บท 3: Milking from Donkey's Udder
The car pulled at the entrance of a large mansion, welcoming Clary from the door to the wide hallway. The maids greeted her. Clary acknowledged them in return and straight away went to her room upstairs.
It was an elegant room filled with natural light to the brink. A gorgeous shade of teal covered the walls, framing all the spaces in between with white, giving it a nordic style look. A fluffy chandelier hung on the ceiling, an aesthetic paintings on the north wall made the room feel like a Scandanavian bedroom.
Clary's favourite lavender aroma from the humidifier wafted into her nose as she walked inside ''Lavender, you make me feel at home.'' She cooed, heading to the painting board, her riveting eyes pinned to the Micky mouse portrait, lazing on a swing bed on a sunny beach.
"Am I missing something?" Clary observed Mickey for a good minute. Picking a paintbrush, she dipped in the black paint and drew two big whiskers around mickey's mouth. "Perfect." Clary clapped. "I should ask dad to auction this for at least 1000 dollars in the company's annual day event. Mickey mouses are in great demand, and I need more money." Clary thought it was a perfect chance to churn money.
Satisfied with the picture, she entered the walk-in closet and opened a closet filled with essential oils. Lavender, Clary sage, Rosemary, Frankincense, Myrrh, Orange...you name it, Clary has it. Making perfumes, scented candles, and skin care products and selling them to her family members and friends, a small-scale business to fill her pockets along with the paintings.
''I need to dress up great today.'' She sounded so excited that going to college after being suspended for a month was not as shameful as her bald baby principal passing gas in a quiet classroom.
Clary picked a fresh orange-scented candle and Jojoba oil for body massage and went into the bathroom. An hour later, she was in front of the mirror in a one-piece floral dress. Pleased with her appearance, she put a drop of ylang-ylang essential oil on the dress for extra fragrance.
While packing the bag, her eyes constantly darted to the coke tin she put on the table last night. It's not for drinking, though. She is very particular about her healthy diet.
Clary pursed her lips, fidgeting over the hem of her dress in a dilemma. Something churned in her to go. And that was the signal she was looking for. Heaving a big sigh, she drew the curtains, locked the door, and double-checked it before entering the bathroom, carrying the coke tin.
Switching off all the spotlights, she left the main light on and put the coke tin on the wash basin countertop. As the light passed through the tin and blocked the rays, it cast a shadow on its opposite side.
Her happy-go demeanour transformed into something sinful in a fraction of a second. Her soulless eyes glanced at the shadow, her mind creating energy ripples. One, two, three...
The coke lid burst into tiny pieces, flushing its juice out. A tiny drop of blood oozed out of Clary's right ear, crimson.
Her shivering body came to a stop, and so as her haggard breathing in a while. Clary wiped the blood with the back of her hand and dropped to the ground. She leaned back on the wall, closing her eyes shut to calm her shuddering body.
She recalled the first day she experienced something strange in her life. When she was five, she broke her brother's toy while playing in the garden. It was not by physical force. It happened merely by looking at its shadow. Her right ear bled just like today. It was the first trigger, as far as she remembered. When she was ten, she broke a boy's arm in school for harassing a girl. She fell unconscious and went into a coma for several weeks. Her grandmother told her father had turned into a lifeless human in those weeks.
Although Clary was horrified by these inhumane abilities, she soon realized she possessed the ability to manipulate things through her willpower without actually going physical. She can manipulate things in shadows and darkness. Clary neither saw a shocked face nor a surprised expression on her father's face when she told him. Like, he already knew it was going to happen. After the near-death experience, Clary promised her father not to use her powers under any circumstances.
Curiosity kills the cat. To test if she still possesses the ability, she does it often but careful enough to choose simple things like bending spoons, crushing kitchen utensils...
Her thoughts broke when she heard a knock on the door. Clary quickly splashed her face with the water, dabbed cotton into her ear, and walked out. She opened the door. It was the maid calling her for breakfast.
"I am coming!" She said, closing the door.
Her cheerful face returned to its form again. "Cheer up, Clary. This is your first day in college. Rock it!" Keeping her superpower thoughts aside, Clary shoved the 'Chemistry Reactions Engineering book into her bag, which she borrowed from the library during last semester's exam. The librarian sent several emails to return the book because the book was in high demand. Since Clary was not allowed to enter the university premises, she ignored his emails.
She returned to the walk-in closet and picked the protein-rich hair serum she had made for her friend Allen. The poor boy suffers from hair loss due to stress created by his ex-girlfriend. ''That shrewd cow! I should have pulled the remaining hair as well.''
Ten minutes later, Clary was in the dining hall. Aunt Theida, the housekeeper, was standing at the table to serve breakfast.
''Morning, Clary baby.''
''Morning, Aunt Theida. How do I look in this dress?'' Clary twirled one round before taking her seat.
''Modern day Cinderella.'' Aunt Theida winked.
''You are the best complimenter.'' Clary took a bite of walnut pancake topped with strawberries, her mouth puckered with the amount of pancake stuff in her mouth. ''I forgot to tell you, I am going to college today.''
''With no shame even after getting suspended for a month.''
It was definitely not aunt Theida. The sarcasm in the tone could be none other than her grandmother. Clary snapped at the woman who arrived from the kitchen with a glass of blueberry smoothie. "My granny pie brought a blueberry pie for Clary pie!" Clary cooled her granny by contributing her singer's voice because she could literally feel her grandmother sulking.
''Weren't you whining that my summer break was not enough? You wanted me to spend more time with you.'' Clary sulked, taking the juice from her grandmother's hand. Audrey, her grandmother, beautiful from the inside and outside. Her age did not diminish her glamorous beauty. By the way, she is a famous social media queen.
''I asked for quality time. Not like this..getting suspended, reprimanded by that lilliput.'' Grandma Audrey grumbled, taking her seat on the chair. ''For the first time, I lied to my sons. If they find out_''
''You act like a badass grandma on Instagram. Aren't you too scared of your sons? Grandfather controls dad and uncle with a flick of a finger. Speaking of grandfather, where is he? I don't see him in the house.'' Clary blabbered a lot.
''Where could he be?'' Grandma Audrey shrugged. ''He must have gone to play golf with Pepsi Jackson.''
''Pepsi Jackson again?'' Clary gave her a look of suspicion. ''Didn't he tell us that he fought with him?''
''That was yesterday." She said. "Leave about that old man. I have good news for you. I studied your zodiac sign.'' Grandma Audrey said in excitement. ''Do you know what it told? You are going to meet your soulmate soon.'' Grandma Audrey wondered who would be the unlucky grandson.
''You have been telling this back and forth since I turned eighteen. I am twenty now.'' Clary countered in a lazy tone, showing no interest in boyfriend or boyfriends. ''I never met the so-called soulmate you told.''
''I am serious this time!''
"Alright! Don't bark at me." Clary's dating history includes..She never had a boyfriend to consider dating. She changed schools like kids changed diapers because the troubles she created were not something to talk about them as achievements. Where does she get the time to think of boys when she has found her love in archery? Besides, men are too soft. Little did she know, sooner or later she is bound to rephrase her statement.
On the first day of her college, her dad gave a warning.
'One complaint in these four years, I will send you to my friend's house. He has a donkey farm and badly needs an assistant. Trust me, and I mean it this time,'
The thought of wearing a cowboy's hat, milking from a donkey's udder, cleaning its poo....the idea itself gave her a heart attack. So, for three years, Clary behaved well until that fateful morning.
Clary was pulled back to the present when she received a call from her friends asking if she had started.''Granny pie, I need to go. Don't forget. We have a principal meeting in the afternoon. Call me when you reach the university premises, alright?'' Clary reminded her. Along with the suspension, the bald principal ordered Clary to bring her dad when she returned to the university. Like hell she will comply with his wishes. If her dad knows she got suspended, he will parcel her to the donkey's farm. Just like in old times, she is going to bring her grandmother.
"The lilliput has not learned his lesson last time." Grandma Audrey said in determination. ''Wait, and see how I will screw your bald principal.''
''Ah! Love you. You are the best.'' Clary kissed her cheek and was off to the university happily, unaware of the volcano eruption.
...
Happy reading!!
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