THE TIES THAT BIND

Standing at the gate in the middle of the moonlit night, she did not know where exactly to go and who to turn to, if someone like her mother could treat her that way, then she must have misunderstood the ties that bind.

Like the game of poker, life shuffled and served the cards, she called some of the bluffs, held on to some deals, folded sometimes, walked away from some and won some deals. Moves were made and decisions taken, some with regrets, some without. She's got some bitter-sweet taste now, making her question the ties that bind.

Crazy and fun to be with as she thought they were, her friends were the closest to family she 's got, for since the incident that estranged her, an only child, from her mother, the only source of joy and comfort she could get were these "monkeys" as she called them, they gave her a sense of belonging, she is alive and human again with them, feeling the essence of the ties that bind.

Ten years flew by like the wind and the memories of the hurt and pains she went through brought tears to her chin for here she was with this young man promising never to let any harm come to her, he was everything she wanted and dreamt of, if only he can keep to his words she thought, I can finally know the ties that bind.

So a thing this sweet could exist? He has so far kept to almost all his promises, except for the one or two bumps of course. She is now a queen in her own place and right. He filled in the vacuum her unknown father left and the deep hole her mother dug, even though all that  is now behind her. She cherished and understood the beauty of the ties that bind.

Hardly could she believe that she carried this little angel looking her in the eye now for the past nine months, a rush of pure joy and happiness engulfed her as she held her child for the first time. Is she worth this blessing? She sought the answer in the eyes of her man who was himself cleaning the tears of joy off his face. The awe and excitement could be felt throughout the ward. She held her baby firm and determined never to let her child go through what she went through, for she will do anything and everything to keep and protect her proof of the ties that bind.

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