. I haven’t been with anyone and I do not intend to do so any time soon” she told her mother, prepared to weather whatever storm her decision would bring.

“They have succeeded ooooo” her mother wailed on the other side and there was a loud thud. “Mum, mum, mum” Chloe called severally, increasing her pitch each time.

There was a deafening silence from the other side. She couldn't tell what was going on with her mum, but something told her that she had just bitten more than she can chew. Chloe didn’t know what to do again. She searched for her car key frantically, her hands shaking terribly. 

She had always been afraid of hurting her mum, of making her get so riled up because of her health condition. But her mother’s incessant calls to ask when she was bringing another suitor after three unsuccessful ones was beginning to make her so annoyed.

And she just wanted her mum to let her be. All she wanted was to make her understand her position on the matter and let her be. She wasn’t the only child after all.

Her only brother and her two  younger sisters were already married, so it’s not as if her mother had never had he joy of giving her daughter out in marriage. Why did she worry so much about what people will say?  "God please, keep my  mother safe. Dad will have my head if anything  happens to his wife" Chloe cried as she dashed out of her house

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