The soil clawed at Naomi's knees as she knelt down on the sand. She was hunched over, her hands wrapped around the roots of the crops, pulling them slowly out of the soil right before placing them in the basket.
Her face beamed of satisfaction as she worked tirelessly under the sun, the field had been her second home. Her own way of connecting with nature.
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A bead of sweat crawled down the back of her neck, she turned her head to the basket beside her gazing at its overflowing contents. She was content as she stood up, patting away the soil from her knees and her dress.
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As she strolled on the way to her home, she felt a deep feeling of sorrow crawl up her chest. Her thoughts drifted back to her upcoming wedding, a wedding to a man she hardly knew.
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The feeling of loneliness accompanied her sorrow, she had no-one to speak to about the things that troubled her heart.
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Her thoughts redirected themselves and drifted off to her brother, fourteen years and he was still in her heart, still etched in her memory. She wondered how her life would have been if he were here, would she still be going through the emotional turmoil. Naomi sighed, a sound laden with anguish.
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She wished that she had someone she could speak to, someone that she could share her burdens with. Her upcoming marriage to a man that was old enough to be her father was one of the daggers that seared her heart. It felt too much for her, it was all too much for her to carry. She just realised that she was all on her own in this cruel world.
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Her home materialized in the horizon, and she unconsciously slowed her steps, not wanting to get home just yet. A sigh escaped her as she got to the door, her hand rested on the door knob and she pulled, pushing down slowly. Her eyes connected with her mother, who stood with a broom in hand peering up at her, hands on her waist"What took you so long?!"
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Naomi walked in and closed the door behind her "I...I"
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"Who in heavens name gave you the permission to take my shawl"
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"It was windy outside so I just-"
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"Keep the excuses. There shouldn't be one stain on that shawl. Not one." Naomi nodded "Put the crops inside and enter the kitchen. Your father called, he's coming early."
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Naomi nodded
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"Inside. Quick." Her mother insisted.
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Naomi scurried to the kitchen, her hands taking out the vegetables from the basket and dropping them into a bowl of water, quickly she removed the carrots from the bowl ready to begin slicing them. She heard the door open but didn't bother raising her head to see her mother walk in.
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Her mother shrieked "Naomi!" Naomi flinched, dropping the knife instantly
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"Maman?"
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"What are you doing. Why are you slicing the carrots?" Mary inquired as she grabbed the slicing board and the bowl from Naomi's hands
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"I thought you wanted me to make vegetable soup?"
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"What stupid vegetable soup? The one you add a truckload of water to?"
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"B-but we always eat vegetable soup and I add that much water so that it would be enough for everyone"
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"Are you mad? Who eats vegetable soup, you drink eat it. You don't eat it. Rubbish! Go and get the chicken from the fridge"
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Naomi's face scrunched up in confusion "What chicken?"
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Mary turned to her with a scowl "Open the fridge and get the chicken. You're wasting my time"
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Slowly and reluctantly Naomi opened the fridge and saw a bag of frozen poultry. Her lower lip dropped. "Ma, where did you get the money to buy this?"
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"Bring the chicken here, I'll teach you how to cook it. Before you go to your in-laws house and cook them vegetable soup." Mary shook her head in disappointment "Bring me the rice. Quick!"
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"What rice"
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Mary's brows rose, "Naomi. Do I look like your playmate. You're asking me questions as if we're friends. Rice! Quick."
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"But I don't know where it is" Naomi murmured
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"In the bucket, you foolish pig. I pity your husband, I don't know how he will survive with you. Do not go there and give that man a heartache, he is already old as it is"
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Naomi opened the bucket to see it full of grains of rice and on the side there was a little cup. She didn't dare ask what the cup was doing in the bucket. Silently she handed it over to her mother.
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Naomi leaned against the counter as her mom warned her not to touch anything. She watched silently as Mary maneuvered gracefully around the kitchen, adding to a sizzling pot spices that Naomi had never seen before. The aroma was appetizing unlike the vegetable soup she was accustomed to since birth.
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Where her mother had gotten all these foodstuffs remained a mystery to her, she observed at a distance as finally her mother turned the stove off and turned to her. Naomi unconsciously stood up straight her gaze dropping to the floor.
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"I hope you caught every detail of my cooking. You should cook for your husband in this manner and trust me he won't look anywhere else"
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Naomi remained silent, she heard her mother sigh, and her worn out shoes came to sight.
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Mary took Naomi's hands in hers. Naomi shocked at the affection allowed her hands rest in her mothers' "You are going to get married Naomi. Your father and I are doing you a great favour by finding you a suitable husband. Mr Reagan will take great care of you. I promise you that you won't lack anything"
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"Why can't I choose who I want to spend the rest of my life with? Why can't I marry someone that I love?"
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"You know... Your father and I, never knew each other either. Our parents were the one that matched us up. On our wedding night I was scared and confused and I just wanted to die. But here we are, I am in love with your father and he is in love with me."
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Naomi raised her eyes from the ground, she stared into the eyes of her mother and shook her head slightly "Your eyes are lifeless." Naomi whispered, "Your face is pale Ma, and your heart beats at a steady pace."
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"What rubbish are you speaking again?"
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"When I am married, I want my eyes to bustle with joy whenever they land on my husband, I want then to shimmer with pride and adoration, I want my face to heat up at the memory or mention of him, I want my heart to race at a pace of a rollercoaster whenever I'm near him. That is what the definition of love is for me, an unexplainable rush of euphoria that bubbles up at the depth of my belly. I can't have that with Mr Reagan ma, he is old enough to be my grandfather for heaven's sake"
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"What do you know of love? You think those stupid stories that you read are true. Step out of your fantasies Naomi. I've been on this earth way longer than you. I know much more than you do. Step out of your dreams. Because that's all that they are...dreams. And sooner or later you'll have to wake up and step into reality."
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"Sometimes..." Naomi murmured. "Dreams come true"
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"Only in fantasies and fairytales, never in real life." Mary sighed "Naomi, your father loves and take care of me. I promise, Mr Reagan will do same"
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Naomi dropped her gaze to the ground once more, the words itching at her throat begging for escape "He hits you. That isn't love" she whispered
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Mary froze "Excuse me?"
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"Dad hits you." Naomi stated, she knew the consequences of her words could be drastic "how is that love?"
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Mary's mouth dropped as tears welled up in her eyes "You-" Mary paused, her voice quivering as the sound of he racing heart echoed in the small room "How dare you?!" Mary dropped Naomi's hand "How dare you say that about your father?!"
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"I see the bruises, as much as you try to hide it. I see them. I hear the cries in the middle of the night".
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"Shut up. You uncultured swine! How dare you?!"
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"If that is what love is then I don't want it"
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Mary's hand rose and collided with Naomi's cheek, her face snapped to side with the sudden impact "I said shut up!" Mary exclaimed, tears pouring down her face, "Get out! Get out right now"
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Naomi rushed out the kitchen and ran up the stairs to her room, banging the door shut as she crumpled to the floor. The sounds of her sobbing mother, haunting her, as she laid weak and sprawled on the floor.
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No tears left her eyes, but she could feel the pain in the depth of her heart. Maybe she should have just stayed in Rockville. The face of Anthony and Agatha reflected in her minds eyes. She just wanted to be in Agatha's embrace. Accompanied with them came Anganaa, the lady in the orange sari. The devilish smile that had graced Anganaas face on that night haunted Naomi leaving with even more questions.
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Naomi shook her head, suppressing a scream. Rockville was in her past, it was time she moved on. Her thoughts trailed off to James. The fox in sheep's clothing. James Smith. The man she thought had loved her. But while he was with her, proclaiming his love, he too, was with another planning marriage.
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Naomi just realised that she had never gotten James' side of the story. She had always assumed that he was the bad guy in the whole ordeal. Maybe, he too was being pressurised into marrying Sasha. Naomi thought of the possibility of James loving her, she had never gotten a chance to speak to him and figure things out.
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But... What about Anastasia, she was pregnant with james' child for crying out loud, how could that be fixed.
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Naomi thought of the possibility of Anastasia lying to her. Just today, Naomi had realised how conniving and deceitful Anastasia could be. Maybe Anastasia had lied about the pregnancy to get naomi to stay away from James.
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Naomi sighed perturbed by all her racing thoughts. The sound of the front door opening got her attention. Her father was home, her tummy grumbled in sorrow. She was starving and doubted she would eat anything tonight. Her mother would probably let her starve because of what she had said.
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Accepting her fate, Naomi got up on her feet and walked up to her bed, ready to get tucked in. The door snapped open, and her mother stood at the threshold, any sign of tears had been removed. Mary seemed to have come from the shower, her ebony coloured hair was allowed to wander free, dangling on her shoulders, trimmed to perfection. Her cheeks were red with blush, no longer pale as they had been minutes ago and her lips were adorned with red lipstick. But her eyes were still lifeless. Mary stared into Naomi's orbs, before opening her mouth to say "Your father is downstairs. He wants to see you"
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Naomi gulped, the night was far from over.
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