"Enters the bride!" the master of ceremonies announces. In a gown brighter than an angels wings and longer than the carpet beneath my feet, I walk down the aisle in smiles, for the current scene I am witnessing is so pleasing. People who were previously gnashing their teeth at me, who were ready to devour me are now smiling at me. But why are they smiling? Ah, I guess it is because they are extremely happy to see me marry into their family. But this is not the first time I am marrying into their family, so why are they happy now and not indifferent as they used to be some years back? Wait a minute, is it because they don know who exactly is marrying into their family? Whatever the case, this wedding ceremony puts a smile on my face as I, Mia Markings, am in full control of The Asphalts.
The usual symphony, "Here comes the bride!" is played as I travel down the aisle, starting towards the man who can help me achieve my goal, my ambition, my mission and vision – Mr Harvey Asphalt. However, right before I get to him, his older brother Jeremy Asphalt and his wife smile at me, his partner giving me a thumbs up. Only if the Lord had given me divine powers, then I would have struck the two down right at the moment or if possible, long before this wedding occurred. My reason being simple, they were the main target of my mission: to seek revenge on the Asphalts.
(EIGHT YEARS AGO)
"Mia, can you look after the bakery for me? I have got somewhere to be this morning", mom asks.
"Sure mom", I reply as I get onto my pink athletic bicycle which definitely looks malnourished and is in desperate need of repairs. Nevertheless, thats what Ive got hence I pedal it down the streets of Sugartown. In my small world, I am a princess, a humble one I would say for everyone likes me, cares for me and adores me.
"Mia, can you get me some fruits on your way back?" Mrs Olives, the beautiful old woman of the town asks.
"Sure thing", I reply and continue cycling forward.
"Mia!" this time it is Toms mom. She says the usual, always expected words in the morning: "Tom forgot his lunchbox."
"Again?" I ask as this is a normal routine of Tom. Despite not having kids nor wives, his memory is extremely poor. I agree that I am not so intelligent since I still can remember all the lyrics of the national anthem but at least, I never forget my food. That is basic.
"Yes, please can you get it to him?" Toms mom requests.
"Got it", I reply then ask: "But, how long has it been since the bus left?"
"Just thirty minutes ago", she replies.
"What? Thirty minutes?" I ask alarmed. Okay, so the current task at hand is to ride a bicycle very fast enough to catch up with a bus thats left thirty minutes ago. Is this even possible? Yeah right, the bus would pick up students from other directions before going to school, meaning I need to head towards Toms school as soon as possible.
"Don worry Miss Tibbett, I would make sure Tom receives his lunch box right on time", I reply with confidence after making my analysis. But I can get to Toms school with this bicycle, I need something faster and I know exactly where to find one.
"Then, I will be off Miss Tibbett!" I bid her goodbye.
"Take care!" she replies back waving her right hand in the air.
Not so far from Toms house, two useless boys start a needless argument.
"Hey, look here Luke, I asked you to tell me how I look and you said what? I look like Luke? Are you implying that I have a big nose and a grand forehead like yours?" Luke Man asks Luke Men.
"Hey Luke, have you forgotten that you are also called Luke? Man, I wasn talking about me, I meant that you Luke, look like yourself, Luke", Luke Men replies. If you don understand this conversation, don bother for I also don understand it.
Unfortunately for me, this Luke Man-Luke Men argument is presented before me when I arrive with my bicycle.
"Good Mia. Great to see you! We were debating over which Luke has the looks? Is it Luke Man or Luke Men?" they ask.
Truth be told, looking at their grand foreheads, big noses and pot bellies, I wanted to say Luke Women has the looks, however since they own what I need, I reply: "Both Lukes look great. Each Luke has an exceptional look, thats how I see it."
"But which Luke looks better?" Luke Man asks.
"Umm, Luke", I call. "Yes!" they respond in unison as they are both called Luke.
"My bicycle needs repairs but I also need to get somewhere as soon as possible. So can I borrow your motorcycle?" I ask.
"Whose motorcycle?" they ask in unison. "Mans or Mens?" they ask once again in unison.
"Any would do", I reply. The two boys who look too identical and yet are not twins, neither are they brothers, rush to get me a motorcycle. Men brings his first.
"Thank you Luke!" I show my appreciation as I put on the helmet and speed off.
Riding at an unimaginable speed, I get past many vehicles but since the road looks quite long, I break through the alley, handling the cycle like a racing champion. Soon enough, I spot the bus from a distance giving me an assurance that I can get Toms lunchbox to him on time. However, I am stopped by the heavy traffic that awaited me once I get back onto the street.
"Damn it", I mutter as I see the bus drive off into the city. Now, it is impossible to get Toms lunch to him on time unless I wait till lunch break. Thats when the kids are allowed to meet their parents or guardians. As I wait with the remaining stranded vehicles, I see a saviour, Mr Scrooges truck. It had a perfectly inclined planed which could shoot me at an angle perfect enough to cross over to the other side of the road which was traffic-free. Now I had a plan. Slowly removing my motorcycle from the main road, I get it in the right position, just a few meters from Mr Scrooges truck.
"3, 2, 1…" I speed towards the inclined plane and smoothly rise into the air crossing over one, two, no three vehicles before landing my back tyre on an SUV, then onto the ground. It was perfect than a stunt scene from a movie except for the damage caused on the bonnet of the SUV. Well, since every action leads to consequences, I am soon chased by two vehicles: a police vehicle and yes of course, the SUV. However, I speed up so much that they barely catch up with me and finally, I get to Toms school.
"But wheres the bus?" I ask myself as I stare in circles before seeing it approach me from a distance accompanied by the police car and SUV. I alight from my motorcycle and walk towards the bus with the lunch bag containing Toms lunchbox.
Once he alights, a police officer and the driver of the SUV also alight respectively.
"Tom!" I stop him before he goes further and hand him his lunchbox. But as I was busy helping Tom, the driver who was suffering from a nosebleed went ahead to complain to the officer present. The two now walked towards me, the driver of the SUV holding a face towel against his nose hence concealing his identity.
"Mister, can you take of your helmet?" the police officer asks.
"Make sure to arrest him", the driver of the SUV adds. If only they knew I was a female, I am not sure that they would be speaking so ruthlessly to me.
Unbuckling the helmet, I slowly take off the headgear and afterwards wave my hair which had fallen on my face, revealing my exceptional beauty. The two stand stunned. In fact, none talks as I walk past them and get onto my motorcycle until…
"Stop!" the officer orders and turns about moving in my direction.
"Miss", he calls and says: "Can I have…?"
"Oh please, mention something other than my license?" I pray silently as I did not have it with me at the moment.
"Can I have… your number?" he asks an unexpected, unprecedented and unsuspected question.
"Me too", the SUV driver says.
"What?" I ask surprised.
"Won you pay for the damages?" the SUV driver asks implying something else unlike the officer. And here I was thinking that I had charmed both guys with my breath-taking beauty.
"So you gave them your number?" my best friend, Juliana Parker asks back in the bakery.
"What other choice did I have?" I reply arranging the pies.
"Okay, whats done has been done. Instead, tell me, are both guys handsome? You know, we could maybe go on a double date. You take the police officer as I take Mr SUV. You know how I prefer guys with cars", she says.
"When would you change?" I ask.
"Maybe in afterlife", she replies.
"Then better get your hopes down. Julie, I didn see Mr SUVs face thanks to his unfortunate nosebleed", I reveal as I know how looks matter to her. Even more than the Lukes.
"Hes bleeding. Thats too bad, should I meet him in your stead?" she asks with worry as if hes her husband.
"Only if you are willing to pay the debt on my behalf. He looks rich so why is he so clingy with money?" I ask angrily as I remember those words of his: "Make sure to pay every single penny, I won excuse even a cent. Remember, a cent can save a life so pay up quickly, do you understand?"
"Mia, don you know what makes the rich, rich? They value money than we do", Juliana says bringing my mind back to our differently opinionated discussion.
"Is being stingy and clingy with money valuing the precious item? I think they are two different things altogether. I mean if I had money, I would help the poor and not make a name for myself", I share my opinion.
"Stop being humble, thats what everyone says… But once you gain money you can never control it, you spend as if you are crazy and if someone messes with your money, you will go to all heights to get even", Juliana says sharing her opinion which I certainly don agree with.
"Bro, I don agree with you on this one", Mr SUV tells his friend.
"Let me ask you a question, do you like her?" His friend Jamie asks.
"What are you talking about?" Mr SUV asks.
"Since you came, you have been talking about her all day", Hank, another friend of his replies.
"No, I haven ", Mr SUV replies.
"Jamie? What do you say?" Hank asks.
"I agree with you Hank, he has been talking about Miss Motorcycle the whole day", Jamie replies.
"Harvey", Hank calls Mr SUV by his name and asks: "Is she beautiful? No, many girls are beautiful. Let me put it this way, on a scale of 1 to 10, whats her position?"
"Why are you asking that?" Harvey, currently known as Mr SUV asks.
"Come on, just spill it man. We are the only ones here", Jamie pushes for the answer I wish to know myself.
"Yeah man, its just us three", Hank adds.
"Ten", Harvey replies silently.
"What did you say?" Jamie asks as he barely heard a word.
"But why are you asking me this kind question. Whether she is beautiful or not, she has a debt to pay, thats the most important thing", Harvey says trying to change the subject.
"You said ten, right?" Jamie asks. "Jamie, just let him be. I am sure that once he gets home, hell make a drawing of Miss Motorcycle", Hank says.
(INSIDE STORY)
Scene: When Harvey saw me for the first time.
"Wow, man, it was a female?" Harvey says in his head once I take of my helmet. He stood still, stunned by my beauty and decided to approach me for my number. Hence when the policed officer asked for my number, he also replies: "Me too", before reasoning.
"Wait a minute, its not right to be asking for a girls number in this manner. That would make me look like a pervert, but I have already said me too. What should I say then?"
"What?" I ask right after he says, me too.
"Won you pay for the damages?" Harvey asks, creating a valid reason for requesting my number.
Scene: Harvey has a chat with his friends about Mia.
"You said ten, right?" Jamie asks. "Jamie, just let him be. I am sure that once he gets home, hell make a drawing of Miss Motorcycle", Hank says.
(Later in Hanks apartment)
"Ha, who said I would make a drawing of her. Why would I?" he says to himself as he stares ironically at a canvas which has something drawn on it.
"A painting is what I made, not a drawing. Why don people know the difference? This is a painting of Miss Motorcycle, not a drawing. Who does Hank take me for?" Harvey throws the questions at his poor cat who does not get a thing.
"But why am I telling you this?" he asks the pussy who looks elsewhere, ignoring his question. "Am I acting weird?" he asks the pussy who meows in response.
"Was that a yes or a no?" he asks the animal which this time, simply walks away.
Now looking at the painting, Harvey asks himself: "When she waved her hair backwards, did the strands of her hair separate uniformly or individually? Why can I remember that clearly?" he asks still examining the drawing. Finally, after staring at the drawing critically, he says: "However, no matter the state of her hair, Miss Motorcycle is more than pretty."
Novel Bin 