Chapter Ten

"Honey, I am all set." She announced her presence displaying an exact blend of sophistication and elegance; a stunning beauty clad in a blue tight-fitting dress that showed all her bulges, which she combined with studs and an expensive golden bracelet, matching them with golden bangles, a pair of nice wedges and a white handbag with a golden clip.

She, after living a life of wretchedness with the worst social background as a young girl, was favoured by the heavens when she and Richard bumped into each other at a bus stop sixteen years ago. She, by coincidence, slips into a goldfield in the hands of a rich, influential and successful man, who falls in love with her at the first sight and bestowed her an opportunity to enjoy the sophisticated pleasures of the city which she's put to fully utilisation relinquishing all the sorrows of her childhood.

Rising from grass to grace, Jina tends to forget her roots and shuns everything that is bound to revoke it discerning everyone below her incapable of setting the world alight

She walked down the stairs dripping in gold as though she was walking down the aisle and claimed everyone's attention.

Richard twisted his head and saw her. He was too bedazzled by her looks that he couldn't speak and all he did was stand up his mouth agape as she advanced.

"Let's go, honey." She said her shining lips wearing a red lip gloss curving into a broad smile.

Richard is dumbfounded and speechless for a moment reminiscing on his first encounter with his crush, Julie. The vivid imagination gave him an inclination that he was gazing at Julie. Mercy knelt on the couch peering at her.

"Mum, you look gorgeous. Are you going on a date?" she asked with an ingenuous smile and nudged her dad in the ribs. The latter jerks a bit and would have run away with his imagination if his daughter hadn't impeded him with her pokes.

"Oh, ok, are you done?" He asked nervously and surveyed her from head to toe. Credibly, she was sparkling. Jina turned, swirled around, her pride and snobbery at their best disposition and then admitted,

"Yes, I suppose."

"Wow, you look very gorgeous, honey," he says, trying to hide his inglorious tendencies, hopping up to compliment her.

"Darling, you make me want to propose to you again," he said and dabbed her eyebrows till they were perfect.

Jina gives him a radiant smile and blushes a little.

"You are making me feel shy, you know."

"You two should go on a date and relax. Wouldn't you love that, dad?" Mercy horns in with an imploring remark and gesture.

"Hey, dear, why are you getting hot on the idea of dating? I hope you haven't started flirting with these poor small boys around the neighbourhood." She asked Mercy with witticism.

"No, mum! I suggested it because it would help you relax, just like in the old days, remember?"

She giggled and shifted her gaze to the television airings. Jina stared fixedly at her husband with twinkling eyes and asked,

"What do you have to say, honey? Wouldn't it be a nice idea?"

Richard smiled at the corner of his mouth. He's in the horns of a dilemma. The conflicting thoughts wrenched his mind instantly that he had no idea how to get out of this appalling situation without hurting anyone's feelings. He scratched his head and looked thoughtful.

Melissa struts out of the kitchen and finds Esther at the entrance peeking in the living room.

"Let's go and join Mercy.'' She said, holding her hand. The gesture on Esther's face is a clear indication that she's nervous. She displays an emphatic refusal by biting her lip and shaking her head. Aware of Jina's much hatred for her yet whose route was indiscernible to her, couldn't let her feel at ease.

She makes as if to go back but is thwarted by her niece who drags her along with her to the living room. It was indubitable that she didn't want to be seen by her aunt.

"Darling, not today. I am indisposed. Perhaps some other time." Richard said nervously, squeezing her hand. His lips trembled slightly as he spoke. Jina raised her eyebrows and gave him an intense look.

Suddenly she caught a glimpse of Esther walking across and rasped,

"Hey! Where do you think you are going? Go back to the kitchen and do the necessary. Cheap, insolent creature!" She wrinkled her nose and glared so scornfully at her that all her loveliness withered abruptly.

"Why are you hard on her? She must have finished all the chores because she's been working since the wee hours of the morning. I can tell she's a safe pair of hands, trust me, honey,"

"It's true, dad. There isn't anything she hasn't done, and that too, perfectly" said Mellisa, taking a seat beside her sister. Richard grilled Jina's actions with a grim look and called Esther back.

"Go ahead and join your sisters. Being a helper in this mansion doesn't make you a lesser human being." The expression on Jina's face implies that she is grievously hurt by Richard's abrupt decision.

Esther stands rooted on the spot and is shaken in her shoes by Jina's angry stare.

Her look smacked suspicion. She wouldn't fail to give her good hiding if she laid her hands on her. The poor girl was bound hand and foot.

"Esther, come quickly and watch this movie. I am sure you'll like it." Mercy said as she hopped towards her and pulled her along to the couch.

Richard, after gazing at Esther for some time in admiration, he claimed,

"Such a sweet girl! How I wish she was our daughter! She is the kind of girl that spreads warmth everywhere she goes, a blessing I should say."

Turning to Jina, he intuits that something was wrong with her. With his hand he taps her lips imploring her to smile and gives her a light kiss.

"I'll change into something decent dear." Quickly he runs upstairs. Esther sat down hesitantly with a suspicious mind. She could distinctly feel Jina's eyes filled with rage and resentment right behind her back. Her heart started to beat faster at this inclination.