Us

Chapter 1

All my life I have done nothing but obey my mother and father. Coming from a traditional and cultured family like mine has its up and downs. 

God forbid if I ever had a boyfriend. Or if I went outside in a mini skirt. I can't say I'm mad with their values. I'm happy to be confident about my body while keeping it modest. And having a boyfriend is out of the question. I've seen what having a boyfriend does to girls. 

No thanks. I'd rather never get married and live alone my whole life working on my career. Men are pathetic anyways.

"Rosanne!"

I hear my mother yelling from downstairs. Probably because we had guests coming and we need to serve them.  All my parents told me was that they were special.

Wonder why they're special

"Coming," I yell back.

Going downstairs I was greeted by a bunch of new faces. I've never met these people a day in my life. Yet they're supposedly "Special" to me.

I immediately go and greet them.

"Hello". Everyone stops and looks at me. "My god," The man next to my baba exclaims. Roseanne, sweetheart, you've gotten so beautiful."

I give him a nervous smile while he comes toward me with his arms wide open and brings me in for a tight hug.

"Hello, love. I haven't seen you since you were ten. You've become such a beautiful young woman."

I turn red out of shyness.

"Oh, thank you," I say gracefully.

There was a woman next to him, she was also very beautiful. "Hello there, my daughter." She tells me. I could tell she grew up in America. Unlike my mother who had a heavy accent. This woman had no accent.

My mother wasn't here her whole life. She gave birth to me while we were in America then she left for a couple of years to go take care of my grandparents. Then she would come back and take care of me. She had learned English but never for her accent to go away. Her accent was heavy.

The woman also hugs me before looking at my mom and speaking in our native language.

I hear the doorbell ring again. Before, I could see who it was my mom quickly ushered me upstairs.

What the heck?

Looking at who just came inside, I was pretty astonished.

Wow. He's very pretty looking. A little feminine because of his hair and eyes and jawline. However, he had a very angelic face. And he was tall.

But why did my mother act like that?

My mother tells me not to come downstairs till they leave.

I stay up. Not really caring about what happens. 

After a couple of hours, the guest had left. There was a knock on my door.

"Yes." I reply. Both my mother and father come into my room.

"May I help you guys ". I say to my parents. They both look at each other.

My father is a strict man who is very big on honor and family reputation. If he makes a promise he makes sure he fulfills it. Even if it costs him everything. But even through all that he's very loving and sweet.

He comes and sits next to me.

"Rosanne, listen to me hun. That man you saw today. That man is special in your life."

"Huh, how"? I asked, not understanding a single word they meant.

"He's your future husband". He said it simply. Sure

I just looked at him for a minute or so. Then I burst out laughing.

"Baba, you're hilarious," I say wiping fake tears.

He just looks at me seriously.

He just looks at me and hangs his head. Out of nowhere, I see tears falling on his shirt.

I get on my knees genuinely concerned. I have to know what's wrong with my father no matter what. I can't see him in tears.

"Baba, what's wrong"? I say worriedly wiping his tears.

He looks at me with his eyes red.

"I know, you must think I'm a horrible father for promising you to my close friend's son without even letting you know. But I had to. That man has done so much for our family. I wanted to give him something precious that I loved very much. Because I knew that he would love it just as much. So I promised you to him. Now I can't go back on my promise. Neither can I ruin your life."

I looked at him shocked. I waited a couple of minutes expecting a joke to be made out of this. But, nothing came.

"Baba, How could you?"I say to him shocked

He grabs my hand. "Listen, if you don't want to marry it's ok. Don't worry ok."

My dad leaves the room quickly. My mother stays.

She looks at me. "Rosanna, you should marry him." My mother declared.

"How could you even ask me that mother," I say angrily.

She comes and takes my face into her hand.

"I know I'm asking you for too much. However, if you don't marry him. Your father will forever be embarrassed. That man has done so much for our family. We can't just go back on our words. Plus, they're a wealthy family, their son was handsome, did you not see him?"

"I don't care about his looks. You guys sold me off basically."

"No, listen to me." My mother takes my face into his hands. "If this was something that would not affect our family and your baba, I would never ask you. However, it will affect us. So please help us. And if we knew he was bad for you. We would not ask you to do this. Just think about it okay?" Mama asks me. I quietly nod my head.

Mama leaves the room now too.

What the hell? On one side it's my life. On the other side, it's my father's.

I'm very lost.

God, please help me

After about an hour of contemplating I go downstairs.

I see my mother and father sitting in the living room. Both stressed. My father just looks at the floor in shame.

"Baba," I say to him. "I'm ready to get married." 

I declare. No matter what I could never let my father embarrass himself or make him lose the image of himself in his eyes as an honorable man.

My father comes and hugs me looking very happy.

My father does not want to break his promise. However, that doesn't mean that they can't. I will make their son divorce me. That way my father will not look bad. And I won't be committed to them.

Operation lose the marriage is a go.