His Cinderella

Reminiscence,  melancholia and nostalgic memories flooded Mary's mind as she was sitting next to the fire in the small shelter which was used as a fire place. She sat quietly in deep thoughts while shedding a drop of warm salty water down her cheek. Yes, she was crying. She was crying for love. She was crying for mother's love. Her mother passed away when she was still a toddler.

She grew up without knowing her mother. The blink memories of a beautiful woman who used to toss her up and down with a great smile would creep in her mind. She was very young when her mother had fallen sick. She vaguely remembered when she was sitting next to her while she was in deep pain. Her tongue turned black and they said it was a black fever. Few days after she never saw her. Her father whispered in her ears while she was asleep."Your mother is in heaven", he said with a soft voice and then gave her a dry peck on the cheek and then he was off to work. 

Her father, a man of noble character and a stern voice was working hard in the remote firms to make sure she was well taken care of. He was hardly at home as his job was a demanding one. Young Chelsea who was a neighbour's relative used to look after her. Chelsea was so sweet and she would sing her a lullaby until she fell asleep. They would play until her father came home late from work. He would make fire and prepared roosterkoeke( some char-grilled bread). He would serve them with peanut butter and honey and a cup of creamy filter coffee and warm milk and honey for her. Chelsea would kiss her goodbye when it was time to leave. She and her father would go to bed early for he would wake up early the following morning. Then Chelsea would pick her up for creche. 

Things went on like that until one day her father came home with an announcement that would change their lives forever. " Mary, your mother will come here to live with us as of tomorrow", he said with his stern voice. Mary hopped with excitement when she thought of the word 'mother'. That  blink of memories came to her mind again. "Mother", she said smiling to her dad. "Yes, your mother is going to leave with us". She spent the whole night thinking about the mother who was coming. She woke up early as usual to prepare for school. She was in primary school now and she was right years old. All these she was living with her father and Chelsea who helped to babysit her. 

In the afternoon, she came back from school and a smell of tasty stew welcomed them. She and Chelsea entered the house walking hand in hand. They heard voices from afar. That day the house was not quiet anymore. They entered and headed straight to the kitchen. There she was. A big stout dark skinned woman with a crop of thick hair. She looked at them one by one from head to toe. There was a bit of awkwardness for a moment. Then suddenly, her father came in. "Mary! This is Florence, er-r your mother", her father said with his sharp voice. Mary looked down shyly as the woman came closer to her. " Hellow Mary", she said grinning and then looked at Chelsea. "And who is this?" She asked with a low voice. "I'm Chelsea", replied Chelsea with her sharp voice. "She has been helping me to look after Mary. Chelsea was sixteen and she was bright and mind too. She and Mary were more like sisters though Chelsea played a part of being a mother figure to Mary. She had been taking good care of her since she was a toddler. From her Mary tasted something that was closer to mother's love. 

She never knew things would change since that day. Florence was not a kind of a woman who would be closer to a little girl who was not get own. She barely smiled and her commands were intimidating from the very onset. Mary felt a bit of uneasiness when she was around her. But what could  she say, she was told that Florence was her mother and she had to live with that.

Few months down the line it was clear that Mary and Florence were never related in the first place. Florence had her own two daughters who were a bit older that Mary. They were her pride and joy. She made sure her children got all they wanted but Mary. It was stated clear that if Mary wanted something, she should approach her new mother not her father. Her father agreed to that for peace's sake. Mary's new sisters outshone her in all the ways. She became a withdrawn kid with trust issues. She did not know who to trust anymore. Her father was always absent at home owing to his demanding job and had to work more extra hours because he had a new family. Sometimes he would come home when Mary and her step sisters had already went to bed and when they woke he would be already gone. Mary would drag herself to the kitchen looking for leftovers and if she was lucky enough she would get a slice of bread and a scrap of vegetable soup. There was no need to beg for more because she was going to be scolded for being an ungrateful brat.

She became thinner by the day and the clothes her father bought her were no longer fitting her. She was told to give them to her new sisters. Sometimes she would wish Chelsea was there to fend for her as she usually did when other children were bullying her. Chelsea had long gone to her real family since she was a neighbour's relative. She and Chelsea had a lot in common. They both never saw their mothers. Fortunately for Chelsea, she was taken by her aunt from her mother's side to take care of her. She wished she had left with her. They only saw each other on holidays when Chelsea visited her other family who were Mary's nextdoor neighbours. After holidays they would part ways and carry on with their lives.