The weather was very sunny today. The rainy season was over and the harmattan was lingering in the air.

It will be Christmas soon. The sun was so bright and everything seem to come alive.

The grass surrounding the environment was so green and animals, including the birds, insects and the mammals all seem to match the energy of the sun.

White, fluffy clouds drifted across the clear, blue sky, whiles the sun kept on casting a radiant shine. Everything seem to be still and at peace, everything seem to be alive.

The atmosphere looked like it had a connection with Claribel’s life. As she looked through the glass windows of Alfie’s great villa, she realised how the weather had been in tune with her life.

During her dark days, when she was being tortured by Frederic, the weather always seemed to be gloomy, it was always dark and rainy.

She remembered how the sky was cloudy and dark when Frederic nearly married her to a pauper; that she prayed fervently that there would be a very heavy downpour to disrupt the party altogether and change her fate, until Alfie came out of nowhere to save her.

Talking of Alfie, she seem not to comprehend what was really going. He had popped out of nowhere to save her during her predicament.

The kind of authority and power he had always amazed her. But then again, she felt attached to him than ever had towards any man.

He saved her, healed her, cared for her and motivated her anytime he had the chance.

The most surprising part is how he had not even tried to have sex with her or hurt her after all that he has done for her.

It is not as if Claribel wanted him to have sex with her, but she had been traumatized enough to feel that anyone who does something good for her expects something in return, something which was going to hurt her of course.

So seeing Alfie so passionate for her without her paying was something extremely new to her.

She was more confused about who Alfie was, why he was helping her and he even knows her, because as much as she tried forcing answers out of him, he fused to tell her anything.

She realised the more she stayed with him, the more closer they got and the more their attachment for each other grew.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Alfie’s friend, Patrick. For some reason, he seemed shy of her and could not look at her straight in the eye and this amused her.

As she was once a laughing stock for people who looked down on her, and here she was, with someone showing absolute respect for her.

He finally looked up at her, clearing the awkwardness in the atmosphere.

“How are you doing Miss?” he spoke with courtesy.

“I am okay. To what do I owe this afternoon visit?” Claribel replied, trying to sound polite as possible.

“My boss demands your presence”.

“Where is he please?” Claribel asked. She was still intrigued by how Patrick referred to Alfie as his boss, and how Alfie also called him his assistant;

because after just three(3) days of staying at their villa, she had come to realise that they were actually friends who met in the army.

“He is at his bedroom, top floor” he finally replied. She thanked him and headed towards the top floor.

Ever since the surgery was done on her cure her paralysis, she had the growing need to walk everywhere even when it was not needed.

Alfie definitely did not permit her to go outside the villa but each morning she would stroll up and down every corner of the villa.

So she didn’t mind the tall staircase she was taking when she was going to Alfie’s room for the first time.

Her ability to navigate through the house was being difficult for her because of her bandages.

Luckily for her, she had been instructed by the surgeon that she could take off the bandages three(3) days after the surgery.

Today was the final day and she had planned to take it off in the evening, alone. She couldn’t bare unravelling her scars in front of anyone, except maybe Alfie of course.

He took her to the hospital even when her scars were not bandaged, and had seen every imperfection of her.

Right now, as she walked towards the rear room on the left at the top floor, she kept wondering what Alfie had to tell her.

Although she was secretly hoping Alfie would open up to her and answer the probing questions on her mind, she somehow doubted that it could happen.

She had come to trust him even when she knew little about him; even when she knew she could still be harmed by him and multiply her trauma just as Frederic has done,

but some other part of her was pushing her negative instincts away and increasing her affection towards him.

It’s faint, very light but dominating and screaming at her to fall into his arms and trust him with all her being.

Maybe there will finally be an opportunity for her to tell him today as she stands in front of his room, ready to knock and face whatever Alfie had in mind.

/  /

She had not been to Alfie’s room since she came to stay at the villa. For some reason, she purposely avoided his room in order not to intrude.

Anytime she wanted to talk to him or vice versa, or if they needed any form of communication, it was Alfie who rather came to her room.

She knocked and entered, The room was dark except for the little light illuminating from the screen of the laptop Alfie was typing on.

There was something different and off about his behaviour and the whole aura of the room which was making her reluctant on moving further.

Alfie also seemed to be so invested in whatever he was typing and it looked like he was either unaware of the girl standing in his room or chose to pretend not to see her.

Claribel, who was making no sense of the situation decided to just stand there and watch him.

The little light which fell directly on his face alongside the dark surroundings,

his overly handsome face and more pronounced masculine face gave hima god-like image and Claribel wondered how someone who looked so beautiful and innocent as him could be fierce and wild in an instant.

She looked around the pitch black room and had this feeling that she was the only person who had entered this room aside Alfie himself.

It felt somehow cold and just stood there awkwardly still watching and admiring him.

“Are you going to just stand there and keep watching me or you’re planning on walking over to sit on the bed with me’’ that was Alfie.

His voice caught her off-guard which made her reluctant the more. Sit on the bed? Tht was unusual, but then again that feeling settled in and she decided to go sit without any negativity.

She giggled a little and finally joined him. She was still uncomfortable due to how close they were together at this point yet she decided to speak to wipe out the awkwardness.

“Patrick told me you needed me, anything I can do for you?” she asked.

Alfie studied her for a few minutes before he spoke, “Well it’s something I can do for you actually.

I know there are a lot of questions you have been dying to ask me; who I am and why I am even helping you.

I will surely answer them for you today’, Claribel was beyond happy and prayed silently that even after this man has disclosed his information to him, he will be as good as she hoped.

“and after that, in as much as you will want to hide in your room and take these bandages of your legs and face, we are going to do that here, together, in this very room”.  

She panicked and Alfie noticed. In as much as he always tried to dismiss his feelings for her with the excuse that it made him soft and he losed himself,

seeing the girl he loved being vulnerable in front of him was something he was not prepared for. If it was any other person, he would have commanded and bossed her around ;

but it was Claribel, and Claribel was different. He started “Listen, I have seen all your scars even before they were worked on.

I want to see every part of you, your perfections and your scars. I know I was the only person you could do this in front of.

So let’s do this, I won’t say it twice”. He realised how her face softened and how her pupils dilated when he finished after which he heard a very faint “Okay” escape her lips.

He started from her legs, going to her arms, the ones around her neck, both of them being quiet at the same time whiles Claribel kept watching him as if he was searching for something on his face.

When he reached her face, she held his hand, stopped him and asked “Who are you?” Alfie sighed as if he had already anticipated that question. He stopped, sat up and stared hard into space.

“Some years ago, in this very community, lived a very wealthy family which included the parents, a teenage son, two little daughters and another teenage nephew.

Their house was set on fire by an unknown group of men, after which they killed every living being in the house; or so they thought. The teenage boy managed to escape and lived in the forest.

He survived only because a certain blue-eyed girl came to give her food everyday. She never told him where she came from, nor how she found his whereabouts.

They fell in love and spent more time together everyday in the forest. Until the girl disappeared and never came back again.

The boy never had the chance to say goodbye but went through every means to see her again even after it took him years to do so”.

Despite the darkness in the room, Alfie could see how glossy her eyes were. She jumped on him and hugged him tightly whispering “I knew it was you, I had the feeling.

How couldn’t I see it all this while? Alfie merely smiled and hugged her back. “Can I remove my bandage now?” he asked jokingly.

“Of course” Claribel answered happily. Alfie unwrapped the bandages around her face slowly and they were both amazed at what they saw.

Beautiful was not enough to describe how Claribel looked at the moment.

Alfie cupped her face in his hands and whispered, almost to himself “I found you” whiles Claribel answered “Yes Alfie, and at the right time” as their lips connected devouring each other’s faces.

They finally broke apart gasping for air. Alfie realised Claribel was hesitating to say something. “What is it?” he asked.

“Marry me” was her answer. He was completely taken aback by her sudden outburst. “I can’t bare to be tortured anymore Alfie.

I’ve found the person Iove and I want to always feel safe at last” she continued.

Alfie immediately grabbed her by the waist and pulled her on his lap “Alright, I have no ring but if you say so, on this day I pronounce you as my wife and I, your husband”.

Claribel could not hold back her laughter “who even marries this way?”. Alfie laughed back and said “Alright, let me go see your family then”.

She denied strongly and told him how her family despised her, but he insisted and she finally gave in.

They arrived at the house just an hour later thanks to Alfie’s overspeeding. Immediately they got there Claribel’s mother came to hug her tightly amidst tears.

On the contrary to what her mother did, everyone started insulting Claribel, telling her how disgraceful she was.

She just stood helpless as she sobbed her heart out and turned to walk towards Alfie. Alfie on the other hand was angry about the attitude of her family members.

She was the one who suffered.

“Will you take charge if their family revenge to us? We’ll all be buried with you!” said one cousin.

“Do you think you could appease their anger? You will get us all killed!” another continued.

Everyone tried to accuse the girl, she was about to cry.

“Enough!” Alfie shouted, he couldn’t take the words anymore. “I’ll solve the problem, by tomorrow.”