Chapter 4: Just a moment

Exercising patience isn't easy when you need something done immediately. I stared at my phone, patiently waiting for it to come on; it was taking forever. I stared at it, waiting, but nothing was happening. My patience was being stretched thin. I had never wanted anything as much as I wanted my phone to come on. I realized that my phone wasn't connected and it hadn't been charging all this time. Life was making a deliberate mockery of me.

I watched as my screen slowly lit up as it turned on. One minute felt like forever. I anxiously stared at my screen as it finally lit up, displaying my wallpaper. I hadn't appreciated the default wallpaper as much as I should have. I inputted my password and was about to call the number when my mom walked into the room. I turned my phone off and turned to look at Mom. Everything had to pause until she left the room. My parents can’t know that I was going to be getting married to a complete stranger. It sounded stupid to me too, but it was the only way to achieve my dreams, at least the only way I knew.

"Mom," I whispered. She didn't reply; she remained fixated at the door, staring at me. I was waiting for her to say something, but she just kept staring at me. I started to feel conscious and uncomfortable. I shifted in my position while avoiding her gaze.

"Mei," she said and finally came closer to me. She held my hands and looked at me with pleading eyes. "Were you lying? You really do not plan to get married, do you?" she asked me.

This felt like a trap. Mom never called me Mei; she preferred to call me by my full name because she found it more unique. As much as I didn't want to lie to Mom, I had to. My father could be outside listening to our conversation. I looked at her, a little sad about how I had to lie to her.

"Àmà" (mom) I called to her. "I am getting married. It's the only way out," I said.

She looked at me, shocked. "Out of what? You shouldn't marry a man you do not love. You'll live with him for the rest of your life," Mom advised. I only had a year; the rest of my life seemed far-fetched.

"I do love him, Mom, and I want to spend the rest of my life with him," I said.

She stayed still and didn't say a word.

"Mom," I called out to her. She looked at me and nodded. She stood up and walked to the door. "Come down for lunch. Your father and I would like to know about this new man," Mom said sternly and walked out of my room.

I turned to look at my phone, and then at my door. Did I want to go down or stay here? I had never rebelled against my parents. I was the perfect child. But I had managed to go against all my parents' decisions in the short span of waking up and getting home. One more violation of the law wouldn't hurt.

I grabbed my phone and dialed the number. The user still wasn't picking up. I was getting desperate but frustrated. I was missing lunch to talk to someone who might not even agree to the plans. But I was desperate, and I knew that when you desperately want something, you have to try all legal means to get it. I was trying, and it wasn't working.

I tried the number again, and it rang. I stared at my phone as it dialed the number. Every second went by with no one answering the phone. What was taking so long? Answering a phone call was so easy; it shouldn't take this long to pick up the freaking phone.

Each second and every buzz of my phone made my heart skip a beat. I just wanted it to be him, reaching out to grab my phone. But it was just another notification from work. I decided to keep calling the number like my life depended on it, well, it literally did. I kept trying, and it kept going to voicemail. Then, on the fifth try, it rang, making my heart jump in my mouth as I waited...