Love Me, Mikayla

I

MIKAYLA

. . .

The loud voice of the card slapping against our glass table grabs everyone's attention as I throw the stupid card right in front of my mother.

Everybody in the living room is now staring at me while I am fuming with hot anger, done with looking at the ugly shine of the wedding invitation card in front of me, on the table, in front of my Mama.

"What's this?" I grit out, grabbing my hips. Impatiently, I begin tapping my foot on the floor.

"Oh, Mickey," she smiles at me, holding the card, "This is Barak and your wedding invitation—"

"Darn it, Mama, I can see it! But why? I don't remember agreeing to marry that Blondie!"

"Mickey, language. Is this even a way to talk to your mother?" My sister-in-law chides, frowning at me. She had sent her kid away the moment she saw me entering the living room.

"And about the injustice she's doing to me?"

"Your Daddy asked you, Mickey and you said yes, don't you remember this?" Mama interrupts, standing up from the couch to address me.

"Because I can't say no to him, Mama, you know that! But didn't I tell you that I don't want to marry him? But instead of making up Dad for me, you're explaining things to me!"

"Because he's a good match—"

"From which angle, Abby?" I retort, glaring at my brother's wife. She has become a stranger to me after meeting that Blondie.

What the hell?

What's happening to my family members, I wonder. That baby Dawood has cast a spell on my family members and they are so under his spell that they are not even ready to listen to me.

"What makes you all feel that we're good for each other? He's a pain in the ass—gosh! Why are you doing this to me?"

"Then why don't you talk about it to your Daddy?"

I cannot help but grit my teeth in frustration while tears burn my eyes. My own family members are treating me like this. My mother, who very well can make my Dad understand why I don't wanna marry their sweet so-called ideal boy, is not ready to do it, keeping on singing before me that anthem of Blondie Dawood.

What's my place here?

He has made a place in their hearts and I don't think they even consider me their own daughter anymore. To notice the worst, they are hell-bent on sending me away with Blondie.

On the surface of the earth when there are countless men, could they only find him to be my husband?

Not like I would become anyone's bride because I only see Ibzan as my life partner but why also just Blondie is special in their eyes? What good they see in him, tell me! I have never found him to be pleasant. He is the most disagreeable man in the world for me.

I would prefer dying better than marrying him!

"Haven't I tried it already?" I utter, fisting harshly that my nails dig in my palms. "Weren't you there with Dad when I came to tell him that I don't wanna marry him? And wasn't it you who listened to him?"

She sighs, looking anywhere but at me. She folds her arms on her chest and glances down at the wedding invitation. She bends a little to hold it and puts it inside the envelope very carefully, ignoring me.

Wow, so much care for a piece of paper. I have torn down a few in my room and the pieces are lying over the floor, under my bunny slipper.

"Listen, Mickey, we told you already and tell you again that Barak is a good guy. You won't regret marrying him."