1 Unfair World

To be born into the world meant you should live life to the fullest and enjoy everything that is on earth. It means believing you are entitled to every good thing that life offers, but it turns out that life itself is full of mysteries. Mysteries that even the dwellers of the world cannot fully grasp its own wonders. Everyone was born the same way right, but why were their lives different, why were some incredibly rich and others terribly poor. And to some, they were no longer fit to be called poor. It was now self pity that prevailed, so what really went wrong? Is this what they call Fate? Or destiny… one way or the other, the world has made its balance by having half of its population rich, and the other middle class and poor. Ria was in no fact among the most unlucky people in the universe, she was born and brought up by share chances. She was rather blessed with an elite look, beautiful brown eyes, cherry-red lips and a thick black hair that fell down to her hips. She was slim with a nice figure, she was the eye of the town. Her younger sister, Layla on the other hand was curvy, hazel eyes, Cupid lips, and a naturally curly blonde hair. To the street she was more sassy than gentle and that made her a very rare specie that was not to be messed with. Everyday Ria had a reason to keep her mouth busy was either based on pity, and luck. She was constantly being reminded of how poor she was. The family name which brought laughter and misery to her home was on the verge of being extinct. She had no reason to bear her fathers name, she preferred to be a slave who was in the hands of a capable master than to die with a name that was likened to poverty. But even at that, she never for once yelled at her parents. Ria had only a younger sister who she loved so much. Their ages were not so much apart but the respect they had for each other was admirable. Even though they were only four in the house, it was still difficult for them to afford a daily meal. Ria and her younger sister only wished that something could be done about their situation. They wished there was a Prince Charming close by to take them away from misery. The cottage was the only thing they owned and that was their only place of rest, they didn’t know what would happen to it if they ever ran into debts. They only prayed that life could get better for them. It didn’t take long before Mrs Raymond, Ria’s mother began to see things from a different angle. She was once a pretty damsel that was nicknamed beauty but her age was starting to betray her with strands of grey hairs on what was a shiny black hair. She no longer believed in love if there was no money to provide for the family, she found herself pressuring her husband whom she treated like a king. “If you still want to be that king, then take your lazy ass outside where you can find something to feed us.” She would glare at him angrily, “you can’t expect reading those damn books to feed us, do you? Have you stopped caring about your wife and daughters?” Ria’s mother would always yell if she became a laughing stock at her place of work or at the market where she would sell the little foodstuffs she got from harvest. As months passed and years gone by, Ria was all grown up. As a young adult at eighteen, she began to realize that her mother had never for once been disloyal to her husband. She would only yell because she couldn’t handle the bills alone. Things were hard and she really needed her husband to back her up and not create more expenses. Ria’s father, Mr Raymond was usually the cool headed man, he had a muscular physique and a bald hair. He was a lover of books, books of all kinds. He would prefer to spend his days in his study room gaining more knowledge than to be in the outside world walking aimlessly in search of a work that would only be sweet before he received the send off letter. His eyes told of a long tale of hardship, it told of regrets and a hunger to provide for his family. Ria and her sister, Layla watched silently as her parents' arguments unfolded before them. They both understood their frustrations and the weight of their responsibilities, but they couldn't help feeling trapped in the middle of it all. Wasn’t there something they could do to help? They were always feeding from their parents hard work and did nothing to contribute. This weighed them down. One cool evening, as the sun set, casting a golden hue over their modest home, Ria mustered the courage to speak up. "Mom, Dad," she began tentatively, "I've been thinking..." Her mother, still simmering with anger, interrupted, "What is it now, Ria? Can't you see we're in the middle of something?" Ria took a deep breath, trying to steady her nerves. "I've been thinking... maybe I could help." Her father looked up from his book, a glimmer of hope in his eyes. "Help? How, my dear?" Ria hesitated for a moment, gathering her thoughts. "Well, I could find a job. I could contribute to the family income. Maybe that would ease some of the burden." Her mother scoffed, "And where do you expect to find a job, Ria? It's not that easy, you know." "But I can try, Mom," Ria replied, her voice filled with confidence, she was so sure that she could try. No, she wanted to help out by all means. "I can start by looking for part-time work after school. I can help with the household expenses." Her father's face softened, and he placed a hand on Ria's shoulder. "That's very kind of you, my dear. But you're still very young. You have many more years of life to live, Your education should be your priority." Ria nodded, understanding her father's concern. "I know, Dad, but I want to do something to make a difference. I want to help alleviate the struggles we face every day." Her mother sighed, her anger fading slightly. "Ria, we appreciate your willingness to help, but we don't want you to bear the weight of our problems. You deserve a brighter future." Ria's eyes welled up with tears. "But Mom, it's not just about the money. It's about showing you both that I care, that we’re here for you, Layla and I." Her father pulled her into a comforting embrace. "We know you love us, Ria. And we're grateful for that. But we want you to focus on your studies, to pursue your dreams. We want you to have a better life than we've had." Ria nodded, her heart heavy with conflicting emotions. She understood her parents' concerns, but she couldn't shake off the feeling that there was more she could do. But at that moment all she could do was respect their feelings and focus on her studies.