The sacred bride episode 15

The Sacred Bride
Written by Bunmi B. Gabriel.
Segment 15
Bloom
I stared at the kitchen knife thoughtfully, what will happen if I kill myself? Will it end the tradition as the one as never died before her time? That would be good. What is the point of living when I keep wanting things but never get it. Like the time I had a crush on the super cute guy at junior high, he didn’t like me back and I couldn’t even make any effort because I knew it was a waste of time. What about the other guys that I’d actually liked a lot, few liked me back but I couldn’t even date them. It was because of this thing I stayed away from guys and friends, only had Leila to look out for me. Now here I was again, getting excited over him when the possibility of getting him is zero.
‘Stupid life,’ I muttered, picking up the knife. I angrily slid the blade along my wrist to my arm, I’ll just bleed to death but shit! It’s f-cking painful. I sniffed as I held back my tears, I didn’t stop, I cut my palms as well.
‘Bloom,’ I scre-med at the mention of my name. I sighed angrily and as I saw Dark.
‘Don’t try to stop me,’ I threatened him, pointing the bloody knife at him. He dare not come any closer because my blood can kill him.
‘How do you think Leila and Bernice will feel if they find out you committed suicide?’ My hand sagged to my side. ‘Bloom, killing yourself won’t end the circle, it will only kill Leila. Have you forgotten that your life is tied to hers? That if you dare try to die before the time, her life will be trade for yours?’
‘Then what do you want me to do!!!’ I yelled exasperatedly, more years gushing down my cheeks. ‘I’m tired okay, f-cking tired!!!!’
‘Drop the knife Bloom, before Leila gets here or start feeling the pain you are feeling. Remember that before you die, she will first.’ I sniffed and threw the knife into the kitchen sink.
‘Dark, I don’t want to continue.’
‘You don’t have to avoid him, keep going.’
‘Why?’ I sobbed. ‘So I can like him more?’
‘Because you will return to him anyways, let me heal you, permit me.’
‘Uhm,’ he stepped closer to me carefully, making sure his actual body do not touch the blood on the floor. Gray fog wrapped around my hand like ant infection. The pain slowly died down, I still wish I should die. ‘I should clean this up before Leila comes.’
‘You should,’ the fog slipped away, my hand was healed. He staggered back, what he did will drain him for days. ‘Clean,’ he whispered before he disappeared. I sighed, oh well for dying. Twelve minutes later I was hugging the giant teddy when she ran into my room like a lion was chasing her, she almost bulldozed my door.
‘Bloom,’ she jumped on my bed and enfolded me in a hug. ‘I’m so sorry, I shouldn’t have left you in the first place…I keekeep forgetting my duty and….and….I’m such an idiot….’
‘Leila, I’m fine, really…’
‘No, you almost got raped? What were you thinking waltzing off into the street like that?! If Dark didn’t get there on time, you would have gotten us in trouble! This is why I told you to learn jitsu but you won’t listen….’
‘Leila….’
‘No,’ she sobbed. ‘It’s my fault. I shouldn’t be going out on dates and forgetting….’
‘For Pete’s sake! Leila!’
‘What?’ She whimpered.
‘I’m fine now and it’s not your fault. I was sad and depressed and I thought taking a stroll will help but I guess I was wrong.’
‘So,’ she wiped her tears. ‘What do you plan on doing now?’
‘I’m not going back to work, I think I will go stay with Raisin for a while.’
‘Who’s that goat?’
‘Our cousin, mother’s younger sister’s son.’
‘No, you are going nowhere,’ she said calmly. I placed my head on her chest and cuddled her. ‘Don’t stop work,’
‘Why?’
‘Like someone said this evening, we will never know what is at the end of this new challenge if we don’t take it. I trust Dark, I have a feeling he knows what he is doing.’ I looked up at her and pouted.
‘Really?’
‘Yes, just don’t ever try to kill yourself again or I’ll kill you first.’
‘You knew,’ I sighed.
‘The moment I touched you, I knew.’
‘I’m sorry, I just….’
‘It’s okay. Mom and I were expecting you to attempt suicide quite earlier but you tried, you didn’t do that as early as we predicted.’
‘Is that suppose to be a compliment?’ I chuckled.
‘Fact,’ she pushed us down and sighed. ‘You know I promised you that nothing will happen to you, right?’ I nodded. ‘I never break a promise Bloom, especially when you are involve. Don’t give up yet, I will still find a way.’
‘Thank you Leila, that’s why I love you.’
‘Love you too,’ she whispered.
>>>>>>>>>> Fast forward <<<<<<<<<<
★★★★★ Alisdair ★★★★★
I thought being in a tizzy was a girl’s thing but now I know that’s a f-cking lie. It was Friday, Bloom looked calm though she have been a little big redrawn lately, but she still came. Anything could happen, what if things don’t work out as planned? What if….shit! This is crazy. She was singing as she drummed her fingers on the windowsill. If her voice wasn’t distracting me, her beauty certainly is.
♪….she’s scre-min’
“I’m-ma-ma-ma out my mind”
Oh, she’s hot but a psycho
So left but she’s right though
At night she’s scre-min’
“I’m-ma-ma-ma out my mind”
She’ll make you curse, but she a blessing
She’ll rip your shirt within a second
You’ll be coming back, back for seconds
With your plate, you just can’t help it
No, no, you’ll play along
Let her lead you o-, o-, on
You’ll be saying, “No, no”
Then saying, “Yes, yes, yes”
‘Cause she messin’ with your head ♪ she looked at me, I turned my head immediately. ‘Alisdair, this sister of yours, is she nice?’
‘I just answered that question, she’s cool.’
‘How old is she?’
‘Eight,’
‘What sickness does she have?’
‘Am I suppose to memorise something that gives me headache?’
‘I have a feeling she will be more hærd than your mother but I shouldn’t care though, I’m just going there to make pie.’
‘Sure you are,’ I smirked.
‘How does she cope knowing her mother died after giving birth to her? And now she’s gonna die?’
‘I don’t know,’ I sighed. ‘I don’t like talking about things that bothers me.’
‘Humph,’ she murmured and continued singing. ♪ Oh, she’s sweet but a psycho
A little bit psycho
At night she’s scre-min’
“I’m-ma-ma-ma out my mind”
Oh, she’s hot but a psycho
So left but she’s right though
At night she’s scre-min’
“I’m-ma-ma-ma out my mind”
Grab a cop gun kinda crazy
She’s poison but tasty
Yeah, people say, “Run, don’t walk away”
‘Cause she’s sweet but a psycho
A little bit psycho
At night she’s scre-min’
“I’m-ma-ma-ma out my mind”
See, someone said, “Don’t drink her potions”
She’ll k-ss your neck with no emotion
When she’s mean, you know you love it
‘Cause she tastes so sweet, don’t sugarcoat it….♪ she paused as I honked at the gate. ‘Wow, it feels like I’m coming to see my mother in-law,’ she said humorously even though she was nervous.
‘You have no idea,’ I chuckled. The gate slowly drew open, I drove in fast and parked the car carelessly. Paige ran out shrieking as she jumped.
‘Is that her?’ Bloom whispered.
‘Yes,’
‘She looks okay to me,’
‘That’s what everyone says,’ I murmured, removing my seatbelt. ‘She will assume we are dating, ignore her, okay?’
‘I’ll just tell her we aren’t….’
‘No!’ I shouted, I chuckled nervously. ‘I mean, don’t answer her, just nod or she will prolong the topic.’
‘Okay,’ she shrugged. I sighed with relief, this better go well.
Bloom
The little girl stopped squealing as she coughed, she coughed out blood and that was all the confirmation I needed. Alis knelt down and cupped her cheeks, whispering something to her. She continued coughing violently, he looked like he was going to cry. He carried her up and looked at me. ‘Follow me,’ I didn’t ask, just followed into the house. He abandoned me at the large living room, while he rushed up to probably get her drugs.
The house was very nice, the first time I was seeing red and white as a painting but it was nice, looked like Christmas candy. I sat down on the leather chair tapping my foot and singing softly. A Butler with baldhead walked in, he wasn’t smiling but he looked nice.
‘Excuse me ma, might I offer you some tea perhaps?’
‘No, I’m fine.’
‘Are you sure?’ Why are all Butler’s British?
‘Yes, I’m fine.’
‘Alright. Is the temperature to your liking? Do you have any complains at all?’
‘I’m fine, I promise.’ I chuckled.
‘Very well then, if you need anything, do call me.’
‘I will,’ I smiled.
‘And Miss…..?’
‘Bloom,’
‘Bloom, you have a very lovely voice.’
‘Thank you….?’
‘Bradford, call me Bradford.’
‘Nice meeting you Bradford,’
‘The feeling is reflected,’ he smiled and left. Nice man I guess.
♪ Oh, she’s sweet but a psycho
A little bit psycho
At night she’s scre-min’
“I’m-ma-ma-ma out my mind”
Oh, she’s hot but a psycho
So left but she’s right though
At night she’s scre-min’
“I’m-ma-ma-ma out my mind”
Oh, she’s sweet but a psycho
A little bit psycho
At night she’s scre-min’
“I’m-ma-ma-ma out my mind”
Oh, she’s hot but a psycho
So left but she’s right though
At night she’s scre-min’
“I’m-ma-ma-ma out my mind” ♪ I looked towards the hallway because of the voice singing along. I didn’t see anyone, at least not until a woman drove her chair into the living room. Oh no f-cking way! Is this Mrs. Snapper? Like the one I know?
Mrs. Snapper used to be my personal tutor, before I went off to college with Leila. She was such a nice lady, very sweet and caring. She was one of the people that encouraged me to live happily even though she had no idea why I was sad. Her once shiny black hair was messily gray, her eyes shallow and the bright blue of her eyes dark and reddish. Her eye bags were puffy, wrinkled cheeks and her once pink l-ips pale, dry and filled with sores. Her cream skin was wrinkled and pale with a light pinkish color, lanky and shaking hands.
‘Mrs. Snapper,’ I sobbed, didn’t even know I was crying already.
‘Bloom?’
‘Oh my God! Mrs. Snapper! What happened to….oh my….’ I burst into tears, what happened to the beautiful woman my dad once drooled over, my dad once tried to make a mistress. She was really sick, like hell sick. She drove her automatic wheelchair to me, a small smile on her face.
‘It is nice to see you again Bloom, how’s that troublesome sister of yours?’
‘She’s fine,’ I whimpered, wiping my tears away.
‘Don’t cry, you will make me feel bad.’
‘I’m sorry,’ I sobbed.
‘Help me,’ she said calmly, stretching her hands to me. I helped her from her chair into the one I was sitting. ‘Thank you,’ I nodded as I put her thin legs on my laps. I started m-ssaging her foot, it seems like it was hurting her.
‘You never came for my graduation, why?’
‘After the troubles I caused between your parents, I thought it was wise I stay away.’
‘You should have called,’ I pouted. ‘I was hurt when you didn’t show u….’ Alis walked back in with the girl on his back.
‘Ah! That’s my daughter’s daughter, Paige.’
‘At least I now know why she looks so familiar,’
‘Grandma, you know her?’
‘Yes, she used to be one of my students, the very female I loved most and your mother and her older sister were like cat and rat. They never agreed on anything, not even the air they breathe.’ She said chucklingly, probably remembering the times like I was. Damn! Leila and Paisley fought the hell like crazy, nothing they did matched.
‘This just made everything easier,’ Alis smiled. I arched a brow at him. ‘Mom, Paige,’ he said dropping Paige on the floor. ‘Meet my fiancée, the lady I’ve been telling you about since. Her name as you already know is Bloom Wellington.’ Since I was smiling before, my smile got stuck to my face.
‘Wow! What a coincidence, this world is very small….’
‘I’ve been waiting for you all my life,’ Paige said excitedly, holding my hand. ‘It’s nice to finally meet you!’ She squealed.
‘Don’t squeal again,’ Alis warned. My smile was still stuck as my eye twitched. Mrs. Snapper was already crying.
‘I’m so happy that you are the one he loves, I will die happily knowing you are his wife,’ I nodded with a creepy smile.
‘So tell me,’ Paige said, plopping herself beside me. ‘How did you guys meet and when did he propose?’
‘Yes Alisdair, how and when?’ I asked blinking my eyes creepily. He itched the back of his head and shrugged.
‘I got stuck in traffic one day,’ he started, shoving his hands into the front pockets of his corduroy p-nts. ‘I was upset that I was late to a meeting, fuming and cursing when she ran out of an ice cream shop laughing with her sister chasing her. She looked like an evening sunset, one with a certain alluring and mysterious beauty that ease my temper….’ The look in his eyes, is he lying? ‘I went looking for her after that day, didn’t see her though but I kept coming back until I finally met her again and that was it. As for how I proposed, I took her to a beach and er….just proposed.’
‘But I’m not wearing a ring,’ I grinned. ‘How is that possible?’
‘I already apologized for forgetting the ring, I will buy you one soon,’ they were buying the lie. God! What have Alis gotten me into! They looked so happy, I couldn’t deny it.
‘Bloom, did he really propose without a ring?’ Paige asked suspiciously.
‘Unfortunately,’ I smiled. ‘He’s an idiot but I guess I love that idiot,’ Paige giggled while he sighed. Mrs. Snapper was staring at us suspiciously, she’s awfully smart.
‘Of all the lies Alisdair! Marriage!!!’ I scre-med at the top of my voice, the door was soundproof so no big deal.
‘Just calm down….’
‘Don’t tell me to calm down!!! This is my life we talking about here! My future! How could you think of tricking me into coming here and lying to those poor people….’
‘You said it yourself that day,’ he interjected softly. ‘I have to do what it takes to make them happy even if it means forcing another into it, as long as they don’t die….’
‘Can you f-cking hear yourself!!! Do you think my parents or family will let me marry you even under a contract! Alisdair Kendrick, do you know who or what I am?!!!’
‘Stop scre-ming, please,’ he whispered, m-ssaging his temples. ‘I’m sorry okay, I am desperate because like you just witnessed, they are very sick and their wishes is all I can think of. This is the only thing I can do to make her happy, if you were in my shoes, what would you do?’ The same thing, definitely the same thing. I sighed and leaned on the bathroom door, this is far more complicated.
‘Even if I accept because of how much I care about her, my family never will, EVER. Especially my dad and his relatives.’
‘I don’t give a f-ck about the relatives, all I need you do is to accept and I will handle your parents myself.’
‘You don’t get it Alisdair, if it was Leila or Bernice, they won’t mind but it is me, Bloom, they won’t let me go for nothing.’
‘Why exactly? What are your reasons?’ He asked, standing up from the bathroom counter. I looked at my feet and back at him.
‘Getting married and divorced is not a thing recorded in our lineage, that’s one. Two, I don’t feel anything for you, what assurance do I have that you won’t try to sleep with me?’ He cackled at that and licked his l-ips.
‘I assure you that I won’t try anything on you,’ he said with a sly smirk, curse his s€×iness.
‘How sure are you?’ He shrugged.
‘I’m g-y,’ my heart sank to my stomach. I started laughing, that’s hilarious.
‘You, g-y? Very funny….’
‘I’m serious, I’m g-y. That’s why I’m not seen with women, I prefer f-cking dudes.’
I blinked dazedly. ‘Oh,’ I said still blinking. ‘That’s unexpected.’
‘I’m sorry,’
‘I’m going to get married to a homo, that’s nice,’ I said with an ironic laugh. I’m liking a guy that isn’t straight, this is the worse way life can punish me.
‘Please, will you help me?’ Have you ever been in a state where you are not even sure what to do, either to cry, scre-m or just stare? And since you can’t decide, you just start laughing like an idiot, that was my case. He walked closer to me, how could a perfect guy not be straight? That’s hell! ‘Bloom,’ he whispered, cupping my cheeks daintily. ‘Please?’ He captured me with his eyes, something I will have trouble with for the rest of my short life.
‘Okay.’
There I was loving readers! Sitting there at the dinning room and watching them eat while I cried inwardly. When I was thinking something good can come out, my crush is g-y. Ha! So hilarious. My head was still on fire, I laughed every five minutes to myself, how nice. Mrs. Snapper waved her fork as she smiled at me warmly. ‘You have always been an excellent cook,’ she commented.
‘Thank you.’
‘I remember the first time Leila made me toast,’ she said and then laughed, I laughed too, painfully that is. ‘That girl is something else. I saw in the news that she’s dating that crush of hers, she finally nailed him like she said she would.’
‘Yeah,’
‘Wait! You are the sister to Heartcode’s new girlfriend?’ Paige asked excitedly. I nodded. ‘Oh my gee! I need a picture!’ She shrieked and ran out to apparently get her phone.
‘Now she’s gone, can I ask a prying question?’
‘No,’ Alis and I replied sharply.
‘I’m gonna ask anyways,’ she said pettishly, Alis shrugged and put his wine to his l-ips. ‘Have you two had s€× yet?’ Alis choked on his food while I face palmed myself. ‘Sorry, I’m curious.’
‘Mom,’ he coughed. ‘That’s personal,’
‘I just wanna know because the Bloom i knew then was certain about her s€× after marriage oath, are you still a V-rgin Bloom?’ I could feel his eyes piercing into my head. I kept my hands on my face.
‘No, I’m not,’
‘Oooh! Was it Alis?’ She asked enthusiastically.
‘Mom, please,’ he pleaded.
‘Don’t lie to a dying woman Bloom, are you?’
‘No,’ I said, clasping my hands together and putting it at the side of my head.
‘Was it him?’ She asked looking at Alis. ‘What are you guys shy about? Anyways, I know you still are because I saw the beads on your wa-ist, the one your mother wore you as a sign of your purity….’ I face palmed myself again. The stupid beads I was literally born with. Like the beads followed me out of my mother’s womb and I can’t take it off. No one can see it except my family members but somehow, Mrs. Snapper can, Leila said her level of spirituality is extreme but I think she’s one of the few who can see it.
My first, seventh and eleventh crush saw it and eventually, Alisdair did the other day.
‘So that’s what it’s for,’ he chuckled to himself. Wow! Another mom.
‘So, when is the wedding?’ She asked grinningly. I scoffed and glared at Alis.
‘Heh heh,’ he chuckled. ‘I want to speak to her father about it first, then we will decide on when.’
‘Good, it shouldn’t be more than three weeks from now, I don’t have much time.’
‘And don’t forget the b….’
‘Paige, you are back.’ Alis cut her off sharply, that’s not what I’m worried about.
Leila
I flicked through channels uninterestedly, I was really bored. I went out with Eric, got some job done and then return home. Dark was still sleeping, I was extremely worried about him though, Bloom’s blood can kill him and if he dies, I lose my powers. I love him too, don’t want him dead. Bloom walked into the apartment laughing psychopathically, did Alis get her drunk?
‘What’s your own?’
‘Guess what Leila,’ she said buoyantly, jumping beside sleeping Dark.
‘Alis almost took advantage of you?’
‘Nope,’ she popped.
‘Your Instagram followers increased like mine?’
‘Nah uh,’
‘You are dead?’
‘I’m getting married!’
‘You say what now!’