They Got it Right

She sat in silence, gazing out the window, clutching a small journal filled with her thoughts and dreams. Her parents, it seemed, had everything neatly charted out for her life, a meticulous plan that left no room for her to find her own path. They had mapped her journey from the age of 17, envisioning her attending university, followed by law school at 22, a master’s degree at 23, and the impending prospect of marriage at 24. They even had a prospective groom in mind. As much as she harboured the desire to rebel against their stringent agenda, she found herself in a peculiar dilemma. Was it a profound respect for her parents, or was it fear that kept her bound to their wishes? She pondered the question, her mind wrestling with the enigma of their persuasive influence.

With a deep sigh, she muttered under her breath, “I’m already a barrister, working at my father’s best friend’s firm, and I haven’t even met the man they’ve chosen for me.” Her voice escaped her lips in surprise, and she immediately regretted letting her thoughts slip into the open.

“What was that?” her mother inquired, overhearing her words.

Blushing with embarrassment, she quickly attempted to cover her slip by pretending to close the wide-open window. “Oh, nothing,” she mumbled, offering her mother a hasty kiss on the cheek before making her exit. She needed to escape the stifling atmosphere of her home, even if it was just for a brief respite with her best friend.

To be continued…