Chapter 7

FIRE IN THE MOUNTAIN His words hang in my head like a cloud, and my eyes dart into his, browsing for any tinge of sincerity in his words. But what sincerity for crying out loud? He is my student. He has no reason to meddle in my affairs which he had done now! Actually, I want to smile at his words and just assume that he just wants to brighen the mode, but his eyes, they say otherwise. The kid is too serious for my liking. “And why would you help me, Robby?” I ask, trying to break free from his grip, but I end up making the situation even worse because he pulled me closer, leaving some nothingness of a gap between our faces. “You are my student for fucks’ sake, Robby, and my problems are not yours. You have no reason whatsoever to meddle or bother, Robby!” “Yes, I do, Ayana!” his words leave me battling shock and confusion. “I have the right, Ayana!” More shock! He does? As what? My student? What is happening to this kid? I raise an eyebrow, my eyes turning cold. I can not imagine I am this vulnerable that even Robby thinks he can take advantage of me because I am hopeless and miserable. Or why else would he be behaving this disrespectful? What else would give him the balls to try this nonsense? “You do, huh? Explain it to me, Robby! What gives you the right to meddle this much with my private live?” I ask, glaring at his eyes. He looks at me for a long while, and I refuse to back down. I am still bold, and there is no I will ever allow any dickwhore to make a fun of me ever again. If he thinks he has a sway over me because I am desperate and vulnerable, he better watch out for his balls or he might end up leaving this room with them broken! “Ayana,” he starts, slow, deep, intensly, and affection, “listen. I am..” The screeching sound of the door startles us, and we leap to untangle ourselves from this compromising situation that he drew us into. But we were too late because my sister saw it all—how I was in my student’s arms and our faces just an inch apart, looking deeply into each other’s eyes like lovebirds communiting their love for each other through the eyes. She scans her suspicius gazes between us, taking more than enough time to see what she wants to see. I know this one. “A student, huh? What the hell is going on here?” She squeals, looking at us with so much loathing and disgust. I knew she would make a mountain out of this. That has been her character sisnce we were young. And after I messed up, that when her true bitchy self revealed itself. I can imagine what kind forbidden wild thoughts are banging her head right now. And to answer her stupid question, I think that question should be re-directed to her. What the heck is she doing here? Neither she nor my parents ever set foot in this cursed dungeon they threw me into. We only see face-to-face outside when I am allowed to catch some sunlight, and that too, we see each other from a distance. So, what miracle happened today? Better still, what demons drove her here? “See you in the next lesson on Monday, Robby,” I say to Robby, my mind and eyes banked on Cynthia, who cannot take her eyes off Robby. “Yes. Miss De’Mario!” Robby says as he walks to grab his bag. “Excuse me,” he says, strolling out while I walk to the table at the center of this cubicle, while Cynthia walks to me with a look that only God knows what it depicts. She doesn’t respond to my question. She just stands here like she is avoiding even the air itself to touh her, her eyes glaring at me as if I owe her anything. Looking at her and how mightly she carries her self and how disrespectful and arrogant she turned towards me ever since I became a ‘stain’ on their so perfect and spotless family, I fail to recognize her at all. We have never been so close, which is odd because we are the only children of our parents, but she never at any point of our quarrels become this loathsome toward me. Sometimes I wonder if I also failed her this much, or her hatred is drawn from some other source. Her resentmenr for me matches that of my father. Or even beyond. It was like I did something so horrible by getting pregnant. It is like I hurt her directly or something. Since then, she has termed me an immoral woman, lose, and someone without dignity. And at the beginning, I used to ask myself if am all that as well. But then, I only fell in love. It was my first time to fall in love. I loved only one person and loved him with everything that I had. Is that worth making me immoral? Does that make me a lose woman? No, right? Yes, falling wrongly in love does not make me all that at all. Loving soemone who does not love you back does not make you immoral. Some times I think she just does not understand the word love itself because she has never loved. And after failing to understand what her resentment for me comes from, I stopped caring. After all, it is not like we talk anymore, which is why I am straunded seeing her in this cage for the first time. For her to storm in here like this, setting her clean feet and righteous body in this stinking place that defies her class, there ought to be fire in the mountain. Then again, Ayana Salma ceaced being part of them a long time ago, so, whether there fire in the mountain or celebrations in the castle, I don’t have to know. I am not a part of it. Unless, some miracle bechanced I suddenly became part of them?