An African Cinderella✔️(completed)

The story.

Chiamaka woke up at 5.00am. Standing up, she made her way to the kitchen to wash the plates her stepsisters and stepmother had used the previous night and also prepare breakfast before they woke up.

Leaving her room, she starts to sing like she does every morning and soon the birds starts chirping along with her at dawn.

"Oh lord, I am very very grateful for all you have done for me.."
she continues to sing as she boiled yam and washed the plates and sweep the kitchen.

By 7.00am,she was done with all her kitchen chores which included sweeping and mopping the whole surface.
Just as she was about to serve her stepmother's food, she heard her call.
"Chi, Come here right now."she screamed.

Running up the stairs, she rushed into her room.

"Good morning ma."

"What is so good about the morning when i haven't had my breakfast.Can't you talk,tell me?"she screamed.

"I'm so sorry, I was just about to bring it ma . "Chiamaka said scared.

"So where is it eehn, I'm asking you, where is it?Why didn't you bring it along at once."she asked.

"I will bring it right away ma. "Chiamaka said rushing down the stairs again.

She arrived a few minutes later with the served breakfast on a tray.She placed it on the bedside table and said "There it is ma."

"Look at her,anyone that sees her will think she is an angel.They won't know she is an heartless devil that killed my husband."she said shouting.

"Just get out of my room, or do you want to kill me too.. "she said as Chiamaka turned to leave with tears in her eyes.

"Wait, come back here and pack those clothes. Make sure you wash them well otherwise you are dead and feed my children ooh. If they complain to me, you won't see the end of today."she threatened while Chiamaka packed the clothes and rushed out.

She walked to the kitchen and served her stepsisters meal before gong to their room with it. She went to Adaego's room first and Adaeze was also there.

"Good morning.Here are your meals."she said placing them on the bedside table.

"Pack those clothes there and wash them, it must be neat ooh otherwise...."Adaego said rudely not even replying Chiamaka's greeting.

Chiamaka packed the clothes and as she was about to leave the room, Adaeze called her back.

"Go to my room and wash all those clothes on my bed.Dont let my clothe tear ooh,it is worth more than your life so i won't hesitate to kill you."Adaeze said harshly and Chiamaka left the room.

As she left the room, she could hear her stepsisters talk about the prince party and promise themselves that one of them must be the prince chosen.

Washing the clothes, Chiamaka realized she had completely forgotten about the party which was holding the next night.

Around a week ago,one of the kings servants brought an invitation card inviting all the females in the house to the party including Chiamaka.

The king was holding a party for his first son whom has just returned from abroad and from the little she had been able to pick from her stepsisters excitement since a week ago, he was going to choose his bride at the party.

Thinking about the party, she realized she had nothing to wear.She remembers her mother's old clothes she had kept after her death and prayed to get a suitable one there.

By the time Chiamaka was done with all her chores,it was already 4pm in the afternoon and she was exhausted and hungry.

Although, she had made and served her stepsisters and stepmother lunch earlier, she hasn't been chanced to eat so she served her meal and ate the remaining rice she made for lunch.

Immediately she was done, she walked to her room and opened her wardrobe.

On one side was her mom's old clothes,her treasured pair of shoes and an old bag.she glanced at some other materials which weren't her mother's that were also there.

A very long black gown Adaeze once told her to throw away after wearing it once.A multicolored ankara piece of scarf she had picked up and a skirt she had gotten from Adaego.

Looking through her mother's clothe, she realized there was nothing suitable to wear there so she decided to wear the black gown after a little transformation and her mother's treasured shoe.She dumped the gown, scarf and shoe on the bed and left the room to make dinner before her stepmother skinned her alive.

Once Chiamaka was done,she set the table and served the meal before she went to call her stepmother and sisters.

They had just settled down and Chiamaka was about to leave when her stepmother called her back.

"Chiamaka."

"Ma."she replied.

"Are you planning on going to the party tomorrow."she asked.

"Yes ma. "Chiamaka replied softly.

"What do you plan on wearing."

"I don't know yet ma."she lied because she was sure her stepmother was up to no good.

"Then you won't be attending since it's tomorrow and you haven't figured out a clothe yet, so instead stay at home and take care of the house."she said.

"I have a list of chores for you. Wash the twins and I bathroom, clean our rooms. Scrub the whole house.i don't want to see a speck of dust anywhere otherwise,you know the consequence."she said gulping down her water before she continued.

"The kitchen must be sparkling.That store outside where we put big pots and party utensils,i want you to arrange it. All those 5 rooms that haven't been used for years, I want you to clean all of them. Wipe the staircase."she kept on listing the chores while Chiamaka stared at her dumbfounded.

"When you are done with all that, you can come to the party if you are still interested.You are dismissed."Her stepmother said while the twins jubilates that she won't be coming to the party.

Chiamaka ran to her room and collapsed on the bed crying, she knew before she finished all the chores. It was going to be well past midnight even if she started as early as 4.00am in the morning.

Determined not to let her stepmother stop her from enjoying herself,she wiped her tears and stood up.

She picked up the gown and scarf with her old sewing tools,she used the scissors to cut the gown to knee length and carefully used her needle to hem the end of the gown.

When she was done with that, she picked up the scarf and made it into ribbon before stitching it to the clothe. She tried it on after that and realized it was a bit loose on her which was due to the fact that her stepsisters were bigger.

She loosed the side and used her needle to resew it.By the time she was through,it was way past 10 but the clothe was fitting her to perfection and she was happy.

Tired, she slept and set her alarm to 12:30 before she fell asleep.