CHAPTER 1

  (HALF BREED)

  Staring at the long queue ahead, Ariel picked up her plastic bucket and went directly to the tap. She was about to put it beneath the tap when someone hit it, causing it to fall to the ground.

  “What was that for?” she whined, glaring daggers at Kabria, the girl who kicked her bucket.

  “You are an idiot Ariel” Kabria smirked.

  “Can’t you see the queue; many of us have been standing here waiting for our turns to fetch this water. But you came out of nowhere, to fetch. Get back in line half breed.” She mocked, making everyone laugh. Ariel sighed sadly

  “The girl that fetched earlier told me to fetch immediately after her, we had an agreement” she pouted.

  “What fucking agreement, this is a public borehole and I’m in charge here, so you do as I say” Kabria barks.

  Having a sad look on, Ariel pleaded.

  “Please Kabria, I need to fetch now, my mum is sick and I need water to prepare her herbs” She stated

  “If you really wanna get water for that f**king mother of yours, then you will need to get back in the line or you get none, read my lips” she smirked.

  Ariel had no choice but to pick up her already dirty bucket, she dusted it with her bare hands and stared at the queue, filled with people waiting anxiously for their turns to fetch water.

  “I should have stayed in the line, now it’s longer than earlier,” she thought ruefully.

  Believing that Kabria will never go back on her words, she strides to the extreme of the line, cursing Kabria inwardly for making her go through the queue problem.

  Kabria on the other hand, is the daughter of a well-known notorious street lord, whom the government placed in charge of the public boreholes. She is just like her father and takes his place when he is unavailable.

  No one will ever wanna step on their toes, except they wanna sign a death wish. Ariel sometimes wonders why the government gave him the free will to monitor the public boreholes, why didn’t they allow someone reasonably take good care of it?

  Perhaps because he is feared by many, she concluded. And Kabria being the apple of her father’s eyes is even worse than he is.

  Kabria tapped a girl standing close to her and whispered into her ears. They both laughed as the girl cast disgusting glares at Ariel, who gulped down nothing. Kabria left afterward and the girl took her lead.

  ***********

  On getting home, Ariel dropped her bucket of water and sighed tiredly. She remembered what transpired between her and Kabria earlier, and frowned.

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  She would have arrived home earlier if Kabria hadn’t prevented her. She touched her temple and glanced at the compound, it looked neat; perhaps Mum swept it, she thought.

  “Damn, why will mum risk her strength to sweep in her condition, she supposes to rest and let me do it” She mumbled.

  She was about to turn the knob of the door open when she heard voices. She recognizes that of her mum immediately, but the other doesn’t sound familiar.

  She tried eavesdropping on their conversation but couldn’t fathom what they were talking about.

  “I will take my leave now” the voice muttered as she tried to hide, but it was too late, the door opened revealing a pretty, curvy-shaped woman, about forty years of age, with her mother behind.

  “Ariel!! You are back, thank goodness you came in time” her mum stated

  “Ye….ssss, just arrive, good day ma’am” she greeted the woman in front of her, who marveled at her beauty

  “Good day damsel, how are you?” she smiled, and tried touching her hair, but she shifted backward

  “I’m fine ma” she smiled wearily, the woman chuckled

  “I mean no harm dear; l just wanna feel your lovely hair. You have one beautiful daughter here, Gina, she is such a damsel” The woman said, referring to Ariel’s mum, who smiled and nodded positively.

  Ariel gave her mum a questioning look but decided to save it for later. They saw the woman off and went back into the house with her mum grinning from ear to ear.

  “Mum????” Ariel called, her mum faced her

  “Yes baby” she smiled

  “Mum…I thought you were sick..I mean..you just got well suddenly and you are smiling like you won the lottery, what is it mum, and who was that woman?”

  “Oh you mean Miss Peggy” Gina grinned

  “Miss???”

  “Yes..she is not married, but she has a daughter just your age, and guess what”

  “What,” Ariel asked surprised at her mum's sudden change of behavior, she was acting like a sixteen-year-old who was being asked out on a date. For damn sake, she couldn’t get on her feet this morning, she thought.

  “My prayers have been answered” Gina shouted in glee

  “Mum, I’m confused here, please can you go straight to the point” Ariel whined, and took a sitting position on their already worn-out bed

  “Ok ok fine” Gina clears her throat and sits next to her

  “Remember the woman I told you about, the day I went to the grocery shop” she muttered

  “Yes??? Is she the one?” Ariel asked

  “Yes she is, and we have been getting along ever since then”

  “I came in contact with her again at my workplace…..”

  “The tea shop?”

  “Yes, baby. We became friends, shared contact and that was when we started chatting whenever we get to see each other”

  “But you never told me you had a friend..strange” Ariel pouted, her mum chuckled.

  “Well, she is my friend now. She told me about her daughter and she is also a model” Gina grinned, and Ariel gave her a puzzled look.

  “So????”

  “Haven’t you always longed to be a model, darling?”

  Ariel scoffs

  “That was then mum, I have another dream now…I can’t fulfill such dreams in poverty” She frowned.

  “Hey brighten up, let me finish my talk before deciding on taking up an expression. She is not just into modeling, but she also trains pretty young girls like you to become one. And guess what, she does take them to the white man's country for their first photo shoot”

  “So…are you…tryna say that I should go with her to the States?”

  “Yes..to the states…” Gina grinned

  “And I should become a model?”

  Her mum nodded

  “What??? Mum..I wasn’t expecting this..why? I can’t leave you here and go to another man’s country with a stranger…how is that possible?” Ariel yelled

  “It’s not another man’s country, it’s also your country” Gina resorted

  “Fine..I know that..but I can’t leave you here..who will take care of you whereas, fine I love modeling, but that was then. There was no money to sponsor me when I had the chance, now I’m choosing music..I don’t want it Mum” she spurted out, going to the other side of the room

  “Ariel!!!!!” Gina yelled, with a shaky but loud voice. Ariel turned swiftly to

  face her with a gasp.