Princess Barbara: Chapter One Cont.

Believe me, in less than a few hours; I had already fetched the pot of water to fill five of the jars in the kitchen. I was in my old black slippers."Hi lady," I said to a lady on the bank of the stream as I entered there for the sixth time. 'My name is Barbara. What is your name?" "Hi, my name is Isabella," answered Isabella, putting her bucket on the ground. "What can I do for you, young and beautiful lady?" smiling. 

'Look, the woman I am staying with since the past nine months has been maltreating me! Look, she wakes me up as early as four am, sends me to the stream, makes me wash everything she wears or not a day, instructs me to prepare breakfast and then asks me to sweep the compound of our house. Can you imagine? This is too much! And I have not finished.

And by the time it's seven a.m, I have gone to the market place four times with her goods on my head. And I have to open the store before she comes to the market otherwise trouble for me! I want to leave that wicked woman now. Please help me," crying.

"You are kidding, Barbara." "How, Isabella?" "Look, Barbara that is absolutely not slavery!" she laughed." I say you are kidding me. Look, Barbara, I wake up as early as three a.m, to go to the stream 12 times and come back to sweep the house. I do many things like going to the farm for foodstuffs and then return to the forest for firewood before the time is seven a.m.

"Really?" "Let me continue, Barbara, or I should make it short. Listen, my burden continues up to the afternoon. This time, this afternoon alone, I have already fetched nine buckets of water! And I live behind the market! I can imagine the distance I travel everyday. Forget about what you were saying, that is not slavery! Can you believe that I am two months pregnant for my husband? I shook my heard.

"Anyway, Isabella. What I need is your help. I want you to help me with some money so that I can be able to take transport and go far away from this place! Please have mercy upon me.

"I will think of it, Barbara. But I am not promising you something yet. Give me up to next week. I’ll discuss with my husband and see what he will say. Same venue, same time next week Tuesday. I believe by then I have gathered something for your journey. Hey, my husband has not eaten lunch yet. I must be going back home. I don't want him to starve. See you next week, Barbara." carrying her bucked filled with water.

She left me taking the left path while I took that on the right. I returned home with little hope. 

Watch Out for the next chapter in this rather thrilling story: Princess Barbara