MAY

May bowed her head down in shame. Her coffee, doe eyes were filled with tears of pain,immeasurable hurting. She was trying hard not to let the tears fall as her dad's words pierced into her heart like a sharp knife."You're a disgrace to this family." he proclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at her. "Just look at yourself. Do you see how much of a mess you are? Your mom and I gave you everything you ever wanted!"She fiddled with her wrist band. Her grandmother, Ese, had given it to her as a present. She couldn't look at her dad's face nor could she talk back. She wouldn't dare."We've only wanted the best for you, your mom and I. We gave you everything you needed and you pay us back is by getting pregnant from an ordinary gatekeeper's son?! At this age..?"A

The doorbell rang, waking her up from sleep. May, already knowing who her visitor was, scrambled out of bed to get the door. "Efua!" May exclaimed after she had opened the door, pulling her friend into a bone-cracking hug.

May frowned at the beautiful, melanin-dripping figure donning a plain short red gown indicating danger standing in her doorway. She was about to speak when her daughter shouted, "Aunty Bella!" 

If someone had told May that another woman would take her place in her own home, she would have laughed. But here she was, reluctantly massaging another woman's shoulders because her husband instructed her to. Maryam was already sound asleep so she didn't get to see her mother's shame.

The wooden door gently closed behind her. She bent down to sit on the floor while resting her back on the door.