Arla : The Less Favored Daughter: Written By: Christine Amada

Chapter 3

Back to Work
Vacation leave was not yet over, I received a call from Prince Rashid requesting me to be back. I want to spend a few more days with my family. Nikki , Gorlette's baby girl had become close to me and she could hardly sleep without me by her side. When she heard me going back to Dubai. she started getting more irritable. To appease her I bought a big mini mouse stuff toy and told her a make believe story and she got engrossed to my story. But she threw her tantrums while we were at the airport's departure area. Gorlette did not know how to make her calm, l pretended not to leave till she fell asleep.Nikki's clinging on me made me leave with a heavy heart. I felt the pain of leaving.
I'm back. Prince Rashid personally fetched me from the Airport with a boquet of flowers. I felt so special as if a princess arrived. When I reached the mansion , I felt something different. I was led to a new room fitted for a royalty. Why was this happening. I stretched my back on the soft Queen sized bed. It felt so good and I fell asleep. I was in deep slumber when someone knocked at the door. I opened the door and the Prince was asking me to have dinner. Why was he treating me like his princess. It really amazed me but I was elated. I am not used to such treatment. It made me shy. I should be the one to ask him tohave his dinner not the other way around. He is no ordinary.person and should be treated with due respect. I am only his poor servant employed as his secretary, fix his schedules and receive calls for him.Is he trying to say I'm acting like the boss? That is far from my mind. I will never act that way.He might be thinking I was also bossy on my previous job. That had never happen and unfair.
The following day was no different. He treats me so special. Shall I question him about this or just decline his offers. I love the job and I don't want to leave it and I need it badly.
The next time he did it, uncanny but I asked what made him.do it.The Prince overheard my secret question.He told me because he wanted to do it. I told him that his goodworks makes me shy and he refrained from asking me to eat my meals. Jnstead, he brings the food to the room .That was fitted for a princess. So, I regularly eat with him in the dining room , and see him more handsome than ever. I managed to look like his secretary. I do not want to be reprimanded for not doing my work, my superior will find me efficient in what I do. I see to it that my boss is always ready with updated reports.All paperworks are neatly filed and organized and most of all he need not go over the performance of the business. I am like the walking progress report as his secretary.
He was satisfied with my performance and i got a raise.
He surprised me with a lot of goods that I could send to my folks. He took me to a door to door office  so I can send them to my parents.
It really made me happy. He saw the joy in.my eyes. From then on , he sees to it that I can send them a box of goods every month.
Lotions,soaps,chocolates
Luncheon meat and my Father's favorite coffee.
Father boasted with the goods.  Mother shared some to her needy siblings who like us before seldom eat 3x a day. Frequently , they come to see her pretending they miss her but immediately leave when they get  3 kilos of rice and a can of luncheon meat. Mother is now the most generous sister when they could almost deny she is their sister before. Come to think of it, me and mother have the same fate.
     But I cannot compete with her martyrdom and I never dream of being one or I'd rather remain single instead of being tied up and eat my pride just to remain being  a wife like my sister Gorlette.I am happy being single helping my parents and siblings.
     I received a chat from my sister pleading to immediately call her and I did on my vacant time. My poor sister was crying upon hearing my voice.  She was asking for my advice to tell her what to do.Her husband ran away with our teenage neighbor who is now 3 months pregnant. I sent her some cash to  get back to her olf self. Told herself to get hair rebonded and have a facial massage. New clothes will also help to boost her morale. And send her and Nikki's pictures to my messenger
When I got them Gorlette looks older than I
     It shows on her face how much she suffers living with that goodloo king guy who never let her see a bill on the leather wallet I bought and sent to her. Should I tell her to let go of her marriage to that handsome bloke or be patient with his irresponsible ways. I looked closely into the pictures. In one close up shot, ,I saw a dark shadow on her face and it was not a skin blemish but seems to be a mark of a solid punch.  I concluded that my baby sister is a battered wife. Yes, she is being beaten black and blue by that irresponsible husband of hers who promised to take care of her on their wedding day
I talked to my mother about it and she simply said it's a part of marriage. I can't believe what I heard, this is their daughter we were talking about and their favorite. Unwillingly she was spilling the beans. She is also a battered wife.  My father was beating her for a bottle of  cheap brandy or some money that he uses to bet on cockfighting. Everything seems to be miserable on the house i painstakingly built for them.
     I thought that a good life is all the answer to  happiness..I could not be more wrong.  I've worked so hard to give this to them.  Do they realize the so many sleepless nights I had when I had nowhere to sleep.on?  Do they know how I felt that day I was driven away by my employer?And most of all, did they feel the fear of being molested.? 
     And now living in this new semi furnished home all they do is quarel and look for the money I sent them. It made me realize that I  am not important afterall. 
     I did not come home the next two years.  They did not urge me to come home but Mother  asked me to send them money for a lot of needs. I told her to wait for a few more days my payday.  She asked for my go signal to borrow money from a local money lender at a 5%  interest rate. To cut the conversation short I agreed to send her additional cash to pay off the loan.  Somehow, it lessened the burden on my shoulder.
     I am sure this will become a habit I warned them that it will be the first and the last. I also asked my friend to tell.the money lender to let me know if they are borrowing again and I will not give them the money to pay. Life should have been simple but they are making it hard for me.