"So now that both of you know this, you will be staying together in this room for the main time. Get to know each other better okay?" Mr. Dandelion said. Mark nodded. Anna didn't give a response and he walked out of the room.
Mark did not move from where he was sitted. He understands the amount of hatred Anna probably has towards him. And he understands if she would not talk to him at all. So he didn't say anything to her. She was sobbing now. "Hey," he greeted her. She ignored him. "Can I say something?" He asked her. Anna did not respond. She did not even look towards him. "Truth is I am as surprised as you are right now. I never thought this is what I came here to do. I thought it would be a simple bodyguard mission, and all I would have to do was protect Me. Dandelion or someone in his family. I am from Port Harcourt," she said. She gasped. He knew he got her attention. "I was an adventurer and all I ever did was either make researches about new things or protect people. I do not understand why I am being made to marry you," he said. Anna did not reply. "It's not like I am interested in being here. I had a whole life planned before coming here. I have a loved back at home. And so many incomplete journeys that I promise myself I would finish soon. But my matser made me stop all of them. He asked me to come here with immediate effect. I was go give your father a letter. I did not know the content. But this turned out to be the way. I would like to understand why my master made such decision without my consent. But I can't be rude to Mr. Dandelion. So, do not think this agreement is something I am comfortable with. It's the strangest thing ever. The fact that we are being made to sleep in the same room. Do not hate me. I am not convenient with this at all," Mark said. He banged the table lightly. Anna raised her eyes in fear. She tried hiding the fear. "Do you have anything to say?" He asked. She did not reply. She kept her eyes fixated on her lap. And she would not look away. "Hmm," Mark sighed. He removed his hand from the table, and he left the dining room, towards the bedroom. The room was as big as two rooms back at his home. And the way it was furnished was in no way similar to what he had. Even the guest room he was at in the main house was not well furnished. Mark knew Mr. Dandelion has planned this whole thing well. Even though he did not argue with Mr. Dandelion, he would still need clarification from his master. Mark climbed his bed and lay on it. He faced the wall where he would not have to see Anna. Anna was not moved by Mark's explanation. She saw it as his excuse for coming to almost ruining her life. She had friends in school. Her friends with which she already planned her future. She had planned that after highschool, she will go to university and perhaps do something professional. She never wanted to take part in the family business. She does not understand the whole mechanics of how the family business is being run, and she was not interested in it. But now that her father just told her who she is supposed to marry, Anna knew everything already ended. The only thing that could change that would probably be the death of her father. "God forbid!" She muttered immediately. Even if she is angry at him, she doesn't want him dead. And for the man laying on the bed, she does not care what happened to him. The only interesting about him must have been him being an adventurer, but that does not really mean anything to her again. She had always wanted to be an archaeologist who would work hand in hand with adventurerrs, but that seem to have ended. Anna moved to the bed. It was wide enough for two people to sleep on, well enough without touching each other. She wished she could push him off the bed and be the only one there. She felt disgusted at the thought of being in love with Mark. Anna sat on the bed. She wished there was somewhere else she could sleep on. She felt how the bed balanced both of their weight. It was annoying, and she was disappointed. She did not switch to her night gown. She did not bother to cover herself with the bed. She did not bother to touch her mobile phone. These are what she does on normal nights, but Anna could not find the energy to. She lost interest in all those. She was being weighed down with the news she just heard. She lay on her bed, and faced the opposite of Mark too. She was worried and cried at her helplessness. She never knew such a day would come where all the knowledge she had would be useless, and she won't be able to fight for herself. She had always been up against bullies. She had helped people get back on their feet. Help them fight against injustice, but now that it's being done towards her, she was surprised that she could not help herself. Perhaps she would talk to her friends, but how would she even present it to them, and worst of all is her boyfriend. How would she tell him? Anna swore to herself that nothing will make her love or even care about Mark. He will forever be the stranger that he is. She won't care for him at all. And if worse comes to worse, she will run away from him. Although that would be useless. It will take only a few days before her father finds her. And when that happens, her right to leave home might be taken from her. And that's one thing she will not like to lose.Mark, who was tired from the day's journey, slept immediately when he got on the bed. He slept off and did not bother himself much with the fact that he is to get married to someone else. That would be something to be worried about some other time. And he even tried not to think about it because he knows how impossible it is to change his master's opinion. Except if Mr. Dandelion will one day wake up and revoke his statement, but as of now, he has to accept reality. In the morning of the next day, he woke up later than usual. He heard someone's voice in the room. And after a few moments, he realised it was Anna's voice. It's not something he is used to yet. "Yes sir. I am almost done preparing for school… I should wake him? Father, are you serious about this?... I am sorry," he heard her talk over the phone. He knew it was Mr. Dandelion. Mark wished they would allow him to sleep more. He stayed in bed and listened more to Anna talking with her father. She was being less rebellious
Fifteen minutes after they left home, Henry came to a stop in front of a building. A very large building almost as majestic as Mr. Dadnelion's home. It's painted in a unique colour. It has the colour of the short he is wearing. "Is this the school?" He asked. "Yes," Henry answered. "So should I get down here or you will take us inside.""You will walk inside," Henry answered. Mark came out immediately. He looked at the school once again. It has two gigantic buildings by the side. And looking through the gate, Mark saw lots of students dressed like him, hanging around the school. Some were in pairs, and some alone. He liked the atmosphere, but he tried hiding it. It would be the first time he will be around so many people of his age range. He felt like it would be an interesting adventure. An exhilarating experience. One he is looking forward to. "By the way, Mark, before you find out or you know places, you would have to stick with Anna for at least few weeks. You got that Anna?
The class went by slowly for Anna, and a bit averagely for Mark. Everything he learnt on class where things he already knew. But for the sake of revision, he was glad he attended. Also, there were some stuff that his master didn't hint on. Mark believe either they are completely useless or the biology teacher is just adding fillers to make her notes comprehensive. He could not imagine his master to be wrong when it comes to science. But he enjoyed how conversational the class was. And when the lecturer left, a mathematics teacher came in. Even though Mark isn't bad in the course, his lack of interest for the course makes him a bad student. The teacher left almost an hour later, and the bell rang for break. Mark stood up immediately and went to Anna. "Hey Anna," he called her. He knelt down before her. "What?" She replied with a little bit of hostility. "Ever since we got in here, I have been hungry. I need food. Can you take me to the canteen?" He asked her. Anna sighed. She look
Hiroshi came to school earlier than usual. It was time that he surprised his girlfriend. He had not seen her over the weekend, his father had made sure that he did not leave. He made mention of things like everywhere not being safe. Hiroshi understood his father even though he doesn't want his father's lifestyle to judge him. When he got to school, he went straight to the boy's dorm and met with his friends."Is it the end of the world?" Daniel asked with a smile on his face. "I bet it is," Manny replied. "Stop it," Hiroshi defended himself. He shook and hugged both of them. "Yeah, but why are you in school this early?""Nothing. I just had nothing to do at home, so there was no reason for me to come late," he lied. "You never had anything to do, yet you still come late.""Man's changed, I guess," Hiroshi replied. "Hmm. More of this," Daniel replied. Hiroshi could not tell them the reason he chose to come early. For the whole week, they would call him lover boy and all sorts o
Hiroshi came to school earlier than usual. It was time that he surprised his girlfriend. He had not seen her over the weekend, his father had made sure that he did not leave. He made mention of things like everywhere not being safe. Hiroshi understood his father even though he doesn't want this father's lifestyle to judge him. When he got to school, he went straight to the boy's dorm, and met with his friends."Is it the end of the world?" Daniel asked with a smile over his face. "I bet it is," Manny replied. "Stop it," Hiroshi defended himself. He shook and hugged both of them. "Yeah, but why are you in school this early?""Nothing. I just had nothing to do at home, so there was no reason for me to come late," he lied. "You never had anything to do, yet you still come late.""Man's changed, I guess," Hiroshi replied. "Hmm. More of this," Daniel replied. Hiroshi could not tell them the reason he chose to come early. For the whole week, they would call him lover boy and all sor
People stood all around the train's platform, expecting the train to arrive. Few were seated. Others were just standing around pressing their mobile phones. Despite being a place where few people were interested in talking to each other, it was still a very noisy place. A mother held her child close to her waist, he was wandering far from her. He would jump around, but she did not want him to hurt himself. They were standing close to the ends of the rail line, and she would not want her son to jump on to the rail track by either mistake or his curiosity, or whatever reason makes people fall into rail tracks. Also, she did not want him to step on others. It would be weird if he is the reason she would have to talk to people. She wanted to leave the train station as soon as possible. And far into the rail tracks, she saw a figure approaching her. Instead of it being the figure of an oncoming train, it appeared to be that of a man walking slowly towards her. She moved back a bit, scare
Dad?" A male voice from beyond the crowd called. John stretched himself to look at where the voice came from. The young man rushed down on his knees beside his father. "Dad, what's wrong?" "Is there any doctor here on the train? Please help me," he asked. No one answered him. He crawled to a man's knee. The man moved back. "Anyone at all? Please my father will reward you," the young man assured them. John wanted to move forward. But he wasn't sure who the man was. He was just escaping something, and he is not ready to plunge himself into the middle of another crisis. He looked back at the lady he sat down beside. She was still engrossed in her music, and the creepy man was still staring at her. It was when their eyes met, that the man seemed interested in what was going on. "What's happening?" The man asked loudly. He got the attention of the lady that had been ignoring him. She stood up and knelt on her chair. She turned and looked at the crowd. She removed her earpiece. "I am
"You do realise that we just saw a quack doctor try to heal your father. Won't you just wait till we get to the station and real doctors attend to your father?" A man advised the boy. "I agree with him. Especially this one that looks dirty and God knows where he came from," a woman supported the man. "But we don't know what's wrong with him and if it's an emergency," the boy defended John. "That's more reason why you should just be calm. Don't let them touch your father as they please," another replied. "Are you sure you can take care of him?" "With the little things I have here, I should be able to bring him back to consciousness. It's only normal that I givs him first aid, then…""He is only interested in the reward. You will be sorry when this man kills your father," someone else interrupted John. John looked into the boy's eyes. It was as if he was asking the boy his choice. The boy's eyes got red, and tears began dropping. John felt he must either be eighteen years or some l